Belfast

Representation

Prior to 1801, the parliamentary borough of was a two-seat constituency in the Irish House of Commons. Under the Acts of Union 1800, the Kingdom of Ireland was joined with the Kingdom of Great Britain to form the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland. Belfast was represented from 1801 in the United Kingdom House of Commons by one MP. Its MP in 1801 to the First Parliament of the United Kingdom was chosen by lot.

Under the Representation of the People (Ireland) Act 1832, its representation was increased to two seats. Under the Redistribution of Seats Act 1885, the representation of the parliamentary borough was increased to four seats, and it was divided into four separate divisions.

Boundaries and boundary changes

This constituency was the parliamentary borough of Belfast in County Antrim. A report into the boundaries was undertaken in December 1831. The report found that limits of the borough were not defined, but as the limits were not connected with the elective franchise, it drew a line as closely as possible around the town. In 1832 and 1868 the boundaries of that borough were extended.

1832 boundaries

The boundaries were defined by the Parliamentary Boundaries (Ireland) Act 1832 as:

1868 boundaries

The Representation of the People (Ireland) Act 1868, provided that all that part of the borough situate beyond the limits of the parliamentary borough as defined in 1832, but within the municipal limits, should form part of the borough for all purposes connected with the election of a member or members to serve in parliament for the borough. The Belfast Borough Extension Act 1853 had defined the boundaries of the borough as follows: The boundary is shown as 'Municipal Boundary' on the second edition of the Ordnance Survey maps of Ireland.

1885 division

Under the Redistribution of Seats Act 1885, the parliamentary borough of Belfast was further expanded and defined as:

It was divided into four single-member divisions: Belfast East, Belfast North, Belfast South and Belfast West.

Electoral system and electorate

The parliamentary representatives of the borough were elected using the bloc vote for two-member elections and first past the post for single-member ones.

Until 1832 the electorate were the members of Belfast Corporation. This had long been resented by reformers as it made the constituency a pocket borough of the Marquess of Donegall.

In 1784 a petition was sent to the Parliament of Ireland.

"Your petitioners in the most humble and respectful manner, take leave to represent to your Hon House,

That Belfast is a large and populous town, containing above 15,000 inhabitants, carrying on a very extensive foreign commerce, as well as inland trade, and paying annually upwards of £80,000 towards the public revenue.

That this numerous body of people not being represented in your Hon House, are, contrary to the fundamental principle of the constitution, governed by laws to which they give no assent; for although the borough of Belfast sends two Members to parliament, yet those members are returned (under the immediate direction of a noble peer) by five or six Burgesses, in the appointment of whom your Petitioners have no share, and therefore the members so returned cannot in any sense, be deemed the Representatives of your Petitioners."

In 1832 the electorate was considerably extended by the Representation of the People (Ireland) Act 1832. Boroughs in Ireland were given a uniform franchise for the first time. The vote was given to occupiers of land valued at least £10 and resident freemen by birth or servitude (descent from or apprenticeship to an existing freeman of the borough) or who were admitted before March 1831.

Members of Parliament

Notes

(1) Lord Arthur Chichester and James Emerson Tennent changed party allegiance in 1834 (from Liberal to Conservative).

(2) Lord John Ludford Chichester changed party allegiance by 1847 (part of Peelite faction).

Elections

After 1832, when registration of voters was introduced, a turnout figure is given for contested elections. In two-member elections (when the exact number of voters is unknown) 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.

Elections in the 1810s

Death of May

Appointment of May as Collector of Customs in Belfast Port

Elections in the 1830s

J. Emerson Tennent ceased to support Lord Grey in 1834 (see Emerson Tennent's article in The Oxford Dictionary of National Biography).

Note: Stooks Smith suggests there were 1,451 registered electors. Walker gives the electorate figure as above.

Death of McCance

Note: Stooks Smith suggests there were 1,508 registered electors. Walker gives the electorate figure as above. Stooks Smith also indicates that 'Mr Tennent resigned in consequence of a decision of the Assessors'.

Stooks Smith suggests there were 1,926 registered electors. Walker gives the electorate figure as above.

8 March 1838: On petition Gibson and the Earl of Belfast were unseated and Emerson Tennent and Dunbar declared elected

Elections in the 1840s

Note: 1,740 electors voted. Stooks Smith suggests there were 1,937 registered electors. Walker gives the electorate figure as above.

On petition Emerson Tennent and Johnson unseated and new writ issued

Note: Stooks Smith comments that 'a compromise was entered into by which one of each party was to be returned'.

Resignation of Emerson Tennent

Elections in the 1850s

Appointment of Cairns as Solicitor-General

Elections in the 1860s

Resignation of Davison

Appointment of Cairns as Attorney-General

Appointment of Cairns as Lord Justice of Appeal in Chancery (of England and Wales)

Elections in the 1870s

Appointment of Johnston as Inspector of Fisheries

Elections in the 1880s

Constituency divided in the 1885 redistribution

See also

List of Irish constituencies

List of UK Parliament Constituencies in Ireland and Northern Ireland