- Milne Barbour
-
Sir Milne Barbour, Bt Minister of Commerce of
Northern IrelandIn office
16 April 1925 – 16 January 1941.Minister of Finance for
Northern IrelandIn office
16 January 1941 – 6 May 1943.Constituency Antrim (1921-1929) Constituency South Antrim (1929-1951) Personal details Born 1868 Died 3 October 1951 Political party Ulster Unionist Party Occupation Linen manufacturer Religion Protestant Sir John Milne Barbour, 1st Baronet JP, DL (1868 – 3 October 1951) was a Northern Irish politician and baronet. As a member of the Privy Council of Northern Ireland he was styled The Right Honourable Sir Milne Barbour.
Contents
Background and education
Born in Lisburn, County Antrim, he was the son of John Doherty Barbour. He was educated at Elstree School, Harrow School, Brasenose College, Oxford, and Darmstadt, Germany.[1] The members of his family were wealthy linen manufacturers, owners of William Barbour Linen Thread Company of Hilden - the largest linen thread manufacturers in the world [2], in business he was Chairman of the family company, which exists today in the same factory as Barbour Campbell Threads[3].
Career
In politics, he served as a Member of Parliament for County Antrim from 1921-1929 and then for South Antrim from 1929 until his death in 1951. In 1921, he was appointed Parliamentary and Financial Secretary to the Ministry of Finance, and then entered Craigavon's Cabinet as Minister of Commerce in 1937 (where he was perceived as "wrong, inept and palsied"[4]) and was promoted, aged 72, to Minister of Finance.[4]
He also acted as High Sheriff of Armagh in 1905[5] and as High Sheriff of Down in 1907.[1] He was created a Baronet, of Hilden, in the County of Antrim, in 1943. He also served as President of the Belfast Chamber of Commerce in 1911, as a member of Belfast Harbour Commissioners from 1914 to 1950, as President of the Royal Victoria Hospital, Belfast and as President of the Royal Ulster Agricultural Society from 1925 to 1930 and from 1931 until his death. He also sat on the Senate of Queen’s University, Belfast.[1]
A motor car (Delaunay-Belleville F& Mulliner Roi-des-Belges Tourer) specifically designed and built for Sir Milne Barbour
Personal life
Barbour married Elise Barbour, a distant relative (b. Paterson, New Jersey, USA in 1873); Lady Barbour died at their home, Conway House, Dunmurry[6], in 1910.[2] The couple had three daughters and one son, John Milne Jnr., whose aeroplane went missing whilst flying over the Irish sea in 1937. John was a civilian pilot (a former competitor in the King's Cup Race[7]) who would fly home at the weekends from the Barbour factory in Glasgow, where he worked during the week.[2] Barbour's sister, Helen, married Thomas Andrews, architect of the Titanic.[2] Barbour was a Freemason.[2] He was described by diarist Lillian Dean, later Lady Spender (wife of Sir Wilfrid Spender) as "a curious man who looks like a stage Mephistopheles but is given to preaching in dissenting chapels." [8] A deeply religious man throughout his life he served on as a Member of the General Synod of the Church of Ireland[1]. presented the East Window to Christ Church Cathedral, Lisburn, in memory of his wife and son.[9] The baronetcy became extinct upon his death, Barbour was predeceased by his son.[2]
Barbour Memorial Playing Fields and the Sir Milne Barbour Memorial Garden, both in Lisburn, are named in his honour.[10] A prize cup at the boat club of Queen's University, Belfast is also named in his honour.[11]
See also
- Summary of a piece of film held in the Public Records Office NI Digital Film Archive which features Sir Milne
- A motor car made for Sir Milne (in Spanish)
References
- ^ a b c d Northern Ireland Parliamentary Biographies
- ^ a b c d e f Belfast Cathedral
- ^ "Travel World Magazine". http://www.travelworldmagazine.com/contributors/detail.php?ArticleID=391.
- ^ a b Jackson, Alan A., Ireland 1798-1998: Politics and War, p.354
- ^ "The Stormont Papers - Biography of John Milne Barbour". http://stormontpapers.ahds.ac.uk/stormontpapers/context.html?memberId=112. Retrieved 19 July 2009.
- ^ Japanese Art Collections in the UK
- ^ Genealogy at the Linenhall by Gerry Healey
- ^ Lady Spender's Diaries at PUblic Record Office of Northern Ireland
- ^ Christ Church Cathedral, Lisburn
- ^ "Sport Lisburn". http://www.sportlisburn.com/facilities/?id=17.
- ^ Queen's University, Belfast Boat Club
Parliament of Northern Ireland New constituency Member of Parliament for South Antrim
1929 – 1951Succeeded by
Brian McConnellPolitical offices New office Parliamentary and Financial Secretary, Ministry of Finance
1921 – 1937Succeeded by
Alexander GordonPreceded by
Edward ArchdaleMinister of Commerce
1925 – 1941Succeeded by
Sir Basil BrookePreceded by
John Miller AndrewsMinister of Finance
1941 – 1943Succeeded by
John Maynard SinclairBaronetage of the United Kingdom New creation Baronet
(of Hilden)
1943 – 1951Extinct Categories:- 1868 births
- 1951 deaths
- Alumni of Brasenose College, Oxford
- Baronets in the Baronetage of the United Kingdom
- Deputy Lieutenants in Northern Ireland
- High Sheriffs of Armagh
- High Sheriffs of Down
- Linen industry in Ireland
- Members of the Parliament of Northern Ireland 1921–1925
- Members of the Parliament of Northern Ireland 1925–1929
- Members of the Parliament of Northern Ireland 1929–1933
- Members of the Parliament of Northern Ireland 1933–1938
- Members of the Parliament of Northern Ireland 1938–1945
- Members of the Parliament of Northern Ireland 1945–1949
- Members of the Parliament of Northern Ireland 1949–1953
- Members of the Privy Council of Northern Ireland
- Northern Ireland Cabinet ministers (Parliament of Northern Ireland)
- Anglicans from Northern Ireland
- Old Harrovians
- People from Lisburn
- Ulster Unionist Party politicians
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