Liskeard (UK Parliament constituency)

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Liskeard
Borough constituency
Created: 1295
Abolished: 1885
Type: House of Commons
Members: two (1295-1832); one (1832-1885)

Liskeard was a parliamentary borough in Cornwall, which elected two Members of Parliament (MPs) to the House of Commons from 1295 until 1832, and then one member from 1832 until 1885, when the borough was abolished.

Contents

[edit] History

The parliamentary borough was based upon the community of Liskeard in the south-eastern part of Cornwall.

Sedgwick estimated the electorate at 30 in 1740. Namier and Brooke considered it was about 50 in the 1754-1790 period. The right of election before 1832 was in the freemen of the borough. This constituency was under the patronage of the Eliot family, which acquired the preponderent interest by 1722.

There were no contested elections between at least 1715 and 1802. In the early nineteenth century the Whigs attempted to expand the electorate to include householders. During the 1802 general election, 48 householders claimed the right to vote but their ballots were rejected by the Mayor (see the note to the 1802 election result below). The Eliot family continued to contol the borough in the Tory interest, for another thirty years.

The Reform Act 1832 augmented the freemen voters (who retained their ancient right votes), with the beneficiaries of a new householder franchise. The number of voters registered in 1832 was 218. The political effect of the change was that a Whig was elected unopposed to the one remaining seat in 1832, whereas the two Tory candidates had been elected unopposed at the previous seven general elections. Only Whig or Liberal candidates were returned from 1832 until the constituency was abolished.

The Reform Act 1867 preserved the borough constituency but slightly expanded the electorate (from 434 in 1865 to 881 in 1868). Liskeard was one of the smallest boroughs to retain individual representation in the 1868-1885 period. However the constituency was finally abolished by the Redistribution of Seats Act 1885, when the borough became part of the Bodmin or South East division of Cornwall.

[edit] Members of Parliament

[edit] 1295-1660

  • 1604-1611: Sir William Killigrew
This list is incomplete; you can help by expanding it.

[edit] 1660-1832

Year First member First party Second member Second party
1660 John Connock John Robinson
April 1661 John Harris Peter Prideaux [1]
May 1661 Bernard Granville
1678 Sir Bourchier Wrey
February 1679 John Connock John Buller
August 1679 Sir Jonathan Trelawny
1685 Chichester Wrey John Connock
1689 Sir Bourchier Wrey John Buller
1690 Emanuel Pyper
1695 William Bridges
1696 Henry Darell
1701 Thomas Dodson
1707 John Dolben
1710 Philip Rashleigh Tory
1715 Sir John Trelawny
April 1722 Edward Eliot John Lansdell
November 1722 Thomas Clutterbuck
1727 John Cope
1734 Richard Eliot George Dennis
1740 Charles Trelawny
1747 Sir George Lee
1754 Edmund Nugent Philip Stanhope
1759 Philip Stephens
1761 Anthony Champion
1768 Edward Eliot Samuel Salt
1774 Edward Gibbon
1780 Wilbraham Tollemache
1784 Edward James Eliot John Eliot
1797 The Earl of Inchiquin
1800 Lord Fincastle
1802 William Eliot
1804 William Huskisson
1807 Viscount Hamilton
1812 Charles Philip Yorke
1818 Sir William Pringle
1826 Lord Eliot
1832 Representation reduced to one Member

[edit] 1832-1885

Year Member Party
1832 Charles Buller Whig
1849 Richard Budden Crowder Whig
1854 Ralph William Grey Whig
1859 Ralph Bernal Osborne Liberal
1865 Sir Arthur Buller Liberal
1869 Edward Horsman Liberal
1876 Leonard Courtney Liberal
1885 Constituency abolished

Notes

  1. ^ Prideaux was also elected for Honiton, which he chose to represent, and never sat for Liskeard

[edit] Election results

This list is incomplete; you can help by expanding it.

Note on sources: The information for the election results given below is taken from Sedgwick 1715-1754, Namier and Brooke 1754-1790 and Stooks Smith 1790-1832. From 1832 the principal source was Craig, with additional or different information from Stooks Smith included. Candidates classified by Craig as Liberal before 1859, are labeled as Whig or Radical (following Stooks Smith) or Liberal if their exact allegiance is uncertain. Similarly candidates classified by Craig as Conservative but by Stooks Smith as Tory are listed below as Tory.

