Hamilton, Hugh
Hamilton, Hugh (1729–1805), Church of Ireland bishop and scientist, was born 26 March 1729 at Knock, Co. Dublin, eldest of four sons of Alexander Hamilton, attorney and later MP for Killyleagh (1739–60), and his wife Isabella, a Maxwell of Finnebrogue, Co. Down; there were also two…...
Hamilton, James Archibald
Hamilton, James Archibald (1747–1815), Church of Ireland clergyman and astronomer, was born at Athlone, Co. Westmeath, son of Col. Gustavus Hamilton and Jane Hamilton (née Giverdot). From 1754 he attended the Royal School at Armagh before entering…...
Hamilton, Kathleen
Hamilton, Kathleen (1905–90), duchess of Abercorn , public figure, was born Mary Kathleen Crichton on 8 July 1905 in London. Her parents were both members of prominent landed families well connected to British high society, especially to Queen Mary (1867–1953), who was asked to be…...
Hamilton, Sir William Rowan
Hamilton, Sir William Rowan (1805–65), mathematician, was born on the night of 3–4 August 1805 (the time was recorded as midnight) at his father's house in Dominick Street, Dublin. He was the second of five children who survived infancy, and the only son, of Archibald Hamilton (…...
Hamilton, William
Hamilton, William (1755–97), cleric and geologist, was born 16 December 1755 in Derry city, son of John Hamilton, merchant, and Elizabeth Hamilton (née Hope). He entered Trinity College Dublin (TCD) in 1771 and had a distinguished academic career. He graduated Bachelor of Arts in 1776,…...
Hart, Henry Chichester
Hart, Henry Chichester (1847–1908), naturalist and literary scholar, was born 29 July 1847 in Glenvar, Raheny, Dublin, second son of Andrew Searle Hart (qv) and Frances Hart (née MacDougall). His father's family was of Co.…...
Hart, Sir Andrew Searle
Hart, Sir Andrew Searle (1811–90), mathematician, was born 14 March 1811, youngest of five sons of the Rev. George Vaughan Hart (d. 1836), rector of Castlebar, Co. Mayo, and his wife, Maria Murray (née Hume), daughter of John Hume, dean of Derry. She inherited Glenalla, Co.…...
Harvey, William Henry
Harvey, William Henry (1811–66), botanist, phycologist, and systematist, was born 5 February 1811 at Summerville, Limerick city, youngest of eleven children of Joseph Massey Harvey, a quaker merchant, and Rebecca Harvey (neé Mark), also of that city. He was educated at Newtown,…...
Haughton, Samuel
Haughton, Samuel (1821–97), geologist, physiologist and mathematician, was born 21 December 1821 in Carlow, second of three sons of Samuel Haughton, merchant, and Sarah Haughton (née Hancock). Although of quaker stock, Haughton was brought up within the established church. He entered…...
Hayes, William
Hayes, William (1913–94), bacteriologist and molecular geneticist, was born 18 January 1913 at Edmondstown Park, Rathfarnham, Co. Dublin, the son of William Hayes, businessman, then aged seventy-three, and Miriam Hayes (née Harris), the only child of his father's second marriage.…...
Heath, (Sophie) Mary (‘Lady Heath’) (née Peirce-Evans; other married name Eliott-Lynn)
Heath, (Sophie) Mary (‘Lady Heath’) (née Peirce-Evans; other married name Eliott-Lynn) (1896–1939), athlete and aviator, was born Sophie Catherine Theresa Mary Peirce-Evans on 17 November 1896 in Knockaderry, Co. Limerick, the only child of Jackie Peirce-Evans and his wife and former…...
Heaton, Richard
Heaton, Richard (1601–66), cleric and botanist, was born 14 February 1601 at Moorehouse, Hooton Pagnall, Yorkshire, third of nine children of Francis Heaton, landowner, and his wife Ursulay. Only three children survived, but there is no further mention of the eldest son or…...
