Wells | |
---|---|
Former County constituency for the House of Commons | |
County | Somerset |
Electorate | 79,989 (December 2010)[1] |
1885–2024 | |
Seats | One |
Created from | Mid Somerset and East Somerset |
Replaced by | Wells and Mendip Hills |
1295–1868 | |
Seats | Two |
Type of constituency | Borough constituency |
Replaced by | Mid Somerset |
Wells was a constituency[n 1] in Somerset in the House of Commons of the UK Parliament. Apart from between 2010-2015, Wells was represented by members of the Conservative Party since 1924.[n 2]
Further to the completion of the 2023 Periodic Review of Westminster constituencies, the seat was abolished, with most of it being transferred to the new constituency of Wells and Mendip Hills, to be first contested at the 2024 general election.[2]
The original two-member borough constituency was created in 1295, and abolished by the Reform Act 1867 with effect from the 1868 general election. Its revival saw a more comparable size of electorate across the country and across Somerset, with a large swathe of the county covered by this new seat, under the plans of the third Reform Act and the connected Redistribution of Seats Act 1885 which was enacted the following year.
The seat was largely Conservative-held during the 20th century and has never elected a Labour MP. The only other political party to have been represented is the Liberal Democrats or their predecessor, the Liberal Party, who achieved a marginal victory in 2010, see marginal seat.
Sir William Hayter was chief government whip of the Commons under three Liberal Prime Ministers governing from the Lords, (Lord John) Russell, Aberdeen and Palmerston.
So too in this role was Lord Hylton from 1916 to 1922 alongside the Lord Colebrooke in the Conservative-Liberal National coalition.
Robert Sanders was Deputy Chief Whip in the House of Commons, 1918–1919, and Minister of Agriculture and Fisheries, 1922–1924.
Robert Boscawen was a government whip (1988–1989).
David Heathcoat-Amory was Minister for Europe (1993–1994) and later a Shadow Cabinet member (1997–2001).
1885-1918: The Borough of Wells, and the Sessional Divisions of Axbridge and Wells (except the parish of Binegar).
1918-1950: The Boroughs of Glastonbury and Wells, the Urban Districts of Shepton Mallet and Street, the Rural Districts of Shepton Mallet, Wells, and Wincanton, and in the Rural District of Frome the parishes of Cloford, Marston Bigot, Nunney, Wanstrow, Whatley, and Witharn Friary.
1950-1983: The Boroughs of Glastonbury and Wells, the Urban Districts of Frome, Shepton Mallet, and Street, and the Rural Districts of Frome, Shepton Mallet, Wells, and Wincanton.
1983-2010: The District of Mendip wards of Ashwick, Avalon, Chilcompton and Ston Easton, Ebbor, Glastonbury St Benedict's, Glastonbury St Edmund's, Glastonbury St John's, Glastonbury St Mary's, Moor, Nedge, Pylcombe, Rodney, Sheppey, Shepton Mallet, Street North, Street South, Wells Central, Wells St Cuthbert's, and Wells St Thomas, and the District of Sedgemoor wards of Axbridge, Axe Vale, Berrow, Brent, Burnham North, Burnham South, Cheddar, Highbridge, Mark, Shipham, and Wedmore.
2010–2024: The District of Mendip wards of Ashwick and Ston Easton, Avalon, Chilcompton, Glastonbury St Benedict's, Glastonbury St Edmund's, Glastonbury St John's, Glastonbury St Mary's, Knowle, Moor, Nedge, Pylcombe, Rodney and Priddy, St Cuthbert Out North and West, Shepton East, Shepton West, Street North, Street South, Street West, Wells Central, Wells St Cuthbert's, and Wells St Thomas, and the District of Sedgemoor wards of Axbridge, Axe Vale, Berrow, Brent North, Burnham North, Burnham South, Cheddar and Shipham, Highbridge, Knoll, and Wedmore and Mark.
