Keeping with the theme of the last post - The Clyde Valley. This drum is known as The Lord Carson and is owned by Irwin True Blues Orange Lodge from Drumbo, Co. Antrim.
Edward Henry Carson was born on the 9th of February in the year 1854 to a wealthy middle class protestant family living in Dublin. He went to the school at Portarlington before going on to study Law at the Trinity College in Dublin. He was called to the bar in Ireland in 1877 and became incredibly successful. He had gained a reputation for fierce advocacy and was recognized for his awesome legal abilities. He was involved in the Irish land agitation which ran from 1888 until 1891 where he acted as Crown Prosecutor. This led to him being made a Queen's Counsel in 1889. He was appointed Solicitor-General for Ireland on the 20th of June 1892. It was in that year that he entered politics and his colourful political career began. He was elected the MP for Trinity College in the 1892 general election for the Conservative party, although the party lost the election.
He was admitted to the English Bar the following year in 1893 and mainly practiced in London after this. On the political front he attacked the Second Home Rule Bill for Ireland that same year and it was defeated. In fact his speech in parliament was widely acclaimed. His legal career was also gaining recognition. He was to be involved in some very high profile and famous cases. The most famous perhaps coming in 1895 when the Marquess of Queensberry engaged Carson to lead his defence against Oscar Wilde's libel action. This meant that Carson was in effect prosecuting Wilde, who had been his friend and rival at Trinity College. Wilde famously remarked before the trial "No doubt he will pursue this case with the added bitterness of an old friend." Carson's cross examination of Wilde is considered a classic example of an intellectual battle of wits. Carson won the case.
He was appointed Solicitor-General for England on the 7th of May 1900, a position he was to hold until 1905 when the Conservative government resigned in December of that year. In 1908, he was involved in the notorious Winslow Boy case. George Archer-Shee, a 13-year-old cadet at the Isle of Wight's Osbourne Naval College, was accused of stealing a five shilling postal order from the locker of a fellow cadet, forging the cadet's signature, and cashing it. Despite the boy's protestations of innocence, he was expelled. His father, Martin Archer-Shee (a Liverpool bank manager) fought mightily to obtain satisfaction. Carson won the case for him. The name Archer-Shee was changed to Winslow when the story was later made into a play. It has since been made into a film as well.
Carson was now regarded as one of the finest litigator's of his day and also one of the most prominent politicians. He never hid his principles and made it very clear that he wanted the whole of Ireland to remain British. In February 1910, he agreed to become the leader of the Irish Unionist Parliamentary Party. He famously stated that Munster and Leinster were British but fate had another plan for him. In fact it was to be the Northern province of Ulster that Carson's name would forever be attached. In June of 1911, he accepted Sir James Craig's invitation to become the leader of the Ulster Unionists. His high profile status brought prestige but most importantly credibility to the Unionist's cause. Carson maintained his argument from his 1893 parliament speech that the union between Britain and Ireland must be maintained. Lord Carson however was to take drastic action when a third Home Rule Bill was introduced in 1912.
The Home Rule Crisis
After the Liberals victory at the General Election of 1910, they were obliged to introduce a third bill for Home Rule in Ireland after supporters of Home Rule virtually guaranteed the Liberal's success. The introduction of the Parliament Act in 1911 had removed the House of Lord's Veto and with it a major stumbling block to Home Rule. This meant that when a third bill for Home Rule in Ireland was introduced it would be passed, which meant it would be law as early as 1914.
The Unionists recognised the dangers right away as it now looked as if Home Rule was inevitable. A crisis is defined as a situation that has reached an extremely dangerous point that may lead to dire consequences. This is exactly how the Ulster Unionists viewed the situation. Both Carson and Craig publicly spoke about their fears at the time and were adamant that Ireland wouldn't have home rule. The Bill was introduced to the House of Commons on the 11th of April 1912.
Unionist defiance was promoted at a series of rallies and marches with the result that their was now a groundswell of opinion in Ulster against home rule. Support was however spreading all over Ireland for the Unionist's stance. The concern was that this would be the first step towards independence. In an attempt to reduce these fears concessions were offered. The Bill would allow Ireland only limited powers which would not include important strategic aspects such as defence. 4 or maybe 6 of the counties of Ulster which had a protestant majority would be exempt from the Bill and remain under the control of Westminster. There was also a further proposal to allow individual counties to opt out of home rule for a period of 6 weeks these were promptly rejected by Carson who stated “Ulster wants the question settled now and for ever. We do not want sentence of death with a stay of execution for six years.”
He was admitted to the English Bar the following year in 1893 and mainly practiced in London after this. On the political front he attacked the Second Home Rule Bill for Ireland that same year and it was defeated. In fact his speech in parliament was widely acclaimed. His legal career was also gaining recognition. He was to be involved in some very high profile and famous cases. The most famous perhaps coming in 1895 when the Marquess of Queensberry engaged Carson to lead his defence against Oscar Wilde's libel action. This meant that Carson was in effect prosecuting Wilde, who had been his friend and rival at Trinity College. Wilde famously remarked before the trial "No doubt he will pursue this case with the added bitterness of an old friend." Carson's cross examination of Wilde is considered a classic example of an intellectual battle of wits. Carson won the case.
