Jane Francesca Agnes, Lady Wilde (née Elgee) was born on 27th December 1821 at Wexford in Ireland, the youngest of 4 children.

Her father died when she was 3 and she was largely self-educated and, it is said, mastered 10 languages by the age of 18.

On 12th November 1851 she married Sir William Wilde, an eye and ear surgeon and also a researcher of folklore, in Dublin. They had three children: among them Oscar Fingal O''Flahertie Wills Wilde.

In 1864 her husband was knighted and she became Lady Wilde. With his death in 1876, she found she was virtually penniless. She moved to London to join her sons. Although Oscar was attracting much attention in literary circles her life was beset by bouts of poverty and her income depended on writing for fashionable magazines as well as authoring several books on Irish folklore.

Her poems, under the pen name ’Speranza’ are said to have influenced Oscar''s work. She was also a supporter of the Irish nationalist movement and an early advocate of women''s rights.

In January 1896 Lady Wilde contracted bronchitis and, dying, asked for permission to see Oscar, who was in prison. Her request was refused.

Jane Francesca Agnes, Lady Wilde died at her home in Oakley Street, Chelsea on 3rd February 1896. She was 74. It was said her apparition appeared in Oscar''s cell the moment she died.

Her funeral was held at Kensal Green Cemetery in London paid for by Oscar. She was buried anonymously in common ground without a headstone.

In 1999 a Celtic Cross was erected by the Oscar Wilde Society as a memorial monument to her at Kensal Green Cemetery.