Thomas Leslie Teevan (July 1927 – 11 October 1954) was an Ulster Unionist Party politician and lawyer, notable for his extreme youth when first elected, brief career, and very early death.

Early life

Thomas Teevan was born in Limavady, County Londonderry,

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 ...

, in 1927. He was educated at Limavady Academy and Queen's University Belfast. He was a lecturer in law.

Brief political career

In 1950, a vacancy arose in the Belfast West constituency, owing to the disqualification of the Reverend J. G. MacManaway for being an Anglican priest despite the Church of Ireland being disestablished. Teevan was selected as Unionist candidate for the ensuing by-election. He was elected on 29 November 1950 over the

Northern Ireland Labour Party The Northern Ireland Labour Party (NILP) was a political party in Northern Ireland which operated from 1924 until 1987. Origins The roots of the NILP can be traced back to the formation of the Belfast Labour Party in 1892. William Walker stoo ...

candidate,

Jack Beattie Jack may refer to: Places * Jack, Alabama, US, an unincorporated community * Jack, Missouri, US, an unincorporated community * Jack County, Texas, a county in Texas, USA People and fictional characters * Jack (given name), a male given name, ...

, a former MP for the seat, by 913 votes. Teevan was aged only 23 and became

Baby of the House Baby of the House is the unofficial title given to the youngest member of a parliamentary house. The term is most often applied to members of the British parliament from which the term originated. The title is named after the Father of the Hous ...

upon taking the oath on 5 December 1950. His tenure lasted only 330 days, and he lost the seat to Beattie by just 25 votes in the 1951 general election. Aged only 24, he thus became the youngest person to ''leave'' the House of Commons in modern times. MacManaway himself died in November 1951, aged 53.

Career

Teevan qualified as a barrister in Northern Ireland in 1952. He also served as Chairman of Limavady Urban District Council and as vice-president of the North Derry Unionist Association.

Death

Teevan died suddenly in 1954, at his home in

Portstewart Portstewart () is a small town in County Londonderry, Northern Ireland. It had a population of 8,003 people in the 2011 Census. It is a seaside resort neighbouring Portrush. Its harbour and scenic coastal paths form an Atlantic promenade lead ...

, County Londonderry, aged just 27."Obituary: Mr. Thomas L. Teevan", ''The Times'', 12 October 1954, p. 10.

Notes

References

* 'Who's Who of British MPs: Volume IV, 1945-1979' by Michael Stenton and Stephen Lees (Harvester, Brighton, 1979)

External links

* 1927 births 1954 deaths Alumni of Queen's University Belfast Barristers from Northern Ireland Members of the Bar of Northern Ireland Members of the Parliament of the United Kingdom for Belfast constituencies (since 1922) People from Limavady Ulster Unionist Party members of the House of Commons of the United Kingdom UK MPs 1950–1951 Lawyers from County Londonderry {{NorthernIreland-politician-stub