Sir James Brown Dougherty, KCB, KCVO, PC (Ire) (13 November 1844 – 3 January 1934 [1]) was an Irish clergyman, academic, civil servant and politician. [2]
Dougherty was born in Garvagh, County Londonderry, Ireland, to Archibald Dougherty, Esq., M.R.C.S., a surgeon, and Martha Dougherty (née Brown) of Garvagh. He was educated at Queen's College, Belfast, and at Queen's University, Belfast (B.A. 1864 & M.A., 1865).
In 1880, he married Mary Dougherty (née Donaldson) (d.1887), of The Park, Nottingham, with whom he had a son, John Gerald Dougherty (born 1883). In 1888, he married Elizabeth Dougherty (née Todd), of Oaklands, Rathgar, County Dublin. [3]
Ordained a Presbyterian minister, he was Professor of Logic and English at then-Presbyterian Magee College, Londonderry from 1879 to 1895. He served as Assistant Commissioner on the Educational Endowments Commission of Ireland (1885–92) and was Commissioner of Education from 1890 to 1895. [3] He became Professor of Logic and English at Magee College in Londonderry in 1879, holding the post until 1895. [2] In 1895, he was appointed Assistant Under-Secretary to the Lord-Lieutenant of Ireland ( Lord Houghton) and became Under-Secretary for Ireland in 1908. He was appointed Clerk to H.M.'s Privy Council, and Deputy Keeper of the Privy Seal in 1895. [3] He became a Liberal MP for Londonderry City from 1914–18, [2] succeeding fellow Liberal David Cleghorn Hogg. He was succeeded by Eoin MacNeill of Sinn Féin in the 1918 general election.
Dougherty was appointed a Companion of the Order of the Bath (Civil Division) (CB) in the 1900 Birthday Honours list. [4] He was appointed a Knight Bachelor in the 1902 Coronation Honours list published on 26 June 1902, [5] and was knighted by the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland, Earl Cadogan, at Dublin Castle on 11 August 1902. [6] He was appointed a Companion of the Royal Victorian Order (CVO) in 1903; advanced to a Knight Commander of the Bath (Civil Division) (KCB) in 1910; and promoted to a Knight Commander of the Royal Victorian Order (KCVO) in 1911.