Whether as a unionist, or as an independent, T W Russell was never taken lightly by the parliamentary representatives of late Victorian unionism: directly, and obliquely, his contribution to the evolution of their movement was immense. As a popular unionist missionary in Britain between the first two home-rule bills, and as a protégé of Joseph Chamberlain, Russell was a valuable medium of communication between the British and Irish unionist parties. Moreover, he was both a champion of unionist farmer demands and a loyalist member of parliament; so Russell also created a vital bond between Irish unionism and rural opinion. As a member of the parliamentary Ulster party, Russell worked unstintingly for its success, provoking flexibility among both the more obtuse landed elements in the commons and among radical farmers in the counties. Yet, when he left unionism, his influence (now indirect) remained. Confronted by the spectre of presbyterian farmer militancy led by Russell, Irish unionist members of parliament meekly tailored their public pledges; and when, between 1900 and 1902, his agitation peaked, these members went further, revising the structure of their party in order to deflate his criticism and restore old loyalties. As one of the most significant forces in moulding twentieth-century unionism from nineteenth-century toryism, Russell merits special attention: his relationship with the unionist leadership in the strategically crucial years between 1894 and 1906 is examined here at length.

¹Stead,W TComing men on coming questions (London,1905), p.235Google Scholar;Hickey,D.J. andDoherty,J.E.,A dictionary of Irish history since 1800 (Dublin,1980), pp515–16.Google Scholar

² Peter O’Brien to Balfour, 24 Apr 1889 (B.L., Arthur Balfour papers, Add. MS 49814, f.252).

³ Hartington to Chamberlain, 6 Sept. 1886 (Birmingham University Library, Joseph Chamberlain papers, JC.5/22/17).

⁴ Jesse Collings to Russell, 27 May 1887 (P.R.O.N.I., Irish Unionist Alliance corresp., D.989).

⁵Lucy,Henry,Diary of the unionist parliament, 1895–1900 (Bristol and London,1901), p.13.Google Scholar

⁶Lucy,Henry W,Peeps at parliament taken from behind the speaker’s chair (London,1903), p.127Google Scholar

⁷Belfast News Letter (hereafterB.N.L.), 4 Feb. 1902.

⁸ Craig-Sellar to Montgomery, 13 Mar 1888 (P.R.O.N.I., Hugh De Fellenberg Montgomery papers, D.627/428/36); Richard Bagwell to Montgomery, 31 Aug. 1888 (ibid., no. 52); Deramore to Akers-Douglas, 2 Nov 1889 (Kent County Record Office, Aretas Akers-Douglas papers, U.564/C 167/4).

⁹ Balfour to Leonard Courtney, 13 Feb. 1892 (B.L., Arthur Balfour papers, Add. MS 49830, f.530); Balfour to Russell, 3 Nov 1891 (ibid., f. 343); Balfour to Montgomery, 14 Sept. 1889 (ibid., Add. MS 49828, f. 277).

¹⁰ W.H. Smith to Akers-Douglas, 20 Sept. 1889 (Kent C.R.O., Akers-Douglas papers, U564/C25/89);Pease,Alfred E.,Elections and recollections (London,1932), p.185.Google Scholar

¹¹Russell,T W,Ireland and the empire: a review (Dublin and New York,1901), p.275.Google Scholar

¹²Hansard 4, viii, 1480.

¹³Barker,Michael,Gladstone and radicalism: the reconstruction of liberal policy in Britain, 1885–1894 (Hassocks,1976), pp18–19.Google Scholar

¹⁴Solow,Barbara L.,The land question and the Irish economy, 1870-1903 (Cambridge, Mass.,1971), p.184ff.Google Scholar

¹⁵ Contrast Solow,Land question, withBonn,Moritz J.,Modern Ireland and her agrarian problem (Dublin,1906), pp105–21,Google Scholar andBew,Paul,Conflict and conciliation in Ireland, 1890–1910: Parnellite and radical agrarianism (Oxford,1987), p.88.Google Scholar

^l6Report from the select committee on land acts (Ireland) together with the proceedings of the committee, pp vii–viii, H.C. 1894 (310), xiii, 7–8.

