Biographies A-Z

Callaghan (MacCallaghan), John (1605–64), Jansenist priest and agent, was born in Killone (Carbury), near Macroom, Co. Cork, fifth and youngest son of Dermot MacCallaghan and his wife Catherine (née MacCallaghan), a distant cousin. Raised in impoverished conditions, he dropped the…

Callanan, Jeremiah J. (1795–1829), poet and verse translator, was born in Ballinhassig, Co. Cork, of a respectable medical family. Educated locally and in Cobh, he studied for the priesthood in Maynooth at the encouragement of his parents, but left (1818) to begin medical studies…

Callanan, Laurence (1739/43–1818), OFM, priest, was born in Cork city in 1739 (according to his epitaph) or 1743 (according to his own calculation); the official dates of his birth and baptism have not been found. The only first name used in the records is Laurence or Lawrence,…

Callan, Margaret (née Hughes) (Thornton MacMahon) (c.1817–c.1883), writer, teacher, and nationalist, was born in Newry, Co. Down, the daughter of Phillip Hughes, a local flax buyer, and his wife, Susan Gavan, of Latnamard, Co. Monaghan, the aunt of…

Callan, Nicholas Joseph (1799–1864), priest and pioneering scientist in electrical science, was born 22 December 1799 at Darver, between Drogheda and Dundalk, Co. Louth, third youngest among seven children of Denis Callan, farmer, and Margaret Callan (née Smith). His parents…

Callan, Philip (1837–1902), politician, was born 27 May 1837 at Cookstown House, near Ardee, Co. Louth, only son of Owen Callan, a well-to-do tenant farmer, and his wife Elizabeth (or Bessie), eldest daughter of Patrick O'Carroll, and was educated at Clongowes Wood College, Co.…

Calthrope, Sir Charles (d. 1616), judge, was a younger son of Sir Francis Calthorpe of Hempstead in Norfolk and his wife, Elizabeth, daughter of Ralph Berney of Gunton, Norfolk. One source indicates that he was born in 1524, but this is unlikely unless he decided to pursue a…

Calvert, Edward Spence (1902–91) aviation research scientist, was born 5 March 1902 in Drummacurry, Portadown, Co. Armagh, the son of William John Calvert, farmer, and his wife Elizabeth (née Spence). An excellent student, he won a scholarship in 1918 to the Royal College of Science…

Calvert, George (d. 1632), 1st Baron Baltimore , politician, was born in Yorkshire, the son of Leonard Calvert of Danby Wiske, Yorkshire, and his wife, Alice, daughter of John Crossland of Crossland, Yorkshire. He perhaps had a younger brother. He studied at Trinity College, Oxford,…

Calvert, (Lilian) Irene Mercer (1909–2000), public servant and MP, was born 10 February 1909 in Belfast, third child and second daughter of John Earls , principal of the Belfast Municipal College of Technology and professor of mathematics at …

Cambridge, Alice (1762–1829), preacher, was born 1 January 1762 in Bandon, Co. Cork, of a presbyterian mother and anglican father, of whom no further details are known. She was brought up in the established church. Though she completed her formal education at an early age, she…

Camelacus (Cáemlach?, Camulacus) ( fl. 5th cent.), an almost unknown saint in the Irish tradition, is mentioned in the late seventh-century ‘Collectanea’ of Tírechán (qv) in the Book of Armagh (f. 11r a): ‘And crossing the River…

Cameron, Charles (1841–1924), politician, newspaper proprietor and medical doctor, was born in Dublin on 18 December 1841, the son of John Cameron, newspaper proprietor, and his wife Ellen (née Galloway). John Cameron founded the Glasgow North British Daily Mail – subsequently…

Cameron, John (1724–99), presbyterian minister and writer, was born in Scotland; some sources say near Edinburgh, though Kinross is also mentioned. Nothing is known of his parents. He was apprenticed to an Edinburgh bookseller, and among the books picked up a love of literature…

Cameron, Robert Rupert Gibson (1903–79), naval architect, was born 24 October 1903 at Carrickfergus, Co. Antrim, second of three children of Gibson Cameron, a baker, and his wife Jane, daughter of Henry Beattie, master mariner of Carrickfergus. He was educated at Carrickfergus model…

Cameron, Sir Charles Alexander (1830–1921), medical officer, chemist, and writer, was born 16 July 1830 in Dublin, one of two sons and a daughter of Capt. Ewen Cameron (1787–1846), a Scottish soldier, and his Irish wife Belinda (née Smith). He was educated in Dublin and Guernsey (1844–6…

Cammock (Camocke, Camock), George (c.1666–1722), sailor and Jacobite, was born in Co. Down, son of a Mr Camocke and Mary Arney. Little is known of his early life but he joined the Royal Navy in the mid 1680s, serving as a midshipman 1687–90. He served as first lieutenant of…

Campbell, Alexander (1788–1866), church leader in the US, was born 12 September 1788, possibly at Shane's Castle, near Antrim, or in Broughshane, Co. Antrim, eldest son of Thomas Campbell and Jane Campbell (née Corneigle), who married in 1787 and later had four daughters and two younger…

Campbell, Beatrice Moss (1883–1970), Lady Glenavy , artist, was born 30 April 1883 in Dublin, second among seven children of William Elvery , merchant, and Theresa Elvery (née Moss), singer and music teacher, whose parents were English quakers. William Elvery's ancestors were silk…

This is a co-subject for the entry on Campbell, John Henry. View the original entry.

Campbell, Charles Gordon (1885–1963), 2nd Baron Glenavy , civil servant and banker, was born 22 October 1885, the eldest son of James Henry Mussen Campbell (qv), first Baron Glenavy, and his wife Emily, the second daughter…

Campbell, Christopher (1908–72), painter and stained-glass artist, was born 9 December 1908 in Dublin, fourth of five sons of John Campbell, carpenter, of 18 Hardwicke St., Dublin, and Ellen Campbell (née Farrell). He also had three sisters, and a younger brother Laurence (below…

Campbell, David Callender (1891–1963), colonial official and politician, was born 29 January 1891 in southern India, son of William Howard Campbell, missionary, and Elizabeth Nevin Campbell (née Boyd). Educated at Foyle College, Derry, he then studied mathematics and science at…

Campbell, David R. (1875–1934), trade unionist, was born in Belfast. Coming from a protestant and Orange background, Campbell was a member of the Belfast Socialist Society and of the Belfast Trades Council, where he represented insurance agents. He was elected president of the BTC…

Campbell, George Frederick (1917–79), painter and stained-glass artist, was born 29 July 1917 in Arklow, Co. Wicklow, youngest of three sons of Matthew Arthur Campbell (d. 1925), caterer, and Gretta Campbell (née Bowen) (qv),…