East Dorset (UK Parliament constituency)

Last updated

East Dorset
Former county constituency
for the House of Commons
18851950
SeatsOne
Created from Dorset, Wareham and Poole
Replaced by Poole and North Dorset

East Dorset is a former United Kingdom Parliamentary constituency. It was formally known as the Eastern Division of Dorset. It was a constituency of the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. It was represented by one Knight of the Shire.

Contents

History

Before 1885 the historic county of Dorset, in south-west England, was an undivided three-seat county constituency - see the article on the Dorset constituency. In 1885 the county was divided for Parliamentary purposes into four single-member county constituencies: this constituency, North Dorset, South Dorset and West Dorset (no borough constituencies were created in Dorset in the 1885 redistribution). Each of these divisions comprised roughly a quarter of the area of the county and returned one Member of Parliament.

In the 1918 redistribution, the four Dorset constituencies were retained, but their boundaries were redrawn. East Dorset was reduced in area to about half its former size, with the northern part of the pre-1918 seat being transferred to North Dorset and the southern part to South Dorset.

In the 1950 redistribution, this constituency disappeared. A new borough constituency of Poole was created. Wimborne Minster Urban District and the part of Wimborne and Cranborne Rural District previously in the abolished seat were transferred to the redrawn North Dorset.

Boundaries

1885–1918: The Municipal Borough of Poole, the Sessional Division of Wimborne, and part of the Sessional Division of Wareham.

1918–1950: The Municipal Borough of Poole, the Urban District of Wimborne Minster, the Rural District of Poole, and part of the Rural District of Wimborne and Cranborne.

Members of Parliament

ElectionMemberPartyNotes
1885 Pascoe Glyn Liberal Younger son of Lord Wolverton
1886 George Hawkesworth Bond Conservative Died in 1891
1891 by-election Hon. Humphrey Sturt Conservative Succeeded as 2nd Baron Alington in 1904
1900
1904 by-election Charles Henry Lyell Liberal MP for Edinburgh South from April 1910
January 1910 Hon. Frederick Guest Liberal Unseated on petition in May 1910
June 1910 by-election Henry Guest Liberal MP for Pembroke & Haverfordwest from Dec 1910
December 1910 Frederick Guest Liberal Liberal Chief Whip 1917–1921, Secretary of State for Air 1921–1922
1918 Coalition Liberal
1921 by-election
1922 Gordon Hall Caine Independent Conservative Took Conservative Whip January 1923
1923 Conservative
1929 Alec Ewart Glassey Liberal
1931 Gordon Hall Caine Conservative
1945 Mervyn Wheatley Conservative
1950 constituency abolished

Elections

Elections in the 1880s

General election 1885: East Dorset [1]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Liberal Pascoe Glyn 4,543 54.2
Conservative George Hawkesworth Bond 3,84645.8
Majority6978.4
Turnout 8,38986.0
Registered electors 9,758
Liberal win (new seat)
General election 1886: East Dorset [2]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Conservative George Hawkesworth Bond 4,317 54.1 +8.3
Liberal Pascoe Glyn 3,66245.98.3
Majority6558.2N/A
Turnout 7,97981.84.2
Registered electors 9,758
Conservative gain from Liberal Swing +8.3

Elections in the 1890s

Bond's death caused a by-election.

By-election, 27 Nov 1891: East Dorset [3]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Conservative Humphrey Sturt 4,421 52.0 2.1
Liberal Pascoe Glyn 4,07448.0+2.1
Majority3474.04.2
Turnout 8,49583.5+1.7
Registered electors 10,175
Conservative hold Swing 2.1
General election 1892: East Dorset [4]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Conservative Humphrey Sturt Unopposed
Conservative hold
General election 1895: East Dorset [5]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Conservative Humphrey Sturt Unopposed
Conservative hold

Elections in the 1900s

A.A. Allen Arthur Acland Allen.jpg
A.A. Allen
General election January 1900: East Dorset [6]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Conservative Humphrey Sturt 4,776 50.5 N/A
Liberal Arthur Acland Allen 4,68049.5New
Majority961.0N/A
Turnout 9,45681.4N/A
Registered electors 11,616
Conservative hold Swing N/A
Charles Lyell 1906 Charles Lyell.jpg
Charles Lyell
1904 East Dorset by-election [7]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Liberal Charles Lyell 5,929 53.7 +4.2
Conservative Charles Van Raalte5,10946.3−4.2
Majority8207.4N/A
Turnout 11,03887.0+5.6
Registered electors 12,686
Liberal gain from Conservative Swing +4.2
General election January 1906: East Dorset [8]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Liberal Charles Lyell 6,104 50.1 +0.6
Conservative Charles Van Raalte6,08349.90.6
Majority210.2N/A
Turnout 12,18789.9+8.5
Registered electors 13,557
Liberal gain from Conservative Swing

