Dorchester was a parliamentary constituency centred on the town of Dorchester in Dorset. It returned two Members of Parliament to the House of Commons of England, Great Britain and House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom from 1295 to 1868, when its representation was reduced to one member.
The constituency was abolished by the Redistribution of Seats Act 1885, after which Dorchester was placed in the new Dorset South constituency. In 1918 it was transferred to Dorset West, where it has remained since.
Election | Member | Party | |
---|---|---|---|
1868 | representation reduced to one member | ||
1868 | Charles Napier Sturt | Conservative | |
1874 | William Brymer | Conservative | |
1885 | constituency abolished |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
No label | Henry Sturt | Unopposed | |||
Registered electors | c. 500 | ||||
No label gain from Tory | |||||
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Tory | Robert Williams, senior | Unopposed | |||
Tory | Anthony Ashley-Cooper | Unopposed | |||
Registered electors | c. 500 | ||||
Tory hold | |||||
Tory hold | |||||
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Tory | Robert Williams, senior | Unopposed | |||
Tory | Anthony Ashley-Cooper | Unopposed | |||
Registered electors | c. 500 | ||||
Tory hold | |||||
Tory hold | |||||
Ashley-Cooper resigned, causing a by-election.
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Tory | Henry Ashley-Cooper | Unopposed | |||
Registered electors | c. 500 | ||||
Tory hold | |||||
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Tory | Robert Williams, senior | Unopposed | |||
Tory | Henry Ashley-Cooper | Unopposed | |||
Registered electors | 322 | ||||
Tory hold | |||||
Tory hold | |||||
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Conservative | Robert Williams, junior | Unopposed | |||
Conservative | Henry Ashley-Cooper | Unopposed | |||
Registered electors | 318 | ||||
Conservative hold | |||||
Conservative hold | |||||
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Conservative | Robert Williams, junior | Unopposed | |||
Conservative | Henry Ashley-Cooper | Unopposed | |||
Registered electors | 397 | ||||
Conservative hold | |||||
Conservative hold | |||||
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Conservative | Henry Ashley | Unopposed | |||
Conservative | James Graham | Unopposed | |||
Registered electors | 367 | ||||
Conservative hold | |||||
Conservative hold | |||||
Graham was appointed Home Secretary, requiring a by-election.
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Conservative | James Graham | Unopposed | |||
Conservative hold | |||||
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Conservative | George Dawson-Damer | Unopposed | |||
Conservative | Henry Sturt | Unopposed | |||
Registered electors | 405 | ||||
Conservative hold | |||||
Conservative hold | |||||
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Whig | Richard Brinsley Sheridan | 235 | 36.9 | New | |
Conservative | Henry Sturt | 215 | 33.8 | N/A | |
Conservative | George Dawson-Damer | 186 | 29.2 | N/A | |
Majority | 20 | 3.1 | N/A | ||
Turnout | 318 (est) | 73.6 (est) | N/A | ||
Registered electors | 432 | ||||
Whig gain from Conservative | Swing | N/A | |||
Conservative hold | Swing | N/A | |||
Sturt resigned in order to contest the 1856 by-election in Dorset, causing a by-election.
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Conservative | Charles Napier Sturt | Unopposed | |||
Conservative hold | |||||
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Whig | Richard Brinsley Sheridan | Unopposed | |||
Conservative | Charles Napier Sturt | Unopposed | |||
Registered electors | 451 | ||||
Whig hold | |||||
Conservative hold | |||||
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Liberal | Richard Brinsley Sheridan | Unopposed | |||
Conservative | Charles Napier Sturt | Unopposed | |||
Registered electors | 442 | ||||
Liberal hold | |||||
Conservative hold | |||||
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Conservative | Charles Napier Sturt | 268 | 42.8 | N/A | |
Liberal | Richard Brinsley Sheridan | 255 | 40.7 | N/A | |
Conservative | Henry Drummond Wolff | 103 | 16.5 | N/A | |
Turnout | 313 (est) | 72.5 (est) | N/A | ||
Registered electors | 432 | ||||
Majority | 13 | 2.1 | N/A | ||
Conservative hold | Swing | N/A | |||
Majority | 152 | 24.2 | N/A | ||
Liberal hold | Swing | N/A | |||
Seat reduced to one member
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Conservative | Charles Napier Sturt | Unopposed | |||
Registered electors | 628 | ||||
Conservative hold | |||||
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Conservative | William Brymer | 353 | 60.2 | N/A | |
Liberal | Sir Francis Somerville Head, 2nd Baronet | 233 | 39.8 | New | |
Majority | 120 | 20.4 | N/A | ||
Turnout | 586 | 85.2 | N/A | ||
Registered electors | 688 | ||||
Conservative hold | Swing | N/A | |||
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Conservative | William Brymer | 374 | 53.0 | −7.2 | |
Liberal | Algernon Greville | 332 | 47.0 | +7.2 | |
Majority | 42 | 6.0 | −14.4 | ||
Turnout | 706 | 86.4 | +1.2 | ||
Registered electors | 817 | ||||
Conservative hold | Swing | −7.2 | |||
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