Aside from energy, transportation, retail, and distribution which are major sectors, agriculture and tourism are still important areas to this central and quite quintessential part of Somerset which includes the coastal resort of Burnham-on-Sea, the city of Wells with its cathedral, and notable natural landmarks such as the Cheddar Gorge and Glastonbury Tor. The site of the Glastonbury Festival also lies within this seat, causing a major influx of visitors in late June. The founder of the festival, Michael Eavis, stood as the Labour candidate for the 1997 election, receiving 10,204 votes, the highest for Labour since 1974.
Workless claimants who were registered jobseekers were in November 2012 significantly lower than the national average of 3.8%, at 2.1% of the population based on a statistical compilation by The Guardian.[3]
Election | 1st Member[7] | 1st Party | 2nd Member[7] | 2nd Party | ||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
April 1640 | Sir Edward Rodney | Royalist | John Baber | |||
November 1640 | Sir Ralph Hopton | Royalist | ||||
August 1642 | Rodney and Hopton disabled from sitting – both seats vacant | |||||
1645 | Lislebone Long | Recruiter | Clement Walker | |||
December 1648 | Walker excluded in Pride's Purge – seat vacant | |||||
1653 | Wells was unrepresented in the Barebones Parliament | |||||
1654 | Lislebone Long | Wells had only one seat in the First and Second Parliaments of the Protectorate | ||||
1656 | John Jenkyn | |||||
January 1659 | Sir Lislebone Long | Thomas White | ||||
May 1659 | Not represented in the restored Rump | |||||
April 1660 | Henry Bull | Thomas White | ||||
1661 | Sir Maurice Berkeley | Lord Richard Butler | ||||
1673 | John Hall | |||||
1679 | Edward Berkeley | William Coward | ||||
1680 | John Hall | |||||
1685 | Edward Berkeley | Thomas Wyndham (died December 1689) | ||||
January 1690 | William Coward | |||||
February 1690 | Hopton Wyndham | |||||
1695 | William Coward | |||||
1701 | Henry Seymour Portman | |||||
1705 | Maurice Berkeley | |||||
1708 | Edward Colston | William Coward | ||||
1710 | Maurice Berkeley | |||||
1713 | Sir Thomas Wroth | Tory | ||||
1715 | Thomas Strangways Horner | Tory | ||||
May 1716 | William Coward | William Piers | Whig | |||
June 1716 | Thomas Strangways Horner | Tory | ||||
1717 | John Dodd | Whig | ||||
1719 | Thomas Edwards | |||||
1722 | Francis Gwyn | |||||
1727 | Edward Prideaux Gwyn | |||||
1729 | William Piers | |||||
1734 | George Hamilton | |||||
1735 | William Piers | George Speke | ||||
1741 | Francis Gwyn | |||||
1747 | George Hamilton | |||||
1754 | Lord Digby | Charles Tudway | ||||
1757 | Captain Robert Digby | |||||
1761 | Lord Digby | Clement Tudway | ||||
1765 | Peter Taylor | |||||
1766 | Robert Child | |||||
1782 | John Curtis | |||||
1784 | William Beckford | |||||
1790 | Henry Berkeley Portman | |||||
1796 | Sir Charles Taylor | Whig[8] | ||||
1815 | John Paine Tudway | Tory[8] | ||||
1830 | John Edwards-Vaughan | Tory[8] | John Lee Lee | Whig[8] |
Election | 1st Member | 1st Party | 2nd Member | 2nd Party | ||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1832 | Norman Lamont | Whig[8] | John Lee Lee | Whig[8] | ||
1834 by-election | Nicholas Ridley-Colborne | Whig[8] | ||||
