William Johnston (Irish politician)
| William Johnston | |
|---|---|
| Member of Parliament for Belfast South | |
|
In office 18 December 1885 – 1902 | |
| Preceded by | Constituency created |
| Succeeded by | Thomas Sloan |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
22 February 1829 Downpatrick, Ireland |
| Died | 1902 (aged 72 or 73) |
| Nationality | British |
| Political party | Conservative |
| Spouse(s) |
Harriet Allen (d.) Arminella Frances Drew (d.) Georgiana Barbara Hay |
| Relations | Charles Johnston (son) |
| Alma mater |
Trinity College, Dublin King's Inn |
| Profession | Barrister |
| Religion | Anglican |
William Johnston (22 February 1829 – 1902) was a nineteenth-century Irish politician and member of the Orange Order. He is noted for his opposition to the Party Emblems Act and Party Processions Act, which banned Orange marches .
Life
Johnston was the eldest son of John Brett Johnston of Ballykilbeg, co. Down, and his wife Thomasina Anne Brunette Scott, daughter of Thomas Scott. He was educated at Trinity College, Dublin being awarded B.A. in 1852 and M.A. in 1856.[1] He wrote ultra-Protestant Tracts and fiercely Unionist novels during the decade and published a newspaper called The Downshire Protestant from 1855 to 1862. In 1857 he stood unsuccessfully for parliament at Downpatrick.[1]
In 1867, Johnston organised an Orange Order parade from Bangor to Newtownards in County Down despite the Party Procession Acts. The parade took part on 12 July 1867 and about 30,000 took part. Johnston was sentenced to a short term in prison the next year for his actions.[2] He was also elected as Member of Parliament for Belfast in 1868 and held the seat until 1878. He was called to the Bar at King's Inns Dublin in 1872.[1]
Johnston was Inspector of Fisheries in Ireland from 1878 to 1885. In 1885 he was elected an independent MP for Belfast South until his death.
Johnston married firstly in 1853, Harriet Allen daughter of Robert Allen of Kilkenny. He married secondly in 1861 Arminella Frances Drew, daughter of the Rev. Thomas Drew, D.D. He married thirdly in 1863, Georgiana Barbara Hay, daughter of Sir John Hay, 5th baronet.[1] He was the father of Charles Johnston (1867–1931).
Publications
- Protestant Work to be Done (1853)
- The Nunnery Question 1854
- Narmo and Aimata, a tale of the Jesuits in Tahiti 1855
- Nightshade 1857
- The Boyne Book of Poetry and Song (editor) (1859
- Popish Tyranny, and God-sent deliverance, or the days of William the Third, a lecture (1860)
- Speeches (1869)
- Under Which King? (originally serialised in Downshire Protestant) 1873
References
- 1 2 3 4 Debretts House of Commons and the Judicial Bench 1886
- ↑ "Parades and Marches - Chronology 2: Historical Dates and Events". Conflict Archive on the Internet (CAIN). Retrieved 28 January 2010.
External links
- Hansard 1803–2005: contributions in Parliament by William Johnston
| Parliament of the United Kingdom | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by Charles Lanyon and Samuel Gibson Getty |
Member of Parliament for Belfast 1868 – 1878 With: Thomas McClure 1868-1874 James Porter Corry 1874-1878 |
Succeeded by James Porter Corry and Charles Lanyon |
| New constituency from part of Belfast |
Member of Parliament for Belfast South 1885 – 1902 |
Succeeded by Thomas Henry Sloan |
| Non-profit organization positions | ||
| Preceded by Thomas Johnston |
Sovereign Grand Master of the Royal Black Preceptory 1857–1902 |
Succeeded by Hunt Walsh Chambre |
|