James Craig, 1st Viscount Craigavon

The Viscount Craigavon
1st Prime Minister of Northern Ireland
In office
7 June 1921 – 24 November 1940
MonarchsGeorge V
Edward VIII
George VI
GovernorThe Duke of Abercorn
Preceded byOffice established
Succeeded byJ. M. Andrews
4th Leader of the Ulster Unionist Party
In office
7 June 1921 – 24 November 1940
Preceded bySir Edward Carson
Succeeded byJ. M. Andrews
Ministerial positions
Parliamentary and Financial Secretary to the Admiralty
In office
2 April 1920 – 1 April 1921
Prime MinisterDavid Lloyd George
Preceded byThomas James Macnamara
Succeeded byLeo Amery
Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Pensions
In office
10 January 1919 – 2 April 1920
Prime MinisterDavid Lloyd George
Preceded byArthur Griffith-Boscawen
Succeeded byGeorge Tryon
Treasurer of the Household
In office
14 December 1916 – 22 January 1918
Prime MinisterDavid Lloyd George
Preceded byJames Hope
Succeeded byRobert Sanders
Northern Ireland Parliament
Member of the Northern Ireland Parliament
for North Down
In office
22 May 1929 – 24 November 1940
Preceded byConstituency established
Succeeded byThomas Bailie
Member of the Northern Ireland Parliament
for Down
In office
24 May 1921 – 22 May 1929
Preceded byConstituency established
Succeeded byConstituency abolished
British Parliament
Member of the House of Lords
Lord Temporal
In office
1 January 1927 – 24 November 1940
Hereditary Peerage
Succeeded byThe 2nd Viscount Craigavon
Member of Parliament
for Mid Down
In office
14 December 1918 – 2 July 1921
Preceded byConstituency established
Succeeded byRobert Sharman-Crawford
Member of Parliament
for East Down
In office
8 February 1906 – 14 December 1918
Preceded byJames Wood
Succeeded bySir David Reid
Personal details
Born(1871-01-08)8 January 1871
Belfast, Ireland
Died24 November 1940(1940-11-24) (aged 69)
Glencraig, Northern Ireland
Resting placeStormont Parliament Buildings
Political partyUlster Unionist Party
SpouseCecil Mary Tupper
Children3
EducationMerchiston
Military service
Allegiance United Kingdom
Branch/service British Army
Years of service1899–1901
Rank Captain
Unit3rd (Militia) Royal Irish Rifles
Battles/warsSecond Boer War

James Craig, 1st Viscount Craigavon PC PC (NI) DL (8 January 1871 – 24 November 1940), was a leading Irish unionist and a key architect of Northern Ireland as a devolved region within the United Kingdom. During the Home Rule Crisis of 1912–14, he defied the British government in preparing an armed resistance in Ulster to an all-Ireland parliament. He accepted partition as a final settlement, securing the opt out of six Ulster counties from the dominion statehood accorded Ireland under the terms of the 1921 Anglo-Irish Treaty. From then until his death in 1940, he led the Ulster Unionist Party and served Northern Ireland as its first Prime Minister. He publicly characterised his administration as a "Protestant" counterpart to the "Catholic state" nationalists had established in the south. Craig was created a baronet in 1918 and raised to the Peerage in 1927.