Edward Carson facts for kids

Quick facts for kids The Right Honourable The Lord Carson PC PC (Ire)
Minister without portfolio
In office 17 July 1917 – 20 January 1918 Serving with Arthur Henderson (until Aug 1917), The Viscount Milner, Jan Smuts, George Barnes (from Aug 1917)
Prime Minister	David Lloyd George
First Lord of the Admiralty
In office 10 December 1916 – 17 July 1917
Prime Minister	David Lloyd George
Preceded by	Arthur Balfour
Succeeded by	Sir Eric Geddes
Leader of the Opposition
In office 19 October 1915 – 6 December 1916
Monarch	George V
Prime Minister	H. H. Asquith
Preceded by	Bonar Law (May 1915)
Succeeded by	H. H. Asquith
Attorney General for England
In office 25 May 1915 – 19 October 1915
Prime Minister	H. H. Asquith
Preceded by	Sir John Simon
Succeeded by	Sir F. E. Smith
Leader of the Ulster Unionist Party
In office June 1911 – 10 February 1921
Preceded by	Walter Long
Succeeded by	James Craig
Leader of the Irish Unionist Parliamentary Party
In office 21 February 1910 – June 1921
Preceded by	Walter Long
Succeeded by	The Earl of Midleton
Solicitor-General for England
In office 11 May 1900 – 4 December 1905
Prime Minister	The Marquess of Salisbury Arthur Balfour
Preceded by	Sir Robert Finlay
Succeeded by	Sir William Robson
Solicitor General for Ireland
In office 20 June 1892 – 11 August 1892
Prime Minister	The Marquess of Salisbury
Preceded by	John Atkinson
Succeeded by	Charles Hemphill
Member of Parliament for Belfast Duncairn
In office 14 December 1918 – 31 May 1921
Preceded by	Constituency established
Succeeded by	Thomas McConnell
Member of Parliament for Dublin University
In office 4 July 1892 – 14 December 1918
Preceded by	Dodgson Hamilton Madden
Succeeded by	Sir Robert Woods
Personal details
Born	(1854-02-09)9 February 1854 Dublin, Ireland
Died	22 October 1935(1935-10-22) (aged 81) Minster-in-Thanet, Kent, United Kingdom
Political party	Irish Unionist Ulster Unionist Party
Other political affiliations	Liberal (until 1886) Liberal Unionist
Spouse	Annette Kirwan ​ ​ (m. 1879; died 1913)​
Children	5
Alma mater	Trinity College Dublin
Profession	Barrister

Edward Henry Carson (1854–1935) was an important Irish politician, lawyer, and judge. He was known for his strong support of keeping Ireland as part of the United Kingdom.

Carson held several key roles in the British government. He was the Attorney General and Solicitor General for England, Wales, and Ireland. He also served as the First Lord of the Admiralty, which meant he was in charge of the British Royal Navy.

From 1905, Carson was a Member of Parliament for Dublin University. He also led the Ulster Unionist Council in Belfast. He worked hard to keep all of Ireland united with Great Britain. Although this didn't happen, his efforts helped secure a place for the six north-eastern counties of Ireland within the UK. This led to the creation of Northern Ireland.

Carson was also a very famous lawyer. He was involved in several major court cases that made headlines.

Early Life and Education

4 Harcourt Street, Dublin, where Carson was born in 1854

Edward Carson was born in Dublin, Ireland, on February 9, 1854. He was the second son in a wealthy Anglican family. His father, Edward Henry Carson, was an architect.

The Carson family had Scottish roots. Edward's grandfather moved to Dublin from Dumfries in 1815. His mother, Isabella Lambert, came from an old Anglo-Irish family in County Galway. Edward often spent holidays at his uncle's home, Castle Ellen, in County Galway.

Edward was one of six children. He went to school at Portarlington School and Wesley College, Dublin. He then studied law at Trinity College Dublin. While at Trinity, he was an active member of the College Historical Society. It is also said that he played hurling for the college team.

Carson was fluent in Irish and enjoyed playing Gaelic games when he was younger. He earned two degrees from Trinity College: a Bachelor of Arts and a Master of Arts. In 1901, he received an honorary law degree from the University of Dublin.

A Brilliant Barrister

In 1877, Edward Carson became a lawyer, known as a barrister, after finishing his studies at King's Inns. He quickly became famous for his strong arguments and excellent legal skills. People thought he was one of the best barristers in Ireland at that time.

