William Henry Gregory facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Sir William Henry Gregory
PC (Ire) KCMG
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"An art critic"
Gregory as caricatured by James Tissot in Vanity Fair, December 1871 |
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| 14th Governor of British Ceylon | |
| In office 4 March 1872 – 4 September 1877 |
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| Monarch | Queen Victoria |
| Preceded by | Henry Turner Irving (Acting governor) |
| Succeeded by | James Robert Longden |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 1 July 1816 Dublin Castle |
| Died | 6 March 1892 (aged 75) London, England |
| Resting place | Gregory family vault, Kiltartan, County Galway |
| Nationality | British |
| Spouses |
Elizabeth Temple Bowdoin
(m. 1872; died 1873) |
| Children | William Robert Gregory |
| Alma mater | Harrow School Christ Church, Oxford |
| Occupation | Writer, politician |
Sir William Henry Gregory (born July 13, 1816 – died March 6, 1892) was a writer and politician from Ireland. He is known for his work in government and for his interest in arts and culture. His second wife, Augusta, Lady Gregory, became famous as a playwright and co-founder of the Abbey Theatre in Dublin.
Contents
Early Life and Education
William Gregory was born in Dublin, Ireland, at the Under-Secretary's home in Phoenix Park. He was the only child of Robert and Elizabeth Gregory.
From 1830 to 1835, William attended Harrow School, a well-known school in England. He was a very good student and won awards there. In 1836, he went to Christ Church, Oxford University. He left after three years without finishing his degree.
William's father, Robert, was a landlord who tried to improve the lives of his tenants. He sadly died in 1847 from a fever he caught while visiting his tenants during the Great Famine.
Political Career and Public Service
Starting in Parliament
In 1842, William Gregory was elected to the British House of Commons. This is like the main law-making body in the United Kingdom. He represented Dublin as a member of the Conservative Party.
He was friends with important politicians like Sir Robert Peel. He also got along with Daniel O'Connell, who supported Catholic rights. Gregory was known for being sympathetic to Catholic interests in Ireland.
The Gregory Clause
During the Great Famine, Gregory was involved in a rule called the "Gregory Clause." This rule said that if a person owned more than a quarter of an acre of land, they could not get help from the government. This meant many poor farmers had to give up their land to get food or relief.
Life in Galway
After his father passed away, Gregory lost his seat in Parliament in the 1847 election. He then moved to his family's estate, Coole Park, in County Galway, Ireland. In 1849, he became the High Sheriff of County Galway, a local official.
He had inherited a lot of money from his grandfather, who worked for the East India Company. However, William Gregory enjoyed horse racing and lost a lot of his money at the racetrack.
Travels and Interests
In 1855, Gregory traveled to Egypt. He later wrote a two-volume book about his trips to Egypt and Tunis, which was published in 1859.
He returned to Parliament in 1857, representing County Galway. He supported both liberal and conservative ideas.
In 1859, he traveled across North America. During the American Civil War, he supported the Southern states (the Confederacy). He also believed Britain should oppose the Turkish government. He wanted the Ionian Islands and Crete to become part of Greece.
In Britain, Gregory worked to protect Roman Catholic clergy in Ireland. He also pushed for land reform, which meant changing laws about who owned land. He was very interested in the arts. He worked with the British Museum for a long time. In 1867, he became a Trustee of the National Gallery, an important art museum.
Governor of Ceylon
On July 10, 1871, Gregory became a member of the Privy Council of Ireland. The next year, he was appointed Governor of Ceylon, which is now called Sri Lanka. In 1875, he hosted the Prince of Wales (who would later become King Edward VII). He was also given the Order of St. Michael and St. George, an important award.
Gregory finished his term as Governor in 1877. He then returned to England, traveling through Australia on his way. He spent most of his later years traveling. He visited Egypt again in 1881-1882 and Ceylon in 1884-1885.
Gregory was a member of the Royal Society (FRS), a group of important scientists. He was also a member of the Kildare Street Club in Dublin.
Personal Life
William Gregory enjoyed horse racing, which sometimes led to money challenges throughout his life. He loved classical languages and literature. He always showed a strong interest in art and culture.
Gregory was married twice. His first wife was Elizabeth Temple Bowdoin, whom he married in 1872. She passed away in 1873. In 1880, Gregory married Augusta Persse, who later became famous as Augusta, Lady Gregory. Their only child, William Robert Gregory, was born in 1881.
Death and Legacy
William Gregory died in London on March 6, 1892, due to breathing problems. His wife, Lady Gregory, later edited and published his autobiography in 1894.
He left an important painting, Christ in the House of Martha and Mary by Diego Velázquez, to the National Gallery, London. He had been a Trustee of this gallery since 1867. He also left three other artworks, including one by Jan Steen.
Gregory is buried in the Gregory family vault in Kiltartan, County Galway, Ireland. This area was once part of his family's estate.
Two places are named after William Gregory: Lake Gregory in Nuwara Eliya, Sri Lanka, and Gregory's Road in Colombo, Sri Lanka.
In Popular Culture
William Gregory's name might have inspired the character of Inspector Gregory in Arthur Conan Doyle's Sherlock Holmes story, Silver Blaze. This story is about a racehorse that disappears before a big race.
Some people think he was the inspiration for the character Phineas Finn in Anthony Trollope's "Palliser novels." Trollope and Gregory went to school together.
Images for kids
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The Gregory family vault near Coole Park, County Galway in 2016.
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Information sign on the Gregory family vault.
