Tyrone (UK Parliament constituency)
Encyclopedia
Tyrone is a former UK Parliament constituency in Ireland, returning two Members of Parliament.
, except the Parliamentary borough
of Dungannon
.
It returned two MPs 1801-1885. It was an original constituency represented in Parliament when the Union of Great Britain
and Ireland
was created on 1 January 1801.
In the redistribution, which took effect in 1885, County Tyrone was divided into four single-member constituencies; East Tyrone, Mid Tyrone
, North Tyrone
and South Tyrone
.
during most of this period.
Catholics were excluded from qualifying as voters until 1793 and taking seats in Parliament until 1829 and there was a restrictive property based franchise. It was not until the electoral reforms which took effect in 1885 that most adult males became voters. See Catholic emancipation
for further details.
In these circumstances most Members of Parliament came from a limited number of Protestant aristocratic and gentry families. There were few contested elections.
It was only in 1880, at the end of the period when this constituency existed, that the Liberals
first won a seat from the area.
Notes:
system.
There was no election in 1801. The representatives of the county in the former Parliament of Ireland
became members of the 1st Parliament of the United Kingdom
.
After 1832, when registration of voters was introduced, a turnout figure is given for contested elections. In two-member elections this is calculated by dividing the number of votes by two. To the extent that voters did not use both their votes this will be an underestimate of turnout. If the electorate figure is unknown the last known electorate figure is used to provide an estimate of turnout.
Where a party had more than one candidate in one or both of a pair of successive elections change is calculated for each individual candidate, otherwise change is based on the party vote.
Boundaries and Boundary Changes
This constituency comprised the whole of County TyroneCounty Tyrone
Historically Tyrone stretched as far north as Lough Foyle, and comprised part of modern day County Londonderry east of the River Foyle. The majority of County Londonderry was carved out of Tyrone between 1610-1620 when that land went to the Guilds of London to set up profit making schemes based on...
, except the Parliamentary borough
Parliamentary borough
Parliamentary boroughs are a type of administrative division, usually covering urban areas, that are entitled to representation in a Parliament...
of Dungannon
Dungannon
Dungannon is a medium-sized town in County Tyrone, Northern Ireland. It is the third-largest town in the county and a population of 11,139 people was recorded in the 2001 Census. In August 2006, Dungannon won Ulster In Bloom's Best Kept Town Award for the fifth time...
.
It returned two MPs 1801-1885. It was an original constituency represented in Parliament when the Union of Great Britain
Great Britain
Great Britain or Britain is an island situated to the northwest of Continental Europe. It is the ninth largest island in the world, and the largest European island, as well as the largest of the British Isles...
and Ireland
Ireland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
was created on 1 January 1801.
In the redistribution, which took effect in 1885, County Tyrone was divided into four single-member constituencies; East Tyrone, Mid Tyrone
Mid Tyrone (UK Parliament constituency)
Mid Tyrone was a UK parliamentary constituency in Ireland. It returned one Member of Parliament to the British House of Commons 1885–1918.Before the 1885 general election the area was part of the Tyrone constituency...
, North Tyrone
North Tyrone (UK Parliament constituency)
North Tyrone was a UK parliamentary constituency in Ireland. It returned one Member of Parliament to the British House of Commons 1885–1918.Prior to the United Kingdom general election, 1885 the area was part of the Tyrone constituency...
and South Tyrone
South Tyrone (UK Parliament constituency)
South Tyrone was a UK Parliament constituency in Ireland.-Boundaries and Boundary Changes:This county constituency comprised the southern part of County Tyrone.It returned one Member of Parliament 1885–1922....
.
Politics
The constituency electorate was predominantly Tory/ConservativeConservative Party (UK)
The Conservative Party, formally the Conservative and Unionist Party, is a centre-right political party in the United Kingdom that adheres to the philosophies of conservatism and British unionism. It is the largest political party in the UK, and is currently the largest single party in the House...
during most of this period.
