John Miller Andrews

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John Miller AndrewsSecond Prime Minister of Northern Ireland. HMSO image
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John Miller Andrews
Second Prime Minister of Northern Ireland. HMSO image

John Miller Andrews (July 17, 1871August 5, 1956) was the second Prime Minister of Northern Ireland.

Andrews was born in Ulster, Ireland, UK in 1871. He was educated at RBAI and became a flax-spinner and was also a wealthy landowner. His brother, Thomas Andrews, was managing director of the Harland and Wolff shipyard in Belfast and died in the sinking of the Titanic in 1912. Andrews served as a MP in the Northern Ireland Parliament from 1921 until 1953. He held a number of positions before becoming Prime Minister in 1940, including Minister for Labour and Minister for Finance. Andrews was also a member of the Orange Order.

In 1943 backbench dissent forced him from office, however he remained the recognised leader of the Party for a further three years. Five years later he became the Grand Master of the Orange Order. From 1929, he was the last parliamentary survivor of the original 1921 Northern Ireland Parliament, and as such was recognised as the Father of the House.

John Millar Andrews was a committed and active member of the Non-Subscribing Presbyterian Church of Ireland.[1] He regularly attended Sunday worship in the church built on land donated by his Great-grandfather (James Andrews) in his home town Comber. John Miller Andrews served on the Comber Congregational Committee from 1896 until his death in 1956 (holding the position of Chairman from 1935 onwards). He is buried in the small graveyard adjoining the Church.

His name is sometimes incorrectly[2] spelled Millar Andrews, he was named after his maternal great-uncle, John Miller of Comber (1795 - 1883).

[edit] References

[edit] Notes

  1. ^ Plantation of Ulster - Religious Legacy — from the BBC History website, retrieved 28 November 2006.
  2. ^ See authoritative references above.
Parliament of Northern Ireland
Preceded by
Newly Created Title
Father of the House
1929–1953
Succeeded by
Cahir Healy
Political offices
Preceded by
Newly Created Office
Minister of Labour
1921–1937
Succeeded by
David Graham Shillington
Preceded by
Hugh MacDowell Pollock
Minister of Finance
1937–1941
Succeeded by
John Milne Barbour
Preceded by
James Craig
Leader of the Unionist Party
1940–1946
Succeeded by
Sir Basil Brooke
Prime Minister of Northern Ireland
1940–1943
 
Prime Ministers of Northern Ireland, 1922-1972
Flag of Northern Ireland

James Craig | John Miller Andrews | Basil Brooke | Terence O'Neill | James Chichester-Clark | Brian Faulkner