1892 Belfast East by-election

Last updated

The Belfast East by-election of 1892 was held on 9 March 1892 after the incumbent Irish Unionist Party, Edward de Cobain, was expelled from the House of Commons of the United Kingdom after a criminal conviction. It was retained by the Irish Unionist Party candidate Gustav Wilhelm Wolff. [1]

In April 1891, a warrant was issued for the arrest of Edward de Cobain for "the commission of unnatural offences in Belfast" and he fled to the continent being seen at one time in Bilbao. He refused to resign his seat, saying it was tantamount to an admission of guilt. The House of Commons ordered him to attend and when he failed to do so he was expelled on 26 February 1892.

Belfast East by-election, 1892 [2]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Irish Unionist Gustav Wilhelm Wolff 4,746 64.6 -15.7
Ind. Unionist William Thomas Charley 2,60735.4N/A
Majority2,13929.2-31.4
Turnout 7,35364.8-7.8
Registered electors 11,339
Irish Unionist hold Swing

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ulster Unionist Party</span> Political party in Northern Ireland

The Ulster Unionist Party (UUP) is a unionist political party in Northern Ireland. The party was founded in 1905, emerging from the Irish Unionist Alliance in Ulster. Under Edward Carson, it led unionist opposition to the Irish Home Rule movement. Following the partition of Ireland, it was the governing party of Northern Ireland between 1921 and 1972. It was supported by most unionist voters throughout the conflict known as the Troubles, during which time it was often referred to as the Official Unionist Party (OUP).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Edward Carson</span> Irish politician, barrister and judge

Edward Henry Carson, Baron Carson, PC, PC (Ire), from 1900 to 1921 known as Sir Edward Carson, was an Irish unionist politician, barrister and judge, who served as the Attorney General and Solicitor General for England, Wales and Ireland as well as the First Lord of the Admiralty for the British Royal Navy. From 1905 Carson was both the Irish Unionist Alliance MP for the Dublin University constituency and leader of the Ulster Unionist Council in Belfast. In 1915, he entered the war cabinet of H. H. Asquith as Attorney-General. Carson was defeated in his ambition to maintain Ireland as a whole in union with Great Britain. His leadership, however, was celebrated by some for securing a continued place in the United Kingdom for the six north-eastern counties, albeit under a devolved Parliament of Northern Ireland that neither he nor his fellow unionists had sought. He is also remembered for his open ended cross examination of Oscar Wilde in a legal action that led to plaintiff Wilde being prosecuted, gaoled and ruined. Carson unsuccessfully attempted to intercede for Wilde after the case.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Parliament of Northern Ireland</span> Home rule legislature created in 1921

The Parliament of Northern Ireland was the home rule legislature of Northern Ireland, created under the Government of Ireland Act 1920, which sat from 7 June 1921 to 30 March 1972, when it was suspended because of its inability to restore order during The Troubles, resulting in the introduction of Direct Rule. It was abolished under the Northern Ireland Constitution Act 1973.

The Progressive Unionist Party (PUP) is a minor unionist political party in Northern Ireland. It was formed from the Independent Unionist Group operating in the Shankill area of Belfast, becoming the PUP in 1979. Linked to the Ulster Volunteer Force (UVF) and Red Hand Commando (RHC), for a time it described itself as "the only left of centre unionist party" in Northern Ireland, with its main support base in the loyalist working class communities of Belfast.

Arthur Brian Deane Faulkner, Baron Faulkner of Downpatrick,, was the sixth and last Prime Minister of Northern Ireland, from March 1971 until his resignation in March 1972. He was also the chief executive of the short-lived Northern Ireland Executive during the first half of 1974.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Belfast North (UK Parliament constituency)</span> Parliamentary constituency in the United Kingdom, 1922 onwards

Belfast North is a parliamentary constituency in the United Kingdom House of Commons. The current MP is John Finucane of Sinn Féin.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Belfast West (UK Parliament constituency)</span> Parliamentary constituency in the United Kingdom, 1922 onwards