He was appointed Solicitor-General for England on the 7th of May 1900, a position he was to hold until 1905 when the Conservative government resigned in December of that year. In 1908, he was involved in the notorious Winslow Boy case. George Archer-Shee, a 13-year-old cadet at the Isle of Wight's Osbourne Naval College, was accused of stealing a five shilling postal order from the locker of a fellow cadet, forging the cadet's signature, and cashing it. Despite the boy's protestations of innocence, he was expelled. His father, Martin Archer-Shee (a Liverpool bank manager) fought mightily to obtain satisfaction. Carson won the case for him. The name Archer-Shee was changed to Winslow when the story was later made into a play. It has since been made into a film as well.
Carson was now regarded as one of the finest litigator's of his day and also one of the most prominent politicians. He never hid his principles and made it very clear that he wanted the whole of Ireland to remain British. In February 1910, he agreed to become the leader of the Irish Unionist Parliamentary Party. He famously stated that Munster and Leinster were British but fate had another plan for him. In fact it was to be the Northern province of Ulster that Carson's name would forever be attached. In June of 1911, he accepted Sir James Craig's invitation to become the leader of the Ulster Unionists. His high profile status brought prestige but most importantly credibility to the Unionist's cause. Carson maintained his argument from his 1893 parliament speech that the union between Britain and Ireland must be maintained. Lord Carson however was to take drastic action when a third Home Rule Bill was introduced in 1912.
The Home Rule Crisis
After the Liberals victory at the General Election of 1910, they were obliged to introduce a third bill for Home Rule in Ireland after supporters of Home Rule virtually guaranteed the Liberal's success. The introduction of the Parliament Act in 1911 had removed the House of Lord's Veto and with it a major stumbling block to Home Rule. This meant that when a third bill for Home Rule in Ireland was introduced it would be passed, which meant it would be law as early as 1914.
The Unionists recognised the dangers right away as it now looked as if Home Rule was inevitable. A crisis is defined as a situation that has reached an extremely dangerous point that may lead to dire consequences. This is exactly how the Ulster Unionists viewed the situation. Both Carson and Craig publicly spoke about their fears at the time and were adamant that Ireland wouldn't have home rule. The Bill was introduced to the House of Commons on the 11th of April 1912.
Unionist defiance was promoted at a series of rallies and marches with the result that their was now a groundswell of opinion in Ulster against home rule. Support was however spreading all over Ireland for the Unionist's stance. The concern was that this would be the first step towards independence. In an attempt to reduce these fears concessions were offered. The Bill would allow Ireland only limited powers which would not include important strategic aspects such as defence. 4 or maybe 6 of the counties of Ulster which had a protestant majority would be exempt from the Bill and remain under the control of Westminster. There was also a further proposal to allow individual counties to opt out of home rule for a period of 6 weeks these were promptly rejected by Carson who stated “Ulster wants the question settled now and for ever. We do not want sentence of death with a stay of execution for six years.”
Support for the Unionist cause was spreading across parties and many high profile political figures were now openly aligning themselves with Carson's campaign against home rule in Ulster. The Conservative party in both Scotland and England supported the cause. In Ulster however, James Craig championed a more determined show of solidarity amongst Unionists and organised a petition that would be recognised as both a rallying call and a public declaration of contempt for home Rule. He organised the signing of Ulster's solemn league and covenant. On 28September 1912 protestant people gathered all over Ulster, pledging themselves :-
"to stand by one another in defending for ourselves and our children our cherished position of equal citizenship in the United Kingdom and in using all means which may be found necessary to defeat the present conspiracy to set up a Home Rule parliament in Dublin."
On what was known as Ulster Day, factories and businesses closed to allow workers and managers time off to sign. What was a surprise to Westminster was the way unionists from across the class divide were more than happy to sign. Common factory workers rubbed shoulders with landed gentry as they waited to make their mark for the Unionist cause. In Belfast City Hall Carson was the first to sign Ulster's Solemn League and Covenant. In total 471,414 men and women who could prove Ulster birth signed. Many from all over Ireland and the mainland made the effort to sign. 2000 alone came from Dublin.
"to stand by one another in defending for ourselves and our children our cherished position of equal citizenship in the United Kingdom and in using all means which may be found necessary to defeat the present conspiracy to set up a Home Rule parliament in Dublin."
On what was known as Ulster Day, factories and businesses closed to allow workers and managers time off to sign. What was a surprise to Westminster was the way unionists from across the class divide were more than happy to sign. Common factory workers rubbed shoulders with landed gentry as they waited to make their mark for the Unionist cause. In Belfast City Hall Carson was the first to sign Ulster's Solemn League and Covenant. In total 471,414 men and women who could prove Ulster birth signed. Many from all over Ireland and the mainland made the effort to sign. 2000 alone came from Dublin.
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