West Cornwall (UK Parliament constituency)
West Cornwall was a county constituency in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. It elected two Members of Parliament (MPs) by the bloc vote system of election.
West Cornwall | |
---|---|
Former County constituency for the House of Commons | |
County | Cornwall |
1832–1885 | |
Number of members | Two |
Replaced by | Camborne, St Austell, St Ives and Truro |
Created from | Cornwall, St Mawes |
Boundaries
In 1832 the county of Cornwall, in south west England, was split for parliamentary purposes into two county divisions. These were the West division (with a place of election at Truro) and East Cornwall (where voting took place at Bodmin). Each division returned two members to Parliament.
The parliamentary boroughs included in the West division, between 1832-1885, (whose non-resident 40 shilling freeholders were eligible to vote in the county constituency) were Helston, Penryn and Falmouth, St Ives and Truro. (Source: Stooks Smith).
1832–1885: The Hundreds of Kerrier, and Penwith, and in the hundred of Powder, the western division, i.e. the parishes of St Allen, St Anthony in Roseland, St Clement, Cornelly, Creed-with-Grampound, Cuby-with-Tregony, St Erme, Feock, Gerrans, St Just in Roseland (with St Mawes), Kea, Kenwyn, Lamorran, Merther, St Michael Penkevil, Philleigh, Probus, Ruan Lanihorne, Truro St Mary, Veryan, and in the hundred of Pydar, the parishes of St Agnes, Crantock, Cubert, Newlyn, St Enoder, and Perranzabuloe, and the Isles of Scilly.[1]
History
During the 53-year history of this division, there was never a contested election. Only once was a Conservative member returned, but he only represented the constituency for a few months before becoming the 2nd Earl of Falmouth.
In 1885 this division was abolished, when the East and West Cornwall county divisions were replaced by six new single-member county constituencies. These were Bodmin (the South-Eastern division), Camborne (North-Western division), Launceston (North-Eastern division), St Austell (Mid division), St Ives (the Western division) and Truro. In addition the last remaining Cornish borough constituency was Penryn and Falmouth.
Members of Parliament
- Constituency created (1832)
Election | First member | First party | Second member | Second party | ||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1832 | Sir Charles Lemon, Bt | Whig[2][3] | Edward Wynne-Pendarves | Whig[2][3] | ||
1841 | Lord Boscawen-Rose | Conservative | ||||
1842 by-election | Sir Charles Lemon, Bt | Whig[2][3] | ||||
1853 by-election | Michael Williams | Whig[4][5] | ||||
1857 | Richard Davey | Whig[4] | ||||
1858 by-election | Sir John St Aubyn, Bt | Radical[6] | ||||
1859 | Liberal | Liberal | ||||
1868 | Arthur Vivian | Liberal | ||||
1885 | Constituency abolished |
Election results
Elections in the 1830s
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Whig | Charles Lemon | Unopposed | |||
Whig | Edward Wynne-Pendarves | Unopposed | |||
Registered electors | 3,353 | ||||
Whig win (new seat) | |||||
Whig win (new seat) |
Charles Lemon had been Whig Member of Parliament for Cornwall prior to the 1832 election. Edward Wynne-Pendarves had also been a Member of Parliament in the previous parliament.
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Whig | Charles Lemon | Unopposed | |||
Whig | Edward Wynne-Pendarves | Unopposed | |||
Registered electors | 3,612 | ||||
Whig hold | |||||
Whig hold |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Whig | Charles Lemon | Unopposed | |||
Whig | Edward Wynne-Pendarves | Unopposed | |||
Registered electors | 4,928 | ||||
Whig hold | |||||
Whig hold |
Elections in the 1840s
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Conservative | George Boscawen | Unopposed | |||
Whig | Edward Wynne-Pendarves | Unopposed | |||
Registered electors | 5,040 | ||||
Conservative gain from Whig | |||||
Whig hold |
Boscawen-Rose succeeded to the peerage, becoming 2nd Earl of Falmouth and causing a by-election.
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Whig | Charles Lemon | Unopposed | |||
Whig gain from Conservative |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Whig | Charles Lemon | Unopposed | |||
Whig | Edward Wynne-Pendarves | Unopposed | |||
Registered electors | 5,259 | ||||
Whig hold | |||||
Whig gain from Conservative |
Elections in the 1850s
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Whig | Charles Lemon | Unopposed | |||
Whig | Edward Wynne-Pendarves | Unopposed | |||
Registered electors | 4,649 | ||||
Whig hold | |||||
Whig hold |
Wynne-Pendarves' death caused a by-election.
