Wikipedia

Ashburton (UK Parliament constituency)

Ashburton (also known as Mid Devon) was a borough constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament at Westminster, for the Parliaments of 1295 and 1407,[1][2] and regularly from 1640 until it was abolished for the 1868 general election. It was one of three Devon borough constituencies newly enfranchised (or re-enfranchised after a gap of centuries) in the Long Parliament. It returned two Members of Parliament until the 1832 general election when the number was reduced to one MP.[2] [3] [4] [5] [6] [7] [8] [9]

Ashburton
Former county constituency
for the House of Commons
CountyDevon
Major settlementsAshburton
1885–1918
SeatsOne
Created fromEast Devon
Replaced byParts of Totnes, South Molton and Tiverton
1640–1868
SeatsTwo (1640–1832); One (1832–1868)
Type of constituencyBorough constituency
Replaced byEast Devon

From the 1885 general election Ashburton was revived as a county division of Devon. It returned one member until it was abolished from the 1918 general election.

Boundaries

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1885-1918

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The Sessional Divisions of Crockernwell and Teignbridge.[10]

Members of Parliament

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Ashburton borough 1398–1868

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  • 1407 Richard Hurston, Walter Denys[2]

Ashburton re-enfranchised by Parliament in Nov 1640

MPs 1640–1832

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Election First member First party Second member Second party
November 1640 Sir John Northcote Parliamentarian Sir Edmund Fowell Parliamentarian
December 1648 Northcote and Fowell excluded in Pride's Purge – both seats vacant
1653 Ashburton was unrepresented in the Barebones Parliament and the First and Second Parliaments of the Protectorate
January 1659 Thomas Reynell John Fowell
May 1659 Not represented in the restored Rump
April 1660 Sir William Courtenay John Fowell[11]
1661 Sir George Sondes
1677 William Stawell Rawlin Mallock
February 1679 Thomas Reynell
September 1679 Richard Duke of Otterton
1681 William Stawell
1685 Edward Yarde
1689 Sir Walter Yonge Thomas Reynell
1690 William Stawell Sir Richard Reynell
1695 Richard Duke of Otterton
1701 Sir Thomas Lear
1702 Richard Reynell
1705 Gilbert Yarde
January 1708 Roger Tuckfield Whig
May 1708 Robert Balle
1710[12] Richard Lloyd
March 1711 Richard Reynell George Courtenay[13]
March 1711 Andrew Quick
1713 Roger Tuckfield Whig
1734 Sir William Yonge[14] Whig
1735 Thomas Bladen
1739 Joseph Taylor
1741 John Harris John Arscott
1754 The Viscount Midleton
1761 Hon. Thomas Walpole
1767 Robert Palk Tory[15]
1768 Laurence Sulivan Tory[15] Charles Boone Tory[15]
1774 Robert Palk[16] Tory[15]
1784 Robert Mackreth[17] Tory[15]
1787 Lawrence Palk[18] Tory[15]
1796 Walter Palk Tory[15]
1802 Sir Hugh Inglis Tory[15]
1806 Hon. Gilbert Elliot Tory[15]
1807 Lord Charles Bentinck Tory[15]
1811 John Sullivan Tory[15]
1812 Richard Preston Tory[15]
1818 Sir Lawrence Vaughan Palk Tory[15] Sir John Copley Tory[15]
1826 William Sturges Bourne Tory[15]
1830 Charles Arbuthnot Tory[15]
February 1831 William Stephen Poyntz Whig[15][19]
May 1831 Robert Torrens Whig[15][20]
1832 Representation reduced to one Member

MPs 1832–1868

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Election Member Party
1832 William Stephen Poyntz Whig[15][19]
1835 Charles Lushington Whig[15][21][22]
1841 William Jardine Whig[15][23][24]
1843 by-election James Matheson[25] Whig[15][26][27]
1847 Thomas Matheson Whig[28]
1852 George Moffatt Radical[29][30]
1859 John Harvey Astell Conservative
1865 Robert Jardine Liberal
1868 Constituency abolished

