Wolverhampton (UK Parliament constituency)

Last updated

Wolverhampton
Former Borough constituency
for the House of Commons
18321885
SeatsTwo
Created from Staffordshire
Replaced by Wolverhampton East, Wolverhampton South and Wolverhampton West

Wolverhampton was a parliamentary constituency centred on the town of Wolverhampton in Staffordshire. It elected two Members of Parliament to the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom.

Contents

History

The constituency was created under the Great Reform Act, and first used at the 1832 general election. It was abolished by the Redistribution of Seats Act 1885, when it was replaced for the 1885 general election by three new single-member constituencies: Wolverhampton East, Wolverhampton South and Wolverhampton West.

Members of Parliament

Election1st Member1st Party2nd Member2nd Party
1832 William Wolryche-Whitmore Whig [1] [2] Richard Fryer Whig [1] [3]
1835 Charles Pelham Villiers Radical [4] [5] [3] Thomas Thornely Radical [6] [7]
1859 Liberal Sir Richard Bethell Liberal
1861 by-election Thomas Matthias Weguelin Liberal
1880 Henry Fowler Liberal
1885 constituency divided: see Wolverhampton East, Wolverhampton South and Wolverhampton West.

Election results

Elections in the 1830s

General election 1832: Wolverhampton [8] [1]
PartyCandidateVotes%
Whig William Wolryche-Whitmore 850 32.3
Whig Richard Fryer 810 30.8
Tory Francis Holyoake 61523.4
Radical John Nicholson35813.6
Majority1957.4
Turnout 1,46386.1
Registered electors 1,700
Whig win (new seat)
Whig win (new seat)
General election 1835: Wolverhampton [8] [1]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Radical Charles Pelham Villiers 776 30.0 N/A
Radical Thomas Thornely 776 30.0 N/A
Conservative Dudley Fereday65825.5+2.1
Radical John Nicholson37414.5+0.9
Majority1184.5N/A
Turnout 1,49881.54.6
Registered electors 1,839
Radical gain from Whig Swing N/A
Radical gain from Whig Swing N/A
General election 1837: Wolverhampton [8] [1]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Radical Charles Pelham Villiers 1,068 32.1 +2.1
Radical Thomas Thornely 1,024 30.8 +0.8
Conservative Ryder Burton [9] 62318.7+6.0
Conservative John Benbow 61318.4+5.7
Majority40112.1+7.6
Turnout 1,67577.24.3
Registered electors 2,170
Radical hold Swing 1.9
Radical hold Swing 3.3

Elections in the 1840s

General election 1841: Wolverhampton [8] [1]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Radical Charles Pelham Villiers Unopposed
Radical Thomas Thornely Unopposed
Registered electors 2,571
Radical hold
Radical hold
General election 1847: Wolverhampton [8]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Radical Charles Pelham Villiers Unopposed
Radical Thomas Thornely Unopposed
Registered electors 2,692
Radical hold
Radical hold

Elections in the 1850s

General election 1852: Wolverhampton [8]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Radical Charles Pelham Villiers Unopposed
Radical Thomas Thornely Unopposed
Registered electors 3,587
Radical hold
Radical hold

Villiers was appointed Judge-Advocate-General of the Armed Forces, requiring a by-election.

By-election, 4 January 1853: Wolverhampton [8]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Radical Charles Pelham Villiers Unopposed
Radical hold
General election 1857: Wolverhampton [8]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Radical Charles Pelham Villiers Unopposed
Radical Thomas Thornely Unopposed
Registered electors 3,611
Radical hold
Radical hold
General election 1859: Wolverhampton [8]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Liberal Charles Pelham Villiers Unopposed
Liberal Richard Bethell Unopposed
Registered electors 3,821
Liberal hold
Liberal hold

Bethell was appointed Attorney General for England and Wales, requiring a by-election.

By-election, 27 June 1859: Wolverhampton [8]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Liberal Richard Bethell Unopposed
Liberal hold

Villiers was appointed President of the Poor Law Board, requiring a by-election.

By-election, 9 July 1859: Wolverhampton [8]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Liberal Charles Pelham Villiers Unopposed
Liberal hold

Elections in the 1860s

Bethell resigned after being appointed Lord Chancellor, causing him to become Lord Westbury and a by-election to be called.

By-election, 3 July 1861: Wolverhampton [8]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Liberal Thomas Matthias Weguelin 1,363 48.7 N/A
Liberal Samuel Griffiths [10] 77227.6N/A
Conservative Alexander Staveley Hill [11] 66523.8New
Majority59121.1N/A
Turnout 2,80068.1N/A
Registered electors 4,110
Liberal hold Swing N/A
Liberal hold Swing N/A
General election 1865: Wolverhampton [8]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Liberal Charles Pelham Villiers 1,623 50.9 N/A
Liberal Thomas Matthias Weguelin 1,519 47.6 N/A
Conservative Thomas Thornycroft [12] 471.5N/A
Majority1,47246.1N/A
Turnout 1,618 (est)33.5 (est)N/A
Registered electors 4,830
Liberal hold Swing N/A
Liberal hold Swing N/A
General election 1868: Wolverhampton [8]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Liberal Charles Pelham Villiers Unopposed
Liberal Thomas Matthias Weguelin Unopposed
Registered electors 15,772
Liberal hold
Liberal hold

Elections in the 1870s

General election 1874: Wolverhampton [8]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Liberal Charles Pelham Villiers 10,358 43.1 N/A
Liberal Thomas Matthias Weguelin 10,036 41.8 N/A
Conservative Walter Williams [13] 3,62815.1New
Majority6,40826.7N/A
Turnout 13,825 (est)59.4 (est)N/A
Registered electors 23,257
Liberal hold Swing N/A
Liberal hold Swing N/A

Elections in the 1880s

General election 1880: Wolverhampton [8]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Liberal Charles Pelham Villiers 12,197 41.1 2.0
Liberal Henry Fowler 11,606 39.1 2.7
Conservative Alfred Hickman 5,87419.8+4.7
Majority5,73219.37.4
Turnout 17,776 (est)77.9 (est)+18.5
Registered electors 22,821
Liberal hold Swing 2.2
Liberal hold Swing 2.5

See also

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References

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