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The Grand Orange Lodge is intending to strike a medal to
mark the 140th anniversary of the election of Orange MP William
Johnston of Ballykilbeg to Parliament in 1868.
The jewel will mark one of the notable but perhaps neglected
anniversaries of the 19th century.
Johnston's election was a sign to the government of the day
- and the local political establishment - that Orangemen could
not be ignored.
William Johnston was born in Ballykilbeg, County Down, and
was educated at Trinity College, Dublin. He was called to
the Bar, but never actually practiced.
He joined the Orange Order in 1848, and was a prominent member
throughout his life. In 1853 he began the publication of tracts,
novels, and a newspaper, The Downshire Protestant, which ran
from 1855 to 1862.
In 1867 Johnston entered Orange history when, having led
a parade from Newtownards to Bangor on the 12th of July, he
was imprisoned under the terms of the Party Processions Act.
He was subsequently elected an independent Orange Member
of Parliament for Belfast from 1868 to 1878, when he was appointed
Inspector of Fisheries. Because of verbal attacks on Home
Rule supporters and the Land League, he was dismissed from
this governmental sinecure.
Johnston was elected MP for South Belfast from 1885 until
his death in 1902.
Initially, when Johnston opposed the Party Processions Act,
he found little support among the aristocratic members of
the Order.
He went ahead with the plan for the parade from Newtownards
against the wishes of some, who looked to periods when the
Order had to dissolve in the 19th century to avoid falling
foul of the governments of the day.
Speaking at Bangor he said that it had 'afforded him a very
great pleasure indeed to take part in so noble a demonstration
of Orangemen and Protestants, who venerated the glorious 12th
of July, as that which he saw before him. They had been trampled
upon and trodden upon long enough, but they would hide their
light under a bushel no longer. They would set their light
upon the hill in Bangor, from which it would be seen fifty
miles off."
Johnston drew parallels with how nationalist demonstrations
were being treated - there had been a huge demonstration in
Dublin in memory of O'Connell in 1864, and the government
had taken no action - and how Orangemen were dealt with by
the authorities.
William Johnston of Ballykilbeg became and remains a great
hero to the Protestant community; perhaps not least since
parades issues have again dominated in recent years, with
the Parades Commission seeking to undo much of what was achieved
by men like Johnston in the past.
If you are interested in the limited edition jewel, by the
way, the cost will be £25.00 plus £1.00 postage
in the UK, and only 300 will be struck. If you wish to be
added to the list of 300 owners send a cheque or postal order
to: Schomberg Shop, 368 Cregagh Road, Belfast, BT6 9EY. Orders
will be accepted strictly on a first come, first served basis.
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