Blacair (Blakkr)
Blacker, William
Blacker, William (1777–1855), militia officer and Orangeman, was born 1 September 1777 at Carrickblacker, near Portadown, Co. Armagh, first of four sons of Stewart Blacker (1740–1826), dean of Leighlin and owner of Carrickblacker, and his wife Eliza, daughter of Sir Hugh Hill (…...
Blackwell, James Bartholomew
Blackwell, James Bartholomew (c.1765–1820), soldier, was born in Ennis, Co. Clare. Aged about ten, he was sent to Paris to be educated for the priesthood at the Irish College, where his maternal granduncle, Dr Bartholomew Murray, MD…...
Blackwood, James Stevenson
Blackwood, James Stevenson (1755–1836), 2nd Baron Dufferin and Claneboye , MP and soldier, was born 8 July 1755, second son of Sir John Blackwood (qv) of Ballyleidy, Upper Clandeboye, Co. Down, and Dorcas Blackwood (née Stevenson; d…...
Blackwood, Sir Henry
Blackwood, Sir Henry (1770–1832), vice admiral, was born 28 December 1770 at Ballyleidy, Upper Clandeboye, Co. Down, seventh son of Sir John Blackwood (qv), 2nd baronet, and Dorcas Blackwood (née Stevenson), afterwards 1st Baroness…...
Bladen, Martin
Bladen, Martin (1682?–1746), soldier, administrator, and politician, was born in Bolton, Yorkshire, third son of Yorkshire parents: Nathaniel Bladen of Hemsworth and Isabella Bladen (née Fairfax) of Steeton. William Bladen, mayor of Dublin 1647–8 and state printer under the…...
Blake, James
Blake, James (p.1560–1635), alias ‘Caddell’, ‘Blackcaddell’, ‘Blague’, and ‘Diego de Blac(c)adell’, merchant, soldier, and double agent, was born in Galway, second son of Walter Blake (d. 1573) and his wife Juliana (née Browne). The aliases derive from variants on ‘Blake’…...
Blakeney, Sir William
Blakeney, Sir William (1672?–1761), Baron Blakeney , soldier and MP, was born at Mount Blakeney, Co. Limerick, eldest of five sons of William Blakeney of Thomastown, Co. Limerick, country gentleman and MP for Kilmallock, Co. Limerick, and Elizabeth Blakeney (née Bowerman) of…...
Blathmac
Blathmac (d. 665), son of Áed Sláine (qv) and king of Tara, was an early representative of the Uí Néill dynasty of Síl nÁedo Sláine. His father, who also reigned as king of Tara, was slain in 604. According to the genealogies, Blathmac had…...
Blathmac
Blathmac (d. 670), son of Máel-Cobo and overking of Ulaid, belonged to the Dál Fiatach dynasty. He was one of four brothers, among whom was Óengus, ancestor of the rulers of Leth Cathail (Lecale, east Co. Down). Blathmac had seven sons, the most distinguished of whom was…...
Bligh, Thomas
Bligh, Thomas (1693–1775), soldier and MP, was born 14 August 1693, second among three sons of Thomas Bligh (1654–1710), of Rathmore, Co. Meath, country gentleman, privy counsellor, and MP for Athboy, Co. Meath (1692–3) and for Co. Meath (1695–9, 1703–10), and his wife Elizabeth (…...
Blood, Thomas
Blood, Thomas (1617/1618–1680), conspirator and spy, was born in Sarney, Co. Meath, the son of a relatively prosperous blacksmith and ironworker, probably also Thomas Blood, from whom he may have inherited the lands he later held at Sarney and in Co. Wicklow. He appears to have had…...
Blount, Charles Brooke
Blount, Charles Brooke (1563–1606), 8th Baron Mountjoy and earl of Devonshire , soldier and administrator, was second son of James Blount (1532/3–1581), 6th Baron Mountjoy, of Canford near Poole, Dorset, and his wife Catherine (née Lee/Leigh; d. 1576) of St Oswald's, Yorkshire.…...
