Exchange (Liverpool ward)

The Exchange ward was a former electoral division of Liverpool, in the United Kingdom.

The Exchange ward was one of the oldest and most significant areas in Liverpool, named after the Liverpool Exchange, a notable financial and commercial hub in the city. The Liverpool Exchange building itself was central to the economic development of the city during the 18th and 19th centuries, serving as a focal point for trade and business, especially given Liverpool's prominence as a major port during the British Empire.

Overview

Historically, wards in Liverpool were used as administrative districts for electing members to the City Council and for organizing various city services.

The Exchange ward was located in the heart of the city center, encompassing some of the most important civic and commercial buildings, including the Town Hall and the financial district around Castle Street, Water Street, and Old Hall Street. The ward was home to merchants, bankers, and other prominent business figures of the time. ^[1]

The boundaries of Liverpool’s electoral wards have been redrawn multiple times over the years, reflecting changes in population and administrative needs. By the latter part of the 20th century, the Exchange ward was abolished or merged with surrounding areas as part of broader changes to Liverpool's ward structure. While the Exchange ward itself no longer exists in the modern electoral system, its legacy remains tied to Liverpool's economic history and its development as a major international trading city.

Elections

1835

No. 5 Exchange - 3 seats

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Whig	James Holmes	179	56%	N/A
	Whig	Lawrence Heyworth	167	53%	N/A
	Whig	James Mellor	161	51%	N/A
	Conservative	Thomas Sands	139	44%	N/A
	Conservative	John Bent	126	40%	N/A
	Conservative	G. B. Irlam	118	37%	N/A
Majority			40		N/A
Registered electors			468
Turnout			318		N/A
	Whig win (new seat)
	Whig win (new seat)
	Whig win (new seat)

Polling places : Surnames A to K : at the south end of the Sessions'-house in South Chapel-street. Surnames L to Z : at the north end of the Sessions'-house in Chapel-street.

1836

No. 5 Exchange

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Whig	James Mellor *	173	50.1%
	Conservative	Thomas Sands	172	49.9%
Majority			1	0.2%
Registered electors			513
Turnout			345	67%
	Whig hold		Swing

1837

No. 5 Exchange

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	Thomas Sands	204	51%
	Whig	Lawrence Heyworth *	193	49%
Majority			11	2%	N/A
Registered electors
Turnout			397
	Conservative gain from Whig		Swing

1838

No. 5 Exchange

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Whig	Henry Holmes	163	62%
	Conservative	George Gurden	101	38%
Majority			62	24%
Registered electors			549
Turnout			264	48%
	Whig hold		Swing

Time	Henry Holmes		George Gurden
	Votes	%	Votes	%
10:00	35	70%	15	30%
11:00	69	69%	31	31%
12:00	91	62%	55	38%
13:00	120	63%	69	37%
14:00	138	64%	76	36%
15:00	154	62%	94	38%
16:00	163	62%	101	38%

1839

No. 5 Exchange

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Whig	James Mellor*	193	50.1%
	Conservative	Ambrose Lace	192	49.9%
Majority			1	0.2%
Registered electors			552
Turnout			385	70%
	Whig hold		Swing

1919

No. 5 Exchange

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Irish Nationalist	Peter Kavanagh	955	66%
	Conservative	Perring Thomas Stolterfoht *	486	34%
Majority			469
Registered electors			2,549
Turnout			1,441	57%
	Irish Nationalist gain from Conservative		Swing

1920

No. 5 Exchange

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Irish Nationalist	Henry Granby	907	52%
	Liberal	Frederick Charles Bowring *	829	48%
Majority			78
Registered electors			2,672
Turnout			1,736	65%
	Irish Nationalist gain from Liberal		Swing

1921

No. 5 Exchange

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Irish Nationalist	John Quinn	948	53%
	Liberal	Charles Sydney Jones *	840	47%
Majority			108	6%	N/A
Registered electors			2,664
Turnout			1,788	67%
	Irish Nationalist gain from Liberal		Swing

1922

No. 5 Exchange

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Irish Nationalist	Peter Kavanagh *	unopposed
Registered electors
	Irish Nationalist hold		Swing

1923

No. 5 Exchange

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Irish Nationalist	Miss Alice McCormick	904	59%
	Liberal	Mark Philip Rathbone	575	37%
	Independent	Joseph Masterman	50	3%
	Unemployed	John Bingham	7	0.5%
Majority			329
Registered electors			2,747
Turnout			1,536	56%
	Irish Nationalist hold		Swing

1924

No. 5 Exchange

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Irish Nationalist	John Quinn *	unopposed
Registered electors
	Irish Nationalist hold		Swing

1925

No. 5 Exchange

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Catholic	Peter Kavanagh *	unopposed
Registered electors			2,805
	Catholic gain from Irish Nationalist		Swing

