Sligo Borough (UK Parliament constituency)

Sligo Borough is a former borough constituency in Ireland, represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom.

Sligo Borough
Former Borough constituency for the House of Commons
1801–1870
Number of members	One
Replaced by	Sligo County
Created from	Sligo Borough (Parl. Irl.)

It was an original constituency represented in Parliament when the Union of Great Britain and Ireland took effect on 1 January 1801, and returned one Member of Parliament (MP), elected by the first past the post system of election.

Numerous elections were overturned on petition by the losing candidate; after the 1868 election was overturned, a Royal Commission examined the matter and reported that "at the last three elections of members to serve in Parliament for the Borough of Sligo, corrupt practices have extensively prevailed."[1] Parliament therefore passed the Sligo and Cashel Disenfranchisement Act 1870[2] (33 & 34 Vict. c.38) which came into force on 1 August 1870. The act disfranchised Sligo Borough as well as Cashel, another Irish borough. The area of Sligo borough became part of the Sligo County constituency. In 1881 the county's MP, Thomas Sexton, introduced a private member's bill to re-enfranchise the borough, which was defeated on second reading.[3]

Boundaries

This constituency was the Parliamentary borough of Sligo in County Sligo.

Members of Parliament

Election		Member	Party	Note
	1801, January 1	Owen Wynne	Tory[4]	Resigned (appointed Escheator of Munster)
	1806, July 16	Col. George Canning	Tory	A cousin of his successor Rt Hon George Canning
	1812, November 5	Rt Hon George Canning	Tory	1812: Also returned by and elected to sit for Liverpool. Subsequently Prime Minister 1827.
	1813, April 5	Joshua Spencer		Resigned (appointed Escheator of Munster)
	1815, March 27	Sir Brent Spencer
	1818, June 29	John Bent	Tory
	1820, March 21	Owen Wynne	Tory[4]
	1830, August 4	John Arthur Wynne	Tory[5]
	1832, December 21	John Martin	Whig[5]
	1837, August 5	John Patrick Somers	Whig[6][5][7]	Re-elected as a Repeal Association candidate. There were many disturbances in the election campaign.[8]
	1841, July 9		Repeal Association[9]	Unseated on petition - new writ issued
	1848, April 11	Charles Towneley	Whig[10][11]	Unseated on petition - new writ issued.[12]
	1848, July 15	John Patrick Somers	Repeal Association[9]
	1852, July 15	Charles Towneley	Ind. Irish[9]	Unseated on petition - new writ issued.[13] Henry Stonor, convicted of electoral bribery, was later appointed a judge in Victoria, Australia,[14] The Stonor scandal inspired the character of Mr Romer in Anthony Trollope's Doctor Thorne.[15]
	1853, July 8	John Sadleir	Whig[16][17]	Died.
	1856, March 8	Rt Hon. John Arthur Wynne	Conservative[9]	Election upheld after petitions were rejected.[18]
	1857, April 2	John Patrick Somers	Whig[5][6][7]	Unseated on petition.[19]
	1857, July 31	Rt Hon. John Arthur Wynne	Conservative[9]	Declared duly elected on petition.[19] Resigned
	1860, August 9	Francis Macdonogh	Conservative[9]
	1865, July 15	Richard Armstrong	Liberal[9]
	1868, November 20	Lawrence Edward Knox	Conservative[9]	Last MP for the constituency. Election declared void on petition.[20]
1870, 1 August		constituency disenfranchised

Supplemental Note:-

• ¹ Walker (like F. W. S. Craig in his compilations of election results for Great Britain) classifies Whig, Radical and similar candidates as Liberals from 1832. The name Liberal was gradually adopted as a description for the Whigs and politicians allied with them, before the formal creation of the Liberal Party shortly after the 1859 general election.

Elections

Elections in the 1830s

General election 1830: Sligo Borough[9][5][21]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Tory	John Arthur Wynne	Unopposed
Registered electors			13
	Tory hold

General election 1831: Sligo Borough[9][5][21]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Tory	John Arthur Wynne	Unopposed
Registered electors			13
	Tory hold

General election 1832: Sligo Borough[9][5]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Whig	John Martin (Irish politician)	213	53.7
	Tory	John Arthur Wynne	159	40.1
	Whig	Gregory Cuffe Martin	20	5.0
	Whig	Robert Jones	5	1.3
Majority			54	13.6
Turnout			397	95.0
Registered electors			418
	Whig gain from Tory

General election 1835: Sligo Borough[9][5]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Whig	John Martin (Irish politician)	Unopposed
Registered electors			694
	Whig hold

General election 1837: Sligo Borough[9][5]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Whig	John Patrick Somers	262	55.7
	Whig	John Martin (Irish politician)	208	44.3
Majority			54	11.6
Turnout			470	56.2
Registered electors			837
	Whig hold

Elections in the 1840s

General election 1841: Sligo Borough[9]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Irish Repeal	John Patrick Somers	Unopposed
Registered electors			821
	Irish Repeal gain from Whig

General election 1847: Sligo Borough[9]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Irish Repeal	John Patrick Somers	Unopposed
Registered electors			910
	Irish Repeal hold

On petition, Somers was unseated, causing a by-election.

