Biographies A-Z

Viner, William (c.1650–1716), composer and master of the state music, was born in England, but nothing is known about his parents or early life. A violinist of some repute, he was also a skilful composer and was appointed master of the state music in Ireland in 1703, a post…

Vinycomb, John (1833–1928), engraver, illuminator, and heraldic designer, was born 4 July 1833 in Newcastle-upon-Tyne, England, son of Andrew Vinycomb, an Englishman with family roots in either Devon or Derbyshire. He attended the government school of design in Newcastle, and…

Virgilius Maro Grammaticus (fl. c.650), an enigmatic author, was occasionally named (wrongly) in nineteenth-century scholarship ‘Virgilius of Toulouse’, and thought by some modern writers to have been either Visigothic Spanish (B. Bischoff), or British (V. Law), but he is…

Virgil (Virgilius, Fergil) (d. 784), abbot and bishop of Salzburg, is possibly to be identified with Fergil of Aghaboe – the name ‘Virgil’ perhaps being a Latin rendering of Fergil. The genealogies differ somewhat in the order of the names of Firgil's immediate ancestors, but…

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…

Voynich, Ethel Lilian (1864–1960), novelist, translator, and composer, was born 11 May 1864 at Lichfield Cottage, Ballintemple, Co. Cork, youngest of five daughters of Professor George Boole (qv) of QCC…