Petersfield (UK Parliament constituency)

Petersfield
Former Borough constituency
for the House of Commons
1547–1983
Number of members 1547–1832: two
1832–1983: one
Replaced by East Hampshire
Created from Hampshire

Petersfield was an English Parliamentary constituency centred on the town of Petersfield in Hampshire. It existed for several hundred years until its abolition for the 1983 general election.

Until 1832, it returned two Members of Parliament to the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. Thereafter, its representation was reduced to one member until its abolition in 1983.

Members of Parliament

MPs for Petersfield borough (1547-1885)

MPs 1547–1660

ParliamentFirst memberSecond member
1547 George Tadlowe Lawrence Elveden alias Cattaneo [1]
1553 (Mar) Sir Anthony Browne John Vaughan [1]
1553 (Oct) Sir Anthony Browne George Rithe [1]
1554 (Apr) John Vaughan Henry Weston [1]
1554 (Nov) John Vaughan Henry Weston [1]
1555 Christopher Rithe Henry Weston [1]
1558 Henry Weston Christopher Rithe [1]
1559 Sir Henry Weston George Rithe [2]
1563 Sir Henry Weston Tomas Dering [2]
1571 John Cowper Robert Rithe [2]
1572 Richard Norton Ralph Bourchier, sat for Newcastle-under-Lyme
and repl. Apr 1572 by Thomas Chatterton [2]
1584 Sir Henry Weston Edmund Marvyn [2]
1586 Edward Radclyffe Edmund Marvyn [2]
1588 Benjamin Tichborne Edmund Marvyn [2]
1593 Sir Walter Covert Richard Weston (MP for Petersfield) [2]
1597 William Kingswell Thomas Hanbury [2]
1601 William Kingswell John Swynnerton[2]
1604 Sir William Hervey Sir William Kingsmill
1614 Sir Walter Tichborne Walter Savage
1621-1622 Richard Norton John Hippisley
1624 Sir John Jephson Sir John Hippisley
1625 Sir John Jephson William Uvedale
1626 Benjamin Tichborne William Uvedale
1628-1629 Benjamin Tichborne William Uvedale
1629–1640No Parliaments summoned
1640 (Apr) William Uvedale Sir William Lewis
1640 (Nov) William Uvedale, disabled Sir William Lewis
1645 Sir William Lewis,excluded 1648 William Uvedale
1653Petersfield not represented in Barebones Parliament
1654Petersfield not represented in 1st Protectorate Parliament
1656Petersfield not represented in 2nd Protectorate Parliament
1659 Josias Child Sir Henry Norton

MPs 1660–1832

YearFirst memberFirst partySecond memberSecond party
April 1660 Thomas Cole [3] Arthur Bold
1661 Sir Humphrey Bennet
1668 Thomas Neale
1677 Leonard Bilson
1679 Sir John Norton, Bt
1685 Thomas Bilson
1689 Robert Michell
1690 Richard Holt
1698 Peter Bettesworth
January 1701 Ralph Bucknall Richard Markes
November 1701 Robert Michell
1704 Leonard Bilson
1705 Norton Powlett
1715 Samuel Pargiter-Fuller
1722 Edmund Miller
January 1727 Joseph Taylor [4]
May 1727 Edmund Miller
August 1727 Joseph Taylor
1734 Sir William Jolliffe Edward Gibbon
1741 John Jolliffe Francis Fane
1747 William Conolly
February 1754 William Gerard Hamilton
April 1754 William Beckford [5]
December 1754 Sir John Philipps, Bt
1761 John Jolliffe Richard Pennant
1767 Richard Croftes
1768 William Jolliffe Welbore Ellis
1774 Sir Abraham Hume
1780 Thomas Samuel Jolliffe
1787 The Viscount Downe
June 1790 Hon. George Augustus North
December 1790 Marquess of Titchfield
1791 Welbore Ellis
1795 Hon. Charles Greville
1796 Hylton Jolliffe
1797 Sir John Sinclair, Bt
March 1802 Hylton Jolliffe
July 1802 William Draper Best
1806 Hon. John Ward
1807 Booth Grey
October 1812 George Canning
December 1812 George Canning, junior
March 1820 The Lord Hotham [6]
June 1820 Sir Philip Musgrave, Bt
1825 James Law Lushington
1826 William Marshall
1830 Sir William Jolliffe, Bt Gilbert East Jolliffe
1831 Hylton Jolliffe
1832 Representation reduced to one member

