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Belfast was an Irish Borough constituency in the House of Commons of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland. Comprising the city of Belfast, it elected one Member of Parliament (MP) from 1801 to 1832, and then two MPs from 1832 until the constituency was divided for the 1885 general election.

Belfast
Former Borough constituency for the House of Commons
1801–1885
Replaced by	Belfast East, Belfast North, Belfast South and Belfast West

Summary

From	To	Chamber	Members
1801	1832	House of Commons of the United Kingdom	1
1832	1885	House of Commons of the United Kingdom	2

Representation

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.

There was no new election for the 1st Parliament of the United Kingdom. In Irish constituencies, where the number of seats were reduced from two to one, the MP to go to Westminster was selected by drawing lots.

Boundaries and boundary changes

The details relate to the modern area of Belfast, but are included in this article to give a general idea of the location of the historic constituency.

This constituency was the Parliamentary borough of Belfast in County Antrim. In 1832 and 1868 the boundaries of that borough were extended.

1832 boundaries

The boundaries in 1832 were defined as follows:

"From the Point on the South-east of the Town at which the Blackstaff River joins the River Lagan, up the Blackstaff River, to the Point at which the same is joined by a small Stream which washes the Wall of Mr Campbell's Cotton Works [near where Divis Street joins the Westlink]; thence up the said small Stream to the Point at which the same would be cut by a straight Line to be drawn from the Chimney of Mr Campbell's Cotton Works to an old Fort on the West of the Town, in a field belonging to Mr Elliott, near a Brickfield on the Left of the old Lodge Road [near Denmark Street]; thence in a straight Line to the said old Fort; thence in a straight Line to the South-western Angle of the Graveyard which is to the West of the Infantry Barracks; thence along the Southern Wall of the said Graveyard to the Point at which the same makes an Angle; thence in a straight Line to the South-western Angle of the Enclosure of the Infantry Barracks; thence along the Western Enclosure Wall of the Infantry Barracks to the Northern Extremity thereof; thence along a Ditch which is the Boundary of the Ordnance Land to the Point at which the same reaches the South-western Angle of the Enclosure of the Artillery Barracks; thence along the Western Enclosure Wall of the Artillery Barracks; and along a Ditch in continuation of the Direction thereof, to the Point at which such Ditch meets a Road [the New Lodge Road] which leads from the Ballynure Road into the old Carrickfergus Road; thence along the Road so leading into the old Carrickfergus Road to the Point at which the same joins the old Carrickfergus Road; thence, Northward, along the old Carrickfergus Road to the Point at which the same meets the Mile Water [near Mountcollyer Street]; thence down the Mile Water to the Point at which the same joins the River Lagan; thence along the River Lagan to the Point first described; also beyond the Lagan, the Townland of Ballymacarrett."[1]

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.[2] See Belfast Borough Extension Act 1853 (16 & 17 Vict.) c. 129, which defined the boundaries of the borough as follows:

"From the Northern Lighthouse on the Eastern Twin Island [near East Twin Road], Southward, in a straight Line to the Centre of the Bridge over Conn's Water on the Hollywood Railway [Connswater Bridge, near the junction of Connsbank Road with the Sydenham Bypass], thence Southward along the Boundary of the Townland of Ballymacarret to the Point at which the same meets the Boundary of the Townland of Ballynafoy [near Hillsborough Drive], thence Southward and Westward along the said Boundary of Ballynafoy to the Point at which the same meets the River Lagan [at the southern end of the Annadale Embankment], thence Westward along the River Lagan to the Centre of the Weir adjoining the Canal [near the eastern end of Laganvale Manor], thence Northward along the Canal to the First Lock [near the eastern end of Prince Edward Park, across Lockview Road], thence North-westward along the Road at the West Side of the River Lagan to the Point at which the same is crossed by the Old Belfast Watercourse, thence South- ward and Westward along the said Watercourse to a Brick Wall belonging to the Water Commissioners, thence Southward along the Fence which divides Mr. Batt's from Mr. Ward's Property, thence Westward along the Fence which divides Mr. Ward’s Property from Mr. Gilmore's and Mr. Batt’s Property to the Old Lisburn Road [the Malone Road], thence Northward about Fifty Yards on the Old Lisburn Road to the Fence of Mr. McQuiston's Property, thence Westward along the said Fence which divides Mr. McQuiston's Property from Mr. Honey's and Mr. Owden's Property to the Point at which the same meets the Blackstaff River [near the Boucher Road], thence North-westward in a straight Line to the Point at which the Old White Rock Road [now the Whiterock Road] meets the Falls Road, thence Westward along the Old White Rock Road to the Point at which the same meets the Cross Road [now Brittons Parade] close to the Fort, thence Northward along the said Cross Road to the Point at which the same meets the Boundary of the Townland of Ballymurphy [near Davitts GAC], thence North-westward along the said Boundary to the North-east Point of the said Boundary [near Lyndhurst Meadows], thence Northward in a straight line to the Centre of the Fort immediately behind the House of Mr. Moses Staunton [now Glencairn Clinic], thence North- eastward in a straight Line to the Point at which the Boundary of Ballysillan Lower meets the Forth River [near Forthriver Way], thence North-east- ward along the said Boundary to the North-east Point of the said Boundary at which the same meets a Stream [near Etna Drive], thence Eastward and Northward along the said Stream to the Point at which the said Stream crosses the [Oldpark] Road at Old Park Mills [now Cliftonville Circus], thence Northward and Eastward along the [Westland] Road to the South End of the House of Mr. John Beatty [on Old Westland Road], thence Eastward in a straight Line to the Eastern Angle of the Boundary of the Townland of Old Park [on Hughenden Avenue], thence Eastward in a straight line to the Point at which Buttermilk Lane [now Skegoneill Avenue] meets the Antrim Road, thence Eastward along Buttermilk Lane to the Point at which the same meets the Carrickfergus Road [York Road/Shore Road], thence Eastward in a straight Line to the Point first described."

