Peter Quinn - A Newry businessman in the 19th century

: Noelle Frew/ Newry and Mourne Museum; Category: NEWRY HISTORY; Published: 04 May 2020

Newry Museum

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Peter Quinn was born in Newry in 1814, the youngest son of John Quinn of Newry and of Drum, County Monaghan, a merchant, and his wife, Mary, whose father, William Campbell, was the Vicar of Newry. On 29^th April 1835 he married Sarah Jane Erskine, the daughter of the rector of Kilbride in the diocese of Kilmore. They had four sons and three daughters. Two of their sons served in India, both with the Bengal Civil Service: John became Commissioner for Lucknow and Charles Commissioner for Bhaugalpore.

Chris Kent 30 October and Blondie Tribute 28 December @ Canal Court Hotel

Title page from the illuminated address presented to Peter Quinn by local businessmen and landowners on his fiftieth wedding anniversary in 1885. Newry and Mourne Museum Collection

Peter Quinn was a merchant in Newry and served as a Justice of the Peace in the counties of Armagh and Down. He also served on the committee which issued the prospectus for the Newry, Armagh and Enniskillen Railway in the autumn of 1844 (the company was formed in 1845) and was on the Board of the Newry Navigation Company. Quinn was also a land agent for estates in counties Armagh and Down and owned property himself in Drumbanagher, Tullyvallen and Newry.

Peter Quinn was MP for Newry from 1859 until 1865 Newry and Mourne Museum Collection — Peter Quinn was MP for Newry from 1859 until 1865. Newry and Mourne Museum Collection

He was an ardent supporter of Lord Derby and, in 1859, he entered the lists against the sitting MP for Newry, the popular Presbyterian William Kirk. Although he was thought to be a far stronger candidate than his predecessor, Kirk was as confident of retaining the seat as Quinn was of taking it. It was a hard fought contest, but the Conservatives had targeted Newry as one of four gains they hoped to make and Quinn did not disappoint them.

His election in May 1859 was, not unexpectedly, the subject of an unsuccessful electoral petition and although he chose not to fight the seat again, Quinn had paved the way to another Conservative victory in 1865, when he was succeeded in the seat by Arthur Innes. However, Kirk persisted and was successful in 1868.

A watercolour included the illuminated address of The Agency where Peter Quinn and his family lived. Newry and Mourne Museum Collection

In 1869 after he retired from parliament, Quinn was elected as a representative of the laity on the diocesan conference of Armagh, the role of which was to resist the disestablishment of the Church of Ireland.

Peter and Sarah Quinn resided with their family at The Agency, Drumbanagher, County Armagh. Sarah Quinn died in 1889 and Peter Quinn passed away on 5^th October 1894.