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	] '''Sir James Matthew Stronge, 9th Baronet''' (] ] ] – ] ]) was a unionist MP in the ], and the later ]. He was the son of ]. He was ~~killed~~ by the ] at his family home, ].		] '''Sir James Matthew Stronge, 9th Baronet''' (] ] ] – ] ]) was a unionist MP in the ], and the later ]. He was the son of ]. He was murdered by the ] at his family home, ].

	== Life and Career ==		== Life and Career ==
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	== Death ==		== Death ==
	Stronge was ~~killed~~ alongside his elderly father Sir ], by the ] in the library of his home, ], on the evening of 21st January 1981.<ref></ref>.		Stronge was murdered alongside his elderly father Sir ], by the ] in the library of his home, ], on the evening of 21st January 1981.<ref></ref>.

	The ] home was then burnt to the ground. The bodies of father and son were later recovered from their blazing home. On seeing the explosions at the house (and a ] Sir Norman had lit in an attempt to alert the authorities), ] and British troops arrived at the scene and established a road-block at the gate lodge. They encountered at least eight fleeing gunmen. There followed a gunfight lasting 20 minutes in which at least 200 shots were fired. There were no casualties among the security forces. <ref> Turtle Bunbury</ref>		The ] home was then burnt to the ground. The bodies of father and son were later recovered from their blazing home. On seeing the explosions at the house (and a ] Sir Norman had lit in an attempt to alert the authorities), ] and British troops arrived at the scene and established a road-block at the gate lodge. They encountered at least eight fleeing gunmen. There followed a gunfight lasting 20 minutes in which at least 200 shots were fired. There were no casualties among the security forces. <ref> Turtle Bunbury</ref>

Revision as of 16:34, 23 April 2007

Sir James Matthew Stronge, 9th Baronet
Arms of the Stronge Baronets, of Tynan

Member of the Northern Ireland House of Commons
In office 1969–1972
Constituency	Mid Armagh
Member of the Northern Ireland Assembly
In office 1973–1974
Constituency	Mid Armagh

Personal details
Born	Arms of the Stronge Baronets, of Tynan 21 June 1932
Died	21 January 1981 Tynan Abbey, County Armagh
Resting place	Arms of the Stronge Baronets, of Tynan
Height	160px
Parent	Arms of the Stronge Baronets, of Tynan

Major Sir James Matthew Stronge, 9th Baronet (21 June 1932 – 21 January 1981) was a unionist MP in the Parliament of Northern Ireland, and the later Northern Ireland Assembly. He was the son of Sir Norman Stronge, 8th Baronet. He was murdered by the Provisional Irish Republican Army at his family home, Tynan Abbey.

Life and Career

Born into an aristocratic family, he was educated at Eton College and Christ Church College, Oxford.

He served as Ulster Unionist Member of Parliament (MP) for Mid-Armagh for three years until the prorogation of Stormont in 1972 and a member of the Northern Ireland Assembly 1973-1974.

Stronge was also a decorated officer in the Grenadier Guards. Having withdrawn from political and military life, his main interests since were confined to merchant banking and service as a RUC Reserve Constable.

Stronge's second cousin succeeded him as the 10th Baronet, namely James who is the son of Maxwell du Pré James Stronge, son of Edward Owen Fortescue Stronge, brother of the 7th Baronet.

Death

Stronge was murdered alongside his elderly father Sir Norman, by the Provisional Irish Republican Army in the library of his home, Tynan Abbey, on the evening of 21st January 1981..

The Stronge family's home was then burnt to the ground. The bodies of father and son were later recovered from their blazing home. On seeing the explosions at the house (and a flare Sir Norman had lit in an attempt to alert the authorities), policemen and British troops arrived at the scene and established a road-block at the gate lodge. They encountered at least eight fleeing gunmen. There followed a gunfight lasting 20 minutes in which at least 200 shots were fired. There were no casualties among the security forces.

Author Tim Pat Coogan stated that Sir Norman Stronge and his son were shot because sectarian assassinations were claiming the lives of Catholics, but did not state that they were involved in these killings.

As Stronge was shot alongside his father, and it is not known who was shot first, he is presumed to have momentarily succeeded as 9th Baronet under the legal fiction known as the doctrine of survival. .

Son and father were buried in Tynan Parish church, at his funeral a telegram sent from the Queen (to one of Sir Norman's daughters) was read, it stated; "I was deeply shocked to learn of the tragic death of your father and brother; Prince Philip joins me in sending you and your sister all our deepest sympathy on your dreadful loss. Sir Norman's loyal and distinguished service will be remembered".

In 1984, Seamus Shannon was arrested by the Garda Síochána in the Republic of Ireland and handed over to the RUC on a warrant accusing him of involvement in the killing of the Sir Norman and his son. The Irish Supreme Court considering his extradition to Northern Ireland rejected the defence that these were political offences saying that they were "so brutal, cowardly and callous that it would be a distortion of language if they were to be accorded the status of a political offence". The charges were later dropped against Shannon.

Memorial

James Stronge is remembered with a tablet in the assembly chamber in the Parliament Buildings at Stormont. He is also listed on the National Police Memorial Roll Of Honour.

References

Biographies of Members of the Northern Ireland House of Commons
Stronge of Tynan Abbey, Co. Armagh Turtle Bunbury
'The Green Book: I' from 'The IRA' by Tim Pat Coogan (1993)
http://www.iraatrocities.fsnet.co.uk/stronge.htm
Seanad Éireann - Volume 139 - 24 March, 1994. Extradition (Amendment) Bill, 1994: Second Stage Oireachtas historical debates
House of Commons Hansard Debates for 10 Jun 1992 United Kingdom Parliament website
'Memorials to the Casualties of Conflict: Northern Ireland 1969 to 1997' by Jane Leonard (1997) Cain Webservice
National Police Memorial Roll of Honour for Ireland Police Memorial Trust website. Accessed 27 February 2007

Parliament of Northern Ireland
Preceded bySir Norman Stronge, Bt	Member of Parliament for Mid-Armagh 1969–1972	Succeeded byHouse suspended/abolished
Baronetage of the United Kingdom
Preceded byNorman Stronge	Baronet (of Tynan) 1981–1981	Succeeded byJames Stronge

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