Epsom (UK Parliament constituency)

Last updated

Epsom
Former Borough constituency
for the House of Commons
EnglandSurrey.svg
Location of Surrey within England
County Surrey
Major settlements Epsom, Ewell and Ashtead, others to east before 1945, to west before 1950
1885–1974 (1974)
SeatsOne
Created fromparts of West Surrey and Mid Surrey
Replaced by Epsom and Ewell and
Mole Valley (as to the former Leatherhead Urban District)
During its existence contributed to new seat(s) of: Sutton and Cheam
Esher
Surbiton

Epsom was a borough constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. It elected one Member of Parliament (MP) by the first past the post system of election. From its creation in 1885 until its abolition in 1974, it was won by eight Conservatives. The winner took less than 50% of the votes in its contested elections once, in 1945, receiving 49.9% of the vote in a three-party contest. Six elections, the last being a by-election in 1912, were uncontested.

Contents

History

Geographical history

Creation and abolition

The seat was established under the Redistribution of Seats Act 1885 as the Mid or Epsom division of Surrey for the 1885 general election. The Mid designation was lesser used, since it could be misleading, as its extent until 1885 was a long strip to the east bounded by among other parishes: Lambeth, Streatham, Croydon, Burstow, Capel and Sutton.

Scope

The Act of 1885 set up the seat so as to comprise: [1]

Thus the seat drew on Mid Surrey as to Tolworth, New Malden, Malden, Worcester Park, Surbiton, Hook, Coombe and Long Ditton in the Kingston Hundred and Sessional Division. It drew on West Surrey as to: Ashtead; Banstead; Great Bookham; Little Bookham; Cheam; Chessington; Cuddington; Epsom; Ewell; Fetcham; Headley; Leatherhead; Sutton; Walton on the Hill; Cobham; Thames Ditton; Esher; East Molesey; West Molesey; Stoke D'Abernon; and Walton on Thames. [2] [3] [4]

The Representation of the People Act 1918 cut the area down to its south-eastern third namely: [5]

The Representation of the People Act 1948 confirmed a 1945-implemented split-up of all seats of more than 100,000 electors, of Sutton and Cheam Urban District to create Sutton and Cheam (UK Parliament constituency) to the north-east. [6] Removal of a broad western area to form Esher ensued in 1950. As such it remained in the 1970 review-implementing Order. [7] The 1983 reforms saw more than its renaming and technical abolition, the seat shed in the south the former Leatherhead Urban District to Mole Valley created that year.

The seat was abolished for the February 1974 general election, replaced by Epsom and Ewell except for its south which contributed to the new seat of Mole Valley.

Boundaries

1885–1918: The Sessional Divisions of Epsom and Kingston (comprising most of Elmbridge) as excluding "the part of the civil parish of Kingston [and] the Municipal Borough of Kingston-on-Thames", and the (mainly rural) civil parishes of Effingham and Mickleham to the south-west and south respectively.

1918–1945: The Urban Districts of Epsom, Leatherhead, and Sutton, and the Rural District of Epsom.

1945–1974: The Municipal Borough of Epsom and Ewell, and the Urban District of Leatherhead.

Members of Parliament

ElectionMember [8] Party
1885 Constituency created.
1885 George Cubitt Conservative
1892 Thomas Bucknill Conservative
1899 by-election William Keswick Conservative
1912 by-election Henry Keswick Conservative
1918 George Blades Conservative
1928 by-election Sir Archibald Southby Conservative
1947 by-election Malcolm McCorquodale Conservative
1955 Peter Rawlinson Conservative
Feb 1974 Constituency abolished. See Epsom and Ewell.

Elections

Epsom election history Epsom election history.png
Epsom election history

Elections in the 1880s

General election 1885: Epsom [9] [10]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Conservative George Cubitt 4,621 66.1
Liberal Richard Harris [11] 2,36833.9
Majority2,25332.2
Turnout 6,98977.6
Registered electors 9,009
Conservative win (new seat)
General election 1886: Epsom [9] [10]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Conservative George Cubitt Unopposed
Conservative hold

Elections in the 1890s

General election 1892: Epsom [9] [10]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Conservative Thomas Bucknill 5,123 65.3 N/A
Liberal Thomas Brassey 2,72034.7New
Majority2,40330.6N/A
Turnout 7,84375.7N/A
Registered electors 10,354
Conservative hold Swing N/A
General election 1895: Epsom [12] [10]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Conservative Thomas Bucknill Unopposed
Conservative hold
William Keswick William Keswick.jpg
William Keswick
1899 Epsom by-election [12] [10]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Conservative William Keswick Unopposed
Conservative hold