¹⁷ Russell to Salisbury, 16 Aug. 1893 (Hatfield, Salisbury papers).

¹⁸ J.S. Mairs to Balfour, 3 Mar 1894 (Whittingehame, Arthur Balfour papers, TD.83/133/32/50).

¹⁹ Balfour to C. [Londonderry?], 15 Mar 1894 (ibid., no. 49).

²⁰Bonn,Modern Ireland, p.121Google Scholar

²¹ Lea to Montgomery, 4 Nov 1889 (P.R.O.N.I., Montgomery papers, D.627/428/114).

²²Russell,Ireland & the empire, p.275.Google Scholar

²³ Frederick Wrench to Balfour, 10 Mar. 1894 (Whittingehame, Arthur Balfour papers, TD.83/133/32/50).

²⁴B.N.L., 25 Jan. 1894, 15 Apr. 1894, 19 Jan. 1894.

²⁵ Atkinson to Balfour, 23 Oct. 1893 (Bodl., J.S. Sandars papers, c.725, ff 83–91);B.N.L., 5, 7 Apr. 1895.

²⁶Hansard 4, xxiii, 305 (12 Apr. 1894, Harland), col. 308 (Russell), cols 397ff (13 Apr., Smith-Barry, Russell, Johnston).

²⁷ Brodrick to Balfour, 25 Dec. 1894 (B.L., Arthur Balfour papers, Add. MS 49720, f.9).

²⁸Report from the select committee on the land acts (Ireland) together with the proceedings of the committee ., pp xxix–lviii, H.C. 1894 (310), xiii, 29–58.

²⁹ Ibid.

³⁰ Macartney to Montgomery, 7 Aug. 1894 (P.R.O.N.I., Montgomery papers, D.627/428/248).

³¹Hansard 4, xxvii, 425 (19 July 1894).

³² Ibid.

³³ Ibid., col. 674 (23 July 1894, Chamberlain), col. 708 (Macartney) and col. 718 (Russell).

³⁴ Lansdowne to Devonshire, 7 Nov. 1894 (Chatsworth House, Devonshire papers, 340/2576); Brodrick to Balfour, 25 Dec. 1894 (B.L., Arthur Balfour papers, Add. MS 49270, f.9).

³⁵B.N.L., 28 Apr 1894.

³⁶ Ibid.

³⁷ T W Russell to Chamberlain, 28 Apr 1894 (Birmingham U.L., Joseph Chamberlain papers, JC.5/75/16).

³⁸ Chamberlain to Balfour, 25 Apr. 1894 (B.L., Arthur Balfour papers, Add. MS 49773, f.63). Cf. William Johnston’s diary, 24 Apr. 1894 (P.R.O.N.I., Johnston papers, D.880/2).

³⁹B.N.L., 5 May 1894.

⁴⁰ Ibid.

^4lB.N.L., 29 May 1894.

⁴² Chamberlain to Montgomery, 9 Oct. 1894 (P.R.O.N.I., Montgomery papers, Τ 1089/261).

⁴³ N.W , 13 Oct. 1894.

⁴⁴ Ibid.

⁴⁵N.W. , 18 Oct. 1894.

⁴⁶B.N.L., 8 Nov 1894.

⁴⁷B.N.L., 6, 21 Nov 1894.

⁴⁸B.N.L., 8 Nov. 1894,N.W., 9 Nov 1894. Cf. William Johnston’s diary, 6, 16, 17, 23, Nov 1894 (P.R.O.N.I., Johnston papers, D.880/2).

⁴⁹ Brodrick to Salisbury, 18 Oct. 1894 (Hatfield, Salisbury papers).

⁵⁰ Balfour to Brodrick, 14 Oct. 1894 (ibid.).

⁵¹ Brodrick to Balfour, 25 Dec. 1894 (B.L., Arthur Balfour papers, Add. MS 49720, f.9). Cf. ’Memorandum by Joseph Chamberlain on the proposed compromise over Morley’s evicted tenants bill’ (Birmingham U.L., Joseph Chamberlain papers, JC.8/5/1/18).

⁵² Salisbury to Balfour, 29 Dec. 1894 (B.L., Arthur Balfour papers, Add. MS 49690, f.97).

