John William Nixon

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Nixon pictured on an unknown date, possibly at an Orange Order parade.

John William Nixon, MBE (1880 -11 May 1949) was a Unionist politician in Northern Ireland.

Born in Graddum, County Cavan, Nixon became a district inspector in the Royal Irish Constabulary, and transferred to its successor in the new state of Northern Ireland, the Royal Ulster Constabulary (RUC). By 1922, he was responsible for controlling access to the Roman Catholic Ardoyne and "Bone" areas of Belfast, and worked closely with the Specials.

Nationalist writer and activist Michael Farrell has alleged that during this period he led the Cromwell Club, an unofficial organisation of security officials responsible for killing several Catholics.[1] These allegations, however, have not been independently confirmed and during his lifetime Nixon successfully sued the Derry Journal and a book publisher for libel. Nixon was awarded the MBE in 1923 "... for services rendered by him during the troubled period."

In 1924, Nixon, long a member of the Orange Order, made a strongly unionist political speech at an Orange lodge. This contravened regulations, and he was dismissed on the orders of Prime Minister James Craig.[1]

Nixon was elected to the Belfast Corporation as an Independent Unionist, but at the Northern Ireland general election, 1925, he stood unsuccessfully as an Ulster Unionist in Belfast North. In 1929, running once again as an Independent Unionist, he was narrowly elected as the MP for Belfast Woodvale.[2] From September 1932 until the 1933 election, he was the only opposition MP attending the Parliament. Around this time, he joined the Ulster Protestant League, an organisation with a reputation for anti-Catholicism.[1]

Nixon held his seat until his death in 1949, denying the allegations against him until the end of his life. Currently a team of researchers is purportedly trying to clear Nixon's name of the allegations.[3][4]

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 Michael Farrell, Northern Ireland: The Orange State
  2. ↑ Northern Ireland Parliamentary Elections Results: Biographies
  3. ↑ Rushlightmagazine.com
  4. ↑ Jack Holland on the McMahon killings, Irish Echo
Parliament of Northern Ireland
Preceded by
New creation		 Member of Parliament for Belfast Woodvale
1929 - 1949 		Succeeded by
Robert Harcourt
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