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Lord Craigavon

The Right Honourable
The Viscount Craigavon
PC PC (NI)
James Craig, 1st Viscount Craigavon.jpg
Prime Minister of Northern Ireland
In office
7 June 1921 – 24 November 1940
Monarch George V
Edward VIII
George VI
Preceded by Office created
Succeeded by John Miller Andrews
Parliamentary and Financial Secretary to the Admiralty
In office
1920–1921
Preceded by Thomas James Macnamara
Succeeded by Leo Amery
Member of the Northern Ireland Parliament
for North Down
In office
22 May 1929 – 24 November 1940
Preceded by Constituency created
Succeeded by Thomas Bailie
Member of the Northern Ireland Parliament
for Down
In office
24 May 1921 – 22 May 1929
Preceded by Constituency created
Succeeded by Constituency abolished
Personal details
Born (1871-01-08)8 January 1871
Belfast, Ireland
Died 24 November 1940(1940-11-24) (aged 69)
Glencraig, Northern Ireland
Nationality British
Political party Ulster Unionist Party
Spouse(s) Cecil Mary Tupper
Children 3
Education Merchiston
Religion Presbyterian
Military service
Allegiance United Kingdom
Service/branch British Army
Years of service 1899–1901
Rank Captain
Unit 3rd (Militia) Royal Irish Rifles
Battles/wars Second Boer War

James Craig, 1st Viscount Craigavon, PC, PC (NI) (8 January 1871 – 24 November 1940), was a prominent Irish unionist politician, leader of the Ulster Unionist Party and the first Prime Minister of Northern Ireland. He was created a baronet in 1918 and raised to the Peerage in 1927.

Craig was born at Sydenham, Belfast, the son of James Craig (1828–1900), a wealthy whiskey distiller; he had entered the firm of Dunville Whisky as a clerk and by aged 40 he was a millionaire and a partner in the firm. James Craig Snr. owned a large house called Craigavon, overlooking Belfast Lough. His mother, Eleanor Gilmore Browne, was the daughter of Robert Browne, a prosperous man who owned property in Belfast and a farm outside Lisburn. Craig was the seventh child and sixth son in the family; there were eight sons and one daughter in all.

He was educated at Merchiston Castle School in Edinburgh, Scotland; his father had taken a conscious decision not to send his sons to any of the more fashionable public schools. After school he began work as a stockbroker, eventually opening his own firm in Belfast.

He enlisted in the 3rd (militia) regiment of the Royal Irish Rifles on 11 January 1900 to serve in the Second Boer War. Military life suited him well, but he became impatient with the lack of professionalism and efficiency in the British Army. He was seconded to the Imperial Yeomanry as a lieutenant in the 13th battalion on 24 February 1900, was promoted to captain, and was taken prisoner in May 1900, but released by the Boers because of a perforated eardrum. On his recovery he became deputy assistant director of the Imperial Military Railways, showing the qualities of organisation that were to mark his involvement in both British and Ulster politics. In June 1901 he was sent home suffering from dysentery, and by the time he was fit for service again the war was over.


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