Elections in the 1900s

General election 1900: Epsom [12] [10]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Conservative William Keswick Unopposed
Conservative hold
Aston Alfred Withall Aston.jpg
Aston
General election 1906: Epsom [9] [10]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Conservative William Keswick 7,313 54.0 N/A
Liberal Alfred Withall Aston6,22146.0New
Majority1,0928.0N/A
Turnout 13,53484.9N/A
Registered electors 15,933
Conservative hold Swing N/A

Elections in the 1910s

Sir Albert Rollit Thinktank Birmingham - Rollit A.jpg
Sir Albert Rollit
General election January 1910: Epsom [13]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Conservative William Keswick 10,919 67.6 +13.6
Liberal Albert Rollit 5,23232.4−13.6
Majority5,68735.2+27.2
Turnout 16,15185.8+0.9
Registered electors 18,821
Conservative hold Swing +13.6
General election December 1910: Epsom [13]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Conservative William Keswick Unopposed
Conservative hold
Henry Keswick Henry Keswick.png
Henry Keswick
1912 Epsom by-election [13]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Unionist Henry Keswick Unopposed
Unionist hold

General election 1914–15:

Another general election was required to take place before the end of 1915. The political parties had been making preparations for an election to take place and by July 1914, the following candidates had been selected;

General election 1918: Epsom [14]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
C Unionist Rowland Blades 13,55673.9N/A
Labour James Chuter Ede 4,79626.1New
Majority8,76047.8N/A
Turnout 18,35256.3N/A
Registered electors 32,590
Unionist hold Swing N/A
Cindicates candidate endorsed by the coalition government.

Elections in the 1920s

General election 1922: Epsom [14]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Unionist Rowland Blades 16,249 71.2 −2.7
Labour Somerville Hastings 6,57128.8+2.7
Majority9,67842.4−5.4
Turnout 22,82065.3+9.0
Registered electors 34,945
Unionist hold Swing −2.7
General election 1923: Epsom [14]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Unionist Rowland Blades 14,230 71.0 −0.2
Labour John Langdon-Davies 5,80729.0+0.2
Majority8,42342.0−0.4
Turnout 20,03755.6−9.7
Registered electors 36,055
Unionist hold Swing −0.2
General election 1924: Epsom [14]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Unionist Rowland Blades 20,017 79.5 +8.5
Labour Philip Butler5,14920.5−8.5
Majority14,86859.0+17.0
Turnout 25,16667.1+11.5
Registered electors 37,515
Unionist hold Swing +8.5
1928 Epsom by-election [14]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Unionist Archibald Southby 13,364 60.3 −19.2
Liberal Samuel Parnell Kerr5,09523.0New
Labour Helen Mary Keynes 3,71916.8−3.7
Majority8,26937.2−21.8
Turnout 22,17851.2−15.9
Registered electors 43,292
Unionist hold Swing −7.8
General election 1929: Epsom [14]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Unionist Archibald Southby 24,720 57.8 −21.7
Liberal Samuel Parnell Kerr10,42224.3N/A
Labour Stanley Morgan 7,66217.9−2.6
Majority14,29833.5−25.5
Turnout 42,80467.7+0.6
Registered electors 63,268
Unionist hold Swing −9.6

Elections in the 1930s

General election 1931: Epsom [14]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Conservative Archibald Southby 44,076 85.34
Labour Stanley Morgan 7,57114.66
Majority36,50570.68
Turnout 51,647
Conservative hold Swing
General election 1935: Epsom [14]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Conservative Archibald Southby 49,948 72.14
Labour Stanley Morgan 19,28627.86
Majority30,66244.28
Turnout 69,234
Conservative hold Swing

General election 1939–40:

Another general election was required to take place before the end of 1940. The political parties had been making preparations for an election to take place and by the Autumn of 1939, the following candidates had been selected;

Elections in the 1940s

General election 1945: Epsom [14]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Conservative Archibald Southby 27,081 49.91
Labour Edward Shackleton 20,53337.84
Liberal James Morgan Fowler6,64312.24New
Majority6,54812.07
Turnout 54,25774.87
Conservative hold Swing
1947 Epsom by-election [14]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Conservative Malcolm McCorquodale 33,633 61.0 +11.1
Labour R. Bishop17,33931.5−6.3
Liberal David Cairns 4,1217.5−4.7
Majority16,44729.5+17.4
Turnout 16,294
Conservative hold Swing

