# South Londonderry (UK Parliament constituency)

54°50′17″N 6°53′49″W﻿ / ﻿54.838°N 6.897°W﻿ / 54.838; -6.897
South Londonderry was a UK Parliament constituency in Ireland. It returned one Member of Parliament (MP) to the British House of Commons from 1885 until it was abolished in 1922.

## Boundaries and boundary changes

This county constituency comprised the southern part of County Londonderry. Its official title was the South Derry division of county Londonderry.
1885–1922: The barony of Loughinsholin, and that part of the barony of Coleraine not contained within the Division of North Derry.
Prior to the 1885 United Kingdom general election and after the dissolution of Parliament in 1922 the area was part of the Londonderry constituency.

## Politics

The constituency was a majority unionist area.
All three candidates in 1918 were Roman Catholics. Had the Sinn Féin candidate won, then instead of taking up the Westminster seat he would have participated in the revolutionary First Dáil.

## Members of Parliament

| Election | Name | Party | Born | Died |
| 1885 | Timothy Michael Healy | Irish Parliamentary Party | 17 May 1855 | 26 March 1931 |
| 1886 | Sir Thomas Lea | Liberal Unionist | 17 January 1841 | 9 January 1902 |
| 1900 | John Gordon | Liberal Unionist | 23 November 1849 | 26 September 1922 |
| 1906 | John Gordon | Liberal Unionist | 23 November 1849 | 26 September 1922 |
| Jan 10 | John Gordon | Liberal Unionist | 23 November 1849 | 26 September 1922 |
| Dec 10 | John Gordon | Liberal Unionist | 23 November 1849 | 26 September 1922 |
| 1912 | John Gordon | Irish Unionist | 23 November 1849 | 26 September 1922 |
| 1916 | Denis Henry | Irish Unionist | 7 March 1864 | 1 October 1925 |
| 1918 | Denis Henry | Irish Unionist | 7 March 1864 | 1 October 1925 |
| 1921 | Robert Chichester | Irish Unionist | 13 August 1874 | 10 December 1921 |
| 1922 | Sir William Hacket Pain | Ulster Unionist | 5 February 1855 | 14 February 1924 |

## Elections

The elections in this constituency took place using the first past the post electoral system.

### Elections in the 1880s

1885 general election: South Londonderry :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Irish Parliamentary | Tim Healy | 4,723 | 53.2 | |
| | Irish Conservative | Hugh McCalmont | 2,341 | 26.4 | |
| | Liberal | William Findlater | 1,816 | 20.5 | |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 2,382 | 26.8 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 8,880 | 82.3 | |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 10,790 | | |
| | Irish Parliamentary win (new seat) | Irish Parliamentary win (new seat) | Irish Parliamentary win (new seat) | Irish Parliamentary win (new seat) | Irish Parliamentary win (new seat) |
1886 general election: South Londonderry :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal Unionist | Thomas Lea | 4,737 | 50.6 | +24.2 |
| | Irish Parliamentary | Tim Healy | 4,629 | 49.4 | −3.8 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 108 | 1.2 | N/A |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 9,366 | 86.8 | +4.5 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 10,790 | | |
| | Liberal Unionist gain from Irish Parliamentary | Liberal Unionist gain from Irish Parliamentary | Swing | +14.0 | |

### Elections in the 1890s

1892 general election: South Londonderry :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal Unionist | Thomas Lea | 4,554 | 52.9 | +2.3 |
| | Liberal | Samuel Walker | 4,053 | 47.1 | New |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 501 | 5.8 | +4.6 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 8,607 | 91.8 | +5.0 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 9,380 | | |
| | Liberal Unionist hold | Liberal Unionist hold | Swing | | |
1895 general election: South Londonderry :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal Unionist | Thomas Lea | 4,485 | 52.4 | −0.5 |
| | Liberal | William Huston Dodd | 4,068 | 47.6 | +0.5 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 417 | 4.8 | −1.0 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 8,553 | 92.5 | +0.7 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 9,247 | | |
| | Liberal Unionist hold | Liberal Unionist hold | Swing | −0.5 | |

### Elections in the 1900s

1900 general election: South Londonderry :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal Unionist | John Gordon | Unopposed | Unopposed | Unopposed |
| | Liberal Unionist hold | Liberal Unionist hold | Liberal Unionist hold | Liberal Unionist hold | Liberal Unionist hold |
1906 general election: South Londonderry :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal Unionist | John Gordon | 3,847 | 50.5 | N/A |
| | Russellite Unionist | Samuel Robert Keightley | 3,776 | 49.5 | New |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 71 | 1.0 | N/A |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 7,623 | 91.7 | N/A |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 8,313 | | |
| | Liberal Unionist hold | Liberal Unionist hold | Swing | N/A | |

### Elections in the 1910s

January 1910 general election: South Londonderry :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal Unionist | John Gordon | 3,985 | 52.0 | +1.5 |
| | Liberal | Samuel Robert Keightley | 3,678 | 48.0 | −1.5 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 307 | 4.0 | +3.0 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 7,663 | 95.2 | +3.5 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 8,052 | | |
| | Liberal Unionist hold | Liberal Unionist hold | Swing | +1.5 | |
December 1910 general election: South Londonderry :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal Unionist | John Gordon | 3,845 | 52.3 | +0.3 |
| | Liberal | William John Johnston | 3,513 | 47.7 | −0.3 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 332 | 4.4 | +0.4 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 7,358 | 91.4 | −3.8 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 8,052 | | |
| | Liberal Unionist hold | Liberal Unionist hold | Swing | +0.3 | |
Gordon is appointed a judge, prompting a by-election.
By-election, 1916: South Londonderry :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Irish Unionist | Denis Henry | 3,808 | 94.7 | +42.4 |
| | Ind. Unionist | Arthur Turnbull | 214 | 5.3 | New |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 3,594 | 89.4 | +85.0 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 4,022 | 47.8 | −43.6 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 8,416 | | |
| | Irish Unionist hold | Irish Unionist hold | Swing | | |
1918 general election: South Londonderry :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Irish Unionist | Denis Henry | 8,942 | 54.7 | +2.4 |
| | Irish Parliamentary | Arthur W. Conway | 3,981 | 24.4 | New |
| | Sinn Féin | Louis Joseph Walsh | 3,425 | 21.0 | New |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 4,961 | 30.3 | +25.9 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 16,348 | 77.1 | −14.3 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 21,199 | | |
| | Irish Unionist hold | Irish Unionist hold | Swing | | |

### Elections in the 1920s

Henry is appointed Lord Chief Justice of Northern Ireland, prompting a by-election.
By-election, 1921: South Londonderry :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | UUP | Robert Chichester | Unopposed | Unopposed | Unopposed |
| | UUP hold | UUP hold | UUP hold | UUP hold | UUP hold |
Chichester dies, causing a by-election.
By-election, 1922: South Londonderry :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | UUP | William Hacket Pain | Unopposed | Unopposed | Unopposed |
| | UUP hold | UUP hold | UUP hold | UUP hold | UUP hold |