Meath (UK Parliament constituency)

Last updated

County Meath
Former county constituency
for the House of Commons
County County Meath
1801–1885
Seats2
Created from County Meath (IHC)
Replaced by

Meath was a parliamentary constituency in Ireland, which from 1801 to 1885 returned two Members of Parliament (MPs) to the House of Commons of the United Kingdom.

Contents

Boundaries

This constituency comprised the whole of County Meath.

Members of Parliament

Election1st Member1st Party2nd Member2nd Party
1801 Hamilton Gorges Sir Marcus Somerville, 4th Baronet Whig [1]
1802 Thomas Cherburgh Bligh Whig [1]
1812 Thomas Taylour, Earl of Bective (later Marquess of Headfort) Whig [2]
Feb 1830 Arthur Plunkett, Baron Killeen, later Earl of Fingall Whig [1]
Aug 1831 Henry Grattan Repeal Association [1] [3]
1832 Morgan O'Connell Repeal Association [1] [3]
Feb 1840 Matthew Corbally Whig [4] [5] [6]
1841 Daniel O'Connell [7] Repeal Association [1] [3]
Jun 1842 Matthew Corbally Whig [4] [5] [6]
1852 Ind. Irish [3] Frederick Lucas Ind. Irish [3]
1855 Edward McEvoy Ind. Irish [3]
1859 Liberal [3] Liberal [3]
1871 John Martin Ind. Nationalist [3]
1874 Home Rule League [3] Nicholas Ennis Home Rule League [3]
1875 Charles Stewart Parnell [8] Home Rule League [3]
Apr 1880 Robert Henry Metge Home Rule League [3]
May 1880 Alexander Martin Sullivan Home Rule League [3]
Feb 1882 Michael Davitt [9] Home Rule League [3]
Apr 1882 Edward Sheil Home Rule League [3]
Feb 1884 William Meagher Home Rule League [3]
1885 Constituency divided: see South Meath and North Meath

Elections

Elections in the 1830s

Taylour succeeded to the peerage, becoming 2nd Marquess of Headfort and causing a by-election.

By-election, 22 February 1830: Meath [3] [1] [10]
PartyCandidateVotes%
Whig Arthur Plunkett Unopposed
Registered electors 977
Whig hold
General election 1830: Meath [3] [1] [10]
PartyCandidateVotes%
Whig Sir Marcus Somerville, 4th BaronetUnopposed
Whig Arthur Plunkett Unopposed
Registered electors 977
Whig hold
Whig hold
General election 1831: Meath [3] [1] [10]
PartyCandidateVotes%
Whig Arthur Plunkett 417 47.2
Whig Sir Marcus Somerville, 4th Baronet 250 28.3
Irish Repeal Henry Grattan 19822.4
Whig James Lenox William Naper101.1
Tory Richard Rowley 80.9
Majority525.9
Turnout c. 442c. 45.2
Registered electors 977
Whig hold
Whig hold

Somerville's death caused a by-election.

By-election, 11 August 1831: Meath [3] [1] [10]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Irish Repeal Henry Grattan 309 67.3 +44.9
Whig John Duncan Bligh 15032.7−43.9
Majority15934.6N/A
Turnout 45947.0c. +1.8
Registered electors 977
Irish Repeal gain from Whig Swing +44.4
General election 1832: Meath [3] [1]
PartyCandidateVotes%
Irish Repeal Henry Grattan Unopposed
Irish Repeal Morgan O'Connell Unopposed
Registered electors 1,520
Irish Repeal gain from Whig
Irish Repeal gain from Whig
General election 1835: Meath [3] [1]
PartyCandidateVotes%
Irish Repeal (Whig) Morgan O'Connell 83835.7
Irish Repeal (Whig) Henry Grattan 82635.2
Conservative Randal Plunkett34614.7
Conservative Gustavus Lambert33714.4
Majority48020.5
Turnout c. 1,174c. 72.6
Registered electors 1,617
Irish Repeal hold
Irish Repeal hold
General election 1837: Meath [3] [1]
PartyCandidateVotes%
Irish Repeal (Whig) Morgan O'Connell Unopposed
Irish Repeal (Whig) Henry Grattan Unopposed
Registered electors 1,872
Irish Repeal hold
Irish Repeal hold

Elections in the 1840s

O'Connell resigned after being appointed assistant registrar of deeds, causing a by-election.

By-election, 4 February 1840: Meath [3]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Whig Matthew Corbally Unopposed
Whig gain from Irish Repeal
General election 1841: Meath [3]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Irish Repeal Daniel O'Connell Unopposed
Irish Repeal Henry Grattan Unopposed
Registered electors 1,236
Irish Repeal hold
Irish Repeal hold

O'Connell was also elected for County Cork and opted to sit there, causing a by-election.

By-election, 10 June 1842: Meath [3]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Whig Matthew Corbally Unopposed
Whig gain from Irish Repeal
General election 1847: Meath [3]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Whig Matthew Corbally 598 41.8 New
Irish Repeal Henry Grattan 503 35.1 N/A
Conservative Henry Corbet Singleton33123.1New
Turnout 716 (est)44.4 (est)N/A
Registered electors 1,611
Majority956.7N/A
Whig gain from Irish Repeal Swing N/A
Majority17212.0N/A
Irish Repeal hold Swing N/A

Elections in the 1850s

General election 1852: Meath [3]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Independent Irish Frederick Lucas 2,004 44.2 N/A
Independent Irish Matthew Corbally 1,968 43.4 +1.6
Independent Irish Henry Grattan 56512.5−22.6
Majority1,40330.9N/A
Turnout 2,269 (est)53.8 (est)+9.4
Registered electors 4,218
Independent Irish gain from Irish Repeal Swing N/A
Independent Irish gain from Whig Swing N/A

Lucas' death caused a by-election.

