Lady Elizabeth Cullinan was born in 1864, the daughter of Sir William Barker Kaye, C.B., LL.D. and Fanny Barker. She married on June 1, 1892 to Sir Frederick Fitzjames Cullinan (1845-1913), a
marriage which produced six children: Frederick John Fitzjames Cullinan MC (1895-1923), Muriel Cullinan (1894-1985), Maxwell Cullinan, MC (1893-1960), Beatrice Mary Victoria Cullinan (1897-1961), Dorothy Frances Norah Cullinan (1899-1984) and George
Cullinan (1903-1982).
"Sir William Barker Kaye (1831-1901) was Assistant Under-Secretary for Ireland and Clerk to the Privy Council from 1878 to 1895. His career culminated in the position of Private Secretary to the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland, 1895-1900. His address was
62 Fitzwilliam Square in Dublin.
Sir William Kaye was Assistant Under-Secretary for Ireland at the time of the Phoenix Park Murders in 1882, when Lord Frederick Cavendish and Mr. Burke were killed by the 'Invincibles' while driving from Dublin Castle to the Vice-Regal Lodge. Sir
William was actually seated on the 'outside car' of the carriage, as the party was moving off. However, at the last minute, he was required at the Castle, and left the carriage, intending to follow later. Thus he escaped being murdered.
The 'Invincibles' were determined to kill all three Secretaries, and two evenings later, when they knew that Sir William was going to London, and would be crossing on the Mail Boat from Kingstown (now Dun Laoghaire), they held up the Mail Train at
Westland Row Station and searched every carriage, but Sir William had gone down to Kingstown by an earlier train, and was dining with his future son-in-law (Sir Frederick Fitzjames Cullinan), at the Yacht Club. (--Miss Joyce Higson)"