1837 | Richard Blakemore | Conservative[8] | William Hayter | Whig[9][10][11][8] | ||
1852 | Robert Tudway | Conservative | ||||
1855 by-election | Hedworth Jolliffe | Conservative | ||||
1859 | Liberal | |||||
1865 | Arthur Hayter | Liberal | ||||
1868 | borough constituency abolished |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Conservative | James Heappey | 33,336 | 54.1 | +4.0 | |
Liberal Democrats | Tessa Munt | 23,345 | 37.9 | +0.3 | |
Labour | Kama McKenzie | 4,304 | 7.0 | -4.7 | |
Independent | Dave Dobbs | 373 | 0.6 | New | |
Motherworld Party | Susie Quatermass | 270 | 0.4 | New | |
Majority | 9,991 | 16.2 | +3.7 | ||
Turnout | 61,628 | 73.5 | -0.4 | ||
Conservative hold | Swing | +1.9 |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Conservative | James Heappey | 30,488 | 50.1 | +4.0 | |
Liberal Democrats | Tessa Munt | 22,906 | 37.6 | +4.8 | |
Labour | Andy Merryfield | 7,129 | 11.7 | +5.1 | |
CPA | Lorna Corke | 320 | 0.5 | New | |
Majority | 7,582 | 12.5 | -0.8 | ||
Turnout | 60,843 | 73.95 | +2.2 | ||
Conservative hold | Swing | -0.5 |
See also: Endorsements in the United Kingdom general election, 2017 § Wells |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Conservative | James Heappey | 26,247 | 46.1 | +3.6 | |
Liberal Democrats | Tessa Munt | 18,662 | 32.8 | −11.2 | |
UKIP | Helen Hims | 5,644 | 9.9 | +6.8 | |
Labour | Chris Inchley | 3,780 | 6.6 | −0.9 | |
Green | Jon Cousins | 2,331 | 4.1 | +3.0 | |
Independent | Paul Arnold | 83 | 0.1 | New | |
Birthday | Dave Dobbs | 81 | 0.1 | New | |
Independent | Gypsy Watkins[17] | 76 | 0.1 | New | |
Majority | 7,585 | 13.3 | N/A | ||
Turnout | 56,904 | 71.7 | +1.4 | ||
Conservative gain from Liberal Democrats | Swing | +7.4 |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Liberal Democrats | Tessa Munt | 24,560 | 44.0 | +6.1 | |
Conservative | David Heathcoat-Amory | 23,760 | 42.5 | -1.0 | |
Labour | Andy Merryfield | 4,198 | 7.5 | -8.1 | |
UKIP | Jake Baynes | 1,711 | 3.1 | +0.1 | |
BNP | Richard Boyce | 1,004 | 1.8 | New | |
Green | Chris Briton | 631 | 1.1 | New | |
Majority | 800 | 1.5 | N/A | ||
Turnout | 55,864 | 70.3 | +2.6 | ||
Liberal Democrats gain from Conservative | Swing | +3.6 |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Conservative | David Heathcoat-Amory | 23,071 | 43.6 | −0.2 | |
Liberal Democrats | Tessa Munt | 20,031 | 37.8 | −0.5 | |
Labour | Dan Whittle | 8,288 | 15.6 | +0.2 | |
UKIP | Steve Reed | 1,575 | 3.0 | +0.8 | |
Majority | 3,040 | 5.8 | +0.3 | ||
Turnout | 52,965 | 68.0 | −1.2 | ||
Conservative hold | Swing | +0.1 |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Conservative | David Heathcoat-Amory | 22,462 | 43.8 | +4.4 | |
Liberal Democrats | Graham Oakes | 19,666 | 38.3 | -0.2 | |
Labour | Andy Merryfield | 7,915 | 15.4 | -2.7 | |
UKIP | Steve Reed | 1,104 | 2.2 | New | |
Wessex Regionalist | Colin Bex | 167 | 0.3 | New | |
Majority | 2,796 | 5.5 | +4.6 | ||
Turnout | 51,314 | 69.2 | -8.6 | ||
Conservative hold | Swing |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Conservative | David Heathcoat-Amory | 22,208 | 39.4 | −10.2 | |
Liberal Democrats | Peter Gold | 21,680 | 38.5 | +0.5 | |
Labour | Michael Eavis | 10,204 | 18.1 | +7.5 | |
Referendum | Patricia Phelps | 2,196 | 3.9 | New | |
Natural Law | Lynn Royse | 92 | 0.2 | New | |
