Down was a UK Parliament constituency in Ireland. It was a two member constituency and existed in two periods, 1801-1885 and 1922-1950.

Boundaries

1801-1885: The whole of County Down

County Down

-Cities:*Belfast *Newry -Large towns:*Dundonald*Newtownards*Bangor-Medium towns:...

, excluding the Boroughs of Downpatrick

Downpatrick

Downpatrick is a medium-sized town about 33 km south of Belfast in County Down, Northern Ireland. It is the county town of Down with a rich history and strong connection to Saint Patrick. It had a population of 10,316 at the 2001 Census...

 and Newry

Newry

Newry is a city in Northern Ireland. The River Clanrye, which runs through the city, formed the historic border between County Armagh and County Down. It is from Belfast and from Dublin. Newry had a population of 27,433 at the 2001 Census, while Newry and Mourne Council Area had a population...

.

1922-1950: The Administrative county

Administrative county

An administrative county was an administrative division in England and Wales and Ireland used for the purposes of local government. They are now abolished, although in Northern Ireland their former areas are used as the basis for lieutenancy....

 of Down, that is the whole of County Down

County Down

-Cities:*Belfast *Newry -Large towns:*Dundonald*Newtownards*Bangor-Medium towns:...

 excluding the part in the City of Belfast

Belfast

Belfast is the capital of and largest city in Northern Ireland. By population, it is the 14th biggest city in the United Kingdom and second biggest on the island of Ireland . It is the seat of the devolved government and legislative Northern Ireland Assembly...

.

