Parliamentary Boundary Post, Near 783 Antrim Road, Belfast, Co Antrim

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 Duncairn District Electoral Division and Clifton Ward within it.

Of slightly tapered cylindrical profile, with a banded octagonal base and oversailing flat octagonal top with slightly smaller fluted circular cap. Its front face bears the shield of Belfast Corporation’s coat of arms, below was a circular plaque attached with four countersunk screws.

The plaque is now missing, but cast into the post behind it is the legend “RLIAMENTAR/ BOUNDARY/ OF/ BOROUGH/ OF”. The first and last letters of the top word (‘Parliamentary’) are missing, as is ‘Belfast’ below the last line. They were undoubtedly ground off when the plaque was attached as these missing letters extended beyond its edges. The missing plaque was undoubtedly identical to that on the boundary post of the opposite side of the road (HB26/51/026) which reads: “Parliamentary/ and Municipal/ Boundary of/ Belfast/ Duncairn Division/ Clifton Ward/ 1918”.

Setting:

Set into inside edge of footpath along east side of Antrim Road, immediately south of its junction with Slievegoland Park. Now lies at a slight angle to the vertical. Behind it is a hedge delineating the boundary of the property behind.

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. Duncairn Division encompassed the municipal ward of Duncairn and also the NE part of Clifton ward. As its legend states, this particular post marks the boundary of the parliamentary division of Duncairn, and that part of the municipal ward of Clifton lying 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. Sir Edward Carson was the constituent’s first MP.
With the inception of the devolved parliament for Northern Ireland in 1922, the number of Westminster MPs was greatly reduced. The Duncairn parliamentary constituency, created only four years before, was abolished and the previous seat of North Belfast restored (encompassing 14 wards in Belfast and five in Newtownabbey Borough Council). However, the municipal wards continued to be used for local elections, although some, including Duncairn, have since been reconfigured and renamed.
The boundary of the County Borough of Belfast is clearly marked on the 1901 OS map. This particular post is captioned as ‘B.P’ on that map, and all subsequent editions. In the case of the 1901 map, it denotes only the county borough’s boundary, but from 1920 onwards, also the municipal ward.
Belfast Corporation was superseded by Belfast City Council in 1973 and its jurisdiction extended beyond its former borough boundary. This post now lies within Castle District Electoral Division (as used for Council elections), and within Bellevue Ward.

References – Primary Sources:
1. Local Government Act 1898.
2. PRONI OS/10/1/57/9/1. OS 25-inch map, Co Antrim sheet 57-09 (1901).
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/10/1/57/9/2. OS 25-inch map, Co Antrim sheet 57-09 (1920).
6. PRONI OS/10/1/57/9/3. OS 25-inch map, Co Antrim sheet 57-09 (1931).
7. PRONI OS/10/1/57/9/4. OS 25-inch map, Co Antrim sheet 57-09 (1937).
8. PRONI OS/11/130/1/1. OS 25-inch IG map sheet 130-01 (1960).

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
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. 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, a dentilled capital and octagonal cap, crowned by a further circular cap with radial fluting and ball finial. 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 post on the opposite side of the road (HB26/51/026) and elsewhere in Belfast; this is probably the most complete group of administrative markers anywhere in the Province. Had the post’s plaque survived, it would have been a 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 would also have been 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. The fact that the plaque is missing actually enhances its historical interest as it reveals an earlier inscription showing that the post served to mark the extent of the County Borough of Belfast, so this particular survival is now comparatively rare and unique.