Oswestry (UK Parliament constituency)

Last updated

Oswestry
Former county constituency
for the House of Commons
1918-1949 Oswestry.png
Oswestry in Shropshire, 1918–1950
1885–1983
Seatsone
Created from North Shropshire
Replaced by North Shropshire

Oswestry was a United Kingdom Parliamentary constituency. It was a constituency of the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom from 1885 to 1983, when it was renamed North Shropshire. It elected one Member of Parliament (MP) by the first past the post method of election.

Contents

Boundaries

1885–1918: The Borough of Oswestry, the Sessional Divisions of Chirbury, Condover, Ford, Oswestry, and Pimhill (except Myddle), and the parish of Fitz.

1918–1949: The Borough of Oswestry, the Urban Districts of Ellesmere, Market Drayton, Wem, and Whitchurch, and the Rural Districts of Drayton, Ellesmere, Oswestry, Wem, and Whitchurch.

1950–1966: The Borough of Oswestry, the Urban Districts of Ellesmere, Market Drayton, Wem, and Whitchurch, and the Rural Districts of Drayton, Ellesmere, Oswestry, and Wem.

1966–1967: The Borough of Oswestry, the Urban Districts of Ellesmere, Wem, and Whitchurch, and the Rural Districts of Ellesmere, Market Drayton, Oswestry, and Wem.

1967–1974: The Rural Districts of Market Drayton, North Shropshire and Oswestry.

1974–1983: The District of North Shropshire and the Borough of Oswestry.

Members of Parliament

ElectionMemberParty
1885 Stanley Leighton Conservative
1901 by-election George Ormsby-Gore Conservative
1904 Allan Heywood Bright Liberal
1906 William Bridgeman Conservative
1929 Bertie Leighton Conservative
1945 Oliver Poole Conservative
1950 David Ormsby-Gore Conservative
1961 John Biffen Conservative
1983 Constituency abolished

Election results

Elections in the 1880s

Jephson Henry Jephson.jpg
Jephson
General election 1885: Oswestry [1] [2] [3]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Conservative Stanley Leighton 4,753 55.8
Liberal Henry Lorenzo Jephson3,77244.2
Majority98111.6
Turnout 8,52584.5
Registered electors 10,083
Conservative win (new seat)
Leighton Stanley Leighton.jpg
Leighton
General election 1886: Oswestry [3] [1]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Conservative Stanley Leighton Unopposed
Conservative hold

Elections in the 1890s

General election 1892: Oswestry [1] [3]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Conservative Stanley Leighton Unopposed
Conservative hold
General election 1895: Oswestry [1] [4] [3]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Conservative Stanley Leighton 4,605 56.1 N/A
Liberal Owen Thomas 3,59843.9New
Majority1,00712.2N/A
Turnout 8,20382.4N/A
Registered electors 9,958
Conservative hold Swing N/A

Elections in the 1900s

General election 1900: Oswestry [3] [1] [4]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Conservative Stanley Leighton Unopposed
Conservative hold
1901 Oswestry by-election [3]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Conservative George Ormsby-Gore 4,518 56.8 N/A
Liberal Allan Bright 3,43043.2New
Majority1,08813.6N/A
Turnout 7,94879.5N/A
Registered electors 9,998
Conservative hold Swing N/A
1904 Oswestry by-election [3]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Liberal Allan Bright 4,542 52.2 N/A
Conservative William Bridgeman 4,15747.8N/A
Majority3854.4N/A
Turnout 8,69986.3N/A
Registered electors 10,075
Liberal gain from Conservative Swing N/A
General election 1906: Oswestry [3] [1]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Conservative William Bridgeman 5,011 52.6 N/A
Liberal Allan Bright 4,50847.4N/A
Majority5035.2N/A
Turnout 9,51990.7N/A
Registered electors 10,490
Conservative gain from Liberal Swing

Elections in the 1910s

General election January 1910: Oswestry [5] [3]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Conservative William Bridgeman 5,003 53.3 +0.7
Liberal Edward Powell4,37946.7−0.7
Majority6246.6+1.4
Turnout 9,38292.4+1.7
Registered electors 10,151
Conservative hold Swing +0.7
General election December 1910: Oswestry [5] [3]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Conservative William Bridgeman 4,867 54.1 +0.8
Liberal Edward Powell4,12145.9−0.8
Majority7468.2+1.6
Turnout 8,98888.5−3.9
Registered electors 10,151
Conservative hold Swing +0.8

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 and by July 1914, the following candidates had been selected;

General election 1918: Oswestry [6]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
C Unionist William Bridgeman 12,27659.2+5.1
Labour Thomas Morris8,46740.8New
Majority3,80918.4+10.2
Turnout 20,74364.9−23.6
Unionist hold Swing
Cindicates candidate endorsed by the coalition government.