Majority | 528 | 0.9 | -10.7 | ||
Turnout | 56,380 | 77.8 | -4.9 | ||
Conservative hold | Swing |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Conservative | David Heathcoat-Amory | 28,620 | 49.6 | −3.9 | |
Liberal Democrats | Humphrey Temperley | 21,971 | 38.0 | +0.4 | |
Labour | John Pilgrim | 6,126 | 10.6 | +1.9 | |
Green | Mike Fenner | 1,042 | 1.8 | New | |
Majority | 6,649 | 11.6 | −4.4 | ||
Turnout | 57,759 | 82.7 | +3.1 | ||
Conservative hold | Swing | −2.2 |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Conservative | David Heathcoat-Amory | 28,624 | 53.5 | +0.9 | |
Liberal | Alan Butt-Philip | 20,083 | 37.6 | -1.4 | |
Labour | Peter James | 4,637 | 8.7 | +0.9 | |
Independent | John Fish | 134 | 0.3 | New | |
Majority | 8,541 | 16.0 | +2.4 | ||
Turnout | 53,478 | 79.6 | +2.0 | ||
Conservative hold | Swing | +1.3 |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Conservative | David Heathcoat-Amory | 25,385 | 52.6 | +1.2 | |
Liberal | Alan Butt-Philip | 18,810 | 39.0 | +8.2 | |
Labour | Andrew Leigh | 3,747 | 7.8 | -9.1 | |
Independent | G. Livings | 273 | 0.6 | -0.1 | |
Majority | 6,575 | 13.6 | -7.0 | ||
Turnout | 48,215 | 77.6 | -1.6 | ||
Conservative hold | Swing | -3.5 |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Conservative | Robert Boscawen | 30,400 | 51.35 | ||
Liberal | Alan Butt-Philip | 18,204 | 30.75 | ||
Labour | Paul Murphy | 10,025 | 16.93 | ||
Independent | G. Livings | 421 | 0.71 | New | |
Wessex Regionalist | Viscount Weymouth | 155 | 0.26 | New | |
Majority | 12,196 | 20.60 | +6.59 | ||
Turnout | 59,205 | 79.24 | |||
Conservative hold | Swing |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Conservative | Robert Boscawen | 23,979 | 43.64 | ||
Liberal | Alan Butt-Philip | 16,278 | 29.63 | ||
Labour | G. Mortimer | 13,909 | 25.31 | ||
United Democratic Party | P. Howard | 778 | 1.42 | New | |
Majority | 7,701 | 14.01 | |||
Turnout | 54,944 | 78.88 | |||
Conservative hold | Swing |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Conservative | Robert Boscawen | 25,430 | 44.25 | ||
Liberal | Alan Butt-Philip | 17,645 | 30.70 | ||
Labour | D.K. Pearce | 14,399 | 25.05 | ||
Majority | 7,785 | 13.55 | |||
Turnout | 57,474 | 83.29 | |||
Conservative hold | Swing |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Conservative | Robert Boscawen | 25,106 | 49.6 | +6.6 | |
Labour | Frank R. Thompson | 16,335 | 32.3 | -3.3 | |
Liberal | William Fedde J Pinching | 9,174 | 18.1 | -3.3 | |
Majority | 8,771 | 17.3 | +9.9 | ||
Turnout | 50,615 | 77.4 | -4.1 | ||
Conservative hold | Swing |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Conservative | Lynch Maydon | 20,528 | 43.0 | -0.2 | |
Labour | John G Cousins | 16,989 | 35.6 | +4.1 | |
Liberal | Howard Fry | 10,224 | 21.4 | -3.9 | |
Majority | 3,539 | 7.4 | -4.3 | ||
Turnout | 47,741 | 81.5 | -0.9 | ||
Conservative hold | Swing |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Conservative | Lynch Maydon | 20,663 | 43.2 | -5.4 | |
Labour | Reginald George White | 15,080 | 31.5 | -2.7 | |
Liberal | Howard Fry | 12,132 | 25.3 | +8.2 | |
Majority | 5,583 | 11.7 | -2.7 | ||
Turnout | 47,875 | 82.4 | -1.2 | ||
Conservative hold | Swing |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Conservative | Lynch Maydon | 23,357 | 48.6 | -7.8 | |
