Biographies A-Z

Greer, Sir (Joseph) Henry (1855–1934), horse breeder, was born 9 February 1855 at Grange, Moy, Co. Tyrone, eldest son of Lt.-gen. Henry Harpur Greer, CB, and Agnes Isabella Greer (née Knox). Educated at Wellington and the Royal…

Greer, Thomas (1875–1949), entomologist and pioneer motorcyclist, was born 24 April 1875, elder son among two sons and two daughters of Frederick Greer, a landowner of independent means, and Cecilia Greer (née Staples), of Tullylaggan, Co. Tyrone. The family was connected to many of…

Greeves, John Ernest (1910–87), civil servant, was born 9 October 1910 at Grange, Co. Tyrone, fourth son of Robert Douglas Greeves (1867–1950) and Sarah Louisa Greeves (1876–1924) (née Hobson). Educated at Moy primary school and Dungannon Royal School, he sat the Northern…

Greevy, Bernadette Josephine (1937–2008), classical singer, was born 3 July 1937 at 28 Vernon Avenue, Clontarf, Dublin, sixth among seven children of Patrick Joseph Greevy, an insurance official, and his wife Josephine Frances (née Miller); the family resided at 33 Vernon Gardens,…

Gregg, Anne (Deirdre) (1940–2006), broadcaster and travel writer, was born 11 February 1940 in Dundonald, east Belfast. Her father was a civil servant employed in the Ordnance Survey of Northern Ireland and her mother was a dressmaker. She had one brother. Anne attended Strathearn…

Gregg, John (1798–1878), Church of Ireland bishop, was born 4 August 1798 at Cappa, near Ennis, Co. Clare, fifth son and twelfth and youngest surviving child of Richard Gregg (1742–1808), country gentleman, and Barbara Gregg (née Fitzgerald), a catholic and sister of…

Gregg, John Allen Fitzgerald (1873–1961), Church of Ireland archbishop of Armagh, was born 4 July 1873 at North Cerney, Gloucestershire, England, into a distinguished family, youngest and only son among four children of the Rev. John Robert Gregg (1831–82), vicar of Deptford, Kent…

Gregg, John Robert (1867–1948), shorthand inventor and promoter, was born in Shantonagh, Co. Monaghan, youngest child among four sons and a daughter of George Gregg, stationmaster at Rockcorry, and Margaret Gregg (née Johnston). The family moved to Rockcorry when John was five. A…

Gregg, Robert Samuel (1834–96), Church of Ireland primate, was born 3 May 1834 at Kilsallaghan, Co. Dublin, second son among three sons and three daughters of John Gregg (qv), bishop of Cork, and Elizabeth Nicola Gregg (née Law). Entering…

Gregg, Sir Cornelius Joseph (‘Con’) (1888–1959), civil servant, was born 26 January 1888 in Kilkenny city, eldest among three children of James Gregg, greengrocer and JP, and Marianne Gregg (née Gleeson). The family lived at Abbeyview and…

Gregg, Tresham Dames (1800–81), clergyman and controversialist, was born 11 August 1800 in Dublin, son of Hugh Gregg (c.1775–1805), originally of Dublin but later of Kilkenny, and Martha Gregg (née Dames; 1781–1874). He was a grandson of Tresham Gregg (1751–1809), gaoler…

Gregorius (d. c.1185), fourth abbot of the Schottenklöster of Regensburg, was successor to Macarius and previously prior of St James at Würzburg. According to the ‘Vita Mariani’, he obtained a charter from Emmerich, bishop of Würzburg, to found a monastery for…

Gregory (Gréne) (d. 1161), fifth bishop and first archbishop of Dublin, was chosen as successor to Bishop Samuel Ua hAingliu (qv) by a section of the people and clergy of Dublin. It seems that he was only a young sub-deacon when…

Gregory, (Isabella) Augusta (1852–1932), Lady Gregory, writer, folklorist and patron of the arts, was born Isabella Augusta Persse at Roxborough House, Co. Galway, on 15 March 1852. She was the ninth of thirteen children (eight boys and five girls) of Dudley Persse and his second wife…

Gregory, Robert (c.1727–1810), director of the East India Company and politician, was born in Co. Galway, son of Henry Gregory, probably a merchant, and his wife, Mary Shawe, of a leading Galway family. The Gregorys are first traced in Kerry in the early seventeenth century…

Gregory, Sir William Henry (1817–92), MP and colonial governor, was born 12 July 1817 in the under-secretary's lodge, Phoenix Park, Dublin, only son of Robert Gregory (179?–1847) of Coole Park, Co. Galway, and Elizabeth Gregory (1799–1875; née O'Hara) of Raheen, Co. Galway. His…

Gregory, Tony (1947–2009), republican socialist, community activist and TD, was born 5 December 1947 in Dublin, the second of two sons of Anthony Gregory and his wife Ellen (née Judge). A native of Dublin's North Strand, Anthony Gregory had owned a shoemaker's business in Ballybough in…

Gregory, William (1762–1840), public servant, was born in February 1762 in India, youngest of three surviving sons of Robert Gregory (1727–1810), who was later chairman of the East India company and a British MP, and his wife Marie, daughter of Arthur Auchmuty. Educated in England…

Gregory, (William) Robert (1881–1918), painter, theatre designer, sportsman, and airman, was born 20 May 1881 in London, only child of Sir William Gregory (qv) of Coole Park, Co. Galway, and his second wife, Isabella Augusta…

This is a co-subject for the entry on O'Farrell, Elizabeth. View the original entry.

Grenville, George Nugent Temple (1753–1813), 3rd Earl Temple , 1st marquess of Buckingham and twice lord lieutenant of Ireland, was born 17 June 1753 at Wotton House, Buckinghamshire, England, second but eldest surviving son among four sons and four daughters of George Grenville,…

Grenville, William Wyndham (1759–1834), Baron Grenville , politician, was born 24 October 1759 at Wotton House, Buckinghamshire, England, youngest son among three surviving sons and four daughters of George Grenville, later British prime minister, and his wife Elizabeth, daughter…

Grey, Arthur (1536–93), 14th Baron Grey of Wilton , soldier and lord deputy of Ireland, was born at Hammes castle in the English Pale in France, the elder son among the three children of William, 13th Baron Grey of Wilton (d. 1562), and Mary (d. 1571/2), daughter of Charles, earl of…

Grey (Gray), Lord Leonard (d. 1541), lord deputy, was sixth son of Thomas Grey, 1st marquis of Dorset, and his wife Cecily, daughter and heiress of William Bonville, Lord Harington. He spent some time at court, in which he held the ceremonial office of carver to the royal household…

Grey, Hector (1904–85), street trader and company director, was born as Alexander Thomson Scott on 14 January 1904 in Bowling, Dumbarton, Scotland, one of thirteen children of John Scott. Educated at elementary school till the age of 15, he then became a cabin boy on a tramp steamer…