Sir William Victor McCleery (17 July 1887 – 30 October 1957) was a prominent Unionist in

Northern Ireland Northern Ireland ( ga, Tuaisceart Éireann ; sco, label= Ulster-Scots, Norlin Airlann) is a part of the United Kingdom, situated in the north-east of the island of Ireland, that is variously described as a country, province or region. Nort ...

. McCleery was the managing director of Hale, Martin and Company, and from 1921 until 1946 was the President of the

Ballymoney Ballymoney ( ga, Baile Monaidh , meaning 'townland of the moor') is a small town and civil parish in County Antrim, Northern Ireland. It is within the Causeway Coast and Glens Borough Council area. The civil parish of Ballymoney is situated in ...

Chamber of Commerce, from 1922 until 1945 was chair of the North Antrim Agricultural Association, and from 1931 to 1946 was President of the North Antrim Unionist Association. He was also the Grand Master of the

Orange Order The Loyal Orange Institution, commonly known as the Orange Order, is an international Protestant fraternal order based in Northern Ireland and primarily associated with Ulster Protestants, particularly those of Ulster Scots heritage. It also ...

County Antrim County Antrim (named after the town of Antrim, ) is one of six counties of Northern Ireland and one of the thirty-two counties of Ireland. Adjoined to the north-east shore of Lough Neagh, the county covers an area of and has a population o ...

.Biographies of Members of the Northern Ireland House of Commons
/ref> McCleery was elected as the

Ulster Unionist Party The Ulster Unionist Party (UUP) is a unionist political party in Northern Ireland. The party was founded in 1905, emerging from the Irish Unionist Alliance in Ulster. Under Edward Carson, it led unionist opposition to the Irish Home Rule movem ...

(UUP) Member of Parliament for North Antrim at a by-election in 1945. In 1949, he briefly served as

Minister of Labour Minister of Labour (in British English) or Labor (in American English) is typically a cabinet-level position with portfolio responsibility for setting national labour standards, labour dispute mechanisms, employment, workforce participation, traini ...

, before becoming

Minister of Commerce A Commerce minister (sometimes business minister, industry minister, trade minister or international trade minister) is a position in many governments that is responsible for regulating external trade and promoting economic growth (commercial polic ...

until 1953. In 1949, he was also appointed to the

Privy Council of Northern Ireland The Privy Council of Northern Ireland is a formal body of advisors to the sovereign and was a vehicle for the monarch's prerogative powers in Northern Ireland. It was modelled on the Privy Council of Ireland. The council was created in 1922 as ...

. After being relieved of his ministerial post, he became chairman of the

Unionist Back Bench Committee Unionist may refer to: *A member or supporter of a trade union Europe United Kingdom *Unionism in the United Kingdom *Unionism in Ireland * Unionism in Scotland * Unionist Party (Scotland) * Scottish Conservative & Unionist Association *Conserva ...

until 1956. He was knighted in 1954. McCleery was proposed by

James Bailie James Bailie (1890–1967) was a unionist politician in Northern Ireland. Bailie worked as a domestic engineer and ran a foundry that produced ironworks in Ballymena. He joined the Ulster Unionist Party and served on various public boards befo ...

was a possible candidate for Grand Master of the

Orange Institution The Loyal Orange Institution, commonly known as the Orange Order, is an international Protestant fraternal order based in Northern Ireland and primarily associated with Ulster Protestants, particularly those of Ulster Scots heritage. It als ...

in Ireland, and following the withdrawal of all the other serious candidates, took up the post in 1954. Still an MP, he used the position to support the UUP

Government of Northern Ireland The government of Northern Ireland is, generally speaking, whatever political body exercises political authority over Northern Ireland. A number of separate systems of government exist or have existed in Northern Ireland. Following the partitio ...

.The Orange Establishment, 1950–63
/ref> The following year, he became Grand Master of the Imperial Grand Orange Council of the World.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:McCleery, William 1887 births 1957 deaths Members of the House of Commons of Northern Ireland 1945–1949 Members of the House of Commons of Northern Ireland 1949–1953 Members of the House of Commons of Northern Ireland 1953–1958 Northern Ireland Cabinet ministers (Parliament of Northern Ireland) Members of the Privy Council of Northern Ireland Ulster Unionist Party members of the House of Commons of Northern Ireland Knights Bachelor Grand Masters of the Orange Order Members of the House of Commons of Northern Ireland for County Antrim constituencies