Newmarket (UK Parliament constituency)

Last updated

Newmarket
Former county constituency
for the House of Commons
18851918
Seatsone
Created from Cambridgeshire
Replaced by Cambridgeshire
Isle of Ely

Newmarket is a former United Kingdom Parliamentary constituency. It was created upon the splitting up of the three member Cambridgeshire constituency into three single member divisions in 1885. The seat was abolished in 1918.

Contents

History

The Redistribution of Seats Act 1885 split the former three-member Cambridgeshire parliamentary county into three single-member divisions. One of these was the Eastern or Newmarket Division. The seat was named after the town of Newmarket, which is famous as a centre of horse racing. The seat also included the city of Ely which is the seat of a Bishop and the church interest, as well as the middle-class character of the area, contributed to Conservative political strength. The pro-Conservative alliance of the Church of England and the horse racing fraternity of the town of Newmarket was commented upon by Liberals at the time.

The seat as a whole was marginal between the Conservative and Liberal interests, as the Liberals had support in the villages. A suitable rich, horse race loving Liberal candidate could win the seat.

Upon its abolition under the Representation of the People Act 1918, the constituency was combined with the Chesterton (or West Cambridgeshire) division to create a new single member Cambridgeshire seat. Ely was combined with the Wisbech (or North Cambridgeshire) division to create a new Isle of Ely constituency. The two new seats corresponded to the administrative counties of Cambridgeshire and Isle of Ely, which had been created in 1889.

Boundaries

Newmarket in Cambridgeshire 1885-1918 Newmarket1885.png
Newmarket in Cambridgeshire 1885-1918

The contents of the division were defined as:

Newmarket lay at the centre of the constituency, although only part of the town (All Saints Parish) was within the parliamentary county of Cambridgeshire and formed part of this seat. The Local Government Act 1888 made the entirety of Newmarket urban sanitary district part of the administrative county of West Suffolk. [2] However this did not affect the parliamentary boundaries until 1918. The small city of Ely was the only other urban area.

The rural parishes in the constituency were: Ashley, Babraham, Balsham, Bottisham, Brinkley, Burrough Green, Burwell, Castle Camps, Carlton, Cherry Hinton, Cheveley, Chippenham, Duxford, Fen Ditton, Fordham, Fulbourn, Great Abington, Great Wilbraham, Hildersham, Hinxton, Horningsea, Horseheath, Ickleton, Isleham, Kennett, Kirtling, Landwade, Linton, Little Abington, Little Wilbraham, Shudy Camps, Pampisford, Sawston, Snailwell, Soham, Stetchworth, Stow cum Quy, Swaffham Bulbeck, Swaffham Prior, Teversham, West Wickham, West Wratting, Westley Waterless, Weston Colville, Whittlesford, Wicken, Wood Ditton. [2]

Members of Parliament

YearMemberParty
1885 Sir George Newnes Liberal
1895 Harry McCalmont Conservative
1903 Charles Rose Liberal
1910 George Henry Verrall Conservative
1910 Sir Charles Rose Liberal
1913 John Denison-Pender Unionist
1918 constituency abolished

Election results

Elections in the 1880s

Newnes Portrait of George Newnes.jpg
Newnes
General election 1885: Newmarket [3]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Liberal George Newnes 3,931 57.0
Conservative Edward Hicks 2,96043.0
Majority97114.0
Turnout 6,89177.1
Registered electors 8,936
Liberal win (new seat)
General election 1886: Newmarket [3]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Liberal George Newnes 3,405 50.0 7.0
Conservative George Osborne 3,10545.6+2.6
Independent Liberal Unionist William Henry Hall2984.4New
Majority3004.49.6
Turnout 6,80876.20.9
Registered electors 8,936
Liberal hold Swing 4.8

Elections in the 1890s

General election 1892: Newmarket [3]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Liberal George Newnes 4,391 58.1 +8.1
Conservative Henry Alexander Giffard3,16841.93.7
Majority1,22316.2+11.8
Turnout 7,55980.5+4.3
Registered electors 9,391
Liberal hold Swing +5.9
Harry McCalmont Harry McCalmont.jpg
Harry McCalmont
General election 1895: Newmarket [3]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Conservative Harry McCalmont 4,210 52.1 +10.2
Liberal George Newnes 3,86747.910.2
Majority3434.2N/A
Turnout 8,07782.9+2.4
Registered electors 9,738
Conservative gain from Liberal Swing +10.2

Elections in the 1900s

General election 1900: Newmarket [3]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Conservative Harry McCalmont 4,295 57.2 +5.1
Liberal Charles Rose 3,21842.85.1
Majority1,07714.4+10.2
Turnout 7,51379.33.6
Registered electors 9,477
Conservative hold Swing +5.1
Charles Rose Sir Charles Rose.jpg
Charles Rose
1903 Newmarket by-election [3]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Liberal Charles Rose 4,414 53.0 +10.2
Conservative Henry Brassey 3,90747.0−10.2
Majority5076.0N/A
Turnout 8,32186.2+6.9
Registered electors 9,650
Liberal gain from Conservative Swing +10.2
General election 1906: Newmarket [3]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Liberal Charles Rose 4,666 54.6 +11.8
Conservative George Verrall 3,88345.411.8
Majority7839.2N/A
Turnout 8,54986.1+6.8
Registered electors 9,934
Liberal gain from Conservative Swing +11.8

