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The Belfast Protestant Association was a populist evangelical political movement in the early 20th-century.
The Association was founded in the last years of the 19th century by Arthur Trew, a former shipyard worker, who had become an evangelical
Protestant
Protestantism is a Christian denomination, branch of Christianity that follows the theological tenets of the Reformation, Protestant Reformation, a movement that began seeking to reform the Catholic Church from within in the 16th century agai ...
preacher and made fiercely
anti-Catholic
Anti-Catholicism is hostility towards Catholics or opposition to the Catholic Church, its clergy, and/or its adherents. At various points after the Reformation, some majority Protestant states, including England, Prussia, Scotland, and the Uni ...
speeches on the steps of
Belfast
Belfast ( , ; from ga, Béal Feirste , meaning 'mouth of the sand-bank ford') is the capital and largest city of Northern Ireland, standing on the banks of the River Lagan on the east coast. It is the 12th-largest city in the United Kingdo ...
Customs House.John F. Harbinson, ''The Ulster Unionist Party, 1882-1973'', p.223
In 1901, Trew was sentenced to twelve months' hard labour after he incited his supporters to riot in opposition to a
Roman Catholic
Roman or Romans most often refers to:
*Rome, the capital city of Italy
*Ancient Rome, Roman civilization from 8th century BC to 5th century AD
*Roman people, the people of ancient Rome
*'' Epistle to the Romans'', shortened to ''Romans'', a lette ...
Corpus Christi procession
The Feast of Corpus Christi (), also known as the Solemnity of the Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ, is a Christian liturgical solemnity celebrating the Real Presence of the Body and Blood, Soul and Divinity of Jesus Christ in the elements o ...
in the city. His supporters regarded him as a martyr, and his speeches were taken over by
Thomas Sloan
Thomas Henry Sloan (1870–1941) was an Irish and British politician and founder of the Independent Orange Order. He represented the Belfast South (UK Parliament constituency), Belfast South constituency as an Independent Unionist at the Westmi ...
. Sloan was a superior speaker and organiser, and interest increased rapidly. He stood as an
independent Unionist
Independent Unionist has been a label sometimes used by candidates in elections in the United Kingdom, indicating a support for British unionism (not to be confused with trade unionism).
It is most popularly associated with candidates in elect ...
British House of Commons
The House of Commons is the lower house of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. Like the upper house, the House of Lords, it meets in the Palace of Westminster in London, England.
The House of Commons is an elected body consisting of 650 mem ...
against the official unionist.
In 1903, Sloan founded the
Independent Orange Order
The Independent Loyal Orange Institution is an offshoot of the Orange Institution, a Protestant fraternal organisation based in Northern Ireland. Initially pro-labour and supportive of tenant rights and land reform, over time it moved to a more ...
, but he joined the Irish Unionist Party and disassociated himself from his former supporters. However, the Association continued, and worked hard in Belfast North to ensure that the official unionist Daniel Dixon held his seat against a strong challenge from Labour Representation Committee candidate William Walker.
Soon after the 1906 general election, the Association's treasurer, a Mr Galbraith, disappeared with all the funds, and the organisation collapsed.