Samuel Hall-Thompson
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Lt-Col. Samuel Hall-Thompson (1885 - 26 October 1954) was a Northern Irish Unionist politician.
Hall-Thompson was born in Crawfordsburn and studied at Dulwich College. He went in to business and, in 1929, served as High Sheriff of Belfast.[1]
At the Northern Ireland general election, 1929, Hall-Thompson was elected as the Ulster Unionist Party Member of Parliament for Belfast Clifton. In 1939, he was appointed Chief Ordnance Officer for Northern Ireland, and from 1944 until 1950 he served as Minister of Education. This position carried with it membership of the Privy Council of Northern Ireland.[1] Hall-Thompson suffered criticism from some Unionists for appearing to compromise with the Roman Catholic Church while in this position.[2] Unusually for a Minister, he was not a member of the Orange Order.[3]
In 1950, Hall-Thompson was appointed Chairman of Ways and Means and Deputy Speaker of the Northern Ireland House of Commons.[1] At the 1953 general election, he was defeated by Norman Porter, an independent Unionist who had been a critic of Hall-Thompson.[2]
Hall-Thompson's son, Lloyd Hall-Thompson, later became an MP in Northern Ireland.[1]
[edit] References
- ^ a b c d Biographies of Members of the Northern Ireland House of Commons
- ^ a b Northern Ireland Parliamentary Election Results: Boroughs: Belfast
- ^ Graham Walker, A History of the Ulster Unionist Party: Protest, Pragmatism and Pessimism
| Parliament of Northern Ireland | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by New position |
Member of Parliament for Belfast Clifton 1929–1953 |
Succeeded by Norman Porter |
| Political offices | ||
| Preceded by Robert Corkey |
Minister of Education 1944–1950 |
Succeeded by Harry Midgley |
| Preceded by Robert Nichol Wilson |
Chairman of Ways and Means and Deputy Speaker of the Northern Ireland House of Commons 1950–1953 |
Succeeded by Terence O'Neill |
