Basil Brooke, 1st Viscount Brookeborough
 Brooke in 1941 | |
| 3rd Prime Minister of Northern Ireland | |
| In office 1 May 1943 – 26 March 1963 | |
| Monarchs | George VI Elizabeth II |
| Governor | |
| Preceded by | Leader of the Ulster Unionist Party |
| In office 1 May 1946 – 25 March 1963 | |
| Preceded by | J. M. Andrews |
| Succeeded by | Terence O'Neill |
| Minister of Commerce | |
| In office 16 January 1941 – 16 February 1945 | |
| Prime Minister |
|
| Preceded by | John Milne Barbour |
| Succeeded by | Roland Nugent |
| Minister of Agriculture | |
| In office 1 December 1933 – 16 January 1941 | |
| Prime Minister | |
| Preceded by | Member of the Northern Ireland Parliament for Lisnaskea |
| In office 22 May 1929 – 22 March 1968 | |
| Preceded by | New constituency |
| Succeeded by | John Brooke |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 9 June 1888 Colebrooke Park, Brookeborough, County Fermanagh, Ireland |
| Died | 18 August 1973 (aged 85) Colebrooke Park, Brookeborough, County Fermanagh, Northern Ireland |
| Nationality | British |
| Political party | Ulster Unionist Party |
| Spouses | |
| Children | 3 |
| Education | Winchester College |
| Alma mater | Royal Military College, Sandhurst |
| Military service | |
| Allegiance | United Kingdom |
| Branch/service | British Army |
| Years of service | 1908–1920 |
| Rank | Captain |
| Unit |
|
| Battles/wars | First World War |
| Awards |
|
Basil Stanlake Brooke, 1st Viscount Brookeborough,
Lord Brookeborough had previously held several ministerial positions in the Government of Northern Ireland, and has been described as "perhaps the last Unionist leader to command respect, loyalty and affection across the social and political spectrum".[1]
Equally well, he has also been described as one of the most hard-line
Early life
Basil Stanlake Brooke was born on 9 June 1888 at Colebrooke Park, his family's
Military and paramilitary career
After graduating from the
Brooke was a very active Ulster Unionist Party member and ally of Edward Carson. He founded his own paramilitary group, Brooke's Fermanagh Vigilance, from men returning from the war front in 1918. Although the umbrella Ulster Volunteers (UVF) had been quiescent during the war, it was not defunct. It re-emerged strongly in 1920, subsuming groups like Brooke's.[3]
In 1920, having reached the
Political career
Brooke had a very long political career. When he resigned the Premiership of Northern Ireland in March 1963, he was Northern Ireland's longest-serving prime minister, having held office for two months short of 20 years.[7] He had also established a United Kingdom record by holding government office continuously for 33 years.[7]
In 1921 Captain Brooke was elected to the Senate of Northern Ireland, but he resigned the following year to become Commandant of the Ulster Special Constabulary (USC) in their fight against the Irish Republican Army (IRA). He was created a Commander of the Order of the British Empire in 1921.[7]
In 1929 he was elected to the
Cabinet minister
Brooke became
Capt. Brooke addressed an
Many in this audience employ Catholics, but I have not one about my place. Catholics are out to destroy Ulster...If we in Ulster allow Roman Catholics to work on our farms we are traitors to Ulster...I would appeal to loyalists, therefore, wherever possible, to employ good Protestant lads and lassies.[8][9]
In later years he expressed regret for the statement.[10] However, on 19 March 1934 Brooke publicly repeated his feelings on the employment of Catholics – "I recommend people not to employ Roman Catholics, who are 99 per cent disloyal."[11]
As Prime Minister of Northern Ireland
On 2 May 1943 he succeeded John M. Andrews as Prime Minister.[12]
In 1952 Brookeborough, whilst Prime Minister, was raised to the peerage as Viscount Brookeborough, the title taken from the village named after the Brookes. Although a peer, he retained his seat in the House of Commons at Stormont and remained PM for another decade.
As the
In 1959, Brooke expressed scepticism at the idea of Catholics joining the Ulster Unionist Party, saying
There is no use blinking the fact that political differences in Northern Ireland closely follow religious differences. It may not be impossible, but is certainly not easy for any person to discard the political conceptions, the influence and impressions acquired from religious and education instruction by those whose aims are openly declared to be an all-Ireland republic. The Unionist Party is dedicated to the resistance of those aims and its constitution and composition reflect that basic fact. There is no change in the fundamental character of the Unionist Party or in the loyalties it observes and preserves. If that is called intolerance I say at once it is not the fault of the Unionist party. If it is called inflexible then it shows that our principles are not elastic.[14]
In 1963, his health having worsened, he resigned (at the age of 75) as Prime Minister. But he remained a member of the House of Commons of Northern Ireland until the 1969 general election, becoming the Father of the House in 1965. During his last years in the Parliament of Northern Ireland he publicly opposed the liberal policies of his successor Terence O'Neill, who actively sought to improve relationships with the Republic of Ireland, and who attempted to address some of the grievances of Catholics and grant many of the demands of the Northern Ireland Civil Rights Association.
