Belfast (Parliament of Ireland constituency)

Belfast
Belfast
Former borough constituency; for the Irish House of Commons
County	County Antrim
Borough	Belfast
1613–1801
Seats	2
Replaced by	Belfast

Belfast was a constituency in the Irish House of Commons, the house of representatives of the Kingdom of Ireland, until 1800.

History

Belfast in County Antrim was enfranchised as a borough constituency in 1613. It continued to be entitled to send two Members of Parliament to the Irish House of Commons until the Parliament of Ireland was merged into the Parliament of the United Kingdom on 1 January 1801.

During the Commonwealth of England, Scotland and Ireland Belfast was represented from 1654 in the Westminster Parliament as part of the Carrickfergus and Belfast constituency. Belfast was the place of election in this single-member constituency. See First Protectorate Parliament for further details.

In 1661, following the restoration of the king, the Parliament of Ireland was re-established as it had existed before the Protectorate. In the Patriot Parliament of 1690 summoned by King James II, Belfast was represented by one member.^[1]

Under the Acts 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.

Members of Parliament, 1613–1801

Election		First member	Second member	Second party
1613		Sir John Blennerhassett	George Trevelyan
1634		Charles Price	Thomas Bramston
1634		Charles Price	John Ingersall
1639		Sir William Wrey	George Rawdon
1654–1660	Commonwealth – See Carrickfergus and Belfast (constituency)
1660		Sir Jerome Alexander^[2]
1661		William Knight	Henry Davys^[3]
1689 Patriot Parliament		Mark Talbot	Belfast had only one seat
1692		Sir Richard Levinge^[a]	James Macartney
1692		George Macartney
1695		Charles Chichester
1703		William Crafford	William Cairnes
1707		William Crafford	Samuel Ogle
1713		Robert Moore	Anthony Atkinson
1715		George Macartney	John Ichingham Chichester
1721			George Macartney
1725			John Chichester
1727			David John Barry
1745			John Chichester
1747			William Macartney
1757		Arthur Barry	William Macartney
1761		John Chichester	John Ludford
1768		Hon. Henry Skeffington	George Hamilton
1776			Barry Yelverton^[b]	Patriot
1777			Alexander Crookshank
1784			Joseph Hewitt
1792			Sir William Godfrey, 1st Bt
1797		Lord Spencer Stanley Chichester	George Crookshank
1798		Alexander Hamilton
January 1800		James Edward May
February 1800		James Edward May	John Congreve
1801		Succeeded by the Westminster constituency Belfast

Notes

^ Also elected for Blessington, for which he chose to sit.
^ Also elected for Carrickfergus, for which he chose to sit.

References

^ O'Hart 2007, p. 504.
^ Clarke, Aidan. Prelude to Restoration in Ireland: The End of the Commonwealth, 1659–1660.
^ Return of Members of Parliament (1878) vol. II, p. 605.

Bibliography

O'Hart, John (2007). The Irish and Anglo-Irish Landed Gentry: When Cromwell came to Ireland. Vol. II. Heritage Books. ISBN 978-0-7884-1927-0.
Leigh Rayment's historical List of Members of the Irish House of Commons. Cites: Johnston-Liik, Edith Mary (2002). The History of the Irish Parliament 1692-1800 (6 volumes). Ulster Historical Foundation.