Industry

This is a co-subject for the entry on Ritchie, William. View the original entry.

Ritchie, William (1756–1834), shipbuilder, was born in Ayrshire, Scotland, and had a shipbuilding practice at Saltcoats. In March 1791 he visited Belfast and, seeing the potential of the port, returned on 3 July 1791, with ten men, apparatus, materials, and his younger brother…

Roach, John (1813–87), shipbuilder in America, was born John Roche 25 December 1813 at Mitchelstown, Co. Cork, son of Patrick Roche (occupation unknown) and Abigail Roche (née Meany). Educated locally, he emigrated at the age of 16 to the USA, where he settled at Howells, New Jersey…

Roe, Henry (1826–94), distiller and philanthropist, was born in Dublin, where his family had been involved in the distilling and brewing business since the 1750s and had acquired a seventeen-acre site off James's St. In 1863 Henry Roe, and his brother, George, inherited George Roe…

Russell, John Norris (1774?–1859), merchant and industrialist, was born in Limerick, second among five sons of Francis Russell, malt manufacturer and merchant, and his second wife Elizabeth Maunsell Norris, whose father was John Norris, merchant in Limerick. There were also two…

Scott, William (1765–1858), shirt manufacturer, was born 12 March 1765 in the townland of Ballougry, in the Liberties of Derry city, the youngest of three sons of David Scott, a farmer, whose ancestors had held the farm since 1610. After a limited education, Scott was apprenticed to…

Sherlock, David (1850–1940), barrister and peat industrialist, was born 27 March 1850 in Rahan Lodge, Tullamore, King's Co. (Offaly), second son among four sons and two daughters of David Sherlock (1814–84), lawyer and MP, of Stillorgan Castle, Co. Dublin, and his wife Elizabeth,…

This is a co-subject for the entry on Sinclair (Sinclaire), William. View the original entry.

Sinclair (Sinclaire), William (1760–1807), linen manufacturer and radical, was second among four sons of Thomas Sinclair (1719–98), merchant, and his wife Hester Eccles Pottinger, whom he married in 1749. Thomas came to Belfast from Newtownards and served his apprenticeship with…

This is a co-subject for the entry on Sinclair (Sinclaire), William. View the original entry.

This is a co-subject for the entry on Smurfit, (John) Jefferson. View the original entry.

Smurfit, (John) Jefferson Snr (1909–77), industrialist and businessman, was born 24 March 1909, the son of a Sunderland shipyard worker. He was ten when his father, John, died painfully at home from diabetes, leaving a widow and three small children. To support her family Ellen…

Somers, Elizabeth (1881–1934), republican and industrial revivalist, was born 14 October 1881 at Waterford city, daughter of William Somers, post office engineer, and his wife Elizabeth (née Walsh); she had at least three brothers. Her mother's family, who came from Kilmacow, Co.…

Stephenson, Robert (fl.1741–91), inspector with the linen board, seems to have been born in the north of Ireland, possibly near the town of Antrim; nothing else is known of his early life. He was apprenticed (1741–5) to a London linen merchant, and then became a linen…

Stott, Thomas (1755–1829), linen-bleacher and poet, was born 21 April 1755 at Hillsborough, Co. Down, son of William Stott, a prosperous quaker linen merchant, and Sarah Stott (née Thompson). In 1777 Thomas Stott ceased to have a connection with the Society of Friends as a…

This is a co-subject for the entry on Sullivan, William Kirby. View the original entry.

Tobin, Sir Thomas (1807–81), gunpowder factory owner and public figure in Cork, was born in Liverpool, eldest son among six sons and six daughters of Thomas Tobin (1775–1863), businessman, and Esther Tobin (née Watson). The family was of Irish origin, descended from a periwig maker…

Torrance, Francis (1816–86), manufacturer and entrepreneur, was born in Co. Donegal, one among eight children of Francis Torrance, said to be the seventh in a direct line of farmers of that name who had come from Kirkintilloch, Scotland, and settled near Letterkenny, Co. Donegal,…

Turner, Richard (c.1798–1881), ironmaster and engineer, was born in Dublin, son of Timothy Turner (d. 1822), a merchant in Clare Street, and his wife Catherine (née Sisson). His grandfather and great-grandfather were both ironsmiths named Timothy Turner, the elder of whom (…

Walsh, John Joseph (1916–88), industrialist and public servant, was born 31 August 1916 in Ballyheigue, Co. Kerry, third child of Patrick Walsh, schoolteacher, and Mary Walsh (née Halliden). He was educated at St Brendan's, Killarney, Co. Kerry, and graduated…

Wolff, Gustav Wilhelm (1834–1913), shipbuilder, businessman, and politician, was born in Hamburg, the son of Moritz Wolff and Fanny Maria Schwabe. Gustav left home at the age of fourteen to study engineering at Liverpool College, staying with his uncle Gustav Schwabe. He was…

Wylde, Thomas (1780?–1813), cotton manufacturer and United Irishman, was born in England, one of the three sons and four daughters of Henry Wylde, owner of a cotton factory in the industrial village of Prosperous, Co. Kildare. Henry had settled in Ireland in the 1780s to avoid…

Wyse, Thomas (1701?–70), industrialist and co-founder of the Catholic Committee, was the son of Francis Wyse (d. 1717) of the Manor of St John, Waterford, and his wife Mary, daughter of Thomas Masterson of Castletown and Moneyseed, Co. Wexford. Wyses had held property in County…

This is a co-subject for the entry on Young, Edith Mary. View the original entry.