Catholics were excluded from qualifying as voters until 1793 and taking seats in Parliament until 1829 and there was a restrictive property based franchise. It was not until the electoral reforms which took effect in 1885 that most adult males became voters. See Catholic emancipation
Catholic Emancipation
Catholic emancipation or Catholic relief was a process in Great Britain and Ireland in the late 18th century and early 19th century which involved reducing and removing many of the restrictions on Roman Catholics which had been introduced by the Act of Uniformity, the Test Acts and the penal laws...
for further details.
In these circumstances most Members of Parliament came from a limited number of Protestant aristocratic and gentry families. There were few contested elections.
It was only in 1880, at the end of the period when this constituency existed, that the Liberals
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...
first won a seat from the area.
Members of Parliament
| Election | First MP | Second MP | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Name | Born | Died | Name | Born | Died | |||
| 1801 co-option 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... |
Viscount Corry Somerset Lowry-Corry, 2nd Earl Belmore Somerset Lowry-Corry, 2nd Earl Belmore , styled The Honourable from 1781 to 1797 and then known as Viscount Corry to 1802, was an Irish nobleman and politician.-Politics and inheritance:... (Tory Tory Toryism is a traditionalist and conservative political philosophy which grew out of the Cavalier faction in the Wars of the Three Kingdoms. It is a prominent ideology in the politics of the United Kingdom, but also features in parts of The Commonwealth, particularly in Canada... ) |
11 July 1774 | 18 April 1841 | James Stewart (affiliation uncertain) |
1742 | 18 January 1821 | ||
| 1802 by-election | Rt Hon John Stewart Sir John Stewart, 1st Baronet, of Athenree Sir John Stewart, 1st Baronet was an Irish lawyer and politician.In 1794, he was elected to the Irish House of Commons for Augher. At the 1797 elections, he was elected for four constituencies: Askeaton, Bangor, Portarlington and Strabane... (Tory Tory Toryism is a traditionalist and conservative political philosophy which grew out of the Cavalier faction in the Wars of the Three Kingdoms. It is a prominent ideology in the politics of the United Kingdom, but also features in parts of The Commonwealth, particularly in Canada... ) |
ca 1758 | 22 June 1825 | |||||
| 1806 United Kingdom general election, 1806 The United Kingdom general election, 1806 was the election of members to the 3rd Parliament of the United Kingdom. This was the second general election to be held after the Union of Great Britain and Ireland.... |
Hon Thomas Knox Thomas Knox, 1st Earl of Ranfurly Thomas Knox, 1st Earl of Ranfurly , styled The Honourable between 1781 and 1818 and known as The Viscount Northland between 1818 and 1831, was an Irish peer and politician.-Background:... (Ind Independent (politician) In politics, an independent or non-party politician is an individual not affiliated to any political party. Independents may hold a centrist viewpoint between those of major political parties, a viewpoint more extreme than any major party, or they may have a viewpoint based on issues that they do... ) |
5 August 1754 | 26 April 1840 | |||||
| 1812 United Kingdom general election, 1812 The election to the 5th Parliament of the United Kingdom in 1812 was the fourth general election to be held after the Union of Great Britain and Ireland.... |
Rt Hon John Stewart Sir John Stewart, 1st Baronet, of Athenree Sir John Stewart, 1st Baronet was an Irish lawyer and politician.In 1794, he was elected to the Irish House of Commons for Augher. At the 1797 elections, he was elected for four constituencies: Askeaton, Bangor, Portarlington and Strabane... , Bt Baronet A baronet or the rare female equivalent, a baronetess , is the holder of a hereditary baronetcy awarded by the British Crown... (Tory Tory Toryism is a traditionalist and conservative political philosophy which grew out of the Cavalier faction in the Wars of the Three Kingdoms. It is a prominent ideology in the politics of the United Kingdom, but also features in parts of The Commonwealth, particularly in Canada... ) |