Belfast West is a parliamentary constituency (seat) in the House of Commons of the UK Parliament. The current MP is Paul Maskey of Sinn Féin.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Belfast South (UK Parliament constituency)</span> Parliamentary constituency in the United Kingdom, 1922 onwards

Belfast South is a parliamentary constituency in the United Kingdom House of Commons. The current MP is Claire Hanna of the SDLP.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gustav Wilhelm Wolff</span> German-born British shipbuilder and politician

Gustav Wilhelm Wolff was a German-born British shipbuilder and politician. Born in Hamburg, he moved to Liverpool in 1849 to live with his uncle, Gustav Christian Schwabe. After serving his apprenticeship in Manchester, Wolff was employed as a draughtsman in Hyde, Greater Manchester, before being employed by the shipbuilder Edward Harland in Belfast as his personal assistant. In 1861, Wolff became a partner at Harland's firm, forming Harland and Wolff. Outside shipbuilding, Wolff served as a Belfast Harbour Commissioner. He also founded the Belfast Ropeworks, served as Member of Parliament for Belfast East for 18 years and as a member of the Conservative and Unionist Party and Irish and Ulster Unionist parties.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Edward Heneage, 1st Baron Heneage</span> British politician (1840–1922)

Edward Heneage, 1st Baron Heneage, was a British Liberal and Liberal Unionist politician. He was briefly Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster under William Ewart Gladstone between February and April 1886, when he broke with Gladstone over Irish Home Rule and joined the Liberal Unionists.

Fred Cobain, MBE is a Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) politician from Northern Ireland. He was an Ulster Unionist Party (UUP) Member of the Northern Ireland Assembly (MLA) for Belfast North from 1998 until 2011.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Samuel Young (Irish politician)</span> Irish politician

Samuel Young was an Irish brewer and Protestant nationalist politician. He was Member of Parliament (MP) for East Cavan from 1892 until 1918, becoming the oldest serving member of the House of Commons of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Traditional Unionist Voice</span> Political party in Northern Ireland

The Traditional Unionist Voice (TUV) is a unionist political party in Northern Ireland. In common with all other Northern Irish unionist parties, the TUV's political programme has as its sine qua non the preservation of Northern Ireland's place within the United Kingdom. A founding precept of the party is that “nothing which is morally wrong can be politically right”.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sir William Ewart, 1st Baronet</span>

Sir William Ewart, 1st Baronet was an Irish linen manufacturer and Unionist politician who sat in the House of Commons from 1878 to 1889.

Charles Curtis Craig was an Irish Unionist and later Ulster Unionist politician. He was Member of Parliament (MP) for constituencies in County Antrim from 1903 to 1929, taking his seat in the House of Commons of the United Kingdom. The son of James Craig, of Craigavon, Belfast, a self-made millionaire whisky distiller, among his brothers was Northern Ireland's first Prime Minister, James Craig.

Edward J McHugh, also known as Edward M'Hugh, was an Irish nationalist politician. He was an Anti-Parnellite Irish National Federation Member of Parliament (MP) for South Armagh from 1892 until his death.

Sir John Joseph Mooney was an Irish nationalist politician. He was a Member of Parliament (MP) from 1900 to 1918, taking his seat as an Irish Parliamentary Party member of the House of Commons of what was then the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland. He was a member of a prominent Dublin business and pub-owning family, J G Mooney & Co plc.

Edward Samuel Wesley de Cobain was an Irish Conservative politician and landowner who sat in the House of Commons from 1885 to 1892. He was expelled from the House for failing to appear to answer charges. He was later imprisoned on charges of gross indecency under the Criminal Law Amendment Act 1885.

The 1905 Belfast North by-election was held on 14 September 1905 when the incumbent Irish Unionist MP, Sir James Horner Haslett died. It was retained by the Unionist candidate Sir Daniel Dixon.

The Belfast North by-election of 1896 was held on 22 January 1896. The by-election was held due to the death of the incumbent Irish Unionist Party MP, Edward Harland. It was won by the Irish Unionist Party candidate James Horner Haslett.

References

  1. "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 24 February 2012. Retrieved 8 June 2015.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link) CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)
  2. The Constitutional Year Book, 1904, published by Conservative Central Office, page 193 (217 in web page)