⁵³Hansard 4, xxxi, 335 (4 Mar 1895, Rentoul), xxxii, 810 (2 Apr., Barton), col. 1044 (5 Apr., Dane).

⁵⁴ Ibid., xxxii, 1054 (5 Apr., Sexton).

⁵⁵ Ibid., col. 1067 (Balfour).

⁵⁶ Horace Plunkett’s diary, 2 May 1895 (Plunkett Foundation, Horace Plunkett papers). This is partly quoted byGailey,Andrew in ‘Unionist rhetoric and local government reform, 1895–9’ inI.H.S.,24, no. 93 (May1984), p.55.Google Scholar Dr Gailey slightly modifies his argument concerning unionist commitment to reform in 1895:Ireland and the death of kindness: the experience of constructive unionism, 1890–1905 (Cork, 1987), p. 143.

⁵¹B.N.L., 17 July 1895.

⁵⁸ Ibid.

⁵⁹B.N.L., 22 July 1895.

⁶⁰ Salisbury to Balfour, 28 June 1895 (Whittingehame, Arthur Balfour papers, TD.83/133/71); Balfour to Salisbury, 29 June 1895 (Hatfield, Salisbury papers, E/Balfour/495).

⁶¹B.N.L., 17 July 1895.

⁶² Ibid.; Russell to Salisbury, 2 July 1895 (Hatfield, Salisbury Papers).

⁶³ Russell to Salisbury, 4 July 1895 (ibid.).

⁶⁴B.N.L., 17 July 1895.

⁶⁵ For Russell’s period at the Local Government Board, seeStead,W T,Coming men on coming questions, pp235–6Google Scholar; for Russell and financial relations, seeGailey,,Death of kindness, p.104.Google Scholar

⁶⁶ There is no evidence of Russell’s presence at Ulster party meetings after 1894 in the papers of other members.

⁶⁷ Edward Saunderson to Salisbury, 19 Mar. 1895 (Hatfield, Salisbury papers);Hansard 4, xxxi, 997 (13 Mar. 1895).

⁶⁸ Balfour to Salisbury, 20 June 1895 (Hatfield, Salisbury papers).

⁶⁹ Chamberlain to Ashbourne, 19 July 1895 (House of Lords Record Office, Ashbourne papers, B30/2), quoted inCooke,A.B. andMalcomson,A.P W (eds),The Ashbourne papers (Belfast,1974), p.101.Google Scholar

⁷⁰ Chamberlain to Montgomery, 3 Aug. 1895 (P.R.O.N.I., Montgomery papers, Τ 1089/270).

⁷¹ For the strain Chamberlain felt in keeping radical colleagues to order, see Chamberlain to Devonshire, 19 Apr. 1895 (Chatsworth, Devonshire papers, 340/2608), quoted inGarvin,,Life of Joseph Chamberlain,2,630–31,Google Scholar andHolland,Bernard,Life of Spencer Compton, eighth duke of Devonshire (2 vols,London,1911),2,267–8.Google Scholar

⁷² Saunderson to Salisbury, 23 Sept. 1900 (Hatfield, Salisbury papers);B.N.L., 21 Sept. 1900. The speech is printed inRussell,T W,Compulsory purchase in Ireland: five speeches made by Mr T W Russell (Dublin,1901),Google Scholar a collection compiled by Russell’s opponents in order to demonstrate his inconsistency

⁷³ Salisbury to Russell, 5 Nov 1900 (Hatfield, Salisbury papers). The italics are mine.

⁷⁴ Cadogan was moved to label the prime minister ‘the champion of the Ulster landlord interest’ Cadogan to Salisbury, 22 Apr 1900 (ibid.).

⁷⁵ Saunderson to Salisbury, 23 Sept. 1900, Abercorn to Salisbury, 9, 18, 25, 31 Oct. 1900 (ibid.). See alsoMurphy,Desmond,Derry, Donegal and modern Ulster, 1790–1921 (Londonderry,1981), p.203.Google Scholar

⁷⁶ Chamberlain to Balfour, 21 Oct. 1900 (Hatfield, Salisbury papers).

