East Grinstead (UK Parliament constituency)

Last updated

East Grinstead
Former County constituency
for the House of Commons
County East Sussex
Major settlements East Grinstead
18851983
SeatsOne
Created from East Sussex
Replaced by Mid Sussex and Wealden
1307–1832
SeatsTwo
Type of constituency Borough constituency

East Grinstead was a parliamentary constituency in the Kingdom of England, the Kingdom of Great Britain, and the United Kingdom. It first existed as a Parliamentary borough from 1307, returning two Members of Parliament to the House of Commons elected by the bloc vote system. The borough was disfranchised under the Reform Act 1832, but the name was revived at the 1885 election when the Redistribution of Seats Act created a new single-member county division of the same name.

Contents

Upon its abolition for the 1983 election, its territory was divided between Mid Sussex and Wealden.

Boundaries

1885–1918: The Sessional Divisions of Cuckfield (except the parish of Crawley), East Grinstead, and Uckfield (except the parishes of East Heathley and Waldron).

1918–1950: The Urban Districts of Burgess Hill, Cuckfield, East Grinstead, Hayward's Heath, and Uckfield, and the Rural Districts of Cuckfield, East Grinstead, and Uckfield.

1950–1955: The Urban Districts of Cuckfield and East Grinstead, the Rural District of Uckfield, in the Rural District of Cuckfield the parishes of Ardingly, Balcombe, Bolney, Cuckfield Rural, Horsted Keynes, Lindfield Rural, Slaugham, West Hoathly, and Worth, and in the Rural District of Battle the parishes of Burwash, Etchingham, and Ticehurst.

1955–1974: As 1950 less the Battle RD parishes.

1974–1983: The Urban District of East Grinstead, and the Rural District of Uckfield.

Members of Parliament

MPs 1307–1660

YearFirst memberSecond member
1388 (Feb) John Dyne John Heldele [1]
1388 (Sep) William Nelond Richard Woghere [1]
1390 (Jan)
1390 (Nov)
1391 John Alfray I John Dyne [1]
1393 Thomas Alleyn Thomas Rasse [1]
1394
1395 Thomas Farlegh William atte Hull [1]
1397 (Jan) John Dyne John Punget [1]
1397 (Sep) John Dyne John Punget [1]
1399 John Dyne Richard Woghere [1]
1401
1402 John Dyne Richard Woghere [1]
1404 (Jan)
1404 (Oct)
1406
1407 John Dyne Richard Woghere [1]
1410
1411
1413 (Feb)
1413 (May) Thomas Alleyn John Hoke [1]
1414 (Apr)
1414 (Nov) John Dyne John Woghere [1]
1415
1416 (Mar) John Ermyte John Mason [1]
1416 (Oct)
1417
1419 William Fenningham John Hamme [1]
1420
1421 (May) Richard Fowell John Woghere [1]
1421 (Dec) John Alfray II John Woghere [1]
1433 Thomas Russell [2]
1447 John Alfray [3] 1457 Ralph Legh
1459 John Alfray [3] 1510-1523No names known [4]
1529 William Rutter Edward Goodwin [4]
1536 ?
1539 ?
1542 ? John Sackville [4]
1545 ?
1547 Jasper Culpeper John Sackville II, died
and replaced by Jan 1552 by
George Darrell [4]
1553 (Mar) Sir Robert Oxenbridge George Darrell [4]
1553 (Oct) Sir Thomas Stradling John Story [4]
1554 (Apr) Richard Whalley Anthony Stapleton [4]
1554 (Nov) Thomas Duffield
1555 ?William Barnes John Wiseman [4]
1558 Thomas Farnham Thomas Parker [4]
1559 Thomas Sackville Humphrey Llwyd [5]
1562–3 John Sackville Lawrence Banester [5]
1571 John Jeffrey Henry Berkeley [5]
1572 Thomas Cure Michael Heneage [5]
1584 Thomas Cure Francis Alford [5]
1586 John Covert Drew Pickesse [5]
1589 Francis Alford Thomas Frere [5]
1593 Reade Stafford John Shurley [5]
1597 George Rivers Richard Baker [5]
1601 Sir Henry Compton George Rivers [5]
1604 Sir Henry Compton Sir John Swynnerton
1614 Sir Henry Compton George Rivers
1621 Sir Henry Compton Thomas Pelham
1624 Robert Heath Thomas Caldicot
1625 Robert Heath Sir Henry Compton
1626 Robert Goodwin Sir Henry Compton
1628-1629 Robert Goodwin Sir Henry Compton
1629–1640No Parliaments summoned
1640 (Apr) Sir Henry Compton Robert Goodwin
1640 (Nov) Lord Buckhurst, disabled 1644 Robert Goodwin
1648 Robert Goodwin John Baker
1653Not represented in Barebones Parliament
1654 John Goodwin (one seat only)
1656 John Goodwin (one seat only)
1659 Robert Goodwin George Courthope