Blow, James
Blow, James (1676–1759), printer and papermaker in Belfast, was born 29 July 1676 in Scotland, possibly in Culross, Perthshire, a younger son among nine children of John Blow and Elizabeth Blow (née Wilson). He was apprenticed to the printer Patrick Neil (who had married his sister…...
Bodley, Sir Josias
Bodley, Sir Josias (c.1550–1617), soldier and military engineer, was fifth and youngest son of John Bodley of Exeter, Devonshire, England, and his wife Joan, daughter and co-heiress of Robert Hone of Ottery St Mary, Devonshire. His family moved to Geneva during the reign of…...
Boisseleau, Alexandre de Rainier de Droué
Boisseleau, Alexandre de Rainier de Droué (c.1650–1698), marquis of Boisseleau , French major-general and governor of Limerick, was not yet 40 at the time of his appointment to command the besieged Jacobite forces in Limerick, but had spent most of his life in the French…...
Borlase, Sir John
Borlase, Sir John (1575/1576–1648), lord justice and army officer, was probably the son of Edmund Borlase, mercer of London, and his wife Suzan, or Suzannah, née Isham. He may have matriculated from King's College, Cambridge in 1591 and he was admitted to the Middle Temple 19…...
Bourke, Theobald
Bourke, Theobald (c.1615?–1653), 3rd Viscount Mayo , soldier and politician, was son and heir of Miles Bourke (qv), 2nd Viscount Mayo, and Honora, daughter of Sir John Bourke of Derrymaclaghtny, Co. Galway.…...
Bourke, Walter
Bourke, Walter (d. 1715), soldier, was first of seven sons of Richard Bourke of Turlough, Co. Mayo (son of Theobald Bourke and Margaret, 3rd daughter of Theobald, 1st Viscount Mayo), and his wife Celia, daughter of Dermot O'Shaughnessy, of the ancient family of Gort, Co. Galway. His…...
Bourke, William
Bourke, William (1623–67), 5th Baron Castleconnell , soldier, was son and heir of Edmund Bourke and his first wife, Thomasine, daughter of Sir Thomas Browne of Hospital, Co. Limerick. Edmund held over 3,000 acres in Co. Limerick, primarily in the barony of Clanwilliam, alongside the…...
Boyd, Hugh
Boyd, Hugh (1690–1765), entrepreneur, was one of several sons of the Rev. William Boyd, vicar of Ramoan, Co. Antrim (who is said to have had at least two sons by a second marriage), and his first wife, Rose, daughter of Daniel MacNeill of Dunaneeny near Ballycastle. The Boyd family…...
Boyd, Hugh
Boyd, Hugh (1765–95), MP and mine owner, was born 23 February 1765, probably in Ballycastle, Co. Antrim, eldest son of Ezekiel Davys Boyd and Amy Boyd (née Frisby). His father, a grandson of Hugh Boyd (qv) (d. 1765), owned estates and collieries…...
Boyd, Robert
Boyd, Robert (1805–31), soldier and revolutionary, was born 7 December 1805 in Templemore, Co. Londonderry, the son of Archibald Boyd (d. c.1827), city treasurer, and his wife Annie (née MacNeil); he had three (possibly four) brothers and a sister. Educated at the Free…...
Boylan, James
Boylan, James (1899–1982), footwear manufacturer and company director, was born 23 June 1899 in Ballybay, Co. Monaghan, eldest son among five sons and six daughters of John Michael Boylan, small farmer at Ballybay, and Hannah Boylan (née Connolly). Educated locally, he left school (May…...
Boyle, Roger
Boyle, Roger (1621–79), 1st Baron Broghill and 1st earl of Orrery , soldier, politician, and writer, was born 25 April 1621 in Co. Waterford, twelfth child and third son to survive of Richard Boyle (qv), 1st earl of Cork, and his second wife…...