Helsham, Richard
Helsham, Richard (c.1682–1738), doctor and physicist, was born in Kilkenny city, son of Joshua Helsham, alderman and mayor (1692–4) of the city; nothing is known of his mother. In 1698, aged 15, Helsham proceeded from Kilkenny College to…...
Higgins, Alexander Gordon ('Alex'; 'Hurricane')
Higgins, Alexander Gordon ('Alex'; 'Hurricane') (1949–2010), snooker player, was born on 18 March 1949 in Belfast, the only son of Alexander Gordon Higgins, a labourer, of Abbingdon Drive, Sandy Row, Belfast, and his wife Elizabeth (née Stockman); he had three sisters. Educated locally…...
Hilliard, Robert (‘Bob’) Martin
Hilliard, Robert (‘Bob’) Martin (1904–37), clergyman, boxer, and revolutionary, was born 7 April 1904 in New St., Killarney, Co. Kerry, one of six children of Robert M. Hilliard, a wealthy protestant draper, and Alice Hilliard (née Martin). The family subsequently resided at…...
Hobson, William
Hobson, William (1793–1842), naval officer and first governor of New Zealand, was born 26 September 1793 in Newtown Lodge, Waterford city, third among five sons of Samuel Hobson, assistant barrister for Co. Cork, and his wife Martha Jones, who was a member of a family that had…...
Holmes, Elizabeth
Holmes, Elizabeth (d. 1877), philanthropist, was probably a daughter of Richard Holmes (d. 1820) of Oakfield, Co. Sligo, and Anne Holmes (née Erskine). She had at least two brothers: one was Joseph (fl. 1845–68), a JP,…...
Hull, Edward
Hull, Edward (1829–1917), geologist, was born 21 May 1829 in Antrim town, eldest son of John Dawson Hull, a Church of Ireland curate; no details are known of his mother. He was educated at TCD (BA…...
Hull, Sir William
Hull, Sir William (c.1573–1643), pirate collaborator and settler, was one of two surviving sons and five daughters of Henry Hull, a merchant and ship owner of Exeter, and his wife Julianna (née Spurway). Henry maintained a family tradition by serving as mayor of Exeter in 1605…...
Ireland, John Evan de Courcy
Ireland, John Evan de Courcy (1911–2006), socialist, activist, teacher, and maritime historian, was born 19 October 1911 in Lucknow, India, only child of De Courcy Ireland (1873–1915), a British army major of Irish ancestry, and his English-born wife Gabrielle (née Byron). …...
Jackson, John Semple
Jackson, John Semple (1920–91), geologist and environmentalist, was born 21 February 1920 in Dublin, fifth child among four sons and two daughters of Francis Robert Jackson, managing director of several businesses in Athy, Co. Kildare, and his wife Annie Elizabeth, youngest…...
Jellett, John Hewitt
Jellett, John Hewitt (1817–88), mathematician and provost of TCD, was born 25 December 1817 at Cashel, Co. Tipperary, eldest among four sons and one daughter of the Rev. Morgan Jellett (d. 1831), rector of Pallasgrean, near Cashel, and Harriette Anne Jellett (née Poole; d. 1829),…...
Johnson, William Frederick
Johnson, William Frederick (1852–1934), clergyman, teacher, and entomologist, was born 20 April 1852 at Cochin, Travancore, India, son of Edward J. Johnson, a member of the Church Missionary Society; his mother's name is not known. For the most part he was privately educated, although…...
Johnstone, Walter Edgeworth-
Johnstone, Walter Edgeworth- (1863–1937), soldier, DMP commissioner, and sportsman, was born at Kingstown, Co. Dublin, the eldest son of Robert Johnstone (1806–85), QC and county court judge, of Laputa, Co. Donegal, and his wife Doris Tivy. In 1838 a…...
Joly, Charles Jasper
Joly, Charles Jasper (1864–1906), mathematician and astronomer, was born 27 June 1864 at St Catherine's rectory, Tullamore, King's Co. (Offaly), eldest among three sons and two daughters of John Swift Joly, rector, and Elizabeth Joly (née Slator). His great-grandfather Jean Jasper…...