Mid or Ashburton division of Devon 1885–1918

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Election Member Party
1885 Charles Seale-Hayne Liberal
1904 by-election Harry Eve Liberal
1908 by-election Ernest Morrison-Bell Liberal Unionist
January 1910 Charles Buxton Liberal
December 1910 Ernest Morrison-Bell Conservative
1918 Constituency abolished

Elections

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Elections in the 1830s

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General election 1830: Ashburton[31][15][32]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Tory Lawrence Vaughan Palk Unopposed
Tory Charles Arbuthnot Unopposed
Tory hold
Tory hold

Arbuthnot resigned by accepting the office of Steward of the Chiltern Hundreds, causing a by-election.

By-election, 25 February 1831: Ashburton[31][15][32]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Whig William Stephen Poyntz Unopposed
Whig gain from Tory
General election 1831: Ashburton[31][15][32]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Whig William Stephen Poyntz 74 45.7 N/A
Whig Robert Torrens 47 29.0 N/A
Tory Lawrence Vaughan Palk 41 25.3 N/A
Majority 6 3.7 N/A
Turnout 81 (est) 80.2 (est) N/A
Registered electors 101
Whig gain from Tory Swing N/A
Whig gain from Tory Swing N/A
General election 1832: Ashburton[31][15]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Whig William Stephen Poyntz Unopposed
Registered electors 198
Whig hold
General election 1835: Ashburton[31][15]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Whig Charles Lushington 89 55.6 N/A
Conservative John Horsley Palmer[33] 71 44.4 New
Majority 18 11.2 N/A
Turnout 160 84.2 N/A
Registered electors 190
Whig hold Swing N/A
General election 1837: Ashburton[31][15]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Whig Charles Lushington 98 53.0 −2.6
Conservative William John Utten Browne[34] 87 47.0 +2.6
Majority 11 6.0 −5.2
Turnout 185 81.9 −2.3
Registered electors 226
Whig hold Swing −2.6

Elections in the 1840s

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General election 1841: Ashburton[31]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Whig William Jardine Unopposed
Registered electors 280
Whig hold

Jardine's death caused a by-election.

By-election, 8 March 1843: Ashburton[31]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Whig James Matheson 141 59.5 N/A
Conservative John Horsley Palmer[35] 96 40.5 New
Majority 45 19.0 N/A
Turnout 237 87.8 N/A
Registered electors 270
Whig hold Swing N/A
General election 1847: Ashburton[31]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Whig Thomas Matheson Unopposed
Registered electors 262
Whig hold

Elections in the 1850s

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General election 1852: Ashburton[31]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Radical George Moffatt Unopposed
Registered electors 236
Radical gain from Whig
General election 1857: Ashburton[31]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Radical George Moffatt Unopposed
Registered electors 182
Radical hold
General election 1859: Ashburton[31]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative John Harvey Astell 91 50.3 New
Liberal George Moffatt 90 49.7 N/A
Majority 1 0.6 N/A
Turnout 181 92.3 N/A
Registered electors 196
Conservative gain from Liberal Swing N/A

Elections in the 1860s

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General election 1865: Ashburton[31]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Robert Jardine Unopposed
Registered electors 350
Liberal gain from Conservative

Elections in the 1880s

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Seale-Hayne
General election 1885: Ashburton[36][37][10]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Charles Seale-Hayne 4,433 58.2 N/A
Conservative William James Harris 3,182 41.8 New
Majority 1,251 16.4 N/A
Turnout 7,615 81.9 N/A
Registered electors 9,300
Liberal win (new seat)
 
Martin
General election 1886: Ashburton[36][37]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Charles Seale-Hayne 3,413 53.2 −5.0
Liberal Unionist Richard Martin 3,007 46.8 +5.0
Majority 406 6.4 −10.0
Turnout 6,420 69.0 −12.9
Registered electors 9,300
Liberal hold Swing -5.0