ca 1758 | 22 June 1825 | Hon Thomas Knox Thomas Knox, 2nd Earl of Ranfurly Thomas Knox, 2nd Earl of Ranfurly , styled Viscount Northland between 1831 and 1840, was an Anglo-Irish peer and politician.-Background:... (Tory Tory Toryism is a traditionalist and conservative political philosophy which grew out of the Cavalier faction in the Wars of the Three Kingdoms. It is a prominent ideology in the politics of the United Kingdom, but also features in parts of The Commonwealth, particularly in Canada... ) |
19 April 1786 | 21 March 1858 | ||
| 1818 United Kingdom general election, 1818 The 1818 general election of the United Kingdom saw the Whigs gain a few seats, but the Tories under the Earl of Liverpool retained a majority of around 90 seats... |
William Stewart (Whig) | 1780 | ca October 1850 | |||||
| 1825 by-election | Rt Hon Henry Thomas Lowry Corry (Tory Tory Toryism is a traditionalist and conservative political philosophy which grew out of the Cavalier faction in the Wars of the Three Kingdoms. It is a prominent ideology in the politics of the United Kingdom, but also features in parts of The Commonwealth, particularly in Canada... , Con Conservative Party (UK) The Conservative Party, formally the Conservative and Unionist Party, is a centre-right political party in the United Kingdom that adheres to the philosophies of conservatism and British unionism. It is the largest political party in the UK, and is currently the largest single party in the House... , Peelite Peelite The Peelites were a breakaway faction of the British Conservative Party, and existed from 1846 to 1859. They were called "Peelites" because they were initially led by Sir Robert Peel, who was the British Prime Minister and Conservative Party leader in 1846.... ) |
9 March 1803 | 6 March 1873 | |||||
| 1830 United Kingdom general election, 1830 The 1830 United Kingdom general election, was triggered by the death of King George IV and produced the first parliament of the reign of his successor, William IV. Fought in the aftermath of the Swing Riots, it saw electoral reform become a major election issue... |
Sir Hugh Stewart Sir Hugh Stewart, 2nd Baronet Sir Hugh Stewart, 2nd Baronet was a Tory politician in Ireland.He was High Sheriff of Tyrone for 1827 and was Member of Parliament for Tyrone from 1830 to 1835.... , Bt (Tory Tory Toryism is a traditionalist and conservative political philosophy which grew out of the Cavalier faction in the Wars of the Three Kingdoms. It is a prominent ideology in the politics of the United Kingdom, but also features in parts of The Commonwealth, particularly in Canada... ) |
14 May 1792 | 19 November 1854 | |||||
| 1835 United Kingdom general election, 1835 The 1835 United Kingdom general election was called when Parliament was dissolved on 29 December 1834. Polling took place between 6 January and 6 February 1835, and the results saw Robert Peel's Conservatives make large gains from their low of the 1832 election, but the Whigs maintained a large... |
Lord Claud Hamilton (Con Conservative Party (UK) The Conservative Party, formally the Conservative and Unionist Party, is a centre-right political party in the United Kingdom that adheres to the philosophies of conservatism and British unionism. It is the largest political party in the UK, and is currently the largest single party in the House... ) |
27 July 1813 | 3 June 1884 | |||||
| 1837 United Kingdom general election, 1837 The 1837 United Kingdom general election saw Robert Peel's Conservatives close further on the position of the Whigs, who won their fourth election of the decade.... |
Viscount Alexander James Alexander, 3rd Earl of Caledon James Du Pre Alexander, 3rd Earl of Caledon styled Viscount Alexander from birth until 1839, was a soldier and politician.... (Con Conservative Party (UK) The Conservative Party, formally the Conservative and Unionist Party, is a centre-right political party in the United Kingdom that adheres to the philosophies of conservatism and British unionism. It is the largest political party in the UK, and is currently the largest single party in the House... ) |
27 July 1812 | 30 June 1855 | |||||
