William Redmond (Irish politician, born 1825) facts for kids

William Archer Redmond (born 1825, died 1880) was an important Irish politician. He represented the town of Wexford in the British Parliament. He was part of the Home Rule Party, which was led by Isaac Butt. William Redmond served as a Member of Parliament (MP) from 1872 to 1880. He was also the father of John Redmond, who later became a very famous leader of the Irish Parliamentary Party.

William Archer Redmond: A Champion for Ireland

Early Life and Family

William Archer Redmond was born into a well-known family in County Wexford, Ireland. His father was Patrick Walter Redmond, who owned Ballytrent House. His father was also a magistrate (a type of judge) and held important local roles like High Sheriff and Deputy Lieutenant of County Wexford. William's mother was Esther Kearney.

He was also the nephew of John Edward Redmond, who had also been an MP for Wexford. John Edward Redmond is remembered in Wexford town, where a place called Redmond Square is named after him.

William went to school at Stonyhurst College and then studied in Bonn, Germany. He later graduated from Trinity College Dublin, a famous university in Ireland.

Fighting for Home Rule

William Archer Redmond was a strong supporter of Irish Home Rule. This was a movement that wanted Ireland to have its own parliament and control its own affairs, instead of being fully governed by the British Parliament in London.

What was Home Rule?

Imagine if your town or county wanted to make its own rules about local things, instead of having all decisions made by a distant government. That's a bit like what Home Rule was for Ireland. People who supported Home Rule believed that Ireland could manage its own issues better if it had its own parliament. They felt this would help Ireland grow and solve its own problems.

His Powerful Words

In 1873, William Redmond attended a special meeting about Home Rule. He suggested many important ideas there. When he ran for election in 1872, he made a powerful speech. He said that Ireland had a clear right to be governed by an Irish Parliament. He believed this was essential for Ireland to be well-governed and to develop its resources. He also thought it would help bring peace and freedom to the Irish people.

Redmond was sure that Home Rule could be achieved peacefully and within the existing laws, without changing loyalty to the King or Queen. He disagreed with anyone who thought Irish people couldn't work together or manage their own country.

A Voice for Temperance

William Redmond was also interested in social reform. He was a temperance reformer, which means he worked to reduce or stop the drinking of alcohol. He supported a law to close pubs on Sundays in Ireland and wanted to make this law even stronger. He regularly attended meetings of the "League of the Cross" in London. This group was a total abstinence organization, meaning its members promised not to drink any alcohol. It was founded by Cardinal Henry Edward Manning.

What People Thought of Him

Justin McCarthy (historian and politician), a well-known historian and politician, wrote about William Redmond. He remembered Redmond as a very polite and well-mannered person. McCarthy said Redmond was educated and very capable. When Redmond spoke in Parliament, he spoke well and made his points clearly. He was highly respected by everyone in the House of Commons, no matter their political party.

His Family Legacy

William Redmond married Mary Letitia Louisa Hoey. Her father was General R. H. Hoey. William inherited Ballytrent House, which was located near the Tuskar Rock lighthouse. He lived there with his family.

He had two sons who also became important politicians:

• John Redmond: He became the leader of the Irish Parliamentary Party, a very significant political group in Ireland.
• Willie Redmond: He was also an MP and a brave soldier.

William Archer Redmond was also the grandfather of another politician named William Archer Redmond. This grandson also served as both an MP in the UK Parliament and a TD (a member of the Irish Parliament) later on.