Elections in the 1950s

General election 1950: Epsom [16]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Conservative Malcolm McCorquodale 33,103 60.73
Labour Frank Martin Hardie15,25627.99
Liberal N. Geoffrey Hudson6,15311.29
Majority17,84732.74
Turnout 54,512
Conservative hold Swing
General election 1951: Epsom [16]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Conservative Malcolm McCorquodale 36,333 68.66
Labour Frank Martin Hardie16,58431.34
Majority19,74937.32
Turnout 52,917
Conservative hold Swing
General election 1955: Epsom [16]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Conservative Peter Rawlinson 36,779 71.44
Labour Arthur Bertram Spencer Soper14,70628.56
Majority22,07342.88
Turnout 51,48577.56
Conservative hold Swing
General election 1959: Epsom [16]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Conservative Peter Rawlinson 35,484 62.88
Labour D. Eric Heather11,03919.56
Liberal Robert William M. Walsh9,91017.56New
Majority24,44543.32
Turnout 56,433
Conservative hold Swing

Elections in the 1960s

General election 1964: Epsom [16]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Conservative Peter Rawlinson 31,959 55.05
Liberal Robert William M. Walsh13,96824.06
Labour Alan Lee Williams 12,13120.89
Majority17,99130.99
Turnout 58,058
Conservative hold Swing
General election 1966: Epsom [16]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Conservative Peter Rawlinson 31,434 54.59
Labour Cyril Carter13,84124.04
Liberal Robert William M. Walsh12,30521.37
Majority17,59330.55
Turnout 57,580
Conservative hold Swing

Elections in the 1970s

General election 1970: Epsom [16]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Conservative Peter Rawlinson 35,541 61.41
Labour E. Guy Wilson12,76722.06
Liberal Peter Hasler Billenness9,56316.52
Majority22,77439.35
Turnout 57,871
Conservative hold Swing

See also

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References

  1. ↑ "Redistribution of Seats Act 1885, 48 & 49 Vict. C. 23". Proprietors of the Law Journal Reports – via archive.org.
  2. ↑ "CHERTSEY PETTY SESSIONAL DIVISION: RECORDS (summary of PS1-PS7 of Surrey History Centre, 7 Petty Sessional Divisions scope". National Archives . Archived from the original on 5 December 2019. Retrieved 4 December 2019.
  3. ↑ Dickens, Jr, Charles (1879). "Combined petty sessional division: Kingston and Elmbridge as dealt with under heading Kingston sessional division in the 1885 Act". Dickens's Dictionary of London. Archived from the original on 5 December 2019. Retrieved 4 April 2022.
  4. ↑ "Redistribution of Seats Act 1885: Appendix D - county constituencies". Proprietors of the Law Journal Reports – via archive.org.
  5. ↑ "Representation of the People Act 1918" (PDF). legislation.gov.uk . Archived (PDF) from the original on 17 February 2022. Retrieved 4 April 2022.
  6. ↑ "Representation of the People Act 1948" (PDF). legislation.gov.uk . Archived (PDF) from the original on 20 January 2022. Retrieved 4 April 2022.
  7. ↑ "SI 1970 No. 1674: The Parliamentary Constituencies (England) Order 1970" (PDF). legislation.gov.uk . Archived (PDF) from the original on 8 March 2022. Retrieved 4 April 2022.
  8. ↑ Leigh Rayment's Historical List of MPs – Constituencies beginning with "E" (part 2)
  9. 1 2 3 4 Liberal Yearbook 1907.
  10. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Craig, FWS, ed. (1974). British Parliamentary Election Results: 1885-1918. London: Macmillan Press. ISBN   9781349022984.
  11. ↑ "Election Intelligence" . London Evening Standard . 28 September 1885. p. 3. Retrieved 26 November 2017– via British Newspaper Archive.
  12. 1 2 3 Debrett's House of Commons, 1901.
  13. 1 2 3 Debrett's House of Commons, 1916
  14. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 British Parliamentary Election Results 1918-1949, F. W. S. Craig, Political Reference Publications, Glasgow, 1949.
  15. ↑ Report of the Annual Conference of the Labour Party, 1939.
  16. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 British parliamentary election results, 1950-1973, by F. W. S. Craig, Political Reference Publications, Glasgow, 1973.

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