James Dickson (MP)
Encyclopedia
James Dickson was an Irish Liberal Party
politician in the era of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland
. He was Member of Parliament
(MP) for the borough of Dungannon
from 1880 to 1885. He was born in Dungannon on 19 April 1859 and educated at the Royal School there.
Dickson was elected to the House of Commons at a by-election
on 25 June 1880. At the general election earlier in 1880
Dungannon had been held with a majority of 2 by the sitting Liberal MP, James Dickson's father Thomas Alexander Dickson
, but the result had been declared void on petition because of bribery by the candidate's agent. A fresh election was called. James Dickson won the by-election with 132 votes to the 128 of his opponent, Colonel Stuart Knox, a Conservative, who had also contested the general election. James Dickson thus doubled his father's majority. He became and remains the youngest person elected to the House of Commons since the Great Reform Act of 1832, being aged 21 years 67 days. He held the seat until the Dungannon constituency was abolished at the 1885 general election
.
Thereafter he pursued a career in the family textile business, retiring after the Great War. He was for many years Chairman of the Board of Governors of the Royal School, Chairman of the Technical School Committee, and Chairman of the Tuberculosis Sanatorium Committee. In 1918 he was appointed a Deputy Lieutenant for Co Tyrone.
He married in 1884 Annabella Graham Tillie, youngest daughter of William Tillie of Londonderry. They had four children of whom one, William Tillie Dickson, was killed in the Great War.
James Dickson died at Weeke, Winchester, on 8 August 1941.
Liberal Party (UK)
The Liberal Party was one of the two major political parties of the United Kingdom during the 19th and early 20th centuries. It was a third party of negligible importance throughout the latter half of the 20th Century, before merging with the Social Democratic Party in 1988 to form the present day...
politician in the era of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland
United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland was the formal name of the United Kingdom during the period when what is now the Republic of Ireland formed a part of it....
. He was Member 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,...
(MP) for the borough of Dungannon
Dungannon (UK Parliament constituency)
Dungannon was a United Kingdom Parliament constituency, in Ireland, returning one MP. It was an original constituency represented in Parliament when the Union of Great Britain and Ireland took effect on 1 January 1801.-Boundaries:...
from 1880 to 1885. He was born in Dungannon on 19 April 1859 and educated at the Royal School there.
Dickson was elected to the House of Commons at a by-election
By-election
A by-election is an election held to fill a political office that has become vacant between regularly scheduled elections....
on 25 June 1880. At the general election earlier in 1880
United Kingdom general election, 1880
-Seats summary:-References:*F. W. S. Craig, British Electoral Facts: 1832-1987* British Electoral Facts 1832-1999, compiled and edited by Colin Rallings and Michael Thrasher *...
Dungannon had been held with a majority of 2 by the sitting Liberal MP, James Dickson's father Thomas Alexander Dickson
Thomas Alexander Dickson
Thomas Alexander Dickson PC was an Irish Liberal Party politician. He represented a series of Irish constituencies as a Member of Parliament in the House of Commons of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland....
, but the result had been declared void on petition because of bribery by the candidate's agent. A fresh election was called. James Dickson won the by-election with 132 votes to the 128 of his opponent, Colonel Stuart Knox, a Conservative, who had also contested the general election. James Dickson thus doubled his father's majority. He became and remains the youngest person elected to the House of Commons since the Great Reform Act of 1832, being aged 21 years 67 days. He held the seat until the Dungannon constituency was abolished at the 1885 general election
United Kingdom general election, 1885
-Seats summary:-See also:*List of MPs elected in the United Kingdom general election, 1885*Parliamentary Franchise in the United Kingdom 1885–1918*Representation of the People Act 1884*Redistribution of Seats Act 1885-References:...
.
Thereafter he pursued a career in the family textile business, retiring after the Great War. He was for many years Chairman of the Board of Governors of the Royal School, Chairman of the Technical School Committee, and Chairman of the Tuberculosis Sanatorium Committee. In 1918 he was appointed a Deputy Lieutenant for Co Tyrone.
He married in 1884 Annabella Graham Tillie, youngest daughter of William Tillie of Londonderry. They had four children of whom one, William Tillie Dickson, was killed in the Great War.
James Dickson died at Weeke, Winchester, on 8 August 1941.