William Allen (Armagh MP): Difference between revisions

Lieutenant Colonel Sir William James Allen KBE DSO ^[1] (15 October 1866 – 20 December 1947) was a Northern Irish unionist politician and soldier.^[2] The son of Joseph and Catherine Allen, he was educated at Lurgan College. His father Joseph was co-founder in 1868 of Johnston, Allen & Co., Victoria Street, Lurgan Co Armagh linen manufacturers. After his father died in 1890, William inherited the partnership. This lasted until 1905, when it was dissolved (The factory retained the name Johnston Allen) as William left to set up his own linen business called, the Windsor factory.^[3]

During 1913-14 he was a key supporter of Lord Edward Carson and Sir James Craig in their campaign against the third Home Rule Bill.^[4] He was also elected Deputy Grand Master of the Orange Order and also held the post of Honorary Secretary of the Ulster Unionist Council from 1907 on.^[5]

He served as Sovereign Grand Master of the Royal Black Institution In recognition for his efforts towards the purchase of Brownlow House for the Loyal Orange institution, the conveyancing document dated 11 July 1904 he signed personally,^[6] which became the world headquarters for its sister organisation the Royal Black Institution, an illuminated address was presented to him by District Lodge which still hangs in the Dining Room beside his portrait painted by Frank McKelvey. He, together with Messrs. Hugh Hayes, John Mehaffey, George Lunn Jun. and James Malcolm Jun. were named as its first Trustees.

The house was a venue in 1912 where local people signed the Ulster Covenant a cause Lt. Col Allen promoted vigourously against what he viewed as the imposition by the British Government of the third Home Rule bill. Brownlow House also subsequently became his military HQ from 14 November 1914 onwards, where Sir William helped raise and organise the basic training of the 16th (Pioneer) Battalion Royal Irish Rifles and later served as its commanding officer. He arrived with them in France from their training camp in Seaford England on the 1st October 1915.^[7]

He was awarded the DSO in 1918 and mentioned in despatches 4 times. He was also appointed chevalier of the French Légion d'honneur.

He was elected to the House of Commons of the United Kingdom at a by-election in 1917, as an Irish Unionist Party Member of Parliament (MP) for North Armagh, and retained his seat at the 1918 general election. The constituency was abolished for the 1922 general election, when he was re-elected as a member of the new Ulster Unionist Party for the new Armagh constituency. On the 22nd of June 1921, he was one of several officers specially invested with the honour of Knight Commander of the British Empire (KBE)^[8] to mark the visit of King George V and Queen Queen Mary to open the new Parliament of Northern Ireland

He was twice married first in 1892 to Maria eldest daughter of Mr and Mrs John Ross. They had a son and daughter. Maria died in 1937 and in 1938 he was re married to Lillah Irene daughter of the late Mr R.H. Forsythe. He (Lt. Col Allen) died in 1947 two weeks after being knocked down by a motor van while alighting from a tram on the Lisburn Road, Belfast on 5 December. He was 81 and the second oldest MP in the House of Commons. Sir William was buried in Lurgan. He was survived by his second wife Lillah Irene, Lady Allen.

• Leigh Rayment's Peerage Pages ^{[self-published source] [better source needed]}

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