Elections in the 1920s

General election 1922: Oswestry [6]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Unionist William Bridgeman 12,837 50.2 −9.0
Liberal Russell Sidebottom6,66026.0New
Labour Thomas Morris6,10523.8−17.0
Majority6,17724.2+5.8
Turnout 25,60280.2+15.3
Unionist hold Swing
General election 1923: Oswestry [6]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Unionist William Bridgeman 11,528 46.6 −3.6
Liberal Russell Sidebottom9,71339.3+13.3
Labour Sidney Ronald Campion3,47714.1−9.7
Majority1,8157.3−16.9
Turnout 24,71875.8−4.4
Unionist hold Swing -8.5
General election 1924: Oswestry [6]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Unionist William Bridgeman 14,316 55.1 +8.5
Liberal Russell Sidebottom6,14323.7−15.6
Labour Thomas Morris5,50321.2+7.1
Majority8,17331.4+24.1
Turnout 25,96278.9+3.1
Unionist hold Swing +12.0
General election 1929: Oswestry [6]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Unionist Bertie Leighton 15,554 47.0 −8.1
Liberal John Share Jones 10,56532.0+8.3
Labour H S Evans6,94421.0−0.2
Majority4,98915.0−16.4
Turnout 33,05378.8−0.1
Unionist hold Swing -8.2

Elections in the 1930s

General election 1931: Oswestry [6]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Conservative Bertie Leighton 23,740 74.0 +27.0
Labour William Elim Warder8,34326.0+5.0
Majority15,39748.0+33.0
Turnout 32,08374.7−4.1
Conservative hold Swing
General election 1935: Oswestry [6]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Conservative Bertie Leighton Unopposed N/AN/A
Conservative hold

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: Oswestry [6]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Conservative Oliver Poole 19,082 54.7 N/A
Labour Gilbert Boyd-Carpenter10,77730.9New
Liberal Leslie Corbet Burcher5,04914.5New
Majority8,30523.8N/A
Turnout 34,90871.7N/A
Conservative hold Swing N/A

Elections in the 1950s

General election 1950: Oswestry [7]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Conservative David Ormsby-Gore 23,562 61.81
Labour Arthur George Wait14,55638.19
Majority9,00623.62
Turnout 38,11878.27
Conservative hold Swing
General election 1951: Oswestry [7]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Conservative David Ormsby-Gore 23,843 62.23
Labour Arthur George Wait14,47137.77
Majority9,37224.46
Turnout 38,31476.89
Conservative hold Swing
General election 1955: Oswestry [7]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Conservative David Ormsby-Gore 22,859 64.77
Labour Mark E Boggin12,43435.23
Majority10,42529.54
Turnout 35,29370.17
Conservative hold Swing
General election 1959: Oswestry [7]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Conservative David Ormsby-Gore 21,055 55.9 −8.9
Labour Glyn Thomas10,53128.0−7.2
Liberal David G. Rees6,06816.1New
Majority10,52427.9−1.6
Turnout 37,65474.2+4.0
Conservative hold Swing

Elections in the 1960s

1961 Oswestry by-election [7]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Conservative John Biffen 12,428 40.8 −15.1
Liberal John Buchanan 8,64728.4+12.3
Labour Brian Walden 8,51928.00.0
Patriotic Front John E. Dayton8392.8New
Majority3,78112.4−15.5
Turnout 30,43360.8−13.4
Conservative hold Swing -13.7
General election 1964: Oswestry [7]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Conservative John Biffen 18,154 47.4 −8.5
Labour George J. Costley11,40729.8+1.8
Liberal Thomas Rowland Crowther8,74522.8+6.7
Majority6,74717.6−10.3
Turnout 38,709
Conservative hold Swing +2.4
General election 1966: Oswestry [7]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Conservative John Biffen 17,727 48.24
Labour George J. Costley13,01135.41
Liberal Thomas R. Crowther6,01016.35
Majority4,71612.83
Turnout 36,74873.35
Conservative hold Swing

Elections in the 1970s

General election 1970: Oswestry [8]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Conservative John Biffen 20,361 50.7 +2.5
Labour Neil Turner 10,80126.9−8.5
Liberal Edward Paul Cadbury8,96322.3+6.0
Majority9,56023.8+11.0
Turnout 40,12572.0−1.3
Conservative hold Swing +5.5
General election February 1974: Oswestry
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Conservative John Biffen 20,438 46.93
Liberal David J Evans13,42830.83
Labour J Bishton9,68522.24
Majority7,01016.10
Turnout 43,55177.91
Conservative hold Swing
General election October 1974: Oswestry
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Conservative John Biffen 19,165 47.28
Labour J Bishton10,75126.52
Liberal David J Evans10,62326.20
Majority8,41420.76
Turnout 40,53971.84
Conservative hold Swing
General election 1979: Oswestry
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Conservative John Biffen 23,551 54.64
Labour Peter Ernest Sandland-Nielsen10,15023.55
Liberal David J Evans9,40521.82
Majority13,40131.09
Turnout 43,10673.90
Conservative hold Swing

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 The Liberal Year Book, 1907
  2. ↑ Debrett's House of Commons & Judicial Bench, 1886
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Craig, FWS, ed. (1974). British Parliamentary Election Results: 1885-1918. London: Macmillan Press. ISBN   9781349022984.
  4. 1 2 Debrett's House of Commons & Judicial Bench, 1901
  5. 1 2 Debrett's House of Commons & Judicial Bench, 1916
  6. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 British Parliamentary Election Results 1918-1949, F W S Craig
  7. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 F W S Craig, British Parliamentary Election Results 1950-1973; Political Reference Publications, Glasgow 1973
  8. ↑ British parliamentary election results, 1950-1973 by FWS Craig

See also

This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.