Enfield (UK Parliament constituency)

Enfield
Former constituency
for the House of Commons
1885–1950
Number of members one
Replaced by Enfield East and Enfield West
Created from Middlesex

Enfield was a parliamentary constituency of Middlesex centred on the town of Enfield. The area formed part of the London conurbation. It returned one Member of Parliament (MP) to the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom, elected by the first past the post system.

History

Enfield constituency within the parliamentary county of Middlesex, showing boundaries used from 1918-45.

The constituency was created by the Redistribution of Seats Act 1885 for the 1885 general election, and abolished for the 1950 general election. It was then replaced by the new Enfield East and Enfield West constituencies.

Boundaries

1885 - 1918

The constituency comprised five civil parishes:

1918 - 1950

The Representation of the People Act 1918 redrew constituencies throughout Great Britain, and defined them in terms of the new urban and rural districts introduced by the Local Government Act 1894. Enfield constituency comprised the Enfield Urban District and the South Mimms Rural District.a Of the areas transferred to other seats, Edmonton became a separate constituency, Friern Barnet was transferred to the new Finchley seat, while Monken Hadley became part of the Barnet constituency.[1]

^ Note a: Renamed as Potters Bar Urban District in 1934.

Members of Parliament

ElectionMemberParty
1885 William Pleydell-Bouverie, Viscount Folkestone Conservative
1889 by-election Henry Ferryman Bowles Conservative
1906 James Branch Liberal
1910 John Pretyman Newman Conservative
1918 Henry Ferryman Bowles Conservative
1922 Thomas Fermor-Hesketh Conservative
1923 William Watson Henderson Labour
1924 Reginald Vincent Kempenfelt Applin Conservative
1929 William Watson Henderson Labour
1931 Reginald Vincent Kempenfelt Applin Conservative
1935 Bartle Brennen Bull Conservative
1945 Ernest Davies Labour
1950 constituency abolished: see Enfield East and Enfield West

Elections

Elections in the 1880s

General Election 1885: Enfield [2]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative William Pleydell-Bouverie, Viscount Folkestone 3,644 57.6 n/a
Liberal John Kempster 2,684 42.4 n/a
Majority 960 15.2 n/a
Turnout 73.4 n/a
Conservative win (new seat)
General Election 1886: Enfield [3]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative William Pleydell-Bouverie, Rt Hon. Viscount Folkestone 3,287 75.5 +17.9
Liberal J T Edgcombe 1,067 24.5 -17.9
Majority 2,220 51.0 +35.8
Turnout 50.5
Conservative hold Swing +17.9
Enfield by-election, 1886[4]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative William Pleydell-Bouverie, Rt Hon. Viscount Folkestone unopposed n/a n/a
Conservative hold Swing n/a
Henry Bowles
Enfield by-election, 1889[5]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Henry Ferryman Bowles 5,124 58.7 n/a
Liberal W H Fairbairns 3,612 41.3 n/a
Majority 1,512 17.4 n/a
Turnout 79.5 n/a
Conservative hold Swing n/a

Elections in the 1890s

General Election 1892: Enfield [6]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Henry Ferryman Bowles 5,491
Liberal A. S. H. Jones 3,660
Majority 1,831
Turnout
Conservative hold Swing
General Election 1895: Enfield [7]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Henry Ferryman Bowles unopposed n/a n/a
Conservative hold Swing n/a

Elections in the 1900s

General Election 1900: Enfield [8]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Henry Ferryman Bowles 6,923
Liberal Charles Stewart Crole 3,655
Majority
Turnout
Conservative hold Swing
James Branch
General Election 1906: Enfield [9]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal James Branch 9,790 56.1
Conservative Henry Ferryman Bowles 7,674 43.9
Majority 2,116 12.2
Turnout 74.7
Liberal gain from Conservative Swing

Elections in the 1910s

General Election January 1910: Enfield [10]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative John Robert Pretyman Newman 12,625
Liberal James Branch 11,383
Majority
Turnout
Conservative gain from Liberal Swing
General Election December 1910: Enfield [11]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative John Robert Pretyman Newman 11,495
Liberal James Branch 10,559
Majority
Turnout
Conservative hold Swing

General Election 1914/15:

