Cockermouth division of Cumberland | |
---|---|
Former county constituency for the House of Commons | |
1885–1918 | |
Created from | West Cumberland and Cockermouth |
Replaced by | Workington and Penrith and Cockermouth |
1641–1885 | |
Created from | Cumberland |
Replaced by | Cockermouth |
1295–1295 | |
Created from | Cumberland |
Replaced by | Cumberland |
Cockermouth was the name of a constituency of the House of Commons of the Parliament of England in 1295, and again from 1641, then of the Parliament of Great Britain from 1707 to 1800 and of the Parliament of the United Kingdom from 1801 to 1918. It was a parliamentary borough represented by two Members of Parliament until 1868, and by one member from 1868 to 1885. The name was then transferred to a county constituency electing one MP from 1885 until 1918.
Notable MPs have included the regicide, Francis Allen.
Until the Great Reform Act of 1832, the constituency consisted solely of the market town of Cockermouth in Cumberland. It first returned members to the Model Parliament of 1295, but its franchise then seems to have lapsed until 1641, when the Long Parliament passed a resolution (15 February 1641) to restore its ancient privileges.
The right of election in Cockermouth was vested in the burgage tenants of the borough, of whom there were about 300 in 1832. Cockermouth was considered a pocket borough, with the vast majority of the voters being under the influence of the Lowther family.
At the time of the 1831 census, the borough included just over 1,000 houses and had a population of 4,536. The Reform Act expanded the boundaries to bring in the neighbouring parishes of Eaglesfield, Brigham, Papcastle and Bridekirk, and part of Dovenby, increasing the population to 6,022 and encompassing 1,325 houses. This made the borough big enough to retain both its members. However, in the next wave of reform, introduced at the 1868 general election, one of Cockermouth's two seats was withdrawn, and in 1885 the borough was abolished altogether, although the name was transferred to the surrounding county constituency.
The Cockermouth constituency created in 1885, strictly speaking The Cockermouth Division of Cumberland, was a compact division stretching westwards from Cockermouth to the sea, and including the much larger town of Workington. There was a significant Irish vote, and the Conservative victory in 1885 and subsequent Liberal gain of the seat in 1886 have been attributed to Parnell's shift of support from the one party to the other.
The constituency was divided between the new Workington and Penrith and Cockermouth divisions of Cumberland from 1918.
Cockermouth re-enfranchised by Parliament in Nov 1640
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Election | Member | Party | |
---|---|---|---|
1868 | Isaac Fletcher | Liberal | |
1879 by-election | William Fletcher | Liberal | |
1880 | Edward Waugh | Liberal | |
1885 | Borough abolished; name transferred to county division |
Cockermouth Division of Cumberland
Election | Member | Party | |
---|---|---|---|
1885 | Charles James Valentine | Conservative | |
1886 | Sir Wilfrid Lawson | Liberal | |
1900 | John Randles | Conservative | |
1906 | Sir Wilfrid Lawson | Liberal | |
1906 | Sir John Randles | Conservative | |
1910 | Sir Wilfrid Lawson jnr. | Liberal | |
1916 | Joseph Bliss | Liberal | |
1918 | constituency abolished |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Tory | Randolph Stewart | Unopposed | |||
Whig | Philip Pleydell-Bouverie | Unopposed | |||
Registered electors | c. 235 | ||||
Tory hold | |||||
Whig gain from Tory |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Tory | John Lowther | Unopposed | |||
Tory | James Scarlett | Unopposed | |||
Registered electors | c. 235 | ||||
Tory hold | |||||
Tory gain from Whig |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Whig | Fretchville Lawson Ballantine Dykes | 187 | 40.2 | New | |
Radical | Henry Aglionby Aglionby | 153 | 32.9 | New | |
Radical | Andrew Green [23] [21] | 125 | 26.9 | New | |
Majority | 34 | 7.3 | N/A | ||
Turnout | 255 | 83.6 | N/A | ||
Registered electors | 305 | ||||
Whig gain from Tory | Swing | N/A | |||
Radical gain from Tory | Swing | N/A |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Radical | Henry Aglionby Aglionby | 192 | 42.7 | −17.1 | |
Whig | Fretchville Lawson Ballantine Dykes | 145 | 32.2 | +12.1 | |
Whig | Edward Horsman | 113 | 25.1 | +5.0 | |
Majority | 47 | 10.5 | N/A | ||
Turnout | 258 | 78.7 | −4.9 | ||
Registered electors | 328 | ||||
Radical hold | Swing | −17.1 | |||
Whig hold | Swing | +10.3 |
Dykes resigned, causing a by-election.
