Background
Born in Lisburn, County Antrim, he was the son of John Doherty Barbour.
Born in Lisburn, County Antrim, he was the son of John Doherty Barbour.
He was educated at Elstree School, Harrow School, Brasenose College, Oxford, and Darmstadt, Germany.
In 1921, he was appointed Parliamentary and Financial Secretary to the Ministry of Finance, and then entered Craigavon"s Cabinet as Minister of Commerce in 1937 (where he was perceived as "wrong, inept and palsied") and was promoted, aged 72, to Minister of Finance. He also acted as High Sheriff of Armagh in 1905 and as High Sheriff of Down in 1907. He was created a baronet, of Hilden, in the County of Antrim, on 17 August 1943.
He also sat on the Senate of Queen"s University, Belfast.
As a member of the Privy Council of Northern Ireland he was styled The Right Honourable Sir Milne Barbour. The members of his family were wealthy linen manufacturers, owners of William Barbour Linen Thread Company of Hilden – the largest linen thread manufacturers in the world, in business he was Chairman of the family company, which exists today in the same factory as Barbour Campbell Threads. In politics, he served as a member of parliament for County Antrim from 1921–1929 and then for South Antrim from 1929 until his death in 1951.
He also served as President of the Belfast Chamber of Commerce in 1911, as a member of Belfast Harbour Commissioners from 1914 to 1950, as President of the Royal Victoria Hospital, Belfast and as President of the Royal Ulster Agricultural Society from 1925 to 1930 and from 1931 until his death.
