Armagh (constituency)

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:For the 1922-1983 UK Parliament constituency and the Northern Ireland bodies elected from 1973-1983 see Armagh (UK Parliament constituency)

Armagh was a county constituency in Ireland, which was used to elect members of various legislative bodies. An alternative name for the constituency is County Armagh.

Contents

[edit] Summary

From To Chamber Members
1586 1800 House of Commons of Ireland 2
1801 1885 House of Commons of the United Kingdom 2
1921 1929 House of Commons of Northern Ireland 4
1922 1983 House of Commons of the United Kingdom* 1
1973 1974 Northern Ireland Assembly* 7
1975 1975 Northern Ireland Constitutional Convention* 7
1982 1986 Northern Ireland Assembly* 7

Notes:

  • (1) This area was treated by republicans as a Dáil Éireann constituency 1921-1922 (see below for more details).
  • (2) * Not included in this article

[edit] Representation

[edit] House of Commons of Ireland

[edit] House of Commons of the United Kingdom

Armagh
County constituency
Created: 1801
Abolished: 1885
Type: House of Commons

The Act of Union 1800 provided for the Parliament of Ireland to be merged with the Parliament of Great Britain, to form the Parliament of the United Kingdom. The 300 seats in the Irish House of Commons were reduced to 100 Irish members in the United Kingdom House of Commons. The thirty-two Irish counties retained two seats in Parliament.

The union took effect on 1 January 1801. There was no new election for the members of the 1st Parliament of the United Kingdom, as the House of Commons was composed of members elected to the previous Parliaments of Ireland and Great Britain.

The county existed as a UK House of Commons constituency in two periods, 1801-1885 and 1922-1983.

[edit] House of Commons of Northern Ireland

The Government of Ireland Act 1920 established a devolved home rule legislature, within the United Kingdom, for six Irish counties which were designated Northern Ireland.

Armagh was given four seats in the Northern Ireland House of Commons, from 1921. In 1929 the area was split into four single-member constituencies.

[edit] Dáil Éireann

In the Irish elections, 1921 Sinn Féin candidates contested the elections on the basis that, if they won, they would not take seats in the devolved Parliaments of Northern Ireland and Southern Ireland but would become part of a revolutionary assembly in Dublin known as the Second Dáil.

The county was, in Irish republican theory, entitled to return four Teachtaí Dála (known in English as Deputies). In practice only the Sinn Féin deputies participated in the Dáil.

The First Dáil, passed a motion at its last meeting on 10 May 1921, the first three parts of which make explicit the republican view.

  • 1. That the Parliamentary elections which are to take place during the present month be regarded as elections to Dáil Éireann.
  • 2. That all deputies duly returned at these elections be regarded as members of Dáil Éireann and allowed to take their seats on subscribing to the proposed Oath of Allegiance.
  • 3. That the present Dáil dissolve automatically as soon as the new body has been summoned by the President and called to order.

The Second Dáil first met on 16 August 1921, thereby dissolving the First Dáil.

The Third Dáil elected in 1922 was, in United Kingdom law, the constituent assembly for the Irish Free State. From this time the Dáil represented only the twenty-six Irish counties not included in the six counties of Northern Ireland. Non-Sinn Féin Deputies began to participate in the Dáil.

[edit] Boundaries and Boundary Changes

1586-1800: A Topographical Dictionary of Ireland by Samuel Lewis discusses the administrative history of Armagh. Armagh was made a County in 1586 and given representation as such in Parliament. The county constituency comprised the whole of County Armagh, excluding (from 1613) the parts in the borough constituencies of Armagh City and Charlemont.

1801-1885: The whole of County Armagh, excluding the part in the Parliamentary borough constituency of Armagh City.

In 1885-1922 the county was split between the divisions of Armagh Mid, Armagh North and Armagh South.

1922-1983: The Administrative county of Antrim, which was the whole of County Antrim.

The Northern Ireland Parliament constituency (1921-1929) had the same boundaries as the 1922-1983 UK Parliament constituency. In 1929 the four Northern Ireland Parliament divisions into which Armagh was divided were Armagh Central, Armagh Mid, Armagh North and Armagh South.

In 1983 the county was divided, for UK Parliament purposes, between the Newry and Armagh and Upper Bann constituencies.

[edit] Politics of the constituency

Catholics were excluded from taking Irish seats in Parliament from 1691 until 1829. See Catholic emancipation for further details.