He was also very good at speaking to a jury. His cleverness and powerful speeches helped him win many cases. In 1889, he was made a Queen's Counsel in Ireland. Later, in 1893, he joined the English Bar at Middle Temple, allowing him to practice law in England as well.

The Oscar Wilde Case

Carson addressing Parliament as depicted in Vanity Fair in 1893

In 1895, Carson was hired for a very famous court case involving the writer Oscar Wilde. Wilde had sued the Marquess of Queensberry for criminal libel. Libel means publishing false statements that harm someone's reputation.

Carson represented the Marquess of Queensberry. He discovered that Queensberry's claims about Wilde were true. This meant Queensberry was not guilty of libel.

Carson's questioning of Wilde during the trial was very tough. He argued that some of Wilde's writings were harmful. The Marquess of Queensberry had spent a lot of money on private detectives. These detectives gathered information about Wilde's activities.

Because of the evidence and Carson's questioning, Wilde lost his case. He was ordered to pay a lot of money for Queensberry's legal and detective costs. This made Wilde go bankrupt.

The Cadbury Case

In 1908, Carson represented the London newspaper Evening Standard. They were being sued by George Cadbury for libel. The Standard was owned by people who supported Joseph Chamberlain's ideas about Imperial Preference. This meant they wanted to favor trade within the British Empire.

The Cadbury family, however, supported free trade. They had bought The Daily News newspaper in 1901. The Standard articles claimed that Cadbury Bros Ltd. knew about harsh working conditions on São Tomé. This was a Portuguese island colony where Cadbury bought most of its cocoa.

The articles said that George Cadbury's son, William, had visited São Tomé in 1901. He supposedly saw the difficult conditions for workers there. The Standard claimed that the Cadbury family continued to buy cocoa from São Tomé because it was cheaper. They said this was despite knowing the cocoa was produced under unfair labor conditions.

This case was seen as very important politically. Carson and his supporters argued it showed a problem with free trade. George Cadbury won the case but was awarded only a very small amount of money, a farthing. This was seen as a big win for Carson.

The Archer-Shee Case

Carson also won another famous case in 1910, known as the Archer-Shee Case. He successfully defended a young cadet from the Royal Naval College, Osborne. The cadet had been accused of theft.

This case was so well-known that it inspired the play The Winslow Boy by Terence Rattigan. Carson's legal skills were crucial in proving the cadet's innocence.

Political Career

Carson started his political journey on June 20, 1892. He was appointed Solicitor-General for Ireland. Soon after, he was elected as a Member of Parliament for Dublin University. He ran as a Liberal Unionist.

Even as a politician, Carson continued his work as a barrister. He joined the English Bar in 1893 and mostly practiced law in London. In 1896, he became a member of the Irish Privy Council.

On May 7, 1900, he was appointed Solicitor-General for England. He was also given the title of Sir. He held this position until 1905. When the government changed, he was made a member of the Privy Council.

In the 1918 election, a new political party called Sinn Féin won many seats in Ireland. They wanted Ireland to be a republic, separate from the UK. Carson, who was elected for Belfast Duncairn, received an invitation to join the new Irish Parliament, called the First Dáil. He chose not to attend, keeping the invitation as a souvenir.

Leading Unionism

Sir Edward Carson signing the Ulster Covenant.

Edward Carson was a strong supporter of Unionism. This meant he wanted Ireland to remain part of the United Kingdom. In September 1911, he spoke to a huge crowd of over 50,000 people near Belfast. He urged his party to prepare to govern Ulster themselves.

At this time, a new law called the Parliament Act 1911 was passed. This law made it harder for the House of Lords to stop new laws, like the Home Rule Bill. Home Rule would have given Ireland its own parliament, which Carson opposed.

Carson campaigned strongly against Home Rule. He spoke against the Bill in the House of Commons. He also organized rallies in Ireland. He wanted a temporary government for "the Protestant province of Ulster." This government would be ready if the Home Rule Bill became law.

On September 28, 1912, known as "Ulster Day," Carson was the first person to sign the Ulster Covenant. This document was signed by 447,197 people. It committed them to resist Home Rule, even by using "all means necessary." Carson also helped create the Ulster Volunteers. This was a group formed to undergo military training and buy weapons. In January 1913, it became the Ulster Volunteer Force (UVF).