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Whig | Michael Williams | Unopposed | |||
Whig hold |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Whig | Richard Davey | Unopposed | |||
Whig | Michael Williams | Unopposed | |||
Registered electors | 4,542 | ||||
Whig hold | |||||
Whig hold |
John Tremayne had planned to stand for election, but withdrew.[9][10]
Williams' death caused a by-election.
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Radical | John St Aubyn | Unopposed | |||
Radical gain from Whig |
George Williams, younger son of Michael, had withdrawn to avoid "disturbing the County".[11]
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Liberal | Richard Davey | Unopposed | |||
Liberal | John St Aubyn | Unopposed | |||
Registered electors | 4,897 | ||||
Liberal hold | |||||
Liberal hold |
Elections in the 1860s
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Liberal | Richard Davey | Unopposed | |||
Liberal | John St Aubyn | Unopposed | |||
Registered electors | 4,615 | ||||
Liberal hold | |||||
Liberal hold |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Liberal | Arthur Vivian | Unopposed | |||
Liberal | John St Aubyn | Unopposed | |||
Registered electors | 8,168 | ||||
Liberal hold | |||||
Liberal hold |
Elections in the 1870s
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Liberal | Arthur Vivian | Unopposed | |||
Liberal | John St Aubyn | Unopposed | |||
Registered electors | 7,494 | ||||
Liberal hold | |||||
Liberal hold |
Elections in the 1880s
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Liberal | Arthur Vivian | Unopposed | |||
Liberal | John St Aubyn | Unopposed | |||
Registered electors | 6,987 | ||||
Liberal hold | |||||
Liberal hold |
See also
- List of former United Kingdom Parliamentary constituencies
- Parliamentary representation from Cornwall
References
- Boundaries of Parliamentary Constituencies 1885-1972, compiled and edited by F.W.S. Craig (Parliamentary Reference Publications 1972)
- British Parliamentary Election Results 1832-1885, compiled and edited by F.W.S. Craig (Macmillan Press 1977)
- The Parliaments of England by Henry Stooks Smith (1st edition published in three volumes 1844-50), second edition edited (in one volume) by F.W.S. Craig (Political Reference Publications 1973)
- Who's Who of British Members of Parliament: Volume I 1832-1885, edited by M. Stenton (The Harvester Press 1976)
- Who's Who of British Members of Parliament, Volume II 1886-1918, edited by M. Stenton and S. Lees (Harvester Press 1978)
- Leigh Rayment's Historical List of MPs – Constituencies beginning with "C" (part 6)
- "The statutes of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland. 2 & 3 William IV. Cap. LXIV. An Act to settle and describe the Divisions of Counties, and the Limits of Cities and Boroughs, in England and Wales, in so far as respects the Election of Members to serve in Parliament". London: His Majesty's statute and law printers. 1832. pp. 300–383. Retrieved 22 May 2020.
- "Forthcoming Elections". Shipping and Mercantile Gazette. 30 July 1847. p. 3. Retrieved 29 July 2018 – via British Newspaper Archive.
- Stooks Smith, Henry. (1973) [1844-1850]. Craig, F. W. S. (ed.). The Parliaments of England (2nd ed.). Chichester: Parliamentary Research Services. p. 37. ISBN 0-900178-13-2. Retrieved 29 July 2018.
- "West Cornwall Election". Royal Cornwall Gazette. 10 April 1857. p. 6. Retrieved 29 July 2018 – via British Newspaper Archive.
- "Bath Chronicle and Weekly Gazette". 21 July 1853. p. 3. Retrieved 29 July 2018 – via British Newspaper Archive.
- "The Cornish Telegraph". 14 July 1858. p. 2. Retrieved 29 July 2018 – via British Newspaper Archive.
- Craig, F. W. S., ed. (1977). British Parliamentary Election Results 1832-1885 (e-book)
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(help) (1st ed.). London: Macmillan Press. p. 366. ISBN 978-1-349-02349-3. - The Times, Monday, 11 July 1853; pg. 3; Issue 21477; col D
- The Times, Saturday, 21 March 1857; pg. 12; Issue 22634; col A
- The Times, Wednesday, 1 April 1857; pg. 5; Issue 22643; col E "The Elections".
- The Times, Saturday, 3 July 1858; pg. 9; Issue 23036; col D
- The Times, Monday, 11 April 1859; pg. 9; Issue 23277; col F
- The Times, Saturday, 14 Nov 1868; pg. 4; Issue 26282; col E