Catholics, who were otherwise qualified to vote, had to take various oaths before doing so; under Acts of 1691 and 1703. An Act of 1727 prohibited "papists" from voting at all. They were not again permitted to qualify to vote until 1793.

Before 1885 there was a restrictive property based franchise. In 1829 the traditional county 40 shilling freehold landowning qualification was changed to a £10 qualification (which was an increase to five times the previous level). It was not until the householder franchise was introduced for county elections, in the electoral reforms which took effect in 1885, that most (but not all) adult males became voters.

In these circumstances most Members of Parliament came from a limited number of Protestant aristocratic and gentry families. There were few contested elections.

In the first half century or so after the union this constituency was fairly evenly balanced between Whig/Liberal and Tory/Conservative parties. Thereafter the area became more Conservative.

By 1921 there was universal male suffrage (from the age of 21) and women who met a property qualification were enfranchised from the age of 30. Universal adult suffrage (with all electors qualifying at the age of 21) was introduced from the United Kingdom general election, 1929.

With the aid of a democratic franchise and proportional representation one nationalist, one republican and two unionist candidates were elected to the four seats, in the Northern Ireland elections of 1921 and 1925.

Michael Collins (SF), elected here in 1921, was also elected for Cork Mid etc. and West (in theory to the Parliament of Southern Ireland although he actually participated in the Second Dáil). Collins sat in the Dáil primarily for the Cork seat, but as he abstained from the Northern Ireland Parliament there was no way which he was prepared to accept to either choose one constituency or arrange a by-election in Northern Ireland.

After Collins death in 1922 his Northern Ireland House of Commons seat was left vacant for the remainder of the Parliament.

[edit] Representatives

[edit] Members of Parliament (United Kingdom) 1801-1885

Key to parties: C Conservative, L Liberal, NP no party identified, T Tory, U Unionist, W Whig. Changes of party name in 1832 are indicated i.e. (T,C) and (W,L).

From To Name (Party) Born Died
1801 1807 Hon. Archibald Acheson (NP,T) 1 August 1776 27 March 1849
1801 1802 Robert Camden Cope (NP) c. 1771 5 December 1818
1802 1807 Hon. Henry Caulfeild (W) 29 July 1779 4 March 1862
1807 1815 William Brownlow (T) 1 September 1755 10 July 1815
1807 1820 William Richardson (T) c. 1749 c. 1820
1815 1818 Hon. Henry Caulfeild (W) 29 July 1779 4 March 1862
1818 1832 Charles Brownlow (T,W) 17 April 1795 30 April 1847
1820 1830 Hon. Henry Caulfeild (W) 29 July 1779 4 March 1862
1830 1847 Viscount Acheson (W,L) 20 August 1806 15 June 1864
1832 1868 Sir William Verner, Bt (1) (C) 25 October 1782 20 January 1871
1847 1857 James Molyneux Caulfeild (L) 6 October 1820 12 January 1892
1857 1864 Maxwell Charles Close (C) 1827 1903
1864 1874 Sir James Matthew Stronge, Bt (C) 25 November 1811 11 March 1885
1868 1873 Sir William Verner, Bt (2) (C) 4 April 1822 10 January 1873
1873 1880 Edward Wingfield Verner (C) 1 October 1830 21 June 1899
1874 1885 Maxwell Charles Close (C) 1827 1903
1880 1885 James Nicholson Richardson (L) 1846

[edit] Members of Parliament (Northern Ireland) 1921-1929

Key to parties: N Irish Nationalist, Rep Irish Republican, SF Sinn Féin, U Ulster Unionist Party.

From To Name (Party) Born Died
1921 1925 Rt Hon. Richard Best (U) 1872 23 February 1939
1921 1922 Michael Collins (SF) 16 October 1890 22 August 1922
1921 1929 David Graham Shillington (U) 10 December 1872 22 January 1944
1921 1925 John Dillon Nugent (N) 1869 1 March 1940
1925 1929 Eamon Donnelly (Rep) 29 December 1944
1925 1929 John Henry Collins (N) 3 March 1880 12 June 1952
1925 1929 John Clarke Davison (U) 19 April 1879 19 February 1946

[edit] Elections

In two-member elections the bloc voting system was used. Voters could cast a vote for one or two candidates, as they chose. The two candidates with the largest number of votes were elected.

In by-elections, to fill a single seat, the first past the post system applied.