MPs 1660–1832

YearFirst memberSecond member
1660 Marmaduke Gresham George Courthope
1661 Lord Buckhurst
1675 Edward Sackville
1678 Thomas Pelham
12 February 1679 Edward Sackville
7 April 1679 Henry Powle
19 April 1679 Sir Thomas Littleton, Bt
19 August 1679 Goodwin Wharton William Jephson
1681 Sir Cyril Wyche Henry Powle
1685 Simon Smith Thomas Jones
1689 Sir Thomas Dyke Thomas Sackville
1693 Simon Smith
February 1695 The Earl of Orrery
November 1695 John Conyers
1698 The Earl of Orrery
January 1701 Matthew Prior
November 1701 The Earl of Orrery
1702 John Toke
1708 Viscount Lumley Henry Campion
1710 John Conyers Leonard Gale
1713 Hon. Spencer Compton
1715 The Viscount Shannon
March 1722 Hon. Sir Spencer Compton
November 1722 The Viscount Shannon
1725 Edward Conyers
1727 The Viscount Palmerston
1734 The Earl of Middlesex Edward Conyers
1741 Sir Whistler Webster
1742 John Butler
1747 Sydney Smythe
1751 Hon. Joseph Yorke
March 1761 The Earl of Middlesex Lord George Sackville
December 1761 Sir Thomas Hales, Bt
1762 John Irwin
1765 Sir Charles Farnaby
1767 Lord George Sackville
1782 Henry Arthur Herbert
1783 George Medley
1786 James Cuninghame
1788 Robert Cuninghame
1789 Richard Ford
1790 Nathaniel Dance William Hamilton Nisbet
1796 James Strange
1802 Sir Henry Strachey Daniel Giles
1807 Sir Nathaniel Dance-Holland, Bt. Charles Ellis
January 1812 Richard Wellesley
March 1812 George Gunning
June 1812 Nicholas Vansittart
October 1812 George Gunning James Stephen
1815Sir George Johnstone Hope
May 1818 Lord Strathavon
June 1818 The Hon. Charles Jenkinson
1829 Viscount Holmesdale
1830 Frederick Richard West

MPs 1885–1983

ElectionNamePartyNotes
1885 George Gregory Conservative MP for East Sussex 1868–1885
1886 Alfred Gathorne-Hardy Conservative MP for Canterbury 1878–1880. Son of 1st Earl of Cranbrook
1895 George Goschen Conservative Governor of Madras 1924–1929; 2nd Viscount Goschen 1907–1952
1906 Charles Corbett Liberal
1910 (Jan) Henry Cautley Conservative ennobled in 1936 as Baron Cautley, triggering a by-election
1936 by-election Ralph Clarke Conservative
1955 Evelyn Emmet Conservative Made a life peer in 1965 as Baroness Emmet of Amberley, triggering a by-election
1965 by-election Geoffrey Johnson-Smith Conservative Former broadcaster. MP for Wealden 1983–2001
1983 Constituency abolished. See Wealden and Mid Sussex

Elections

Elections in the 1880s

General election 1885: East Grinstead [6]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Conservative George Gregory 3,530 57.8
Liberal Charles John Heald2,57942.2
Majority95115.6
Turnout 6,10979.8
Registered electors 7,660
Conservative win (new seat)
General election 1886: East Grinstead [6]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Conservative Alfred Gathorne-Hardy 3,289 63.7 +5.9
Liberal Charles John Heald1,87736.3-5.9
Majority1,41227.4+11.8
Turnout 5,16667.412.4
Registered electors 7,660
Conservative hold Swing +5.9

Elections in the 1890s

General election 1892: East Grinstead [6]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Conservative Alfred Gathorne-Hardy 3,987 62.9 0.8
Liberal Edward George Jenkinson2,34937.1+0.8
Majority1,63825.81.6
Turnout 6,33672.4+5.0
Registered electors 8,754
Conservative hold Swing 0.8
George Goschen George Goschen the younger.jpg
George Goschen
General election 1895: East Grinstead [6]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Conservative George Goschen 3,731 56.5 -6.4
Liberal Charles Corbett 2,87443.5+6.4
Majority85713.0-12.8
Turnout 6,60571.31.1
Registered electors 9,262
Conservative hold Swing -6.4