The UVF received a large shipment of weapons from Germany in April 1914. Later that year, another shipment of arms arrived in Dublin for the Irish Volunteers, a group that supported Home Rule. Ireland was close to a civil war. However, the start of the First World War led to the Home Rule Act being put on hold.

During this time, Carson announced that an Ulster Division would be formed from the UVF. This became the 36th (Ulster) Division, which fought in the war.

In 1914, women's rights activists Flora Drummond and Norah Dacre Fox protested at Carson's home. They argued that his actions in Ulster were similar to their own protests. They pointed out that he was not charged, while they were imprisoned.

Carson was proud to be British, but he also considered himself a proud Irishman. He once said, "I am very proud as an Irishman to be a member of the British Empire."

Cabinet Member

On May 25, 1915, Edward Carson became Attorney-General. This happened when a new government was formed during World War I. He resigned on October 19 because he disagreed with the government's war policy in the Balkans.

After resigning, Carson became the unofficial Leader of the Opposition in the House of Commons. He played a big part in getting the Prime Minister, H. H. Asquith, to resign.

Carson returned to government on December 10, 1916. He became First Lord of the Admiralty. On July 17, 1917, he was given an even more powerful role. He became a Minister without Portfolio in the British War Cabinet.

Carson did not support the creation of the League of Nations. He believed that this international organization would not be effective in preventing wars.

In early 1918, the government decided to make military service compulsory in Ireland. They also thought Ireland should be given Home Rule to make this acceptable. Carson disagreed with this plan and resigned again on January 21. He then left his seat for Dublin University. Instead, he was elected to represent Belfast Duncairn.

He continued to lead the Unionists. When the Government of Ireland Act 1920 was introduced, he advised his party to work for the six Ulster counties to be left out of Home Rule. This was a compromise he had previously rejected. This proposal passed, and it led to the creation of the Parliament of Northern Ireland.

After Ireland was divided, Carson often warned Unionist leaders in Ulster. He told them not to upset the Catholic minority in Northern Ireland. He believed this would make Northern Ireland unstable. In 1921, he said that the new Northern Ireland Parliament should ensure the Catholic minority had nothing to fear from the Protestant majority.

Later Years and Legacy

Carson was asked to become the first Prime Minister of Northern Ireland. However, he declined because he didn't feel he had strong enough connections to any Northern Ireland area. He resigned as the leader of the Unionist party in February 1921.

On May 24, 1921, Carson was appointed as one of the seven Lords of Appeal in Ordinary. This is a very high judicial position. On June 1, 1921, he was made a life peer. This meant he became Baron Carson, of Duncairn in the County of Antrim.

Carson retired in October 1929. In July 1932, he visited Northern Ireland for the last time. He saw a large statue of himself being unveiled in front of Parliament Buildings at Stormont. The statue was made of bronze and had an inscription that read: "By the loyalists of Ulster as an expression of their love and admiration for its subject."

State Funeral

Lord Carson lived at Cleve Court in Minster-in-Thanet, Kent. He died peacefully there on October 22, 1935. Britain honored him with a state funeral. This special ceremony took place in Belfast at St Anne's Cathedral. He is the only person ever to be buried there.

During the funeral, soil from each of the six counties of Northern Ireland was scattered onto his coffin. His coffin had been covered by the Union Flag, but it was removed during the service. The choir sang his favorite hymn, "I Vow to Thee, My Country". A warship brought his body to Belfast. Thousands of shipworkers stopped their work and bowed their heads as the ship, HMS Broke, sailed slowly up Belfast Lough.

Private Life

Edward Carson was married twice. His first wife was Annette Kirwan from County Galway. They married on December 19, 1879. They had four children together:

• The Hon. William Henry Lambert Carson (born 1880, died 1930)
• The Hon. Aileen Seymour Carson (born 1881)
• The Hon. Gladys Isobel Carson (born 1885)
• The Hon. Walter Seymour Carson (born 1890)

Annette, Lady Carson, passed away in 1913.

His second wife was Ruby Frewen (1881–1966) from Yorkshire. They married on September 17, 1914. She was 32 years old, and he was 60. They had one son:

• The Hon. Edward Carson MP (born 1920)

Images for kids

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  Carson's ceremonial dress uniform, worn on his appointment as Solicitor General for England in 1900.

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  Lord Carson's statue at Stormont

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  Edward Carson's statue at Stormont

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  Sir Edward Carson mural in Belfast in 2006

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  Carson Poster, Belfast, August 2007

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