Co. Down

Hall, David Henry (1873–1940), clergyman, scholar, and promoter of housing reform, was born 21 May 1873 in Dromore, Banbridge, Co. Down, the son of Henry Hall, schoolteacher and organist, and his wife, Helen (née Kingham). Educated at Dundalk and Santry schools, he had a…

Hall, Francis James (‘Frank’) (1921–95), journalist, broadcaster, and film censor, was born 24 February 1921 at 40 Cecil Street, Newry, Co. Down, son of John Hall, a seaman, and Mary Hall (née Golding). He was reared in an eccentric extended family household, which probably inspired…

Hall, John (1829–98), presbyterian minister, was born 31 July 1829 in Ballygorman, Co. Armagh, eldest among eight children of William Hall, farmer and an elder in the presbyterian church, and Rachel Hall (née Macgowan). John was sent to a local school at Loughgilly and at the age…

Hamilton, Edwin (1849–1919), writer and editor, was born 14 April 1849, the only son of the Rev. Hugh Hamilton (1811–84), curate (1840–50) of Balbriggan and vicar (1844–72) of Balscadden, both in Co. Dublin, and his wife, Charlotte Mary, daughter of the Rev. Henry Ormsby. He was…

Hamilton, George Alexander (1802–71), politician, was born 29 August 1802 at Tyrellas, Co. Down, elder son among two sons and one daughter of the Rev. George Hamilton, of Hampton Hall, Co. Dublin, and Anna Hamilton (née Pepper). His grandfather was George Hamilton, baron of the…

Hanna, Hugh (1821–92), presbyterian minister, was born 25 February 1821 near Dromara, Co. Down, eldest among three sons and two (possibly three) daughters of Peter Hanna, of Dromara farming stock, and his wife Ellen née Finiston, whose father had served in the Black Watch regiment…

Harnett, Dorothy Grace (Waring , Dorothy Gainsborough) (1891–1977), fascist and novelist, was born in Woolwich, London, only child of Col. Henry Waring, a Royal Artillery officer from an east Co. Down gentry family, and his wife Florence. Much of her childhood was spent in Malta and…

Harrel, Sir David Alfred (1841–1939), policeman and public servant, was born 25 March 1841 at Ardglass, near Downpatrick, Co. Down, youngest son of David Harrel of Mountpleasant, Co. Down, agent for the local Ker estate, and his wife Jane, daughter of James Wharton of Belfast.…

Harrison, Henry (1867–1954), politician, soldier, and writer, was born on 17 December 1867 at Hollywood House, near Hollywood, Co. Down, son of Henry Harrison, landowner and JP, and Letitia Harrison, grandniece of…

Harrison, Sarah Cecilia (‘Celia’) (1863–1941), painter and social campaigner, was born 21 June 1863 at Holywood House, near Holywood, Co. Down, third child of Henry Harrison JP (d. 1873), a prosperous landowner, and his second wife, Letitia…

Harshaw, James (1797–1867), farmer, diarist, and presbyterian nationalist, was born in the townland of Ringbane, Donaghmore parish, Co. Down, last child of James Harshaw and Mary Harshaw (née Bradford). The senior James was one of the major landholders in the eastern part of the…

Harty, Sir (Herbert) Hamilton (1879–1941), pianist, accompanist, composer, arranger, and conductor, was born 4 December 1879 in Hillsborough, Co. Down. His father, William Michael Harty (b. Limerick, 1852; d. Hillsborough, Co. Down, 1 November 1918), became a chorister and organ…

Henderson, (Robert) Brumwell ('Brum') (1929–2005), managing director of Ulster Television and public figure in Northern Ireland, was born 28 July 1929 in Hillsborough Castle, Co. Down, younger son of Oscar Henderson (qv), and his wife Alicia Mary (née Henry).…

Hermon, Sir John Charles ('Jack') (1928–2008), chief constable of the RUC (1980–89), was born 23 November 1928 in Castletown, Islandmagee (near Whitehead), Co. Antrim, youngest of four children (three sons and a daughter) of William Rowan Hermon, building contractor, and his wife Agnes…

Higgins, Henry Bournes (1851–1929), politician in Australia, was born 30 June 1851 in Newtownards, Co. Down, second of six sons in a family of nine children of John Higgins, a banker who became a methodist minister, and his wife Ann, daughter of Henry Bournes, landowner, of Crossmolina…

Hill, Wills (1718–93), 1st marquess of Downshire , politician, was born at Fairford, Gloucestershire, on 30 May 1718, the third but only surviving son of Trevor Hill (1693–1742), 1st Viscount Hillsborough, and Mary Hill (née Rowe), the eldest daughter and co-heiress of Anthony Rowe…

Hincks, Edward (1792–1866), Church of Ireland clergyman, Egyptologist and Assyriologist, was born 19 August 1792 at Princes Street, Cork, the eldest of the eight children (five sons and three daughters) of Thomas Dix Hincks (qv), a…

Hobson, Florence Fulton (1881–1978), architect, was born 11 February 1881 at Monasterevin, Co. Kildare, the daughter of Benjamin Hobson, grocer, and Mary Ann Hobson (née Bulmer), a women's rights campaigner and amateur archaeologist. Her family moved to Belfast shortly after her…

Hodges, John Frederick (1815–99), scientist, was born 5 December 1815 in Scotch St., Downpatrick, Co. Down, only child of John Hodgess, solicitor, and his wife Mary (née Hodgess), who were first cousins; it is not known when he dropped the second ‘s’ of the name. According to his…

Huddleston, Robert (1814–87), poet, was born 5 April 1814 in Moneyrea, near Comber, Co. Down, son of James and Agnes Huddleston of Moneyrea, farmers. He was educated in Cowan's school, Moneyrea; when he grew up, he farmed about fifteen acres, and, like his father, repaired guns. He…

Hughes, (Frederick) Desmond (1919–92), air vice-marshal, was born 6 June 1919 in Donaghadee, Co. Down, only son and second child of Frederick Cairns Hughes, director of a Belfast flour milling company, and Emily Hilda Kathleen Hughes (née Hunter). He was educated at Campbell College…

Hughes, Norman Campbell (1915–95), plastic surgeon, was born 15 May 1915 in Bangor, Co. Down, the son of William Edwin Hughes, a manager of the Royal Insurance Company in Belfast, and Elizabeth Knox Hughes (née Campbell). Educated at Bangor grammar school and…

Hume, Abraham, (‘Billy M'Cart’) (1814–84), clergyman and antiquarian, was born 9 February 1814 at ‘Beechfield’, Corcreeny, Hillsborough, Co. Down, the younger of the two sons of Thomas F. Hume, farmer, and Margaret Hume (née Simpson). His birthplace had once been the manse of his…

Hutcheson, Francis (1694–1746), philosopher, was born 8 August 1694 in Drumalig, Co. Down, second among three sons of John Hutcheson – at the time presbyterian minister of Downpatrick – and his first wife, the daughter of an army officer, James Trail of Killyleagh. The Hutcheson…

Iliff, William Angus Boyd (1898–1972), civil servant and administrator, was born 2 October 1898 in Kircubbin, Co. Down, son of John Boyd Iliff, local merchant, and Emily Iliff (née Browne). He was educated at Mountjoy School, Dublin, before attending the Cadet College, Wellington,…