Benjamin Haughton

Benjamin Haughton (1855–1932[1]) was an Irish businessman from Cork city, who was an independent member of Seanad Éireann from 1922 to 1928.[2] He was from the Cork branch of a Quaker family whose Carlow branch included social reformer James Haughton and scientist Samuel Haughton.[3][4] Benjamin was head of Haughton's timber and iron merchants in Cork and a supporter of the local YMCA.[5][3]

During the Irish War of Independence he was involved with the Irish White Cross and among a group of liberal Southern unionists who sought conciliation with Sinn Féin in Cork in the lead-up to the 1921 truce.[5] Upon the coming into force of the Constitution of the Irish Free State in 1922, W. T. Cosgrave as the President of the Executive Council nominated 30 of the initial 60 senators, including Haughton. These were subsequently divided by lottery into two cohorts of 15, serving terms of six and twelve years respectively, with Haughton drawing a six-year term.[6] He lost his seat at the 1928 Seanad election.[2] He and his wife Margaret Elizabeth Goodbody had five children.[3]

References

1. "Lot 429/0301: A Corkman's Voyage to New York in the Year of the Titanic". Auction 0301: Rare Book Sale — December 5th, 2017 — Tara Towers Hotel, Dublin. Fonsie Mealy. 2017. Retrieved 5 November 2019.
2. "Benjamin Haughton". Oireachtas Members Database. Retrieved 15 February 2013.
3. "Haughton Family Tree" (PDF). Carloviana. Carlow Historical and Archaeological Society (63): 10–11: 11. 2015.
4. Jessop, W. J. E. (1973). "Samuel Haughton: A Victorian polymath" (PDF). Hermathena (116): 3–26: 8. ISSN 0018-0750. JSTOR 23040464. Retrieved 5 November 2019.
5. Murphy, Gerard (2011). "The Cork YMCA". The Year of Disappearances: Political Killings in Cork 1921–1922. Gill & Macmillan Ltd. ISBN 9780717151653. Retrieved 5 November 2019.
6. "Selection of Nominated Senators — To Hold Office for 12 Years". Seanad Éireann (1922 Seanad) debates. Oireachtas. 8 February 1923. Retrieved 5 November 2019.