Wiltshire, North or Cricklade Division
Former County constituency
for the House of Commons
1885–1918
Seatsone
Replaced bySwindon and partly Chippenham
Cricklade
Former Borough constituency
for the House of Commons
1295–1885
Seatstwo

Cricklade was a parliamentary constituency named after the town of Cricklade in Wiltshire.

From 1295 until the general election of 1885, Cricklade was a parliamentary borough, returning two members of parliament (MPs) to the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom, previously to the House of Commons of England and House of Commons of Great Britain.

Initially this consisted of only the town of Cricklade, but from 1782 the vote was extended to the surrounding countryside as a punishment for the borough's corruption. The extended area came to include the village of Swindon, which later grew into a large town with the coming of the railways in the 19th century.

From the 1885 general election the borough was abolished, but the name was transferred to a county division of Wiltshire covering much the same area, and electing a single MP. This constituency was abolished for the 1918 general election: Cricklade joined the Chippenham constituency and a new Swindon constituency was created.

Boundaries

1832–1885: The hundreds of Highworth, Cricklade, Staple, Kingsbridge and Malmesbury, except the parliamentary borough of Malmesbury.[1]

1885–1918: The Sessional Divisions of Cricklade and Swindon.

Members of Parliament

1295-1640

This list is incomplete; you can help by adding missing items. (August 2008)
Parliament First member Second member
1386 John Andrew Andrew Jones[2]
1388 (Feb) Thomas Weston[2]
1388 (Sep)
1390 (Jan) ?John Crouch ?William Plomer[2]
1399 Robert Andrew John Ferrour[2]
1413 (May) Thomas Cricklade Robert Newman[2]
1421 (Dec) [Thomas] Cricklade Geoffrey Cowbridge[2]
1442 John Long
1427 John Bailey[3]
1510 Sir Andrew Windsor
1529 Robert Curzon William Rede[4]
1547 John Winchcombe alias Smallwood John Walshe[4]
1553 (Mar) ?
1553 (Oct) Thomas Parker William Badger ?[4]
1554 (Apr) William Hampshire John Tunks[4]
1554 (Nov) Thomas Parker John Rede[4]
1555 Sir Nicholas Poyntz George Huntley[4]
1558 William Hampshire John Marmion[4]
1559 Sir Walter Denys John Astley[5]
1562–3 Nicholas St John Anthony Throckmorton[5]
1571 Sir Nicholas Arnold Giles Brydges[5]
1572 William Brydges John Higford[5]
1584 Rowland Leigh Richard Smith[5]
1586 John Higford Richard Delabere[5]
1588–9 George Snigge Thomas Smith[5]
1593 Henry Noel John Pleydell[5]
1597 Sir George Gifford Grey Brydges[5][6]
1601 Robert Master[5]
1604–1611 Sir John Hungerford Sir Henry Poole
1614 Sir Thomas Monson Sir John Eyre
1621–1622 Sir Thomas Howard Sir Carew Reynell
1624 Sir William Howard Sir Neville Poole
1625 Edward Dowse
1626 Sir Robert Hyde
1628 Robert Jenner Sir Edward Hungerford[7]
1629–1640 No Parliaments summoned

1640-1885

Year 1st Member 1st Party 2nd Member 2nd Party
April 1640 ?
November 1640 Robert Jenner Parliamentarian Thomas Hodges Parliamentarian
December 1648 Jenner excluded in Pride's Purge - seat vacant Hodges not recorded as having sat after Pride's Purge
1653 Cricklade was unrepresented in the Barebones Parliament and the First and Second Parliaments of the Protectorate
January 1659 Edward Poole John Hawkins
May 1659 Cricklade was unrepresented in the restored Rump
April 1660 Hungerford Dunch Nevil Maskelyne
1661 Sir George Hungerford John Ernle
1679 Hungerford Dunch Edmund Webb
1680 John Pleydell
1681 William Lenthall
1685 Charles Fox
1689 Thomas Freke
1690 Edmund Webb
1698 Edward Pleydell
1699 Sir Stephen Fox
1701 Edmund Dunch Whig
1702 Thomas Richmond Webb Samuel Barker
1705 Edmund Dunch Whig
1708 James Vernon the younger Whig
1710 Samuel Robinson
1713 Sir Thomas Reade William Gore[8]
1714 Samuel Robinson
1715 Jacob Sawbridge[9]
1721 Hon. Matthew Ducie Moreton
1722 Thomas Gore
1727 Christopher Tilson
1734 William Gore
1739 Charles Gore
1741 Welbore Ellis
1747 William Rawlinson Earle Lieutenant-Colonel John Gore
1754 Thomas Gore
1761 Arnold Nesbitt
1768 Hon. George Damer Lieutenant-Colonel Sir Robert Fletcher
1774 William Earle Arnold Nesbitt
1775 Samuel Peach[10]
1776 John Dewar
1779 John Macpherson[11]
1780 Paul Benfield
1782 Hon. George St John
1784[12] Charles Coxe Whig[13] Robert Adamson Whig[13]
1785 John Walker-Heneage Tory[13] Robert Nicholas Tory[13]
1790 Thomas Estcourt
1794 Henry Herbert
1806 Thomas Goddard
1811 William Herbert
1812 Joseph Pitt Thomas Calley Whig[13]
1818 Robert Gordon Whig[13][14]
1831 Thomas Calley Whig[13]
1835 John Neeld Conservative[13]
1837 Ambrose Goddard Conservative[13]
1841 Hon. Henry Howard Whig[13][15][16]
1847 Ambrose Goddard Conservative[17]
1859 Anthony Ashley-Cooper Liberal
1865 Sir Daniel Gooch Conservative
1868 Hon. Frederick Cadogan Liberal
1874 Ambrose Goddard Conservative
1880 Nevil Story Maskelyne Liberal
1885 Borough abolished - replaced by county constituency returning one member

