Sheffield (UK Parliament constituency)

Sheffield
Former Borough constituency
for the House of Commons

Sheffield borough constituency in 1832
County West Riding of Yorkshire
1832–1885
Number of members Two
Replaced by Sheffield Attercliffe, Sheffield Brightside, Sheffield Ecclesall, Sheffield Hallam, and Sheffield Central
Created from Yorkshire

Sheffield was a borough constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom 1832 to 1885. It elected two Members of Parliament (MPs) by the bloc vote system of elections.

The constituency encompassed the urban part of the town and parish (now city) of Sheffield, England, but not the western, rural, parts of Upper Hallam and Ecclesall Bierlow, which were incorporated into Sheffield Town Borough in 1843.

History

Before 1832 Sheffield had been represented by the Yorkshire constituency. The Sheffield Borough constituency was created by the Reform Act of 1832, and was given two MPs, the first time that the town had been represented in the House of Commons. Four candidates stood at the first election contesting these two seats. Voting took place on 13 and 14 December 1832, with the results declared on 15 December (see below). The election sparked a riot on 14 December, which resulted in the military being called out. The soldiers fired on the crowd, killing six people and injuring several others.[1] Following the Redistribution of Seats Act in 1885, which sought to eliminate constituencies with more than one MP and give greater representation to urban areas, the Borough of Sheffield was sub-divided. The five new divisions—Attercliffe, Brightside, Ecclesall, Hallam, and Sheffield Central—each returned a single MP.

Members of Parliament

Two MPs were elected at each general election. The table below shows the election years in which one or both of the MPs changed.[2][3]

Election Member 1 Party Member 2 Party
1832 John Parker Whig James Silk Buckingham Radical
1837 Henry George Ward Liberal
1849 by-election John Arthur Roebuck Non Partisan
1852 George Hadfield Liberal
1868 A. J. Mundella Liberal
1874 John Arthur Roebuck Non Partisan
1879 by-election Samuel Danks Waddy Liberal
1880 Charles Beilby Stuart-Wortley Conservative
1885 constituency divided

The constituency was sub-divided in 1885. The sitting MPs, A. J. Mundella and Charles Stuart-Wortley subsequently stood for and won seats in one of the new constituencies (Sheffield Brightside and Sheffield Hallam respectively).

Election results

Elections in the 1880s

1880 General Election: Sheffield[2]
Party Candidate Votes % ±
Liberal A. J. Mundella 17,217 -
Conservative Charles Stuart-Wortley 16,546
Liberal Samuel Danks Waddy 16,506
Majority
Turnout
Liberal hold Swing
Conservative gain from Liberal Swing

Elections in the 1870s

Sheffield by-election, 1879[2]
Party Candidate Votes % ±
Liberal Samuel Danks Waddy 14,062
Conservative Charles Stuart-Wortley 13,584
Majority 478
Turnout
Liberal hold Swing
1874 General Election: Sheffield[2]
Party Candidate Votes % ±
Non Partisan John Arthur Roebuck 14,193
Liberal A. J. Mundella 12,858
Liberal Joseph Chamberlain 11,053
Liberal Alfred Allott 621
Majority
Turnout
Liberal hold Swing
Liberal hold Swing

Elections in the 1860s

1868 General Election: Sheffield[2]
Party Candidate Votes % ±
Liberal George Hadfield 14,793
Liberal A. J. Mundella 12,212
Non Partisan John Arthur Roebuck 9,571
Conservative E. P. Price 5,272
Majority
Turnout
Liberal hold Swing
Liberal hold Swing
1865 General Election: Sheffield[2]
Party Candidate Votes % ±
Non Partisan John Arthur Roebuck 3,410
Liberal George Hadfield 3,348
Conservative James Stuart-Wortley 2,626
Liberal T. C. Foster 1,576
Majority
Turnout
Liberal hold Swing
Liberal hold Swing

Elections in the 1850s

At the Sheffield by-election, 1859, John Arthur Roebuck was elected unopposed.[2]
1857 General Election: Sheffield[2]
Party Candidate Votes % ±
Non Partisan John Arthur Roebuck 3,200
Liberal George Hadfield 2,871
Conservative Wilson Overend 2,095
Majority
Turnout
Liberal hold Swing
Liberal hold Swing
1852 General Election: Sheffield[2]
Party Candidate Votes % ±
Non Partisan John Arthur Roebuck 2,092
Liberal George Hadfield 1,853
Liberal John Parker 1,580
Conservative Wilson Overend 1,180
Majority
Turnout
Liberal hold Swing
Liberal hold Swing

Elections in the 1840s

At the Sheffield by-election, 1849, John Arthur Roebuck was elected unopposed.
1847 General Election: Sheffield[2]
Party Candidate Votes % ±
Liberal John Parker 1,125
Liberal Henry George Ward 1,110
Chartist Thomas Clark 326
Majority
Turnout
Liberal hold Swing
Liberal hold Swing
1841 General Election: Sheffield[2]
Party Candidate Votes % ±
Liberal John Parker 1,849
Liberal Henry George Ward 1,805
Conservative David Urquhart 503
Conservative W. Sheppard 457
Majority
Turnout
Liberal hold Swing
Liberal hold Swing

Elections in the 1830s

1837 General Election: Sheffield[2]
Party Candidate Votes % ±
Liberal John Parker 2,186
Liberal Henry George Ward 1,976
Conservative John Thorneley 655 N/A
Turnout
Liberal hold Swing
Liberal hold Swing
Sheffield by-election, 1836[2]
Party Candidate Votes % ±
Liberal John Parker 414 100.0 N/A
Liberal John Bell 0 0.0 N/A
Turnout 414 10.6
Liberal hold Swing
1835 General Election: Sheffield[1][2]
Party Candidate Votes % ±
Whig John Parker 1,607
Radical James Silk Buckingham 1,554
Whig Samuel Bailey 1,434
Turnout N/A N/A
Whig hold Swing
Radical hold Swing
1832 General Election: Sheffield[1][2]
Party Candidate Votes % ±
Whig John Parker 1,515 30.1 N/A
Radical James Silk Buckingham 1,498 29.7 N/A
Radical Thomas Asline Ward 1,210 24.0 N/A
Whig Samuel Bailey 813 16.1 N/A
Turnout 5036 N/A N/A
Whig hold Swing N/A
Radical hold Swing N/A

References

  1. 1 2 3 The Poll Book; containing a correct list of the electors who polled; distinguishing the candidates for whom they voted; also the names of the registered voters who did not poll in the first election of members for the Borough of Sheffield, December 13 and 14, 1832. Sheffield: Whitaker & Co. 1833. pp. 36–37.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 Craig, F. W. S. (1989). British electoral facts, 1832-1987. Dartmouth. ISBN 0-900178-30-2.
  3. ↑ Leigh Rayment's Historical List of MPs – Constituencies beginning with "S" (part 3)
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