Note on percentage change calculations: Where there was only one candidate of a party in successive elections, for the same number of seats, change is calculated on the party percentage vote. Where there was more than one candidate for a party, in one or both successive contested elections for the same number of seats, then change is calculated on the individual candidates percentage vote.

Note on party allegiance of candidates: A party label is only used when the source used quotes one. Other candidates are labelled Non Partisan, but may have associated themselves with a tendency or faction in Parliament.

[edit] Elections before 1715

Dates of Parliaments 1660-1715

Summoned Elected Opened Dismissed
16 March 1660 1660 25 April 1660 29 December 1660
18 February 1661 1661 8 May 1661 24 January 1679
25 January 1679 1679 6 March 1679 12 July 1679
24 July 1679 1679-1680 21 October 1680 18 January 1681
20 January 1681 1681 21 March 1681 28 March 1681
14 February 1685 1685 19 May 1685 2 July 1687
29 December 1688 1688-1689 22 January 1689 6 February 1690
6 February 1690 1690 20 March 1690 11 October 1695
12 October 1695 1695 22 November 1695 6 July 1698
13 July 1698 1698 24 August 1698 19 December 1700
26 December 1700 1700-1701 6 February 1701 11 November 1701
3 November 1701 1701 30 December 1701 2 July 1702
2 July 1702 1702 20 August 1702 5 April 1705
1705 7 May-6 June 1705 14 June 1705 see Note
1707 see Note 23 October 1707 3 April 1708
1708 30 April-7 July 1708 8 July 1708 21 September 1710
1710 2 October-16 November 1710 25 November 1710 8 August 1713
1713 22 August-12 November 1713 12 November 1713 15 January 1715

Note:-

  • The MPs of the Parliament of England (elected 1705) and 45 members co-opted from the former Parliament of Scotland, became the House of Commons of the 1st Parliament of Great Britain in 1707.

[edit] Index to Election results 1715-1799

1710s – 1720s – 1730s – 1740s – 1750s – 1760s – 1770s – 1780s – 1790s

[edit] Index to Election results 1800-1885

1800s – 1810s – 1820s – 1830s – 1840s – 1850s – 1860s – 1870s – 1880s

[edit] Elections in the 1710s

General Election 29 January 1715: Liskeard (2 seats)
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Non Partisan John Trelawny Unopposed N/A N/A
Tory Philip Rashleigh Unopposed N/A N/A

[edit] Elections in the 1720s

  • Trelawny became a Baronet in 1721
General Election 12 April 1722: Liskeard (2 seats)
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Non Partisan Edward Eliot Unopposed N/A N/A
Non Partisan John Lansdell Unopposed N/A N/A
  • Death of Eliot
By-Election 2 November 1722: Liskeard
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Non Partisan Thomas Clutterbuck Unopposed N/A N/A
Non Partisan hold Swing N/A
General Election 25 August 1727: Liskeard (2 seats)
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Non Partisan Thomas Clutterbuck Unopposed N/A N/A
Non Partisan John Cope Unopposed N/A N/A

[edit] Elections in the 1730s

By-Election 15 June 1732: Liskeard
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Non Partisan Thomas Clutterbuck Unopposed N/A N/A
Non Partisan hold Swing N/A
  • Death of Dennis
By-Election 25 March 1739: Liskeard
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Non Partisan Charles Trelawny Unopposed N/A N/A
Non Partisan hold Swing N/A

[edit] Elections in the 1740s

General Election 11 May 1741: Liskeard (2 seats)
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Non Partisan Richard Eliot Unopposed N/A N/A
Non Partisan Charles Trelawny Unopposed N/A N/A
General Election 1 July 1747: Liskeard (2 seats)
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Non Partisan Charles Trelawny Unopposed N/A N/A
Non Partisan Dr. George Lee Unopposed N/A N/A

