County Antrim (Parliament of Ireland constituency)

County Antrim was a constituency represented in the Irish House of Commons until 1800.

Following the Acts of Union 1800 the constituency became Antrim (UK Parliament constituency).

History

The county constituency was enfranchised as a parliamentary constituency at an uncertain date, between the first known meeting of the Parliament in 1264 and the division of the area into baronies in 1584. It sent two knights of the shire to the Irish House of Commons.

The county was represented in the Parliament of the Commonwealth of England, Scotland and Ireland, under the Instrument of Government, after it was established in 1654 as part of the constituency of Down, Antrim and Armagh (constituency). Following the restoration of the monarchy in 1660 the Parliament of Ireland was re-established and the constituency again returned two Members of Parliament. In the Patriot Parliament of 1689 summoned by King James II, County Antrim was represented with two members.^[1]

Boundaries and Boundary Changes

1264-1800: A Topographical Dictionary of Ireland by Samuel Lewis discusses the administrative history of Antrim. It is uncertain when Antrim was made a County and given representation as such in Parliament. Something like the modern arrangements seems to have originated in 1584 when the Lord Deputy Sir John Perrot divided the area into baronies. From whatever point the county constituency existed it comprised the whole of County Antrim, excluding the parts in the borough constituencies of Antrim (from 1666), Belfast (1613), Carrickfergus (1326), Lisburn (1661) and Randalstown (1683).

Members of Parliament

Notes

^ The Lord Lieutenant wrote to the Sheriff of Antrim on 2 November 1665 recommending Poyntz as the successor of Skeffington, who had inherited a peerage in September as Viscount Massereene. In the absence of evidence to the contrary it is assumed that, in this period, such a recommendation was tantamount to election.
^ Declared not duly elected in 1715.

Elections

References

^ O'Hart 2007, p. 500.
^ a b Return of Members of Parliament, Part II (1878), p. 605
^ Clarke, Aidan. Prelude to Restoration in Ireland: The End of the Commonwealth, 1659–1660.
^ Bergin 2009.
^ a b c d e f g h Johnston-Liik, E. M. (2006). MPs in Dublin: Companion to History of the Irish Parliament, 1692-1800. Ulster Historical Foundation. p. 235. ISBN 9781903688601.

Bibliography

Bergin, John (2009). "Upton, Arthur". In Kinsella, Eoin; Clavin, Terry; Evers, Liz; Gallagher, Niav; Maume, Patrick; O'Riordan, Turlough (eds.). Dictionary of Irish Biography. Royal Irish Academy; Cambridge University Press. doi:10.3318/dib.008767.v1. Retrieved 2 November 2022.
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.

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