Vierpyl, Simon
Vierpyl, Simon (c.1725–1810), sculptor and stone carver, was born in London of Dutch parents, and studied sculpture with the brothers Peter and Henry Scheemakers. He went to Rome about 1750 and there came to the attention of James…...
Vinycomb, John
Vinycomb, John (1833–1928), engraver, illuminator, and heraldic designer, was born 4 July 1833 in Newcastle-upon-Tyne, England, son of Andrew Vinycomb, an Englishman with family roots in either Devon or Derbyshire. He attended the government school of design in Newcastle, and…...
Waddington, Leslie
Waddington, Leslie (1934–2015), art dealer, was born in Upper Mount Street, Dublin, on 9 February 1934, the middle of three sons of…...
Waddington, Victor
Waddington, Victor (1907–81), art dealer and gallery owner, was born on 9 January 1907 in Stepney, London, the second son of five sons and two daughters of William George Waddington, a schoolteacher and convert to Judaism, originally from a presbyterian family in rural Aberdeenshire,…...
Wakeman, William Frederick
Wakeman, William Frederick (1822–1900), antiquary and artist, was born 12 August 1822 in Dublin, the son of W. F. Wakeman, originally from Nottingham, England, bookseller and publisher in D'Olier St., Dublin. By the age of 15 William was a drawing pupil of…...
Waldré, Vincent
Waldré, Vincent (1742–1814), history painter and architect, was born Vincenzo Valdre or Valdrati in November 1742 in Faenza, Italy, son of Carlo Valdrati, master of the wardrobe of Don Filippo, duke of Parma. The family resided in Parma, where Waldré studied with the painter…...
Waldron, Laurence Ambrose
Waldron, Laurence Ambrose (1858–1923), stockbroker, patron of the arts, and MP, was born on 14 November 1858 at Ballybrack, Co. Dublin, fourth son of Laurence Waldron (1811–75), JP, DL, and MP for Co.…...
Walker, Dorothy
Walker, Dorothy (1929–2002), writer and critic, was born 16 January 1929 at 3 Mountjoy Square, Dublin, the daughter of Walter Cole, a stallholder at the city of Dublin fruit and vegetable market, and his wife, Moira. Following her education at the Dominican convent in Wicklow (1937–46)…...
Walker, Roger Chambers
Walker, Roger Chambers (1806–54), landowner, barrister, and antiquary, was born 29 October 1806, the only son of James Walker (d. 1853) of Rathcarrick, Co. Sligo, solicitor and landowner, and Letitia Walker (née Johnstone; d. 1835) from Co. Fermanagh. He had two sisters. The family…...
Walker, Sir Samuel
Walker, Sir Samuel (1832–1911), 1st baronet, lord chancellor of Ireland, was born 19 June 1832 at Gore Port, Finea, Co. Westmeath, second of three sons of Capt. Alexander Walker, soldier, and Elizabeth Walker (née Elliott); his older brother was Gen.…...
Wallace, Robert Hugh
Wallace, Robert Hugh (1860–1929), Orangeman, soldier and political activist, was born in English Street, Downpatrick, Co. Down, on 14 December 1860, son of William Nevin Wallace, solicitor and landowner, and his second wife, Catherine Mary (d. 1877), daughter of Francis Charles…...
Walter (Butler), Theobald
Walter (Butler), Theobald (a.1150–1206?), magnate and chief butler of Ireland, was eldest son of Hervey Walter and Maud, daughter of Theobald de Valoignes. Little or nothing is known for certain about his family background, but he clearly came from what later centuries…...
WARBURTON, Bartholomew Elliott George (‘Eliot Warburton’)
Warburton, Bartholomew Elliott George (‘Eliot Warburton’) (1810–52), author, landowner, and traveller, was born near Tullamore, King's Co. (Offaly), eldest son of George Warburton, of Aughrim, Co. Galway, a former inspector-general of the constabulary in Ireland, and Anna Warburton (née…...
Ward, James
Ward, James (1851–1924), artist and educator, was born 17 November 1851 at Gavins Buildings, Shankill Road, Belfast, eldest son of James Ward, house painter. He was educated at local schools and received private art lessons before attending the Government School of Art, Belfast. He…...
Ward, Mary
Ward, Mary (1827–69), artist, naturalist, and astronomer, was born 27 April 1827 in Ballylin, near Ferbane, King's Co. (Offaly), youngest among three daughters and one son of the Rev. Henry King (1799–1857) of Ballylin, and Harriette King (née Lloyd), of Gloster, King's Co. Her…...
Ward, Maxwell Richard Crosbie
Ward, Maxwell Richard Crosbie (1868–1950), 6th Viscount Bangor , politician, was born 4 May 1868, third son of Henry William Crosbie (1828–1911), 5th Viscount Bangor, representative peer, JP and DL…...
Watson, James
Watson, James (c.1740–1790), mezzotint engraver, was born in Dublin but there are few details of his family or early life; his older brother was William Watson (d. 1765), painter of portraits and historical subjects. Educated at the Dublin Society schools, James trained as…...
Wejchert, Alexandra
Wejchert, Alexandra (1921–95), sculptor, was born 16 October 1921 in Cracow, Poland, daughter of Tedeusz Wejchert, who ran a shipping business in Gdansk. In 1939 she went to study architecture in Warsaw University and there experienced the German invasion of Poland, which haunted…...
Wellesley (Wesley), Richard Colley
Wellesley (Wesley), Richard Colley (1760–1842), Marquis Wellesley , governor-general of Bengal and lord lieutenant of Ireland, was born 20 June 1760 at Dangan Castle, Co. Meath, eldest child of Garret Wesley (qv), 1st Viscount…...
Wesley, Garrett
Wesley, Garrett (1735–81), amateur musician, politician, and 1st earl of Mornington , was born 19 July 1735, probably at Dangan Castle, Co. Meath, the only surviving son of Richard Wesley (originally Colley), later 1st Baron Mornington, and Elizabeth Wesley (née Sale). Educated by…...
Wesley, Richard (Colley)
Wesley, Richard (Colley) (c.1690–1758), politician and 1st Baron Mornington , was born Richard Colley, near Edenderry, King's Co. (Offaly), sixth and youngest son of Henry Colley, of Castle Carbery, Co. Kildare, politician and landowner, and Mary Colley (née Usher).…...
West, Francis Robert
West, Francis Robert (c.1749–1809), artist, was born in Dublin, eldest son of Robert West (qv), artist and founder of a school of drawing which from 1746 was subsidised by the Dublin Society. After Robert West's death (October 1770…...
West, Robert
West, Robert (d. 1770), painter, draughtsman, and art teacher, was born in Waterford city, the son of an alderman. Little is known about his early years, except that he studied in Paris (c.1735) under François Boucher and Carle Vanloo, and supposedly earned the first…...
West, Robert
West, Robert (d. 1790), stuccodore and Dublin property developer, was probably born in Dublin between c.1720 and 1730. His family background and early life is unknown but it is possible that he was descended from a long line of Dublin-based builders and artisans such as…...
West, Robert Lucius
West, Robert Lucius (c.1774–1850), painter, was born in Dublin, son of Francis Robert West (qv), painter and master of the Dublin Society figure school, and his second wife, Ellen (née Walsh). His grandfather,…...