William Lecky was born in County Dublin, and was educated in Armagh, Cheltenham and Trinity College, Dublin. He was a member of parliament for Dublin University from 1895 until a few months before his death, and was in favour of a Catholic University. His manuscripts, both published and unpublished are in Trinity College, Dublin, and under the pseudonym 'Hibernicus' he was author of a volume Friendship and other poems. He published anonymously Leaders of Public Opinion in Ireland and in 1865, under his own name, the History of Rationalism, followed by History of European Morals. For nineteen years he worked on his History of England and it finally appeared in eight volumes. Other works include Democracy and Liberty and The Map of Life though he was probably best known for his five volume History of Ireland in the Eighteenth Century, published in 1892. He received the Order of Merit in 1902. The Lecky Chair of History at Trinity College, Dublin, was endowed by his widow. [Biography by his wife, 1909]

Born:	26 March 1838
Died:	22 October 1903