Esmond Thompson

Francis Henry Esmond Thompson (1929-) was a Northern Irish politician with the Ulster Unionist Party (UUP).

Born in Maghera, Thompson served with the Royal Navy and later the Ulster Defence Regiment.[1] He subsequently served as sub-postmaster at Maghera Post Office for 41 years, retiring in 2001.[2][3]

He served as a member of the UUP executive from 1971, still being in position as of 1994.[1] He also represented the party as a member of the Northern Ireland Constitutional Convention for Mid-Ulster[1] and as a member of Magherafelt District Council from 1977-1981.[4] In November 1975, he was convicted of unlawful possession of a firearm, which he claimed he owned for his own protection.[5] In March 1977, he was shot in the arm in what was described as an assassination attempt, although he received only minor injuries.[6]

Thompson was known as a hard-line member of the UUP and had publicly criticised party colleague John Taylor during the life of the Constitutional Convention, feeling that Taylor was soft on proposals for power-sharing with the Social Democratic and Labour Party that had been proposed by William Craig.[7] In later years he was associated with the anti-Good Friday Agreement wing of the party[8] and was a strong critic of the leadership of David Trimble.[9]

References

  1. 1 2 3 W. D. Flackes & Sydney Elliott, Northern Ireland A Political Directory 1968-1993, Blackstaff Press, 1994, p. 222
  2. ↑ Thompson, Esmond (21 September 2000). "Letter: Demise of the Post Office?(Features)". The News Letter  – via HighBeam Research (subscription required) . Retrieved 17 October 2016.
  3. ↑ "New postmaster.(News)". The News Letter  – via HighBeam Research (subscription required) . 31 August 2001. Retrieved 17 October 2016.
  4. ↑ The Local Government Elections 1973-1981: Magherafelt
  5. ↑ Fortnight, no.116, p.11
  6. ↑ Fortnight, no.146, p.11
  7. ↑ Henry Patterson & Eric P. Kaufmann, Unionism and Orangeism in Northern Ireland Since 1945: The Decline of the Loyal Family, Manchester University Press, 2007, p. 182
  8. ↑ Thompson, Esmond (23 February 2001). "Letter: Recapture Lost Dignity". The News Letter  – via HighBeam Research (subscription required) . Retrieved 17 October 2016.
  9. ↑ Thompson, Esmond (19 January 2001). "Letter: Are we near the surrender of unionism?(Features)". The News Letter  – via HighBeam Research (subscription required) . Retrieved 17 October 2016.
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