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Whig | Edward Horsman | Unopposed | |||
Whig hold |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Radical | Henry Aglionby Aglionby | 169 | 42.0 | −0.7 | |
Whig | Edward Horsman | 122 | 30.3 | +5.2 | |
Whig | Richard Benson | 111 | 27.6 | −4.6 | |
Majority | 47 | 11.7 | +1.2 | ||
Turnout | 229 | 77.1 | −1.6 | ||
Registered electors | 297 | ||||
Radical hold | Swing | −0.7 | |||
Whig hold | Swing | +2.8 |
Horsman was appointed a Lord Commissioner of the Treasury, requiring a by-election.
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Whig | Edward Horsman | 117 | 56.3 | −1.6 | |
Conservative | Henry Wyndham | 91 | 43.8 | New | |
Majority | 26 | 12.5 | N/A | ||
Turnout | 208 | 72.2 | −4.9 | ||
Registered electors | 288 | ||||
Whig hold | Swing | N/A |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Radical | Henry Aglionby Aglionby | 129 | 36.2 | −5.8 | |
Whig | Edward Horsman | 127 | 35.7 | −22.2 | |
Conservative | Henry Wyndham | 100 | 28.1 | N/A | |
Turnout | 228 | 78.2 | +1.1 | ||
Registered electors | 293 | ||||
Majority | 2 | 0.5 | −11.2 | ||
Radical hold | Swing | '+8.5 | |||
Majority | 27 | 7.6 | N/A | ||
Whig hold | Swing | −8.5 |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Whig | Edward Horsman | Unopposed | |||
Radical | Henry Aglionby Aglionby | Unopposed | |||
Registered electors | 319 | ||||
Whig hold | |||||
Radical hold |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Conservative | Henry Wyndham | 160 | 34.7 | New | |
Radical | Henry Aglionby Aglionby | 154 | 33.4 | N/A | |
Whig | Edward Horsman | 147 | 31.9 | N/A | |
Turnout | 311 (est) | 87.5 (est) | N/A | ||
Registered electors | 355 | ||||
Majority | 13 | 2.8 | N/A | ||
Conservative gain from Whig | |||||
Majority | 7 | 1.5 | N/A | ||
Radical hold |
Aglionby's death caused a by-election.
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Radical | John Steel | Unopposed | |||
Radical hold |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Conservative | Richard Bourke | Unopposed | |||
Radical | John Steel | Unopposed | |||
Registered electors | 408 | ||||
Conservative hold | |||||
Radical hold |
Bourke was appointed Chief Secretary to the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland, requiring a by-election.
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Conservative | Richard Bourke | Unopposed | |||
Conservative hold |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Conservative | Richard Bourke | Unopposed | |||
Liberal | John Steel | Unopposed | |||
Registered electors | 412 | ||||
Conservative hold | |||||
Liberal hold |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Conservative | Richard Bourke | Unopposed | |||
Liberal | John Steel | Unopposed | |||
Registered electors | 336 | ||||
Conservative hold | |||||
Liberal hold |
Bourke was appointed Chief Secretary to the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland, requiring a by-election.
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Conservative | Richard Bourke | Unopposed | |||
Conservative hold |
Steel's death caused a by-election.
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Conservative | Andrew Green Thompson | 171 | 54.3 | N/A | |
Liberal | Isaac Fletcher | 144 | 45.7 | N/A | |
Majority | 27 | 8.6 | N/A | ||
Turnout | 315 | 93.8 | N/A | ||
Registered electors | 336 | ||||
Conservative gain from Liberal |
Seat reduced to one member
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Liberal | Isaac Fletcher | 620 | 61.5 | N/A | |
Conservative | Henry Lorton Bourke [24] | 388 | 38.5 | N/A | |
Majority | 232 | 23.0 | N/A | ||
Turnout | 1,008 | 93.9 | N/A | ||
Registered electors | 1,074 | ||||
Liberal hold |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Liberal | Isaac Fletcher | 506 | 56.6 | −4.9 | |
Conservative | John Henry Fawcett [25] | 388 | 43.4 | +4.9 | |
Majority | 118 | 13.2 | −9.8 | ||
Turnout | 894 | 83.0 | −10.9 | ||
Registered electors | 1,077 | ||||
Liberal hold | Swing | −4.9 |
Fletcher's suicide caused a by-election.
