Jews in Georgian Society: The Laras of London, Pearl Foster, Silverwood Books, pp221-222 William Pitt Byrne (c. 1806 – 6 or 8 April 1861) was a British newspaper editor and proprietor of ''

The Morning Post ''The Morning Post'' was a conservative daily newspaper published in London from 1772 to 1937, when it was acquired by ''The Daily Telegraph''. History The paper was founded by John Bell. According to historian Robert Darnton, ''The Morning Po ...

''. He graduated from

Trinity College, Cambridge Trinity College is a constituent college of the University of Cambridge. Founded in 1546 by Henry VIII, King Henry VIII, Trinity is one of the largest Cambridge colleges, with the largest financial endowment of any college at either Cambridge ...

with a BA and

M.A. A Master of Arts ( la, Magister Artium or ''Artium Magister''; abbreviated MA, M.A., AM, or A.M.) is the holder of a master's degree awarded by universities in many countries. The degree is usually contrasted with that of Master of Science. Tho ...

He was admitted to the

Inner Temple The Honourable Society of the Inner Temple, commonly known as the Inner Temple, is one of the four Inns of Court and is a professional associations for barristers and judges. To be called to the Bar and practise as a barrister in England and Wal ...

in 1835 and called to the bar in 1839 but never practised law. His father Nicholas Byrne was his predecessor as editor and proprietor of the ''Morning Post'', about whom there is little biographical information in the historical record. Nicholas Byrne took a strongly pro-

Conservative Conservatism is a cultural, social, and political philosophy that seeks to promote and to preserve traditional institutions, practices, and values. The central tenets of conservatism may vary in relation to the culture and civilization i ...

editorial stance, and his son was named after

William Pitt the Younger William Pitt the Younger (28 May 175923 January 1806) was a British statesman, the youngest and last prime minister of Great Britain (before the Acts of Union 1800) and then first prime minister of the United Kingdom (of Great Britain and Ire ...

. He was mysteriously attacked by a masked intruder around 1833 and never fully recovered, dying of his injuries about two years later. His mother was the Gothic novelist

Charlotte Dacre Charlotte Dacre (1771 or 1772 – 7 November 1825), born Charlotte King, was an English author of Gothic novels. Most references today are given as Charlotte Dacre, but she first wrote under the pseudonym "Rosa Matilda" and later adopted a sec ...

, who had three children with Nicholas: William Pitt Byrne (born 1806), Charles (born 1807) and Mary (born 1809); however the children were not baptised until 1811 and Nicholas and Charlotte did not marry until 1 July 1815. William Pitt Byrne was baptised on 8 Jun 1811 at

St. Paul's, Covent Garden St Paul's Church is a Church of England parish church located in Bedford Street, Covent Garden, central London. It was designed by Inigo Jones as part of a commission for the Francis Russell, 4th Earl of Bedford, 4th Earl of Bedford in 1631 to ...

. He married the writer Julia Clara Busk on 28 April 1842. Her books were sometimes attributed to "Mrs. William Pitt Byrne", and for this reason some sources (particularly online book sellers) mistakenly attribute authorship of her books to her husband. He broadened the focus of the ''Morning Post'' from being a mostly political journal by including more general topics. He ended his connection with the paper prior to his death to follow literary pursuits, contributing to leading journals.

Memorial fountain and tomb

After his death, his wife and friends built a memorial fountain in his name in 1862 or 1863, at the south end of

Bryanston Square Bryanston Square is an garden square in Marylebone, London. Terraced buildings surround it — often merged, converted or sub-divided, some of which remain residential. The southern end has the William Pitt Byrne memorial fountain. Next t ...

in London; the fountain is still in existence and is a Grade II

listed Listed may refer to: * Listed, Bornholm, a fishing village on the Danish island of Bornholm * Listed (MMM program), a television show on MuchMoreMusic * Endangered species in biology * Listed building, in architecture, designation of a historicall ...

monument. The fountain has an associated plaque. He was buried in

St. Mary's Roman Catholic Cemetery St Mary's Catholic Cemetery is located on Harrow Road, Kensal Green in London, England. It has its own Catholic chapel. History Established in 1858, the site was built next door to Kensal Green Cemetery. It is the final resting place for mo ...

Kensal Green Kensal Green is an area in north-west London. It lies mainly in the London Borough of Brent, with a small part to the south within Kensington and Chelsea. Kensal Green is located on the Harrow Road, about miles from Charing Cross. To the w ...

in London.

References

* Obituary in ''

The Times ''The Times'' is a British daily national newspaper based in London. It began in 1785 under the title ''The Daily Universal Register'', adopting its current name on 1 January 1788. ''The Times'' and its sister paper ''The Sunday Times'' (fou ...

'', 10 April 1861, cited in Venn, ''Alumni Cantabrigienses''. {{DEFAULTSORT:Byrne, William Pitt 1806 births 1861 deaths English newspaper editors English male journalists Alumni of Trinity College, Cambridge Burials at St Mary's Catholic Cemetery, Kensal Green 19th-century British journalists