Richard Hazleton
Encyclopedia
Richard Hazleton was an Irish
nationalist
politician of the Irish Parliamentary Party
. He was Member of Parliament
(MP) for North Galway
from 1906 to 1918, taking his seat in the House of Commons of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland
.
and Dublin, he was born at Dollymount
, Dublin, in 1880. He was educated at Blackrock College
.
, which included Thomas Kettle
, Rory O'Connor
and James Creed Meredith
. He was seen as one of the Irish Party's most promising young members.
In 1901, he was elected a member of Blackrock Urban District Council and Rathdown Board of Guardians.
At the general election in January 1906
, the 25-year-old Hazelton contested the South County Dublin constituency, where he lost by a wide margin to the Unionist Walter Long, a former Chief Secretary for Ireland
. However, Thomas Higgins
, the nationalist candidate in North Galway
had died the night before polling day and was elected posthumously, thereby creating an immediate vacancy. Hazelton was the only candidate nominated for the resulting by-election
, and was therefore elected unopposed when nominations closed on 28 February.
At the next general election, in January 1910, Hazelton was returned unopposed in North Galway,, but also stood in North Louth
, where he narrowly failed to unseat the sitting MP Timothy Michael Healy
, of the All-for-Ireland League
. However, at the December 1910 election, he was again returned unopposed in North Galway, but also stood again in North Louth. This time he defeated Timothy Michael Healy
in a bitter contest, by 2509 votes to 2021, but the North Louth result was subsequently overturned on petition, the reason cited being corrupt and defamatory conduct.
On 24 May 1914, he resigned his seat in Parliament
by applying for stewardship of the Chiltern Hundreds, citing health and financial reasons.
On 21 July 1914, he was re-elected to the same constituency in a by-election, in which he was the only candidate.
He was honorary secretary to the Irish Parliamentary Party
from 1907 to 1918.
He lost his seat in the 1918 general election, when he came to within a few hundred votes of retaining the Louth seat for the Irish Party.
He later emigrated to England
In the 1923 British general election
, he unsuccessfully stood as a candidate for the Liberal Party
in the Rotherhithe
constituency.
He worked as an engineer and, in 1925 was secretary to the Society of Technical Engineers. From 1928 until his death, he served as general secretary of the Institution of Production Engineers.
He was briefly engaged to the singer Margaret Burke Sheridan
.
He died, after an operation, in London. He was buried in Kensal Green Cemetery (RC).
Ireland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
nationalist
Irish nationalism
Irish nationalism manifests itself in political and social movements and in sentiment inspired by a love for Irish culture, language and history, and as a sense of pride in Ireland and in the Irish people...
politician of the Irish Parliamentary Party
Irish Parliamentary Party
The Irish Parliamentary Party was formed in 1882 by Charles Stewart Parnell, the leader of the Nationalist Party, replacing the Home Rule League, as official parliamentary party for Irish nationalist Members of Parliament elected to the House of Commons at...
. He was Member of Parliament
Member of Parliament
A Member of Parliament is a representative of the voters to a :parliament. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, the term applies specifically to members of the lower house, as upper houses often have a different title, such as senate, and thus also have different titles for its members,...
(MP) for North Galway
North Galway (UK Parliament constituency)
North Galway was a UK Parliament constituency in Ireland, returning one Member of Parliament 1885–1922.Prior to the United Kingdom general election, 1885 the area was part of the Galway County constituency...
from 1906 to 1918, taking his seat in the House of Commons of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland
United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland was the formal name of the United Kingdom during the period when what is now the Republic of Ireland formed a part of it....
.
Early life
The son of Thomas Hazleton, of DungannonDungannon
Dungannon is a medium-sized town in County Tyrone, Northern Ireland. It is the third-largest town in the county and a population of 11,139 people was recorded in the 2001 Census. In August 2006, Dungannon won Ulster In Bloom's Best Kept Town Award for the fifth time...
and Dublin, he was born at Dollymount
Dollymount
Dollymount is a coastal suburban area on the north coast of Dublin Bay, within Clontarf, on the northside of Dublin, Ireland, just East of St Anne's Park.-Dollymount Strand:...
, Dublin, in 1880. He was educated at Blackrock College
Blackrock College
Blackrock College is a Catholic voluntary secondary school for boys aged 14–18, located in Williamstown, Blackrock, County Dublin, Ireland. The College was founded by French missionaries in 1860, to act as a school and civil service training centre. Set in of grounds, it has an illustrious...
.
Political career
He was one of the founders of the Young Ireland Branch of the United Irish LeagueUnited Irish League
The United Irish League was a nationalist political party in Ireland, launched 23 January 1898 with the motto "The Land for the People" . Its objective to be achieved through agrarian agitation and land reform, compelling larger grazier farmers to surrender their lands for redistribution amongst...
, which included Thomas Kettle
Thomas Kettle
Thomas Michael "Tom" Kettle was an Irish journalist, barrister, writer, poet, soldier, economist and Home Rule politician. As a member of the Irish Parliamentary Party, he was Member of Parliament for East Tyrone from 1906 to 1910 at Westminster...
, Rory O'Connor
Rory O'Connor (Irish republican)
Rory O'Connor was an Irish republican activist. He is best remembered for his role in the Irish Civil War 1922-1923, which led to his execution.-Background:...
and James Creed Meredith
James Creed Meredith
James Creed Meredith K.C., LL.D. was an Irish nationalist of the early 20th century, who upheld Brehon Law. He was President of the Supreme Court of the Irish Republic, Chief Judicial Commissioner of Ireland and a Judge of the High Court and the Supreme Court of Ireland...