By-election, 17 December 1855: Meath [3]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Independent Irish Edward McEvoy 1,639 64.6 N/A
Whig Henry Meredyth [11] 89935.4New
Majority74029.2−1.7
Turnout 2,53860.2+6.4
Registered electors 4,218
Independent Irish hold Swing N/A
General election 1857: Meath [3]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Independent Irish Matthew Corbally Unopposed
Independent Irish Edward McEvoy Unopposed
Registered electors 4,177
Independent Irish hold
Independent Irish hold
General election 1859: Meath [3]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Liberal Matthew Corbally Unopposed
Liberal Edward McEvoy Unopposed
Registered electors 4,383
Liberal hold
Liberal hold

Elections in the 1860s

General election 1865: Meath [3]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Liberal Matthew Corbally Unopposed
Liberal Edward McEvoy Unopposed
Registered electors 4,155
Liberal hold
Liberal hold
General election 1868: Meath [3]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Liberal Matthew Corbally 1,696 49.3 N/A
Liberal Edward McEvoy 1,655 48.1 N/A
Liberal John Thomas Hinds882.6N/A
Majority1,56745.5N/A
Turnout 1,720 (est)42.8 (est)N/A
Registered electors 4,018
Liberal hold Swing N/A
Liberal hold Swing N/A

Elections in the 1870s

Corbally's death caused a by-election.

By-election, 17 Jan 1871: Meath [3]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Independent Nationalist John Martin 1,140 62.5 New
Conservative George John Plunkett68437.5New
Majority45625.0N/A
Turnout 1,82443.6+0.8
Registered electors 4,179
Independent Nationalist gain from Liberal Swing N/A
General election 1874: Meath [3]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Home Rule Nicholas Ennis 1,716 38.8 N/A
Home Rule John Martin 1,709 38.7 N/A
Conservative James Lennox Napier99222.5N/A
Majority71716.2N/A
Turnout 2,705 (est)66.5 (est)+23.7
Registered electors 4,069
Home Rule gain from Liberal Swing N/A
Home Rule gain from Independent Nationalist Swing N/A

Martin's death caused a by-election.

By-election, 17 Apr 1875: Meath [3]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Home Rule Charles Stewart Parnell 1,771 62.8 −14.7
Conservative James Lennox Napier91232.3+9.8
Home Rule John Thomas Hinds1384.9N/A
Majority85930.5+14.3
Turnout 2,82168.2+1.7
Registered electors 4,139
Home Rule hold Swing −12.3

Elections in the 1880s

General election 1880: Meath [3]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Parnellite Home Rule League Charles Stewart Parnell 2,283 45.2 +6.4
Home Rule Robert Henry Metge 2,252 44.6 +5.9
Conservative Henry Lorton Bourke51410.2−12.3
Majority1,73834.4+18.2
Turnout 2,797 (est)72.1 (est)+5.6
Registered electors 3,877
Home Rule hold Swing +6.3
Home Rule hold Swing +6.0

Parnell was also elected MP for Cork City and opted to sit there, causing a by-election.

By-election, 20 May 1880: Meath [3]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Home Rule Alexander Martin Sullivan Unopposed
Registered electors 3,877
Home Rule hold

Sullivan resigned, causing a by-election.

By-election, 22 Feb 1882: Meath [3]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Home Rule Michael Davitt Unopposed
Registered electors 3,711
Home Rule hold

Davitt was disqualified because he was in prison, causing a by-election.

By-election, 14 Apr 1882: Meath [3]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Home Rule Edward Sheil Unopposed
Registered electors 3,711
Home Rule hold

Metge resigned, causing a by-election.

By-election, 21 Feb 1884: Meath [3]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Home Rule William Meagher Unopposed
Registered electors 3,660
Home Rule hold

Notes

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 Smith, Henry Stooks (1842). The Register of Parliamentary Contested Elections (Second ed.). Simpkin, Marshall & Company. p. 236. Retrieved 6 October 2018– via Google Books.
  2. ↑ Fitzpatrick, David (1994). Oceans of Consolation: Personal Accounts of Irish Migration to Australia. Ithaca: Cornell University Press. p. 301. ISBN   0-8014-2606-5 . Retrieved 21 May 2020– via Google Books.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 Walker, B.M., ed. (1978). Parliamentary Election Results in Ireland, 1801-1922. Dublin: Royal Irish Academy. pp. 231–232, 303–304. ISBN   0901714127.
  4. 1 2 "Election News" . Cambridge Independent Press. Cambridgeshire. 18 June 1842. p. 3. Retrieved 2 March 2018– via British Newspaper Archive.
  5. 1 2 "Meath" . Gloucestershire Chronicle. 1 February 1840. p. 4. Retrieved 3 March 2018– via British Newspaper Archive.
  6. 1 2 "T.he Globe states that Mr. Matthew Elias Corbally,w ho declined". The Spectator . 28 May 1842. p. 11. Retrieved 3 March 2018.
  7. ↑ O'Connell was also returned for County Cork and chose to sit for Cork
  8. ↑ At the 1880 general election, Parnell was also returned for both Mayo and Cork City. He chose to sit for Cork
  9. ↑ As a convicted felon, Davitt was held to be incapable of taking his seat. A by-election was held in April 1882
  10. 1 2 3 4 Salmon, Philip. "Co. Meath". The History of Parliament. Retrieved 21 May 2020.
  11. ↑ "County of Meath Election" . Berkshire Chronicle. 15 December 1855. p. 8. Retrieved 6 October 2018– via British Newspaper Archive.

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References

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