1885-1918

Election Member Party
1885 Nevil Story Maskelyne Liberal
1886 Liberal Unionist
1892 John Husband Liberal
1895 Alfred Hopkinson Liberal Unionist
1898 Lord Edmond FitzMaurice Liberal
1906 John Massie
Jan. 1910 Thomas Calley Liberal Unionist
Dec. 1910 Richard Cornthwaite Lambert Liberal
1918 constituency abolished: see Swindon

Elections

Elections in the 1830s

General election 1830: Cricklade (2 seats)[13][18]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Tory Joseph Pitt Unopposed
Whig Robert Gordon Unopposed
Registered electors c. 1,200
Tory hold
Whig hold
General election 1831: Cricklade (2 seats)[13][18]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Whig Robert Gordon 669 36.3 N/A
Whig Thomas Calley 639 34.7 N/A
Whig Philip Pleydell-Bouverie 533 29.0 N/A
Majority 106 5.7 N/A
Turnout 1,138 c. 94.8 N/A
Registered electors c. 1,200
Whig hold Swing N/A
Whig gain from Tory Swing N/A

Gordon was appointed a Commissioner for the Affairs of India, causing a by-election.

By-election, 16 June 1832: Cricklade[13][18]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Whig Robert Gordon Unopposed
Whig hold
General election 1832: Cricklade (2 seats)[13][19]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Whig Robert Gordon Unopposed
Whig Thomas Calley Unopposed
Registered electors 1,546
Whig hold
Whig hold
General election 1835: Cricklade (2 seats)[13][19]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Whig Robert Gordon Unopposed
Conservative John Neeld Unopposed
Registered electors 1,640
Whig hold
Conservative gain from Whig
General election 1837: Cricklade (2 seats)[13][19]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative John Neeld 833 36.4 New
Conservative Ambrose Goddard (born 1779) 734 32.1 New
Whig Henry Thomas Howard 720 31.5 N/A
Majority 14 0.6 N/A
Turnout 1,389 82.3 N/A
Registered electors 1,687
Conservative hold Swing N/A
Conservative gain from Whig Swing N/A

Elections in the 1840s

General election 1841: Cricklade (2 seats)[19]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Whig Henry Thomas Howard Unopposed
Conservative John Neeld Unopposed
Registered electors 1,663
Whig gain from Conservative
Conservative hold
General election 1847: Cricklade (2 seats)[19]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative John Neeld Unopposed
Conservative Ambrose Goddard Unopposed
Registered electors 1,659
Conservative hold
Conservative gain from Whig

Elections in the 1850s

General election 1852: Cricklade (2 seats)[19]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Ambrose Goddard Unopposed
Conservative John Neeld Unopposed
Registered electors 1,647
Conservative hold
Conservative hold
General election 1857: Cricklade (2 seats)[19]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative John Neeld 778 35.7 N/A
Conservative Ambrose Goddard 770 35.3 N/A
Whig Charles James Monk[20][21] 633 29.0 New
Majority 137 6.3 N/A
Turnout 1,407 (est) 83.7 (est) N/A
Registered electors 1,682
Conservative hold Swing N/A
Conservative hold Swing N/A
General election 1859: Cricklade (2 seats)[19]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Ambrose Goddard 745 33.9 −1.4
Liberal Anthony Ashley-Cooper 743 33.8 +4.8
Conservative John Neeld 712 32.4 −3.3
Turnout 1,472 (est) 87.0 (est) +3.3
Registered electors 1,692
Majority 2 0.1 −6.2
Conservative hold Swing −1.9
Majority 31 1.4 N/A
Liberal gain from Conservative Swing +4.8

