John Miller Andrews

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John Miller Andrews

2nd Prime Minister of Northern Ireland
In office 1940 – 1943
Preceded by	James Craig
Succeeded by	Basil Brooke

Born	July 17, 1871 Comber, Northern Ireland
Died	August 5, 1956 (aged 85)
Political party	Ulster Unionist Party

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

Andrews was born in Comber, Northern Ireland, UK in 1871. He was educated at the Royal Belfast Academical Institution 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

Prominent Persons Index card from the Public Record Office of Northern Ireland
History of Party leaders at the Ulster Unionist Party website
The National Archives of the United Kingdom, with reference to the Public Records Office of Northern Ireland and containing a link to the Oxford Dictionary of National Biography (for subscribes only)
Scoular, Clive (2004). John M. Andrews: Northern Ireland's Wartime Prime Minister" by Clive Scoular. Printed by W & G Baird Ltd. An online review can be found at [1].

[edit] Notes

^ Plantation of Ulster - Religious Legacy — from the BBC History website, retrieved 28 November 2006.
^ 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
Preceded by James Craig	Prime Minister of Northern Ireland 1940–1943	Succeeded by Sir Basil Brooke