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William Ernest George Johnston

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

William Ernest George Johnston
Lord Mayor of Belfast
In office
1949–1951
High Sheriff of Belfast
In office
1947–1948
Personal details
Born(1884-10-31)31 October 1884
Belfast, Northern Ireland, United Kingdom
Died26 October 1951(1951-10-26) (aged 66)
Belfast, Northern Ireland, United Kingdom
Alma mater

Sir William Ernest George Johnston, DL (31 October 1884 – 26 October 1951) was a Unionist politician and businessman in Northern Ireland.

Life and career

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Born in Belfast, William Johnston was the son of Rt. Hon. Sir James Johnston, of Belvoir Park. Educated at Campbell College, Belfast and the Queen's University of Belfast he then entered his father's firm, James Johnston & Co. Ltd., flax merchants based at Donegall Street in Belfast. Thus, like many of his contemporaries, Sir William's family was involved in Ulster's thriving linen trade.

In Belfast's civic life, Sir William was High Sheriff and Lord Mayor of Belfast from May 1949 to May 1951, and an ex officio member of the Senate of Northern Ireland, the upper house of the Stormont Parliament. He was knighted in the 1951 King's Birthday Honours List.

Personal life

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In 1912 he married Olive Patterson, the daughter of Rev. Dr. William Patterson, of Cooke Church, Toronto, Ontario, Canada. The couple had one son and lived at Wellington Park, Malone Road, Belfast, where Sir William died in 1951.

References

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  • Who Was Who 1955
Civic offices
Preceded by High Sheriff of Belfast
1947–1948
Succeeded by
Preceded by Lord Mayor of Belfast
1949–1951
Succeeded by