1801–1885

Election		First member	First party		Second member	Second party
1801 United Kingdom general election, 1801 The United Kingdom general election, 1801 was not an election as such, but the co-option of members to serve in the first Parliament to be held after the formation of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland on 1 January 1801...		Viscount Castlereagh Robert Stewart, Viscount Castlereagh Robert Stewart, 2nd Marquess of Londonderry, KG, GCH, PC, PC , usually known as Lord CastlereaghThe name Castlereagh derives from the baronies of Castlereagh and Ards, in which the manors of Newtownards and Comber were located...	Tory		John Meade
1805		Francis Savage
May 1812		Hon. Robert Ward Robert Ward (1754–1831) Robert Ward PC , styled The Honourable from 1770, was an Irish politician.-Background:He was the fourth son of Bernard Ward, 1st Viscount Bangor and his wife Lady Ann Bligh, daughter of John Bligh, 1st Earl of Darnley and his wife Theodosia Bligh, 10th Baroness Clifton. His older brothers were...
October 1812 United Kingdom general election, 1812 The election to the 5th Parliament of the United Kingdom in 1812 was the fourth general election to be held after the Union of Great Britain and Ireland....		Viscount Castlereagh Robert Stewart, Viscount Castlereagh Robert Stewart, 2nd Marquess of Londonderry, KG, GCH, PC, PC , usually known as Lord CastlereaghThe name Castlereagh derives from the baronies of Castlereagh and Ards, in which the manors of Newtownards and Comber were located...
1817					Lord Arthur Hill Arthur Moyses William Hill, 2nd Baron Sandys Lieutenant-General Arthur Moyses William Hill, 2nd Baron Sandys , styled as Lord Arthur Hill until 1836, was an Anglo-Irish soldier and politician.-Background:...
1821		Matthew Forde
1826 United Kingdom general election, 1826 The 1826 United Kingdom general election saw the Tories under the Earl of Liverpool win a substantial and increased majority over the Whigs. In Ireland, Home Rule candidates, working with the Whigs, won large gains from Unionist candidates....		Viscount Castleragh Frederick Stewart, 4th Marquess of Londonderry Frederick William Robert Stewart, 4th Marquess of Londonderry KP, PC , styled Viscount Castlereagh between 1822 and 1854, was an Anglo-Irish nobleman and Tory politician...
1836					Earl of Hillsborough Arthur Hill, 4th Marquess of Downshire Arthur Wills Blundell Sandys Trumbull Windsor Hill, 4th Marquess of Downshire KP was an Irish peer, styled Earl of Hillsborough until 1845....
1845					Lord Arthur Hill-Trevor	Conservative Conservative Party (UK) The Conservative Party, formally the Conservative and Unionist Party, is a centre-right political party in the United Kingdom that adheres to the philosophies of conservatism and British unionism. It is the largest political party in the UK, and is currently the largest single party in the House...
1852 United Kingdom general election, 1852 The July 1852 United Kingdom general election was a watershed election in the formation of the modern political parties of Britain. Following 1852, the Tory/Conservative party became, more completely, the party of the rural aristocracy, while the Whig/Liberal party became the party of the rising...		David Steward Ker
1857 United Kingdom general election, 1857 -Seats summary:-References:*F. W. S. Craig, British Electoral Facts: 1832-1987* British Electoral Facts 1832-1999, compiled and edited by Colin Rallings and Michael Thrasher *...		William Brownlow Forde
1874 United Kingdom general election, 1874 -Seats summary:-References:* F. W. S. Craig, British Electoral Facts: 1832-1987* British Electoral Facts 1832-1999, compiled and edited by Colin Rallings and Michael Thrasher *...		James Sharman Crawford James Sharman Crawford James Sharman Crawford was the Member of Parliament for County Down, 1874–1878.`-References:...
1878		Viscount Castlereagh Charles Vane-Tempest-Stewart, 6th Marquess of Londonderry Charles Stewart Vane-Tempest-Stewart, 6th Marquess of Londonderry KG, GCVO, PC, DL, JP , styled Viscount Castlereagh between 1872 and 1884, was an Anglo-Irish Conservative politician, landowner and benefactor, who served in various capacities in the Conservative administrations of the late 19th and...	Conservative Conservative Party (UK) The Conservative Party, formally the Conservative and Unionist Party, is a centre-right political party in the United Kingdom that adheres to the philosophies of conservatism and British unionism. It is the largest political party in the UK, and is currently the largest single party in the House...
1880 United Kingdom general election, 1880 -Seats summary:-References:*F. W. S. Craig, British Electoral Facts: 1832-1987* British Electoral Facts 1832-1999, compiled and edited by Colin Rallings and Michael Thrasher *...					Lord Arthur Hill	Conservative Conservative Party (UK) The Conservative Party, formally the Conservative and Unionist Party, is a centre-right political party in the United Kingdom that adheres to the philosophies of conservatism and British unionism. It is the largest political party in the UK, and is currently the largest single party in the House...
1884		Richard William Blackwood Ker
1885 United Kingdom general election, 1885 -Seats summary:-See also:*List of MPs elected in the United Kingdom general election, 1885*Parliamentary Franchise in the United Kingdom 1885–1918*Representation of the People Act 1884*Redistribution of Seats Act 1885-References:...		constituency abolished: see Down East, Down West, Down South and Down North