Elections in the 1890s

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General election 1892: Ashburton[36][37][38]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Charles Seale-Hayne 4,361 54.4 +1.2
Conservative Charles Robert Collins 3,650 45.6 −1.2
Majority 711 8.8 +2.4
Turnout 8,011 85.3 +16.3
Registered electors 9,392
Liberal hold Swing +1.2
General election 1895: Ashburton[36][37][39]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Charles Seale-Hayne 4,380 52.4 −2.0
Conservative John A Nix 3,976 47.6 +2.0
Majority 4.4 4.8 −4.0
Turnout 8,356 85.9 +0.6
Registered electors 9,726
Liberal hold Swing -2.0

Elections in the 1900s

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General election 1900: Ashburton[36][37][39]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Charles Seale-Hayne 4,487 54.7 +2.3
Conservative John A Nix 3,716 45.3 −2.3
Majority 771 9.4 +4.6
Turnout 8,203 83.9 −2.0
Registered electors 9,777
Liberal hold Swing +2.3
 
Eve
1904 Ashburton by-election[36][37]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Harry Eve 5,034 58.6 +3.9
Conservative Richard Harrison 3,558 41.4 −3.9
Majority 1,476 17.2 +7.8
Turnout 8,592 85.1 +1.2
Registered electors 10,097
Liberal hold Swing +3.9
General election 1906: Ashburton[36][37]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Harry Eve 5,079 57.3 +2.6
Conservative Ernest Morrison-Bell 3,790 42.7 −2.6
Majority 1,289 14.6 +5.2
Turnout 8,869 85.0 +1.1
Registered electors 10,429
Liberal hold Swing +2.6
1908 Ashburton by-election[36]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Ernest Morrison-Bell 5,191 52.8 +10.1
Liberal Charles Buxton 4,632 47.2 −10.1
Majority 559 5.6 N/A
Turnout 9,823 89.5 +4.5
Registered electors 10,976
Conservative gain from Liberal Swing +10.1

Elections in the 1910s

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Buxton
General election January 1910: Ashburton[36][40]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Charles Buxton 5,668 51.1 +3.9
Conservative Ernest Morrison-Bell 5,421 48.9 −3.9
Majority 247 2.2 7.8
Turnout 11,089 92.6 +3.1
Liberal hold Swing +3.9
General election December 1910: Ashburton[36][40]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Ernest Morrison-Bell 5,579 51.6 +2.7
Liberal Charles Buxton 5,225 48.4 −2.7
Majority 354 3.2 N/A
Turnout 10,804 90.2 −2.4
Conservative gain from Liberal 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;

