771 Thomas Dickson

Constituency  : Dungannon 1874-80,  County  Tyrone 1881-5,  Dublin  St  Stephen's  Green 1888-92

Thomas  took  Dungannon  from  the  Tories  where  the  Ranfurly  family's  interest  in  the  seat  had declined.

Thomas was  a  Presbyterian  factory  owner  known  for  his  philanthropy..

Thomas  was  part  of  a  Royal  Commission  on  waterways  in  Ulster. He  wanted  amendments  to  the  1870  Irish  Land  Act ; the  machinery for  fixing  judicial  rents  was  too  slow.

Thomas's  re-election  in  1880  was  declared  void  but  he  returned  at  a  by-election  for  County Tyrone  in  1881. Tyrone  was  split  in  1885  but  Thomas  got  back  in  at  Dublin  in  a  by-election  in  1888.

He  died  in  1909  aged  75.