Willie Wilde facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Willie Wilde
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| Born | William Charles Kingsbury Wilde 26 September 1852 Dublin, Ireland |
| Died | 13 March 1899 (aged 46) Chelsea, London, England |
| Occupation | Journalist, poet |
| Language | English |
| Genre | Journalism, poetry |
| Spouse |
Sophie Lily Lees
(m. 1894) |
| Children | Dorothy Wilde |
| Parents | William Wilde (father) Jane Wilde (mother) |
| Relatives | Oscar Wilde (brother) |
William Charles Kingsbury Wilde (born September 26, 1852 – died March 13, 1899) was an Irish writer. He was a journalist and a poet. He was also the older brother of the famous writer Oscar Wilde.
Contents
Early Life and Family
Willie Wilde was the first son born into an Anglo-Irish family. He was born in Dublin, Ireland, on September 26, 1852. His parents were Sir William Wilde and Jane Francesca Wilde. His mother was also known by her writing name, 'Speranza'.
Willie's younger brother, Oscar Wilde, was born in the same house in 1854. Their mother, Jane Wilde, was a successful writer and poet. She wrote for a group called the Young Irelanders. She was also an Irish nationalist her whole life.
His father, Sir William Wilde, was a leading ear and eye surgeon in Ireland. He was knighted in 1864 for his medical work. Sir William also wrote books about archaeology and folklore. He was known for helping people. He set up a place for poor people to get medical care. This place later became the Dublin Eye and Ear Hospital.
In June 1855, the Wilde family moved to a new home. They lived at 1 Merrion Square in a fancy part of Dublin. Willie's sister, Isola, was born there in 1856. At this house, Lady Wilde often held special Saturday afternoon gatherings. Many famous guests attended these events.
School Days
In February 1864, Willie and Oscar went to Portora Royal School. This was a boarding school in Enniskillen, Ulster. Willie was known for being cheerful and friendly there. A classmate once said he was "clever, erratic and full of vitality."
Willie was good at playing the piano. Oscar Wilde later remembered that their headmaster, Dr. Steele, told him to study hard. He said Oscar could do as well as Willie and make the school proud.
Willie was already a student at Trinity College, Dublin when Oscar joined him in 1871. They shared rooms during their second and third years there. In 1876, Willie published some of his poems. He also helped edit the college magazine, Kottabos.
Life as a Journalist
After finishing college, Willie Wilde studied law. He was allowed to practice law in Ireland. However, he never actually worked as a lawyer.
His father passed away in 1876. In 1879, Willie and his mother, Lady Wilde, moved to London. There, Willie started working as a journalist. He wrote about plays for magazines like Punch and Vanity Fair. He also wrote for The Daily Telegraph. He edited special Christmas editions of several magazines.
Willie was a regular guest at the Fielding Club. This club was known for its food and drinks. Many famous people visited the club. Willie was often there on Saturdays with other well-known guests.
Family and Relationships
On October 4, 1891, Willie married Mrs. Frank Leslie. She was a wealthy widow and owned a publishing company in New York. She liked Willie's humor and cleverness. Their marriage ended in divorce on June 10, 1893.
When Willie returned to London in 1892, his brother Oscar was very famous. Oscar's play, Lady Windermere's Fan, was a big success. It is thought that Willie wrote a review of this play for Vanity Fair. The review said the play was "brilliantly unoriginal" but had "uniformly bright, graceful and flowing" dialogue. It called the play "an undeniably clever piece of work."
Oscar believed his brother wrote the review. At that time, Oscar was writing another play, A Woman of No Importance. In this play, a character says, "After a good dinner, one can forgive anybody, even one's own relations." This might have been a hint about his feelings toward Willie.
Willie Wilde faced money problems. Oscar started giving him money. However, their relationship became difficult. Oscar once said that Willie "sponges on everyone but himself."
In January 1894, Willie married Sophie Lily Lees. They had been living together. This marriage caused more worry for Lady Wilde. Willie and Lily moved in with her. Lady Wilde wrote to Oscar about the situation. She said Lily had very little money, and Willie was always poor. This meant Lady Wilde had to support them.
Willie and Lily had their only child, Dorothy 'Dolly' Ierne Wilde, in July 1895. Lady Wilde tried to help her sons get along. She wrote to Oscar, asking him to make peace with Willie. She said Willie was "sickly and extravagant." She wanted Oscar to "offer him yr. hand in good faith."
Later Years
After Oscar Wilde was arrested in April 1895, Willie said he helped his brother. Willie claimed Oscar "fell down on my threshold like a wounded stag." Willie stood by his brother during this difficult time. He wrote to Bram Stoker, saying Oscar was not as bad as people thought. He believed Oscar had made mistakes but would become better.
Willie did not meet Oscar after Oscar was released from prison in 1897. Willie Wilde passed away on March 13, 1899. When Oscar heard about Willie's death, he wrote that there had been "wide chasms" between them for many years. He added, Requiescat in Pace, which means "May he rest in peace."
Willie's wife, Lily, remarried in 1900. Her second husband was Alexander Teixeira de Mattos. He became Dolly's stepfather.
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