Sir William Henry Gregory (1816-1892) was the son of Robert Gregory and Elizabeth O’Hara of County Galway, Ireland. He was educated at Mr Iver’s School, Buckinghamshire, Harrow School and Christ Church, Oxford. From 1842 to 1847 he served as the Conservative MP for Dublin. Shortly before the loss of his parliamentary seat he inherited his father’s Coole Park estate, County Galway. In 1857 he was forced to sell half of the estate in order to settle gambling debts accrued from his passion for horse racing. In the same year he was returned to Parliament as the Liberal-Conservative MP for County Galway. He formally joined the Liberal Party shortly after the death of the Prime Minister, Lord Palmerston. In 1866 he declined the offer of an Admiralty post in the government of Lord Russell. In 1871 he was appointed Governor-General of Ceylon where in 1875 upon the visit of the Prince of Wales he was knighted. In 1877 he returned to Ireland and resumed the administration of his estate. Gregory was a passionate supporter of the arts and museums, serving as a trustee of the National Gallery from 1867 until his death. Gregory was twice married. His first wife Elizabeth Clay, whom he married in 1872, died in Ceylon in 1873. He married his second wife, (Isabella) Augusta Persee in 1880 with whom he had one son William Robert Gregory. He died in 1890. For a full biography see ODNB.