. He was seen as one of the Irish Party's most promising young members.
In 1901, he was elected a member of Blackrock Urban District Council and Rathdown Board of Guardians.
At the general election in January 1906
United Kingdom general election, 1906
-Seats summary:-See also:*MPs elected in the United Kingdom general election, 1906*The Parliamentary Franchise in the United Kingdom 1885-1918-External links:***-References:*F. W. S. Craig, British Electoral Facts: 1832-1987**...
, the 25-year-old Hazelton contested the South County Dublin constituency, where he lost by a wide margin to the Unionist Walter Long, a former Chief Secretary for Ireland
Chief Secretary for Ireland
The Chief Secretary for Ireland was a key political office in the British administration in Ireland. Nominally subordinate to the Lord Lieutenant, from the late 18th century until the end of British rule he was effectively the government minister with responsibility for governing Ireland; usually...
. However, Thomas Higgins
Thomas Higgins (Irish politician)
Thomas Higgins was an Irish nationalist politician and auctioneer, who as member of the Irish Parliamentary Party was posthumously declared elected Member of Parliament of the House of Commons of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland in 1906.Higgins, originally from Monivea, who was...
, the nationalist candidate in North Galway
North Galway (UK Parliament constituency)
North Galway was a UK Parliament constituency in Ireland, returning one Member of Parliament 1885–1922.Prior to the United Kingdom general election, 1885 the area was part of the Galway County constituency...
had died the night before polling day and was elected posthumously, thereby creating an immediate vacancy. Hazelton was the only candidate nominated for the resulting by-election
By-election
A by-election is an election held to fill a political office that has become vacant between regularly scheduled elections....
, and was therefore elected unopposed when nominations closed on 28 February.
At the next general election, in January 1910, Hazelton was returned unopposed in North Galway,, but also stood in North Louth
North Louth (UK Parliament constituency)
North Louth was a parliamentary constituency in Ireland, which returned one Member of Parliament to the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom from 1885 to 1918...
, where he narrowly failed to unseat the sitting MP Timothy Michael Healy
Timothy Michael Healy
Timothy Michael Healy, KC , also known as Tim Healy, was an Irish nationalist politician, journalist, author, barrister and one of the most controversial Irish Members of Parliament in the House of Commons of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland...
, of the All-for-Ireland League
All-for-Ireland League
The All-for-Ireland League , was an Irish, Munster-based political party . Founded by William O'Brien MP, it generated a new national movement to achieve agreement between the different parties concerned on the historically difficult aim of Home Rule for the whole of Ireland...
. However, at the December 1910 election, he was again returned unopposed in North Galway, but also stood again in North Louth. This time he defeated Timothy Michael Healy
Timothy Michael Healy
Timothy Michael Healy, KC , also known as Tim Healy, was an Irish nationalist politician, journalist, author, barrister and one of the most controversial Irish Members of Parliament in the House of Commons of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland...
in a bitter contest, by 2509 votes to 2021, but the North Louth result was subsequently overturned on petition, the reason cited being corrupt and defamatory conduct.
On 24 May 1914, he resigned his seat in Parliament
Resignation from the British House of Commons
Members of Parliament sitting in the House of Commons in the United Kingdom are technically forbidden to resign. To circumvent this prohibition, a legal fiction is used...
by applying for stewardship of the Chiltern Hundreds, citing health and financial reasons.
On 21 July 1914, he was re-elected to the same constituency in a by-election, in which he was the only candidate.
He was honorary secretary to the Irish Parliamentary Party
Irish Parliamentary Party
The Irish Parliamentary Party was formed in 1882 by Charles Stewart Parnell, the leader of the Nationalist Party, replacing the Home Rule League, as official parliamentary party for Irish nationalist Members of Parliament elected to the House of Commons at...
from 1907 to 1918.
He lost his seat in the 1918 general election, when he came to within a few hundred votes of retaining the Louth seat for the Irish Party.
He later emigrated to England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
In the 1923 British general election
United Kingdom general election, 1923
-Seats summary:-References:*F. W. S. Craig, British Electoral Facts: 1832-1987*-External links:***...
, he unsuccessfully stood as a candidate for the Liberal Party
Liberal Party (UK)
The Liberal Party was one of the two major political parties of the United Kingdom during the 19th and early 20th centuries. It was a third party of negligible importance throughout the latter half of the 20th Century, before merging with the Social Democratic Party in 1988 to form the present day...
in the Rotherhithe
Rotherhithe (UK Parliament constituency)
Rotherhithe was a parliamentary constituency centred on the Rotherhithe district of South London. It returned one Member of Parliament to the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom, elected by the first past the post system....
constituency.
He worked as an engineer and, in 1925 was secretary to the Society of Technical Engineers. From 1928 until his death, he served as general secretary of the Institution of Production Engineers.
He was briefly engaged to the singer Margaret Burke Sheridan
Margaret Burke Sheridan
Margaret Burke-Sheridan was an Irish opera singer. Born in Castlebar, Co Mayo, Ireland, she was known as Maggie from Mayo and is regarded as Ireland's second prima donna ....
.
He died, after an operation, in London. He was buried in Kensal Green Cemetery (RC).