William Le Poer Trench
General information▶Date of birth: 2 February 1801 Place of birth: Galway, Ireland ▶Father: William Le Poer Trench Mother: Sarah Anne Cuppaide ▶Spouse(s): Mary-Anne Hardman Date(s) of marriage: 26 March 1827 Place(s) of marriage: St Peter’s Church, Dublin ▶Occupation: Clergyman (Church of Ireland) ▶Lifestory: The Revd. William Le Poer Trench was the nephew of the Archbishop of Tuam in Galway, and was sent to England to encourage support for Irish causes; despite staying with his aunt in Cheltenham, his successful career was based principally in Ireland. Trench was born in Galway in 1801, the eldest son of Rear Admiral William Le Poer Trench, and his wife Sarah Anne (née Cuppaidge); he was the nephew of Power Le Poer Trench, Archbishop of Tuam, Galway. Trench was educated at Eton College (he is listed in 1814 in the Third Form of the Lower School), and in 1819 matriculated at Trinity College, Dublin, BA 1827, MA 1830, BD 1836, DD 1842. He served as Domestic Chapel to his uncle, the Archbishop of Tuam, who presented him with the Rectory of Killererin, Co. Galway in 1825. In 1827 he married Mary-Anne, eldest daughter of Edward Hardman, Secretary to the Board of Excise, from Co. Louth; they had one daughter. In the mid 1830s his uncle invited him to visit England on a mission to encourage support for Irish causes. In 1835 he arrived in Cheltenham, already home to his aunt Letitia Le Poer Trench, and he lodged with her at her house at 13 Pittville Parade (now 26 Evesham Road). While in Cheltenham he preached at St Paul’s Church, at St James’s Church, and doubtless elsewhere, promoting the Tuam Diocesan Education Society; he became increasingly interested in the issues of Irish education. In 1837 he preached on the same topic at the Octagon Chapel in Bath, and visited Monmouthshire to raise funds for the cause of Scriptural Education in Ireland. From 1839 he spoke more generally in support of the Church Education Society of Ireland. His pamphlet Reasons for refusing to co-operate with the Board of National Education, re-stated, and addressed to the Clergy was published in 1847. In 1851 he was promoted to become Rector of Aughaval or Westport in Co. Mayo (Diocese of Tuam). His Digest of the evidence taken before the Select Committee of the House of Lords, appointed to inquire into the working of the national system of education in Ireland was published in 1855. The Revd. Dr. Sirr is reported as saying of Trench: “He was the intimate and admired friend of all the clergy, who were wont to meet from month to month at the palace. He was a careful and diligent student of the Scriptures – an active and zealous clergyman – one who entered with constitutional warmth into the prosecution of every good work and labour of love. [He] was known to every diocese in Ireland as the originator and joint-secretary of the Church Education Society”. In 1857 he was preferred to become Rector of Moylough in Galway, and in 1867 to the Provostship of St Mary’s Cathedral, Tuam. Trench died at his home, Moylough Rectory, in 1868, at the age of sixty-seven. His estate in Ireland was valued at his death at under £800. [He should not be confused with the Revd. William Le Poer Trench, son of Power Le Poer Trench, the Archbishop of Tuam, who died in 1854.] ▶Moved to Pittville from: Galway Moved from Pittville to: Galway ▶Date of death: 13 July 1868 Place of death: Moylough, near Mountbellew, Galway, Ireland ▶Date of burial: Place of burial: ▶Notes: David Carnegie Andrew Agnew, Refugees naturalized before 1681 (1886) ID: 19560 Contributor(s): John Simpson
Found no family members on the Pittville History Works Database (based on “relation to head” in the 1841-1911 census records and 1939 register records) |