We have just completed cataloguing, and preparing for use by readers, the papers of Sir Robin Chichester-Clark. Sir Robin was the brother of James Chichester-Clark (later Lord Moyola), the Prime Minister of Northern Ireland from 1969-71. As of yet there is no archive of James Chichester-Clark’s personal papers but the papers transferred to us by Robin Chichester-Clark will be very useful for the study of Northern Irish politics in the 1950s, 60s and 70s, and particularly the relationship between the Westminster and Stormont parliaments. In January 1971 Robin Chichester-Clark wrote to his brother, “I find Unionist members here rather anxious about the lack of liaison between themselves and the Northern Ireland Government”. [Letter from Robin Chichester-Clark to James Chichester-Clark. 21st Jan 1971. Churchill Archives Centre, The Papers of Sir Robin Chichester-Clark, CCLK 3/22.]

Sir Robin was also an intimate of Edward Heath, having served under him in the whips’ office from 1958 -1960. This friendship resulted in Chichester-Clark hosting Heath’s visits to Northern Ireland – and the Republic – and in advising on Heath’s speeches on Northern Ireland in opposition and in government.

However, when Heath was elected Prime Minister at Westminster in 1970, Chichester-Clark was not given a ministerial position because of the Premiership of his brother at Stormont. [Notes by an aide to Edward Heath on Heath’s “The Course of My Life”. Churchill Archives Centre, The Papers of Sir Robin Chichester-Clark, CCLK 1/21.]

CCLK 5/1: Signed photo of the Prime Minister and The Government Whips. 1959.
Edward Heath’s signature is faint but he is to the left of Harold Macmillan, the Prime Minister. Chichester-Clark is standing one in from the right.

The archive includes a fascinating account by one of Edward Heath’s aides of the day of Stormont’s suspension (March 1972). Chichester-Clark was smuggled into No 10 Downing Street through the garden to see Heath, who confided that “this has been the worst day of my life”. [Notes by an aide to Edward Heath on Heath’s “The Course of My Life”. Churchill Archives Centre, The Papers of Sir Robin Chichester-Clark, CCLK 1/21]. Later, Chichester-Clark served the Heath government as Minister of State for Employment at a time of considerable union unrest.

When I began work on the papers most of them were already catalogued, but section 6 was unsorted and consisted of bundles of press cuttings jammed into boxes. Some were in files with dates, but these were not always correct. As I started to sort through and try to make sense of these cuttings I noticed patterns and repeated themes so was able to impose an order. The sorting and cataloguing process was quite a challenge, but I think now they are potentially a valuable resource for researchers looking for press reaction to events in Northern Irish politics.

Robin Chichester Clark and his brother were not the only politicians in the family. Their grandmother was Dame Dehra Parker who was one of two women elected to the first Northern Irish Parliament in 1921. She went on to have a long and successful career as a Unionist MP in the Northern Irish Parliament, becoming Minister for Health and Local government, until she retired in 1960. Dame Dehra Parker held the seat for South Londonderry from 1933 to 1960 when she was succeeded by her grandson, James Chichester-Clark.

Chichester-Clark’s great-great-great Grandfather was George Robert Dawson (1790-1856) who was friends with Robert Peel, married Peel’s sister (Mary) and became his private secretary when Peel was Chief Secretary to Ireland in 1812. He was also Tory MP for County Derry [Londonderry] from 1815. During the Irish famine in the 1840s Dawson opened up a soup kitchen at Castledawson. [See A Web of English History ]

By a nice coincidence, the Centre also holds the papers of Sir William Bull, the grandfather of Robin Chichester-Clark’s second wife, Caroline Bull. Although William Bull represented an English constituency, he was Political Secretary to Sir Walter Long (founder of the Ulster Defence League). On the outbreak of the First World War, Bull was involved in running guns to the Ulster Volunteer Force.

Press cutting from the Papers of Sir William Bull, BULL 4/8. 8 June 1913

The catalogue of Sir Robin Chichester-Clark’s papers is available online on the Janus webserver.

Madelin Terrazas.