[edit] Elections in the 1750s

  • Seat vacated on the appointment of Trelawny as Assay-Master of Tin for the Duchy of Cornwall
By-Election 2 July 1751: Liskeard
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Non Partisan Charles Trelawny Unopposed N/A N/A
Non Partisan hold Swing N/A
General Election 17 April 1754: Liskeard (2 seats)
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Non Partisan Edmund Nugent Unopposed N/A N/A
Non Partisan Philip Stanhope Unopposed N/A N/A
  • Seat vacated on the appointment of Nugent to an office
By-Election 1 December 1759: Liskeard
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Non Partisan Philip Stephens Unopposed N/A N/A
Non Partisan hold Swing N/A

[edit] Elections in the 1760s

General Election 30 March 1761: Liskeard (2 seats)
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Non Partisan Philip Stephens Unopposed N/A N/A
Non Partisan Anthony Champion Unopposed N/A N/A
General Election 22 March 1768: Liskeard (2 seats)
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Non Partisan Edward Eliot Unopposed N/A N/A
Non Partisan Samuel Salt Unopposed N/A N/A

[edit] Elections in the 1770s

General Election 11 October 1774: Liskeard (2 seats)
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Non Partisan Edward Gibbon Unopposed N/A N/A
Non Partisan Samuel Salt Unopposed N/A N/A
  • Seat vacated on the appointment of Gibbon to an office
By-Election 12 July 1779: Liskeard
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Non Partisan Philip Stephens Unopposed N/A N/A
Non Partisan hold Swing N/A

[edit] Elections in the 1780s

General Election 9 September 1780: Liskeard (2 seats)
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Non Partisan Hon. Wilbraham Tollemache Unopposed N/A N/A
Non Partisan Samuel Salt Unopposed N/A N/A
General Election 5 April 1784: Liskeard (2 seats)
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Non Partisan Hon. Edward James Eliot Unopposed N/A N/A
Non Partisan Hon. John Eliot Unopposed N/A N/A
By-Election 6 February 1786: Liskeard
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Non Partisan Hon. Edward James Eliot Unopposed N/A N/A
Non Partisan hold Swing N/A

[edit] Elections in the 1790s

General Election 1790: Liskeard (2 seats)
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Non Partisan Hon. Edward James Eliot Unopposed N/A N/A
Non Partisan Hon. John Eliot Unopposed N/A N/A
  • Seat vacated on the appointment of E.J. Eliot as a Commissioner for India
By-Election 1793: Liskeard
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Non Partisan Hon. Edward James Eliot Unopposed N/A N/A
Non Partisan hold Swing N/A
General Election 1796: Liskeard (2 seats)
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Non Partisan Hon. Edward James Eliot Unopposed N/A N/A
Non Partisan Hon. John Eliot Unopposed N/A N/A
  • Death of E.J. Eliot
By-Election 1797: Liskeard
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Non Partisan The 5th Earl of Inchiquin Unopposed N/A N/A
Non Partisan hold Swing N/A
  • Inchiquin was a peer of Ireland

[edit] Elections in the 1800s

  • Resignation of Inchiquin
By-Election 1800: Liskeard
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Non Partisan Lord Fincastle Unopposed N/A N/A
Non Partisan hold Swing N/A
  • Note (1800): Stooks Smith recorded that William Huskisson was returned unopposed at this by-election, but this appears to be an error.
General Election 1802: Liskeard (2 seats)
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Tory Hon. John Eliot 27 48.21 N/A
Tory Hon. William Eliot 27 48.21 N/A
Whig Thomas Sheridan 1 1.79 N/A
Whig William Ogilvie 1 1.79 N/A
Turnout 56 N/A N/A
  • Note (1802): 48 householders claimed the right to vote. The ballots they tendered were rejected by the Mayor. 44 wanted to vote for Sheridan and Ogilvie, 3 for the Eliots and 1 for John Eliot and Sheridan.
  • Succession of John Eliot as the 2nd Lord Eliot
By-Election March 1804: Liskeard
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Tory William Huskisson 21 87.50 N/A
Whig Thomas Sheridan 3 12.50 N/A
Majority 18 75.00 N/A
Turnout 24 N/A N/A
Tory hold Swing N/A
General Election 1806: Liskeard (2 seats)
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Tory Hon. William Eliot Elected N/A N/A
Tory William Huskisson Elected N/A N/A
Whig Nicholas Tomlinson 6 N/A N/A
Whig Alexander Nowell 1 N/A N/A
Turnout 56 N/A N/A
  • Note (1806): Stooks Smith does not give the votes for the elected candidates.
General Election 1807: Liskeard (2 seats)
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Tory Hon. William Eliot Unopposed N/A N/A
Tory Viscount Hamilton Unopposed N/A N/A