Another General Election was required to take place before the end of 1915. The political parties had been making preparations for an election to take place and by the July 1914, the following candidates had been selected;

General Election 1918: Enfield[12]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Unionist 8,290 50.4
Labour William E. Hill 6,176 37.5 n/a
Liberal Janet Landells McEwan 1,987 12.1
Majority 2,114 12.9
Turnout 54.8
Unionist hold Swing

Elections in the 1920s

General Election 1922: Enfield[13]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Unionist Thomas Fermor-Hesketh 11,725 54.4
Labour George Lathan 9,820 45.6
Majority 1,905 8.8
Turnout
Unionist hold Swing
General Election 1923: Enfield[14]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour William Watson Henderson 11,050 52.8 +7.2
Unionist Thomas Fermor-Hesketh 9,888 47.2 -7.2
Majority 1,152 5.6 14.4
Turnout 68.5
Labour gain from Unionist Swing +7.2
General Election 1924: Enfield[15]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Unionist Reginald Vincent Kempenfelt Applin 13,886 54.0
Labour William Watson Henderson 11,807 46.0
Majority 2,079 8.0
Turnout 81.8
Unionist gain from Labour Swing
General Election 1929: Enfield[16]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour William Watson Henderson 14,427 43.3 -2.7
Unionist Reginald Vincent Kempenfelt Applin 14,169 42.5 -11.5
Liberal Charles Herbert Durrad-Lang 4,736 14.2 n/a
Majority 0.8
Turnout 78.5 -3.3
Labour gain from Unionist Swing +4.4

Elections in the 1930s

General Election 1931: Enfield[17]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Reginald Vincent Kempenfelt Applin 24,532 64.3
Labour William J Mellor 13,646 35.7
Majority 10,886 28.5
Turnout 38,178 79.2
Conservative gain from Labour Swing
General Election 1935: Enfield[18]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Bartle Brennen Bull 24,046 56.5 -7.8
Labour William J Mellor 18,543 43.5 +7.8
Majority 5,503 12.9 -15.6
Turnout 42,589 73.2 -6.0
Conservative hold Swing -7.8

General Election 1939/40

Another General Election was required to take place before the end of 1940. The political parties had been making preparations for an election to take place and by the Autumn of 1939, the following candidates had been selected;

Elections in the 1940s

General Election 1945: Enfield[20]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Ernest Albert John Davies 32,625 52.1 +8.6
Conservative Bartle Brennen Bull 20,935 33.4 -23.1
Liberal John Patrick Cyril Danny 9,104 14.5 n/a
Majority 11,690 18.7 31.7
Turnout 74.4 +1.2
Labour gain from Conservative Swing +15.8

References

  1. ↑ Youngs, Frederic A, Jr. (1979). Guide to the Local Administrative Units of England, Vol.I: Southern England. London: Royal Historical Society. pp. 748–750. ISBN 0-901050-67-9.
  2. ↑ British parliamentary election results, 1885-1918 (Craig)
  3. ↑ British parliamentary election results, 1885-1918 (Craig)
  4. ↑ British parliamentary election results, 1885-1918 (Craig)
  5. ↑ British parliamentary election results, 1885-1918 (Craig)
  6. ↑ British parliamentary election results, 1885-1918 (Craig)
  7. ↑ British parliamentary election results, 1885-1918 (Craig)
  8. ↑ British parliamentary election results, 1885-1918 (Craig)
  9. ↑ British parliamentary election results, 1885-1918 (Craig)
  10. ↑ British parliamentary election results, 1885-1918 (Craig)
  11. ↑ British parliamentary election results, 1885-1918 (Craig)
  12. ↑ British Parliamentary Election Results 1918-1949, FWS Craig
  13. ↑ British Parliamentary Election Results 1918-1949, FWS Craig
  14. ↑ British Parliamentary Election Results 1918-1949, FWS Craig
  15. ↑ British Parliamentary Election Results 1918-1949, FWS Craig
  16. ↑ British Parliamentary Election Results 1918-1949, FWS Craig
  17. ↑ British Parliamentary Election Results 1918-1949, FWS Craig
  18. ↑ British Parliamentary Election Results 1918-1949, FWS Craig
  19. ↑ Report of the Annual Conference of the Labour Party, 1939
  20. ↑ British Parliamentary Election Results 1918-1949, FWS Craig