The boundary is shown as 'Municipal Boundary' on the second edition of the Ordnance Survey maps of Ireland.

1885 division

In the redistribution of 1885 Belfast was further expanded (including parts of County Down as well as County Antrim) and split 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 (the local Council). 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 such circumstances it is hardly surprising that there were no contested elections, for the United Kingdom Parliament, in the constituency until reform took place.

In 1832 the electorate was considerably extended by the Irish part of the Reform 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

Election	1st member		1st party	2nd member		2nd party
1801		Sir (James) Edward May, Bt	Tory
1802
1806
1807
1812
1814 by-election		Stephen Edward May	Tory
1816 by-election		John Michel	Tory
1818		Arthur Chichester	Tory
1820		Earl of Belfast	Tory[3]
1826
1830		Sir Arthur Chichester, Bt	Whig[4]
1831
1832		Lord Arthur Chichester	Tory[4][5][6]		James Emerson Tennent	Whig[5][7]
1834			Conservative[4][5][6]
1835		John McCance	Whig[4]			Conservative[4][7]
1835 by-election		George Dunbar	Conservative[4]
1837		James Gibson	Whig[4][8][9]		George Chichester	Whig[4][9]
1838 by-election		George Dunbar	Conservative[4]		James Emerson Tennent	Conservative[4][10]
1841		William Gillilan Johnson	Conservative[4]
1842 by-election		David Robert Ross	Whig[4][10]
1845 by-election					Lord John Chichester	Conservative
1847		Robert James Tennent	Whig[11][12]			Peelite[11][12][13]
1852		Richard Davison	Conservative		Sir Hugh Cairns	Conservative
1859
1860 by-election		Samuel Gibson Getty	Conservative
1865
1866 by-election					Sir Charles Lanyon	Conservative
1868		Thomas McClure	Liberal		William Johnston	Conservative
1874		James Corry	Conservative
1878 by-election					William Ewart	Conservative
1880
1885	constituency divided: see North, East, South and West divisions

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 1800s

Co-option 1 January 1801: Belfast

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Tory	(James) Edward May	Co-opted	N/A	N/A
	Tory gain from new seat		Swing	N/A

General election 12 July 1802: Belfast

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Tory	(James) Edward May	Unopposed	N/A	N/A
	Tory hold		Swing	N/A

General election 17 November 1806: Belfast

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Tory	(James) Edward May	Unopposed	N/A	N/A
	Tory hold		Swing	N/A

General election 15 May 1807: Belfast

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Tory	(James) Edward May	Unopposed	N/A	N/A
	Tory hold		Swing	N/A

Elections in the 1810s

General election 23 October 1812: Belfast

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Tory	Sir (James) Edward May	Unopposed	N/A	N/A
	Tory hold		Swing	N/A

• Death of May

By-election 16 September 1814: Belfast

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Tory	James May	Unopposed	N/A	N/A
	Tory hold		Swing	N/A

• Appointment of May as Collector of Customs in Belfast Port

By-election 3 May 1816: Belfast

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Tory	John Michel	Unopposed	N/A	N/A
	Tory hold		Swing	N/A

General election 8 July 1818: Belfast

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Tory	Arthur Chichester	Unopposed	N/A	N/A
	Tory hold		Swing	N/A