Elections in the 1900s

Charles Corbett Charles Corbett MP.jpg
Charles Corbett
General election 1900: East Grinstead [6]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Conservative George Goschen 3,890 56.4 0.1
Liberal Charles Corbett 3,00343.6+0.1
Majority88712.80.2
Turnout 6,89371.8+0.5
Registered electors 9,596
Conservative hold Swing 0.1
E.M. Crookshank Edgar March Crookshank.jpg
E.M. Crookshank
General election 1906: East Grinstead [6]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Liberal Charles Corbett 4,793 51.4 +7.8
Conservative Edgar Crookshank 4,53148.6-7.8
Majority2622.8N/A
Turnout 9,32486.9+15.1
Registered electors 10,726
Liberal gain from Conservative Swing +7.8

Elections in the 1910s

General election January 1910: East Grinstead [6]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Conservative Henry Cautley 6,563 64.2 +15.6
Liberal Charles Corbett 3,66035.815.6
Majority2,90328.4N/A
Turnout 10,22388.4+1.5
Registered electors 11,562
Conservative gain from Liberal Swing +15.6
General election December 1910: East Grinstead [6]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Conservative Henry Cautley 5,926 62.7 -1.5
Liberal Henry Norman Spalding3,53137.3+1.5
Majority2,39525.4-3.0
Turnout 9,45781.8-6.6
Registered electors 11,562
Conservative hold Swing -1.5

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 July 1914, the following candidates had been selected;

By-election, 1918: East Grinstead [6]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Unionist Henry Cautley Unopposed
Unionist hold
General election 1918: East Grinstead [7]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
C Unionist Henry Cautley 12,58467.0+4.3
Labour David Pole 6,20833.0New
Majority6,37634.0+8.6
Turnout 18,79252.329.5
Registered electors 35,955
Unionist hold Swing +4.3
Cindicates candidate endorsed by the coalition government.

Elections in the 1920s

General election 1922: East Grinstead [7]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Unionist Henry Cautley 15,981 71.0 +4.0
Labour Thomas Crawford6,52729.04.0
Majority9,45442.0+8.0
Turnout 22,50858.2+5.9
Registered electors 38,664
Unionist hold Swing +4.0
General election 1923: East Grinstead [7]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Unionist Henry Cautley 14,215 68.8 2.2
Labour Thomas Crawford6,45131.2+2.2
Majority7,76437.64.4
Turnout 20,66652.45.8
Registered electors 39,405
Unionist hold Swing 2.2
General election 1924: East Grinstead [7]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Unionist Henry Cautley 18,365 64.6 4.2
Liberal Godfrey Frerichs Mowatt5,60419.7New
Labour John Morgan 4,47915.715.5
Majority12,76144.9+7.3
Turnout 28,44870.2+17.8
Registered electors 40,500
Unionist hold Swing +5.7
General election 1929: East Grinstead [7]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Unionist Henry Cautley 21,940 57.9 6.7
Liberal Barbara Bliss 9,71825.6+5.9
Labour Thomas Crawford6,26516.5+0.8
Majority12,22232.312.6
Turnout 37,92368.51.7
Registered electors 55,352
Unionist hold Swing 6.3

Elections in the 1930s

Evan Durbin Evan Durbin.jpg
Evan Durbin
General election 1931: East Grinstead [7]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Conservative Henry Cautley 34,826 87.2 +29.3
Labour Evan Durbin 5,12112.8-3.7
Majority29,70574.4+42.1
Turnout 39,94769.2+0.7
Conservative hold Swing
General election 1935: East Grinstead [7]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Conservative Henry Cautley 29,440 78.4 -8.8
Labour Stanislaus Seuffert8,09721.6+8.8
Majority21,34356.8-17.6
Turnout 37,53761.2-8.0
Conservative hold Swing
1936 East Grinstead by-election [7]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Conservative Ralph Clarke 22,207 79.6 +1.2
Labour Albert Edward Millett5,70820.4-1.2
Majority16,49959.2+2.4
Turnout 27,91545.5-15.7
Conservative hold Swing +1.2

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: East Grinstead [7]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Conservative Ralph Clarke 28,273 57.1 -21.3
Labour David George Packham12,51925.3+3.7
Liberal John Charles McLaughlin8,71117.6New
Majority15,75431.8-25.0
Turnout 49,50370.9+9.7
Conservative hold Swing