By-election, 11 April 1848: Sligo Borough[9]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Whig	Charles Towneley	130	52.6	New
	Irish Repeal	John Patrick Somers	117	47.4	N/A
Majority			13	5.2	N/A
Turnout			247	29.5 (est)	N/A
Registered electors			837 (1847 figure)
	Whig gain from Irish Repeal		Swing	N/A

On petition, Towneley was unseated, causing a further by-election.

By-election, 15 July 1848: Sligo Borough[9]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Irish Repeal	John Patrick Somers	102	36.6	−10.8
	Conservative	James Hartley	90	32.3	New
	Whig	John Ball	87	31.2	−21.4
Majority			12	4.3	N/A
Turnout			279	30.7	+1.2
Registered electors			910
	Irish Repeal gain from Whig		Swing	+5.3

Elections in the 1850s

General election 1852: Sligo Borough[9]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Independent Irish	Charles Towneley	147	57.6	New
	Whig	John Patrick Somers	108	42.4	N/A
Majority			39	15.2	N/A
Turnout			255	75.9	N/A
Registered electors			336
	Independent Irish gain from Irish Repeal		Swing	N/A

On petition, Towneley was unseated on 6 June 1853 due to bribery by his agents, causing a by-election.[22]

By-election, 8 July 1853: Sligo Borough[9]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Whig	John Sadleir	150	51.4	N/A
	Whig	John Patrick Somers	142	48.6	+6.2
Majority			8	2.8	N/A
Turnout			292	83.2	+7.3
Registered electors			351
	Whig gain from Independent Irish		Swing	N/A

Sadleir's death caused a by-election.

By-election, 8 March 1856: Sligo Borough[9]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	John Arthur Wynne	148	55.8	New
	Whig	John Patrick Somers	117	44.2	+1.8
Majority			31	11.6	N/A
Turnout			265	76.8	+0.9
Registered electors			345
	Conservative gain from Independent Irish		Swing	N/A

General election 1857: Sligo Borough[9]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Whig	John Patrick Somers	150	51.0	+8.6
	Conservative	John Arthur Wynne	144	49.0	N/A
Majority			6	2.0	N/A
Turnout			294	85.2	+9.3
Registered electors			345
	Whig gain from Independent Irish		Swing	N/A

On petition, the poll was amended due to improperly recorded votes, leaving Wynne with 148 votes and Somers with 147 votes. Wynne was then declared elected on 31 July 1857.[23]

General election 1859: Sligo Borough[9]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	John Arthur Wynne	177	70.0	+21.0
	Liberal	John Patrick Somers	73	28.9	−22.1
	Liberal	Lucas Alexander Treston	3	1.2	N/A
Majority			104	41.1	N/A
Turnout			253	70.1	−15.1
Registered electors			361
	Conservative gain from Liberal		Swing	+21.6

Elections in the 1860s

Wayne's resignation caused a by-election.

By-election, 9 August 1860: Sligo Borough[9]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	Francis Macdonogh	160	95.8	+25.8
	Liberal	John Reilly	5	3.0	+1.8
	Liberal	John Patrick Somers	2	1.2	−27.7
Majority			155	92.8	+41.7
Turnout			167	46.3	−23.8
Registered electors			361
	Conservative hold		Swing	+26.8

General election 1865: Sligo Borough[9]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Liberal	Richard Armstrong	166	51.7	+21.6
	Conservative	Francis Macdonogh	155	48.3	−21.7
Majority			11	3.4	N/A
Turnout			321	84.7	+14.6
Registered electors			379
	Liberal gain from Conservative		Swing	+21.7

General election 1868: Sligo Borough[9]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	Lawrence E. Knox	241	51.3	+3.0
	Liberal	John Woulfe Flanagan	229	48.7	−3.0
Majority			12	2.6	N/A
Turnout			470	90.4	+5.7
Registered electors			520
	Conservative gain from Liberal		Swing	+3.0

Knox's election was declared void on 2 March 1869, and no writ was issued to find a replacement MP. The seat was then disenfranchised on 1 August 1870, and absorbed into Sligo County.

