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 Woodvale District Electoral Division and Woodvale Ward within it.

Of slightly tapered cylindrical profile, with an octagonal base and collar, over-sailing flat octagonal top and a smaller fluted circular cap. Its front face bears the shield of Belfast Corporation’s coat of arms, below which sits a plaque attached with four countersunk screws. The latter reads: “Parliamentary/ and Municipal/ Boundary of/ Belfast/ Woodvale Division/ Woodvale Ward/ 1918”.
There was a similar boundary post at the NE corner of the road junction opposite, no traces of which survive.

Setting:
Set into an earthen bank on the south side of Glencairn Road, directly opposite its junction with Wolfhill Road. It is surrounded by open countryside and fields.

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 and creation of Stormont) – 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. Woodvale Division encompassed the municipal wards of Woodvale and Court. As its legend states, this particular post marks the boundary of the parliamentary division of Woodvale, and of Woodvale ward within it.
These new constituencies were first used in the General Election of 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 Woodvale parliamentary constituency, created only four years before, was abolished and the previous seat of West Belfast restored. However, the municipal wards continued to be used for local elections, although some, including Woodvale, have since been reconfigured and renamed.
The boundary of the County Borough of Belfast is clearly marked on the 1901 OS map, although no boundary posts are explicitly cited at this location. This particular boundary post is first cited as ‘B.P.’ on the 1931 OS six-inch map (but not on the 1931 25-inch map), and on all OS maps at both scales thereafter.
There was also a boundary post on the opposite side of the road, at the NE corner of the road junction. It is first cited on the 1937 OS six- and 25-inch maps and subsequent editions.
Belfast Corporation was superseded by Belfast City Council in 1973 and its jurisdiction extended beyond its former borough boundary. This post now lies within Court District Electoral Division (as used for Council elections), and within Ballygomartin Ward.

References – Primary Sources:
1. Local Government Act 1898.
2. PRONI OS/6/1/60/3. OS six-inch map, Co Antrim sheet 60 (1901).
3. PRONI OS/10/1/60/3/1. OS 25-inch map, Co Antrim sheet 60-03 (1901).
4. Representation of the People Act 1918 (7 & 8 Geo. 5 c.64).
5. Redistribution of Seats (Ireland) Act 1918 (7 & 8 Geo. 5 c.65).
6. PRONI OS/10/1/60/3/2. OS 25-inch map, Co Antrim sheet 60-03 (1920).
7. PRONI OS/6/1/60/4. OS six-inch map, Co Antrim sheet 60 (1931).
8. PRONI OS/10/1/60/3/3. OS 25-inch map, Co Antrim sheet 60-03 (1931).
9. PRONI OS/10/1/60/3/4. OS 25-inch map, Co Antrim sheet 60-03 (1937).
10. PRONI OS/6/1/60/5. OS six-inch map, Co Antrim sheet 60 (1938).
11. PRONI OS/11/129/12/1. OS 25-inch IG map sheet 129-12 (1964-65).

Criteria for listing: architectural interest

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

Criteria for listing: historic interest

S. Authenticity
R. Age
T. Historic Importance
X. Local Interest
Z. Rarity

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 Belfast; this is probably the most complete group of administrative markers anywhere in the Province. The post is made from an octagonal base and collar, a tapered cylindrical drum embellished with a shield bearing the coat-of-arms of Belfast Corporation directly above a plaque with the inscription 'Parliamentary and Municipal Boundary of Belfast, Woodvale Division, Woodvale Ward, 1918', a dentilled capital and octagonal cap, crowned by a further circular cap with radial fluting and ball finial. 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 comparatively rare.