McClelland, John Alexander
McClelland, John Alexander (1870–1920), physicist, was born in Dunalis in the parish of Dunboe, near Coleraine, Co. Londonderry, and was baptised on 1 December 1870, youngest among eleven children of William McClelland, a presbyterian farmer, and Margaret McClelland (née Morrison).…...
McConnell, Albert Joseph
McConnell, Albert Joseph (1903–93), mathematician and university provost, was born 19 November 1903 in Ballymena, Co. Antrim, third child of Joseph McConnell, boot merchant, and Annie McConnell (née Orr). A presbyterian, he was educated at Ballymena Academy and entered…...
McIvor, (William) Basil
McIvor, (William) Basil (1928–2004), politician, barrister and judge, was born 17 June 1928 in Tullyhommon, Co. Fermanagh (the southern side of Pettigo – 'I am a British citizen with about 120 feet to spare' (McIvor, 8)), second of three sons of Frederick McIvor, methodist minister, and…...
McMahon (McMechan), Arthur
McMahon (McMechan), Arthur (1755?–1816?), presbyterian minister, United Irishman, and officer in the French army, was born, probably in 1755, at Donanelly in the parish of Inch, Co. Down; he was the younger son of Alexander McMechan (d. c.1793), a prosperous farmer there…...
McMullen, William
McMullen, William (1888–1982), trade unionist and politician, was born in Lilliput Street, Belfast, son of Joseph McMullen, shop owner, of County Monaghan; his mother was a native of County Cavan. When he was two years old, his family moved to a bigger shop on Shore Road, Belfast…...
Mellon, Thomas
Mellon, Thomas (1813–1908), judge, investor, and banker, was born 3 February 1813 at Camp Hill Cottage, Castletown, near Omagh, Co. Tyrone, eldest of two sons and three daughters of Andrew Mellon (1785–1856), farmer, and his wife Rebecca (1789–1868), daughter of Samuel Wauchob,…...
Midgley, Henry Cassidy (‘Harry’)
Midgley, Henry Cassidy (‘Harry’) (1892–1957), trade unionist and politician, was born 8 September 1892 at 59 Seaview St., Belfast, third child and eldest son among two daughters and three sons of Alexander Midgley (1860–99), shipyard labourer, originally of Lurgan, Co. Armagh,…...
Monro (Munro), Robert
Monro (Munro), Robert (d. c.1680), army officer, was the son of George Monro of Obsdale, Ross-shire, northern Scotland, and his wife Catherine (née Monro). After some time at the University of St Andrews, he began his military career in French service and in 1626 was…...
Monro (Munro), Sir George
Monro (Munro), Sir George (d. 1694), army officer, was third son of Col. John Monro of Obsdale, Ross-shire, northern Scotland, and his wife Catherine (née Gordon). He entered Swedish military service in 1637, reaching the rank of lieutenant-colonel, but in 1640 joined other…...
Norcott, William
Norcott, William (1773?–1820), barrister, satirist, and bon vivant, was eldest son of William Norcott of Charleville, Co. Cork, and Mary Norcott (née Knight). He entered TCD in July 1790, graduating BA…...
Patterson, Robert
Patterson, Robert (1743–1824), mathematician and educator, was born 30 May 1743 at Hillsborough, Co. Down, eldest son among three sons and two daughters of Robert Patterson, presbyterian farmer, and Jane Patterson (née Walker). Educated locally, he displayed a natural talent for…...
Patterson, Sarah (‘Saidie’)
Patterson, Sarah (‘Saidie’) (1904–85), trade unionist and peace activist, was born 25 November 1904 at 32 Woodvale St., Shankill Road, Belfast, eldest of three children of William Patterson (d. 1912), shipyard blacksmith, and Sarah Patterson (née Moore), both of whom were devout…...
Porter, William
Porter, William (1805–80), attorney general of the Cape Colony, was the second son of the Rev. William Porter (qv), presbyterian minister of Limavady, Co. Londonderry, and his first wife Mary (née Scott), both of them the offspring of tenant farmers near…...
Rentoul, James Alexander
Rentoul, James Alexander (1845–1919), presbyterian minister, lawyer and politician, was born at Errity House, Manorcunningham, Co. Donegal, on 7 August 1845, eldest son (of three sons and five daughters) of Alexander Rentoul, presbyterian minister, and his wife Erminda (née Chittick…...
Robb, John Hanna
Robb, John Hanna (1873–1956), politician and barrister, was born 4 November 1873 in Clogher, Co. Tyrone, second son among ten children of the Rev. James Gardner Robb (d. 1891), presbyterian minister, and Martha Robb (née Hanna). As a child he spent five years in Toronto, Canada,…...
Robinson, David Willis
Robinson, David Willis (1928–2004), scientist and horticulturalist, was born 2 April 1928 in Belfast, second son of William Robinson and his wife Eva (née Rice), who had two other sons. His father had a small building business, and in the difficult years of the 1930s also sold bedding…...
Roddie, Ian Campbell
Roddie, Ian Campbell (1928–2011), physiologist and academic, was born on 1 December 1928 in Belfast, third of four sons of J. R. Wesley Roddie (d. 1953), a methodist minister, and his wife Mary Hill (née Wilson; d. 1973); the four brothers all entered the medical profession. Rev.…...
Ross, Sir John
Ross, Sir John (1853–1935), judge, politician, and last lord chancellor of Ireland, was born 11 December 1853 in Derry, eldest son among eight children of the Rev. Robert Ross (d. 1894), presbyterian minister and moderator (1886–7) of the general assembly of the Presbyterian…...
Shanks, James
Shanks, James (1854–1912), farmer, agrarian activist, and self-taught naturalist and historian, was born 4 November 1854 on Ballyfounder farm, two miles south of Portaferry on the Ards peninsula, Co. Down. A presbyterian, after attending Portaferry no. 2 national school until age…...
Shaw, James Johnston
Shaw, James Johnston (1845–1910), economist, barrister, and judge, was born 4 January 1845 at Kirkcubbin, Co. Down, second son of John Maxwell Shaw (d. 1852), merchant and farmer, and Anne Shaw (née Johnston). His father died when he was only seven, leaving his mother to raise a…...
Sinton, John Alexander
Sinton, John Alexander (1884–1956), Indian Army medical officer and VC, was born 2 December 1884 in British Columbia, Canada, son of Walker Sinton of Lisburn, Co. Antrim, and his wife Isabella, daughter of Allan Pringle of Derrymore House, Newry, Co. Down. In 1890 the family…...
Skeffington, Clotworthy
This is a co-subject for the entry on Skeffington, John. View the original entry....
Skeffington, John
Skeffington, John (1632–95), 2nd Viscount Massereene , soldier and politician, was baptised 27 December 1632 at Lichfield in Staffordshire, the son of Sir Richard Skeffington, knight, of Fisherwick near Lichfield, and his wife, Anne Skeffington (née Newdigate). His father (who was…...
Smith, Col. James
Smith, Col. James (c.1713–1806), lawyer, soldier in America, and signatory of the American declaration of independence, was born in the north of Ireland, second son of John Smith, a farmer with a large family. There are few details extant about his background or date of…...
Stewart, Kenneth Donald
Stewart, Kenneth Donald (1911–2006), surgeon and evangelist, was born 9 October 1911 at 26 Mountshannon Road, Kilmainham, Dublin, the second of at least two sons of Donald Kenneth Stewart, a commercial traveller, and his wife Jeanie (née Mackay); both his parents were Scottish-born…...