Douglas Hutchinson

Douglas Hutchinson (1918 – December 1995) was a Northern Irish Unionist politician.

Background Born in Richhill, County Armagh, Hutchinson worked as a fruit farmer. In 1953, he succeeded his father as an Ulster Unionist Party (UUP) member of Armagh Rural District Council, holding his seat until its abolition in 1973. He was also active in Ian Paisley's Ulster Protestant Action, and was prominent in the paramilitary Ulster Protestant Volunteers. He served in the Ulster Special Constabulary, but left after being sentenced to one month's imprisonment for disrupting a civil rights march in Armagh in November 1968. Around this time, he was expelled from the Orange Order and from the Royal Black Preceptory for protesting against what he saw as support for appeasement among some of their leadership. In 1971, he was sentenced to six months in prison for taking part in a banned parade in Dungiven although, on appeal, this was commuted to a £60 fine. He was elected to Armagh District Council at the 1973 local election.