[edit] Elections in the 1810s

General Election 1812: Liskeard (2 seats)
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Tory Hon. William Eliot Unopposed N/A N/A
Tory Rt Hon. Charles Philip Yorke Unopposed N/A N/A
General Election 1818: Liskeard (2 seats)
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Tory Hon. William Eliot Unopposed N/A N/A
Tory Sir William Henry Pringle Unopposed N/A N/A

[edit] Elections in the 1820s

General Election 1820: Liskeard (2 seats)
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Tory Hon. William Eliot Unopposed N/A N/A
Tory Sir William Henry Pringle Unopposed N/A N/A
General Election 1826: Liskeard (2 seats)
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Tory Sir William Henry Pringle Unopposed N/A N/A
Tory Lord Eliot Unopposed N/A N/A

[edit] Elections in the 1830s

General Election 1830: Liskeard (2 seats)
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Tory Sir William Henry Pringle Unopposed N/A N/A
Tory Lord Eliot Unopposed N/A N/A
General Election 1831: Liskeard (2 seats)
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Tory Sir William Henry Pringle Unopposed N/A N/A
Tory Lord Eliot Unopposed N/A N/A
  • Electorate expanded and constituency reduced to one seat, by the Reform Act 1832
General Election 1832: Liskeard
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Whig Charles Buller Unopposed N/A N/A
Registered Electors 218
Whig gain from Tory Swing N/A
General Election 1835: Liskeard
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Whig Charles Buller 114 64.04 N/A
Tory Samuel Trehawke Kekewich 64 35.96 N/A
Majority 50 28.09 N/A
Turnout 178 82.41 N/A
Registered Electors 216
Whig hold Swing N/A
  • Note (1835): Stooks Smith recorded 211 registered electors, but the turnout is calculated on Craig's figure above
General Election 1837: Liskeard
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Whig Charles Buller 113 54.33 -9.71
Tory Samuel Trehawke Kekewich 95 45.67 +9.71
Majority 18 8.65 -19.44
Turnout 208 83.87 +1.46
Registered Electors 248
Whig hold Swing +9.71 (W to T)
  • Note (1837): Stooks Smith recorded 250 registered electors, but the turnout is calculated on Craig's figure above

[edit] Elections in the 1840s

General Election 1841: Liskeard
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Whig Charles Buller Unopposed N/A N/A
Registered Electors 296
Whig hold Swing N/A
  • Note (1841): Stooks Smith recorded 285 registered electors, but the turnout is calculated on Craig's figure above
  • Seat vacated on the appointment of Buller as Judge-Advocate General
By-Election 15 July 1846: Liskeard
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Whig Charles Buller Unopposed N/A N/A
Whig hold Swing N/A
General Election 1847: Liskeard
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Whig Rt Hon. Charles Buller 170 59.23 N/A
Tory William C. Curteis 117 40.77 N/A
Majority 53 18.47 N/A
Turnout 287 82.23 N/A
Registered Electors 349
Whig hold Swing N/A
  • Note (1847): Stooks Smith recorded 333 registered electors, but the turnout is calculated on Craig's figure above
  • Seat vacated on the appointment of Buller as President of the Poor Law Board
By-Election 14 December 1847: Liskeard
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Whig Rt Hon. Charles Buller Unopposed N/A N/A
Whig hold Swing N/A
  • Death of Buller
By-Election 3 January 1849: Liskeard
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Whig Richard Budden Crowder Unopposed N/A N/A
Whig hold Swing N/A

