Charles Beattie (3 August 1899 – 10 March 1958) was a Northern Irish farmer and auctioneer. He was active in the Ulster Farmers' Union and in Unionist associations, serving on Omagh Rural District Council from 1952 until his death. Beattie is principally known for his brief career as a Member of the United Kingdom Parliament representing Mid Ulster.
Beattie was born on 3 August 1899 in County Tyrone, Northern Ireland. In addition to farming, he worked as an auctioneer, with premises on High Street in Omagh. He was also an active member of the Unionist associations, serving as a representative of Dunmullan on the North Tyrone Unionist Association and as a delegate to the Mid Ulster Unionist Association.
In 1952, Beattie was elected to the Omagh Rural District Council, representing Dunbreen. He was a strong supporter of the Ulster Farmers' Union and was appointed to various positions within the organization. In 1955, he was selected as the Unionist candidate for the Mid Ulster constituency in the general election. Although he lost the election to Tom Mitchell, Mitchell was disqualified due to his imprisonment for treason felony. Beattie was then awarded the seat, becoming the Member of Parliament for Mid-Ulster.
Charles Beattie (3 August 1899 – 10 March 1958) was a Northern Irish farmer and auctioneer. He was active in the Ulster Farmers' Union and in Unionist associations, serving on Omagh Rural District Council from 1952 until his death. He is principally known for a brief career as a Member of the United Kingdom Parliament representing Mid Ulster.
Beattie was born on 3 August 1899 in County Tyrone, Northern Ireland. In addition to farming, he worked as an auctioneer, with premises on High Street in Omagh. He was also an active member of the Unionist associations, serving as a representative of Dunmullan on the North Tyrone Unionist Association and as a delegate to the Mid Ulster Unionist Association.
In 1955, Beattie was selected as the Unionist candidate for the Mid Ulster constituency in the general election. He ran against Tom Mitchell, a candidate from Sinn Féin who was serving a prison sentence at the time. Despite a quiet campaign and Beattie's appeals to voters, Mitchell won the election, increasing his majority over Beattie.
However, Mitchell's disqualification due to his imprisonment presented an opportunity for Beattie. A by-election was held, and Beattie was renominated as the Unionist candidate. Mitchell won the by-election again, but was subsequently disqualified. As a result, Beattie was declared the winner and became the Member of Parliament for Mid-Ulster.
Beattie's time as an MP was short-lived. It was discovered that he held positions on appeal tribunals under the Northern Ireland National Insurance Act and the National Assistance Act, which constituted "offices of profit under the Crown," leading to his disqualification. The Charles Beattie Indemnity Act 1956 was passed to indemnify him from any consequences of acting as an MP while disqualified.
Charles Beattie may refer to:
Charles Beattie (3 August 1899 – 10 March 1958) was a Northern Irish farmer and auctioneer who served as a Member of the United Kingdom Parliament representing Mid Ulster. Although he did not win the election, his opponent was disqualified, and he was declared the winner. However, a few weeks later, he was found to be holding an "office of profit under the Crown," which disqualified him from his position. Beattie was also active in the Ulster Farmers' Union and Unionist associations and served on the Omagh Rural District Council from 1952 until his death. He was a strong supporter of the Orange Order and the Royal Black Institution, holding various positions within these organisations.
Sir Alfred Chester Beatty (7 February 1875 – 19 January 1968), also known as Chester or "Chet" to friends and family, was a successful businessman born in New York City. He became known as the "King of Copper" due to his fortune made in the mining industry, particularly in Northern Rhodesia (now Zambia) and the Belgian Congo (now the Democratic Republic of Congo). He had a passion for collecting art and manuscripts from around the world and established the Chester Beatty Library in Dublin, Ireland, to house his collection. Beatty was knighted in 1954 and was made an honorary citizen of Ireland in 1957, receiving a state funeral by the Irish government upon his death—the first private citizen to receive such an honour.