| 1839 by-election | Rt Hon Lord Claud Hamilton (Con Conservative Party (UK) The Conservative Party, formally the Conservative and Unionist Party, is a centre-right political party in the United Kingdom that adheres to the philosophies of conservatism and British unionism. It is the largest political party in the UK, and is currently the largest single party in the House... , Peelite Peelite The Peelites were a breakaway faction of the British Conservative Party, and existed from 1846 to 1859. They were called "Peelites" because they were initially led by Sir Robert Peel, who was the British Prime Minister and Conservative Party leader in 1846.... ) |
27 July 1813 | 3 June 1884 | |||||
| 1847 United Kingdom general election, 1847 -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 *... |
||||||||
| 1852 by-election | ||||||||
| 1873 by-election | Hon Henry William Lowry Corry (Con Conservative Party (UK) The Conservative Party, formally the Conservative and Unionist Party, is a centre-right political party in the United Kingdom that adheres to the philosophies of conservatism and British unionism. It is the largest political party in the UK, and is currently the largest single party in the House... ) |
30 June 1845 | 6 May 1927 | |||||
| 1874 United Kingdom general election, 1874 -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 *... |
John Ellison-Macartney John Ellison-Macartney John William Ellison-Macartney , born John William Ellison, was an Irish barrister and Conservative politician. From 1874 to 1885 he was Member of Parliament for Tyrone , taking his seat in the House of Commons of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland.Ellison-Macartney was called to the... (Con Conservative Party (UK) The Conservative Party, formally the Conservative and Unionist Party, is a centre-right political party in the United Kingdom that adheres to the philosophies of conservatism and British unionism. It is the largest political party in the UK, and is currently the largest single party in the House... ) |
1818 | 13 February 1904 | |||||
| 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 *... |
Edward Falconer Litton Edward Falconer Litton Edward Falconer Litton was an Irish barrister and Liberal Party politician. He was briefly Member of Parliament for Tyrone.... (Lib 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... ) |
1827 | 27 November 1890 | |||||
| 1881 by-election | 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.... (Lib 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... ) |
1833 | 17 June 1909 | |||||
| 1885 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:... |
Constituency partitioned into East, Mid Mid Tyrone (UK Parliament constituency) Mid Tyrone was a UK parliamentary constituency in Ireland. It returned one Member of Parliament to the British House of Commons 1885–1918.Before the 1885 general election the area was part of the Tyrone constituency... , North North Tyrone (UK Parliament constituency) North Tyrone was a UK parliamentary constituency in Ireland. It returned one Member of Parliament to the British House of Commons 1885–1918.Prior to the United Kingdom general election, 1885 the area was part of the Tyrone constituency... and South South Tyrone (UK Parliament constituency) South Tyrone was a UK Parliament constituency in Ireland.-Boundaries and Boundary Changes:This county constituency comprised the southern part of County Tyrone.It returned one Member of Parliament 1885–1922.... parts by the Redistribution of Seats Act 1885 Redistribution of Seats Act 1885 The Redistribution of Seats Act 1885 was an Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. It was a piece of electoral reform legislation that redistributed the seats in the House of Commons, introducing the concept of equally populated constituencies, in an attempt to equalise representation across... . |
|||||||
Notes:
- Stooks Smith does not specify any party allegiances for this constituency before 1818. This does not necessarily mean that the MPs were not associated with a Party in Parliament.
- From 1832 Lowry-Corry and Stewart are classified as Conservatives.
- In 1847 Lowry-Corry and Hamilton contested the general election as PeelitePeeliteThe Peelites were a breakaway faction of the British Conservative Party, and existed from 1846 to 1859. They were called "Peelites" because they were initially led by Sir Robert Peel, who was the British Prime Minister and Conservative Party leader in 1846....