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Liberal | William Fletcher | 557 | 60.3 | +3.7 | |
Conservative | David Rapley [27] | 366 | 39.7 | −3.7 | |
Majority | 191 | 20.6 | +7.4 | ||
Turnout | 923 | 83.8 | +0.8 | ||
Registered electors | 1,102 | ||||
Liberal hold | Swing | +3.7 |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Liberal | Edward Waugh | 582 | 60.5 | +3.9 | |
Conservative | Robert Webster [28] | 380 | 39.5 | −3.9 | |
Majority | 202 | 21.0 | +7.8 | ||
Turnout | 962 | 87.9 | +4.9 | ||
Registered electors | 1,094 | ||||
Liberal hold | Swing | +3.9 |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Conservative | Charles James Valentine | 3,845 | 50.1 | +10.6 | |
Liberal | Wilfrid Lawson | 3,835 | 49.9 | −10.6 | |
Majority | 10 | 0.2 | N/A | ||
Turnout | 7,680 | 80.5 | −7.4 | ||
Registered electors | 9,538 | ||||
Conservative gain from Liberal | Swing | +10.6 |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Liberal | Wilfrid Lawson | 4,130 | 56.9 | +7.0 | |
Liberal Unionist | Henry Frazer Curwen [31] | 3,126 | 43.1 | −7.0 | |
Majority | 1,004 | 13.8 | N/A | ||
Turnout | 7,256 | 76.1 | −4.4 | ||
Registered electors | 9,538 | ||||
Liberal gain from Conservative | Swing | +7.0 |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Liberal | Wilfrid Lawson | 4,599 | 54.6 | −2.3 | |
Conservative | John Scott Napier | 3,829 | 45.4 | +2.3 | |
Majority | 770 | 9.2 | −4.6 | ||
Turnout | 8,428 | 77.3 | +1.2 | ||
Registered electors | 10,906 | ||||
Liberal hold | Swing | −2.3 |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Liberal | Wilfrid Lawson | 4,259 | 51.5 | −3.1 | |
Conservative | Thomas Milvain | 4,018 | 48.5 | +3.1 | |
Majority | 241 | 3.0 | −6.2 | ||
Turnout | 8,277 | 80.8 | +3.5 | ||
Registered electors | 10,242 | ||||
Liberal hold | Swing | −3.1 |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Conservative | John Randles | 4,276 | 51.3 | +2.8 | |
Liberal | Wilfrid Lawson | 4,067 | 48.7 | −2.8 | |
Majority | 209 | 2.6 | N/A | ||
Turnout | 8,343 | 76.6 | −4.2 | ||
Registered electors | 10,897 | ||||
Conservative gain from Liberal | Swing | +2.8 |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Liberal | Wilfrid Lawson | 5,349 | 52.8 | +4.1 | |
Conservative | John Randles | 4,786 | 47.2 | −4.1 | |
Majority | 563 | 5.6 | N/A | ||
Turnout | 10,135 | 86.6 | +10.0 | ||
Registered electors | 11,700 | ||||
Liberal gain from Conservative | Swing | +4.1 |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Conservative | John Randles | 4,593 | 46.2 | −1.0 | |
Liberal | Frederick Guest | 3,903 | 39.3 | −13.5 | |
Labour | Robert Smillie | 1,436 | 14.5 | New | |
Majority | 690 | 6.9 | N/A | ||
Turnout | 9,932 | 84.9 | −1.7 | ||
Registered electors | 11,700 | ||||
Conservative gain from Liberal | Swing | +6.2 |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Conservative | John Randles | 4,579 | 45.2 | −1.0 | |
Liberal | Wilfrid Lawson | 3,638 | 35.9 | −3.4 | |
Labour | James Percy Whitehead | 1,909 | 18.9 | +4.4 | |
Majority | 941 | 9.3 | +2.4 | ||
Turnout | 10,126 | 89.4 | +4.5 | ||
Conservative hold | Swing | +1.2 |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Liberal | Wilfrid Lawson | 5,003 | 52.7 | +16.8 | |
Conservative | John Randles | 4,492 | 47.3 | +2.1 | |
Majority | 511 | 5.4 | N/A | ||
Turnout | 9,495 | 83.8 | −5.6 | ||
Liberal gain from Conservative | Swing | +7.4 |
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;
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Liberal | Joseph Bliss | Unopposed | N/A | N/A | |
Liberal hold |
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