MPs 1832–1885

ElectionMemberParty
1832 [7] John Shaw-Lefevre Liberal Party
1833 [7] Hylton Jolliffe Tory
1834 Conservative Party
1835 Cornthwaite Hector Liberal Party
1837 [8] Sir William Jolliffe, Bt Conservative Party
1838 [8] Cornthwaite Hector Liberal Party
1841 Sir William Jolliffe Conservative Party
1866 by-election William Nicholson Liberal Party
1874 [9] William Sydney Hylton Jolliffe Conservative Party
1880 William Nicholson Liberal Party
1885 Borough abolished - name transferred to county division

MPs for Petersfield county constituency (1885–1983)

ElectionMemberParty
1885 Viscount Wolmer Liberal
1886 Liberal Unionist
1892 William Wickham Conservative
1897 by-election William Graham Nicholson Conservative
1935 Sir Reginald Dorman-Smith Conservative
1941 by-election Sir George Jeffreys Conservative
1951 Peter Legh Conservative
1960 Joan Quennell Conservative
1974 Michael Mates Conservative
1983 Constituency abolished

Elections

Elections in the 1910s

General Election 1918: Petersfield[10]

Electorate 28,473

Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Unionist 10,730 71.5
Labour John Pile 4,267 28.5
Majority 6,463 43.0
Turnout 52.7
Unionist hold Swing

Elections in the 1920s

General Election 1922: Petersfield[10]

Electorate 29,873

Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Unionist William Graham Nicholson 12,600 64.2 -7.3
Labour Dudley Leigh Aman 7,036 35.8 +7.3
Majority 28.4
Turnout 65.7 +13.0
Unionist hold Swing -7.3
General Election 1923: Petersfield[10]

Electorate 30,692

Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Unionist William Graham Nicholson 12,195 65.6 +1.4
Labour Dudley Leigh Aman 6,403 34.4 -1.4
Majority 5,792 31.2 +2.8
Turnout 60.6
Unionist hold Swing +1.4
General Election 1924: Petersfield[10]

Electorate 31,627

Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Unionist William Graham Nicholson 14,646 69.8
Liberal George Spencer 3,755 17.9 n/a
Labour George Gilbert Desmond 2,582 12.3
Majority 10,891 51.9
Turnout 66.3
Unionist hold Swing
General Election 1929: Petersfield[11]

Electorate 41,587

Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Unionist Rt Hon. William Graham Nicholson 15,605 55.0
Liberal Vernon Gerald Bailey 9,334 32.9
Labour Getrude Speedwell Massingham 3,418 12.1
Majority 6,271 22.1
Turnout 68.2 +1.9
Unionist hold Swing

Elections in the 1930s

General Election 1931: Petersfield[10]

Electorate 43,697

Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Rt Hon. William Graham Nicholson 26,081 88.0 +
Labour AE Albery 3,559 12.0 -0.1
Majority 22,522 76.0
Turnout 29,640 67.8
Conservative hold Swing
General Election 1935: Petersfield[10]

Electorate 45,655

Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Reginald Hugh Dorman-Smith 22,877 79.1 -8.9
Labour John Ernest Lionel Birch 6,061 20.9 +8.9
Majority 16,816 58.1 -18.0
Turnout 28,938 63.4 -4.4
Conservative hold Swing -8.9

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

Petersfield by-election, 1941[10]

Electorate

Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative George Darell Jeffreys unopposed n/a n/a
Conservative hold Swing n/a
General Election 1945: Petersfield[10]

Electorate 55,423

Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Gen. George Darell Jeffreys 20,838 58.4 -20.7
Liberal Fl-Lt. Basil E Goldstone 8,269 23.2 n/a
Common Wealth Thomas Sargant 6,600 18.5 n/a
Majority 12,569 35.2 -22.9
Turnout 64.4 +1.0
Conservative hold Swing n/a

Elections in the 1950s

General Election 1950: Petersfield
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Sir George Darell Jeffreys 27,401 55.15
Labour Mrs I Candy 15,472 31.14
Liberal Harold Hugh Lindsay Dickson 6,813 13.71
Majority 11,929 24.01
Turnout 78.36
Conservative hold Swing
General Election 1951: Petersfield
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Peter Richard Legh 29,845 58.75
Labour Edward E Preidel 15,770 31.05
Liberal Harold Hugh Lindsay Dickson 5,182 10.20
Majority 14,075 27.71
Turnout 77.84
Conservative hold Swing
General Election 1955: Petersfield
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Peter Richard Legh 24,826 69.81
Labour Frederick R Mason 10,736 30.19
Majority 14,090 39.62
Turnout 69.74
Conservative hold Swing
General Election 1959: Petersfield
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Peter Richard Legh 23,687 60.93
Labour John Stuart Paul Davey 8,278 21.29
Liberal Michael Digby 6,912 17.78
Majority 15,409 39.64
Turnout 73.64
Conservative hold Swing