Labour | Jon Antony A Evans | 16,452 | 34.2 | -9.3 | |
Liberal | Paul R Hobhouse | 8,220 | 17.1 | New | |
Majority | 6,905 | 14.4 | +1.5 | ||
Turnout | 48,029 | 83.6 | +4.1 | ||
Conservative hold | Swing |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Conservative | Lynch Maydon | 25,624 | 56.4 | +1.2 | |
Labour | Maxwell Bresler | 19,745 | 43.5 | -1.3 | |
Majority | 5,879 | 12.9 | +2.5 | ||
Turnout | 45,369 | 79.5 | -4.7 | ||
Conservative hold | Swing |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Conservative | Lynch Maydon | 26,524 | 55.2 | +12.6 | |
Labour | David Llewellyn | 21,481 | 44.8 | +7.6 | |
Majority | 5,043 | 10.4 | +5.0 | ||
Turnout | 48,005 | 84.2 | -3.6 | ||
Conservative hold | Swing |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Conservative | Dennis Boles | 20,613 | 42.6 | ||
Labour | Dorothy Archibald | 17,987 | 37.2 | ||
Liberal | Anthony Marreco | 9,771 | 20.2 | ||
Majority | 2,626 | 5.4 | |||
Turnout | 48,371 | 87.8 | |||
Conservative hold | Swing |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Conservative | Dennis Boles | 13,004 | 41.3 | -12.1 | |
Labour | Cyril Morgan | 10,539 | 33.5 | +13.0 | |
Liberal | Violet Bonham Carter | 7,910 | 25.2 | -0.9 | |
Majority | 2,465 | 7.8 | -19.5 | ||
Turnout | 31,453 | 75.0 | +1.3 | ||
Conservative hold | Swing |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Conservative | Dennis Boles | Unopposed | N/A | N/A | |
Conservative hold |
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 and by the Autumn of 1939, the following candidates had been selected;
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Conservative | Anthony Muirhead | 14,898 | 53.4 | -5.3 | |
Liberal | Arnold Hilward Jones | 7,277 | 26.1 | -15.2 | |
Labour | William James Waring | 5,716 | 20.5 | New | |
Majority | 7,621 | 27.3 | +9.9 | ||
Turnout | 27,891 | 73.7 | -13.8 | ||
Conservative hold | Swing |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Conservative | Anthony Muirhead | 17,711 | 58.7 | +15.1 | |
Liberal | John Thompson | 12,440 | 41.3 | -0.1 | |
Majority | 5,271 | 17.4 | +15.2 | ||
Turnout | 30,151 | 87.5 | +5.0 | ||
Conservative hold | Swing |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Unionist | Anthony Muirhead | 13,026 | 43.6 | -9.0 | |
Liberal | Arthur Hobhouse | 12,382 | 41.4 | +5.3 | |
Labour | Ruby Davies | 4,472 | 15.0 | +3.7 | |
Majority | 644 | 2.2 | -14.3 | ||
Turnout | 29,880 | 82.5 | +0.3 | ||
Unionist hold | Swing | -7.2 |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Unionist | Robert Sanders | 12,642 | 52.6 | +8.4 | |
Liberal | Arthur Hobhouse | 8,668 | 36.1 | +11.9 | |
Labour | Wilfred Thomas Young | 2,726 | 11.3 | +3.7 | |
Majority | 3,974 | 16.5 | N/A | ||
Turnout | 24,036 | 82.2 | +3.1 | ||
Unionist gain from Liberal | Swing |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Liberal | Arthur Hobhouse | 10,818 | 48.2 | +14.8 | |
Unionist | Robert Bruford | 9,909 | 44.2 | -3.5 | |
Labour | Charles Henry Whitlow | 1,713 | 7.6 | -11.3 | |
Majority | 909 | 4.0 | N/A | ||
Turnout | 22,440 | 79.1 | +1.3 | ||
Liberal gain from Unionist | Swing | +9.1 |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Unionist | Robert Bruford | 10,210 | 47.7 | -8.1 | |
Liberal | Arthur Hobhouse | 7,156 | 33.4 | -6.2 | |
