Biographies A-Z

Shirley, Evelyn Philip (1812–82), antiquarian and landowner, was born in South Audley Street, London, on 22 January 1812, the eldest son of Evelyn John Shirley (1788–1856), landowner and MP for Co. Monaghan (1826–31), and his wife, Eliza (née Stanhope; d. 1859). The Shirley family…

Shirley, James (1596–1666), playwright, was baptised 7 September 1596 at St Mary Woolchurch, London, eldest child of James Shirley, draper, and his wife Catherine. From October 1608 he attended Merchant Taylors’ School before leaving in about the summer of 1612 to work for the…

Shirley, Walter (1725–86), evangelical clergyman, was born 23 September 1725 in the family mansion at Staunton Harold, Leicestershire, England, fourth son among six sons and six daughters of Laurence Shirley, son of the 1st Earl Ferrers, and his first wife, Anne, daughter of Sir…

Shortall, Sebastian (Stephen) (d. 1639), Cistercian abbot and poet, was born in the late sixteenth century in Kilkenny city. He was of a prominent Old English family, but all that is known of his youth was that he was taught poetry and music; poetry became an abiding interest for…

Shorter, Dora Sigerson (1866–1918), writer, was born in Dublin, elder daughter among two daughters and two sons of Dr George Sigerson (qv), physician, scientist, and Gaelic scholar and poet, a catholic from Co. Tyrone, and Hester…

Shortt, Edward (1862–1935), politician and chief secretary for Ireland, was born 10 March 1862 at Byker, Newcastle upon Tyne, the second son of Edward Shortt, vicar of St Anthony's church, Byker (whose family originally came from Co. Tyrone), and his wife, Josepha (née Rushton).…

Sibbett, Robert Mackie (1868–1941), journalist and author, was born 4 September 1868 in the townland of Killycoogan, Portglenone, Co. Antrim, the only son of James Mackie and Agnes Ann Mackie (née Sibbett; b. 1832, d. 4 November 1916), who were married on 20 November 1867. After…

Sibthorpe, Sir Christopher (d. 1632/3), judge and religious writer, was third son of John Sibthorpe of Much Bardfield, Essex, England; no details of his mother are known. He matriculated at Cambridge before entering Middle Temple (1584) and was called to the bar (1594). He was…

Sidney, Philip (1619–98), Viscount Lisle , 3rd earl of Leicester , soldier, and politician, was born 10 January 1619 in London, eldest son of Robert Sidney (1595–1677), 2nd earl of Leicester, and his wife, Dorothy (baptised 1598, d. 1659), eldest daughter of Henry Percy, 9th earl of…

Sidney, Sir Henry (1529–86), lord deputy of Ireland, was the eldest and only surviving son of the prominent Henrician courtier Sir William Sidney (c.1482–1554) and his wife Anne (nee Pagenham). Sidney commenced a promising career at court in the later 1530s as companion of…

Sidney (Sydney), Henry (1641–1704), Viscount Sidney, lord lieutenant of Ireland (1692–3), of London and Kent, was born in Paris c. March 1641, fourth son of Robert Sidney, 2nd earl of Leicester (d. 1677), and his wife Lady Dorothy (d. 1659), daughter of Henry Percy, earl of…

Sigerson, George (1836–1925), physician, biologist, poet and author, was born 11 January 1836 at Holyhill, Strabane, Co. Tyrone, youngest of William and Nancy Sigerson's eleven children. His parents’ marriage had a romantic background: in the 1820s William Sigerson, a catholic from…

Siggins, John Allan Edward (‘Jack’) (1909–95), rugby footballer, was born 28 June 1909 at 12 Agincourt St., Belfast, son of George McKinnon Siggins, RIC man, and Ella Siggins (née Foy). Educated at Methodist College, Belfast, he played…

Simmons, James Stewart Alexander (1933–2001), poet and singer/songwriter, was born 14 February 1933 in Derry, the son of Stewart Alexander Simmons, stockbroker and developer and his wife, May Maria King (née Montgomery) Simmons, housewife, both of Derry. He had three elder sisters.…

Simms, George Otto (1910–91), Church of Ireland archbishop, was born 4 July 1910 in Dublin, third son of John Francis Arthur Simms, crown solicitor for Co. Tyrone, and his wife Ottilie Sophie, daughter of Otto Georg Christian Stange, born in Australia, her parents having moved…

Simms, Herbert George (1898–1948), architect, was born on 30 November 1898 in London, the eldest of at least six children (five sons and one daughter) of George William Simms, train driver and former shepherd, of Fawley, Buckinghamshire, and his wife Nellie (née Worster) of Hemel…

Simms, (John) Gerald (1904–79), Indian civil servant and historian, was born 6 September 1904 in Combermore, Lifford, Co. Donegal, eldest of three sons and one daughter of John Francis Arthur Simms, crown solicitor for Co. Tyrone, and his German wife Ottilie Sophia, daughter of Otto…

Simms, John Morrow (1854–1934), presbyterian minister, army chaplain, and politician, was born 23 November 1854 at Newtownards, Co. Down, second son of John Simms of Holywood, Co. Down, and Elizabeth Simms (née Alexander) of Newtownards. He was educated at the Old Academy, Belfast…

Simms, Mercy Felicia (1915–98), social crusader, was born 3 March 1915 in a nursing home at 89 Lower Baggot St., Dublin, only child of Brian James Gwynn (1883–1972) of 48 Hollybrook Road, Clontarf, civil servant employed as assistant secretary in the labour exchange, and his wife…

Simms, Robert (1761–1843), United Irishman and businessman, was born probably in Belfast in March 1761 (he was baptised there on 20 March), the fifth child in the family of five sons and two daughters of Robert Simms, merchant and tanner, and his wife, Elizabeth Stevenson of…

Simms, Samuel (1894–1967) medical doctor, bibliophile, and local historian, was born in Belfast, son of Rev. S. Simms of 22 Oldpark Crescent. After attending RBAI from 1905, he was a brilliant scholar in the school of…

This is a co-subject for the entry on Simms, Robert. View the original entry.

Simnel, Lambert (d. p.1534), pretender, was probably the son of Thomas Simnel of Oxford, a carpenter. He was trained by an Oxford priest, Richard or William Simon (Symonds), to impersonate Edward, earl of Warwick, a nephew of Edward IV and son and heir of George, duke of…

Simpson, Alan Patrick (1920–80), theatre director, was born in Baggot Street, Dublin, son of Walter Simpson, Church of Ireland minister. Sent to Belfast to broaden his outlook, he was educated at Campbell College and spent a brief period in Germany before returning to Dublin in the late…

Simpson, Martha Margaret Mildred (1865–1948), Montessori kindergarten teacher and school inspector in Australia, was born 3 May 1865 in Omagh, Co. Tyrone, daughter of George Simpson (occupation unknown) and Mary Simpson (née Wilson). She emigrated (c.1886) to New South…