Geography, Cartography and Surveying

Keegan, John (1813–93), surveyor and diarist, was born at Laragh, near Horseleap, Co. Westmeath, in 1813, the only son of Thomas Keegan (1789–1854), a farmer, and his wife, Mary (née Gannon). The Keegans were descended from the hereditary brehons of the Irish midlands; one…

Larcom, Sir Thomas Aiskew (1801–79), surveyor, administrator, and under-secretary for Ireland (1853–68), was born 22 April 1801 in Hampshire, one of five children of Captain Joseph Larcom (d. 1817), RN, who administered a dockyard in Malta, and his wife…

Lecky, Squire Thornton Stratford (1838–1902), master mariner, cartographer, and writer on navigation, was born in Downpatrick, Co. Down, fifth son of Holland Lecky of Castle Lecky, Magilligan, Co. Londonderry, and Ballyholland House, Co. Down, and his wife Elizabeth, daughter of the…

Lythe, Robert (d. c. 1574), cartographer, was first recorded in 1556 when he was employed by the auditor of Calais, John Challoner (qv), to map the surrounding English Pale. Chaloner, a client of Sir William…

Manning, Robert (1816–97), surveyor and civil engineer, was born 22 October 1816 in Avincourt, Normandy, France, third of eight children of William Manning (1783–1826) of Knocknamohil, Co. Wicklow, a lieutenant in the Wicklow militia who fought in the USA, in the Peninsular war, and…

McGregor, John James (c.1773–1834), historian and topographer, was born 24 February c.1773 in Limerick city, the seventh son and youngest of seventeen children (many of whom did not survive to adulthood) of John McGregor (d. 1796), native of Scotland, probably by…

Merne, Oscar James (1943–2013), ornithologist and conservationist, was born on 6 November 1943 in Dublin to Oscar Sean Merne, a bank official, and Madeline Mary (née Patten). He was the middle child between two sisters, Morna (b. 1942) and Cloida (b. 1947). He attended school at the…

Mitchell, George Francis (‘Frank’) (1912–97), environmental historian, archaeologist, geologist, and educator, was born 15 October 1912 in Dublin, younger son of David William Mitchell, owner of a Dublin ironmongery and furniture business, and Francis Elizabeth Mitchell (née Kirby). His…

Murphy, James Cavanah (Cavanagh) (c.1760–1814), artist, topographer, and architect, was a native of Blackrock, Co. Cork. He is known as ‘James Murphy architect’ in his published works and it is not clear when ‘Cavanah/Cavanagh’ was inserted into his name. His parentage is…

Neville, Parke (1812–86), civil engineer, architect, and land surveyor, was born in Dublin, son of Arthur Neville, engineer and surveyor; his mother's name is not known. The Neville family had been associated with engineering and surveying in Ireland for at least four generations. His…

Osborne, Richard Boyse (1815–1900), civil engineer and urban planner, was born 3 November 1815 in London, eldest son of Richard Boyse Osborne of Graige, Bannow, Co. Wexford, and his wife Lucinda, daughter of John Humphrey (or Humfrey) of Killerig, Co. Carlow. Childhood details are…

Pearce, Sir Edward Lovett (d. 1733), architect and surveyor, was probably born in the late 1690s. His father was Major-general Edward Pearce (d. 1715) of Witlingham, Norfolk, and Dublin, who was a brother of Major-general Thomas Pearce (d. 1739), and a first cousin of Sir John…

Power, Robert (1794–1869), army officer and surveyor general of Van Diemen's Land, was born at Knockbrit, near Clonmel, Co. Tipperary, second son of Edmund Power, merchant, JP, and editor of the unsuccessful Clonmel Gazette, and…

Rocque, John (Jean) (c.1704–1762), cartographer, surveyor, and landscape designer, was born in France into a huguenot family of four children. After spending some time in Geneva, Rocque arrived in England (c.1709). His earliest published works, consisting mainly…

Seward, William Wenman (d. 1805), attorney and writer, may have been born in Dublin. Little is known of his family or early life. In May 1776 he was admitted as an exchequer attorney at King's Inns, Dublin, and from c.1782 he lived at Prussia St., conducting his legal…

Sherrard, Thomas (c.1750–1837), surveyor and planner, was born to parents whose names are not known, but he was related to a William and David Sherrard, merchants in Dublin, and possibly to Sherrards in Drogheda, Co. Louth. The family name is commoner in the north of…

Smith, Charles (1715?–1762), apothecary, topographer, and writer, was born in Co. Waterford. Details of his life remain obscure, but he was educated in medicine and worked as an apothecary in Lismore (1739–44) and Dungarvan, Co. Waterford (1744–60). He is remembered as a pioneer of…

Somerville, Henry Boyle Townshend (1863–1936), naval officer, hydrographer, and author, was born 7 September 1863 on his family's historic estate at Drishane, Castletownshend, near Castle Haven, Co. Cork, third son of Lt.-col. Thomas Henry Somerville (later high sheriff of Cork) and his…

Speed, John (1552–1629), historian and cartographer, was born in 1552 in Farndon, Cheshire. His father was also called John and was a member of the Merchant Taylors’ Company; his mother was Elizabeth Cheynye. He was brought up in his father's trade and in 1580 was himself admitted…

Stokes, Gabriel (1682–1768?), surveyor and mathematical-instrument maker, was baptised 23 April 1682 at St Nicholas Within, Dublin, son of John Stokes, tailor, of Back Lane, Dublin; nothing is known of his mother. Attending the Blue Coat (King's Hospital) School, he began his…

Stotherd, Richard Hugh (1828–95), army officer and surveyor, was born 25 November 1828 at Augher Castle, Co. Tyrone, son of Lieut. (later Gen.) Richard John Stotherd (1796–1879) and his first wife, Elizabeth Sydney (d. 1853), daughter of Hugh Boyle of…

Taylor, Alexander (1746–1828), military engineer, surveyor, and cartographer, was born in Aberdeen, Scotland; his father may have been William Taylor, a surveyor at Fort George, near Inverness. Having first worked as a land surveyor in Scotland, Alexander joined the army in 1777 and…

Tighe, William (1766–1816), politician, topographer, and landowner, was born 5 May 1766, the eldest son of William Tighe (1738–82), landowner of Rossanagh, Co. Wicklow, and MP for Athboy, Co. Meath (1761–76), and his wife, Sarah (née Fownes) of Woodstock, Co. Kilkenny. William…

Wafer, Lionel (d. 1705), surgeon, buccaneer, topographer, and ethnographer, was probably born in Ireland or to an Irish catholic family abroad. In A new voyage & description of the isthmus of America (1699), the work on which his reputation rests, he states: in my…

Winder, Frank (Francis Gerard Augustine) (1928–2007), biochemist, naturalist and mountaineer, was born 14 April 1928 in Dublin, one of four sons of Percy Winder (d. 1950), secretary of the Scottish Amicable Life Assurance Society and a freeman of the city of Dublin, and his second…