Edmund Francis Vesey Knox (23 January 1865 – 15 May 1921) was an

Irish nationalist Irish nationalism is a nationalist political movement which, in its broadest sense, asserts that the people of Ireland should govern Ireland as a sovereign state. Since the mid-19th century, Irish nationalism has largely taken the form of cult ...

politician of

Ulster-Scots Ulster Scots, may refer to: * Ulster Scots people * Ulster Scots dialect {{disambig Language and nationality disambiguation pages ...

descent. Initially a member of the

Irish Parliamentary Party The Irish Parliamentary Party (IPP; commonly called the Irish Party or the Home Rule Party) was formed in 1874 by Isaac Butt, the leader of the Nationalist Party, replacing the Home Rule League, as official parliamentary party for Irish nati ...

, he sided with the Anti-Parnellite

Irish National Federation The Irish National Federation (INF) was a nationalist political party in Ireland. It was founded in 1891 by former members of the Irish National League (INL), after a split in the Irish Parliamentary Party (IPP) on the leadership of Charles ...

majority when the party split in 1891.

Early life

Knox was born in

Newcastle, County Down Newcastle is a small seaside resort town in County Down, Northern Ireland, which had a population of 8,298 at the United Kingdom Census 2021, 2021 Census. It lies by the Irish Sea at the foot of Slieve Donard, the highest of the Mourne Mountain ...

, the eldest son of the Vesey Edmund Knox and Margaret Clarissa Garrett. His younger brothers were Maj.-Gen. Sir

Alfred Knox Major-General Sir Alfred William Fortescue Knox (30 October 1870 – 9 March 1964) was an Ulster-Scots career officer in the British Army and later a Conservative Party politician. Military career Knox was born at Shimnah House in Newcastle ...

, a British Army officer and

Conservative Conservatism is a cultural, social, and political philosophy and ideology that seeks to promote and preserve traditional institutions, customs, and values. The central tenets of conservatism may vary in relation to the culture and civiliza ...

politician; and Gen. Sir Harry Knox,

Adjutant-General to the Forces The Adjutant-General to the Forces, commonly just referred to as the Adjutant-General (AG), was for just over 250 years one of the most senior officers in the British Army. The AG was latterly responsible for developing the Army's personnel polic ...

from 1935–37. Their great-grandfather Hon. Vesey Knox was the son of

Thomas Knox, 1st Viscount Northland Thomas Knox, 1st Viscount Northland (20 April 1729 – 5 November 1818), known as The Lord Welles between 1781 and 1791, was an Irish politician. Background Thomas Knox was the son of Thomas Knox and Hester Echlin. He died on 5 November 1818 ag ...

, and brother of

Thomas Knox, 1st Earl of Ranfurly Thomas Knox, 1st Earl of Ranfurly (5 August 1754 – 26 April 1840), styled The Honourable Thomas Knox between 1781 and 1818 and known as The Viscount Northland between 1818 and 1831, was an Irish peer and politician. Early life Ranfurly was th ...

(1754–1840); Maj.-Gen. Hon.

John Knox John Knox ( – 24 November 1572) was a Scottish minister, Reformed theologian, and writer who was a leader of the country's Reformation. He was the founder of the Church of Scotland. Born in Giffordgate, a street in Haddington, East Lot ...

(1758–1800),

Governor of Jamaica This is a list of viceroys in Jamaica from its initial occupation by Spain in 1509, to its independence from the United Kingdom in 1962. For a list of viceroys after independence, see Governor-General of Jamaica. For context, see History of Jama ...

; William Knox (1762–1831), Bishop of Derry;

George Knox George Knox may refer to: *George Knox (MP, died 1827) (1765–1827), Irish member of the United Kingdom parliament *George Knox (MP, died 1741), Irish MP for County Donegal *Sir George Edward Knox (1845–1922), British judge in India *Sir George H ...

(1765–1827), MP for Dublin University;

Charles Knox Charles C. Knox (April 19, 1929, Atlanta, Georgia – December 11, 2019, in Atlanta) was an American composer and music educator. He is particularly noted for his music for brass instruments and chamber music, among his over 100 compositions to d ...

(1770–1825), Archdeacon of Armagh; and Edmund Knox (1772–1849), Bishop of Limerick.

Education and career

Knox was educated at

St Columba's College, Dublin St Columba's College is a co-educational independent day and boarding school founded in 1843 located in Whitechurch, County Dublin, Ireland. Among the founders of the college were Viscount Adare (who later became The 3rd Earl of Dunraven and M ...

and

Keble College, Oxford Keble College () is one of the Colleges of the University of Oxford, constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in England. Its main buildings are on Parks Road, opposite the Oxford University Museum of Natural History, University Museum a ...

