Massey, William Ferguson
Massey, William Ferguson (1856–1925), prime minister of New Zealand, was born 26 March 1856 at Keenaught near Limavady, Co. Londonderry, elder son of John Massey and Mary Anne (née Ferguson). His father was a tenant farmer from a long-established planter family; his mother's…...
McCaughey, Sir Samuel
McCaughey, Sir Samuel (1835–1919), pastoralist, entrepreneur, and philanthropist in Australia, was born 30 June 1835 in Tullynewey, near Ballymena, Co. Antrim, eldest son and second child of Francis McCaughey, tenant of a large farm, and Eliza McCaughey (née Wilson), who later had…...
McCleery, Sir William Victor
McCleery, Sir William Victor (1887–1957), businessman and politician, was born 17 July 1887, son of the Rev. John Richard McCleery, of First Killyleigh presbyterian church, and Henrietta McCleery (née Hodgins). After being educated privately, he went into business, and quickly…...
McConnell, Mabel Washington
This is a co-subject for the entry on FitzGerald, (Thomas Joseph) Desmond. View the original entry....
McCoubrey (Morrison), Margaret
McCoubrey (Morrison), Margaret (1880–1956), suffragist and political activist, was born Margaret Mearns Morrison in Elderslie, Renfrewshire, near Glasgow, on 5 January 1880, one of two daughters and a son of William Morrison, labourer, and his wife Elizabeth. Her mother had three…...
McCracken, Henry Joy
McCracken, Henry Joy (1767–98), United Irishman, was born 31 August 1767 at 39 High St., Belfast, fifth among six surviving children (four sons and two daughters) of John McCracken and his second wife, Ann (née Joy). Both parents were devout presbyterians, and belonged to two of…...
McCracken, Mary Ann
McCracken, Mary Ann (1770–1866), radical and philanthropist, was born 8 July 1770 in Belfast, younger daughter and fifth of the six children of Capt. John McCracken (c.1719–1803), a prosperous merchant of Belfast, and his wife Ann (c.1730–1814), daughter of…...
McCullough, John Edward
McCullough, John Edward (1832–1885), actor, was born on 14 November 1832 in the family home in the townland of Blakes in Dunboe, Coleraine, Co. Londonderry, the second of four children (one boy, three girls) to James McCullough, a presbyterian small farmer, and his wife Mary. Mary died…...
McElroy, Albert Horatio
McElroy, Albert Horatio (1915–75), politician and clergyman, was born 14 February 1915 in Glasgow, Scotland, second of three sons of Ulster-born parents; the family regularly holidayed with relatives in Banbridge, Co. Down. McElroy retained a lifelong love of things Scottish. The…...
McKeague, John Dunlop
McKeague, John Dunlop (1930–82), loyalist activist, was born at Messines Cottage, Bushmills, Co. Antrim, one of six children of Thomas McKeague and his wife, Isabella. The family operated a guesthouse in Portrush before moving to Belfast, where they opened a stationer's shop on…...
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…...
McMordie, Julia
McMordie, Julia (1860–1942), philanthropist and politician, was born 30 March 1860 in Hartlepool, Co. Durham, England, fifth daughter of Sir William Gray , shipbuilder and shipowner, and his wife Dorothy (d. 1906), daughter of Capt. John Hall. A presbyterian, she was educated at…...
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…...
McTier, Martha
McTier, Martha (1742–1837), writer of letters, was eldest of the three surviving children of the Rev. Thomas Drennan (qv), non-subscribing presbyterian minister of Belfast, and his wife Ann Lennox (c.1719–1806), daughter of a wealthy Belfast merchant…...
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,…...
Mitchel, Jane (‘Jenny’)
Mitchel, Jane (‘Jenny’) (c.1820–1899), nationalist, was born near Newry, Co. Down, where she, her brother, and her mother Mary Ward lived with Capt. James Verner (1777–1847), an attorney, formerly of the 19th Light Dragoons. The Verners were a well established Armagh…...
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…...
Moore, Robert
Moore, Robert (1886–1960), farmer, politician, and presbyterian minister, was born 26 September 1886 at Ballymacannon, Ringsend, near Coleraine, Co. Londonderry, son of Kennedy Moore, whose family had farmed in the area for generations, and Mary Elizabeth Moore (née McFetridge).…...
Morgan, William James (‘Billy’)
Morgan, William James (‘Billy’) (1914–99), politician, was born 17 July 1914 in Belfast, third son of William James Morgan and Susan Jane Morgan (née Sharpe). At the age of 14 he left Finniston primary school to enter the family transport business, John Morgan & Sons, and retired…...
Morrow, Addie (Adam James)
Morrow, Addie (Adam James) (1928–2012), community activist and politician, was born on 17 July 1928 at the family farm, Hill House, Ballyhanwood, Gilnahirk, Dundonald, Co. Down, eldest of five children (three sons and two daughters) of a dairy farmer; his mother's maiden name was Watson…...
Morrow, Henry Cooke (‘Harry’)
Morrow, Henry Cooke (‘Harry’) (‘MacNamara, Gerald’) (1865–1938), playwright, writer and artist, was born in Co. Down on 27 August 1865, the second eldest of eight sons of George Morrow, a painter, decorator and founder of Morrow & Sons Ltd, and his wife Catherine (née MacNamara).…...
Morrow, John Watson
This is a co-subject for the entry on Morrow, Addie (Adam James). View the original entry....
Musa, Jennifer ('Mummy'; Jennifer Jehanzeba Qazi Musa)
Musa, Jennifer ('Mummy'; Jennifer Jehanzeba Qazi Musa) (1917–2008), politician, tribal elder and nurse, was born Bridget Wren on 11 November 1917 in Tarmons, Tarbert, Co. Kerry, one of five daughters and two sons of John Wren, a small-holding farmer, and his wife Johanna (née…...
Neilson, Samuel
Neilson, Samuel (1761–1803), United Irishman, was born in September 1761 at Ballyroney, Co. Down, one of at least three sons of Alexander Neilson, a presbyterian minister. Educated at home and in a local school, in 1777 he was sent to Belfast to take up an apprenticeship with his…...
Nelson, Isaac
Nelson, Isaac (1809–88), presbyterian minister and politician, was born in Belfast, son of Francis Nelson, greengrocer, of Barrack St., Belfast, who was said to have been a United Irishman in 1798. Little else is known of Isaac's early life, but in the late 1820s he was in the…...