Anderson, John
Anderson, John (1815–1905), woollen merchant, geologist, bibliographer, and local politician, was born 8 July 1815 near Coleraine, Co. Londonderry. After moving to Belfast he entered (1840) the woollen business in Donegall St. founded by James Young in 1795. Anderson's eminence…...
Anderson, Sir Robert
Anderson, Sir Robert (1837–1921), 1st baronet, businessman, was born 1 December 1837, probably in Ballybay, Co. Monaghan, son of James Anderson of Ballybay and Elizabeth Anderson (née Ker) of Newbliss. At 15 he joined the firm of John…...
Andrews, Sir John Lawson Ormrod (‘Jack’)
Andrews, Sir John Lawson Ormrod (‘Jack’) (1903–86), politician and businessman, was born 15 July 1903 at Maxwell Court, Comber, Co. Down, the only son among the three children of John Miller Andrews (qv), later prime minister of…...
Andrews, Thomas
Andrews, Thomas (1813–85), doctor, physical chemist, and university administrator, was born 19 December 1813 at 3 Donegall Square, Belfast, eldest son of Thomas John Andrews, linen merchant, of the well known Andrews family of Comber, and Elizabeth Andrews (née Stevenson) of…...
Añes, William
Añes, William (1562–1630), merchant of Youghal, Co. Cork, possibly born in London, was seventh son among fourteen children of Dunstan (aka Benjamin George or Gonsalvo George) Añes (d. 1594) and his wife Constance Ruyse, both of Spanish descent. The Añes (variously spelt Aynes, Agnes…...
Annesley, Mabel Marguerite
Annesley, Mabel Marguerite (1881–1959), wood engraver and watercolourist, was born 25 February 1881 at Castlewellan, Co. Down, only daughter among two children of Hugh, 5th earl of Annesley, of Castlewellan, and his first wife, Mabel Wilhelmina Frances (née Markham). She was educated at…...
Antisell, Thomas
Antisell, Thomas (1817–93), physician, scientist, and Young Irelander, was born 16 January 1817 in Dublin, younger son of Thomas Christopher Antisell (b. 1766), KC (home circuit), of Gloucester St., Dublin, and Sraduff, near Birr, King's Co. (…...
Archer, Patrick
Archer, Patrick (d. 1686), merchant, was fifth and youngest son of Walter Archer and Elizabeth, daughter of Henry Shee, from two of the leading families in the city of Kilkenny. Walter Archer served as mayor of Kilkenny in 1610; Patrick's older brother Henry sat as MP for the city…...
Armstrong, Arthur
Armstrong, Arthur (1924–96), painter, was born 12 January 1924 at Carrickfergus, Co. Antrim, one of three sons among six children of James Charlton Armstrong, house-painter and decorator, and his wife Margaret (née Howard). Soon after his birth the family moved to Belfast. He…...
Armstrong, Harold Reginald (‘Reg’)
Armstrong, Harold Reginald (‘Reg’) (1928?–1979), motorcycle champion and businessman, was born, probably in September 1928, in Liverpool, Lancashire, England, the only son of Irish parents, Frederick W. Armstrong and Margery Armstrong (née Wilson). The family returned to Ireland to…...
Armstrong, Robert Williams
Armstrong, Robert Williams (1824–84), architect, civil engineer, and co-founder of Belleek Pottery, was born in Co. Longford, son of Francis Armstrong, architect and builder. Despite an early aptitude for pottery, he trained as an architect and civil engineer, exhibiting designs at…...
Armstrong, Sir Alexander
Armstrong, Sir Alexander (1818–99), naval surgeon and explorer, was born in Co. Donegal, son of Alexander Armstrong of Croghan Lodge, Co. Fermanagh. His family was originally from Cumberland and one of his ancestors was Maj.-gen. John Armstrong (d. 1742), a military engineer and…...
Armstrong, Sir Walter
Armstrong, Sir Walter (1850–1918), art historian and gallery director, was born 7 February 1850 in Roxburghshire, Scotland, eldest son of Walter Armstrong of Hawick, and educated at Harrow and Oxford (BA 1873). He taught at art schools in London…...
Arnott, Sir John
Arnott, Sir John , (1814–98), first baronet, businessman, philanthropist, and politician, was born in Auchtermuchty, Fife, Scotland, on 26 July 1814, the third son of John Arnott (d. 1878), JP, manufacturer, of Greenfield, Auchtermuchty, and…...
Arnott, Sir Lauriston John
Arnott, Sir Lauriston John (1890–1958), soldier, newspaper proprietor, and philanthropist, was born 27 November 1890, second (and eldest surviving) son of Sir John Alexander Arnott (d. 1940), 2nd baronet, and his wife Caroline Sydney, eldest daughter of Sir Frederick Martin Williams…...
Arthur, Francis
Arthur, Francis (d. 1824), Limerick merchant and developer, belonged to a long-established catholic patrician family in that city. His father, Patrick (1716–99), mainly an importer of wine and timber, was one of the developers of a new suburb, Newtown Pery; he built a quay on the…...
Arthur, Sir Daniel
Arthur, Sir Daniel (d. 1705), banker, was born probably in the 1620s in Co. Limerick or Co. Clare, son of Daniel Arthur, a catholic merchant, and Joan Arthur (née Arthur), presumably a kinswoman. He is known to have been a successful merchant, with property in Dublin as well…...
Arthur, Thomas
Arthur, Thomas (1593–1675), physician, was born 24 November 1593 in Limerick city, son of the patrician William Arthur and Anastace Arthur (née Rice). His early schooling is unknown; he studied medicine in Bordeaux and Paris before returning to Limerick to begin (14 May 1619) a…...
Ashenhurst, John Talbot
Ashenhurst, John Talbot (d. 1818), public notary and Volunteer, practised at 2 Exchange Alley, Dublin, from the mid-1770s until the mid-1780s, when he moved to 33 Dame Street. In 1780 he was a lieutenant in the union light dragoons, a Dublin city Volunteer corps; eventually he…...
Ashford, William
Ashford, William (1746–1824), artist, was christened on 20 May 1746 in St Martin's parish church, Birmingham, the son of Richard Ashford of Birmingham. Nothing is recorded of his early life in England but he almost certainly had some form of technical and/or artistic education. He…...
Assicus (T'Assach)
Assicus (T'Assach) (d. c.508), an artisan – i.e. coppersmith – of supposed Gaulish origin, came to Ireland at some stage during the mission of St Patrick (qv) and was later consecrated a bishop by him.…...
Atkinson, George Peter
Atkinson, George Peter (1810–93), apothecary and newspaper proprietor, was born 17 May 1810 in Dublin, son of Peter Atkinson, and graduated licentiate of Apothecaries' Hall, Dublin (1829), and BA (1829), MA (…...
Atthill, Lombe
Atthill, Lombe (1827–1910), obstetrician and gynaecologist, was born 3 December 1827 in Ardess Glebe, Co. Fermanagh, youngest of ten surviving children of the Rev. William Atthill (qv), rector (1818–47) of Magheraculmony, Co.…...
Aungier, Francis
Aungier, Francis (c.1632–1700), 1st earl of Longford , politician and property developer, was the eldest son of Ambrose Aungier (c.1597–1654), chancellor of St Patrick's cathedral, Dublin, and of Grisel, younger daughter of…...
Babington, William
Babington, William (1756–1833), doctor and mineralogist, was born 21 May 1756 in Portglenone, Co. Antrim, son of Humphrey Babington, curate of Ahoghill, and his wife Dorothea (née Buttle or Battle). His brothers Thomas and Richard became clergymen; another brother, David Babington…...