Elections in the 1820s

General election 16 March 1820: Belfast

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Tory	George Chichester	Unopposed	N/A	N/A
	Tory hold		Swing	N/A

General election 15 June 1826: Belfast

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Tory	George Chichester	Unopposed	N/A	N/A
	Tory hold		Swing	N/A

Elections in the 1830s

General election 6 August 1830: Belfast[4][13][14]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Whig	Arthur Chichester	Unopposed
Registered electors			13
	Whig gain from Tory

General election 20 May 1831: Belfast[4][13][14]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Whig	Arthur Chichester	Unopposed
Registered electors			13
	Whig hold

General election 21 December 1832: Belfast (2 seats)[4][13]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Tory	Arthur Chichester	834	29.8
	Whig	James Emerson Tennent	723	25.8
	Whig	Robert James Tennent	625	22.3
	Radical	William Sharman Crawford	616	22.0
Turnout			1,420	85.6
Registered electors			1,659
Majority			111	4.0
	Tory win (new seat)
Majority			98	3.5
	Whig hold

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

General election 17 January 1835: Belfast (2 seats)[4][13]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	James Emerson Tennent	773	35.0	+9.2
	Whig	John McCance	719	32.6	+10.3
	Conservative	Arthur Chichester	713	32.3	+2.5
	Radical	John French	3	0.1	−21.9
Turnout			1,407	65.8	−19.8
Registered electors			2,137
Majority			54	2.4	−1.6
	Conservative hold		Swing	+2.0
Majority			6	0.3	−3.2
	Whig hold		Swing	−11.0

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

• Death of McCance

By-election, 27 August 1835: Belfast[4][13]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	George Dunbar (MP)	162	66.4	−0.9
	Whig	Robert James Tennent	82	33.6	+1.0
Majority			80	32.8	+30.4
Turnout			244	9.9	−55.9
Registered electors			2,458
	Conservative gain from Whig		Swing	−1.0

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'.

General election 5 August 1837: Belfast (2 seats)[4][13]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Whig	James Gibson	941	25.9	+9.6
	Whig	George Chichester	922	25.4	+9.1
	Conservative	James Emerson Tennent	901	24.8	−10.2
	Conservative	George Dunbar (MP)	869	23.9	−8.4
Majority			21	0.6	+0.3
Turnout			1,836	50.4	−15.4
Registered electors			3,641
	Whig gain from Conservative		Swing	+9.5
	Whig hold		Swing	+9.2

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

General election 10 July 1841: Belfast (2 seats)[13][15]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	James Emerson Tennent	927	26.8	+2.0
	Conservative	William Gillilan Johnson	913	26.4	+2.5
	Whig	George Chichester	821	23.8	−1.6
	Whig	David Robert Ross	792	22.9	−3.0
Majority			92	2.6	N/A
Turnout			1,748	29.6	−20.8
Registered electors			5,907
	Conservative gain from Whig		Swing	+2.2
	Conservative gain from Whig		Swing	+2.4

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

By-election, 19 August 1842: Belfast (2 seats)[13]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Whig	David Robert Ross	886	39.5	−7.2
	Conservative	James Emerson Tennent	859	38.3	+11.5
	Conservative	Hamilton Francis Chichester	500	22.3	−4.1
Turnout			1,123 (est)	26.5 (est)	−3.1
Registered electors			4,234
Majority			27	1.2	N/A
	Whig gain from Conservative		Swing	−7.3
Majority			359	16.0	+13.4
	Conservative hold		Swing	+7.6

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

• Resignation of Emerson Tennent

By-election, 20 August 1845: Belfast[13]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	John Chichester	Unopposed
	Conservative hold

General election 9 August 1847: Belfast (2 seats)[13]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Whig	Robert James Tennent	929	39.3	−7.4
	Peelite	John Chichester	747	31.6	New
	Conservative	George Suffern	689	29.1	−24.1
Turnout			1,183 (est)	12.2 (est)	−17.4
Registered electors			9,672
Majority			182	7.7	N/A
	Whig gain from Conservative		Swing	+2.3
Majority			58	2.5	N/A
	Peelite gain from Conservative		Swing	N/A

Elections in the 1850s

General election 13 July 1852: Belfast (2 seats)[13]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	Richard Davison	1,259	37.5	N/A
	Conservative	Hugh Cairns	1,193	35.5	N/A
	Whig	Robert James Tennent	904	26.9	−12.4
Majority			289	8.6	N/A
Turnout			2,130 (est.)	79.0 (est.)	+66.8
Registered electors			2,697
	Conservative gain from Peelite		Swing	N/A
	Conservative gain from Whig		Swing	N/A

