South Londonderry (UK Parliament constituency)

Parliamentary constituency in the United Kingdom, 1885–1922

54°50′17″N 6°53′49″W﻿ / ﻿54.838°N 6.897°W﻿ / 54.838; -6.897

South Londonderry

Former county constituency
for the House of Commons
1885–1922
Seats| 1
Created from| Londonderry
Replaced by| Londonderry

South Londonderry was a UK Parliament constituency in Ireland. It returned one Member of Parliament (MP) to the British House of Commons from 1885 until it was abolished in 1922.

## Boundaries and boundary changes

[edit]

This county constituency comprised the southern part of County Londonderry. Its official title was the South Derry division of county Londonderry.

1885–1922: The barony of Loughinsholin, and that part of the barony of Coleraine not contained within the Division of North Derry.

Prior to the 1885 United Kingdom general election and after the dissolution of Parliament in 1922 the area was part of the Londonderry constituency.

## Politics

[edit]

The constituency was a majority unionist area.

All three candidates in 1918 were Roman Catholics. Had the Sinn Féin candidate won, then instead of taking up the Westminster seat he would have participated in the revolutionary First Dáil.

## Members of Parliament

[edit]

Election  | Name  | Party  | Born  | Died

|
|
|
|

| 1885 | Timothy Michael Healy | Irish Parliamentary Party | 17 May 1855  | 26 March 1931
| 1886 | Sir Thomas Lea | Liberal Unionist | 17 January 1841  | 9 January 1902
| 1900 | John Gordon | Liberal Unionist | 23 November 1849  | 26 September 1922
1906
Jan 10
Dec 10
| 1912 | Irish Unionist
1916 | Denis Henry | 7 March 1864  | 1 October 1925
1918
| 1921 | Robert Chichester | Irish Unionist | 13 August 1874  | 10 December 1921
| 1922 | Sir William Hacket Pain | Ulster Unionist | 5 February 1855  | 14 February 1924

## Elections

[edit]

The elections in this constituency took place using the first past the post electoral system.

### Elections in the 1880s

[edit]

1885 general election: South Londonderry[1] Party  | Candidate  | Votes  | %  | ±%

|
|
|
|

| Irish Parliamentary | Tim Healy | 4,723  | 53.2  |
| Irish Conservative | Hugh McCalmont | 2,341  | 26.4  |
| Liberal | William Findlater | 1,816  | 20.5  |
Majority  | 2,382  | 26.8  |
Turnout | 8,880  | 82.3  |
Registered electors | 10,790  |  |
| Irish Parliamentary win (new seat)
1886 general election: South Londonderry[1] Party  | Candidate  | Votes  | %  | ±%

|
|
|
|

| Liberal Unionist | Thomas Lea | 4,737  | 50.6  | +24.2
| Irish Parliamentary | Tim Healy | 4,629  | 49.4  | −3.8
Majority  | 108  | 1.2  | N/A
Turnout | 9,366  | 86.8  | +4.5
Registered electors | 10,790  |  |
| Liberal Unionist gain from Irish Parliamentary | Swing | +14.0  |

### Elections in the 1890s

[edit]

1892 general election: South Londonderry[1] Party  | Candidate  | Votes  | %  | ±%

|
|
|
|

| Liberal Unionist | Thomas Lea | 4,554  | 52.9  | +2.3
| Liberal | Samuel Walker | 4,053  | 47.1  | New
Majority  | 501  | 5.8  | +4.6
Turnout | 8,607  | 91.8  | +5.0
Registered electors | 9,380  |  |
| Liberal Unionist hold | Swing |  |
1895 general election: South Londonderry[1] Party  | Candidate  | Votes  | %  | ±%

|
|
|
|

| Liberal Unionist | Thomas Lea | 4,485  | 52.4  | −0.5
| Liberal | William Huston Dodd | 4,068  | 47.6  | +0.5
Majority  | 417  | 4.8  | −1.0
Turnout | 8,553  | 92.5  | +0.7
Registered electors | 9,247  |  |
| Liberal Unionist hold | Swing | −0.5  |

### Elections in the 1900s

[edit]

1900 general election: South Londonderry[1] Party  | Candidate  | Votes  | %  | ±%

|
|
|
|

| Liberal Unionist | John Gordon | Unopposed
| Liberal Unionist hold
1906 general election: South Londonderry[1] Party  | Candidate  | Votes  | %  | ±%

|
|
|
|

| Liberal Unionist | John Gordon | 3,847  | 50.5  | N/A
| Russellite Unionist | Samuel Robert Keightley  | 3,776  | 49.5  | New
Majority  | 71  | 1.0  | N/A
Turnout | 7,623  | 91.7  | N/A
Registered electors | 8,313  |  |
| Liberal Unionist hold | Swing | N/A |

### Elections in the 1910s

[edit]

January 1910 general election: South Londonderry[1] Party  | Candidate  | Votes  | %  | ±%

|
|
|
|

| Liberal Unionist | John Gordon | 3,985  | 52.0  | +1.5
| Liberal | Samuel Robert Keightley  | 3,678  | 48.0  | −1.5
Majority  | 307  | 4.0  | +3.0
Turnout | 7,663  | 95.2  | +3.5
Registered electors | 8,052  |  |
| Liberal Unionist hold | Swing | +1.5  |
December 1910 general election: South Londonderry[1] Party  | Candidate  | Votes  | %  | ±%

|
|
|
|

| Liberal Unionist | John Gordon | 3,845  | 52.3  | +0.3
| Liberal | William John Johnston | 3,513  | 47.7  | −0.3
Majority  | 332  | 4.4  | +0.4
Turnout | 7,358  | 91.4  | −3.8
Registered electors | 8,052  |  |
| Liberal Unionist hold | Swing | +0.3  |

Gordon is appointed a judge, prompting a by-election.

