Ince
Former County constituency
for the House of Commons
CountyLancashire
Major settlementsInce-in-Makerfield, Abram
1885–1974 (1974)
Created fromSouth West Lancashire
1974 (1974)–1983
Type of constituencyBorough constituency
Replaced byMakerfield, West Lancashire, St Helens North and Wigan[1]

Ince was a parliamentary constituency in England which elected one Member of Parliament (MP) to the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. It comprised the town of Ince-in-Makerfield and other towns south of Wigan.

It was created by the Redistribution of Seats Act 1885 as a division of the parliamentary county of Lancashire. The constituency boundaries were redrawn in 1918 and 1950, and in 1974 it was reclassified as a borough constituency.[2]

The constituency ceased to exist with the implementation of the 1983 boundary changes and was largely replaced by the Makerfield Parliamentary constituency.

Boundaries

Ince in Lancashire, boundaries used 1974-83

1885–1918

The constituency, officially designated as South-West Lancashire, Ince Division consisted of parishes south of, but not including, the town of Wigan, namely:

The electorate also included the freeholders of the municipal borough of Wigan who were entitled to vote in the county.[3]

1918–1950

The Representation of the People Act 1918 reorganised constituencies throughout the United Kingdom. Boundaries were adjusted and seats were defined in terms of the districts created by the Local Government Act 1894. According to the schedules of the Act, the Lancashire, Ince Division comprised:[4]

1950–1983

The Representation of the People Act 1948 redistributed parliamentary seats, with the constituencies first being used in the general election of 1950. The term "county constituency" was introduced in place of "division". Ince County Constituency was redefined as consisting of seven urban districts:[5]

The changes reflected local government boundary changes that had taken place, and the renaming of Billinge UD as "Billinge and Winstanley" in 1924. Standish with Langtree and Shevington were transferred to the Westhoughton county constituency. Skelmersdale and Upholland had previously formed part of the Ormskirk division.[2]

The Parliamentary Constituencies (England) Order 1970 altered the seat's name to Ince Borough Constituency. The constituency was defined as consisting of six urban districts: Abram, Ashton in Makerfield, Billinge & Winstanley, Ince-in-Makerfield, Orrell, and Skelmersdale & Holland. Skelmersdale and Upholland urban districts had been amalgamated in 1968, and the 1970 boundaries were the same as those of 1950.[2][6]

Abolition

The constituency was abolished by the Parliamentary Constituencies (England) Order 1983, which redrew constituencies based on the new counties and districts created in 1974. Most of the area (Abram, Orrell and Winstanley) was included in the Makerfield County Constituency, in the parliamentary county of Greater Manchester. Ashton in Makerfield and Billinge was divided between Makerfield Constituency, in Greater Manchester, and St Helens North Borough Constituency in Merseyside; Skelmersdale & Upholland formed part of West Lancashire County Constituency.[7]

Members of Parliament

Election Member Party
1885 Henry Blundell-Hollinshead-Blundell Conservative
1892 Samuel Woods Lib-Lab
1895 Henry Blundell-Hollinshead-Blundell Conservative
1906 Stephen Walsh Labour
1929 Gordon Macdonald Labour
1942 by-election Tom Brown Labour
1964 Michael McGuire Labour
1983 constituency abolished

Election results

Elections in the 1880s

General election Nov 1885: Ince[8]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Henry Blundell-Hollinshead-Blundell 4,271 53.4
Liberal Cornelius McLeod Percy[9] 3,725 46.6
Majority 546 6.8
Turnout 7,996 87.3
Registered electors 9,157
Conservative win (new seat)
General election Jul 1886: Ince[8]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Henry Blundell-Hollinshead-Blundell 4,308 57.2 +3.8
Liberal George Paul Taylor[10] 3,228 42.8 −3.8
Majority 1,080 14.4 +7.6
Turnout 7,536 82.3 −5.0
Registered electors 9,157
Conservative hold Swing +3.8

Elections in the 1890s

General election Jan 1892: Ince[8]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Lib-Lab Sam Woods 4,579 51.3 +8.5
Conservative Henry Blundell-Hollinshead-Blundell 4,352 48.7 −8.5
Majority 227 2.6 N/A
Turnout 8,931 88.8 +6.5
Registered electors 10,059
Lib-Lab gain from Conservative Swing +8.5
General election Jan 1895: Ince[8]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Henry Blundell-Hollinshead-Blundell 5,235 52.2 +3.5
Lib-Lab Sam Woods 4,790 47.8 −3.5
Majority 445 4.4 N/A
Turnout 10,025 91.7 +2.9
Registered electors 10,935
Conservative gain from Lib-Lab Swing +3.5

