Carew, Sir George
Carew, Sir George (1555–1629), earl of Totnes , general, and antiquarian, was born 29 May 1555, second son of George Carew, a clergyman from Cockington, Devon, England, and his wife Anne, daughter of Sir Nicholas Harvey. Admitted (c.1570–72) to Broadgates Hall (later…...
Carleton, Sir Guy
Carleton, Sir Guy (1724–1808), 1st Baron Dorchester , soldier, and colonial governor, was born 3 September 1724 in Strabane, Co. Tyrone, third son of Christopher Carleton of Newry and his wife Catherine (née Ball) from Co. Donegal. He had three brothers and three sisters. Guy Carleton…...
Carney, Francis (‘Frank’)
Carney, Francis (‘Frank’) (1896–1932), soldier and politician, was born 25 April 1896 in Abbey Street, Enniskillen, Co. Fermanagh, son of Edward Carney, fisherman, and Eliza Carney (née McCaffrey). Details of his education are not available. At the outbreak of the first world war (…...
Cary (Tanfield), Elizabeth
Cary (Tanfield), Elizabeth (1585–1639), Viscountess Falkland , writer and translator, was born at Burford Priory, Oxfordshire, the only child and heir of Lawrence Tanfield (c.1551–1625), a wealthy lawyer, later appointed chief baron of the exchequer, and his wife,…...
Casement, Thomas Hugh (‘Tom’)
Casement, Thomas Hugh (‘Tom’) (1862/3–1939), soldier and adventurer, is believed to have been born aboard a ship bound for Boulogne (where his birth was registered on 3 January 1863), third child and second son among one daughter and three sons of Roger Casement (1819–77), a retired…...
Cashier, Albert
Cashier, Albert (1843–1915), soldier, was born Jennie Irene Hodgers on 25 December 1843 in Clogherhead, Co. Louth. Although born female, from an early age he dressed as a male. Little is known about his early life – he gave conflicting accounts throughout his life and was suffering from…...
Caulfeild, Sir Toby (Tobias)
Caulfeild, Sir Toby (Tobias) (1565–1627), 1st Baron Charlemont , soldier and administrator, was baptised 2 December 1565 in Great Milton, Oxfordshire, England. His father's name is registered as Alexander Calfehill. He became a soldier, serving under Frobisher, Lord Howard, and then…...
Chaigneau, William
Chaigneau, William (1709–81), army agent and novelist, was born 23 December 1709 at Back Key, Dublin, and baptised at St John's, Dublin, on Christmas eve, second son among thirteen children of John Chaigneau, vintner, and Margaret Chaigneau (née Martyr), both of Dublin and of huguenot…...
Chamberlain, Sir Neville Francis Fitzgerald
Chamberlain, Sir Neville Francis Fitzgerald (1856–1944), soldier, inspector general of the RIC, and originator of snooker, was born 13 January 1856 at Upton Park, Upton, Buckinghamshire, England, only son of Lt-col. Charles Francis Falcon Chamberlain of the Indian army and Marion Ormsby…...
Charles, Robert Henry
Charles, Robert Henry (1855–1931), Biblical scholar, was born 6 August 1855 at Cookstown, Co. Tyrone, probably in Loy House, fifth of the seven sons of Dr David H. Charles and Annie E. Charles (née Allen). He attended Belfast Academy and won a scholarship to…...
Charlton, John
Charlton, John (d. 1353), lord of Powys, soldier, and administrator, was the son of Robert Charlton of Shropshire (d. 1300). He came into possession of his inheritance in 1306 and in 1307 acted as proxy for the men of Salop in the Carlisle parliament. He was a member of Edward II's…...
Chesney, Charles Cornwallis
Chesney, Charles Cornwallis (1826–76), military theorist and historian, was born 29 September 1826 at Packolet, near Kilkeel, Co. Down, son of Capt. Charles Cornwallis Chesney, formerly an officer in the East India Company's Bengal artillery. After his father died (1830), his…...