Elections in the 1860s

General election 1865: Cricklade (2 seats)[19]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Ambrose Goddard 978 37.2 +3.3
Conservative Daniel Gooch 879 33.4 +1.0
Liberal William Eliot 772 29.4 −4.4
Majority 107 4.0 +3.9
Turnout 1,701 (est) 83.8 (est) −3.2
Registered electors 2,029
Conservative hold Swing +2.8
Conservative gain from Liberal Swing +1.6
General election 1868: Cricklade (2 seats)[19]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Frederick William Cadogan 2,844 38.9 +9.5
Conservative Daniel Gooch 2,452 33.6 +0.2
Conservative Ambrose Goddard 2,009 27.5 −9.7
Majority 835 11.4 N/A
Turnout 5,075 (est) 87.1 (est) +3.3
Registered electors 5,825
Liberal gain from Conservative Swing +7.3
Conservative hold Swing −2.3

Elections in the 1870s

General election 1874: Cricklade (2 seats)[19][22]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Daniel Gooch 2,624 29.0 −4.6
Conservative Ambrose Goddard 2,231 24.6 −2.9
Liberal Frederick William Cadogan 2,092 23.1 +3.6
Liberal Henry Tucker[23] 1,578 17.4 −2.1
Lib-Lab William Morris[24] 497 5.5 N/A
Independent Liberal John Arkell[25] 40 0.4 New
Majority 139 1.5 N/A
Turnout 4,800 (est) 75.9 (est) −11.2
Registered electors 6,325
Conservative hold Swing −4.1
Conservative gain from Liberal Swing −0.4

Elections in the 1880s

General election 1880: Cricklade (2 seats)[19]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Nevil Story Maskelyne 4,350 50.9 +10.4
Conservative Daniel Gooch 2,441 28.6 −0.4
Conservative Algernon Neeld[26] 1,748 20.5 −4.1
Majority 2,602 30.4 N/A
Turnout 6,791 (est) 90.9 (est) +15.0
Registered electors 7,473
Liberal gain from Conservative Swing +7.3
Conservative hold Swing N/A
General election 1885: Cricklade[27]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Nevil Story Maskelyne 4,541 62.1 +11.2
Conservative William Stone 2,770 37.9 −11.2
Majority 1,771 24.2 -6.2
Turnout 7,311 81.0 −9.9 (est)
Registered electors 9,031
Liberal hold Swing +11.2
General election 1886: Cricklade[27]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Unionist Nevil Story Maskelyne 3,401 53.7 +15.8
Liberal Benjamin Francis Conn Costelloe 1,683 26.6 -35.5
Independent Liberal Sir John Bennett 1,247 19.7 New
Majority 1,718 27.1 N/A
Turnout 6,331 70.1 -10.9
Registered electors 9,031
Liberal Unionist gain from Liberal Swing +25.7

Elections in the 1890s

General election 1892: Cricklade[27]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal John Husband 4,569 56.1 +29.5
Liberal Unionist Nevil Story Maskelyne 3,571 43.9 -9.8
Majority 998 12.2 N/A
Turnout 8,140 77.1 +7.0
Registered electors 10,561
Liberal gain from Liberal Unionist Swing +19.7
Alfred Hopkinson
General election 1895: Cricklade[27]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Unionist Alfred Hopkinson 4,679 50.5 +6.6
Liberal Edmond Petty-Fitzmaurice 4,580 49.5 −6.6
Majority 99 1.0 N/A
Turnout 9,259 84.2 +7.1
Registered electors 10,994
Liberal Unionist gain from Liberal Swing +6.6
Viscount Emlyn
1898 Cricklade by-election[27]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Edmond Petty-Fitzmaurice 5,624 52.3 +2.8
Conservative Frederick Campbell 5,135 47.7 -2.8
Majority 489 4.6 N/A
Turnout 10,759 90.3 +6.1
Registered electors 11,911
Liberal gain from Liberal Unionist Swing +2.8

Elections in the 1900s

Arnold Ward
General election 1900: Cricklade[27]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Edmond Petty-Fitzmaurice 5,754 53.9 +4.4
Conservative Ernest St Clair Pemberton 4,920 46.1 −4.4
Majority 834 7.8 N/A
Turnout 10,674 85.8 +1.6
Registered electors 12,441
Liberal gain from Liberal Unionist Swing +4.4
John Massie
General election 1906: Cricklade[27]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal John Massie 7,294 56.1 +2.2
Conservative Arnold Ward 5,716 43.9 -2.2
Majority 1,578 12.2 +4.4
Turnout 13,010 90.4 +4.6
Registered electors 14,390
Liberal hold Swing +2.2