1926

No. 5 Exchange

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Catholic	Miss Alice McCormick *	709	77%
	Ex-Services	Albert Edward Price	214	23%
Majority			495
Registered electors			2,758
Turnout			923	33%
	Catholic gain from Irish Nationalist		Swing

1927

No. 5 Exchange

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Catholic	John Quinn *	910	85%
	Labour	Joseph Nugent	123	12%
Majority			787
Registered electors			2,710
Turnout			1,033
	Catholic hold		Swing

1928

No. 5 Exchange

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Catholic	Peter Kavanagh *	unopposed
Registered electors
	Catholic hold		Swing

1929

No. 5 Exchange

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Centre Party	Alice McCormick *	760	66%
	Labour	Margaret McFarlane	384	34%
Majority			376
Registered electors			2,697
Turnout			1,144	42%
	Centre gain from Catholic

1930

No. 5 Exchange

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Independent	James Farrell	unopposed
Registered electors
	Independent gain from Catholic		Swing

1931

No. 5 Exchange

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Independent	Peter Kavanagh *	1,228	91%
	Labour	Samuel Sydney Silverman	116	9%
Majority			1,112
Registered electors			2,492
Turnout			1,344	54%
	Independent hold		Swing

1932

No. 5 Exchange

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Centre	Miss Alice McCormick *	717	68%
	Labour	Albert Smitton	258	25%
	Youth	Arthur James Gerard Smyth	69	6.6%
	Ind. Labour Party	Mark Edward Boggin	7	0.67%
Majority			459
Registered electors
Turnout			1,051
	Centre hold		Swing

1933

No. 5 Exchange

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Independent	James Farrell	837	83%
	Labour	Albert Smitton	166	17%
Majority			671
Registered electors			2,404
Turnout			1,003	42%
	Independent hold		Swing

1934

No. 5 Exchange

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Independent	Peter Kavanagh *	unopposed
Registered electors			2,383
	Independent hold		Swing

1935

No. 5 Exchange

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Independent	Thomas Patrick Staunton *	757	63%
	Labour	Alfred Donohue	438	37%
Majority			319
Registered electors			2,351
Turnout			1,195	51%
	Independent gain from Centre

1936

No. 5 Exchange

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Independent	Thomas Patrick Staunton *	757	63%
	Labour	Alfred Donohue	438	37%
Majority			319
Registered electors			2,351
Turnout			1,195	51%
	Independent gain from Centre

1937

No. 5 Exchange

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Independent	Peter Kavanagh *	unopposed
Registered electors
	Independent hold		Swing

1938

No. 5 Exchange

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Independent	John Granby	765	72%
	Labour	John George Morgan	300	28%
Majority			465
Registered electors			2,122
Turnout			1,065	50%
	Independent hold		Swing

1945

Exchange - 2 seats

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Independent	Leo Henry Wright	728	74%
	Independent	Walter McGrath	721	73%
	Labour	Sarah Ann McArd	252	26%
	Labour	Herbert F. Granby	257	26%
Majority			471
Registered electors			1,619
Turnout			985	61%

1946

Exchange

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Independent	John Gerard Granby	648	73%
	Labour	Alfred Strange	228	26%
	Independent	Frederick Bowman	9	1%
Majority			420
Registered electors			1,589
Turnout			885	56%

1947

Exchange

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Independent	Walter McGrath	704	79%
	Labour	Francis Edward Campbell	188	21%
Majority			516
Registered electors			1,620
Turnout			892	55%
	Independent hold		Swing

1949

Exchange

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Independent	Leo Henry Wright *	795	81%	+7%
	Labour	Joseph Mooney	190	19%	−7%
Majority			605
Registered electors			1,625
Turnout			985	61%	0%
	Independent hold		Swing	+7%

1950

Exchange

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Independent	John Gerard Granby	666	85%	+6%
	Labour	Alexander Kay	121	15%	−6%
Majority			545
Registered electors			1,575
Turnout			787	50%	−5%
	Independent hold		Swing	+6%

1951

Exchange

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Independent	Walter McGrath *	646	74%	−5%
	Labour	John Cullen	226	26%	+5%
Majority			420
Registered electors			1,656
Turnout			872	53%	−2%
	Independent hold		Swing	-5%

1952

Exchange

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Independent	John Larkin	598	62%	−19%
	Labour	William McKeown	368	38%	+19%
Majority			230
Registered electors			15,505
Turnout			966	6%
	Independent hold		Swing

^[2]

References

1. Grundy, Chris (2023-12-11). "The forgotten tracks of Liverpool's Exchange Station". The Guide Liverpool. Retrieved 2025-02-19.
2. "Liverpool Exchange 1885-1974 (Hansard)". api.parliament.uk. Retrieved 2025-02-19.