R. J. McMordie facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Robert James McMordie
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| Member of Parliament for Belfast East |
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| In office 19 December 1910 – 25 March 1914 |
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| Preceded by | Gustav Wilhelm Wolff |
| Succeeded by | Robert Sharman-Crawford |
| Lord Mayor of Belfast | |
| In office 1910–1914 |
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| Preceded by | Sir Robert Anderson |
| Succeeded by | Sir Crawford McCullagh |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 31 January 1849 Cumran, Ireland |
| Died | 25 March 1914 (aged 65) Belfast, Ireland |
| Nationality | British |
| Political party | Irish Unionist Alliance |
| Spouse | Julia Gray |
| Children | 2 |
| Alma mater | Queen's College Belfast |
| Profession | Barrister |
Robert James McMordie (born January 31, 1849 – died March 25, 1914) was an important person in Irish history. He was a barrister (a type of lawyer), a politician, and even served as the Lord Mayor of Belfast.
Contents
Early Life and Education
Robert James McMordie was born in Cumran, County Down, which is in Ireland. His father was the Reverend J A McMordie.
He went to school at the Royal Belfast Academical Institution and then studied at Queen's College, Belfast. He later earned a Master of Arts (M.A.) degree from Queen's University. In 1874, he became a lawyer and worked in that field until 1899. In 1885, he married Julia Gray. Her father was Sir William Gray.
Political Career and Public Service
Robert McMordie was a member of the Belfast Corporation starting in 1907. The Belfast Corporation was like the city council for Belfast. He served as the Lord Mayor of Belfast from 1910 until his death in 1914. This was a very busy time for the city.
He also became a Member of Parliament for East Belfast in December 1910. This meant he represented the people of East Belfast in the UK Parliament. McMordie was also the President of the Irish Industrial Development Association in Belfast. This group worked to help businesses and industries grow in Ireland.
A statue of Robert James McMordie stands in the grounds of Belfast City Hall today.
Young Citizen Volunteers
In 1912, Robert McMordie helped to create the Young Citizen Volunteers of Ireland. This group was formed to train young people in various skills. The first meeting was held in Belfast on September 10, 1912.
Members of the Young Citizen Volunteers paid a small fee to join and a monthly fee. They attended weekly training sessions. During these sessions, they learned things like military drills, how to use a single stick, and rifle exercises. They also learned signalling, knot-tying, and other useful skills. If possible, they also learned about life-saving and ambulance work.
Later Life
Lord Mayor McMordie passed away at Cabin Hill in Knock, Belfast, when he was 65 years old. A hall in the Queen's University Students Union was named after him for some time. It was later renamed the Mandela Hall.
