July 08

1249

King Alexander I I, died

Scotland

Alexander II (August 24, 1198 - July 08, 1249), king of Scotland, son of William I, the Lion, and of Ermengarde of Beaumont, was born at Haddington, East Lothian, in 1198, and …

1296

King John Balliol abdicated at Montrose

Scotland

John Balliol (c. 1249 – late 1314), known derisively as Toom Tabard (meaning “empty coat” – coat of arms), was King of Scots from 1292 to 1296. Little is known of his …

1642

Owen Roe O'Neill

Ireland

Owen Roe O’Neill (Irish: Eoghan Ruadh Ó Néill; c. 1585 – 1649) was a Gaelic Irish soldier and one of the most famous of the O’Neill dynasty of Ulster. O’Neill …

1730

Robert Edgeworth, former MP, dies

Ireland

A Deadly Duel that Haunted Him the Rest of His Life Robert Edgeworth, a member of the prominent Longford family and MP for St Johnstown (1713–1727), was described as follows: ‘He …

1770

Mary Anne Mc Cracken, radical and philanthropist, is born in Belfast

Ireland

Mary Ann McCracken (8 July 1770 – 26 July 1866) was a social activist and campaigner in Belfast, Ireland, whose extensive correspondence is cited as an important chronicle of her …

1790

Forth and Clyde Canal Opened

Scotland

The Forth and Clyde Canal is a canal opened in 1790, crossing central Scotland; it provided a route for the seagoing vessels of the day between the Firth of Forth and the Firth of …

1808

Bernard (Barney) Hughes, born

Ireland

Brendan (Barney) Hughes was born in Armagh in 1808. Starting out as a baker’s boy, he moved to Belfast at the age of 19 to continue baking. He was born in Co. Armagh but …

1819

Sir Francis McClintock, born

Scotland

Sir Francis Leopold McClintock KCB FRS (8 July 1819 – 17 November 1907) was an Irish explorer in the British Royal Navy, known for his discoveries in the Canadian Arctic …

1822

Sir Henry Raeburn, died

Scotland

Sir Henry Raeburn RA RSA FRSE( (/ˈreɪbərn/; )4 March 1756 – 8 July 1823) was a Scottish portrait painter. He served as Portrait Painter to King George IV in Scotland. Raeburn had …

1889

Last official bare knuckle title fight

Ireland

Jack Kilrain is perhaps best known for challenging champion John L. Sullivan in 1889 in the last world heavyweight championship prizefight decided with bare knuckles under London …

1914

Government of Ireland Bill enacted

Ireland

The Government of Ireland Act 1914 was the Home Rule Bill that had been first introduced in 1912 and debated in Parliament for two years, which was finally passed under the …

1930

Bennie Railplane

Scotland

The Bennie Railplane was a form of rail transport invented by George Bennie (1891–1957), which moved along an overhead rail by way of propellers. Bennie, born at Auldhouse, near …