Belfast

Ware, William (1757–1826), organist, teacher, and concert promoter, was born 17 January 1757 at Armagh city; nothing is known of his parents. It was to Ware that Edward Bunting (qv) was apprenticed in 1784. Trained in Armagh cathedral…

Warnock, John Edmund (1887–1971), barrister and politician, was born 8 May 1887 in Belfast, son of John Warnock, commercial traveller, and Mary Warnock (née McDonnell). He was educated at Methodist College, Belfast, and TCD, where he…

Wasson, Moore Dunlop (1918–2009), presbyterian minister and television producer, was born 2 December 1918, the first-born child of Robert Wasson and Emmeline Wasson (née Bell). His father was at that time a soldier, his mother was a milliner before her marriage, and the family lived…

Watts, Robert (1820–95), presbyterian scholar, was born 10 July 1820 in Moneylane, near Dundrum, Co. Down, youngest among fourteen children; nothing further is known of his family background. He attended RBAI for a time,…

Weaver, John Andrew (1923–2013), soldier and physician, was born on 20 December 1923 at Ballytrim, Killyleagh, Co. Down, the elder of two sons of William Weaver, a farmer, and his wife Emily, a former bank official. The family had farmed flax for generations at Ballytrim, but moved to…

Whelan, Robert Ford (1922–84), physiologist, was born 22 December 1922 in Belfast, the eldest of the two sons of Robert Henry Whelan, civil servant, and Dorothy Ivy Whelan (née Whittington). His father was born in Dublin and came from a protestant family where practically all of the…

White, Eirene Lloyd (1909–99), politician, was born 7 November 1909 at Anwylfan, St John's Ave., Belfast, eldest child among one daughter and two sons of Thomas Jones (1870–1955), briefly professor of economics at QUB (1909–10), and…

White, Harry (1916–89), IRA activist, was born in Blackwater Street off the Grosvenor Road in west Belfast, one of ten children (five sons and five daughters) of Billy White, water technician with Belfast Corporation, and his wife Kathleen (née McKane). White's paternal grandfather and…

White, James (1928–99), science fiction author, was born 7 April 1928 at Belfast. His parents moved to Canada in 1930 but returned to Belfast in 1935. White was educated at St John's primary school (1935–41) and in 1941 won a scholarship to St Joseph's Technical High School, which…

Whitla, Sir William (1851–1933), physician, was born 15 September 1851 at The Diamond, Monaghan town, fourth son of Robert Whitla, a presbyterian pawnbroker and draper, and his wife Anne (née Williams). Whitla's parents had five sons and seven daughters. In 1928 Whitla presented a…

Williams, Richard Valentine (‘Richard Rowley ’) (1877–1947), poet, was born 2 April 1877 in Belfast, second among six children of John Williams, founder and manager of McBride & Williams Ltd, a cotton-handkerchief manufacturing firm, and Jessie Williams (née Allan). Richard was…

Williams, Thomas (‘Tom’) (1923–42), republican, was born 12 May 1923 in the Beechmount area of the Falls Road, Belfast, third of four children of Thomas Williams, labourer, and his wife Mary (née Fay). The family had lived in a catholic enclave on the Shore Road in north Belfast, but…

Wilson, Cecil Leeburn (1912–74), analytical chemist, was born 11 May 1912 in Maghera, Co. Londonderry, son of David Wilson, headmaster of Hall Street school, and Susan Wilson (née McCracken). He was the middle of three children; his older sister, Olive, became a teacher, while his…

Wilson, Daniel Martin (1862–1932), lawyer and politician, was born in Limerick, son of the Rev. Dr David Wilson (1819–94), moderator of the presbyterian general assembly 1865–7. His father was married twice: first (1845) to a daughter of William McFurran, and secondly to Jessie…

Wilson, Paddy (Patrick Gerald) (1934–73), Northern Ireland politician, was born 19 August 1934 at 50 Fleet Street, Belfast, the youngest of seven children of Edward Wilson, tram driver, and his wife Ellen (née Kearney). He was a sheet-metal worker and trade union shop steward until he…

Wilson, Robert Arthur (c.1820–75), journalist and poet, was born in Falcarragh, Co. Donegal, son of Arthur Wilson, a presbyterian coast guard from Donaghadee, Co. Down, and Catherine Wilson (née Hunter) of Islandmagee, Co. Antrim. He was educated in Raymunterdoney school…

Young, James (‘Jimmy’) (1918–74), comedian and actor, was born in Ballymoney, Co. Antrim. Shortly after his birth, his family moved to Fernwood St. in the Ormeau district of Belfast, where his father had secured a job looking after the stables for Inglis's bakery. On leaving school…

Young, Robert (1822–1917), architect, was born 22 February 1822 in Donegall St., Belfast, third son of James Young (d. 1846) from Dundrod, Co. Antrim, a prosperous presbyterian linen manufacturer and woollen merchant and wholesaler; the firm he founded in Belfast was still in…

Young, Samuel (1822–1918), businessman and MP, was born 14 February 1822 in Dunavaly, Portaferry, Co. Down, third son of Samuel Young, farmer, and his wife Sarah, daughter of Arthur Black of Ballyhaft, near Newtownards. Samuel was educated locally and at the Old College, Belfast,…