South Londonderry (UK Parliament constituency)

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

South Derry
Former county constituency
for the House of Commons
CountyCounty Londonderry
1885–1922
Seats1
Created fromCounty Londonderry
Replaced byLondonderry

South Derry was a parliament constituency in Ireland which returned one Member of Parliament to the House of Commons of the United Kingdom on the electoral system of first past the post from 1885 to 1922.

Politics

The constituency was a majority unionist area. All three candidates at the 1918 general election were Catholics.

Boundaries and boundary changes

Prior to 1885, County Londonderry returned two MPs to the House of Commons of the United Kingdom sitting at the Palace of Westminster. Under the Redistribution of Seats Act 1885, the parliamentary county was divided into the divisions of North Derry and South Derry.[1] The parliamentary borough of Coleraine lost its separate representation.[2]

South Derry was defined as:

The baronies of Loughinsholin, and the barony of Coleraine, except so much as is comprised in the North Derry division.

It was not affected by the Redistribution of Seats (Ireland) Act 1918.[3] 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.[4]

The Government of Ireland Act 1920 established the Parliament of Northern Ireland, which came into operation in 1921. The representation of Northern Ireland at Westminster was reduced from 30 MPs to 13 MPs, taking effect at the 1922 United Kingdom general election. At Westminster, Londonderry City, North Derry and South Derry were combined to form the single-seat county constituency of Londonderry.[5] A five-seat constituency of Londonderry was created for the House of Commons of Northern Ireland, which formed the basis in republican theory for representation in the Second Dáil.[6]

Members of Parliament

Election MP Party
1885 Timothy Michael Healy Irish Parliamentary
1886 Sir Thomas Lea Liberal Unionist
1900 John Gordon Liberal Unionist
1906
Jan 10
Dec 10
1912 Irish Unionist
1916 Denis Henry
1918
1921 Robert Chichester Irish Unionist
1922 Sir William Hacket Pain UUP

Elections

Elections in the 1880s

1885 general election: South Derry[7]
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 Derry[7]
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

1892 general election: South Derry[7]
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 Derry[7]
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

1900 general election: South Derry[7]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Unionist John Gordon Unopposed
Liberal Unionist hold
1906 general election: South Derry[7]
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

January 1910 general election: South Derry[7]
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 Derry[7]
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 4.6 +0.6
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.

1916 by-election: South Derry[7]
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 +84.8
Turnout 4,022 47.8 −43.6
Registered electors 8,416
Irish Unionist hold Swing
1918 general election: South Derry[7]
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

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

1921 by-election: South Derry[7]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
UUP Robert Chichester Unopposed
UUP hold

Chichester dies, causing a by-election.

1922 by-election: South Derry[7]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
UUP William Hacket Pain Unopposed
UUP hold

References

Sources

  • 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.
  • Leigh Rayment's Historical List of MPs – Constituencies beginning with "L" (part 4)

Citations

  1. ^ "Redistribution of Seats Act 1885 (48 & 49 Vict. c. 23), s. 8 and Seventh Schedule, Part III" (PDF). legislation.gov.uk.
  2. ^ "Redistribution of Seats Act 1885 (48 & 49 Vict. c. 23), s. 2 and First Schedule" (PDF). legislation.gov.uk.
  3. ^ "Redistribution of Seats (Ireland) Act 1918 (7 & 8 Geo. 5. c. 65)" (PDF). legislation.gov.uk.
  4. ^ "3. An Rolla". Dáil Debates (in Irish). F (1). Houses of the Oireachtas. 21 January 1919. Retrieved 6 September 2025.
  5. ^ "Government of Ireland Act 1920: Fifth Schedule, Part II: Constituencies in Northern Ireland" (PDF). legislation.gov.uk. The National Archives.
  6. ^ "Appendix 19: Dáil Éireann: Extract from Minutes of Meeting on 16th August 1921: Copy of Roll". Dáil Debates. T (17). Houses of the Oireachtas.
  7. ^ 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.
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