Biographies A-Z

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Hopkins, Edward

Hopkins, Edward (1675–1736), chief secretary, was a son of Richard Hopkins of Coventry and his wife, Mary, a daughter of Alderman Johnson. Richard Hopkins, a strong whig, sat for Coventry in the English house of commons in most parliaments between 1670 and 1700, and lodged the…

Hopkins, Ezekiel

Hopkins, Ezekiel (1634–90), Church of Ireland bishop of Derry, was born 3 December 1634 at Crediton in Devon, second of three sons of John Hopkins, curate at a chapel of ease in Crediton and later rector of Pinhoe in the same county. He was educated at the Merchant Taylors’ school…

Hopkins, Francis

Hopkins, Francis (1752–1819), obstetrician, was the son of Francis Hopkins, described as a ‘gentleman of means’, of Davidstown, Co. Meath. He graduated BA (1773) from TCD, and…

Hopkins, Gerard Manley

Hopkins, Gerard Manley (1844–89), poet and Jesuit, was born 28 July 1844 at 87 The Grove, Stratford, Essex, eldest of nine children (eight of whom survived to adulthood) of Manley Hopkins (1818–1897), marine insurance adjuster, and his wife, Catherine, or Kate (née Smith; 1821–1920).…

Horan, James

Horan, James (1911–86), priest, community activist, and airport developer, was born 5 May 1911 at Tooreen, Partry, Co. Mayo, eldest of three sons and four daughters of Bartley Horan, farmer and builder, of Partry, and Catherine Horan (née Casey) of Kilkieran, Co. Mayo. After education…

Horan, Joan

Horan, Joan (1918–65), paralympian, was born 26 February 1918 at 7 Merrion Square, Dublin, the home of her father Dr Patrick Dempsey , an ear, nose and throat surgeon at the Mater Hospital, and his wife Monica (née Plunkett); Joan was the second of their two children, both daughters.…

Horan, Thomas ('Tom'; 'Tommy') Patrick

Horan, Thomas ('Tom'; 'Tommy') Patrick (1855–1916), cricketer and journalist, was born 8 March 1855 near Middleton, Co. Cork, the son of James Horan (d. 1895), a building contractor, and his wife Ellen (née Sheehan) (d. 1876). The family emigrated to Australia soon after Thomas's birth…

Horgan, Denis

Horgan, Denis (1871–1922), athlete, was born 18 May 1871 at Banteer, Co. Cork. Educated locally, he showed an aptitude for athletics at an early age, and initially was a jumper of some talent, clearing 5 ft 8.5 in. (1.74 m) for the high jump in 1893. He found his true vocation in…

Horgan, John Joseph

Horgan, John Joseph (1905–64), press photographer, was born 20 May 1905 at 13 Moore Street, Dublin, 'in the shadow of Nelson's pillar', the second of two sons of John Horgan, who owned the Boyneview dairy shop (located in the family's house), and his wife Rosanna (née O'Rourke; she was…

Horgan, John Joseph

Horgan, John Joseph (1881–1967), solicitor, author, and election agent, was born 26 April 1881 in Cork city, eldest among six sons of Michael Joseph Horgan, solicitor and Cork city coroner, and his wife Mary, daughter of George Philip Bowring. His mother was a Jerseywoman, so he…

Horgan, Matthew (‘Mat’)

Horgan, Matthew (‘Mat’) (c.1775–1849), priest, poet, antiquary, and advocate of social reform, was born at Ballinraha, Blarney, in his archaeologically rich ancestral region of Co. Cork. He remained there most of his life, though educated at Charleville in north Cork, where he…

Horne, Andrew

This is a co-subject for the entry on Horne, Sir Andrew John. View the original entry.

Horne, Sir Andrew John

Horne, Sir Andrew John (1856–1924), obstetrician, was born 8 August 1856 in Ballinasloe, Co. Galway, younger of two children of Junius Horne, general merchant, property- and landowner, and Frances Horne (née Banfield). He was educated at Clongowes Wood College, Co. Kildare (1868–…

Horniman, Annie Elizabeth Fredrika

Horniman, Annie Elizabeth Fredrika (1860–1937), founding patron of the Abbey Theatre, Dublin, was born 3 October 1860, at Forest Hill, London, the only daughter of Frederick John Horniman (founder of the Horniman Museum) and Rebekah Horniman (née Emslie, d. 1895). Her grandfather,…

Hort, Josiah

Hort, Josiah (1673–1751), archbishop of Tuam, was born 2 February 1673, the son of John Hort of Marshfield in Gloucestershire. He was educated at a grammar school in Bristol before attending a nonconformist academy in London (1690–95), where he is said to have excelled as a…

Hotham, John

Hotham, John (c.1265–1337), administrator, bishop of Ely, was born at Trehouses in Hotham, Yorkshire, the younger son of Adam Hotham and his wife, Matilda. Much of his early career was spent in Ireland; in 1291–2 he acted as an attorney in the Irish exchequer and between…

Houghton, Daniel

Houghton, Daniel (1740–91), army officer and African explorer, was born in Ireland, son of William Houghton. He entered the army in October 1758 and was commissioned as an ensign in the 69th Foot. In July 1759 he was promoted to lieutenant and served with his regiment in Gibraltar…

Houlihan, Con

Houlihan, Con (1925–2012), sportswriter, was born on 6 December 1925 in Reineen, near Castleisland, Co. Kerry, the middle child among two boys and a girl of Michael Houlihan and his wife Ellen ('Nell') (née Cronin). His parents farmed a small holding (about five acres of arable land),…

Houling, (Howlin), John

Houling, (Howlin), John (1543/4–1599), Jesuit and martyrologist, was born in Wexford and entered the priesthood at an unknown date. He is first recorded in 1577 when he was at Alcala de Henares, Spain (where he was a friend of William Walsh…

Hoult, Eleanor Lucy (‘Norah’)

Hoult, Eleanor Lucy (‘Norah’) (1894–1984), novelist, was born 20 September 1898 at Ardilaun Villas, Ballymount, Dublin, daughter of Powis Hoult, architect, and Margaret Hoult (née O'Shaughnessy). Both parents died in her early childhood and she was educated at Dr Williams's Academy…

Hourican, Liam

Hourican, Liam (1944–93), journalist, was born in Dublin on 30 May 1944, the only child of William Hourican (1908–74), a schoolteacher in Roscommon, and his wife, Una (née Kilroy) (1907–97), a former teacher and Irish-language activist. He was educated locally by the Christian Brothers…

Houston (Hewson), David

Houston (Hewson), David (1633?–1696), covenanter minister, was born in Scotland, possibly in Renfrewshire, though he may be the David Houston, minister of the gospel, who was son and heir of Robert Houston, a tailor who had property in Wigtownshire and died a.1690. He…

Houston, John

Houston, John (1802–45), surgeon and anatomist, was born in the north of Ireland, probably at Ballindrait, Co. Donegal, son of James Houston, presbyterian minister at Ballindrait, and his wife Jane, daughter of the Rev. James Taylor of Convoy, Co. Donegal, and sister of Joseph…

Houston, Mary Galway

Houston, Mary Galway (1871–p.1954), craftswoman, teacher, and author, was born 27 July 1871 at Coleraine Academical Institution, Coleraine, Co. Londonderry, daughter of Thomas Galway Houston, headmaster of the institution, and Maud Steen Houston (née Millar). She trained (…

Houston, Richard

Houston, Richard (1721/2–1775), mezzotint engraver, was born in Dublin, possibly the son of Richard Houston, a baker, and his wife, Rachel. He was apprenticed to John Brooks (qv), who had returned to Dublin from London in 1741, having…