Chesney, Francis Rawdon
Chesney, Francis Rawdon (1789–1872), soldier and explorer, was born 16 March 1789 at Ballyveagh, near Annalong, Co. Down, eldest son of Capt. Alexander Chesney, coastguard officer, of Ballymena, Co. Antrim, and his second wife, Jane (née Wilson), of Ballymena. Capt. Chesney had been…...
Chichester, Arthur
Chichester, Arthur (1563–1625), soldier, politician, and lord deputy of Ireland, was born at Raleigh, Devon, in May 1563, the second son (of the seven sons and nine daughters) of Sir John Chichester of Raleigh and his wife, Gertrude, the daughter of Sir William Courtenay of Powderham…...
Chichester, Arthur
Chichester, Arthur (1606–75), 1st earl of Donegall , soldier, and administrator, was born 16 June 1606, eldest son of Edward Chichester (brother of Arthur Chichester (qv) (1563–1625)) and his wife Anne (née Coplestone) of Devon. He…...
Churchill, John
Churchill, John (1650–1722), 1st duke of Marlborough and general, was born in Devon, son of Sir Winston Churchill (qv), a commissioner of the 1662–3 court of claims, and educated at St Paul's School. Commissioned (1667) as an…...
Church, Sir Richard
Church, Sir Richard (1784–1873), soldier and philhellene, was born 23 February 1784 in Cork city, fourth among seven children of Matthew Church, a quaker merchant from Cork, and Anne Church (née Dearman), originally of Darlington, Co. Durham, England. After he ran away from school…...
Clare, Richard de
Clare, Richard de (d. 1318), magnate, was the son of Thomas de Clare (qv), who was a younger brother of Gilbert de Clare, earl of Gloucester and of Hertford. Thomas had in 1276 received a speculative grant of Thomond (the rump of the O'…...
Clare, Richard de (‘Richard fitz Gilbert’, ‘Strongbow’)
Clare, Richard de (‘Richard fitz Gilbert’, ‘Strongbow’) (a. 1127–1176), earl of Pembroke and Strigoil and lord of Leinster, and one of the pivotal figures of Irish history, was eldest son of Gilbert de Clare, earl of Pembroke, and his wife Elizabeth, daughter of Robert de…...
Clare, Thomas de
Clare, Thomas de (c.1245–1287), magnate, was the second son of Richard de Clare, earl of Gloucester and of Hereford, and Maud, daughter of John de Lacy, earl of Lincoln. He attended Oxford university with his younger brother Bogo from 1257 to 1259. Initially destined for a…...
Clarke, Adam
Clarke, Adam (1760/62–1832), methodist minister and scholar, was born at Moybeg, near Maghera, Co. Londonderry, son of John Clarke (fl. 1762), schoolmaster, whose early marriage to a Miss McLean prevented him from completing a degree in…...
Clarke, George
Clarke, George (1661–1736), Williamite secretary at war, was born 7 May 1661 in Pell Mell, London, son of Sir William Clarke, secretary for war, and his wife Dorothy Hilliard (Hyliard) of Hampshire. His father died from wounds received during a naval engagement at Harwich during the…...
Cleburne, Patrick Ronayne
Cleburne, Patrick Ronayne (1828–64), confederate general, was born 17 March 1828 at Annbrook, near Queenstown, Co. Cork, son of Joseph Cleburne, physician, and Mary Ann Cleburne (née Ronayne). He was educated locally, and at 18 was apprenticed to a local chemist, a trade for which…...
Clemens Scottus
Clemens Scottus (‘the Irishman’) (fl. c.800), scholar, was teacher at the palace school at Aachen under Charlemagne (d. 814) and his son Louis the Pious. A letter from Alcuin to Charlemagne, dated 797, refers to the presence of Irish scholars at the palace court, one of…...
Clery, Sir (Cornelius) Francis
Clery, Sir (Cornelius) Francis (1838–1926), soldier, was born 13 February 1838 at 2 Sidney Place, Cork, fourth son of James Clery, wine merchant of Cork, and Catherine Clery (née Walsh). Educated at Clongowes and Sandhurst, he became an infantry officer (1858), and after two years…...