Wilde, Jane Francesca (1826–1896)

Irish poet and literary hostess. A committed nationalist, she contributed poetry and prose to the Nation from 1845 under the pen-name ‘Speranza’. Her salon became the most famous in Dublin.

Wilde was born in Dublin. In 1851 she married the eye surgeon William Wilde, and they had two sons, the younger of whom was Oscar Wilde. After her husband's death in 1876, she moved to London and published several works on folklore, including Ancient Legends of Ireland 1887, and Ancient Cures 1891.