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Antrim (UK Parliament constituency)

County Antrim is a former county constituency in the House of Commons of the United Kingdom. It was a two-member constituency in Ireland from 1801 to 1885 and in Northern Ireland from 1922 to 1950.

History and boundaries[edit]

County Antrim had been represented by two seats in the Irish House of Commons. From 1801, under the Acts of Union 1800, it was represented by a county constituency with two MPs in the United Kingdom House of Commons. It consisted of County Antrim, except the parts in the parliamentary borough constituencies of Belfast, Carrickfergus and Lisburn. The boroughs of Antrim and Randalstown were disfranchised in 1801.

In 1885, Carrickfergus and Lisburn were disfranchised and the borders of the parliamentary borough of Belfast were extended. The county was split between the divisions of East Antrim, Mid Antrim, North Antrim and South Antrim.^[1]

In 1922, following the establishment of the Parliament of Northern Ireland, the number of seats in Northern Ireland at Westminster was cut from 30 to 13 under the Government of Ireland Act 1920. The constituency of Antrim was recreated to elect two MPs, consisting of the administrative county of Antrim, that is the whole of County Antrim excluding the part in the city of Belfast.^[2] In 1950, the county was split between the divisions of Antrim North and Antrim South, under the Representation of the People Act 1948, which abolished all multi-member constituencies in the United Kingdom.^[3]

Members of Parliament[edit]

MPs 1801–1885[edit]

Notes:

• (1) Earl of Yarmouth (1800–1870) was known as Viscount Beauchamp until 17 June 1822.
• (2) Earl of Yarmouth (1843–1912) was known as Hugh de Grey Seymour until 25 August 1870.

MPs 1922–1950[edit]

Elections[edit]

In two-member elections the bloc voting system was used. Voters could cast a vote for one or two candidates, as they chose. The two candidates with the largest number of votes were elected. In by-elections, to fill a single seat, the first past the post system applied.

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, when the exact number of participating 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 1940s[edit]

• Seat vacant at dissolution (Death of Campbell)

Elections in the 1930s[edit]

Elections in the 1920s[edit]

Elections in the 1880s[edit]

Elections in the 1870s[edit]

Elections in the 1860s[edit]

• Caused by Seymour's death.
• Note: Hugh Seymour was known as the Earl of Yarmouth from 25 August 1870.

• Caused by Seymour's appointment as Lord Commissioner of the Admiralty.

• Caused by Upton's succession to the peerage, becoming Viscount Templetown.

Elections in the 1850s[edit]

• Caused by Pakenham's death

Elections in the 1840s[edit]

• Caused by Irving's death

• Caused by O'Neill's succession to the peerage, becoming 3rd Viscount O'Neill

Elections in the 1830s[edit]

Elections in the 1820s[edit]

Elections in the 1810s[edit]

Elections in the 19th century[edit]

References[edit]

• Leigh Rayment's Historical List of MPs – Constituencies beginning with "A" (part 2 )
• Craig, F. W. S., ed. (1977). British Parliamentary Election Results 1918–1949. Macmillan Press.
• Farrell, Stephen (2009). Fisher, D.R. (ed.). "Co. Antrim". The History of Parliament: the House of Commons 1820–1832. Retrieved 9 May 2020.
• Stooks Smith, Henry (1973) [1844–50]. Craig, F. W. S. (ed.). The Parliaments of England (2nd ed.). Political Reference Publications.
• Stenton, M., ed. (1976). Who's Who of British members of parliament: Volume I 1832–1885. The Harvester Press.
• Stenton, M.; Lees, S., eds. (1979). Who's Who of British members of parliament: Volume III 1919–1945. The Harvester Press.
• Walker, Brian M., ed. (1978). Parliamentary Election Results in Ireland, 1801–1922. Dublin: Royal Irish Academy. ISBN 0901714127.
• Walker, Brian M., ed. (1992). Parliamentary Election Results in Ireland, 1918–92: Irish elections to parliaments and parliamentary assemblies at Westminster, Belfast, Dublin, Strabourg. Dublin: Royal Irish Academy. ISBN 0901714968. ISSN 0332-0286.

Citations[edit]