Bradford
Former Borough constituency
for the House of Commons
CountyWest Riding of Yorkshire
Major settlementsBradford
1832–1885
SeatsTwo
Created fromYorkshire
Replaced byBradford Central
Bradford East
Bradford West

Bradford was a parliamentary constituency in Bradford, in the West Riding of Yorkshire.

It returned two Members of Parliament (MPs) to the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom from 1832 until it was abolished for the 1885 general election.

It was then split into three new constituencies: Bradford Central, Bradford East, and Bradford West.

Boundaries

The constituency was based upon the town of Bradford, in the West Riding of Yorkshire. It was enfranchised as a two-member parliamentary borough from 1832. Before 1832 the area was only represented as part of the county constituency of Yorkshire. After 1832 the non-resident Forty Shilling Freeholders of the area continued to qualify for a county vote (initially in the West Riding of Yorkshire seat, and from 1865 in a division of the West Riding).

Bradford, as a new parliamentary borough, had no voters enfranchised under the ancient rights preserved by the Reform Act 1832. All voters qualified under the new uniform, borough householder franchise.

The area was incorporated as a municipal borough in 1847, covering the parishes of Bradford, Horton and Manningham. Bradford was expanded in 1882 to include Allerton, Bolton, Bowling, Heaton, Thornbury and Tyersall. However the parliamentary boundaries were not affected until the redistribution of 1885.

After the expanded borough was divided into three single member seats in 1885, Bradford became a county borough with the passing of the Local Government Act 1888. The county borough was granted city status by Letters Patent in 1897.

Members of Parliament

Two MPs were elected at each general election. The table below shows the election years in which one or both of the MPs changed.[1][2]

Election First member First party Second member Second party
1832 Ellis Cunliffe Lister Whig[3][4][5][6] John Hardy Whig[3][6]
1835 Conservative[3]
1837 William Busfield Whig[7][8][9][3]
1841 John Hardy Conservative[3] William Cunliffe Lister Whig[3][10][11]
1841 by-election William Busfield Whig[7][8][9][3]
1847 Thomas Perronet Thompson Radical[9][12][13][14][15]
1851 by-election Robert Milligan Whig[16][17][18]
1852 Henry Wickham Wickham Conservative[19][20]
1857 Peelite[21][22] Thomas Perronet Thompson Radical[9][12][13][14][15][23]
1859 Liberal Titus Salt Liberal
1861 by-election William Edward Forster Liberal
1867 by-election Matthew William Thompson Liberal
1868 Henry Ripley Liberal
1869 by-election Edward Miall Liberal
1874 Henry Ripley Conservative
1880 Alfred Illingworth Liberal
1885 constituency divided: see Bradford Central, Bradford East, and Bradford West

Elections

1830s – 1840s – 1850s – 1860s – 1870s – 1880s – References

Elections in the 1830s

1837 general election: Bradford[1][24][3]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Whig Ellis Cunliffe Lister 635 30.5 −6.5
Whig William Busfield 621 29.8 +5.2
Conservative John Hardy 443 21.3 +2.1
Conservative William Busfeild 383 18.4 −0.8
Majority 178 8.5 N/A
Turnout 1,060 78.7 −4.0
Registered electors 1,347
Whig hold Swing −3.6
Whig gain from Conservative Swing +2.3
1835 general election: Bradford[1][24][3]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative John Hardy 611 38.4 +12.0
Whig Ellis Cunliffe Lister 589 37.0 −5.7
Whig George Hadfield 392 24.6 −6.3
Majority 219 13.8 N/A
Turnout 1,013 82.7 −2.2
Registered electors 1,225
Conservative gain from Whig Swing +12.0
Whig hold Swing −5.9
1832 general election: Bradford[1][24][3]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Whig Ellis Cunliffe Lister 650 42.7 N/A
Whig John Hardy 471 30.9 N/A
Tory George Banks (politician) 402 26.4 N/A
Majority 69 4.5 N/A
Turnout 967 84.9 N/A
Registered electors 1,139
Whig win (new seat)
Whig win (new seat)

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Elections in the 1840s

1847 general election: Bradford[1][24]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Whig William Busfeild 937 26.5 −37.3
Radical Thomas Perronet Thompson 926 26.2 N/A
Conservative Henry Wickham Wickham 860 24.3 +6.1
Conservative Gathorne Hardy 812 23.0 +4.8
Turnout 1,768 (est) 84.9 (est) +3.1
Registered electors 2,083
Majority 11 0.3
Whig hold Swing −24.1
Majority 116 3.2 N/A
Radical gain from Conservative Swing N/A
By-election, 16 September 1841: Bradford[1][24][3]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Whig William Busfeild 526 50.2 −13.6
Conservative William Wilberforce 522 49.8 +13.5
Majority 4 0.4 N/A
Turnout 1,048 75.0 −6.8
Registered electors 1,398
Whig hold Swing −13.6
1841 general election: Bradford[1][24][3]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative John Hardy 612 36.3 −3.4
Whig William Cunliffe Lister 540 32.0 +1.5
Whig William Busfeild 536 31.8 +2.0
Majority 76 4.5 N/A
Turnout 1,144 81.8 +3.1
Registered electors 1,398
Conservative gain from Whig Swing −3.5
Whig hold Swing +1.6