References

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  1. ^ Hannes Kleineke (2008). "The Widening Gap: The Practice of Parliamentary Borough Elections in Devon and Cornwall in the Fifteenth Century". Parliamentary History. 23 (1): 124. Retrieved 9 June 2021.
  2. ^ a b c "Ashburton". History of Parliament Online (1386–1421). Retrieved 27 March 2019.
  3. ^ "Ashburton". History of Parliament Online (1640–1660). Retrieved 27 March 2019.(currently unavailable )
  4. ^ "Ashburton". History of Parliament Online (1660–1690). Retrieved 27 March 2019.
  5. ^ "Ashburton". History of Parliament Online (1690–1715). Retrieved 27 March 2019.
  6. ^ "Ashburton". History of Parliament Online (1715–1754). Retrieved 27 March 2019.
  7. ^ "Ashburton". History of Parliament Online (1754–1790). Retrieved 27 March 2019.
  8. ^ "Ashburton". History of Parliament Online (1790–1820). Retrieved 27 March 2019.
  9. ^ "Ashburton". History of Parliament Online (1820–1832). Retrieved 27 March 2019.
  10. ^ a b Debrett's House of Commons & Judicial Bench, 1886
  11. ^ Succeeded as 2nd Baronet, 1674
  12. ^ At the election of 1710, Lloyd and Tuckfield were returned but on petition both were found not to have been duly elected (in a dispute over the franchise), and Reynell and Courtenay were declared elected in their place
  13. ^ Courtenay had also been elected for Newport (Cornwall), which he chose to represent; on his being declared duly elected for Ashburton a new writ for a by-election was immediately issued, and Courtenay never sat for Ashburton
  14. ^ Yonge was also elected for Honiton, which he chose to represent, and never sat for Ashburton
  15. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z aa ab Stooks Smith, Henry. (1973) [1844-1850]. Craig, F. W. S. (ed.). The Parliaments of England (2nd ed.). Chichester: Parliamentary Research Services. pp. 63–64. ISBN 0-900178-13-2.
  16. ^ Created a baronet, May 1782
  17. ^ Knighted, May 1795
  18. ^ Palk was re-elected in 1796 but was also elected for Devon, which he chose to represent, and did not sit for Ashburton again
  19. ^ a b Disraeli, Benjamin (1982). Gunn, John A. W.; Matthews, John P.; Schurman, Donald M.; Wiebe, Melvin G. (eds.). Benjamin Disraeli Letters: 1835-1837. Toronto: University of Toronto Press. ISBN 9781442639546.
  20. ^ Jenkins, Terry (2009). "TORRENS, Robert (1780–1864), of Stonehouse, Devon and 12 Fludyer Street, Mdx". The History of Parliament. Retrieved 6 September 2019.
  21. ^ Seaber, Luke (2017). Brant, Clare; Saunders, Max (eds.). Incognito Social Investigation in British Literature: Certainties in Degradation (eBook ed.). Palgrave Macmillan. p. 3. ISBN 9783319509624.
  22. ^ Waddams, S. M. (2004). "Lushington, Stephen (1782–1873)". Oxford Dictionary of National Biography (online ed.). Oxford University Press. doi:10.1093/ref:odnb/17213. (Subscription or UK public library membership required.)
  23. ^ Neal, Stan (2015). Jardine Matheson and Chinese Migration in the British Empire, 1833–1853 (PDF) (PhD). Northumbria University. p. 101. Retrieved 26 October 2018.
  24. ^ "Borough of Ashburton (Devonshire)". Morning Post. 3 July 1841. pp. 3–4. Retrieved 26 October 2018 – via British Newspaper Archive.
  25. ^ Created a baronet, 1850
  26. ^ "Ashburton Election". Freeman's Journal. 11 March 1843. p. 2. Retrieved 26 October 2018 – via British Newspaper Archive.
  27. ^ "Royal Cornwall Gazette". 10 March 1843. p. 2. Retrieved 26 October 2018 – via British Newspaper Archive.
  28. ^ "Political". Norfolk News. 31 July 1847. p. 2. Retrieved 26 October 2018 – via British Newspaper Archive.
  29. ^ Steele, E. D. (1991). "At home". Palmerston and Liberalism: 1855–1865. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. p. 84. ISBN 0521400457. Retrieved 7 April 2018.
  30. ^ "The New House of Commons". Hull Packet. 9 July 1852. p. 5. Retrieved 7 April 2018 – via British Newspaper Archive.
  31. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m Craig, F. W. S., ed. (1977). British Parliamentary Election Results 1832-1885 (1st ed.). London: Macmillan Press. ISBN 978-1-349-02349-3.
  32. ^ a b c Jenkins, Terry (2009). "Ashburton". The History of Parliament. Retrieved 6 September 2019.
  33. ^ "The Elections". The Scotsman. 10 January 1835. p. 4. Retrieved 6 September 2019 – via British Newspaper Archive.
  34. ^ Mackie, Charles (1901). Norfolk Annals: A Chronological Record of Remarkable Events in the Nineteenth Century, Vol. 2. Norwich: Norfolk Chronicle. Retrieved 6 September 2019.
  35. ^ "County Intelligence". North Devon Journal. 9 March 1843. p. 3. Retrieved 26 October 2018 – via British Newspaper Archive.
  36. ^ a b c d e f g h i j British Parliamentary Election Results 1885-1918, FWS Craig
  37. ^ a b c d e f g The Liberal Year Book, 1907
  38. ^ Debrett's House of Commons & Judicial Bench, 1896
  39. ^ a b Debrett's House of Commons & Judicial Bench, 1901
  40. ^ a b Debrett's House of Commons & Judicial Bench, 1916
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