Torquay
Former County constituency
for the House of Commons
1885–February 1974
Seatsone
Created fromEast Devon
Replaced byTorbay

Torquay was a county constituency in Devon, South West England, which returned one Member of Parliament to the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom.

It was created for the 1885 general election and abolished for the February 1974 general election. The area it represented became part of the Torbay constituency.

Boundaries

1885–1918: The Borough of Dartmouth and the Sessional Division of Paignton.

1918–1950: The Boroughs of Dartmouth and Torquay, the Urban Districts of Brixham and Paignton, the parishes of Churston Ferrers, Kingswear, Marldon, and Stoke Gabriel in the Rural District of Totnes, and the parishes of Cockington and Stokeinteignhead in the Rural District of Newton Abbot.

1950–1974: The Borough of Torquay, the Urban Districts of Brixham and Paignton, and the parishes of Churston Ferrers and Kingswear in the Rural District of Totnes.

Members of Parliament

Election Member Party
1885 Lewis McIver Liberal
1886 Richard Mallock Conservative
1895 Arthur Philpotts Conservative
1900 Francis Layland-Barratt Liberal
Dec 1910 Charles Burn Liberal Unionist
1912 Conservative Party
1918 Coalition Conservative
1922 Conservative
1923 Piers Thompson Liberal
1924 Charles Williams Conservative
1955 by-election Frederic Bennett Conservative
Feb 1974 constituency abolished

Election results

Elections in the 1880s

General election 1885: Torquay[1][2]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Lewis McIver 3,509 52.6
Conservative Richard Mallock 3,161 47.4
Majority 348 5.2
Turnout 6,670 86.2
Registered electors 7,738
Liberal win (new seat)
General election 1886: Torquay[1][2]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Richard Mallock 3,135 50.6 +3.2
Liberal Unionist Lewis McIver 3,055 49.4 −3.2
Majority 80 1.2 N/A
Turnout 6,190 80.0 −6.2
Registered electors 7,738
Conservative gain from Liberal Swing +3.2

Elections in the 1890s

General election 1892: Torquay[1][2]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Richard Mallock 4,157 52.5 +1.9
Liberal Arthur Hayter 3,763 47.5 −1.9
Majority 394 5.0 +3.8
Turnout 7,920 84.2 +4.2
Registered electors 9,404
Conservative hold Swing +1.9
General election 1895: Torquay[3][2]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Arthur Philpotts 4,205 51.1 −1.4
Liberal Francis Layland-Barratt 4,030 48.9 +1.4
Majority 175 2.2 −2.8
Turnout 8,235 82.0 −2.2
Registered electors 10,039
Conservative hold Swing −1.4

Elections in the 1900s

General election 1900: Torquay[3][2]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Francis Layland-Barratt 4,020 50.8 +1.9
Conservative James Reginald Lea Rankin 3,891 49.2 −1.9
Majority 129 1.6 N/A
Turnout 7,911 84.9 +2.9
Registered electors 9,313
Liberal gain from Conservative Swing +1.9
Layland-Barratt
General election 1906: Torquay[1][2]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Francis Layland-Barratt 4,856 52.5 +1.7
Conservative Henry Lopes 4,396 47.5 −1.7
Majority 460 5.0 +3.4
Turnout 9,252 89.5 +4.6
Registered electors 10,343
Liberal hold Swing +1.7

Elections in the 1910s

General election January 1910: Torquay[4][2]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Francis Layland-Barratt 5,104 50.1 −2.4
Conservative Henry Lopes 5,093 49.9 +2.4
Majority 11 0.2 −4.8
Turnout 10,197 90.7 +1.2
Registered electors 11,241
Liberal hold Swing −2.4
General election December 1910: Torquay[2]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Unionist Charles Burn 5,101 50.6 +0.7
Liberal Francis Layland-Barratt 4,971 49.4 −0.7
Majority 130 1.2 N/A
Turnout 10,072 89.6 −1.1
Registered electors 11,241
Liberal Unionist gain from Liberal Swing +0.7

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 the July 1914, the following candidates had been selected;

General election 1918: Torquay
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
C Unionist Charles Burn 14,068 66.2 +15.6
Labour Alfred Trestrail 4,029 18.9 New
Liberal Russell Cooke 3,173 14.9 −34.5
Majority 10,039 47.3 +46.1
Turnout 21,270 65.3 −24.3
Unionist hold Swing +25.1
C indicates candidate endorsed by the coalition government.

