Belfast (Parliament of Ireland constituency)
Coordinates: 54°35′49″N 5°55′48″W / 54.597°N 5.930°W
| Belfast | |
|---|---|
|
Former Borough constituency for the Irish House of Commons | |
| Former constituency | |
| Created | 1613 |
| Abolished | 1800 |
| Replaced by | Belfast |
Belfast was a constituency represented in the Irish House of Commons until 1800.
History
Belfast in County Antrim was enfranchised as a borough constituency in 1613. It continued to be entitled to send two Members of Parliament to the Irish House of Commons until the Parliament of Ireland was merged into the Parliament of the United Kingdom on 1 January 1801.
During the Commonwealth of England, Scotland and Ireland Belfast was represented from 1654 in the Westminster Parliament as part of the Carrickfergus and Belfast constituency. Belfast was the place of election in this single-member constituency. See First Protectorate Parliament for further details.
In 1661, following the restoration of the King, the Parliament of Ireland was re-established as it had existed before the Protectorate. In the Patriot Parliament of 1689 summoned by King James II, Belfast was represented with one member.[1]
Under the Act of Union 1800 the Parliament of Ireland was merged with the Parliament of Great Britain to form the Parliament of the United Kingdom. The 300 members of the Irish House of Commons were reduced to 100 Irish members of the United Kingdom House of Commons. As part of that process Belfast lost one of its seats.
Members of Parliament, 1613–1801
- 1613-1615 Sir John Blennerhassett
- 1654–1660 Commonwealth - See Carrickfergus and Belfast (constituency)
- 1660 Sir Jerome Alexander [2]
1689–1801
| Election | First member | First party | Second member | Second party | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1689 Patriot Parliament | Mark Talbot | Belfast had only one seat | ||||
| 1692 | George Macartney | James Macartney | ||||
| 1695 | Charles Chichester | |||||
| 1703 | William Crafford | William Cairnes | ||||
| 1707 | Samuel Ogle | |||||
| 1713 | Robert Moore | Anthony Atkinson | ||||
| 1715 | George Macartney | John Ichingham Chichester | ||||
| 1721 | George Macartney | |||||
| 1725 | John Chichester | |||||
| 1727 | David John Barry | |||||
| 1745 | John Chichester | |||||
| 1747 | William Macartney | |||||
| 1757 | Arthur Barry | |||||
| 1761 | John Chichester | John Ludford | ||||
| 1768 | Hon. Henry Skeffington | George Hamilton | ||||
| 1776 | Barry Yelverton [note 1] | Patriot | ||||
| 1777 | Alexander Crookshank | |||||
| 1784 | Joseph Hewitt | |||||
| 1792 | Sir William Godfrey, 1st Bt | |||||
| 1797 | Lord Spencer Stanley Chichester | George Crookshank | ||||
| 1798 | Alexander Hamilton | |||||
| January 1800 | James Edward May | |||||
| February 1800 | John Congreve | |||||
| 1801 | Succeeded by the Westminster constituency Belfast | |||||
Notes
- ↑ Also elected for Carrickfergus in 1776, for which he chose to sit
References
Bibliography
- O'Hart, John (2007). The Irish and Anglo-Irish Landed Gentry: When Cromwell came to Ireland. vol. II. Heritage Books. ISBN 0-7884-1927-7.
- Leigh Rayment's historical List of Members of the Irish House of Commons( ) cites: Johnston-Liik, Edith Mary (2002). The History of the Irish Parliament 1692-1800 (6 volumes). Ulster Historical Foundation.