[edit] Elections in the 1850s

General Election 1852: Liskeard
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Whig Richard Budden Crowder Unopposed N/A N/A
Registered Electors 343
Whig hold Swing N/A
By-Election 29 March 1854: Liskeard
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Whig Ralph William Grey 138 51.49 N/A
Liberal John Salusbury Trelawny 119 44.40 N/A
Liberal J.H. Reed 11 4.10 N/A
Majority 19 7.09 N/A
Turnout 268 76.14 N/A
Registered Electors 352
Whig hold Swing N/A
  • Trelawny and Reed are classified as Liberals (following Craig), as it is undetermined which wing of liberalism they belonged to. The list of MPs above refers to Grey as a Whig, so he is classified as such in this result.
General Election 1857: Liskeard
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Whig Ralph William Grey 174 58.39 +6.90
Liberal Hon. Arthur Hamilton Gordon 124 41.61 N/A
Majority 50 16.78 +9.69
Turnout 298 79.89 +3.75
Registered Electors 373
Whig hold Swing N/A
  • Gordon is classified as Liberal (following Craig), as it is undetermined which wing of liberalism he belonged to. The list of MPs above refers to Grey as a Whig, so he is classified as such in this result.
General Election 1859: Liskeard
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Whig Ralph William Grey 164 50.62 -7.78
Conservative William Henry Pole Carew 160 49.38 N/A
Majority 4 1.23 -15.55
Turnout 324 82.03 +2.14
Registered Electors 395
Whig hold Swing N/A
  • The Whig Party is regarded as having merged into a new Liberal Party, which was formed at a meeting of the supporters of Lord Palmerston on 6 July 1859; although Whigs and Radicals had been informally referred to collectively as Liberals for decades.
  • Seat vacated on the appointment of Grey as a Collector of Customs
By-Election 19 August 1859: Liskeard
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Ralph Bernal Osborne Unopposed N/A N/A
Liberal gain from Whig Swing N/A

[edit] Elections in the 1860s

General Election 1865: Liskeard
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Sir Arthur William Buller Unopposed N/A N/A
Registered Electors 434
Liberal hold Swing N/A
General Election 1868: Liskeard
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Sir Arthur William Buller Unopposed N/A N/A
Registered Electors 881
Liberal hold Swing N/A
  • Death of Buller
By-Election 11 May 1869: Liskeard
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Rt Hon. Edward Horsman 368 56.36 N/A
Liberal Sir F. Lycett 285 43.64 N/A
Majority 83 12.71 N/A
Turnout 653 74.12 N/A
Registered Electors 881
Liberal hold Swing N/A

[edit] Elections in the 1870s

General Election 1874: Liskeard
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Rt Hon. Edward Horsman 334 50.38 -5.98
Liberal Leonard Courtney 329 49.62 N/A
Majority 5 0.75 -11.96
Turnout 663 81.75 +7.63
Registered Electors 811
Liberal hold Swing N/A
  • Death of Horsman
By-Election 22 December 1876: Liskeard
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Leonard Courtney 388 58.00 +8.38
Conservative J.B. Sterling 281 42.00 N/A
Majority 107 15.99 N/A
Turnout 669 86.10 +4.35
Registered Electors 777
Liberal hold Swing N/A

[edit] Elections in the 1880s

General Election 1880: Liskeard
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Leonard Courtney 370 55.14 -2.86
Liberal Rt Hon. Edward Pleydell Bouverie 301 44.86 N/A
Majority 69 10.28 -5.71
Turnout 671 91.17 +9.42
Registered Electors 736
Liberal hold Swing N/A

[edit] References

  • F W S Craig, "British Parliamentary Election Results 1832-1885" (2nd edition, Aldershot: Parliamentary Research Services, 1989)
  • J Holladay Philbin, Parliamentary Representation 1832 - England and Wales (New Haven: Yale University Press, 1965)
  • Boundaries of Parliamentary Constituencies 1885-1972, compiled and edited by F.W.S. Craig (Parliamentary Reference Publications 1972)
  • The House of Commons 1715-1754, by Romney Sedgwick (HMSO 1970)
  • The House of Commons 1754-1790, by Sir Lewis Namier and John Brooke (HMSO 1964)
  • 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)) out of copyright
  • 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)