White, Thomas
White, Thomas (1556–1622), Jesuit and founder of Irish colleges in Europe, was the son of Pierce White of Clonmel and was born into one of the most staunchly catholic families in Ireland. A younger brother Stephen (qv) was a celebrated…...
Whitney, Patrick Joseph
Whitney, Patrick Joseph (1894–1942), missionary priest, was born 7 July 1894 at Breenletter townland, Ballyfermoyle, between Keadue and Lough Key in Co. Roscommon, on the borders with Co. Sligo and Co. Leitrim, eldest child of Bernard Whitney, smallholding farmer, and Mary Anne Whitney…...
Whitty, Ellen (Sister Mary Vincent)
Whitty, Ellen (Sister Mary Vincent) (1819–92), Sister of Mercy, foundress, and educator, was born 1 March 1819 in Poldharrigge, Enniscorthy, Co. Wexford, daughter of Robert Whitty and Mary Whitty. She had two sisters and three brothers. Educated in Enniscorthy and the Academy of…...
Whitty, Sophia St John
Whitty, Sophia St John (1877–1924), woodcarver, teacher, and cooperativist, was born 4 November 1877 at 69 Upper Leeson St., Dublin, daughter of Richard Lawrence Whitty, gentleman, of that address, and his wife Jane Alicia, second daughter of Hugh Palliser Hickman (1805–83),…...
Wikeford (Wickford, Wykeford), Robert
Wikeford (Wickford, Wykeford), Robert (d. 1390), archbishop of Dublin, archdeacon of Winchester, and chancellor of Ireland, was a scholar of Merton College, Oxford 1340/41, was admitted as a fellow (c.1344), received an MA (1349), and…...
Williams, Alexander
Williams, Alexander (1846–1930), artist, naturalist and singer, was born 21 April 1846 in the Diamond, Monaghan town, eldest of three sons of William Williams, hatter, of Drogheda, Co. Louth, and was educated at Drogheda Grammar School. His father moved in May 1860 to 19 Bayview Avenue…...
Williams, Daniel
Williams, Daniel (1643/4–1717), nonconformist minister and benefactor, was born in or near Wrexham, Denbighshire, north Wales. His father's name is not recorded, but his mother may have been a daughter of Hugh Davies of Wrexham, and there was at least one sister who married a…...
Williams, Griffith
Williams, Griffith (c.1589–1672), Church of Ireland bishop of Ossory, was born about 1589 at Treflan in Caernarvonshire, Wales. He matriculated at Christ Church, Oxford, on 15 June 1604, but his studies were curtailed when his uncle refused to support him. Through the aid…...
Williams, Jane
Williams, Jane (1771–1845), silversmith, was born 2 December 1771 in Cork, the eldest of seven daughters and two sons born to Carden Terry , silversmith, and his wife Catherine (née Webb), daughter of Stonewell Webb, also a silversmith. Carden was born 1742 to John Terry, a burgess…...
Williamson, John William Patrick
Williamson, John William Patrick (1922–2005), presbyterian minister in England and advocate of ecumenism, was born 24 April 1922 in the manse at Ballyroney, Co. Down, son of Ernest Hamilton Williamson (1892–1958), at that time presbyterian minister in Ballyroney, and his wife Hedwig…...
Willibrord
Willibrord (657/8–739) of Ráith Melsigi, was probably of Northumbrian aristocratic family; his mother gave him his name, while his father, Wilgils, subsequently offered him to the monastery of Ripon in Northumberland, then ruled by Wilfrid (a relative?), later bishop of York (d. 709…...
Wills, James
Wills, James (1790–1868), clergyman and author, was born 1 January 1790, younger son of Thomas Wills of Willsgrove, Co. Roscommon, and his second wife, a daughter of Capt. James Browne of Moyne, Co. Roscommon. He was educated at Dr Miller's school in Blackrock, Co. Dublin, and at…...
Wills, William Gorman
Wills, William Gorman (1828–91), playwright and painter, was born 28 January 1828 in Kilmurry, Co. Kilkenny, third child of the writer James Wills (qv) and his wife Katherine, daughter of the Rev. W. Gorman and niece of the chief justice…...
Wingfield, Lewis Strange
Wingfield, Lewis Strange (1842–91), traveller, writer, actor, and painter, was born 25 February 1842 at Powerscourt, Enniskerry, Co. Wicklow, third and youngest son of Richard Wingfield, 6th Viscount Powerscourt, and his wife (and first cousin) Lady Elizabeth Frances Charlotte, eldest…...
Wingfield, Mervyn Edward
Wingfield, Mervyn Edward (1836–1904), 7th Viscount Powerscourt , landowner, politician, and connoisseur, was born 13 October 1836 at Powerscourt Castle, near Enniskerry, Co. Wicklow, the eldest of the three sons of Richard Wingfield (1815–44), sixth viscount, and his wife, Lady…...
Wingfield, Mervyn Richard
This is a co-subject for the entry on Wingfield, Mervyn Edward. View the original entry....
Wingfield, Theodosia
Wingfield, Theodosia (1800–36), Viscountess Powerscourt , evangelical religious writer, was a daughter of the Hon. Hugh Howard , gentleman landowner, and Catherine Howard (née Bligh), of Co. Wicklow. The Howards were one of a small group of closely…...
Winter, Samuel
Winter, Samuel (1603–66), Independent minister and provost of TCD, was born in the parish of Hampton-in-Arden, Warwickshire, England, son of Christopher Winter, yeoman. He was educated at the free school in Coventry before proceeding to…...
Witherow, Thomas
Witherow, Thomas (1824–90), presbyterian minister and historian, was born 29 May 1824 in his maternal grandfather's house at Ballycastle, near Limavady, Co. Londonderry, eldest in a family of four children of Hugh Witherow, a prosperous farmer and grazier from Aughlish, near…...
Wogan, William
Wogan, William (1678–1758), London agent of the Irish government, philanthropist, and religious writer, was born in Gumfreston in Pembrokeshire, a younger son of Ethelred Wogan (d. c.1685), rector of Gumfreston and vicar of Penally. His mother's first name is unknown, but…...
Wolfe, Charles
Wolfe, Charles (1791–1823), clergyman and poet, was born 14 December 1791 in Dublin, one of eleven children and the youngest of eight sons of Theobald Wolfe, landowner, of Blackhall, Co. Kildare, and his wife Frances, daughter of the Rev. Peter Lombard. He was related to …...
Wolfe, David
Wolfe, David (1528–c.1578), leader of the second Jesuit mission to Ireland, was born in Limerick. His command of Spanish, Italian, and Portuguese strongly suggests that he was educated on the Continent, but he is first recorded as dean of the diocesan chapter in Limerick…...
Woodlock, Bartholomew
Woodlock, Bartholomew (1819–1902), catholic bishop of Ardagh and Clonmacnoise and rector of the Catholic University of Ireland, was born 30 March 1819 in Dublin, the eighth of ten children of William Paul Woodlock and his wife Mary (née Cleary), who were natives of Roscrea, Co.…...
Woodward, Richard
Woodward, Richard (1726–94), Church of Ireland bishop of Cloyne, was born in July 1726 at Grimsbury, near Bristol, the eldest son of Francis Woodward (d. 1730) and Elizabeth Woodward (née Bird; 1696–1771) of Bristol. Early years He was educated at home by…...
Worth, Edward
Worth, Edward (d. 1669), puritan and Church of Ireland bishop of Killaloe, was born in Co. Cork, son of James Worth, clergyman of Newmarket, Co. Cork, who originally came from Tytherington in the parish of Prestbury, Cheshire, England. Edward was a scholar of…...