Sampson, John
Sampson, John (1862–1931), scholar and librarian, was born 25 February 1862 in Schull, Co. Cork, third child and eldest of three sons of James Sampson, metallurgical chemist and mining engineer born in Cornwall of a long Cornish lineage, and Sarah Anne Sampson (née Macdermott), who…...
Saul, Jonathan Patrick (‘Paddy’)
Saul, Jonathan Patrick (‘Paddy’) (1894–1968), sailor and pioneer aviator, was born into a Church of Ireland family in Skerries, Co. Dublin, son of a Dublin contractor, Thomas Saul, and his wife Catherine; he had at least three sisters and three brothers. Educated at St Patrick's…...
Simms, Samuel
Simms, Samuel (1894–1967) medical doctor, bibliophile, and local historian, was born in Belfast, son of Rev. S. Simms of 22 Oldpark Crescent. After attending RBAI from 1905, he was a brilliant scholar in the school of…...
Singer, Paul
Singer, Paul (1911–85), philatelist, was born 31 July 1911 in Bratislava, Slovakia, son of Auriel Singer, financier. The family moved to Vienna in 1925 where he was educated at high school before studying French and international law in Paris. He later graduated…...
Sloane, Sir Hans
Sloane, Sir Hans (1660–1753), physician-general, collector, and founder of the British Museum, was born 16 April 1660 at Killyleagh, Co. Down, youngest of seven sons (of whom only three survived infancy) of Alexander Sloane (d. 1666), receiver-general of taxes for Co. Down, and…...
Somerville, Henry Boyle Townshend
Somerville, Henry Boyle Townshend (1863–1936), naval officer, hydrographer, and author, was born 7 September 1863 on his family's historic estate at Drishane, Castletownshend, near Castle Haven, Co. Cork, third son of Lt.-col. Thomas Henry Somerville (later high sheriff of Cork) and his…...
Southern, Rowland
Southern, Rowland (1882–1935), marine zoologist, was born 9 May 1882 in Lancashire. He trained in chemistry at the Ramsay Laboratory, Bolton, and in 1902 obtained a position in the laboratory of the Dublin city analyst, Sir …...
Spratt, James
Spratt, James (1771–1853), seaman and inventor, was born 3 May 1771 at Harold's Cross, Dublin, son of James Spratt of Ballybeg, Mitchelstown, Co. Cork. His family was descended from the Rev. Devereux Spratt (d. 1688) of Mitchelstown. He initially served in the merchant navy, and…...
Stafford, James Joseph snr
Stafford, James Joseph snr (1860–1947), merchant and ship owner, was born in Wexford town, eldest son among two sons and four daughters of Patrick Stafford of Wexford, merchant, and Elizabeth Stafford (née Cullenmore) of Yoletown, Co. Wexford. He was educated (1867–78) at the…...
Stephenson, Patrick Joseph
Stephenson, Patrick Joseph (1895–1960), librarian and Irish Volunteer, was born on 10 April 1895 at 25 Upper Tyrone Street, in Dublin's north inner city, the second of nine children (four girls and five boys) of Patrick Stephenson, a coachman, and his wife Alice (née Tynan). The family…...
Stephens, William Lawson (‘Billie’)
Stephens, William Lawson (‘Billie’) (1911–97), naval officer, was born 9 August 1911 in Belfast, son of Edward Rowley Stephens, shipping agent and timber merchant, of Kinnegar, Holywood, and Lilian Stephens (née Dash). Educated locally, he later attended Shrewsbury School before…...
Stewart, Samuel Alexander
Stewart, Samuel Alexander (1826–1910), botanist and curator, was born 5 February 1826 at North Front St., Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA, the only son among two children of William Stewart and his wife Sarah (née Funston) who died when Samuel and his younger (and only) sister…...
Stoker, Henry Hugh (or Hew) Gordon Dacre (‘Harry’)
Stoker, Henry Hugh (or Hew) Gordon Dacre (‘Harry’) (1885–1966), naval officer and actor, was born 2 February 1885 in York St., Dublin, second son of William Stoker, surgeon and FRCSI, and Jeannie Stoker (née…...
Thomas George Farquhar Paterson (Tommy)
This is a co-subject for the entry on Paterson, John Thomas Farquhar. View the original entry....
Todd, James Henthorn
Todd, James Henthorn (1805–69), librarian and scholar, was born 23 April 1805 at Kildare St., Dublin, eldest son among fifteen children of Charles Hawkes Todd (qv), professor of surgery,…...
Travers, Robert English
Travers, Robert English (1807–88), physician, scholar and librarian, was born 24 June 1807 in Dublin, son of William T. E. Travers, LLD, and Mary Travers (née Parker). Travers had little education at home and when his father died, having gambled…...
Tuckey, James Hingston
Tuckey, James Hingston (1771–1816), naval officer and explorer, was born at Greenhill, near Mallow, Co. Cork, son of the Reverend Thomas Tuckey (1708–72), rector of Litter and Marshallstown, and his second wife, Elizabeth, daughter of the Reverend James Hingston, prebendary of…...
Tyrrell, John (‘Jack’)
Tyrrell, John (‘Jack’) (1905–88), naval architect, was born 16 June 1905 in Arklow, Co. Wicklow, son of Michael Tyrrell (qv), shipbuilder, and Mary Tyrrell (neé Abraham). Since at latest the 1770s, generations of Tyrrells had owned,…...
Tyrrell, Michael
Tyrrell, Michael (1869–1948), shipbuilder, was born 6 January 1869 at Arklow, Co. Wicklow, son of John Tyrrell, shipbuilder and founder (1864) of John Tyrrell & Sons Ltd, and Dorah Tyrrell (neé Murray). Since at least the 1770s the Tyrrell family had designed, built, owned, or…...
Vereker, Charles
Vereker, Charles (1768–1842), 2nd Viscount Gort , naval and militia officer, and MP, was the second son of Thomas Vereker of Roxborough, Limerick, and his wife Juliana, sister of John Prendergast Smyth, 1st Viscount Gort. His Vereker ancestry was Flemish but the family was long…...
Vitty, James Weatherall
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…...
Wafer, Lionel
Wafer, Lionel (d. 1705), surgeon, buccaneer, topographer, and ethnographer, was probably born in Ireland or to an Irish catholic family abroad. In A new voyage & description of the isthmus of America (1699), the work on which his reputation rests, he states: in my…...
Walsh (Breathnach), Róisín
Walsh (Breathnach), Róisín (1889–1949), librarian and republican, was born on 24 March 1889 into a staunchly nationalist catholic family in the townland of Lisnamaghery, Clogher, Co. Tyone, the eldest of eight children (five sisters and two brothers) of James Walsh (d. 1925), a national…...
Ware, Sir James
Ware, Sir James (1594–1666), historian, collector of manuscripts, and civil servant, was born 16 November 1594 at Castle St., Dublin, eldest surviving son among ten children of Sir James Ware, auditor general, and his wife Mary, sister of Sir Ambrose Briden of Maidstone, Kent, whose…...
Warren, Sir Peter
Warren, Sir Peter (1703–52), admiral in the British navy, was born 10 March 1703 at Warrenstown, Co. Meath, third son among three sons and two daughters of Michael Warren, Roman catholic landowner, and Catherine Warren (née Aylmer). Educated locally, he entered the Royal Navy in…...