1922–1955

Election		First member	First party		Second member	Second party
1922 United Kingdom general election, 1922 The United Kingdom general election of 1922 was held on 15 November 1922. It was the first election held after most of the Irish counties left the United Kingdom to form the Irish Free State, and was won by Andrew Bonar Law's Conservatives, who gained an overall majority over Labour, led by John...		David Reid Sir David Reid, 1st Baronet Sir David Reid, 1st Baronet was the Unionist Member of Parliament for Down from 1922 until his death in 1939.He attended Queens College, Belfast and New College, Oxford, graduating with 1st Class honours in History. He then became a barrister...	Ulster Unionist Party Ulster Unionist Party The Ulster Unionist Party – sometimes referred to as the Official Unionist Party or, in a historic sense, simply the Unionist Party – is the more moderate of the two main unionist political parties in Northern Ireland...		John Morrow Simms John Morrow Simms John Morrow Simms was a unionist politician in Northern Ireland.Born in Newtownards, Simms studied at the Old Academy, Belfast, the Coleraine Academical Institution, Queen's University, Belfast, the University of Edinburgh and Leipzig University. In 1882, he was ordained as a Church of Ireland...	Ulster Unionist Party Ulster Unionist Party The Ulster Unionist Party – sometimes referred to as the Official Unionist Party or, in a historic sense, simply the Unionist Party – is the more moderate of the two main unionist political parties in Northern Ireland...
1931					Edward Vane Tempest Stewart	Ulster Unionist Party Ulster Unionist Party The Ulster Unionist Party – sometimes referred to as the Official Unionist Party or, in a historic sense, simply the Unionist Party – is the more moderate of the two main unionist political parties in Northern Ireland...
1939		James Little	Ulster Unionist Party Ulster Unionist Party The Ulster Unionist Party – sometimes referred to as the Official Unionist Party or, in a historic sense, simply the Unionist Party – is the more moderate of the two main unionist political parties in Northern Ireland...
1945			Independent Unionist Independent Unionist See also Independent .Independent Unionist has been a label sometimes used by candidates in elections in the United Kingdom, indicating a support for Unionism, retaining the unity of the British state....		Walter Smiles	Ulster Unionist Party Ulster Unionist Party The Ulster Unionist Party – sometimes referred to as the Official Unionist Party or, in a historic sense, simply the Unionist Party – is the more moderate of the two main unionist political parties in Northern Ireland...
1946 Down by-election, 1946 The Down by-election was held on 6 June 1946, following the death of James Little, the independent Unionist Member of Parliament for Down.The Down constituency elected two members...		Charles Heron Mullan Charles Heron Mullan Charles Heron Mullan CBE DL , known as C. H. Mullan, was a judge and unionist politician in Northern Ireland....	Ulster Unionist Party Ulster Unionist Party The Ulster Unionist Party – sometimes referred to as the Official Unionist Party or, in a historic sense, simply the Unionist Party – is the more moderate of the two main unionist political parties in Northern Ireland...

Elections in the 1940s

Elections in the 1930s

At the Down by-election, 1939, James Little was elected unopposed as an Ulster Unionist

Ulster Unionist Party

The Ulster Unionist Party – sometimes referred to as the Official Unionist Party or, in a historic sense, simply the Unionist Party – is the more moderate of the two main unionist political parties in Northern Ireland...

. He subsequently left the party in the run-up to the 1945 general election in a dispute over re-selection.

At the 1931 UK general election, David Reid

Sir David Reid, 1st Baronet

Sir David Reid, 1st Baronet was the Unionist Member of Parliament for Down from 1922 until his death in 1939.He attended Queens College, Belfast and New College, Oxford, graduating with 1st Class honours in History. He then became a barrister...

 and Edward Vane Tempest Stewart were elected unopposed.

Elections in the 1920s

At the 1922

United Kingdom general election, 1922

The United Kingdom general election of 1922 was held on 15 November 1922. It was the first election held after most of the Irish counties left the United Kingdom to form the Irish Free State, and was won by Andrew Bonar Law's Conservatives, who gained an overall majority over Labour, led by John...

 and 1923 general election

United Kingdom general election, 1923

-Seats summary:-References:*F. W. S. Craig, British Electoral Facts: 1832-1987*-External links:***...

s, David Reid

Sir David Reid, 1st Baronet

Sir David Reid, 1st Baronet was the Unionist Member of Parliament for Down from 1922 until his death in 1939.He attended Queens College, Belfast and New College, Oxford, graduating with 1st Class honours in History. He then became a barrister...

 and John Morrow Simms

John Morrow Simms

John Morrow Simms was a unionist politician in Northern Ireland.Born in Newtownards, Simms studied at the Old Academy, Belfast, the Coleraine Academical Institution, Queen's University, Belfast, the University of Edinburgh and Leipzig University. In 1882, he was ordained as a Church of Ireland...

were elected unopposed.