Biographies A-Z

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Andrews, Niall Dermott

Andrews, Niall Dermott (1937–2006), politician, was born 19 August 1937, in the Stella Maris nursing home, 17 Earlsfort Terrace, Dublin, youngest of four sons of C. S. 'Todd' Andrews (qv), civil servant, who resided at 10…

Andrews, Sir James

Andrews, Sir James (1877–1951), lord chief justice of Northern Ireland, was born 3 January 1877 in Comber, Co. Down, third among five sons of Thomas Andrews of Comber, industrialist, and his wife Elizabeth, only daughter of James Alexander Pirrie of Clandeboye, Co. Down, and sister…

Andrews, Sir John Lawson Ormrod (‘Jack’)

Andrews, Sir John Lawson Ormrod (‘Jack’) (1903–86), politician and businessman, was born 15 July 1903 at Maxwell Court, Comber, Co. Down, the only son among the three children of John Miller Andrews (qv), later prime minister of…

Andrews, Thomas

Andrews, Thomas (1813–85), doctor, physical chemist, and university administrator, was born 19 December 1813 at 3 Donegall Square, Belfast, eldest son of Thomas John Andrews, linen merchant, of the well known Andrews family of Comber, and Elizabeth Andrews (née Stevenson) of…

Andrews, Thomas

Andrews, Thomas (1873–1912), shipbuilder, was born 7 February 1873 at Ardara, Comber, Co. Down, where his family, members of the non-subscribing presbyterian church, had been prominent in business for several generations. He was the second son of Thomas Andrews (1843–1916), for…

Andrews, Thomas

Andrews, Thomas (1843–1916), politician and linen magnate, was born 26 February 1843 in Comber, Co. Down, fourth and youngest son of John Andrews, JP, and his wife, Sarah, daughter of William…

Andrews, William

Andrews, William (1802–80), naturalist, is said to have been born in Chichester, Sussex, England. Nothing is known of his family background or education; he is probably not the same as a William Andrews in Alumni Dublinenses, but he seems to have lived in Dublin as a young…

Andrews, William (‘Billy’,‘Bill’) Nathaniel

Andrews, William (‘Billy’,‘Bill’) Nathaniel (Mac Andrieu, Liam) (1873–1939), musician, was born 9 January 1873 in Dublin, son of Arthur Andrews, printer, and Elizabeth Andrews (née Dunne), both protestants. He studied classical music and was instructed on the piano by his aunt (…

Añes, William

Añes, William (1562–1630), merchant of Youghal, Co. Cork, possibly born in London, was seventh son among fourteen children of Dunstan (aka Benjamin George or Gonsalvo George) Añes (d. 1594) and his wife Constance Ruyse, both of Spanish descent. The Añes (variously spelt Aynes, Agnes…

Angulo, Gilbert de

Angulo, Gilbert de (d. 1213), lord of Morgallion and Anglo-Norman adventurer, belonged to a family of possible Flemish origin which had adopted its toponymic from Angle, Pembrokeshire, Wales. Gilbert and his brothers Philip and William were sons of Jocelin, baron of Navan, whose…

Angulo, Philip de

Angulo, Philip de (fl. 1214–33), lord of Navan and grantee of Bréifne, was son of William son of Jocelin, baron of Navan. On the death (1213) of his uncle Gilbert de Angulo (qv), Philip inherited the lands in Co. Meath of…

Annesley, Arthur

Annesley, Arthur (1614–86), 1st earl of Anglesey , politician, was born 10 July 1614 in Dublin, son of Francis Annesley (qv), Lord Mountnorris and Viscount Valentia, and his wife Dorothy, daughter of Sir John Philips of Picton,…

Annesley, Francis

Annesley, Francis (c.1585–1660), Baron Mountnorris , 2nd Viscount Valentia, politician, can probably be identified as the eldest son of Robert Annesley of Newport Pagnell, Buckinghamshire, a Munster plantation undertaker, and his wife Beatrix, daughter of John Cornwall of Hertfordshire…

Annesley, Francis

Annesley, Francis (1663–1750), barrister and politician, was born 14 October 1663, eldest son of the Hon. Francis Annesley (1628–a.1705) of Castlewellan, Co. Down, and his wife Deborah (d. 1672), daughter of Henry Jones (qv),…

Annesley, Hugh

Annesley, Hugh (1831–1908), 5th earl of Annesley , horticulturist, and politician, was born 26 January 1831 in Dublin, second son of William Richard Annesley (1772–1838), 3rd earl and MP for Downpatrick (1815–20), and his second wife, Priscilla Cecilia (d. 1891), daughter of Hugh…

Annesley, James

Annesley, James (1715–60), peerage claimant, appears to have been born at Dunmain, Co.Wexford, the son of Arthur Annesley, 4th Baron Altham (1688/9–1727); the identity of his mother is controverted, and this was to furnish the focus in a lawsuit in the Irish court of exchequer in…

Annesley, Mabel Marguerite

Annesley, Mabel Marguerite (1881–1959), wood engraver and watercolourist, was born 25 February 1881 at Castlewellan, Co. Down, only daughter among two children of Hugh, 5th earl of Annesley, of Castlewellan, and his first wife, Mabel Wilhelmina Frances (née Markham). She was educated at…

Annesley, Richard

Annesley, Richard (1693–1761), 5th Baron Altham, 7th Viscount Valentia, 7th Baron Mountnorris, and 6th earl of Anglesey , was probably born in Exeter, Devonshire, in November 1693 and was baptised there on 26 November, second son of Richard Annesley (d. 1701), dean of Exeter, and…

Anster, John Martin

Anster, John Martin (1793–1867), poet, translator of Goethe's Faust, and regius professor of civil law in Dublin University, was born 21 October 1793 in Charleville, Cork, son of John Anster, distiller, and Mary Ann Anster (née Hiffernan). The family was catholic, and…

Anthony, Richard Sydney

Anthony, Richard Sydney (1875–1962), trade unionist and politician, was born 20 October 1875 in Clonmel, Co. Tipperary, son of John Anthony, printer, and Mary Anthony (née Clancy or Clooney). Little is known about his early life or education except that the family moved to Cork when…

Antisell, Thomas

Antisell, Thomas (1817–93), physician, scientist, and Young Irelander, was born 16 January 1817 in Dublin, younger son of Thomas Christopher Antisell (b. 1766), KC (home circuit), of Gloucester St., Dublin, and Sraduff, near Birr, King's Co. (…

Apjohn, James

Apjohn, James (1796–1886), chemist and mineralogist, was born 1 September 1796 at Granard, Co. Limerick, son of Thomas Apjohn, tax collector, of Sunville House, Limerick. He attended Tipperary grammar school, and entered TCD (1813),…

Arbuckle, James

Arbuckle, James (d. 1742), poet and essayist, came from Belfast. His parentage is unknown, but he may have been a nephew of the merchant James Arbuckle (d. March 1736), who was a lay elder in the Second Presbyterian congregation. His date of birth cannot be reliably determined,…

Archbold, John Frederick

Archbold, John Frederick (1785–1870), legal author, was second son of John Archbold of Boldbrook and Turvey, Co. Dublin. He entered Lincoln's Inn (1809) and became a barrister (1814). Unmarried, with no known interests other than the law, he became a prolific writer of treatises and…

Archdale (Archdall), Mervyn

Archdale (Archdall), Mervyn (1763–1839), army officer and MP, was born 27 April 1763, eldest son among four sons and eight daughters of Col. Mervyn Archdall (1725–1813) of Castle Archdall, Co. Fermanagh, and Trillick, Co. Tyrone, and his wife the Hon. Mary (eldest daughter of…