⁷⁷Russell,,Ireland & the empire, p.131.Google Scholar

⁷⁸ See, e.g.,McMinn,J.R.B. ‘Liberalism in north Antrim, 1900–14’ inI.H.S.,23, no. 89 (May1982), p.19Google Scholar (‘Russell had failed to be appointed and was bent on revenge’), andMurphy,,Derry, Donegal & modern Ulster, p.205.Google Scholar

⁷⁹Bonn,,Modern Ireland, p.121Google Scholar;Bew,,Conflict & conciliation, pp86–95.Google Scholar

⁸⁰McMinn,, ‘Liberalism in north Antrim’, pp19–20Google Scholar;N.W, 19 Jan. 1901.

⁸¹N.W, 17 Jan. 1901.

⁸²Hansard 4, lxxxix, 728 (21 Feb. 1901)

⁸³N.W, 17 Jan. 1901.

⁸⁴ Ibid., 9 Feb. 1901

⁸⁵ Ibid., 9 Jan. 1901

⁸⁶Russell,,Ireland & the empire, p.275Google Scholar

⁸⁷N.W, 8 Jan. 1901.

⁸⁸Hansard 4, lxxxix, 746 (21 Feb. 1901, my italics). Cf. Russell’s Cookstown speech inIrish News, 3 Dec. 1900. For evidence of Russell’s growing support among nationalists, see ibid., 3 Dec. 1900;Coleraine Chronicle, 6 Apr 1901,N.W, 10 Apr. 1901

⁸⁹N.W., 29 Nov 1900.

⁹⁰ Ibid., 8 and 19 Jan. 1901

⁹¹Coleraine Chronicle, 6 Apr 1901.

⁹²B.N.L., 21 Dec. 1900.

⁹³ Russell to Salisbury, n.d. [Dec. 1900], 1 Jan. 1901 (Hatfield, Salisbury papers).

⁹⁴N.W., 8 Feb. 1901.

⁹⁵ Montgomery to Lecky, 21 Nov 1900 (T.C.D., W.E.H. Lecky papers, MS 1832/1997).

⁹⁶ William Johnston’s diary, 19 Feb. 1901 (P.R.O.N.I., Johnston papers, D.880/2).

⁹⁷ Cadogan to Salisbury, 15 Jan. 1901 (Hatfield, Salisbury papers).

⁹⁸McMinn,, ‘Liberalism in north Antrim’, p.20Google Scholar; idem, ‘The Rev. James Brown Armour and liberal politics in North Antrim, 1869–1914’ (unpublished Ph.D. thesis, Queen’s University of Belfast, 1979), pp 341–2.

⁹⁹Russell,,Ireland & the empire, pp277–8.Google Scholar

¹⁰⁰ Horace Plunkett’s diary, 14 Mar. 1902 (Plunkett Foundation, Plunkett papers).

¹⁰¹ Horace Plunkett’s diary, 8 Oct. 1901 (ibid.). Plunkett momentarily considered standing on the Russellite ticket in East Down, but declined to provide the necessary pledge on compulsion.

¹⁰² Horace Plunkett’s diary, 14 Mar. 1902 (ibid.).

¹⁰³Gailey,,Death of kindness, p.171,Google ScholarMcMinn,, ‘J.B. Armour’, p.344.Google Scholar

¹⁰⁴ The report (with the names of the signatories) is printed inDunraven’s,Lord,Past times and pastimes (2 vols,London, [1922] ), ii,179.Google Scholar For the development of Russell’s views, seeRussell,T W ‘The Irish land question: what remains to be done’ inStead,W T (ed.),Coming men on coming questions, pp238–44.Google Scholar Cf. an earlier view,Russell,T W ‘The Irish land system’ inDowsett,C.F (ed.),Land: its attractions and riches (London,1892), p.808.Google Scholar

¹⁰⁵B.N.L., 15 Jan. 1903.

¹⁰⁶ Ibid., 22 Jan. 1902.

¹⁰⁷ Ibid., 4 Feb. 1902.

¹⁰⁸ Ibid., 19 Mar 1903.

¹⁰⁹ Ibid., 16 Jan. 1903, quotingThe Times.

