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EspañolJAMES CHICHESTER-CLARK, BARON MOYOLA
(Redirected from James Chichester-Clark)
'James Dawson Chichester-Clark, Baron Moyola', PC, DL (February 12, 1923–May 17, 2002) was the fifth Prime Minister of Northern Ireland.
'James Dawson Clark' was born on February 12, 1923, at the family home, Moyola Park, Castledawson, County Londonderry. He was the eldest of three children of James Jackson Lenox-Conyngham Clark and Marion Caroline Dehra, née Chichester. His brother was Robin Chichester-Clark and his sister, Penelope Hobhouse, the garden writer and historian. In 1924 James Clark changed the family name to Chichester-Clark by deed poll, thus preventing the old ascendancy name Chichester (his wife's maiden name) from dying out. The family are decended from the Donegall Chichesters and were the heirs of the Dawsons of Castledawson.
Educated at Eton College, he fought with the Irish Guards during the Second World War, during which he was wounded in action.
After the War he continued in the Army, serving from 1947 to 1950 in Canada as ADC to the Governor General, Lord Alexander of Tunis. He continued in the Army until the late 1950s during which time he married a young widow, Moyra Haughton (née Morris) who was a barrister-at-law. He had two daughters and one step-son. He returned to Castledawson to farm.
In an uncontested by-election in 1960, he took over the South Londonderry seat in the Northern Ireland Parliament held by his aunt, Dame Dehra Parker, since 1933. She had been MP until 1929 when she stood down for a first time. James Lenox-Conyingham Chichester-Clark, James Dawson's father, became MP for South Londonderry in 1929, however suddenly died in 1933. Parker willingly returned to Northern Ireland from England, and won the ensuing by-election.
In 1963 when Terence O'Neill became Prime Minister of Northern Ireland, he immediately appointed Chichester-Clark Assistant Whip. One month later the Chief Whip, William Craig was promoted and Chichester-Clark took over the whips office. Leader of the House of Commons was added to his duties in 1966, when he was admitted to the Privy Council of Northern Ireland.
In 1967, O'Neill sacked his Minister of Agriculture, Harry West for ministerial impropriety, and Chichester-Clark was appointed in his place, a position he retained for two quiet years. In 1969, he resigned from the Cabinet, claiming that he disagreed with the Prime Minister's decision to grant universal suffrage in local government elections at that time. He made clear he disagreed not with the principle of one man one vote but with the timing of the decision. It has since been suggested that his resignation was in order to accelerate O'Neill's own resignation (which followed within a matter of days) in order to raise his profile, increase his standing with party hard-liners, and deny Brian Faulkner of the Premiership. He needed O'Neillite MPs elected at the Northern Ireland general election, 1969 to back him however, so he attended a tea party in the O'Neill's honour only days after he had caused his resignation.
He beat Faulkner in the Ulster Unionist Party leadership election, 1969 by one vote, but while Faulkner believed until his death that he had been the victim of an upper class conspiracy to deny him the top job, he became a high profile and loyal member of Chichester-Clark's cabinet.
His premiership was punctuated by the civil unrest that erupted after August 1969. He suffered from the efects of the Hunt Committee report, which recommended the disbandment of the Ulster Special Constabulary, which his Government accepted to the consternation of many Unionists.
In April 1970 his predecessor and another Unionist MP resigned their seats in the NI House of Commons. The by-election campaigns were punctuated by major liberal speeches by senior government figures like Brian Faulkner, Jack Andrews and the Prime Minister himself. Ian Paisley's Protestant Unionist Party however took both seats in the House of Commons. Later the same month the O'Neillite group the New Ulster Movement became the Alliance Party of Northern Ireland, and his party began passing votes of no confidence in him.
As the civil unrest grew, the British Government, particularly Home Secretary, James Callaghan became increasingly involved in Northern Ireland affairs, forcing Chichester-Clark's hand on many issues. This included the disbanding of the 'B' Specials and importantly the handing over of operational control of the security forces to the Army General Officer Commanding Northern Ireland.
In early 1971 the IRA lured three off duty soldiers from a pub in Belfast to a lane way outside the city, where they murdered them. Chichester-Clark flew to London to request further military aid from Harold Wilson, who all but refused. Chichester-Clark resigned on his return. He was created a life peer later that year as 'Baron Moyola', of Castledawson in the County of Londonderry. He endorsed the Belfast Agreement in the 1998 referendum. Lord Moyola died on May 17, 2002 at the age of 79, the last surviving Prime Minister of Northern Ireland.