Brookeborough was noted for his casual style towards his ministerial duties. Terence O'Neill later wrote of him: "he was good company and a good raconteur, and those who met him imagined that he was relaxing away from his desk. However they did not realise that there was no desk."[7]
While Graham Walker wrote "...Brookeborough's achievements over twenty years were substantial: the Unionist Party maintained essential unity, the anti-partitionist project was thwarted, and a potentially difficult post-war relationship with Britain under Labour was managed to the long-term benefit of Northern Ireland's full participation in the welfare state and new educational opportunities...",[15] increased educational opportunities for Catholics increased their self-confidence and expectations, which added momentum to the 1960s civil rights movement.[16]
Later life and death
In his retirement Brookeborough developed commercial interests; as chairman of Carreras (Northern Ireland), a director of Devenish Trade, and president of the Northern Ireland
From 1970 to 1973, years in which the Stormont institution came under its greatest strain and eventually crumbled, Brookeborough made only occasional forays into political life.
Lord Brookeborough died at his home, Colebrooke Park, on the Colebrooke Estate, on 18 August 1973. His remains were cremated at
Brookeborough's estate[17] was valued at £406,591.83.[7]
Personal life and family
Brooke married, firstly,
Brooke was a member of the Hanover Loyal Orange Lodge 1639, which served the Brookeborough estate. Involvement with the Orange Order was a longstanding family tradition.[19]
Lady Brookeborough died in 1970 and the following year, aged 83, Lord Brookeborough married Sarah Eileen Bell Calvert, daughter of Henry Healey, of
In his private life, Brookeborough enjoyed farming, and he won many awards for it. He also liked shooting, fishing, and golf.[7]
Children
By his first wife, Brookeborough had the following children:
- Lieutenant Basil Julian David Brooke (18 April 1920 – March 1943 – killed in action)
- John Warden Brooke, 2nd Viscount Brookeborough(9 November 1922 – 5 March 1987)
- Lieutenant Henry Alan Brooke (29 October 1923 – April 1945 – killed in action)
Awards and decorations
He was awarded the Military Cross[20] for "Distinguished Service in the Field" on 3 June 1916.[21] He was awarded the Croix de Guerre in 1918.[22]
Having been appointed
| Ribbon | Award | Date | Post-nominal letters |
|---|---|---|---|
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Order of the British Empire | 1921 | CBE |
 |
Military Cross | 1916 | MC |
 |
Order of the Garter | 1965 | KG |
 |
Croix de Guerre | 1918 |
See also
- List of Northern Ireland Members of the House of Lords
References
- ^ Walker, G, A history of the Ulster Unionist Party (Manchester 2004) p 150
- ^ Anti-Catholicism in Northern Ireland, 1600–1998
The Mote and the Beam
by John D. Brewer with Gareth I. Higgins (1998)
ISBN 0-333-74635-X(Paperback)
- ^ a b Townshend, "Easter 1916" p.181.
- ^ Barton, Brian, Brookeborough: The Making of a Prime Minister, 1988, p. 15
- ^ "No. 28180". The London Gazette. 25 September 1908. p. 6940.
- ^ Timothy Bowman, 'The Ulster Volunteer Force, 1910–1920: New Perspectives', in Boyce and O'Day (eds.), Ulster Crisis, pp.256–8.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l The Times, 20 August 1973
- ISBN 978-0-15-600559-3.
- ISBN 978-1-4039-6397-0.
- ^ "Sir Basil Brooke on that statement". Archived from the original on 1 June 2020. Retrieved 29 August 2018 – via YouTube.
- ^ Reid, Gerard (1999), Great Irish Voices, Irish Academic Press, Dublin, pg 255, ISBN 0-7165-2674-3
- ^ "NORTHERN IRELAND GETS NEW PREMIER". The New York Times. 2 May 1943. Archived from the original on 19 July 2018. Retrieved 23 January 2015.
resigned after criticism from his own Unionist party with regard to the government's unemployment policy.
- ^ MacDonald, Michael, Children of Wrath, Cambridge, UK: Polity Press, 1986, p. 71
- ^ John Fitzsimons Harbinson, The Ulster Unionist Party, 1882–1973: Its Development and Organisation (Blackstaff Press, 1973), p. 44
- ^ Graham Walker, p.149
- ISBN 9781601270672– via Google Books.
- ^ probate, 5 December 1975, CGPLA NIre. • £42,793 in England and Wales: probate, 7 November 1973, CGPLA Eng. & Wales
- Oxford Dictionary of National Biography
- ^ Beyond the Banners:The Story of the Orange Order, 92
- ^ "No. 29608". The London Gazette (Supplement). 2 June 1916. pp. 5570–5571.
- ^ "No. 29608". The London Gazette (Supplement). 2 June 1916. p. 5563.
- ^ "No. 30945". The London Gazette. 8 October 1918. pp. 3213–11944.
Further reading
- Brian Barton, Brookeborough: the making of a Prime Minister, The Institute of Irish Studies, Queen's University, Belfast, 1988.
External links
- Hansard 1803–2005: contributions in Parliament by the Viscount Brookeborough
- Newspaper clippings about Basil Brooke, 1st Viscount Brookeborough in the 20th Century Press Archives of the ZBW
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