Elections in the 1910s

General election January 1910: Newmarket [3]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Conservative George Verrall 4,752 50.6 +5.2
Liberal Charles Rose 4,63249.45.2
Majority1201.2N/A
Turnout 9,38490.5+4.4
Conservative gain from Liberal Swing +5.2
General election December 1910: Newmarket [3]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Liberal Charles Rose 4,786 52.2 +2.8
Conservative George Verrall 4,38747.82.8
Majority3994.4N/A
Turnout 9,17388.52.0
Liberal gain from Conservative Swing +2.8
1913 Newmarket by-election [3]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Unionist John Denison-Pender 5,251 54.4 +6.6
Lib-Lab George Nicholls 4,40045.66.6
Majority8518.8N/A
Turnout 9,65189.9+1.4
Unionist gain from Liberal Swing +6.6

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">East Cambridgeshire</span> Non-metropolitan district in England

East Cambridgeshire is a local government district in Cambridgeshire, England. Its council is based in the city of Ely. The district also contains the towns of Littleport and Soham and surrounding rural areas, including parts of the Fens.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">South West Norfolk (UK Parliament constituency)</span> Parliamentary constituency in the United Kingdom, 1885 onwards

South West Norfolk is a constituency represented in the House of Commons of the UK Parliament since 2024 by Terry Jermy of the Labour Party. It was previously represented by Liz Truss of the Conservative Party between 2010 and 2024.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">South Cambridgeshire (UK Parliament constituency)</span> Parliamentary constituency in the United Kingdom, 1997 onwards

South Cambridgeshire is a constituency represented in the House of Commons of the UK Parliament since the 2024 United Kingdom general election by Pippa Heylings of the Liberal Democrats.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">South East Cambridgeshire (UK Parliament constituency)</span> Parliamentary constituency in the United Kingdom, 1983-2024

South East Cambridgeshire was a constituency represented in the House of Commons of the UK Parliament from 2015 to 2024 by Lucy Frazer, a member of the Conservative Party who has served as the Culture Secretary since 2023. The constituency was established for the 1983 general election and was based on the cathedral city of Ely.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Balsham</span> Human settlement in England

Balsham is a rural village and civil parish in the county of Cambridgeshire, England, which has much expanded since the 1960s and is now one of several dormitory settlements of Cambridge. The village is south east of the centre of Cambridge beyond the A11 road and near Newmarket and Haverhill.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Epsom (UK Parliament constituency)</span> Parliamentary constituency in the United Kingdom, 1885–1974

Epsom was a borough constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. It elected one Member of Parliament (MP) by the first past the post system of election. From its creation in 1885 until its abolition in 1974, it was won by eight Conservatives. The winner took less than 50% of the votes in its contested elections once, in 1945, receiving 49.9% of the vote in a three-party contest. Six elections, the last being a by-election in 1912, were uncontested.

Cambridgeshire is a former Parliamentary constituency in the United Kingdom. It was a constituency represented by two Members of Parliament in the House of Commons of the Parliament of England then in the Parliament of Great Britain from 1707 to 1800 and in the Parliament of the United Kingdom from 1801 to 1832, when its representation was increased to three until it was abolished in 1885.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Accrington (UK Parliament constituency)</span> Parliamentary constituency in the United Kingdom, 1885–1983

Accrington was a parliamentary constituency of the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom from 1885 to 1983. It elected one Member of Parliament (MP) by the first-past-the-post system of election.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ormskirk (UK Parliament constituency)</span> Parliamentary constituency in the United Kingdom, 1885–1983

Ormskirk was a county constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. It elected one Member of Parliament (MP) by the first past the post system of election. It was created by the Redistribution of Seats Act 1885 as a division of the parliamentary county of Lancashire. The constituency boundaries were changed in 1918, 1950, 1955 and 1974.

Isle of Ely was a county constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom, centred on the Isle of Ely in Cambridgeshire. Until its abolition in 1983, it elected one Member of Parliament (MP) by the first past the post system of election.

Chesterton is a former United Kingdom Parliamentary constituency. It was created upon the splitting up of the three member Cambridgeshire constituency into three single member divisions in 1885. The seat was abolished in 1918 when Cambridgeshire was recreated as a single-member constituency.

Wisbech is a former United Kingdom Parliamentary constituency. It was created upon the abolition of an undivided Cambridgeshire county constituency in 1885 and was itself abolished in 1918.

Chertsey sometimes seen as Surrey North Western, equally the North Western Division of Surrey was created as one of six county constituencies of Surrey for the House of Commons of the UK Parliament. The seat underwent two net reductions and variously included and excluded growing suburban settlements: Egham, Frimley, Weybridge, Walton-on-Thames and Woking.

Heywood was a county constituency in the county of Lancashire of the House of Commons for the Parliament of the United Kingdom which existed between 1885 and 1918. Created by the Redistribution of Seats Act 1885, it was represented by one Member of Parliament. The constituency was abolished in 1918.

Finsbury East was a parliamentary constituency centred on the Finsbury district of North London, England. It returned one Member of Parliament (MP) to the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom, elected by the first past the post system.

The 1913 Newmarket by-election was a parliamentary by-election held on 16 May 1913 to fill a vacancy in the United Kingdom House of Commons for the Eastern or Newmarket Division of Cambridgeshire.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Charlotte Cane</span> British politician

Charlotte Kathryn Bourne Cane is a British Liberal Democrat politician who has been the Member of Parliament for Ely and East Cambridgeshire since 2024.

References

  1. Great Britain, Incorporated Council of Law Reporting for England and Wales. The public general acts. unknown library. Proprietors of the Law Journal Reports, 1884.
  2. 1 2 Youngs, Frederic A Jr. (1979). Guide to the Local Administrative Units of England, Vol.I: Southern England. London: Royal Historical Society. p. 716. ISBN   0-901050-67-9.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 F. W. S. Craig (1989), British Parliamentary Election Results, 1885-1918. Aldershot: Parliamentary Research Services. p. 228

Sources