Beaumont, Daniel

Ashford, William (1746–1824), artist, was christened on 20 May 1746 in St Martin's parish church, Birmingham, the son of Richard Ashford of Birmingham. Nothing is recorded of his early life in England but he almost certainly had some form of technical and/or artistic education. He…

Bell, John (c.1793–1861), antiquary, collector, and landscape painter, was the second son of John Bell, gentleman landowner, of Camelon, near Falkirk, Scotland. It is unclear when he settled in Ireland, but he was contributing articles to local newspapers in Newry, Co. Down…

Clinton, Charles (1690–1773), colonist in America, was born in Co. Longford. It is possible that he was distantly related to the de Clintons, prominent Anglo-Norman landowners in Co. Longford and Co. Louth who remained catholic until 1660 at the earliest. Alternatively he may have…

Cogan, Philip (c.1748–1833), organist, pianist, and composer, was probably born in Co. Cork, though his parentage is unclear. He was a choirboy and then a lay vicar at St Fin Barre's cathedral, Cork, before taking up a post as stipendiary in the choir of Christ Church…

Coote, Charles (1712/13–1796), clergyman and philanthropist, was third son among six sons and one daughter of the Rev. Chidley Coote, DD, of Ash Hill, Kilmallock, Co. Limerick, and Jane Coote (née Evans). He was taught by Dr McDonnell of…

Cosby, Pole (1703–66), ‘improving’ landowner, was born 14 April 1703, the only son of Dudley Cosby, landowner, and Sarah Cosby (née Pole), of Stradbally Hall, Queen's Co. (Laois). The Cosbys were among the first planter families in Queen's Co. in the 1550s, and became one of the…

Davies, Rowland (1649–1721), clergyman and journalist, was son of Rowland Davies, gentleman farmer, and Mary Davies (née Scudamore; widow of Thomas Smith) of Gill Abbey near Cork. He was taught by Mr Scragg of Cork city before entering TCD…

Delacour, James (1709–81), clergyman and poet, was eldest son of John Delacour, landowner, of Killowen, near Blarney, Co. Cork; nothing is known of his mother. The Delacours (or de la Courts) settled in Co. Cork during the 1650s and became affluent landowners by the beginning of the…

Dodwell, Henry (1641–1711), theologian and non-juror, was born in Dublin, son of William Dodwell, who served in the army and held lands in Connacht, and his wife Elizabeth, daughter of Sir Henry Slingsby. He spent his early childhood in Dublin before his family moved to London and…

Ducart, Davis (fl. c.1760–85), engineer and architect, was probably born in Savoy. Contemporary variations of his name include Daviso de Arcort and Davis Duckart. His family background is obscure; one possibility is that he grew up in Piedmont and later served as a military…

Duff, Thomas (c.1792–1848), architect, was born in Newry, Co. Down. Nothing is known of his parentage and early life, except that he was a catholic. It is possible that he was the ‘Thomas Duffe’ who won a prize at the Dublin Society (1805) for an architectural design. It…

This is a co-subject for the entry on Esdall, James. View the original entry.

Esdall, James (d. 1755), printer, publisher, and bookseller, was born in Dublin. His parents' names are not known but various members of the Esdall (often spelt Esdale, Asdill, or Esdill) family in Dublin were involved in printing and drawing from at least the 1720s. An ‘Esdale…

This is a co-subject for the entry on Esdall, James. View the original entry.

Ferrar, John (1742–1804), printer and historian, was born in 1742 in Limerick city, the only son of William Ferrar (sometimes spelt Farrier), bookbinder and printer, and Rose Ferrar (née Paine or Payne). The first member of this family to settle in Limerick was William Ferrar, a cavalry…

Gibney, Frank (1905–78), architect and town planner, was born 20 April 1905, son of Joseph Francis Gibney, architect, and his wife Eleanor (née Bassett). Aged 18 he went to work for his father (who had been apprenticed to the office of William Kaye Parry), and five years later moved…

Gilbert, Claudius (1669/70–1743), clergyman and university benefactor, was born in Belfast, the only son and heir of Claudius Gilbert (qv), a nonconformist clergyman and prolific pamphleteer who appears to have conformed to the…

Grant, Charles (1778–1866), Baron Glenelg , chief secretary for Ireland, was born 26 October 1778 in Kidderpore, Bengal, eldest son among three sons and two daughters of Charles Grant, MP and landowner, and Jane Grant (née Fraser). Until 1790 he lived in India and thereafter was…

Grattan, Henry (1789–1859), MP, biographer, and newspaper proprietor, was the second son of Henry Grattan (qv), MP and landowner, and Henrietta Grattan (née Fitzgerald). Much of his childhood was spent at Tinnehinch, his father's country…

Greatrakes, Valentine (1628–83), healer, was born 14 February 1628 in Affane, Co. Waterford, son of William Greatrakes, farmer, and his wife Mary, third daughter of Sir Edward Harris, chief justice of Munster. The Greatrakes (other spellings include Greatorex, Greatorix, and…

Hardy, Francis (1751–1812), biographer and MP, was son and heir of Henry Hardy, esq., of Dublin. He was educated by Thomas Ball of Dublin before entering TCD in 1766 (BA, 1771) and the Middle Temple…

Healy (Hayley), Robert (d. 1771), artist, was born in Dublin. His family background is obscure but it would appear from one contemporary reference that his father was an architect and decorator with a particular flair for designing garden buildings and theatres. Robert Healy…

Hewetson, Christopher (c.1737–1798), sculptor, was the son of Christopher Hewetson, landowner, and his second wife Elizabeth (née Hewetson; she was a kinswoman of her husband) of Thomastown, Co. Kilkenny. Christopher Hewetson senior was a gentleman of some social standing…

Hewson, George Henry Philips (1881–1972), organist, composer, and teacher, was born 19 November 1881, youngest among ten children of Edmund Hewson and his wife Caroline (née Page). In 1888 he joined the school and choir of St Patrick's cathedral, Dublin. He showed an early aptitude…

Hughes, Bernard (‘Barney’) (1808–78), master baker, entrepreneur, and liberal reformer, was born 8 July 1808, second among eight children of Peter Hughes, probably a tradesman or labourer, and Catherine Hughes (née Quinn), of Blackwaterstown, near Armagh. Bernard, known as ‘Barney…