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William Christie (Ulster politician)

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Politician and businessman in Northern Ireland

Sir William Christie
33rd Lord Mayor of Belfast
In office
1972–1975
Preceded byJoseph Foster Cairns
Succeeded byMyles Humphreys
Personal details
Born1 June 1913
Belfast, Ireland
Died10 August 2008(2008-08-10) (aged 95)
Political partyUlster Unionist Party

Sir William Christie MBE JP DL (1 June 1913 – 10 August 2008) was an Ulster Unionist politician who served as Lord Mayor of Belfast.

The owner of a wallpaper company in Belfast, Christie was Lord Mayor of Belfast between 1972 and 1975. During this time his home and business were attacked several times, and his wife survived a gunshot to the head in 1972. His time in office coincided with the suspension of the Parliament of Northern Ireland, and he was therefore the first Lord Mayor since John White in 1920 not to serve as an ex officio member of the Senate.

In the 1973 elections to Belfast City Council Christie stood in the north-west Belfast 'E' division (equivalent to the current wards of Legoniel, Ballysillan, Ardoyne, Woodvale, Forthriver and Ballygomartin), which elected 6 councillors. He was the only UUP candidate to stand in E and gained 7,875 votes, which equated to 2.8 times the electoral quota. He retired in 1977, and the UUP vote dropped more than 3000 votes. Amongst two UUP councillors elected to replace him was future Lord Mayor Billy Bell.

References

  1. Mosley, Charles, ed. (2003). Burke's Peerage, Baronetage & Knighthood (107 ed.). Burke's Peerage & Gentry. p. 786. ISBN 0-9711966-2-1.
  2. O'Hara, Victoria (14 August 2008). "Ex-Lord Mayor Sir William Christie dies at 95". The Belfast Telegraph.
  3. http://www.ark.ac.uk/elections/hnisen.htm - Christie's predecessor did serve in the Senate, as did White's successor
  4. "Local Government Elections 1973 - 1981: Belfast". www.ark.ac.uk.


Civic offices
Preceded byJoseph Foster Cairns High Sheriff of Belfast
1964–1965 		Succeeded byJohn Abbott Lewis
Preceded byJoseph Foster Cairns Lord Mayor of Belfast
1972–1975 		Succeeded byMyles Humphreys
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