South Africa

Ancketill (Anketell), Henry (1855–1930), writer, journalist and politician, was born 4 May 1855 in Ancketill's Grove, Co. Monaghan, the fourth son of Major Matthew John Anketell, deputy lieutenant and JP, and his wife, Catherine Frances…

Asmal, (Abdul) Kader (1934–2011), human rights jurist, anti-apartheid campaigner and South African government minister, was born on 8 October 1934 in Stanger (KwaDukuza), Natal, South Africa, the youngest of eight children (six sons and two daughters) of Ahmed Asmal, grocer, and his…

Bailey, Mary (‘Lady Bailey’) (née Westenra) (1890–1960), aviator, was born on 1 December 1890 at 30 Grosvenor Square, London, to Derrick (Derry) Warner William Westenra (1853–1921), the fifth Baron Rossmore, and his wife Mittie (née Naylor) (d. 1953), the daughter of a wealthy English…

Belton, Andrew (1882–1970), OBE, soldier, adventurer, and businessman, was born 17 April 1882 in Cleator Moor, Cumberland, son of John and Susannah Belton of Bowthorn Road, Cleator Moor. Educated locally at St Patrick…

Brennan, Stan (Stanislaus) (1929–2012), Franciscan missionary, was born James (Seamus) Brennan on 1 December 1929 at Carrowkeel, Co. Roscommon, the seventh of ten children born to James Brennan and his wife Kate (née O'Dowd) who were farmers. He was initially educated at the local…

Casey, William Francis (1884–1957), dramatist and journalist, was born 2 May 1884 in Cape Town, South Africa, son of Patrick Joseph Casey, theatre proprietor, native of Glenageary, Co. Dublin. After the family returned to Dublin in the 1890s, he was educated at Castleknock College (…

Cusack, Cyril James (1910–93), actor, director, and writer, was born 26 November 1910 in Durban, South Africa, son of James Walter Cusack, an Irish officer with the Natal mounted police, and Alice Violet Cusack (née Cole), a Cockney chorus girl, who was related to the music-hall…

Du Bédat, Francis Edward (1851–1919), stockbroker, was the third son in the family of four sons and three daughters of William George Du Bédat (1815–89), a stockbroker in College Green, Dublin, and his wife Anne Letitia, daughter of Thomas Copperthwaite of Dublin. The Du Bédats were…

Fitzpatrick, James Coleman (1816–80), chief justice in the Gold Coast and the Cape Colony, was born 6 January 1816 in Co. Tipperary, son of James Fitzpatrick, a catholic tradesman of Nenagh, and his wife, Bridget (née Cormack). He graduated BA…

Griffith, Patrick Raymond (1798–1862), first catholic bishop of the Cape colony, was born in Limerick on 13 October 1798, to John Griffith and Honor Griffith (née Nealon). After his elementary education in Limerick, he joined the Dominican order. At sixteen years of age, he went…

Gubbins, Sir Charles Decimus O'Grady (1855–1911), medical doctor and parliamentarian, was born 23 May 1855 in Ballingarry, Co. Limerick, son of the Rev. George Gubbins and Dorothea Gubbins (née Purdon). He was educated in Tipperary and at TCD…

Hannan, Mary Josephine (1865–1935?), doctor, was born in Dublin; nothing is known of her parents. One of the earliest female students admitted to study medicine at the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland, she became in July 1890 the first Irishwoman to graduate…

Hardiman, Áine (1926–2013) Dominican nun, community activist and anti-apartheid campaigner, was born Anne Hardiman on 23 April 1926 at 71 Connaught Street, Phibsborough, Dublin, the home of her parents Patrick Hardiman, a railway engine driver, and his wife Christina (née Monahan). The…

Kay, Dorothy Moss (1886–1964), artist, was born 3 December 1886 in Greystones, Co. Wicklow, one of seven children of (John) William Elvery , merchant, and his wife, Mary Teresa (d. 1925), daughter of Dr William Moss of Kilternan, Co. Dublin, and Teresa Moss (née Richardson) of…

Logier, Frederick (1801–67), organist, teacher, and composer, was born 25 April 1801 in the town of Cavan, the second child of the German pedagogue and inventor Johann Bernhard Logier (qv) and his first wife, Elizabeth Willman…

Maclear, Sir Thomas (1794–1879), surgeon and astronomer, was born 17 March 1794 at Newtownstewart, Co. Tyrone, eldest son of the Rev. James Thomas Maclear. His mother's maiden name was Magrath. His father intended him to enter the church but, refusing to embark on a clerical career…

Maxwell, Sir John Grenfell (1859–1929), soldier, was born 12 July 1859 at Aigburth, Liverpool, second son of Robert Maxwell, merchant, and his wife, Maria Emma Maxwell, daughter of Vice-Admiral John Pascoe Grenfell. He was educated at Cheltenham College and the Royal Military College,…

McArthur, Kennedy Kane (1881–1960), Olympic gold medallist, was born 10 February 1881 on a small farm near Dervock, Co. Antrim, eldest son among seven children of Robert and Mary Ann McArthur. He became a postman, and usually ran the whole of his fifteen-mile (24 km) route; he…

McCready, Samuel Maxwell (‘Max’) (1918–95), amateur golfer, was born 8 March 1918 in Belfast, only son among three children of Samuel McCready, clothing manufacturer, originally from Lurgan, Co. Armagh, and Sarah Williamina McCready (née Thompson) originally of Annesborough,…

Orpen, Charles Edward Herbert (1791–1856), surgeon and clergyman, was born 31 October 1791 in Cork, third son of the Rev. Francis Orpen (d. 1805), vicar of Kilgarven, Co. Kerry, rector of Dungourney, Co. Cork, and later rector of Douglas, Co. Cork, and his wife Susanna (d. March…

Porter, Andrew Marshall (1874–1900), hockey international, was born 6 January 1874 in Dublin, third among four sons and two daughters of Sir Andrew Marshall Porter (qv), of Belfast, and Agnes Porter (née Horsbrugh) of…

This is a co-subject for the entry on Stokes, William. View the original entry.

Strickland, Walter George (1850–1928), art historian, bibliographer and antiquary, was born in South Africa on 3 June 1850, son of Thomas Strickland, of the family of Sizergh castle, Kendal, Westmorland (Cumbria), England. Educated at Ushaw College, Durham, and King's College, London,…

Upington, Sir Thomas (c.1844–98), lawyer and statesman in South Africa, was born at Lisleigh House, Co. Cork, the only son of Samuel Upington, catholic merchant, and Mary Ellen Upington (née Tarrant). Educated at Cloyne diocesan college, Mallow, Co. Cork, he entered…