★ List of Northern Ireland Members of the House of Lords
★ Family tree
★ Clive Scoular, 'James Chichester-Clark: Prime Minister of Northern Ireland', 2000
★ Telegraph obituary
 Jamescclarke.jpg 'The Rt Hon The Lord Moyola' | |
| Rank | Prime Minister |
|---|---|
| Term of Office | May 1, 1969 - March 23, 1971 |
| Predecessor | Terence O'Neill |
| Successor | Brian Faulkner |
| Date of Birth | February 12, 1923 |
| Date of Death | May 17, 2002 |
| Political Party | Ulster Unionist Party |
| Profession | Army officer |
'James Dawson Chichester-Clark, Baron Moyola', PC, DL (February 12, 1923–May 17, 2002) was the fifth Prime Minister of Northern Ireland.
| Contents |
| Early Life |
| Military Career |
| Political Life |
| Prime Minister |
| Resignation & Beyond |
| See also |
| References |
Early Life
'James Dawson Clark' was born on February 12, 1923, at the family home, Moyola Park, Castledawson, County Londonderry. He was the eldest of three children of James Jackson Lenox-Conyngham Clark and Marion Caroline Dehra, née Chichester. His brother was Robin Chichester-Clark and his sister, Penelope Hobhouse, the garden writer and historian. In 1924 James Clark changed the family name to Chichester-Clark by deed poll, thus preventing the old ascendancy name Chichester (his wife's maiden name) from dying out. The family are decended from the Donegall Chichesters and were the heirs of the Dawsons of Castledawson.
Educated at Eton College, he fought with the Irish Guards during the Second World War, during which he was wounded in action.
Military Career
After the War he continued in the Army, serving from 1947 to 1950 in Canada as ADC to the Governor General, Lord Alexander of Tunis. He continued in the Army until the late 1950s during which time he married a young widow, Moyra Haughton (née Morris) who was a barrister-at-law. He had two daughters and one step-son. He returned to Castledawson to farm.
Political Life
In an uncontested by-election in 1960, he took over the South Londonderry seat in the Northern Ireland Parliament held by his aunt, Dame Dehra Parker, since 1933. She had been MP until 1929 when she stood down for a first time. James Lenox-Conyingham Chichester-Clark, James Dawson's father, became MP for South Londonderry in 1929, however suddenly died in 1933. Parker willingly returned to Northern Ireland from England, and won the ensuing by-election.
Prime Minister
In 1963 when Terence O'Neill became Prime Minister of Northern Ireland, he immediately appointed Chichester-Clark Assistant Whip. One month later the Chief Whip, William Craig was promoted and Chichester-Clark took over the whips office. Leader of the House of Commons was added to his duties in 1966, when he was admitted to the Privy Council of Northern Ireland.
In 1967, O'Neill sacked his Minister of Agriculture, Harry West for ministerial impropriety, and Chichester-Clark was appointed in his place, a position he retained for two quiet years. In 1969, he resigned from the Cabinet, claiming that he disagreed with the Prime Minister's decision to grant universal suffrage in local government elections at that time. He made clear he disagreed not with the principle of one man one vote but with the timing of the decision. It has since been suggested that his resignation was in order to accelerate O'Neill's own resignation (which followed within a matter of days) in order to raise his profile, increase his standing with party hard-liners, and deny Brian Faulkner of the Premiership. He needed O'Neillite MPs elected at the Northern Ireland general election, 1969 to back him however, so he attended a tea party in the O'Neill's honour only days after he had caused his resignation.
He beat Faulkner in the Ulster Unionist Party leadership election, 1969 by one vote, but while Faulkner believed until his death that he had been the victim of an upper class conspiracy to deny him the top job, he became a high profile and loyal member of Chichester-Clark's cabinet.
His premiership was punctuated by the civil unrest that erupted after August 1969. He suffered from the efects of the Hunt Committee report, which recommended the disbandment of the Ulster Special Constabulary, which his Government accepted to the consternation of many Unionists.
In April 1970 his predecessor and another Unionist MP resigned their seats in the NI House of Commons. The by-election campaigns were punctuated by major liberal speeches by senior government figures like Brian Faulkner, Jack Andrews and the Prime Minister himself. Ian Paisley's Protestant Unionist Party however took both seats in the House of Commons. Later the same month the O'Neillite group the New Ulster Movement became the Alliance Party of Northern Ireland, and his party began passing votes of no confidence in him.
As the civil unrest grew, the British Government, particularly Home Secretary, James Callaghan became increasingly involved in Northern Ireland affairs, forcing Chichester-Clark's hand on many issues. This included the disbanding of the 'B' Specials and importantly the handing over of operational control of the security forces to the Army General Officer Commanding Northern Ireland.
Resignation & Beyond
In early 1971 the IRA lured three off duty soldiers from a pub in Belfast to a lane way outside the city, where they murdered them. Chichester-Clark flew to London to request further military aid from Harold Wilson, who all but refused. Chichester-Clark resigned on his return. He was created a life peer later that year as 'Baron Moyola', of Castledawson in the County of Londonderry. He endorsed the Belfast Agreement in the 1998 referendum. Lord Moyola died on May 17, 2002 at the age of 79, the last surviving Prime Minister of Northern Ireland.
See also
★ List of Northern Ireland Members of the House of Lords
References
★ Family tree
★ Clive Scoular, 'James Chichester-Clark: Prime Minister of Northern Ireland', 2000
★ Telegraph obituary
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