. He was a barrister and member of

Gray's Inn The Honourable Society of Gray's Inn, commonly known as Gray's Inn, is one of the four Inns of Court (professional associations for barristers and judges) in London. To be called to the bar in order to practise as a barrister in England and Wale ...

and

Middle Temple The Honourable Society of the Middle Temple, commonly known simply as Middle Temple, is one of the four Inns of Court entitled to Call to the bar, call their members to the English Bar as barristers, the others being the Inner Temple (with whi ...

. He became a

Bencher A bencher or Master of the Bench is a senior member of an Inn of Court in England and Wales or the Inns of Court in Northern Ireland, or the Honorable Society of King's Inns in Ireland. Benchers hold office for life once elected. A bencher c ...

at Gray's Inn 1906; Treasurer 1913, and Fellow at

All Souls College, Oxford All Souls College (official name: The College of All Souls of the Faithful Departed, of Oxford) is a constituent college of the University of Oxford in England. Unique to All Souls, all of its members automatically become fellows (i.e., full me ...

in 1886. Knox was elected as Member of Parliament (MP) for West Cavan at an unopposed by-election on 26 March 1890, following the death of the nationalist MP

Joseph Biggar Joseph Gillis Biggar (c. 1828 – 19 February 1890), commonly known as Joe Biggar D.D. Sheehan, Ireland Since Parnell', London: Daniel O'Connor, 1921. or J. G. Biggar, was an Irish nationalist politician from Belfast. He served as an MP in the ...

, taking his seat in the

House of Commons The House of Commons is the name for the elected lower house of the Bicameralism, bicameral parliaments of the United Kingdom and Canada. In both of these countries, the Commons holds much more legislative power than the nominally upper house of ...

of the

United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland was the union of the Kingdom of Great Britain and the Kingdom of Ireland into one sovereign state, established by the Acts of Union 1800, Acts of Union in 1801. It continued in this form until ...

. He was re-elected as an

MP at the 1892 general election, with a majority of more than three-to-one over his sole opponent, a Unionist.Walker, op. cit, page 144 At the 1895 election he was again returned unopposed in West Cavan,Walker, op. cit., pages 151, 154 but also stood in Londonderry City, winning that seat by a slender majority over his unionist opponent. He chose to sit for Londonderry City, and held that seat until he resigned from Parliament on 9 December 1898 by becoming

Steward of the Manor of Northstead The office of Crown Steward and Bailiff of the Manor of Northstead functions as a procedural device to allow a member of Parliament (MP) to resign from the House of Commons of the United Kingdom. As members of the House of Commons are forbidde ...

Personal life

Knox married firstly Annie Elizabeth Lloyd (died 1907), daughter of William Lloyd of

Llanmaes Llanmaes () is a small village and community in the Vale of Glamorgan near the market town of Llantwit Major. The population in 2011 was 403. Amenities Llanmaes has a long history, with remains of a Roman fort in fields next to the coast ro ...

, Glamorgan, and had a daughter and three sons. *Lt. John Vesey Knox (1892–1918), killed in an accident while an instructor for the

Royal Flying Corps The Royal Flying Corps (RFC) was the air arm of the British Army before and during the First World War until it merged with the Royal Naval Air Service on 1 April 1918 to form the Royal Air Force. During the early part of the war, the RFC sup ...

during the First World War *Capt. Columb "Collie" Thomas Knox (1897–1977), journalist and pilot *Dilys Myfanwy Knox (1899–1990), married firstly Lt.-Col. David Charles Gilbert Dickinson (died 1943) and secondly Lt.-Col. Arthur Joseph Sullivan

OBE The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is a British order of chivalry, rewarding valuable service in a wide range of useful activities. It comprises five classes of awards across both civil and military divisions, the most senior two o ...

*Lt. Noel Lloyd Knox (1906–1962), member of the

Ulster Special Constabulary The Ulster Special Constabulary (USC; commonly called the "B-Specials" or "B Men") was a quasi-military Military reserve, reserve special constable police force in what would later become Northern Ireland. It was set up in October 1920, short ...

References

External links

* * 1865 births 1921 deaths UK MPs 1886–1892 UK MPs 1892–1895 UK MPs 1895–1900 Irish Parliamentary Party MPs Anti-Parnellite MPs Members of the Parliament of the United Kingdom for County Cavan constituencies (1801–1922) Members of the Parliament of the United Kingdom for County Londonderry constituencies (1801–1922) Edmund Vesey Members of Gray's Inn Members of the Middle Temple {{Ireland-UK-MP-stub