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Elections in the 1850s

1859 general election: Bradford[24]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Henry Wickham Wickham 2,076 41.3 N/A
Liberal Titus Salt 1,727 34.3 N/A
Conservative Alfred Harris (banker) 1,229 24.4 N/A
Majority 498 9.9 N/A
Turnout 3,131 (est) 87.0 (est) N/A
Registered electors 3,599
Liberal hold Swing N/A
Liberal hold Swing N/A
1857 general election: Bradford[24]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Peelite Henry Wickham Wickham Unopposed
Radical Thomas Perronet Thompson Unopposed
Registered electors 3,279
Peelite hold
Radical gain from Whig
1852 general election: Bradford[24]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Whig Robert Milligan 1,266 35.4 +8.9
Conservative Henry Wickham Wickham 1,159 32.4 −14.9
Radical Thomas Perronet Thompson 1,153 32.2 +6.0
Turnout 1,789 (est) 66.7 (est) −18.2
Registered electors 2,683
Majority 107 3.0 +2.7
Whig hold Swing +8.2
Majority 6 0.2 N/A
Conservative gain from Radical Swing −10.5
By-election, 21 October 1851: Bradford[24]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Whig Robert Milligan Unopposed
Whig hold

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Elections in the 1860s

By-election, 12 Mar 1869: Bradford[24]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Edward Miall 9,243 54.2 +22.6
Liberal Matthew William Thompson 7,806 45.8 N/A
Majority 1,437 8.4 +6.3
Turnout 17,049 79.2 +14.7
Registered electors 21,518
Liberal hold Swing N/A
By-election, 21 Dec 1868: Bradford[24]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal William Edward Forster Unopposed
Liberal hold
1868 general election: Bradford[24]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal William Edward Forster 9,646 34.7 N/A
Liberal Henry Ripley 9,347 33.7 N/A
Liberal Edward Miall 8,768 31.6 N/A
Majority 579 2.1 N/A
Turnout 13,881 (est) 64.5 (est) N/A
Registered electors 21,518
Liberal hold Swing N/A
Liberal gain from Conservative Swing N/A
By-election, 16 Oct 1867: Bradford[24]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Matthew William Thompson 2,210 55.0 N/A
Liberal Edward Miall 1,807 45.0 N/A
Majority 403 10.0 N/A
Turnout 4,017 77.4 N/A
Registered electors 5,189
Liberal gain from Conservative Swing N/A
1865 general election: Bradford[24]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal William Edward Forster Unopposed
Conservative Henry Wickham Wickham Unopposed
Registered electors 5,189
Liberal hold
Conservative gain from Liberal
By-election, 11 Feb 1861: Bradford[24]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal William Edward Forster Unopposed
Liberal hold

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Elections in the 1870s

1874 general election: Bradford[24][25]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal William Edward Forster 11,945 30.9 −3.8
Conservative Henry Ripley 10,223 26.4 −7.3
Liberal John Venimore Godwin 8,398 21.7 −9.9
Lib-Lab James Hardaker 8,115 21.0 N/A
Turnout 19,341 (est) 79.5 (est) +15.0
Registered electors 24,331
Majority 1,722 4.5 +2.4
Liberal hold Swing −0.1
Majority 1,825 4.7 N/A
Conservative gain from Liberal Swing +3.1

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Elections in the 1880s

By-election, 8 May 1880: Bradford[24]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal William Edward Forster Unopposed
Liberal hold
1880 general election: Bradford[24]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal William Edward Forster 14,245 39.4 +8.5
Liberal Alfred Illingworth 12,922 35.7 +14.0
Conservative Henry Ripley 9,018 24.9 −1.5
Majority 3,904 10.8 N/A
Turnout 23,263 (est) 86.0 (est) +6.5
Registered electors 27,049
Liberal hold Swing +4.6
Liberal gain from Conservative Swing +7.4

