Seymour, William Deane (1813 -1886)

Captain William Deane Seymour, of Cobh (formerly Queenstown) in Ireland, was a prosperous shipping agent, town commissioner, and consul to various countries. He represented the Inman Line for many years in Cobh. He was also a Justice of the Peace and had many other business interests. In 1852 Wilmount Castle in Cobh was built for the Seymour family. He lived there with his wife Catherine. Upon the western tower, Captain Seymour installed one of the earliest, if not the earliest telephones in Ireland, connecting the Castle with his shipping offices on Lynch’s Quay, Cobh. He owned the steamships Arran Castle and Fanny, and also shared ownership of a sailing ship with his brother Henry Seymour. He was also an author, and in 1877 penned Journal of a Voyage round the World; he also authored A Tour in Syria and Palestine.