Elections in the 1910s

Frederick Guest Frederick Edward Guest old photo-crop.jpg
Frederick Guest
General election January 1910: East Dorset [9]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Liberal Frederick Guest 6,957 51.6 +1.5
Conservative John Nicholson 6,53148.4−1.5
Majority4263.2+3.0
Turnout 13,48891.2+1.3
Liberal hold Swing +1.5
Henry Guest 1910 Henry Guest MP.jpg
Henry Guest
1910 East Dorset by-election [10]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Liberal Henry Guest 6,967 52.2 +0.6
Conservative John Nicholson 6,37547.8−0.6
Majority5924.4+1.2
Turnout 13,34290.2−1.0
Liberal hold Swing +0.6
General election December 1910: East Dorset [11]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Liberal Frederick Guest 6,811 52.1 +0.5
Conservative Maurice George Carr Glyn6,26647.9−0.5
Majority5454.2+1.0
Turnout 13,07788.4−1.8
Liberal hold Swing
By-election, 1911 [12]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Liberal Frederick Guest Unopposed
Liberal hold

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 from 1914 and by the end of this year, the following candidates had been selected;

General election 1918: East Dorset
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
C Liberal Frederick Guest 11,94473.4+21.3
Labour Alfred Smith 4,32126.6New
Majority7,62346.8+42.6
Turnout 16,26554.234.2
Registered electors 29,988
Liberal hold Swing
Cindicates candidate endorsed by the coalition government.

Elections in the 1920s

By-election, 1921
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
C Liberal Frederick Guest Unopposed
Liberal hold
Cindicates candidate endorsed by the coalition government.
General election 1922: East Dorset
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Ind. Unionist Gordon Hall Caine 12,513 49.1 New
Labour Frederick Jesse Hopkins 6,91427.1+0.5
National Liberal Frederick Guest 6,06223.849.6
Majority5,59922.0N/A
Turnout 25,48980.2+26.0
Registered electors 31,797
Ind. Unionist gain from National Liberal Swing
General election 1923: East Dorset
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Unionist Gordon Hall Caine 12,480 48.5 0.6
Liberal Richard Evan Williams Kirby7,53529.2+5.4
Labour Frederick Jesse Hopkins 5,76022.34.8
Majority4,94519.32.7
Turnout 25,77578.51.7
Registered electors 32,828
Unionist hold Swing 3.0
General election 1924: East Dorset
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Unionist Gordon Hall Caine 14,479 52.6 +4.1
Liberal Alec Glassey 8,82832.1+2.9
Labour Edward Joseph Stocker4,20515.37.0
Majority5,65120.5+1.2
Turnout 27,51280.3+1.8
Registered electors 34,249
Unionist hold Swing +0.6
General election 1929: East Dorset
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Liberal Alec Glassey 17,810 42.2 +10.1
Unionist Gordon Hall Caine 17,53341.611.0
Labour Edward Joseph Stocker6,81916.2+0.9
Majority2770.6N/A
Turnout 42,16281.5+1.2
Registered electors 51,756
Liberal gain from Unionist Swing +10.6

Elections in the 1930s

General election 1931: East Dorset
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Conservative Gordon Hall Caine 20,711 44.5 +2.9
National Liberal Alec Glassey 18,80140.4−1.8
Labour Edward Joseph Stocker7,00915.1−1.1
Majority1,9104.1N/A
Turnout 46,52182.6+1.1
Conservative gain from National Liberal Swing
General election 1935: East Dorset
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Conservative Gordon Hall Caine 25,520 53.5 +9.0
Liberal Frank Raffety 11,34923.8N/A
Labour Edward Joseph Stocker10,82222.7+7.6
Majority14,17129.7+25.6
Turnout 47,69174.4−8.2
Conservative hold Swing

Elections in the 1940s

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 from 1939 and by the end of this year, the following candidates had been selected;

General election 1945: East Dorset
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Conservative Mervyn Wheatley 26,561 43.8 −9.7
Labour Charles Fletcher-Cooke 25,09341.4+18.7
Liberal John Arthur Hugh Mander8,97514.8−9.0
Majority1,4682.4−27.3
Turnout 60,62975.0+0.6
Conservative hold Swing

See also

References

  1. British parliamentary election results 1885-1918 by Craig
  2. British parliamentary election results 1885-1918 by Craig
  3. British parliamentary election results 1885-1918 by Craig
  4. British parliamentary election results 1885-1918 by Craig
  5. British parliamentary election results 1885-1918 by Craig
  6. British parliamentary election results 1885-1918 by Craig
  7. British parliamentary election results 1885-1918 by Craig
  8. British parliamentary election results 1885-1918 by Craig
  9. Craig, F. W. S. (1974). British parliamentary election results 1885-1918 (1 ed.). London: Macmillan.
  10. Craig, F. W. S. (1974). British parliamentary election results 1885-1918 (1 ed.). London: Macmillan.
  11. Craig, F. W. S. (1974). British parliamentary election results 1885-1918 (1 ed.). London: Macmillan.
  12. Craig, F. W. S. (1974). British parliamentary election results 1885-1918 (1 ed.). London: Macmillan.