William Richard O'Byrne

William Richard O'Byrne (1823 – 7 July 1896) was an Irish biographer and politician, author of the Naval Biographical Dictionary (1849).

Life

He was elder son of Robert O'Byrne and his wife Martha Trougher, daughter of Joseph Clark. He was a young man when he conceived of publishing a record of the service of every living Royal Navy officer of the executive branch. The work proved an unrewarding struggle. Sir Francis Thornhill Baring appointed him librarian at the Admiralty; but his successor, Algernon Percy, 4th Duke of Northumberland, did not confirm the position.^[1]

Recognition for O'Byrne's work came from the Royal United Service Institution, and in 1857 he was specially elected a member of the Athenæum Club. On the death of his cousin Georgiana O'Byrne, he succeeded to the Cabinteely estate, County Wicklow. In 1872, he was High Sheriff of Wicklow, and was M.P. for the county from 1874 to 1880. But the property to which he had succeeded was heavily mortgaged; the mortgagees foreclosed, and O'Byrne was left with little. In 1884, he was awarded £100 from the royal bounty. The Admiralty refused him a post. During his last years O'Byrne's health broke down, and he was mainly dependent on his daughter.^[1]

In the summer of 1896 he was granted £125 from the royal bounty. He died in South Kensington on 7 July 1896. His wife, by whom he had one daughter, predeceased him.^[1]

Works

For six years he worked at the Naval Biographical Dictionary, publishing the first parts in 1845, and completing the volume of 1400 pages in 1849. The Admiralty records were disorganised; O'Byrne corresponded with the subjects of his memoirs, but he checked their statements by the official documents. The work is accurate, but the author was not well rewarded.^[1]

In 1859, he began a second edition of the Dictionary, containing memoirs of officers of the civil branches of the service. This edition was not carried beyond the letter G.^[1]

References

1. Laughton 1901.

Attribution

 This article incorporates text from a publication now in the public domain: Laughton, John Knox (1901). "O'Byrne, William Richard". In Sidney Lee. Dictionary of National Biography, 1901 supplement​. London: Smith, Elder & Co.

External links

• Hansard 1803–2005: contributions in Parliament by William Richard O'Byrne