1902 Belfast South by-election
The 1902 Belfast South by-election was held on 18 August 1902 after the death of the Irish Unionist Party MP William Johnston. It was won by the Independent Unionist candidate Thomas Henry Sloan.
Candidates[edit]
The Conservatives considered several candidates, who declined to stand. These included Colonel Robert Wallace, just returned from the Second Boer War in South Africa, who declined for business reasons; and Sir James Henderson, a previous Lord Mayor of Belfast.[1] The shipbuilder and businessman William Pirrie (who had also been a Lord Mayor of Belfast) was also informally approached.[2] They eventually picked Charles Buller, a former High Sheriff of Down and son-in-law of a previous MP for Belfast, George Dunbar.[3]
Thomas Sloan was a sub-contractor for the cementing of ship's floors at the shipyard of Harland and Wolff, who had during 1902 become a leading member of the working class Belfast Protestant Association, after the association's founder Arthur Trew was imprisoned for inciting an anti-Catholic riot. He declared his candidacy as an independent unionist in protest of the treatment of Trew.[4]
Thomas Harrison, who had unsuccessfully contested Belfast North in the 1900 general election was mentioned as a candidate for the "labour interest",[2] but nothing came of this.
Issues and campaign[edit]
The campaign was tumultuous, and the Belfast Protestant Association dominated the campaign, protesting the imprisonment of their founder. The Times reported that a final meeting for Dunbar Buller on 15 August was broken up by supporters of Slone, with only a large force of police preventing a more serious disturbance.[5]
Results[edit]
The result of the election was announced outside Belfast town hall on the eve of election day, 18 August 1902.[6] Sloan won the election by 826 votes, and was declared the new representative.[7]
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ind. Unionist | Thomas Sloan | 3,795 | 56.1 | N/A | |
| Irish Unionist | Charles William Dunbar Buller | 2,969 | 43.9 | N/A | |
| Majority | 826 | 12.2 | N/A | ||
| Turnout | 6,764 | 66.0 | N/A | ||
| Registered electors | 10,246 | ||||
| Ind. Unionist gain from Irish Unionist | Swing | N/A | |||
Sloan later founded the Independent Orange Order and reached an agreement with the Irish Unionist Party to disassociate himself from the Belfast Protestant Association.[4] Sloan retained the seat in the 1906 general election.
External links[edit]
References[edit]
- ^ "Election intelligence". The Times. No. 36829. London. 25 July 1902. p. 5.
- ^ a b "Election intelligence". The Times. No. 36831. London. 28 July 1902. p. 6.
- ^ "Election intelligence". The Times. No. 36836. London. 2 August 1902. p. 10.
- ^ a b John F. Harbinson, The Ulster Unionist Party, 1882-1973, p.223
- ^ "Election intelligence". The Times. No. 36848. London. 16 August 1902. p. 8.
- ^ "Election intelligence". The Times. No. 36850. London. 19 August 1902. p. 3.
- ^ "No. 27467". The London Gazette. 22 August 1902. p. 5462.
- ^ The Constitutional Year Book, 1904, published by Conservative Central Office, page 193 (217 in web page)
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