Thomas Moles
Encyclopedia
Thomas Moles was an Ulster Unionist politician. Born in Belfast
, Ireland
in 1871, he was educated at the Collegiate School, Ballymena
.
Moles was MP for Belfast Ormeau
1918-1922 and Belfast South
at Westminster
from 1922 until he retired in 1929. He was also an MP in the Northern Ireland House of Commons from 1921 to 1929 for South Belfast
and for Belfast, Ballynafeigh
from 1929 to his death in 1937, and Deputy Speaker there from 7 June 1921 until his death. He was the first ever member declared elected to the Northern Ireland House of Commons.
A journalist by profession, he was Leader Writer
for the Belfast Telegraph from 1909 until 1924 and managing editor for that newspaper from 1924-1937. Irish representative on the British Press visit to Canada in 1911. Member of the Secretariat to the Irish Convention
from 1917 to 1918. Chairman of the Ways and Means and Deputy Speaker of the Northern Ireland House of Commons from the 7th June 1921 until his death. Member of the Privy Council of Northern Ireland
in 1923.
He was also a motorcycle enthusiast and helped to push through parliament the first Road Races Act, which made it legal for the roads on the Clady Course to be closed for the first Ulster Grand Prix motorcycle road race on 14 October 1922.
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...
, Ireland
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...
in 1871, he was educated at the Collegiate School, Ballymena
Ballymena
Ballymena is a large town in County Antrim, Northern Ireland and the seat of Ballymena Borough Council. Ballymena had a population of 28,717 people in the 2001 Census....
.
Moles was MP for Belfast Ormeau
Belfast Ormeau (UK Parliament constituency)
Ormeau, a division of Belfast, was a UK parliamentary constituency in Ireland. It returned one Member of Parliament to the House of Commons of the United Kingdom 1918–1922.-Boundaries and Boundary Changes:...
1918-1922 and Belfast South
Belfast South (UK Parliament constituency)
Belfast South is a Parliamentary Constituency in the United Kingdom House of Commons.-Boundaries:The seat was created in 1922 when, as part of the establishment of the devolved Stormont Parliament for Northern Ireland, the number of MPs in the Westminster Parliament was drastically cut...
at Westminster
Parliament of the United Kingdom
The Parliament of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is the supreme legislative body in the United Kingdom, British Crown dependencies and British overseas territories, located in London...
from 1922 until he retired in 1929. He was also an MP in the Northern Ireland House of Commons from 1921 to 1929 for South Belfast
Belfast South (Northern Ireland Parliament constituency)
Belfast South was a borough constituency of the Parliament of Northern Ireland from 1921-1929. It returned four MPs, using the single transferable vote method of proportional representation.-Boundaries:...
and for Belfast, Ballynafeigh
Belfast Ballynafeigh (Northern Ireland Parliament constituency)
Belfast Ballynafeigh was a constituency of the Parliament of Northern Ireland.-Boundaries:Belfast Ballynafeigh was a borough constituency comprising part of southern Belfast...
from 1929 to his death in 1937, and Deputy Speaker there from 7 June 1921 until his death. He was the first ever member declared elected to the Northern Ireland House of Commons.
A journalist by profession, he was Leader Writer
Leader writer
A Leader Writer is a senior journalist in a British newspaper who is charged with writing the paper's editorial either in the absence of the editor or in cases where the editor chooses not to write editorials because their editorial skills may rest more in management of the company than in writing...
for the Belfast Telegraph from 1909 until 1924 and managing editor for that newspaper from 1924-1937. Irish representative on the British Press visit to Canada in 1911. Member of the Secretariat to the Irish Convention
Irish Convention
The Irish Convention was an assembly which sat in Dublin, Ireland from July 1917 until March 1918 to address the Irish Question and other constitutional problems relating to an early enactment of self-government for Ireland, to debate its wider future, discuss and come to an understanding on...
from 1917 to 1918. Chairman of the Ways and Means and Deputy Speaker of the Northern Ireland House of Commons from the 7th June 1921 until his death. Member of the Privy Council of Northern Ireland
Privy Council of Northern Ireland
The Privy Council of Northern Ireland was a formal body of advisors to the sovereign and was a vehicle for the monarch's prerogative powers in Northern Ireland. It was modelled on the Privy Council of the United Kingdom....
in 1923.
He was also a motorcycle enthusiast and helped to push through parliament the first Road Races Act, which made it legal for the roads on the Clady Course to be closed for the first Ulster Grand Prix motorcycle road race on 14 October 1922.