According to Dr. Leslie Lucas, Theaker Wilder was the grandfather of Letitia Coll (neé Denniston) of Roshine, Carrigart, Co. Donegal. She is thought to have been the daughter of James Denniston in which case her mother would have been Theaker's daughter. It is known that Theaker's wife was also Letitia which is consistent with the custom of the time that the eldest daughter was named after her grandmother
I have written a full article for Wikipedia on the Rev. Dr. Theaker Wilder so I won't repeat it here. Follow the link to see it. A copy retrieved on 12th March 2008 is available here
Regarding the relationship with the Dennistons, it is interesting to note that Theaker Wilder and the Rev. John Denniston were near contemporaries at Trinity College. Wilder entered at age 17 on July 8, 1734, John Denniston arrived on May 26th, 1733 aged 19. He left with an M.A. in 1740. Theaker stayed on to have a fairly brilliant academic career rising to the post of Regius Professor of Greek and Senior Lecturer (No. 3 position in the College at the time)
When Theaker retired from Trinity around 1769 he became Rector of Tullyaughnish (Ramelton area of Donegal). He would then have been living within about 10 miles of the Denniston's in Drimdutton/Rosapenna
Wilder was famous for being Oliver Goldsmith's tutor at Trinity College, Dublin. Their relationship was a fraught one and is detailed in the Wikipedia article.
For Wilder's entry (and several possibly related ones) in Alumni Dublinenses see this page
According to an entry in www.familysearch.org (checked 14/1/2006):
Theaker Wilder: 1720 - Jan 1778 of Rathmelton, Co. Donegal married Mrs Letitia Wilder (about 1724 - ) about 1746, Rathmelton, Co. Donegal. A Theaker Wilder of Grovehall, Rathmelton, Co. Donegal died in Jan 1778.
According to Leslie Lucas, he was the grand-father of Letitia Denniston (who may have become Letitia Coll) (1775 - 23/8/1863). Letitia may have been the daughter of James Denniston of Roshine. He lived until at least 1779 and not after 1839.
According to the Rev. Brian Smeaton in his book The Parish of Tullyaughnish, Ramelton:
Rectors of Tullyaughnish
1767 Henry Mercier
1769 Theaker Wilder
1778 Michael Kearney
Curates
1759 Thomas Rankin
1776 John Rankin
This would suggest that Theaker Wilder was rector from 1769 until about 1778. This concurs with the information in Alumni Dublinenses
Information on Castle Wilder, the Wilder family seat in Co. Longford is available from the Longford Library Archives
| Surname | First Name | Details | Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wilder | Ellinor | Castle W., Co. Longford, Widow | 1729 |
| Mathew | of Wilder, Co. Longford, Esq. | 1792 | |
| Mathew | Castle Wilder, Co. Longford, Esq. | 1809 | |
| Mathew | Castle W., Co. Longford, Esq. | 1719 | |
| Stewart | Ensign in the 18th Regt. of Foot | 1813 | |
| Rev. Stewart | Lisdorman, Co. Meath. Clk. | 1771 | |
| William | Castle W., Co. Longford, Esq. | 1745 |