Sir Edward J Harland was a shipbuilder who founded Harland & Wolff, one of the largest shipbuilding firms in the world.

Edward Harland was born at Scarborough, Yorkshire, in May 1831. He served an apprenticeship at the Newcastle shipbuilding firm, Robert Stephenson & Co and later worked as draughtsman at J & G Thomson, marine engine builders in Glasgow. Harland subsequently managed the firm of Thomas Toward at Newcastle.

He moved to Belfast in December 1854 to run a shipyard on the Queen’s Island in East Belfast. Harland purchased the Belfast shipyard with the financial backing from Gustav Schwabe, a shipping magnate and uncle of Gustav Wilhelm Wolff. Harland made Wolff a partner in 1862 and the firm helped to found a thriving shipping industry in the city. Harland & Wolff built three ‘Olympic Class’ liners for the White Star Line shipping company. The ‘Olympic’, ‘Titanic’ and ‘Britannic’ were among the largest vessels afloat at the time.

In 1870, Harland was made a Belfast Harbour Commissioner, and he served continuously from 1872 until 1887, acting as chairman for many years.

He entered the Belfast Corporation as an alderman for St Anne’s ward in 1884, and served two consecutive terms as Mayor in 1885 and 1886. In 1885 he was granted a knighthood and a baronetcy.

Harland was elected as MP for North Belfast in August 1889, representing the Conservative Party. He was re-elected in 1892 and 1895. In 1887 he was appointed as High Sheriff for County Down.

He died aged sixty-four on 24 December 1895, at his residence in Enniskillen, Co. Leitrim.