Robert Harcourt (unionist politician)

Sir Robert John Rolston Harcourt, JP (1902 – 25 August 1969) was a Northern Irish unionist politician.

Robert Harcourt
Lord Mayor of Belfast
In office 1955–1957
Preceded by	Percival Brown
Succeeded by	Cecil McKee
High Sheriff of Belfast
In office 1948–1949
Preceded by	James Henry Norritt
Succeeded by	Stuart Knox Henry
Member of the Northern Ireland Senate
In office 1955–1957
Member of the Northern Ireland Parliament for Belfast Woodvale
In office 4 April 1950 – 15 November 1955
Preceded by	John William Nixon
Succeeded by	Neville Martin
Personal details
Born	1902 Belfast, Northern Ireland
Died	25 August 1969
Political party	Ulster Unionist

Background

Robert Harcourt, known as John, became the director of F. E. Harcourt and Company coal merchants. He was High Sheriff of Belfast in 1949, and later in the year unsuccessfully stood as the Ulster Unionist Party (UUP) candidate for South Down. Soon after this, John William Nixon, the independent Unionist MP for Belfast Woodvale, died. Harcourt stood in the ensuing by-election on 4 April 1950 and was elected.

In 1955, Harcourt was elected Lord Mayor of Belfast, a position which carried with it an ex officio position in the Senate of Northern Ireland. He served until 1957, when he was knighted.

Harcourt was an active member of the Orange Order and a Member of the prestigious Belfast lodge, Royal York LOL 145.

External links

• Stormont Archived 16 November 2017 at the Wayback Machine
• Belfast City Govt – Former Lords Mayor