Dublin City (UK Parliament constituency)

Dublin City
Former Borough constituency
for the House of Commons
1801–1885
Replaced by Dublin College Green, Dublin Harbour, Dublin St Stephen's Green and Dublin St Patrick's

Dublin City was an Irish Borough constituency in the House of Commons of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland. It comprised the city of Dublin in the county of Dublin, and was represented by two Members of Parliament from its creation in 1801 until 1885.

In 1885, Dublin City was split into four divisions which were separate single member constituencies: Dublin College Green, Dublin Harbour, Dublin St Stephen's Green and Dublin St Patrick's.

Boundaries

The city of Dublin was accounted a county of itself, although it remained connected with County Dublin for certain purposes. A Topographical Directory of Ireland, published in 1837, describes the Parliamentary history of the city.

The city returns two members to the Imperial parliament; the right of election, formerly vested in the corporation, freemen, and 40s. freeholders, has been extended to the £10 householders, and £20 and £10 leaseholders for the respective terms of 14 and 20 years, by the act of the 2nd of William IV., cap. 88. The number of voters registered at the first general election under that act was 7041, of which number, 5126 voted. The limits of the city, for electoral purposes, include an area of 3538 statute acres, the boundaries of which are minutely detailed in the Appendix; the number of freemen is about 3500, of whom 2500 are resident and 1000 non-resident, and the number of £10 houses is 16,000 : the sheriffs are the returning officers.

The boundary from 1832, defined in the Parliamentary Boundaries (Ireland) Act 1832 (c. 89 2& 3 Will. 4), was as follows.

The County of the City of Dublin, and such Parts of the County at large as lie within the Circular Road.

Members of Parliament

Year1st Member1st Party2nd Member2nd Party
1801, 1 January John Claudius Beresford [1] Tory Rt Hon. George Ogle Tory
1802, 21 July John La Touche Whig
1804, 31 March Sir Robert Shaw, Bt Tory
1806, 19 November Rt Hon. Henry Grattan [2] Whig
1820, 30 June Thomas Ellis Tory
1826, 12 June Henry Grattan Whig George Ogle Moore Tory
1830, 4 August Sir Frederick Shaw, Bt Tory
1831, 19 May [3] Sir Robert Harty, Bt Whig Louis Perrin Whig
1832, 18 August [4] Sir Frederick Shaw, Bt Tory Henry John Chetwynd Talbot, Viscount Ingestre Tory
1832, 22 December [5] Daniel O'Connell Repeal Association Edward Southwell Ruthven Repeal Association
1836, 16 May George Alexander Hamilton Conservative John Beattie West Conservative
1837, 5 August [6] Daniel O'Connell Repeal Association Robert Hutton Whig
1841, 10 July John Beattie West [7] Conservative Sir Edward Grogan, Bt [8] Conservative
1842, 29 January William Henry Gregory Conservative
1847, 7 August John Reynolds Repeal Association
1852, 12 July John Vance Conservative
1865, 17 July Sir Benjamin Lee Guinness, Bt Conservative Jonathan Pim Liberal
1868, 1 June Sir Arthur Edward Guinness, Bt [9] Conservative
1870, 18 August Sir Dominic John Corrigan, Bt Liberal
1874, 6 February Sir Arthur Edward Guinness, Bt Conservative Maurice Brooks [10] Home Rule League
1880, 5 April Robert Spencer Dyer Lyons Liberal
1882 Irish Parliamentary
1885 constituency abolished

Notes:-

  1. ↑ Beresford resigned 1804.
  2. ↑ Grattan died 1820.
  3. ↑ Harty and Perrin were unseated on petition and a new writ was issued, 1831.
  4. ↑ The 1832 by-election was the last contest in Ireland, for the Unreformed House of Commons.
  5. ↑ O'Connell and Ruthven were re-elected in 1835, as the candidates of a Whig/Repealer electoral pact. As the result of an election petition, the result of the 1835 election was reversed. O'Connell and Ruthven were unseated, with Hamilton and West being declared duly elected, on 16 May 1836.
  6. ↑ O'Connell and Hutton were the candidates, in 1837, of a Whig/Repealer electoral pact.
  7. ↑ West died 1842.
  8. ↑ Grogan was a Baronet from 23 April 1859.
  9. ↑ On petition after the 1868 general election, Guinness was unseated and a new writ was issued in 1870.
  10. ↑ The Home Rule League was replaced by the Irish Parliamentary Party in 1882.

Elections

From 1832 (when registers of electors were first prepared) a turnout figure is given, for the percentage of the registered electors who voted. If the number of registered electors eligible to take part in a contested election is unknown, then the last known electorate figure is used to calculate an estimated turnout. If the numbers of registered electors and electors taking part in the poll are known, an exact turnout figure is calculated. In two member elections (in which an elector could cast one or two votes as he chose), where the exact number of electors participating is unknown, an estimated turnout figure is given. This is calculated by dividing the total number of votes cast by two. To the extent that electors used only one of their votes the estimated turnout figure is an underestimate.

General Election 21 July 1802: Dublin City
2 seats
15 day poll
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Tory John Claudius Beresford 1,965 35.34 N/A
Whig John La Touche 1,673 30.08 N/A
Tory Rt Hon. George Ogle 1,281 23.04 N/A
Whig Jonah Barrington 642 11.54 N/A
Turnout N/A
Dublin by-election, 31 March 1804
Caused by resignation of Beresford
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Tory Robert Shaw unopposed
Tory hold Swing
General Election 19 November 1806: Dublin City
2 seats
8 day poll
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Whig Rt Hon. Henry Grattan 1,675 34.64 N/A
Tory Robert Shaw 1,638 33.88 N/A
Whig John La Touche 1,522 31.48 N/A
Turnout N/A
General Election 15 May 1807: Dublin City
2 seats
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Whig Rt Hon. Henry Grattan unopposed N/A
Tory Robert Shaw unopposed N/A
Turnout N/A
General Election 19 October 1812: Dublin City
2 seats
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Whig Rt Hon. Henry Grattan unopposed N/A
Tory Robert Shaw unopposed N/A
Turnout N/A
General Election 30 June 1818: Dublin City
2 seats
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Whig Rt Hon. Henry Grattan unopposed N/A
Tory Robert Shaw unopposed N/A
Turnout N/A
General Election 16 March 1820: Dublin City
2 seats
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Whig Rt Hon. Henry Grattan unopposed N/A
Tory Robert Shaw unopposed N/A
Turnout N/A
Dublin by-election, 30 June 1820
Caused by the death of Grattan
6 day poll
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Tory Thomas Ellis 1,137 59.03
Whig Henry Grattan 789 40.97
Majority 348 18.07 N/A
Tory gain from Whig Swing
General Election 12 June 1826: Dublin City
2 seats
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Whig Henry Grattan unopposed N/A
Tory George Moore unopposed N/A
Turnout N/A
General Election 4 August 1830: Dublin City
2 seats
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Tory George Moore 1,852 41.66 N/A
Tory Frederick Shaw 1,579 35.52 N/A
Whig Henry Grattan 1,014 22.81 N/A
Turnout N/A
General Election 19 May 1831: Dublin City
2 seats
12 day poll
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Whig Robert Harty 1,943 27.73 N/A
Whig Louis Perrin 1,935 27.61 N/A
Tory Frederick Shaw 1,568 22.37 N/A
Tory George Moore 1,562 22.29 N/A
Turnout N/A

External links

References