Labour | Len Smith | 4,048 | 18.9 | New | |
Majority | 3,054 | 14.3 | -1.9 | ||
Turnout | 21,414 | 77.8 | +12.8 | ||
Unionist hold | Swing |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Conservative | Richard Paget | 4,200 | 55.7 | ||
Liberal | Pandeli Ralli | 3,335 | 44.3 | ||
Majority | 865 | 11.4 | |||
Turnout | 7,535 | 79.3 | |||
Registered electors | 9,501 | ||||
Conservative win (new seat) |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Conservative | Richard Paget | Unopposed | |||
Conservative hold |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Conservative | Richard Paget | 4,335 | 56.1 | N/A | |
Liberal | Beaumont Morice | 3,395 | 43.9 | New | |
Majority | 940 | 12.2 | N/A | ||
Turnout | 7,730 | 75.6 | N/A | ||
Registered electors | 10,230 | ||||
Conservative hold | Swing | N/A |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Conservative | Hylton Jolliffe | 4,696 | 58.8 | +2.7 | |
Liberal | Beaumont Morice | 3,286 | 41.2 | −2.7 | |
Majority | 1,410 | 17.6 | +5.4 | ||
Turnout | 7,982 | 74.1 | −1.5 | ||
Registered electors | 10,771 | ||||
Conservative hold | Swing | −5.4 |
Joliffe's elevation to the peerage, becoming Lord Hylton, caused a by-election.
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Conservative | Robert Edmund Dickinson | Unopposed | |||
Conservative hold |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Conservative | Robert Edmund Dickinson | Unopposed | |||
Conservative hold |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Liberal | Thomas Ball Silcock | 5,146 | 51.9 | New | |
Conservative | Robert Edmund Dickinson | 4,761 | 48.1 | N/A | |
Majority | 385 | 3.8 | N/A | ||
Turnout | 9,907 | 84.5 | N/A | ||
Registered electors | 11,725 | ||||
Liberal gain from Conservative | Swing | N/A |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Conservative | George Sandys | 6,167 | 55.9 | +7.8 | |
Liberal | Thomas Ball Silcock | 4,871 | 44.1 | −7.8 | |
Majority | 1,296 | 11.8 | N/A | ||
Turnout | 11,038 | 87.3 | +2.8 | ||
Registered electors | 12,642 | ||||
Conservative gain from Liberal | Swing | +7.8 |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Conservative | George Sandys | 6,178 | 60.1 | +4.2 | |
Liberal | Arthur Lane Wills | 4,094 | 39.9 | −4.2 | |
Majority | 2,084 | 20.2 | +8.4 | ||
Turnout | 10,272 | 81.3 | −6.0 | ||
Registered electors | 12,642 | ||||
Conservative hold | Swing | +4.2 |
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;
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
C | Unionist | Harry Greer | 9,786 | 55.8 | −4.3 |
Liberal | John Coleby Morland | 6,935 | 39.6 | −0.3 | |
National | G.C.S. Hodgson | 804 | 4.6 | New | |
Majority | 2,851 | 16.2 | −4.0 | ||
Turnout | 17,525 | 65.0 | −16.3 | ||
Registered electors | 26,951 | ||||
Unionist hold | Swing | −2.0 | |||
C indicates candidate endorsed by the coalition government. |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Whig | Norman Lamont (MP for Wells) | 169 | 30.2 | ||
Whig | John Lee Lee | 167 | 29.9 | ||
Whig | Nicholas Ridley-Colborne | 164 | 29.3 | ||
Tory | John Edwards-Vaughan | 59 | 10.6 | ||
Majority | 3 | 0.6 | |||
Turnout | 318 | 94.1 | |||
Registered electors | 338 | ||||
Whig hold | |||||
Whig gain from Tory |
Lamont's death caused a by-election.