Elections in the 1960s

By Election 1960: Petersfield
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Joan Mary Quennell 15,613
Liberal Michael Digby 8,310
Labour William Royle 4,777
Majority 7,303
Turnout
Conservative hold Swing
General Election 1964: Petersfield
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Joan Mary Quennell 23,603 54.00
Liberal Michael Digby 11,338 25.94
Labour Lady M C Wilson 8,477 19.39
Independent Loyalist Rosine M de Bounevialle 292 0.67
Majority 12,265 28.06
Turnout 75.50
Conservative hold Swing
General Election 1966: Petersfield
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Joan Mary Quennell 23,933 52.33
Liberal Michael Digby 10,931 23.90
Labour Lady M C Wilson 10,874 23.77
Majority 13,002 28.43
Turnout 75.72
Conservative hold Swing

Elections in the 1970s

General Election 1970: Petersfield
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Joan Mary Quennell 30,414 60.50
Labour Kelvin Horrocks 10,307 20.50
Liberal Penelope Jessel 7,783 15.48
Independent Michael Digby 1,766 3.51
Majority 20,107 40.00
Turnout 72.12
Conservative hold Swing
General Election February 1974: Petersfield
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Joan Mary Quennell 30,732 51.49
Liberal Timothy Willatt Slack 21,152 35.44
Labour PF Whitely 7,703 12.91
Technical Consultant PHH Bishop 101 0.17
Majority 9,580 16.05
Turnout 81.13
Conservative hold Swing
General Election October 1974: Petersfield
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Michael John Mates 28,689 50.50
Liberal Timothy Willatt Slack 19,702 34.68
Labour JM Bloom 8,301 14.61
United Democratic Party PHH Bishop 117 0.21
Majority 8,987 15.82
Turnout 76.50
Conservative hold Swing
General Election 1979: Petersfield
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Michael John Mates 39,200 61.15
Liberal J Madeley 16,825 26.25
Labour BW Clough 8,082 12.61
Majority 22,375 34.90
Turnout 78.29
Conservative hold Swing

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 1.6 "History of Parliament". History of Parliament Trust. Retrieved 2011-10-31.
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 2.5 2.6 2.7 2.8 2.9 "History of Parliament". History of Parliament Trust. Retrieved 2011-10-31.
  3. ↑ April 1660: Cole was also elected for Winchester, but appears never to have chosen which constituency he would sit for so as to allow a replacement to be elected for the other
  4. ↑ On petition (in a dispute over the franchise), Taylor's election was declared void and his opponent, Miller, was declared to have been duly elected
  5. ↑ Beckford was also elected for the City of London, which he chose to represent, and never sat for Petersfield
  6. ↑ Hotham was also elected for Leominster, which he chose to represent, and never sat for Petersfield
  7. ↑ 7.0 7.1 In 1832 a petition was lodged against the result, and the election of John Shaw-Lefevre was declared void. After scrutiny of the ballots, Hylton Jolliffe was declared elected in 1833.
    F.W.S. Craig's British parliamentary election results 1832–1885 and Henry Stooks Smith's The Parliaments of England from 1715 to 1847 record the member seated after the petition as William Jolliffe. However, the The History of Parliament's article on Petersfield borough note in footnote 42 that both the official returns (PP (1878), lxii, pt. ii, 348) and the 1833 petition (CJ, lxxxviii. 13-14) confirm that the member seated was Hylton Jolliffe. This is as reported in the Times article on the petition committee's report: "Petersfield Election Committee", The Times, 7 March 1833, page 4.
  8. ↑ 8.0 8.1 In 1837 a petition was lodged against the result, and the election of Jolliffe was declared void. After scrutiny of the ballots, Hector was declared elected in 1838
  9. ↑ In 1874, a petition was lodged against the election of Jolliffe. Scrutiny of the results led to a referral to the Court of Common Pleas on the validity of 64 of Joliffe's votes and 11 of those for Nicholson. The votes were declared valid and the election upheld.
  10. ↑ 10.0 10.1 10.2 10.3 10.4 10.5 10.6 10.7 British Parliamentary Election Results 1918-1949, FWS Craig
  11. ↑ British parliamentary election results 1918-1949, Craig, F. W. S.
  12. ↑ The Liberal Magazine, 1939
  13. ↑ Report of the Annual Conference of the Labour Party, 1939