Elections in the 1910s

Thomas Calley
General election January 1910: Cricklade[27]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Unionist Thomas Calley 7,389 52.2 +8.3
Liberal John Massie 6,754 47.8 -8.3
Majority 635 4.4 N/A
Turnout 14,143 93.0 +2.6
Liberal Unionist gain from Liberal Swing +8.3
R.C. Lambert
General election December 1910: Cricklade[27]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Richard Cornthwaite Lambert 6,937 50.5 +2.7
Liberal Unionist Thomas Calley 6,809 49.5 -2.7
Majority 128 1.0 N/A
Turnout 13,746 90.4 -2.6
Liberal gain from Liberal Unionist Swing +2.7

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;

Notes

  1. ^ "The statutes of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland. 2 & 3 William IV. Cap. XLV: An Act to amend the Representation of the People in England and Wales". London: His Majesty's statute and law printers. 1832. pp. 154–206. Retrieved 4 March 2023.
  2. ^ a b c d e f "History of Parliament". History of Parliament Trust. Retrieved 1 November 2011.
  3. ^ "BAILEY, John (d.1436), of Cricklade, Wilts. - History of Parliament Online". www.historyofparliamentonline.org. Retrieved 22 April 2018.
  4. ^ a b c d e f g "History of Parliament". History of Parliament Trust. Retrieved 1 November 2011.
  5. ^ a b c d e f g h i j "History of Parliament". History of Parliament Trust. Retrieved 1 November 2011.
  6. ^ "Brydges, Grey" . Dictionary of National Biography. London: Smith, Elder & Co. 1885–1900.
  7. ^ Wroughton, John. "Hungerford, Sir Edward". Oxford Dictionary of National Biography (online ed.). Oxford University Press. doi:10.1093/ref:odnb/14173. (Subscription or UK public library membership required.)
  8. ^ Gore was also elected for Colchester, which he chose to represent, and never sat for Cricklade
  9. ^ Sawbridge was expelled from the House for his role in the South Sea Bubble
  10. ^ A by-election was held in December 1774 after the death of William Earle, but the result was disputed and the Returning Officer made a double return, naming both Samuel Peach and John Dewar. The Commons declared the election void, and a second election was held; Peach was initially declared elected but on petition the result was reversed and Dewar took his seat.
  11. ^ On petition, Macpherson's election in 1779 was declared void and a new writ issued, but he was re-elected in the by-election. At the general election of 1780 he was again elected and his opponent again entered a petition. On investigation the Committee reported that "instances of the most notorious bribery had occurred"; the House voted that neither Macpherson nor his opponent Samuel Petrie were duly elected, and shortly afterwards passed an Act to extend the right of voting in Cricklade to the surrounding hundreds.
  12. ^ On petition the result of the election of 1784 was reversed, Coxe and Adamson being declared not duly elected and Heneage and Nicholas being seated in their place
  13. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p 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. 110–112.
  14. ^ Churton, Edward (1838). The Assembled Commons or Parliamentary Biographer: 1838. p. 101.
  15. ^ "Elections Decided". Manchester Courier and Lancashire General Advertiser. 10 July 1841. p. 6. Retrieved 1 November 2018 – via British Newspaper Archive.
  16. ^ "General Election". Western Times. 3 July 1841. p. 3. Retrieved 1 November 2018 – via British Newspaper Archive.
  17. ^ Dod's Parliamentary Companion. Dod's Parliamentary Companion, Limited. 1847. p. 172.
  18. ^ a b c Farrell, Stephen. "Cricklade". The History of Parliament. Retrieved 11 April 2020.
  19. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l Craig, F. W. S., ed. (1977). British Parliamentary Election Results 1832-1885 (1st ed.). London: Macmillan Press. ISBN 978-1-349-02349-3.
  20. ^ "Cricklade Election". Devizes and Wiltshire Gazette. 2 April 1857. p. 2. Retrieved 6 May 2018 – via British Newspaper Archive.
  21. ^ "New Swindon". Wilts and Gloucestershire Standard. 21 March 1857. p. 8. Retrieved 6 May 2018 – via British Newspaper Archive.
  22. ^ "Cricklade Election". Wiltshire Independent. 12 February 1874. p. 2. Retrieved 29 December 2017 – via British Newspaper Archive.
  23. ^ "Cricklade". Huddersfield Chronicle. 28 January 1874. p. 3. Retrieved 29 December 2017 – via British Newspaper Archive.
  24. ^ "The Labourers' Union". Gloucester Journal. 10 January 1874. p. 3. Retrieved 29 December 2017 – via British Newspaper Archive.
  25. ^ "The election expenses of the candidates for the borough and hundreds of Cricklade". Western Gazette. 17 April 1874. p. 6. Retrieved 29 December 2017 – via British Newspaper Archive.
  26. ^ "Cricklade Borough". Wilts and Gloucestershire Standard. 23 June 1883. p. 8. Retrieved 25 November 2017 – via British Newspaper Archive.
  27. ^ a b c d e f g h i British parliamentary election results, 1885-1918 (Craig)

References

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