General election 3 April 1857: Belfast (2 seats)[13][16]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	Hugh Cairns	1,479	28.5	−7.0
	Conservative	Richard Davison	1,410	27.2	−10.3
	Whig	John Robinson McClean	995	19.2	N/A
	Whig	John Francis Ferguson	733	14.1	N/A
	Whig	Thomas McClure	566	10.9	N/A
Majority			415	8.0	−0.6
Turnout			2,592 (est.)	73.7	−5.3
Registered electors			3,518
	Conservative hold		Swing	N/A
	Conservative hold		Swing	N/A

• Appointment of Cairns as Solicitor-General

By-election, 5 March 1858: Belfast[13]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	Hugh Cairns	Unopposed
	Conservative hold

General election 2 May 1859: Belfast (2 seats)[13]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	Hugh Cairns	Unopposed
	Conservative	Richard Davison	Unopposed
Registered electors			3,303
	Conservative hold
	Conservative hold

Elections in the 1860s

• Resignation of Davison

By-election 15 June 1860: Belfast[13]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	Samuel Gibson Getty	Unopposed
	Conservative hold

General election 15 July 1865: Belfast (2 seats)[13]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	Hugh Cairns	1,822	40.1	N/A
	Conservative	Samuel Gibson Getty	1,728	38.1	N/A
	Liberal	John Hay	991	21.8	New
Majority			737	16.3	N/A
Turnout			2,766 (est.)	81.0 (est.)	N/A
Registered electors			3,415
	Conservative hold		Swing	N/A
	Conservative hold		Swing	N/A

• Appointment of Cairns as Attorney-General

By-election 13 July 1866: Belfast[13]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	Hugh Cairns	Unopposed
Registered electors			3,615
	Conservative hold

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

By-election 2 November 1866: Belfast[13]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	Charles Lanyon	1,263	99.0	N/A
	Conservative	William McMeechan	13	1.0	N/A
Majority			1,250	98.0	N/A
Turnout			1,276	35.3	−45.7
Registered electors			3,615
	Conservative hold		Swing	N/A

General election 21 November 1868: Belfast (2 seats)[13]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	William Johnston	5,975	39.1	−1.0
	Liberal	Thomas McClure	4,202	27.5	−10.7
	Conservative	Charles Lanyon	3,540	23.1	+1.3
	Conservative	John Mulholland	1,580	10.3	N/A
Turnout			9,750 (est.)	80.1 (est.)	−0.9
Registered electors			12,168
Majority			1,773	11.6	−4.7
	Conservative hold		Swing	+2.2
Majority			662	4.4	N/A
	Liberal gain from Conservative		Swing	−3.3

Elections in the 1870s

General election 5 February 1874: Belfast (2 seats)[13]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	James Corry	8,412	39.7	+16.6
	Conservative	William Johnston	8,176	38.6	−0.5
	Liberal	Thomas McClure	4,096	19.3	−8.2
	Ind. Conservative	John Rea[17]	506	2.4	New
Majority			4,080	19.3	+7.7
Turnout			12,896 (est.)	80.7 (est.)	+0.6
Registered electors			15,979
	Conservative hold		Swing	+10.4
	Conservative gain from Liberal		Swing	+1.8

• Appointment of Johnston as Inspector of Fisheries

By-election 2 April 1878: Belfast[13]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	William Ewart	8,241	62.7	−15.6
	Ind. Conservative	Robert Seeds[18]	4,895	37.3	+34.9
Majority			3,346	25.4	+6.1
Turnout			13,136	65.7	−15.0
Registered electors			20,005
	Conservative hold		Swing	N/A

Elections in the 1880s

General election 1 April 1880: Belfast (2 seats)[13]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	William Ewart	8,132	30.1	−8.6
	Conservative	James Corry	7,683	28.4	−11.2
	Ind. Conservative	Robert Seeds[19]	6,119	22.6	+20.2
	Liberal	John Shaw Brown	5,122	18.9	−0.4
Majority			2,561	5.8	-13.5
Turnout			19,149 (est.)	90.4 (est.)	+9.7
Registered electors			21,188
	Conservative hold		Swing	−9.9
	Conservative hold		Swing	−11.3

• Constituency divided in the 1885 redistribution

See also

• List of Irish constituencies
• List of UK Parliament Constituencies in Ireland and Northern Ireland

References

• 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)

External links

• Peter Robinson, the former MP for the constituency, provided details on his web-site of the Parliamentary boundaries and electoral history of Belfast since the Union and provided brief biographies of Belfast MPs. The report of the Boundary Commission (Ireland) (Cd 8830, 1917), which is referred to on that website, is available online here.
• Leigh Rayment's Historical List of MPs – Constituencies beginning with "B" (part 2)

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