Belfast (Parliament of Ireland constituency)
Encyclopedia
Belfast was a constituency represented in the Irish House of Commons
until 1800.
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.
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.
Irish House of Commons
The Irish House of Commons was the lower house of the Parliament of Ireland, that existed from 1297 until 1800. The upper house was the House of Lords...
until 1800.
History
BelfastBelfast
Belfast is the capital of and largest city in Northern Ireland. By population, it is the 14th biggest city in the United Kingdom and second biggest on the island of Ireland . It is the seat of the devolved government and legislative Northern Ireland Assembly...
in County Antrim
County Antrim
County Antrim is one of six counties that form Northern Ireland, situated in the north-east of the island of Ireland. Adjoined to the north-east shore of Lough Neagh, the county covers an area of 2,844 km², with a population of approximately 616,000...
was enfranchised as a borough constituency in 1613. It continued to be entitled to send two Members of Parliament
Member of Parliament
A Member of Parliament is a representative of the voters to a :parliament. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, the term applies specifically to members of the lower house, as upper houses often have a different title, such as senate, and thus also have different titles for its members,...
to the Irish House of Commons
Irish House of Commons
The Irish House of Commons was the lower house of the Parliament of Ireland, that existed from 1297 until 1800. The upper house was the House of Lords...
until the Parliament of Ireland was merged into the Parliament of the United Kingdom
Parliament of the United Kingdom
The Parliament of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is the supreme legislative body in the United Kingdom, British Crown dependencies and British overseas territories, located in London...
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
Carrickfergus and Belfast (constituency)
Carrickfergus and Belfast was a constituency in Ireland, that returned a single Member of Parliament to sit in the House of Commons of the Commonwealth of England, Scotland and Ireland....
constituency. Belfast was the place of election in this single-member constituency. See First Protectorate Parliament
First Protectorate Parliament
The First Protectorate Parliament was summoned by the Lord Protector Oliver Cromwell under the terms of the Instrument of Government. It sat for one term from 3 September 1654 until 22 January 1655 with William Lenthall as the Speaker of the House....
for further details.
In 1661, following the restoration
English Restoration
The Restoration of the English monarchy began in 1660 when the English, Scottish and Irish monarchies were all restored under Charles II after the Interregnum that followed the Wars of the Three Kingdoms...
of the King, the Parliament of Ireland was re-established as it had existed before the Protectorate
Protectorate
In history, the term protectorate has two different meanings. In its earliest inception, which has been adopted by modern international law, it is an autonomous territory that is protected diplomatically or militarily against third parties by a stronger state or entity...
. In the Patriot Parliament
Patriot Parliament
The Patriot Parliament is the name given to the session of the Irish Parliament called by King James II of Ireland during the War of the Two Kings in 1689. The parliament met in one session, from 7 May 1689 to 20 July 1689, and was the only session of the Irish Parliament under King James II.The...
of 1689 summoned by King James II
James II of England
James II & VII was King of England and King of Ireland as James II and King of Scotland as James VII, from 6 February 1685. He was the last Catholic monarch to reign over the Kingdoms of England, Scotland, and Ireland...
, Belfast was represented with one member.
Under the Act of Union 1800
Act of Union 1800
The Acts of Union 1800 describe two complementary Acts, namely:* the Union with Ireland Act 1800 , an Act of the Parliament of Great Britain, and...
the Parliament of Ireland was merged with the Parliament of Great Britain
Parliament of Great Britain
The Parliament of Great Britain was formed in 1707 following the ratification of the Acts of Union by both the Parliament of England and Parliament of Scotland...
to form the Parliament of the United Kingdom
Parliament of the United Kingdom
The Parliament of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is the supreme legislative body in the United Kingdom, British Crown dependencies and British overseas territories, located in London...
. The 300 members of the Irish House of Commons
Irish House of Commons
The Irish House of Commons was the lower house of the Parliament of Ireland, that existed from 1297 until 1800. The upper house was the House of Lords...
were reduced to 100 Irish members of the United Kingdom House of Commons. As part of that process Belfast lost one of its seats.
1689–1801
| Election | First member | First party | Second member | Second party | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1689 Patriot Parliament Patriot Parliament The Patriot Parliament is the name given to the session of the Irish Parliament called by King James II of Ireland during the War of the Two Kings in 1689. The parliament met in one session, from 7 May 1689 to 20 July 1689, and was the only session of the Irish Parliament under King James II.The... |
Mark Talbot | Belfast had only one seat | ||||
| 1692 | George Macartney | James Macartney | ||||
| 1695 | Charles Chichester | |||||
| 1703 | William Crafford | William Cairnes William Cairnes William Cairnes was an Irish politician and merchant.He was the second son of John Cairnes and his wife Jane Miller, daughter of James Miller. His brothers were Alexander Cairnes and Henry 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 Barry Yelverton, 1st Viscount Avonmore Barry Yelverton, 1st Viscount Avonmore, PC KC was an Irish judge and politician.-Life:He was the eldest son of Francis Yelverton of Blackwater, County Cork. Educated at Trinity College Dublin, he was for some years an assistant master under Andrew Buck in the Hibernian Academy... Also elected for Carrickfergus Carrickfergus (Parliament of Ireland constituency) Carrickfergus was a constituency represented in the Irish House of Commons from 1326 to 1800.-Boundaries and Boundary Changes:This constituency was the borough of Carrickfergus in County Antrim. It returned two members to the Parliament of Ireland to 1800.-History:In the Patriot Parliament of 1689... in 1776, for which he chose to sit |
|||||
| 1777 | Alexander Crookshank | |||||
| 1784 | Joseph Hewitt | |||||
| 1792 | Sir William Godfrey, 1st Bt | |||||
| 1797 | Lord Spencer Stanley Chichester | George Crookshank | ||||
| 1797 | Alexander Hamilton | |||||
| January 1800 | James Edward May | |||||
| February 1800 | John Congreve | |||||
| 1801 United Kingdom general election, 1801 The United Kingdom general election, 1801 was not an election as such, but the co-option of members to serve in the first Parliament to be held after the formation of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland on 1 January 1801... |
Succeeded by the Westminster constituency Belfast | |||||