Thomas Moles
Thomas Moles (November 1871 – 3 February 1937) was a journalist and Ulster Unionist politician.
Thomas Moles | |
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![]() Moles in 1923 | |
Member of Parliament for Belfast South | |
In office 15 November 1922 – 30 May 1929 | |
Preceded by | William Arthur Lindsay (1918) Constituency recreated |
Succeeded by | William Stewart |
Personal details | |
Born | November 1871 Belfast, Ireland |
Died | 3 February 1937 65) | (aged
Nationality | British |
Political party | Ulster Unionist Party |
Profession | Journalist |
Life
Born in Belfast in 1871, Moles was educated at the Collegiate School, Ballymena. A journalist by profession, he was Leader Writer for the Belfast Telegraph from 1909 until 1924 and managing editor for that newspaper from 1924.[1]
Moles was MP for Belfast Ormeau 1918–1922 and Belfast South at Westminster from 1922 until he retired in 1929. He was also an MP in the Northern Ireland House of Commons from 1921 to 1929 for South Belfast and for Belfast, Ballynafeigh from 1929 to his death in 1937, and Deputy Speaker there from 7 June 1921 until his death.[1] He was the first ever member declared elected to the Northern Ireland House of Commons.
Moles also was: Irish representative on the British Press visit to Canada in 1911; Member of the Secretariat to the Irish Convention from 1917 to 1918; Chairman of the Ways and Means and Deputy Speaker of the Northern Ireland House of Commons from 7 June 1921 until his death; and Member of the Privy Council of Northern Ireland in 1923.
He was also a motorcycle enthusiast and helped to push through parliament the first Road Races Act, which made it legal for the roads on the Clady Course to be closed for the first Ulster Grand Prix motorcycle road race on 14 October 1922.[2]
References
- Harbinson, John F. (1973). The Ulster Unionist Party, 1882–1973. Belfast: Blackstaff Press. p. 181. ISBN 0856400769.
- Eddie McIlwaine (17 August 2008). "10 things you didn't know about the big event". Belfast Telegraph. p. 15.
External links
- Hansard 1803–2005: contributions in Parliament by Thomas Moles
Parliament of the United Kingdom | ||
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New constituency | Member of Parliament for Belfast Ormeau 1918–1922 |
Constituency abolished |
New constituency | Member of Parliament for Belfast South 1922–1929 |
Succeeded by William Stewart |
Parliament of Northern Ireland | ||
New constituency | Member of Parliament for Belfast South 1921–1929 With: Hugh Pollock 1921–1929 Julia McMordie 1921–1925 Crawford McCullagh 1921–1925 Arthur Black 1925–1929 Philip James Woods 1925 Anthony Babington 1925–1929 |
Constituency abolished |
New constituency | Member of Parliament for Belfast, Ballynafeigh 1929–1937 |
Succeeded by Frederick Thompson |
Political offices | ||
New office | Deputy Speaker of the Northern Ireland House of Commons 1921–1937 |
Succeeded by John Clarke Davison |