Elections in the 1920s

General election 1922: Torquay
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Unionist Charles Burn 14,676 52.2 -14.0
Liberal Piers Thompson 13,425 47.8 +32.9
Majority 1,251 4.4 -42.9
Turnout 28,101 78.5 +13.2
Unionist hold Swing -23.5
General election 1923: Torquay
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Piers Thompson 15,294 50.6 +2.8
Unionist Charles Williams 14,922 49.4 -2.8
Majority 372 1.2 N/A
Turnout 30,216 80.0 +1.5
Liberal gain from Unionist Swing +2.8
General election 1924: Torquay
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Unionist Charles Williams 18,119 55.2 +5.8
Liberal Piers Thompson 11,958 36.4 -14.2
Labour Arthur Moyle 2,752 8.4 New
Majority 6,161 18.8 N/A
Turnout 32,829 84.4 +4.4
Unionist gain from Liberal Swing +10.0
General election 1929: Torquay
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Unionist Charles Williams 21,690 49.7 -5.5
Liberal Richard Acland 16,337 37.5 +1.1
Labour Hubert Medland 5,576 12.8 +3.8
Majority 5,353 12.2 -6.6
Turnout 43,603 81.7 -2.7
Unionist hold Swing -3.3

Elections in the 1930s

General election 1931: Torquay
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Charles Williams 34,690 82.5 +32.8
Labour Hubert Medland 7,351 17.5 +4.7
Majority 27,339 65.03 +52.8
Turnout 42,041 74.6 -7.1
Conservative hold Swing
General election 1935: Torquay
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Charles Williams 27,008 63.6 -18.9
Liberal Harry Samways 9,073 21.4 New
Labour F Scardifield 6,387 15.0 -2.5
Majority 17,935 42.2 -22.8
Turnout 42,468 71.0 -3.6
Conservative hold Swing

Election in the 1940s

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 from 1939 and by the end of this year, the following candidates had been selected;

General election 1945: Torquay
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Charles Williams 25,479 48.9 -14.7
Labour George Cornes 13,590 26.1 +11.1
Liberal Gorley Putt 13,003 25.0 +3.6
Majority 11,889 22.8 -19.4
Turnout 52,072 71.4 +0.4
Conservative hold Swing

Elections in the 1950s

General election 1950: Torquay
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Charles Williams 29,153 53.56
Labour Robert Briscoe 14,287 26.25
Liberal Stuart Townend 10,987 20.19
Majority 14,866 27.31
Turnout 54,427 82.83
Conservative hold Swing
General election 1951: Torquay
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Charles Williams 31,441 59.16
Labour Robert Briscoe 14,801 27.85
Liberal Deryck Abel 6,904 12.99
Majority 16,640 31.31
Turnout 53,146 79.97
Conservative hold Swing
General election 1955: Torquay
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Charles Williams 29,777 60.36
Labour Robert Briscoe 12,547 25.43
Liberal Peter Bessell 7,012 14.21
Majority 17,230 34.93
Turnout 49,336 75.49
Conservative hold Swing
1955 Torquay by-election[6]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Frederic Bennett 20,964 50.98 -9.38
Labour William Hamling 10,383 25.25 -0.18
Liberal Peter Bessell 9,775 23.77 +9.56
Majority 10,581 25.73 -9.20
Turnout 41,122
Conservative hold Swing
General election 1959: Torquay
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Frederic Bennett 29,527 56.79
Labour William V Cooper 11,784 22.66
Liberal Thomas Kellock 10,685 20.55
Majority 17,743 34.13
Turnout 51,996 76.91
Conservative hold Swing

Elections in the 1960s

General election 1964: Torquay
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Frederic Bennett 28,801 52.38
Liberal Hugo Brunner 13,652 24.83
Labour Thelma W Thompson 12,530 22.79
Majority 15,149 27.55
Turnout 54,983 75.04
Conservative hold Swing
General election 1966: Torquay
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Frederic Bennett 28,693 49.44
Labour Raymond S Dash 16,594 28.59
Liberal Hugo Brunner 12,750 21.97
Majority 12,099 20.85
Turnout 58,037 77.40
Conservative hold Swing

Election in the 1970s

General election 1970: Torquay
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Frederic Bennett 33,996 55.6 +6.2
Labour Paul ST Bryers 15,948 26.1 -2.5
Liberal Keith P. Jenkins 11,163 18.3 -3.7
Majority 18,048 29.54 +8.7
Turnout 61,107 73.72 -3.7
Conservative hold Swing

References

  1. ^ a b c d The Liberal Year Book, 1908
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h Craig, FWS, ed. (1974). British Parliamentary Election Results: 1885-1918. London: Macmillan Press. ISBN 9781349022984.
  3. ^ a b Debrett's House of Commons & Judicial Bench, 1901
  4. ^ Debrett's House of Commons & Judicial Bench, 1916
  5. ^ Western Times 11 May 1914
  6. ^ British Parliamentary Elections Results 1950-1973 by FWS Craig
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