Elections in the 1950s

General election 1950: East Grinstead [9]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Conservative Ralph Clarke 29,786 55.1 -2.0
Labour Catherine Williamson 12,98324.0-1.3
Liberal John Charles McLaughlin11,32920.9+3.3
Majority16,80331.1-0.7
Turnout 54,09881.7+11.8
Conservative hold Swing
General election 1951: East Grinstead [9]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Conservative Ralph Clarke 32,803 60.3 +5.2
Labour Herbert Atkinson14,27126.2+2.2
Liberal John Charles McLaughlin7,37513.5-7.4
Majority18,53234.1+3.0
Turnout 54,44980.3-1.4
Conservative hold Swing
General election 1955: East Grinstead [9]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Conservative Evelyn Emmet 28,450 61.5 +1.2
Labour Martin Mason11,75025.4-0.8
Liberal Judith St John Thornton6,03413.1-0.4
Majority16,70036.1+2.0
Turnout 46,23475.1-5.2
Conservative hold Swing
General election 1959: East Grinstead [10]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Conservative Evelyn Emmet 31,759 62.3 +0.8
Labour Robert William G Humphreys10,10419.8-5.6
Liberal Patrick Furnell 9,10017.9+4.8
Majority21,65542.5+6.4
Turnout 50,96377.9+2.8
Conservative hold Swing

Elections in the 1960s

General election 1964: East Grinstead [10]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Conservative Evelyn Emmet 29,094 53.2 -10.1
Liberal Richard Holme 14,75326.7+8.8
Labour William H Hill10,85919.80.0
Majority14,34126.5-16.0
Turnout 54,70678.0+0.1
Conservative hold Swing
1965 East Grinstead by-election [9]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Conservative Geoffrey Johnson-Smith 24,896 55.0 +1.8
Liberal Richard Holme 14,27931.5+4.8
Labour Jon Antony A Evans6,10113.5-6.4
Majority10,61723.5-3.0
Turnout 45,27664.5-13.5
Conservative hold Swing -1.4
General election 1966: East Grinstead [9]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Conservative Geoffrey Johnson-Smith 31,595 53.2 0.0
Liberal James H Downie13,61127.0+0.3
Labour Arthur Harris Roberts11,93819.80.0
Majority17,98426.2-0.3
Turnout 57,14476.8-1.2
Conservative hold Swing

Elections in the 1970s

General election 1970: East Grinstead [9]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Conservative Geoffrey Johnson-Smith 38,359 61.2 +8.0
Liberal David Carleton Bruce Smithers12,34319.7-7.3
Labour Tony Banks 12,01419.2-0.6
Majority26,01641.5+15.3
Turnout 62,71672.5-4.3
Conservative hold Swing
General election February 1974: East Grinstead [11]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Conservative Geoffrey Johnson-Smith 23,928 53.3 -7.9
Liberal Peter Hasler Billenness15,35134.2+14.5
Labour William J Short5,62912.5-6.7
Majority8,57719.1-22.4
Turnout 44,90881.5+9.0
Conservative hold Swing
General election October 1974: East Grinstead [11]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Conservative Geoffrey Johnson-Smith 22,035 53.2 -0.1
Liberal Paul Hayden12,75530.8-3.4
Labour David William John Blake6,64816.0+3.5
Majority9,28022.4+3.3
Turnout 41,43874.5-7.0
Conservative hold Swing
General election 1979: East Grinstead [11]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Conservative Geoffrey Johnson-Smith 28,279 62.0 +8.8
Liberal Jeremy Nieboer11,10224.4-6.4
Labour RJ Taylor6,19613.6-2.4
Majority17,17737.6+15.2
Turnout 45,57777.1+2.6
Conservative hold Swing

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References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 "History of Parliament". History of Parliament Trust. Retrieved 20 October 2011.
  2. "RUSSELL, Thomas II, of Chichester, Suss. | History of Parliament Online".
  3. 1 2 "ALFRAY, John II, of East Grinstead, Suss. | History of Parliament Online".
  4. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 "History of Parliament". History of Parliament Trust. Retrieved 20 October 2011.
  5. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 "History of Parliament". History of Parliament Trust. Retrieved 20 October 2011.
  6. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 British parliamentary election results, 1885-1918 (Craig)
  7. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 British Parliamentary Election Results 1918-1949, FWS Craig
  8. The Liberal Magazine, 1939
  9. 1 2 3 4 5 6 British parliamentary election results, 1950-1973 by FWS Craig
  10. 1 2 F W S Craig, British Parliamentary Election Results 1950-1973; Political Reference Publications, Glasgow 1973
  11. 1 2 3 British parliamentary election results, 1974-1983 by FWS Craig

Further reading