Libraries and Museums

Pollard, Mary ('Paul') (1922–2005), librarian, was born 5 June 1922 in Essex, the eldest of four children (three daughters and a son) of an emigrant Irish doctor, Richard Payne Pollard, MC, and his wife (née Wilkinson). She was educated at Hawnes School and then studied medicine for…

Praeger, Robert Lloyd (1865–1953), naturalist, author, and librarian, was born 25 August 1865 at the Crescent, Holywood, Co. Down, second son among five sons and one daughter of Willem Emilius Praeger (1835–81), linen merchant, and Maria Praeger (d. 1930; née Patterson). His father, a…

Reeves, William (1815–92), Church of Ireland bishop, antiquary, and librarian, was born 16 March 1815 at his grandfather's house in Charleville, Co. Cork, eldest child among three sons and two daughters of Boles D'Arcy Reeves, solicitor, and his wife Mary (d. of cholera, 1832), daughter…

Renehan, Laurence F. (1797/8–1857), priest, bibliophile, and president of Maynooth College 1845–57, was born at Longford Pass, in the parish of Gurtnahoe, Co. Tipperary, second son of Laurence Renehan, farmer, and Catherine Renehan (née Borden). Destined for the church from an…

Roe, Helen Maybury (1895–1988), librarian and antiquary, was born 18 December 1895 in Mountrath, Queen's Co. (Laois), the only child of William Ernest Roe and Anne Roe (neé Lambert Shields). Her father's family had lived in the Mountrath area since the seventeenth century and her…

Sampson, John (1862–1931), scholar and librarian, was born 25 February 1862 in Schull, Co. Cork, third child and eldest of three sons of James Sampson, metallurgical chemist and mining engineer born in Cornwall of a long Cornish lineage, and Sarah Anne Sampson (née Macdermott), who…

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…

Singer, Paul (1911–85), philatelist, was born 31 July 1911 in Bratislava, Slovakia, son of Auriel Singer, financier. The family moved to Vienna in 1925 where he was educated at high school before studying French and international law in Paris. He later graduated…

Sloane, Sir Hans (1660–1753), physician-general, collector, and founder of the British Museum, was born 16 April 1660 at Killyleagh, Co. Down, youngest of seven sons (of whom only three survived infancy) of Alexander Sloane (d. 1666), receiver-general of taxes for Co. Down, and…

Stephenson, Patrick Joseph (1895–1960), librarian and Irish Volunteer, was born on 10 April 1895 at 25 Upper Tyrone Street, in Dublin's north inner city, the second of nine children (four girls and five boys) of Patrick Stephenson, a coachman, and his wife Alice (née Tynan). The family…

Stewart, Samuel Alexander (1826–1910), botanist and curator, was born 5 February 1826 at North Front St., Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA, the only son among two children of William Stewart and his wife Sarah (née Funston) who died when Samuel and his younger (and only) sister…

This is a co-subject for the entry on Paterson, John Thomas Farquhar. View the original entry.

Todd, James Henthorn (1805–69), librarian and scholar, was born 23 April 1805 at Kildare St., Dublin, eldest son among fifteen children of Charles Hawkes Todd (qv), professor of surgery,…

Travers, Robert English (1807–88), physician, scholar and librarian, was born 24 June 1807 in Dublin, son of William T. E. Travers, LLD, and Mary Travers (née Parker). Travers had little education at home and when his father died, having gambled…

Vitty, James Weatherall (1910–88), librarian, was born 31 May 1910 in 37 Lichfield Avenue, Belfast, one of three children of Lawrence Vitty, shipyard angle smith, and Margaret Vitty (née McCullough). He was educated at Euston St. primary school and the College of Technology. His…

Walsh (Breathnach), Róisín (1889–1949), librarian and republican, was born on 24 March 1889 into a staunchly nationalist catholic family in the townland of Lisnamaghery, Clogher, Co. Tyone, the eldest of eight children (five sisters and two brothers) of James Walsh (d. 1925), a national…

Ware, Sir James (1594–1666), historian, collector of manuscripts, and civil servant, was born 16 November 1594 at Castle St., Dublin, eldest surviving son among ten children of Sir James Ware, auditor general, and his wife Mary, sister of Sir Ambrose Briden of Maidstone, Kent, whose…

Widdess, John (‘Jack’) David Henry (1906–82), medical historian, librarian, and biologist, was born 1 August 1906 in Limerick, son of Matthew Widdess, pharmaceutical chemist, and Emily Widdess (née Irwin). He was educated at Wesley College, Dublin. He won prizes, was admitted…

Wood, Herbert (1860–1955), archivist, historian, deputy keeper of the Public Record Office of Ireland, was born on 6 September 1860 at Trinity Square, Lambeth, London, a prosperous residential development for merchants and professionals. He was the sixth of eight children of William…

Worth, Edward (c.1678–1733), MD and bibliophile, was the son, and only surviving child, of John Worth (1648–88), chancellor (1671–8) and dean (1678–88) of St Patrick's cathedral, Dublin, and his wife Comfort, and was the grandson of …

Young, Peter (1950–99), soldier and archivist, was born 16 June 1950 at Holles St. maternity hospital, Dublin, second son of Peter Young, army commandant (originally of Cork) and Mary Young (née Condon), living at 29 Skreen Road, off Navan Road, near McKee Barracks, Dublin. He had…