Oxford University (UK Parliament constituency)

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Oxford University University constituency
Created:	1603
Abolished:	1950
Type:	House of Commons
Members:	two

Oxford University was a university constituency electing two members to the British House of Commons, from 1603 to 1950.

Contents 1 Boundaries 2 Members of Parliament 3 Elections 3.1 Elections in the 1830s 3.2 Elections in the 1840s 3.3 Elections in the 1850s 4 References

[edit] Boundaries

This university constituency was created by a Royal Charter of 1603. It was abolished in 1950 by the Representation of the People Act 1948.

The constituency was not a physical area. Its electorate consisted of the graduates of the University of Oxford.

The constituency returned two Members of Parliament. From 1918, the MPs were elected by the Single Transferable Vote method of Proportional Representation.

[edit] Members of Parliament

This is a list of people who were elected to represent the University in the Parliament of the United Kingdom between 1832 and 1950.

• Constituency created (1603)

Year			First member	First party	Second member	Second party
		1832	Thomas Grimston Bucknall Estcourt	Conservative	Sir Robert Harry Inglis, Bt	Conservative
		1847	William Ewart Gladstone 1	Peelite
		1854			Sir William Heathcote, Bt	Conservative
		1859		Liberal
		1865	Gathorne Hardy	Conservative
		1868			Sir John Robert Mowbray, Bt	Conservative
		1878	John Gilbert Talbot	Conservative
		1899			Sir William Reynell Anson, Bt 2	Liberal Unionist
		1910	Lord Hugh Cecil 3	Conservative
		1912				Conservative
		1914			Rowland Prothero	Conservative
		1918		Coalition Conservative		Coalition Conservative
		1919			Sir Charles Oman	Coalition Conservative
		1922		Conservative		Conservative
		1935			Sir Alan Patrick Herbert	Independent
		1937	Sir Arthur Salter	Independent

• Constituency abolished (1950)

Notes:-

• ¹ Gladstone accepted office in a Liberal ministry in 1859, thus vacating the seat he had held (as a Peelite MP - more formally a Liberal Conservative). He was re-elected as a Liberal candidate.
• ² Anson became a Conservative MP when the Liberal Unionists formally merged with the Conservatives in 1912.
• ³ Cecil joined the non-Coalition wing of his party at some point during the 1918-1922 Parliament.

[edit] Elections

1830s – 1840s – 1850s – 1860s – 1870s – 1880s

[edit] Elections in the 1830s

General Election 1832: Oxford University (2 seats)
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	Thomas Grimston Bucknall Estcourt	Unopposed	N/A	N/A
	Conservative	Sir Robert Harry Inglis, Bt	Unopposed	N/A	N/A
Registered Electors			2,496

General Election 1835: Oxford University (2 seats)
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	Thomas Grimston Bucknall Estcourt	Unopposed	N/A	N/A
	Conservative	Sir Robert Harry Inglis, Bt	Unopposed	N/A	N/A

General Election 1837: Oxford University (2 seats)
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	Thomas Grimston Bucknall Estcourt	Unopposed	N/A	N/A
	Conservative	Sir Robert Harry Inglis, Bt	Unopposed	N/A	N/A

[edit] Elections in the 1840s

General Election 1842: Oxford University (2 seats)
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	Thomas Grimston Bucknall Estcourt	Unopposed	N/A	N/A
	Conservative	Sir Robert Harry Inglis, Bt	Unopposed	N/A	N/A

General Election 1847: Oxford University (2 seats)
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	Sir Robert Harry Inglis, Bt	1,700	48.28	N/A
	Peelite	William Ewart Gladstone	997	28.32	N/A
	Conservative	Charles Gray Round	824	23.40	N/A
Turnout			1,851	56.09	N/A
Registered Electors			3,300

• Note (1847): Poll 5 days. (Source for this note and the number of voters: Stooks Smith)

[edit] Elections in the 1850s

General Election 1852: Oxford University (2 seats)
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	Sir Robert Harry Inglis, Bt	1,369	42.32	-5.96
	Peelite	William Ewart Gladstone	1,108	34.25	+5.93
	Conservative	R B Marsham	758	23.43	N/A
Turnout			3,235	46.56	-9.53
Registered Electors			3,474

• Note (1852): Minimum possible turnout estimated by dividing votes by 2. To the extent that electors did not use both their votes, the figure will be an underestimate.
• Seat vacated on the appointment of Gladstone as Chancellor of the Exchequer

By-Election 20 January 1853: Oxford University
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Peelite	William Ewart Gladstone	1,022	53.23	N/A
	Conservative	D.M. Perceval	898	46.77	N/A
Majority			124	6.46	N/A
Turnout			1,920	57.19	N/A
Registered Electors			3,357
	Peelite hold		Swing	N/A

• Resignation of Inglis

By-Election 7 February 1854: Oxford University
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	Sir William Heathcote, Bt	Unopposed	N/A	N/A
	Conservative hold		Swing	N/A

General Election 1857: Oxford University (2 seats)
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Peelite	William Ewart Gladstone	Unopposed	N/A	N/A
	Conservative	Sir William Heathcote, Bt	Unopposed	N/A	N/A
Registered Electors			3,538

• Seat vacated on the appointment of Gladstone as Lord High Commissioner to the Ionian Islands

By-Election 12 February 1859: Oxford University
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Peelite	William Ewart Gladstone	Unopposed	N/A	N/A
	Peelite hold		Swing	N/A

General Election 1859: Oxford University (2 seats)
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Peelite	William Ewart Gladstone	Unopposed	N/A	N/A
	Conservative	Sir William Heathcote, Bt	Unopposed	N/A	N/A
Registered Electors			3,623

• Seat vacated on the appointment of Gladstone as Chancellor of the Exchequer

By-Election 1 July 1859: Oxford University
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Liberal	William Ewart Gladstone	1,050	55.00	N/A
	Conservative	Marquess of Chandos	859	45.00	N/A
Majority			191	10.01	N/A
Turnout			1,909	52.69	N/A
Registered Electors			3,623
	Liberal gain from Peelite		Swing	N/A

[edit] 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)
• British Parliamentary Election Results 1885-1918, compiled and edited by F.W.S. Craig (Macmillan Press 1974)
• British Parliamentary Election Results 1918-1949, compiled and edited by F.W.S. Craig (Macmillan Press, revised edition 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)
• Who's Who of British Members of Parliament, Volume III 1919-1945, edited by M. Stenton and S. Lees (Harvester Press 1979)
• Who's Who of British Members of Parliament, Volume IV 1945-1979, edited by M. Stenton and S. Lees (Harvester Press 1981)