Elections in the 1900s

General election 1900: Ince[8]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Henry Blundell-Hollinshead-Blundell Unopposed
Conservative hold
General election Jan 1906: Ince[8]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Repr. Cmte. Stephen Walsh 8,046 70.2 New
Conservative Henry Blundell-Hollinshead-Blundell 3,410 29.8 N/A
Majority 4,636 40.4 N/A
Turnout 11,456 88.2 N/A
Registered electors 12,986
Labour Repr. Cmte. gain from Conservative Swing N/A

Elections in the 1910s

General election January 1910: Ince[8]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Stephen Walsh 7,723 60.6 −9.6
Conservative Walter Greaves-Lord 5,029 39.4 +9.6
Majority 2,694 21.2 −19.2
Turnout 12,752 90.4 +2.2
Registered electors 14,107
Labour hold Swing −9.6
General election December 1910: Ince[8]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Stephen Walsh 7,117 57.2 −3.4
Conservative Walter Greaves-Lord 5,332 42.8 +3.4
Majority 1,785 14.4 −6.8
Turnout 12,449 88.2 −2.2
Registered electors 14,107
Labour hold Swing −3.4
General election 1918: Ince[11]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Stephen Walsh 14,882 87.0 +29.8
Socialist Labour William Paul 2,231 13.0 New
Majority 12,651 74.0 +59.6
Turnout 17,113 55.7 −32.5
Registered electors 30,736
Labour hold Swing N/A

Elections in the 1920s

General election 1922: Ince[11]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Stephen Walsh 17,332 67.7 −19.3
Unionist E.L. Fleming 8,257 32.3 New
Majority 9,075 35.4 −38.6
Turnout 25,589 80.0 +24.3
Registered electors 31,974
Labour hold Swing N/A
General election 1923: Ince [12][11]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Stephen Walsh 17,365 73.5 +5.8
Unionist Rachel Parsons 6,262 26.5 −5.8
Majority 11,103 47.0 +11.6
Turnout 23,627 72.2 −7.8
Registered electors 32,710
Labour hold Swing +5.8
General election 1924: Ince[11]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Stephen Walsh 18,272 70.0 −3.5
Unionist E.V. Gabriel 7,820 30.0 +3.5
Majority 10,452 40.0 −7.0
Turnout 26,092 78.5 +6.3
Registered electors 33,235
Labour hold Swing −3.5
General election 1929: Ince[13]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Gordon Macdonald 26,091 73.8 +3.8
Unionist John Bankes Walmsley 9,260 26.2 −3.8
Majority 16,831 47.6 +7.6
Turnout 35,351 82.2 +3.7
Registered electors 43,026
Labour hold Swing +3.8

Elections in the 1930s

General election 1931: Ince
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Gordon Macdonald 23,237 63.4 -10.4
Conservative R Catterall 13,440 36.6 +10.4
Majority 9,797 26.7 -20.9
Turnout 36,677 82.5 +0.3
Labour hold Swing
General election 1935: Ince[14]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Gordon Macdonald 26,334 72.6 +9.2
Conservative Herbert F. Ryan 9,928 27.4 -9.2
Majority 16,406 45.2 +18.5
Turnout 36,262 77.3 -5.2
Labour hold Swing

Elections in the 1940s

General election 1945: Ince[15]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Tom Brown 28,702 74.4 +1.8
Conservative Robert Cecil 9,875 25.6 -1.8
Majority 18,827 48.8 +3.6
Turnout 38,577 79.0 +1.7
Labour hold Swing

Elections in the 1950s

General election 1950: Ince[16]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Tom Brown 32,145 71.8 -2.6
Conservative JG Scott 12,612 28.2 +2.6
Majority 19,533 43.6 -5.2
Turnout 44,757 88.7 +9.7
General election 1951: Ince[17][18]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Tom Brown 32,148 72.3 +0.5
Conservative James Porter 12,305 27.7 -0.5
Majority 19,843 44.6 +1.0
Turnout 44,453 87.0 -1.7
Labour hold Swing
General election 1955: Ince[19][20]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Tom Brown 29,830 72.7 +0.4
Conservative Geoffrey Beaman 11,183 27.3 -0.4
Majority 18,647 45.4 +0.8
Turnout 41,013 81.0 -6.0
Labour hold Swing
General election 1959: Ince[21]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Tom Brown 30,752 72.3 -0.4
Conservative Walter Clegg 11,795 27.7 +0.4
Majority 18,957 44.6 -0.8
Turnout 42,547 83.0 +2.0
Labour hold Swing

Election in the 1960s

General election 1964: Ince[22]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Michael McGuire 31,042 72.0 -0.3
Conservative Francis Henry Gerard Heron Goodhart 12,077 28.0 +0.3
Majority 18,965 44.0 -0.6
Turnout 43,119 79.6 -3.4
Labour hold Swing
General election 1966: Ince[23][24]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Michael McGuire 30,915 73.6 +1.6
Conservative John Birch 11,075 26.4 -1.6
Majority 19,840 47.2 +3.2
Turnout 41,990 75.4 -4.2
Labour hold Swing