There was no election in 1801. The representatives of the county in the former Parliament of Ireland became members of the 1st Parliament of the United Kingdom.

After 1832, when registration of voters was introduced, a turnout figure is given for contested elections. In two-member elections, when the exact number of participating voters is unknown, this is calculated by dividing the number of votes by two. To the extent that voters did not use both their votes this will be an underestimate of turnout. If the electorate figure is unknown the last known electorate figure is used to provide an estimate of turnout.

Where a party had more than one candidate in one or both of a pair of successive elections change is calculated for each individual candidate, otherwise change is based on the party vote.

[edit] House of Commons (United Kingdom)

Co-option 1 January 1801: Armagh (2 seats)
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Non Partisan Hon. Archibald Acheson Co-opted N/A N/A
Non Partisan Robert Camden Cope Co-opted N/A N/A
General Election 17 July 1802: Armagh (2 seats)
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Tory Hon. Archibald Acheson Unopposed N/A N/A
Whig Hon. Henry Caulfeild Unopposed N/A N/A
  • Hon. Archibald Acheson became known as Viscount Acheson when his father was created Earl of Gosford in February 1806
General Election 17 November 1806: Armagh (2 seats)
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Tory Viscount Acheson Unopposed N/A N/A
Whig Hon. Henry Caulfeild Unopposed N/A N/A
  • Succession of Acheson as 2nd Earl of Gosford
By-Election 13 March 1807: Armagh
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Tory William Brownlow Unopposed N/A N/A
Tory hold Swing N/A
General Election 23 May 1807: Armagh (2 seats)
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Tory William Richardson Unopposed N/A N/A
Tory William Brownlow Unopposed N/A N/A
General Election 23 October 1812: Armagh (2 seats)
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Tory William Richardson Unopposed N/A N/A
Tory William Brownlow Unopposed N/A N/A
  • Death of Brownlow
By-Election 23 September 1815: Armagh
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Whig Hon. Henry Caulfeild Unopposed N/A N/A
Whig gain from Tory Swing N/A
General Election 10 July 1818: Armagh (2 seats)
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Tory Charles Brownlow 1,839 38.53 N/A
Tory William Richardson 1,673 35.05 N/A
Whig Hon. Henry Caulfeild 1,261 26.42 N/A
General Election 22 March 1820: Armagh (2 seats)
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Tory Charles Brownlow Unopposed N/A N/A
Whig Hon. Henry Caulfeild Unopposed N/A N/A
General Election 29 June 1826: Armagh (2 seats)
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Whig Hon. Henry Caulfeild 2,897 35,84 N/A
Whig Charles Brownlow 2,563 31.70 N/A
Tory William Verner 1,894 23.43 N/A
Tory John Ynyr Burgess 730 9.03 N/A
General Election 9 August 1830: Armagh (2 seats)
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Whig Charles Brownlow Unopposed N/A N/A
Whig Viscount Acheson Unopposed N/A N/A
General Election 11 May 1831: Armagh (2 seats)
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Whig Charles Brownlow Unopposed N/A N/A
Whig Viscount Acheson Unopposed N/A N/A
General Election 19 December 1832: Armagh (2 seats)
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Viscount Acheson Unopposed N/A N/A
Conservative William Verner Unopposed N/A N/A
  • Note: 3,342 registered electors
General Election 15 January 1835: Armagh (2 seats)
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Viscount Acheson Unopposed N/A N/A
Conservative William Verner Unopposed N/A N/A
General Election 7 August 1837: Armagh (2 seats)
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Viscount Acheson Unopposed N/A N/A
Conservative William Verner Unopposed N/A N/A
General Election 9 July 1841: Armagh (2 seats)
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Viscount Acheson Unopposed N/A N/A
Conservative William Verner Unopposed N/A N/A
General Election 9 August 1847: Armagh (2 seats)
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Sir William Verner, Bt Unopposed N/A N/A
Liberal James Molyneux Caulfeild Unopposed N/A N/A
General Election 16 July 1852: Armagh (2 seats)
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Sir William Verner, Bt Unopposed N/A N/A
Liberal James Molyneux Caulfeild Unopposed N/A N/A
General Election 16 April 1857: Armagh (2 seats)
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Maxwell Charles Close 940 50.16 N/A
Conservative Sir William Verner, Bt 928 48.52 N/A
Liberal James Molyneux Caulfeild 6 0.32 N/A
Turnout 5,596 33.49 N/A
General Election 7 May 1859: Armagh (2 seats)
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Sir William Verner, Bt Unopposed N/A N/A
Conservative Maxwell Charles Close Unopposed N/A N/A
  • Resignation of Close
By-Election 23 March 1864: Armagh
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative James Matthew Stronge Unopposed N/A N/A
Conservative hold Swing N/A
General Election 19 July 1865: Armagh (2 seats)
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Sir William Verner, Bt Unopposed N/A N/A
Conservative Sir James Matthew Stronge, Bt Unopposed N/A N/A
General Election 21 November 1868: Armagh (2 seats)
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative William Verner Unopposed N/A N/A
Conservative Sir James Matthew Stronge, Bt Unopposed N/A N/A
  • Death of Verner
By-Election 15 February 1873: Armagh
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Edward Wingfield Verner Unopposed N/A N/A
Conservative hold Swing N/A
General Election 7 February 1874: Armagh (2 seats)
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Edward Wingfield Verner 3,527 40.69 N/A
Conservative Maxwell Charles Close 3,469 40.02 N/A
Liberal Frederick William McBlaine 1,673 19.30 N/A
Turnout 7,044 61.53 N/A
General Election 9 April 1880: Armagh (2 seats)
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal James Nicholson Richardson 2,738 28.98 +9.68
Conservative Maxwell Charles Close 2,654 28.09 -11.93
Conservative St John T. Blacker 2,275 24.08 +24.08
Conservative Sir William Edward Hercules Verner, Bt 1,781 18.85 +18.85
Turnout 6,937 68.10 +6.57
  • Constituency divided in the 1885 redistribution and recreated in the 1922 redistribution.

