Parliamentary boundary post

The Department's description

Exterior description and setting

A cast-iron administrative marker post of 1918 marking the outer extent of the administrative jurisdiction of Belfast Corporation (as Belfast City Council was then known), and of Victoria District Electoral Division within it.
Embedded in footpath along north side of Massey Avenue, opposite junction with Castlehill Road. Behind it is a red brick bridge parapet (the stream below marks the boundary line hereabouts), and to its west is 12 Massey Avenue.
Of slightly tapered cylindrical profile and measuring c.3ft high by 1ft diameter. Banded octagonal base and oversailing flat octagonal top with slightly smaller fluted circular cap. Front face bears the shield of Belfast Corporation’s coat of arms, below which is an attached plaque reading “Parliamentary/ and Municipal/ Boundary of/ Belfast/ Victoria Division/ Victoria Ward/ 1918”.

Historical information

The County of the Borough of Belfast was created under the Local Government Act 1898 and enacted the following year. The new borough was divided into four constituencies for the purposes of parliamentary elections to the Westminster House of Commons (this was pre-Partition) – North, East, West and South. Each division had its own Member of Parliament.
Under the Redistribution of Seats (Ireland) Act 1918, the existing four constituencies were abolished and their number increased to nine - Cromac, Duncairn, Falls, Ormeau, Pottinger, St Anne’s, Shankill, Victoria, and Woodvale.
Each new parliamentary division had its own MP and encompassed one or several municipal wards; the latter were used for elections to Belfast Corporation. Victoria Division encompassed the municipal wards of Dock and Victoria. As its legend states, this particular post marks the boundary of the parliamentary division of Victoria, and of the municipal ward of Victoria within it.
These new constituencies were used in the 1918 General Election which took place on 14 December 1918, just over a month after the cessation of the First World War. This particular election took place under the Representation of the People Act 1918 (also known as the Fourth Reform Act). It is of special significance in that, for the first time, all men over 21 years of age and all women over 30 could vote; it was also the first election to be completed within the one day. Previously, only male property owners but no women could vote, and the election was spread out over several weeks.
With the inception of the devolved parliament for Northern Ireland in 1922, the number of Westminster MPs was greatly reduced. The Victoria parliamentary constituency, created only four years previously, was abolished and the previous constituency of East Belfast restored. However, the municipal wards continued in use, although some, including Victoria, have since been reconfigured and renamed.
The boundary of the County Borough of Belfast is clearly marked on the 1902 OS map, along with a post at this location which is captioned as ‘B.P.’. It is similarly marked on subsequent OS editions. The fact that the presently existing post is dated 1918 suggests that it replaced a previous one (which may have related to the county boundary only) when the new parliamentary constituencies were formed.
Belfast Corporation was superseded by Belfast City Council in 1973 and its jurisdiction extended beyond the former borough boundary. The present Victoria Electoral Division was created in 1985 and contains seven wards - Ballyhackamore, Belmont, Cherryvalley, Island, Knock, Stormont, and Sydenham (note that Victoria is no longer extant as a ward).

References – Primary Sources:
1. Local Government Act 1898.
2. PRONI OS/10/3/5/5/2. OS 25-inch map, Co Down sheet 5-05 (1902).
3. Representation of the People Act 1918 (7 & 8 Geo. 5 c.64).
4. Redistribution of Seats (Ireland) Act 1918 (7 & 8 Geo. 5 c.65).
5. PRONI OS/10/3/5/5/5. OS 25-inch map, Co Down sheet 5-05 (1919).
6. PRONI OS/10/3/5/5/3. OS 25-inch map, Co Down sheet 5-05 (1931).
7. PRONI OS/10/3/5/5/4. OS 25-inch map, Co Down sheet 5-05 (1938).
8. PRONI OS/11/130/16/1. OS 25-inch IG map sheet 130-16 (1958-59).

Criteria for listing: architectural interest

A. Style
B. Proportion
C. Ornamentation
J. Setting
K. Group value

Criteria for listing: historic interest

R. Age
S. Authenticity
X. Local Interest

Evaluation

This boundary post exhibits a degree of decoration beyond that necessitated of its utilitarian function. Its cast-iron construction and secure embedding in the pavement reflect the need for durability and tamper-proofing. Its setting is also of significance insofar as it denotes an invisible political boundary at this particular spot. It also has group value with boundary posts elsewhere in this area (e.g. HB26/13/022 which is also on the same boundaries); this is probably the most complete group of administrative markers anywhere in the Province.
It is from the historical viewpoint that this post is of most interest. It is a tangible reminder of the first election in Britain and Ireland when nearly everyone (bar women under 30) had the right to vote, which took place on 14 December 1918. It is also of interest in marking a short-lived period in the province’s political development up to the formation of Northern Ireland and the Stormont administration in 1922. Many of these posts have succumbed to road widening and random removal, so this particular example is now a comparatively rare survivor.