References

Sources

• The Parliaments of England by Henry Stooks Smith (1st edition published in three volumes 1844-50), 2nd edition edited (in one volume) by F.W.S. Craig (Political Reference Publications 1973)
• Parliamentary Election Results in Ireland, 1801-1922, edited by B.M. Walker (Royal Irish Academy 1978)
• British Electoral Facts 1832-1987, compiled and edited by F.W.S. Craig (Parliamentary Research Services, 5th edition, 1989)
• Commissioners for the purpose of making inquiry into the existence of corrupt practices at the last election for Sligo (1870). Report. Command papers. C.48. Dublin: Alex Thom. Retrieved 23 December 2016.
• Leigh Rayment's Historical List of MPs – Constituencies beginning with "S" (part 3)

Citations

1. Commission 1870, p.viii
2. "Sligo and Cashel Disfranchisement Bill— [Bill 139.] Second Reading". Hansard. 16 June 1870. HC Deb vol 202 cc309-15. Retrieved 23 December 2016.; "Sligo and Cashel Disfranchisement Bill.—(No. 167.) Second Reading". Hansard. 7 July 1870. HL Deb vol 202 cc1596-1602. Retrieved 23 December 2016.
3. "Sligo Borough Re-Enfranchisement Bill.— [Bill 62.]; Second Reading". Hansard. 23 March 1881. HC Deb vol 259 cc1782–5. Retrieved 23 December 2016.
4. Salmon, Philip. "WYNNE, Owen (c.1756-1841), of Hazelwood, co. Sligo". The History of Parliament. Retrieved 24 May 2020.
5. Smith, Henry Stooks (1842). The Register of Parliamentary Contested Elections (Second ed.). Simpkin, Marshall & Company. p. 239. Retrieved 8 October 2018 – via Google Books.
6. The Assembled Commons; Or, Parliamentary Biographer. Scott, Webster and Geary. 1838. p. 210 – via Google Books.
7. "Sligo Borough". King's County Chronicle. 14 July 1852. p. 2. Retrieved 17 March 2018 – via British Newspaper Archive.
8. Copy of a memorial forwarded to the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland for certain magistrates of the county ... impugning the conduct of Major Browne (government magistrate) during the late contest (Sligo) election. Sessional papers. HC 36, 1837-1838 46 551. 12 December 1837. Retrieved 23 December 2016.; Return of all reports of outrages to Inspector General of Police by Constabulary during late Elections for County and Borough of Sligo. Sessional papers. HC 166, 1837-1838 46 555. 27 February 1838. Retrieved 23 December 2016.;
9. Walker, B.M., ed. (1978). Parliamentary Election Results in Ireland, 1801-1922. Dublin: Royal Irish Academy. ISBN 0901714127.
10. "Ireland". Norfolk Chronicle. 22 April 1848. p. 2. Retrieved 8 October 2018 – via British Newspaper Archive.
11. "Durham County Advertiser". 21 April 1848. p. 5. Retrieved 8 October 2018 – via British Newspaper Archive.
12. Select Committee of Privileges (21 July 1848). Sligo election petitions: petition of John Delaney: report with minutes of evidence. Sessional papers. HC 526, 1847-1848 14 367. Retrieved 23 December 2016.
13. Select Committee on the Sligo borough election petition (6 June 1853). Report. Sessional papers. HC 572, 1852-1853 18 595. Retrieved 23 December 2016.; Select Committee on the Sligo borough election petition (10 June 1853). Minutes of evidence, proceedings and index. Sessional papers. HC 600, 1852-1853 18 605, 713. Retrieved 23 December 2016.
14. Select Committee on Appointment of H. Stonor as Judge in Colony of Victoria, after being reported Guilty of Bribery at Election for Borough of Sligo (1 June 1854). Report, minutes of evidence and appendices. Sessional papers. HC 278, 1854 8 681. Retrieved 23 December 2016.
15. Trollope, Anthony (3 March 2016). Dentith, Simon (ed.). Doctor Thorne. Foreword by Julian Fellowes (TV Tie-In ed.). OUP Oxford. p. 638, fn.156. ISBN 9780191088568. Retrieved 23 December 2016.
16. "Irish Elections". Drogheda Argus and Leinster Journal. 7 August 1847. p. 2. Retrieved 15 September 2018 – via British Newspaper Archive.
17. "The General Election". Morning Post. 9 August 1847. pp. 2–4. Retrieved 15 September 2018 – via British Newspaper Archive.
18. Select Committee on Sligo Borough Election Petition (22 May 1856). Report, minutes of evidence and proceedings. Sessional papers. HC 234, 1856 7 409. Retrieved 23 December 2016.
19. Select Committee on Sligo Borough Election Petition (23 July 1857). Report and proceedings. Sessional papers. HC 227, 1857 8 585. Retrieved 23 December 2016.; Select Committee on Sligo Borough Election Petition (3 August 1857). Minutes of evidence and proceedings. Sessional papers. HC 206, 1857 8 609. Retrieved 23 December 2016.
20. Minutes of evidence at Trial of Sligo Borough Election Petition. Sessional papers. HC 85, 1868-1869 49 933. 16 March 1869. Retrieved 23 December 2016.
21. Salmon, Philip. "Sligo". The History of Parliament. Retrieved 24 May 2020.
22. "Tralee Chronicle". 10 June 1853. pp. 3–4. Retrieved 8 October 2018 – via British Newspaper Archive.
23. "Dublin Evening Mail". 17 July 1857. p. 4. Retrieved 8 October 2018 – via British Newspaper Archive.