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Whig | Nicholas Ridley-Colborne | Unopposed | |||
Whig hold |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Whig | Nicholas Ridley-Colborne | Unopposed | |||
Whig | John Lee Lee | Unopposed | |||
Registered electors | 377 | ||||
Whig hold | |||||
Whig hold |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Conservative | Richard Blakemore | Unopposed | |||
Whig | William Hayter | Unopposed | |||
Registered electors | 402 | ||||
Conservative gain from Whig | |||||
Whig hold |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Conservative | Richard Blakemore | Unopposed | |||
Whig | William Hayter | Unopposed | |||
Registered electors | 346 | ||||
Conservative hold | |||||
Whig hold |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Conservative | Richard Blakemore | Unopposed | |||
Whig | William Hayter | Unopposed | |||
Registered electors | 375 | ||||
Conservative hold | |||||
Whig hold |
Hayter was appointed Judge Advocate General of the Armed Forces, requiring a by-election.
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Whig | William Hayter | Unopposed | |||
Whig hold |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Conservative | Robert Tudway | 187 | 40.4 | N/A | |
Whig | William Hayter | 175 | 37.8 | N/A | |
Radical | John Alexander Kinglake[35] | 101 | 21.8 | N/A | |
Turnout | 232 (est) | 71.2 (est) | N/A | ||
Registered electors | 325 | ||||
Majority | 12 | 2.6 | N/A | ||
Conservative hold | Swing | N/A | |||
Majority | 74 | 16.0 | N/A | ||
Whig hold | Swing | N/A |
Tudway's death caused a by-election.
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Conservative | Hedworth Jolliffe | 146 | 54.7 | +14.3 | |
Radical | John Alexander Kinglake[36] | 121 | 45.3 | +23.5 | |
Majority | 25 | 9.4 | +6.8 | ||
Turnout | 267 | 70.3 | −0.9 | ||
Registered electors | 380 | ||||
Conservative hold | Swing | −4.6 |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Whig | William Hayter | Unopposed | |||
Conservative | Hedworth Jolliffe | Unopposed | |||
Registered electors | 343 | ||||
Whig hold | |||||
Conservative hold |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Liberal | William Hayter | Unopposed | |||
Conservative | Hedworth Jolliffe | Unopposed | |||
Registered electors | 327 | ||||
Liberal hold | |||||
Conservative hold |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Liberal | Arthur Hayter | Unopposed | |||
Conservative | Hedworth Jolliffe | Unopposed | |||
Registered electors | 274 | ||||
Liberal hold | |||||
Conservative hold |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Tory | John Edwards-Vaughan | 196 | 38.0 | ||
Whig | John Lee Lee | 195 | 37.8 | ||
Tory | Richard Blakemore | 125 | 24.2 | ||
Turnout | 308 | c. 88.0 | |||
Registered electors | c. 350 | ||||
Majority | 1 | 0.2 | |||
Tory hold | Swing | ||||
Majority | 70 | 13.6 | |||
Whig hold | Swing |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Tory | John Edwards-Vaughan | Unopposed | |||
Whig | John Lee Lee | Unopposed | |||
Registered electors | c. 350 | ||||
Tory hold | |||||
Whig hold |