William Sharman Crawford

Life
1781-1861; Sherriff of Down, 1811; advocated Emancipation; MP Dundalk, 1835-37; tabled bill to compensate tenants for improvements, 1835; supported Chartists, 1837; MP Rochdale, 1841-52; with procured formation of Tenant Rights Association in Ulster, 1846; His Bill to give legal effect to the Ulster Custom, effectively securing tenure of occupier, refused in Commons by 112 votes to 25 in 1847; promulgated the Federal Scheme for an Irish parliament in opposition to O’Connell, 1843. ODNB FDA