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References

  1. ^ a b c d e f g Craig, F. W. S. (1989). British electoral facts, 1832-1987. Dartmouth. ISBN 978-0-900178-30-6.
  2. ^ Leigh Rayment's Historical List of MPs – Constituencies beginning with "B" (part 4)
  3. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l Stooks Smith, Henry (1845). The Parliaments of England, from 1st George I., to the Present Time. Vol II: Oxfordshire to Wales Inclusive. London: Simpkin, Marshall, & Co. pp. 144–145. Retrieved 28 October 2018 – via Google Books.
  4. ^ "The Yorkshire Elections". Leeds Times. 15 July 1837. p. 4. Retrieved 28 October 2018 – via British Newspaper Archive.
  5. ^ Peacock, A. J. (1969). Bradford Chartism: 1838-1840. York: St. Anthony's Press. p. 9. ISBN 978-0900701030. Retrieved 28 October 2018 – via Google Books.
  6. ^ a b Peacock, A. J. (1969). Bradford Chartism: 1838–1840. York: St. Anthony's Press. p. 9. ISBN 090070103X. Retrieved 9 September 2019 – via Google Books.
  7. ^ a b Richard Bartholomew Mosse (1837). The parliamentary guide, a concise biography of the members of both houses of parliament. p. 142. Retrieved 13 March 2013.
  8. ^ a b Koditschek, Theodore (1990). "The challenge of Chartism". Class Formation and Urban Industrial Society: Bradford 1750-1850. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. p. 513. ISBN 978-0521327718. Retrieved 17 April 2018.
  9. ^ a b c d "Bradford Election". Leeds Intelligencer. 31 July 1847. p. 4. Retrieved 17 April 2018 – via British Newspaper Archive.
  10. ^ "Latest Election Intelligence". Morning Post. 1 July 1841. p. 3. Retrieved 28 October 2018 – via British Newspaper Archive.
  11. ^ "Elections Decided". Manchester Courier and Lancashire General Advertiser. 10 July 1841. p. 6. Retrieved 28 October 2018 – via British Newspaper Archive.
  12. ^ a b Robinson, Henry James (1898). "Thompson, Thomas Perronet" . In Lee, Sidney (ed.). Dictionary of National Biography. Vol. 56. London: Smith, Elder & Co.
  13. ^ a b Turner, Michael J. (January 2001). "Radical Opinion in an Age of Reform: Thomas Perronet Thompson and the "Westminster Review"". History. 86 (281): 18–40. doi:10.1111/1468-229X.00175. JSTOR 24425286.
  14. ^ a b Turner, Michael J. (2005). ""Raising up Dark Englishmen": Thomas Perronet Thompson, Colonies, Race, and the Indian Mutiny". Journal of Colonialism and Colonial History. 6 (1). doi:10.1353/cch.2005.0025. S2CID 162384082.
  15. ^ a b Turner, Michael J. (2005). "'Setting the captive free': Thomas Perronet Thompson, British Radicalism and the West Indies, 1820s–1860s". Slavery & Abolition. 26 (1): 115–132. doi:10.1080/01440390500058921. S2CID 143566796.
  16. ^ Cox, Sheila (1987). "The Travelling Scotchmen: The Milligans of Dumfriesshire and Yorkshire". The Bradford Antiquary. Third. 3: 27–38. Archived from the original on 15 October 2006. Retrieved 17 April 2018.
  17. ^ "Bradford Election". Leeds Times. 25 October 1851. p. 6. Retrieved 17 April 2018 – via British Newspaper Archive.
  18. ^ "Notices to Correspondents". Bradford Observer. 2 October 1851. p. 4. Retrieved 17 April 2018 – via British Newspaper Archive.
  19. ^ "Nominations and Re-Elections". Elgin Courant, and Morayshire Advertiser. 9 July 1852. p. 3. Retrieved 17 April 2018 – via British Newspaper Archive.
  20. ^ "Summary". Falkirk Herald. 8 July 1852. p. 2. Retrieved 17 April 2018 – via British Newspaper Archive.
  21. ^ "Bradford". Jersey Independent and Daily Telegraph. 21 March 1857. p. 2. Retrieved 17 April 2018 – via British Newspaper Archive.
  22. ^ "Election News". Lancaster Gazette. 4 April 1857. p. 3. Retrieved 17 April 2018 – via British Newspaper Archive.
  23. ^ Milgate, Murray (1999). "Thomas Perronet Thompson". Economists at Queens'. Queens' College, Cambridge. Archived from the original on 25 September 2006. Retrieved 17 April 2018.
  24. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s Craig, F. W. S., ed. (1977). British Parliamentary Election Results 1832-1885 (e-book) (1st ed.). London: Macmillan Press. pp. 57–58. ISBN 978-1-349-02349-3.
  25. ^ "Bradford Election". Bradford Observer. 5 February 1874. p. 8. Retrieved 28 December 2017 – via British Newspaper Archive.
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