James Craig, 1st Viscount Craigavon (1871–1940)
James Craig, 1st Viscount Craigavon, was born at Sydenham,
Belfast, the son of a prosperous whiskey distiller. After early careers in
finance and the military, he turned to politics, becoming one of the foremost
leaders in the Unionist opposition to Irish Home Rule. In 1914 he openly
supported the arming of the Ulster Volunteers. Though at first a supporter of
women’s suffrage - breaking with many Irish MPs by voting for the Conciliation
Bill - his stance shifted when it no longer aligned with his political aims.
Craig’s most enduring legacy was the establishment of
devolved government in Belfast. He successfully persuaded both fellow Unionists
and the British Government that partition should include a Northern Ireland
parliament. Following the 1921 general election, Craig was elected to the newly
created Northern Ireland House of Commons and appointed the first Prime
Minister of Northern Ireland, a position he held until his death. He had been
created a baronet in 1918 and elevated as Viscount Craigavon of Stormont in
1927.
Viscountess Craigavon (1877–1960)
Viscountess Craigavon likewise played a notable
role in Ulster politics. A founding member of the Ulster Women’s Unionist
Council (UWUC), she served as vice-president from 1912 to 1923 and president
from 1923 to 1942, while also acting for over two decades as vice-president of
the Ulster Unionist Council. In later years she frequently represented her
husband at official functions when his health declined, cementing her
reputation as one of Northern Ireland’s leading political women of her
generation.