¹¹⁰Boyle,John W ‘A marginal figure: the Irish rural labourer’ inClark,Samuel andJrDonnelly,James S., (eds),Irish peasants: violence and political unrest, 1780–1914 (Manchester,1983), p.331Google Scholar See alsoFitzpatrick,David, ‘The disappearance of the Irish agricultural labourer, 1841–1912’ inIrish Economic and Social History,7 (1980), pp66–92.CrossRefGoogle Scholar

¹¹¹ See, e.g.,B.N.L., 23 Jan. 1902;McMinn,, ‘J.B. Armour’, p.339.Google Scholar

¹¹²B.N.L., 19 Jan. 1903.

¹¹³ Ibid., 17 Jan. 1903, 25 Jan. 1902.

¹¹⁴McMinn,, ‘J.B. Armour’, p.353.Google Scholar For details of the devolution affair, seeGailey,,Death of kindness, pp235–91,Google ScholarJackson,T.A. ‘The Irish unionist parliamentary party, 1885–1906’ (unpublished D.Phil, thesis,Oxford,1986), pp408–53.Google Scholar

¹¹⁵ Calculations based upon figures provided inWalker,Brian M.Parliamentary election results in Ireland, 1801–1922 (Dublin,1978).Google Scholar

¹¹⁶ As early as 1904 Russell was accepting financial aid from Herbert Gladstone (Bew,,Conflict & conciliation, p.91).Google Scholar

¹¹⁷ Carson to William Moore, 28 Jan. 1906 (Moore papers in the possession of Sir William Moore, Bt).

¹¹⁸B.N.L., 7 Feb. 1902, p. 5;Ervine,,Craigavon, pp125–6.Google Scholar

¹¹⁹ Peel to Lonsdale, 10 Feb. 1902 (P.R.O.N.I., Joshua Peel papers, D.889/4C/2, p. 742).

¹²⁰B.N.L., 23 Mar 1903.

¹²¹ Joseph Wilson to Moore, 9 Feb. 1903 (Moore papers).

^l22B.N.L., 22 Jan. 1903.

¹²³Campbell,T.J.Fifty years of Ulster, 1890–1940 (Belfast,1941), p.263.Google Scholar

¹²⁴ T W Russell to white, 30 Jan. 1906 (National Maritime Museum, Greenwich, Arnold White papers, WH1/80). I am grateful to Dr R.H. Williams, St Peter’s College, Oxford, for this reference.

¹²⁵Campbell,,Fifty years, p.264.Google Scholar

¹²⁶ Cf.Lyons,F.S.L.The Irish unionist party and the devolution crisis of 1904–5’ inI.H.S.,6, no. 21 (Mar1948), p.22.Google Scholar

¹²⁷Bew,Paul andWright,Frank ‘The agrarian opposition in Ulster politics, 1848–1887’ inClark, &Donnelly, (eds),Irish peasants, p.226.Google Scholar

¹²⁸Bew, &Wright, ‘Agrarian opposition’, pp213–19.Google Scholar

¹²⁹ Ibid., p. 192.

¹³⁰Bew,Conflict & conciliation, p.89.Google Scholar

¹³¹Bew, &Wright, ‘Agrarian opposition’, pp219 ff.Google Scholar

¹³²Brett,Maurice V andOliver,,Esher,Viscount (eds),The journals and letters of Reginald, Viscount Esher (4 vols,London,1934–8), ii,76.Google Scholar

¹³³Ervine,Craigavon, p.101.Google Scholar The biographical information here is taken fromWho was who, 1916–1929 (London, 1929), p. 918.

¹³⁴ Russell had been predicting a breakdown in British government in Ireland since November 1917 ‘in three months you’ll have to decide to govern or clear out’ (Sir A. Frederick Whyte’s diary, 19 Nov 1917, India Office Library, Whyte papers, Ms Eur. D761/1). I am grateful to Mr Christopher Collins, Nuffield College, Oxford, for this reference.

¹³⁵Marjoribanks,Edward andColvin,Ian,The life of Lord Carson (3 vols,London,1932–6), i,161.Google Scholar Marjoribanks oddly describes Russell as ‘an English member who took up the Irish question’