South West Lancashire (UK Parliament constituency)

South West Lancashire
Former County constituency
for the House of Commons
County Lancashire
1868 (1868)–1885 (1885)
Number of members Two
Replaced by Bootle, Ince, Leigh, Newton, Ormskirk, St Helens, Southport and Widnes.
Created from South Lancashire

South West Lancashire was a county constituency of the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. It was represented by two Members of Parliament. The constituency was created by the Reform act of 1867 by the splitting of the South Lancashire consituency into new South-East and South-West divisions.

The constituency was abolished by the Redistribution of Seats Act 1885, being divided into eight single member divisions of Bootle, Ince, Leigh, Newton, Ormskirk, St Helens, Southport and Widnes.

Contents

Boundaries

This constituency comprised the Lancashire hundred of West Derby except for the boroughs of Liverpool, Warrington and Wigan.

Members of Parliament

Election 1st Member 1st Party 2nd Member 2nd Party
1868 Richard Assheton Cross Conservative Charles Turner Conservative
1875 John Ireland Blackburne Conservative
1885 Redistribution of Seats Act constituency abolished

Elections

1868 general election

General Election 1868: South West Lancashire[1]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Richard Assheton Cross 7,729 26.0 N/A
Conservative Charles Turner 7,676 25.8 N/A
Liberal William Ewart Gladstone 7,415 24.9 N/A
Liberal H. R. Grenfell 6,939 23.3 N/A

1874 general election

At the General Election 1874, only two candidates were: nominated in South West Lancashire. They were therefore returned unopposed:[1]

1874 by-election

A by-election was held on 19 March 1874, in which Richard Assheton Cross sought re-election after being appointed as Home Secretary. He was returned unopposed.[1]

1875 by-election

A by-election was held on 6 June 1875, to fill the vacancy caused by the death of Charles Turner. The only candidate was John Ireland Blackburne of the Conservative Party, and he was therefore returned unopposed.[1]

1880 general election

General Election 1880: South West Lancashire[1]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Richard Assheton Cross 11,420 27.7
Conservative John Ireland Blackburne 10,905 26.5
Liberal William Rathbone 9,666 23.5
Liberal H. H. Molyneux 9,207 22.3

1885 by-election

A by-election was held on 1 July 1885, in which Sir Richard Assheton Cross sought re-election after being appointed as Home Secretary. He was returned unopposed.[1]

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f Craig, F. W. S. (1989) [1977]. British parliamentary election results 1832–1885 (2nd ed.). Chichester: Parliamentary Research Services. p. 413. ISBN 0-900178-26-4. 

Sources