John Francis Waller (21 July 1809 – 19 January 1894) was an Irish poet, librettist and editor.

Life

The son of Thomas Maunsell Waller, of an Irish baronetical family, and Margaret Vereker, Waller was born in

Finnoe Finnoe (''Fionnú'' in Irish) is a civil parish in the barony of Ormond Lower, County Tipperary, Ireland. It is located close to Borrisokane. Finnoe is in the Dáil constituency of Laois-Offaly which incorporates 24 electoral divisions that ...

County Tipperary County Tipperary ( ga, Contae Thiobraid Árann) is a county in Ireland. It is in the province of Munster and the Southern Region. The county is named after the town of Tipperary, and was established in the early 13th century, shortly after t ...

, studied at Trinity College, Dublin (BA, 1831) and was called to the

Irish Bar The Bar of Ireland ( ga, Barra na hÉireann) is the professional association of barristers for Ireland, with over 2,000 members. It is based in the Law Library, with premises in Dublin and Cork. It is governed by the General Council of the Ba ...

in 1833. Under the pseudonym of "Jonathan Freke Slingsby" he wrote for the

Dublin University Magazine The ''Dublin University Magazine'' was an independent literary cultural and political magazine published in Dublin from 1833 to 1882. It started out as a magazine of political commentary but increasingly became devoted to literature. The magazine ...

and became its editor in 1845. He held the position of vice-president of the Royal Irish Academy from 1864 and was appointed Registrar of the Rolls Court in 1867. His older brother was Edward Waller (zoologist) 1804-1873.

Works

Besides editing the ''

'', he also edited the '' Imperial Dictionary of Universal Biography'' and contributed articles to ''Cassell's Biographical Dictionary''. Waller published several volumes of poems and also wrote the words to many popular songs, including ''Cushla Ma Chree'', ''The Spinning Wheel'' and ''Song of the Glass''. Many of his odes and poems were set to music by Irish composers, including Joseph Robinson, James Cooksey Culwick, Robert Prescott Stewart,

Michael William Balfe Michael William Balfe (15 May 1808 – 20 October 1870) was an Irish composer, best remembered for his operas, especially ''The Bohemian Girl''. After a short career as a violinist, Balfe pursued an operatic singing career, while he began to co ...

, and

George Alexander Osborne George Alexander Osborne (24 September 1806 – 16 November 1893) was an Irish composer and pianist. Biography Osborne was born in Limerick. He left Ireland at the age of eighteen for Brussels, where he was appointed music instructor for the el ...

, Stewart being particularly fond of his works. He also wrote words for compositions by

George Alexander Macfarren Sir George Alexander Macfarren (2 March 181331 October 1887) was an English composer and musicologist. Life George Alexander Macfarren was born in London on 2 March 1813 to George Macfarren, a dancing-master, dramatic author and journalist, wh ...

, Charles Oberthür, and Franz Wilhelm Abt.Parker (2013), as above. He was responsible for the explanatory notes and a life of the author in a new edition of " Gulliver's Travels" written by Dean Jonathan Swift.

Selected works

Prose *''Ravenscroft Hall'' (1852) *''The Dead Bridal'' (1856) *''Peter Brown'' (1872) Librettos *''Inauguration Ode for the Opening of the National Exhibition of Cork'' (music by R.P. Stewart) (1852) *''A Winter Night's Wake'' (music by R.P. Stewart) (1858) *''The Eve of St. John'' (music by R.P. Stewart) (1860) *''Ode for the Installation of the Earl of Rosse as Chancellor of the University of Dublin'' (music by R.P. Stewart) (1863) Editorships *''Gulliver's Travels'' (1864) *''Goldsmith's Works'' (1864/65)

Bibliography

* "Our Portrait Gallery: John Francis Waller", in: ''Dublin University Magazine'' 495:83 (March 1874), p. 312–316. * "Late John Francis Waller, LL.D., of Finnoe, Tipperary", in: ''Irish Builder'' 36:836 (15 Oct. 1894), p. 235.

Arms

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Waller, John Francis 1809 births 1894 deaths 19th-century Irish poets Irish librettists Irish poets People from Borrisokane Alumni of Trinity College Dublin