Whitelaw, James
Whitelaw, James (1749–1813), clergyman, statistician, and philanthropist, was born in Co. Leitrim; nothing is known of his family. He was educated in Cavan by Rev. Lewis Kerr before entering TCD (8 July 1766), becoming a scholar (1769…...
White, Luke
White, Luke (c.1740–1824), bookseller, millionaire, and politician, was born about 1740 and possibly originated in Cork city, as both his wives were from there and his brother, Thomas White, was listed as a Cork bookseller. A protestant, he may have been of huguenot…...
White, Rowland
White, Rowland (d. 1572), Anglo-Irish reformer, was the son of Baron White of the Dufferin in north-east Ulster, which the family was forced to abandon when it came under attack from the Scots and the local Gaelic chieftains early in the sixteenth century. Nothing is known of…...
Whiteside, James
Whiteside, James (1804–76), lawyer and politician, was born 12 August 1804 at Delgany, Co. Wicklow, the second son of William Whiteside, minister of the Church of Ireland, and his wife, Anne (née Robinson). After William Whiteside's death in 1806 his family lived in reduced…...
White, Sir Nicholas
White, Sir Nicholas (d. 1593), lawyer and master of the rolls of Ireland, was born in Waterford city, son of James White of Waterford, who was steward to James Butler (qv), 9th earl of Ormond, and who died along with the 9th earl of food…...
Whittaker, Sir Edmund Taylor
Whittaker, Sir Edmund Taylor (1873–1956), mathematician, theoretical physicist, and director of Dunsink observatory, was born 24 October 1873 in Birkdale, near Southport, Lancs., eldest child of John Whittaker, railway engineer and contractor, and his wife Selina, daughter of…...
Whitton, Eleanor Constance
Whitton, Eleanor Constance (1879–1956), campaigner for animal welfare, was born in Co. Longford, the daughter of the Rev. Alexander Beatty, Church of Ireland minister. She appears to have been educated locally. In 1902 she married Henry M. Whitton, registrar of the court of appeal…...
Whitworth, Charles
Whitworth, Charles (1752–1825), Earl Whitworth lord lieutenant of Ireland and diplomat, was born 19 May 1752 at Leybourne Grange, Kent, eldest son among three sons and four daughters of Sir Charles Whitworth (d. 1778), MP, and his wife, Martha (née Shelley; d. 1786). Whitworth was…...
Wickham, William
Wickham, William (1761–1840), chief secretary for Ireland and British spymaster, was born November 1761 in England, first son of Henry Wickham, lieutenant-colonel in the British army, and Elizabeth Wickham (née Lamplugh). Educated at Winchester and Harrow, he entered Christ Church…...
Widdess, John (‘Jack’) David Henry
Widdess, John (‘Jack’) David Henry (1906–82), medical historian, librarian, and biologist, was born 1 August 1906 in Limerick, son of Matthew Widdess, pharmaceutical chemist, and Emily Widdess (née Irwin). He was educated at Wesley College, Dublin. He won prizes, was admitted…...
Wilde, Jane Francesca Agnes (‘Speranza’)
Wilde, Jane Francesca Agnes (‘Speranza’) (1821?–1896), poet, nationalist, and feminist, was probably born 27 December 1821 in Dublin, to Charles Elgee (1783–1824), son of Archdeacon John Elgee of Wexford, and his wife Sarah (d. 1851), daughter of Thomas Kingsbury, commissioner of…...
Wilde, Oscar Fingal O'Flahertie
Wilde, Oscar Fingal O'Flahertie (to which he, like his father and brother, later added ‘Wills ’) (1854–1900), playwright, poet, and prose writer, was born 16 October 1854 in his parents’ house, 21 Westland Row, Dublin, second son of Dr…...
Wilde, Sir William Robert Wills
Wilde, Sir William Robert Wills (1815–76), surgeon and polymath, was born in March 1815 at Kilkeevin, Castlerea, Co. Roscommon, youngest of three sons of Thomas Wilde, a local physician, and Emily Wilde (née Fynne). He attended the Royal School, Banagher, and the Diocesan School, Elphin…...
Wilde, William Charles Kingsbury
Wilde, William Charles Kingsbury (1852–99), journalist, was born 26 September 1852 in Dublin, eldest son of Sir William Wilde (qv), surgeon and antiquary, and his wife, the poet and journalist ‘Speranza’ – Jane…...
Wilks, Robert
Wilks, Robert (c.1665–1732), actor and manager, was born in Rathfarnham, Co. Dublin, second among three sons of Edward Wilks, pursuivant to a lord lieutenant; nothing is known of his mother. Educated locally, he was appointed a clerk in the office of Sir…...
Willcocks, Sir Richard
Willcocks, Sir Richard (1768–1834), yeomanry officer and policeman, was born in 1768 at Palmerston (Palmerstown) near Chapelizod, Co. Dublin. His parents' names are unknown and his own surname is variously given as Willcocks, Wilcox, or Wilcock. He became a Dublin police…...
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, Charles Frederick
Williams, Charles Frederick (1838–1904), journalist and war correspondent, was born 4 May 1838 in Coleraine, Co. Londonderry. His parents' names are unknown, but he claimed to be descended paternally from Worcestershire yeomen (of Tenbury and Mamble), and maternally from Ulster Scots…...
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, Benjamin
Williamson, Benjamin (1827–1916), mathematician, was born 9 January 1827 at Old Dromore, near Mallow, Co. Cork, third son of Benjamin Williamson, rector of Mourne Abbey, and Abigail Williamson (née Roberts). The family claimed descent from Robert Williamson, free burgess, who held…...
Willoughby, Charles
Willoughby, Charles (c.1630–1694), physician, was born in Co. Cork, son of Sir Francis Willoughby, a major-general in the army of Charles I and member of the provincial council of Munster, who was appointed governor of Galway in 1636. Charles Willoughby seems to have studied…...
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…...
Wilmot, Sir Charles
Wilmot, Sir Charles (1570/71–1643/4), 1st Viscount Wilmot of Athlone , English soldier and governor of Connacht, was son and heir of Edward Wilmot of Culham, Oxfordshire, England, and his wife Elizabeth, daughter of Thomas Stafford of Bradfield, Berkshire. He matriculated at…...