By-election, 1916: South Londonderry[1] Party  | Candidate  | Votes  | %  | ±%

|
|
|
|

| Irish Unionist | Denis Henry | 3,808  | 94.7  | +42.4
| Ind. Unionist | Arthur Turnbull  | 214  | 5.3  | New
Majority  | 3,594  | 89.4  | +85.0
Turnout | 4,022  | 47.8  | −43.6
Registered electors | 8,416  |  |
| Irish Unionist hold | Swing |  |
1918 general election: South Londonderry[1] Party  | Candidate  | Votes  | %  | ±%

|
|
|
|

| Irish Unionist | Denis Henry | 8,942  | 54.7  | +2.4
| Irish Parliamentary | Arthur W. Conway | 3,981  | 24.4  | New
| Sinn Féin | Louis Joseph Walsh | 3,425  | 21.0  | New
Majority  | 4,961  | 30.3  | +25.9
Turnout | 16,348  | 77.1  | −14.3
Registered electors | 21,199  |  |
| Irish Unionist hold | Swing |  |

### Elections in the 1920s

[edit]

Henry is appointed Lord Chief Justice of Northern Ireland, prompting a by-election.

By-election, 1921: South Londonderry[1] Party  | Candidate  | Votes  | %  | ±%

|
|
|
|

| UUP | Robert Chichester | Unopposed
| UUP hold

Chichester dies, causing a by-election.

By-election, 1922: South Londonderry[1] Party  | Candidate  | Votes  | %  | ±%

|
|
|
|

| UUP | William Hacket Pain | Unopposed
| UUP hold

## References

[edit]

1. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l Walker, B.M., ed. (1978). Parliamentary Election Results in Ireland, 1801-1922. Dublin: Royal Irish Academy. pp. 363, 393. ISBN 0901714127.

* Walker, Brian M., ed. (1978). Parliamentary Election Results in Ireland, 1801–1922. Dublin: Royal Irish Academy. ISBN 0901714127.
* Stenton, M.; Lees, S., eds. (1978). Who's Who of British members of parliament: Volume II 1886–1918. The Harvester Press.
* Stenton, M.; Lees, S., eds. (1979). 'Who's Who of British members of parliament: Volume III 1919–1945. The Harvester Press.
* Redistribution of Seats Act, Seventh Schedule, Part III - Ireland, in The Public General Acts of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland passed in the forty-eighth and forty-ninth years of Her Majesty Queen Victoria
* Leigh Rayment's Historical List of MPs – Constituencies beginning with "L" (part 4)

## External links

[edit]

* Dáil Éireann Members Database Houses of the Oireachtas
* Dáil Debates - Díospóireachtaí Dála Houses of the Oireachtas
* Redistribution of Seats Act, Seventh Schedule - Part III - Ireland, County of Londonderry Redistribution of Seats Act, 1885 (from Internet Archive)

## See also

[edit]

* List of UK Parliament Constituencies in Ireland and Northern Ireland
* Redistribution of Seats (Ireland) Act 1918
* List of MPs elected in the 1918 United Kingdom general election
* List of Dáil Éireann constituencies in Ireland (historic)
* Members of the 1st Dáil
* South Londonderry (NI Parliament constituency)

* v
* t
* e

Parliamentary constituencies in County Londonderry

Parliament of Ireland
to 1800|

* Coleraine (???-1800)
* Londonderry City (???-1800)
* County Londonderry (???-1800)
* Newtown Limavady (???-1800)

Westminster 1801-present|

| Historic|

* Coleraine (1801-85)
* Londonderry (1801-85, 1922-83)
* Londonderry City (1801-1922)
* North Londonderry (1885-1922)
* South Londonderry (1885-1922)

|

Current|

* Foyle (1983--)
* East Londonderry (1983--)
* Mid Ulster  (1950--)

Dáil Éireann
Revolutionary era 1919-22|

| First Dáil
1919–21|

| Seats taken|

Londonderry City

|

Seats not taken|

North Londonderry
South Londonderry

Second Dáil
1921–22|

| One or more seats taken|

Londonderry

|

No seats taken|

(none)

Parliament of Northern Ireland 1921-72|

* City of Londonderry (1929–72)
* Foyle (1929–72)
* Londonderry (1921–29)
* Mid Londonderry (1929–72)
* North Londonderry (1929–72)
* South Londonderry (1929–72)

Northern Ireland Assemblies|

| Assembly 1973-74
Constitutional Convention 1975-76
Assembly 1982-86|

* Londonderry
* Mid Ulster

|

Northern Ireland Forum 1996-98
Assembly (1998–present)|

* Foyle
* Mid Ulster

European Parliament
1979-2020|

* Northern Ireland

Constituencies in Ireland by county

Republic of Ireland|

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* Louth
* Mayo
* Meath
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* Offaly
* Roscommon
* Sligo
* Tipperary
* Waterford
* Westmeath
* Wexford
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Northern Ireland|

* Antrim
* Armagh
* Down
* Fermanagh
* Londonderry
* Tyrone

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