[edit] House of Commons (Northern Ireland)

  • Electorate 53,977; Valid votes 46,532; Turnout 86.21%; Quota 9,307
24 May 1921 General Election: Armagh (4 seats)
Candidate Party 1st Pref % Seat Count
Richard Best Ulster Unionist 15,988 34.36 1 1
Michael Collins Sinn Féin 12,656 27.20 2 1
D.G. Shillington Ulster Unionist 9,730 20.91 3 1
John Dillon Nugent Irish Nationalist 6,857 14.74 4 2
Frank Aiken Sinn Féin 1,301 2.80
  • Second count (distribution of Best's surplus)
  • R. Best (U) (-6,681) 9,307 (elected)
  • M. Collins (SF) (..) 12,656 (elected)
  • D.G. Shillington (U) (..) 9,730 (elected)
  • J.D. Nugent (N) (+103) 6,960 (elected)
  • F. Aiken (SF) (+28) 1,329 (runner up)
  • non-transferable (+6,550) 6,550
  • Seat vacant at dissolution (death of Collins)
  • Electorate 54,082; Valid votes 42,595; Turnout 78.76%; Quota 8,520
3 April 1925 General Election: Armagh (4 seats)
Candidate Party 1st Pref % Seat Count
Richard Best Ulster Unionist 15,969 37.50 1 1
D.G. Shillington Ulster Unionist 10,575 24.83 2 1
Eamon Donnelly Irish Republican 5,778 13.57 3 3
John Henry Collins Irish Nationalist 5,272 12.38 4 3
John Dillon Nugent Irish Nationalist 4,991 11.72
By-Election 25 November 1925: Armagh
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Ulster Unionist John Clarke Davison 22,390 79.20 N/A
Unbought Tenants Association W.R. Todd 5,880 20.80 N/A
Majority 16,510 58.40 N/A
Turnout 54,082 52.27 N/A
Ulster Unionist hold Swing N/A
  • Constituency divided in the 1929 redistribution

[edit] References

  • The Parliaments of England by Henry Stooks Smith (1st edition published in three volumes 1844-50), second edition edited (in one volume) by F.W.S. Craig (Political Reference Publications 1973)
  • Parliamentary Election Results in Ireland, 1801-1922, edited by B.M. Walker (Royal Irish Academy 1978)
  • Who's Who of British Members of Parliament: Volume I 1832-1885, edited by M. Stenton (The Harvester Press 1976)
  • Northern Ireland Parliamentary Election Results 1921-1972, compiled and edited by Sydney Elliott (Political Reference Publications 1973)

[edit] External links

[edit] See also

This page incorporates information from Leigh Rayment's Peerage Page.

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