Liberal Conservatives, but were again Conservatives by 1852.
Elections
The single-member elections in this constituency took place using the first past the post electoral system. Multi-member elections used the Plurality-at-large votingPlurality-at-large voting
Plurality-at-large voting is a non-proportional voting system for electing several representatives from a single multimember electoral district using a series of check boxes and tallying votes similar to a plurality election...
system.
There was no election in 1801. The representatives of the county in the former Parliament of Ireland
Parliament of Ireland
The Parliament of Ireland was a legislature that existed in Dublin from 1297 until 1800. In its early mediaeval period during the Lordship of Ireland it consisted of either two or three chambers: the House of Commons, elected by a very restricted suffrage, the House of Lords in which the lords...
became members of the 1st 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...
.
After 1832, when registration of voters was introduced, a turnout figure is given for contested elections. In two-member elections this is calculated by dividing the number of votes by two. To the extent that voters did not use both their votes this will be an underestimate of turnout. If the electorate figure is unknown the last known electorate figure is used to provide an estimate of turnout.
Where a party had more than one candidate in one or both of a pair of successive elections change is calculated for each individual candidate, otherwise change is based on the party vote.
- Corry succeeded as 2nd Earl BelmoreEarl BelmoreEarl Belmore is a title in the Peerage of Ireland created in 1797 for Armar Lowry-Corry, 1st Viscount Belmore, who had previously represented County Tyrone in the Irish House of Commons. He had already been created Baron Belmore, of Castle Coole in County Fermanagh, in 1781 and Viscount Belmore in...
- Death of Rt Hon. Sir John Stewart, Bt
- Alexander succeeded as 3rd Earl of CaledonEarl of CaledonEarl of Caledon, of Caledon, County Tyrone, is a title in the Peerage of Ireland. It was created in 1800 for James Alexander, 1st Viscount Caledon. He was a merchant who had made an enormous fortune in India. He also represented the constituency of Londonderry City in the Irish House of Commons...
- Appointment of Lowry Corry as Lord Commissioner of the AdmiraltyLord Commissioner of the AdmiraltyThe Lords Commissioners of the Admiralty were the members of the Board of Admiralty, which exercised command over the Royal Navy.Officially known as the Commissioners for Exercising the Office of Lord High Admiral of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland &c. The Lords...
- Appointment of Hamilton as Treasurer of the HouseholdTreasurer of the HouseholdThe position of Treasurer of the Household is theoretically held by a household official of the British monarch, under control of the Lord Steward's Department, but is, in fact, a political office held by one of the government's Deputy Chief Whips in the House of Commons...
- Appointment of Hamilton as Treasurer of the HouseholdTreasurer of the HouseholdThe position of Treasurer of the Household is theoretically held by a household official of the British monarch, under control of the Lord Steward's Department, but is, in fact, a political office held by one of the government's Deputy Chief Whips in the House of Commons...
- Appointment of Lowry Corry as Vice-President of the Committee of the Council for EducationSecretary of State for Education and SkillsThe Secretary of State for Education is the chief minister of the Department for Education in the United Kingdom government. The position was re-established on 12 May 2010, held by Michael Gove....
- Appointment of Hamilton as Vice-Chamberlain of the HouseholdVice-Chamberlain of the HouseholdThe Vice-Chamberlain of the Household is usually a junior government whip in the British House of Commons and is an officer of the Royal Household of the Sovereign of the United Kingdom. He or she is the Deputy to the Lord Chamberlain of the Household. The Vice-Chamberlain's main role is to compile...
- Death of Lowry Corry
- Litton appointed Land Commissioner
Sources
- The Parliaments of England by Henry Stooks Smith (1st edition published in three volumes 1844–50), 2nd edition edited (in one volume) by F.W.S. Craig (Political Reference Publications 1973)
- Parliamentary Election Results in Ireland, 1801–1922, edited by B.M. Walker (Royal Irish Academy 1978)