West Down (UK Parliament constituency)

Boundaries

From 1801 to 1885, County Down returned two MPs to the House of Commons of the United Kingdom sitting at the Palace of Westminster, with separate representation for the parliamentary boroughs of Downpatrick and Newry. Under the Redistribution of Seats Act 1885, Downpatrick ceased to exist as a parliamentary borough and the parliamentary county was divided into four divisions: North Down, East Down, West Down, and South Down.

Under the Redistribution of Seats (Ireland) Act 1918, Newry ceased to exist as a parliamentary borough, and the parliamentary county gained the additional division of Mid Down. Sinn Féin contested the 1918 general election on an abstentionist platform that instead of taking up any seats at Westminster, they would establish a revolutionary assembly in Dublin. All MPs elected to Irish seats were invited to participate in the First Dáil convened in January 1919, but no members outside of Sinn Féin did so.

The Government of Ireland Act 1920 established the Parliament of Northern Ireland, which came into operation in 1921. The representation of Northern Ireland in the Parliament of the United Kingdom was reduced from 30 MPs to 13 MPs, taking effect at the 1922 United Kingdom general election. At Westminster, the five divisions of County Down were replaced by a two-member county constituency of Down. An eight-seat constituency of Down was created for the House of Commons of Northern Ireland, which formed the basis in republican theory for representation in the Second Dáil.

Members of Parliament

Elections

Elections in the 1880s

|reg. electors = 9,695

Hill was re-appointed Comptroller of the Household, requiring a by-election.

Elections in the 1890s

• Hill resigned.

Elections in the 1900s

• Hill resigns.

|reg. electors = 8,254

• Liddell resigns.

|reg. electors = 8,369

• Hill resigns.

|reg. electors = 8,233

Elections in the 1910s

|reg. electors = 17,997

• Wilson appointed as Recorder of Belfast

• Wallace appointed Chief Clerk to the High Court of Northern Ireland

Sources

References

References

1. (1917). "Representation of the People Bill 1917: redistribution of seats: report". Boundary Commission (Ireland).
2. (21 January 1919). "3. An Rolla". Houses of the Oireachtas.
3. "Appendix 19: Dáil Éireann: Extract from Minutes of Meeting on 16th August 1921: Copy of Roll". Houses of the Oireachtas.
4. "Redistribution of Seats Act 1885 (48 & 49 Vict. c. 23), s. 8 and Seventh Schedule, Part III".
5. (24 December 2007). "Down Maps".
6. "Redistribution of Seats (Ireland) Act 1918 (7 & 8 Geo. 5. c. 65), Fourth Schedule, Part I".
7. (1978). "Parliamentary Election Results in Ireland, 1801–1922". Royal Irish Academy.