Co. Armagh

Acheson, Anne Crawford (1882–1962), sculptor, was born in Portadown, Co. Armagh, one of several daughters of John Acheson and Harriet Glasgow Acheson, and was educated in Victoria College and later in the School of Art (both in Belfast) and then at the Royal College of Art, London,…

Acheson, Archibald (1776–1849), 2nd earl of Gosford, landowner, politician, and colonial governor, was born 1 August 1776, probably on the Acheson estate at Markethill, Co. Armagh, elder son among two sons and three daughters of Arthur Acheson (c.1742–1807), who succeeded as…

Áed (d. 700), bishop of Sléibte (Sletty, on the border of Co. Carlow and Co. Laois), which belonged to the Uí Bairrche sept of Laois, was son of Broccán according to the genealogies. Because of the growth in Armagh's influence and claims to metropolitan status in the latter half of…

Aiken, Francis Thomas (‘Frank’) (1898–1983), farmer, revolutionary, and politician, was born 13 February 1898 in Carrickbracken, Camlough, Co. Armagh, seventh child and youngest son of James Aiken, farmer and builder from Co. Tyrone, and Mary Aiken (née McGeeney), of Corromannon,…

Armstrong, Henry Bruce (1844–1943), politician and lawyer, was born 27 July 1844 at Hull House, Shoulden, Kent, England, second son of William Jones Wright Armstrong, JP, DL, and high sheriff of Co.…

Armstrong, Richard (1815–80), MP and lawyer, was born 10 May 1815 in Co. Armagh, fifth but eldest surviving son of William Armstrong, engineer, of Roxborough, Co. Armagh, and Eliza Armstrong (née Steacy or Stracy). He was educated by a Mr Hawkesworth, entered…

Bell, James (1825–1908), chemist, was born in Altnanaghan, Newtownhamilton, Co. Armagh in November 1825. His parents’ names are not known. He was educated privately and at University College, London (1850–53), where he studied chemistry and mathematics. He had joined the inland…

Benn, Edward (1798–1874), philanthropist, industrialist, and antiquarian, was born in Tandragee, Co. Armagh, third of four sons and five daughters of John Benn, Belfast brewer, and Elizabeth Benn (née Craig). With his younger brother George…

Bennett, Arthur (Art Mac Bionaid) (1793–1879), scribe, scholar, and poet in Irish, was born in Ballykeel, Forkhill, Co. Armagh, one of seven children of the farmer John Bennett and his wife Mary Bennett. He was a direct descendent of the poet Micheál Ó hÍr, author of ‘Seachrán…

Benn, George (1801–82), businessman and historian of Belfast, was born on 1 January 1801 at Tandragee, Co. Armagh, the youngest son in the family of four sons and five daughters of John Benn (1767–1853), a Belfast brewer, and his wife Elizabeth (d. 1859), daughter of James Craig…

Beresford, George Thomas (1781–1839), politician and soldier, was born 12 February 1781, third son of George de la Poer Beresford (1734/5–1800), 2nd earl of Tyrone (1763–89) and 1st marquess of Waterford (cr. 1789), MP for Co. Waterford (1757–60) and for Coleraine (1761–3), and…

Beresford, Marcus Gervais (1801–85), Church of Ireland archbishop of Armagh, was born in Dublin 14 February 1801, second son in a family of three sons and five daughters of George de la Poer Beresford (qv), bishop of…

Best, Richard (1869–1939), Northern Ireland attorney general, lord justice of appeal, and politician, was born in Richhill, Co. Armagh, youngest son of Robert Best, weaver of Richhill, and his wife Anne (née Lemon or Leamon). Educated in Dundalk, he went on to pursue a glittering…

Binks, J. Harold (1911–86), trade unionist, was born in Portadown, Co. Armagh, one of several sons of Thomas J. Binks (who was probably the Thomas James Binks, carpenter, resident at 66 Hanover Street, married to Annie S. Binks (née Kelly)). He attended a mixed-denominational…

Blacker, William (1776–1850), land agent and agricultural writer, was born in 1776, probably in Co. Down, the third of four sons of St John Blacker, a clergyman who was then curate at Kilbroney, and his wife Grace, daughter of Maxwell Close of Elm Park, Co. Armagh. He became land…

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 (…

Boyd, Robert (1880–1957), presbyterian minister, was born 10 September 1880 in Tullyvallen, near Newtownhamilton, Co. Armagh, but was brought up by his uncle in Drumgaw, Co. Armagh; his father George Boyd was a farmer and his mother was Annie Boyd (née Gray). He attended school in…

Brayden, William John Henry (1865–1933), journalist, was born 13 September 1865 in Armagh city, son of William Henry Brayden, pawnbroker and later manager of the Ulster Gazette, and Eliza Brayden (née Windrum). He had at least three siblings. The family was Church of…

Bunting, Edward (1773–1843), musician and collector of Irish music, was born in February 1773 in Armagh, the youngest son of a mining engineer from Derby who had settled near Dungannon. His mother, Mary (née O'Quinn), was Irish. There were two other children of the marriage, Anthony and…

Burgh, Walter Hussey (1742–83), politician and lawyer, was born 23 August 1742, the only son of Ignatius Hussey (d. 1743), barrister, of Donore, Co. Kildare, and his second wife, Elizabeth (1705–57), daughter of Thomas Burgh (1670–1730) of Oldtown, Co. Kildare, surveyor general of…

Calvert, Edward Spence (1902–91) aviation research scientist, was born 5 March 1902 in Drummacurry, Portadown, Co. Armagh, the son of William John Calvert, farmer, and his wife Elizabeth (née Spence). An excellent student, he won a scholarship in 1918 to the Royal College of Science…

Coigly (Coigley, Quigley, O'Coigley), James (1761–98), United Irishman and catholic priest, was born in August 1761 in Kilmore, Co. Armagh, second son of James Coigly, farmer, and Louisa Coigly (née Donnelly). In the absence of seminary education in penal Ireland, Coigly served an…

Cole, Richard Lee (1878–1963), methodist minister and historian, was born 24 January 1878 in Lurgan, Co. Armagh, second of five sons of the Rev. Richard Cole (1847–1925), methodist minister and editor of the Irish Christian Advocate, and Margaret Anne Cole (née Lee). He…

Collins, Eamon (1954–99), republican, was born in Camlough, Co. Armagh, son of Brian Collins (farmer, livestock trader, and cattle smuggler) and Kathleen Collins (née Cumiskey). Collins's extended family had no history of political involvement, though his upbringing was fervently…

Conlon, Malachy (Malachi) (1913–50), journalist and politician, was born 16 January 1913 at Lurgancullenboy, Crossmaglen, Co. Armagh, one of two sons and two daughters of Patrick Conlon, a farmer of Lurgancullenboy, and Mary (née Nally) Conlon. He was educated at the local national…