Elections in the 1970s

General election 1970: Ince[25][26]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Michael McGuire 32,295 68.5 -5.1
Conservative Allan Coupe 14,877 31.5 +5.1
Majority 17,418 37.0 -10.2
Turnout 47,172 70.7 -4.7
Labour hold Swing
General election February 1974: Ince[27]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Michael McGuire 39,822 70.0 +1.5
Conservative John Richard Dyson 17,063 30.0 -1.5
Majority 22,759 40.0 +3.0
Turnout 56,885 74.4 +3.7
Labour hold Swing
General election October 1974: Ince[28]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Michael McGuire 35,453 63.5 -6.5
Conservative John Richard Dyson 11,923 21.4 -8.6
Liberal John Kenneth Gibb 8,436 15.1 New
Majority 23,530 42.1 +2.1
Turnout 55,812 72.4 -2.0
Labour hold Swing
General election 1979: Ince[29]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Michael McGuire 34,599 56.2 −7.3
Conservative Peter Brown 20,263 32.9 +11.5
Liberal John Kenneth Gibb 6,294 10.2 −4.9
Workers Revolutionary John Simons 442 0.7 New
Majority 14,336 23.3 -18.8
Turnout 61,598 74.2 +1.8
Labour hold Swing

See also

References

  1. ^ "'Ince', Feb 1974 - May 1983". ElectionWeb Project. Cognitive Computing Limited. Retrieved 23 March 2016.
  2. ^ a b c Youngs, Guide to the Local Administrative Units of England, Volume 2
  3. ^ Seventh Schedule: Counties at Large: Number of Members and Names and Contents of Divisions, Redistribution of Seats Act 1885, (1885 c.23)
  4. ^ Ninth Schedule - Part II, Parliamentary Counties: England, excluding Monmouthshire, Representation of the People Act 1918 (1918 c.64)
  5. ^ First Schedule: Parliamentary Constituencies, Representation of The People Act 1948, (1948 c.65)
  6. ^ The Parliamentary Constituencies (England) Order 1970 (S.I. 1970 No. 1674)
  7. ^ Parliamentary Constituencies (England) Order 1983 (S.I. 1983 No. 417)
  8. ^ a b c d e f g h Craig, FWS, ed. (1974). British Parliamentary Election Results: 1885-1918. London: Macmillan Press. ISBN 9781349022984.
  9. ^ "Ince Division". Leigh Chronicle and Weekly District Advertiser. 27 November 1885. p. 5. Retrieved 1 December 2017 – via British Newspaper Archive.
  10. ^ "South-West Lancashire". Manchester Courier and Lancashire General Advertiser. 8 July 1886. pp. 5–6. Retrieved 1 December 2017 – via British Newspaper Archive.
  11. ^ a b c d Craig, F.W.S., ed. (1969). British parliamentary election results 1918-1949. Glasgow: Political Reference Publications. p. 398. ISBN 0-900178-01-9.
  12. ^ The Liberal Year Book, 1930
  13. ^ British Parliamentary Election Results 1918-1949, FWS Craig
  14. ^ UK General Election results: November 1935 Politics Resources
  15. ^ UK General Election results: July 1945 Archived 2015-02-27 at the Wayback Machine Politics Resources
  16. ^ UK General Election results: February 1950 Archived 2011-08-11 at the Wayback Machine Politics Resources
  17. ^ UK General Election results: October 1951 Politics Resources
  18. ^ The Times' Guide to the House of Commons. 1951.
  19. ^ UK General Election results: May 1955 Politics Resources
  20. ^ The Times' Guide to the House of Commons. 1955.
  21. ^ UK General Election results: October 1959 Politics Resources
  22. ^ UK General Election results: October 1964 Archived 2011-08-11 at the Wayback Machine Politics Resources
  23. ^ UK General Election results: March 1966 Archived 2011-08-11 at the Wayback Machine Politics Resources
  24. ^ The Times' Guide to the House of Commons. 1966.
  25. ^ UK General Election results: June 1970 Archived 2011-08-11 at the Wayback Machine Politics Resources
  26. ^ The Times' Guide to the House of Commons. 1970.
  27. ^ "Politics Resources". Election February 1974. Politics Resources. 28 February 1974. Archived from the original on 1 May 2016. Retrieved 2 February 2021.
  28. ^ "Politics Resources". Election October 1974. Politics Resources. 10 October 1974. Archived from the original on 1 May 2016. Retrieved 2 February 2021.
  29. ^ UK General Election results: May 1979 Politics Resources

Sources

Categories