Northern West Riding of Yorkshire (UK Parliament constituency)

Northern West Riding of Yorkshire was a parliamentary constituency covering part of the historic West Riding of Yorkshire. It returned two Members of Parliament (MPs) to the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom, elected by the bloc vote system.

Northern West Riding of Yorkshire
Former County constituency
for the House of Commons
CountyWest Riding of Yorkshire
1865–1885
Number of membersTwo
Replaced byElland, Keighley, Shipley, Skipton and Sowerby
Created fromWest Riding of Yorkshire

History

The constituency was created when the two-member West Riding of Yorkshire constituency was divided for the 1865 general election into two new constituencies, each returning two members: Northern West Riding of Yorkshire and Southern West Riding of Yorkshire. The extra seats were taken from parliamentary boroughs which had been disenfranchised for corruption.

In the redistribution which took effect for the 1868 general election the two divisions were redistributed into three. Eastern West Riding of Yorkshire was created and the Northern and Southern divisions modified. Each of the three divisions returned two members.

All three were abolished by the Redistribution of Seats Act 1885 for the 1885 general election. The Northern division was replaced by five new single-member constituencies: Elland, Keighley, Shipley, Skipton and Sowerby.

Boundaries

The place of election was initially at Leeds (1861 Act), later at Bradford (1868 Act).

From 1865 to 1868 the constituency comprised the north half of the West Riding of Yorkshire. The Birkenhead Enfranchisement Act 1861 provided that it was to contain the wapentakes of Staincliffe and Ewecross, Claro, Skyrack, and Morley.[1]

The Reform Act 1867 re-defined the constituency as the wapentake of Staincliffe and Ewcross, Claro, Skyrack, Barkston Ash, and Osgoldcross.[2]

The Boundary Act 1868 again re-defined the constituency as the wapentake of Staincliffe and Ewcross with part of the wapentake of Morley (the parishes of Bradford and Halifax and the townships of Boston and Idle).[3]

Members of Parliament
Election1st member1st party2nd member2nd party
1865 Sir Francis Crossley Liberal Lord Frederick Cavendish Liberal
1872 Francis Powell Conservative
1874 Sir Mathew Wilson, Bt Liberal
1882 Isaac Holden Liberal
1885 constituency abolished: see Elland, Keighley, Shipley, Skipton and Sowerby

Election results

Elections in the 1860s
General election 1865: Northern West Riding of Yorkshire[4]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Frederick Cavendish Unopposed
Liberal Francis Crossley Unopposed
Registered electors 22,792
Liberal win (new seat)
Liberal win (new seat)
General election 1868: Northern West Riding of Yorkshire[4]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Frederick Cavendish Unopposed
Liberal Francis Crossley Unopposed
Registered electors 16,918
Liberal hold
Liberal hold

Elections in the 1870s

Crossley's death caused a by-election.

By-election, 3 Feb 1872: Northern West Riding of Yorkshire[4]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Francis Powell 6,961 50.2 New
Liberal Isaac Holden 6,917 49.8 N/A
Majority 44 0.4 N/A
Turnout 13,878 81.2 N/A
Registered electors 17,084
Conservative gain from Liberal Swing N/A

Cavendish was appointed a Lord Commissioner of the Treasury, requiring a by-election.

By-election, 27 Aug 1873: Northern West Riding of Yorkshire[4]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Frederick Cavendish Unopposed
Liberal hold
General election 1874: Northern West Riding of Yorkshire[4]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Frederick Cavendish 8,681 26.4 N/A
Liberal Mathew Wilson 8,598 26.2 N/A
Conservative Francis Powell 7,820 23.8 N/A
Conservative William Fison[5] 7,725 23.5 N/A
Majority 778 2.4 N/A
Turnout 16,412 (est) 81.5 (est) N/A
Registered electors 20,130
Liberal hold Swing N/A
Liberal hold Swing N/A

Elections in the 1880s
General election 1880: Northern West Riding of Yorkshire[4]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Frederick Cavendish 10,818 30.2 +3.8
Liberal Mathew Wilson 10,732 30.0 +3.8
Conservative Samuel Lister 7,140 20.0 −3.5
Conservative Francis Powell 7,096 19.8 −4.0
Majority 3,592 10.0 +7.6
Turnout 17,893 (est) 81.9 (est) +0.4
Registered electors 21,840
Liberal hold Swing +3.7
Liberal hold Swing +3.9

Cavendish was appointed Chief Secretary to the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland, causing a by-election. However on 6 May 1882, just hours after taking the oath for the position, Cavendish was assassinated in Dublin in the Phoenix Park Murders.

By-election, 20 May 1882: Northern West Riding of Yorkshire[4]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Isaac Holden 9,892 55.7 −4.5
Conservative Alfred Gathorne-Hardy[6] 7,865 44.3 +4.5
Majority 2,027 11.4 +1.4
Turnout 17,757 80.2 −1.7
Registered electors 22,138
Liberal hold Swing −4.5

References
  1. Birkenhead Enfranchisement Act 1861 (c.112), section 1.
  2. "Representation of the People Act 1867" (PDF). Retrieved 23 May 2020.
  3. "A Collection of the Public General Statutes: 1867/68. Cap. XLVI. An Act to settle and describe the Limits of certain Boroughs and the Divisions of certain Counties in England and Wales, in so far as respects the Election of Members to serve in Parliament". London: Eyre and Spottiswoode. 1868. pp. 119–166. Retrieved 23 May 2020.
  4. Craig, F. W. S., ed. (1977). British Parliamentary Election Results 1832-1885 (e-book) (1st ed.). London: Macmillan Press. p. 493. ISBN 978-1-349-02349-3.
  5. "To the Electors of the Northern Division of the West Riding of Yorkshire". Todmorden & District News. 6 February 1874. pp. 3–4. Retrieved 24 January 2018 – via British Newspaper Archive.
  6. "Representation of Yorkshire". Yorkshire Post and Leeds Intelligencer. 10 May 1882. p. 4. Retrieved 24 December 2017 – via British Newspaper Archive.
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