Editing William Wilde (section)

==Marriage and children==
On 12 November 1851, Wilde married the poet [[Jane Wilde|Jane Francesca Agnes Elgee]], who wrote and published under the name of Speranza. The couple had two sons: William ([[Willie Wilde|Willie]]) and [[Oscar Wilde|Oscar]], and a daughter, Isola Francesca, who died in childhood.

In addition to his children with his wife, Sir William Wilde was the father of three children born out of wedlock before his marriage: Henry Wilson, born in 1838, and Emily and Mary Wilde, born in 1847 and 1849, respectively, of different parentage to Henry. Sir William acknowledged paternity of his illegitimate children and provided for their education, but they were reared by his relatives rather than with his wife and legitimate children.<ref name="Ellmann (1988:13)">Ellmann, Richard (1988) ''Oscar Wilde'', Vintage Books, New York, {{ISBN|978-0-394-75984-5}}</ref> Emily and Mary both died in 1871 following a Halloween party at which their dresses accidentally caught fire.<ref>Zapata, Mariana.  [http://www.atlasobscura.com/articles/the-strange-secret-behind-the-tragic-deaths-of-oscar-wildes-halfsisters "The Strange Secret Behind the Tragic Deaths of Oscar Wilde’s Half-Sisters"], [[Atlas Obscura]] (21 October 2016).</ref>

From 1855 to his death in 1876, William Wilde lived at No. 1 Merrion Square, now the headquarters of [[American College Dublin]]. The building is named Oscar Wilde House after William Wilde's son, who also lived at the address from 1855 until 1878.

[[File:sirwilliamwilde.jpg|thumb|right|Sir William Wilde]]