Horncastle (UK Parliament constituency)

Horncastle was a county constituency in Lincolnshire which returned one Member of Parliament (MP) to the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. MPs were elected by the first past the post system of voting.

Horncastle
Former County constituency
for the House of Commons
18851983
Seatsone
Created fromMid Lincolnshire
Replaced byEast Lindsey & Gainsborough and Horncastle

The constituency was created by the Redistribution of Seats Act 1885, and first used for the 1885 general election. It was abolished for the 1983 general election.

Boundaries edit

1885–1918: The Sessional Division of Spilsby, and parts of the Sessional Divisions of Alford and Horncastle.

1918–1950: The Urban Districts of Alford, Horncastle, Skegness, and Woodhall Spa, and the Rural Districts of Horncastle, Sibsey, and Spilsby.

1950–1983: The Urban Districts of Alford, Horncastle, Mablethorpe and Sutton, Skegness, and Woodhall Spa, and the Rural Districts of Horncastle and Spilsby.

Members of Parliament edit

Election Member Party
1885 Edward Stanhope Conservative
1894 by-election Gilbert Heathcote-Drummond-Willoughby Conservative
1911 by-election Archibald Weigall Conservative
1920 by-election Stafford Hotchkin Coalition Conservative
1922 Samuel Pattinson Liberal
1924 Henry Haslam Conservative
1945 Sir John Maitland Conservative
1966 Peter Tapsell Conservative
1983 constituency abolished

Election results edit

Elections in the 1880s edit

 
E. Stanhope
General election 1885: Horncastle[1]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Edward Stanhope 4,824 54.9
Lib-Lab Thomas Threlfall 3,959 45.1
Majority 865 9.8
Turnout 8,783 88.4
Registered electors 9,941
Conservative win (new seat)
General election 1886: Horncastle[1]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Edward Stanhope Unopposed
Conservative hold

Stanhope was appointed Secretary of State for the Colonies, requiring a by-election.

By-election, 12 Aug 1886: Horncastle[1]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Edward Stanhope Unopposed
Conservative hold

Elections in the 1890s edit

General election 1892: Horncastle[2]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Edward Stanhope 4,438 54.5 N/A
Liberal Francis Otter 3,700 45.5 New
Majority 738 9.0 N/A
Turnout 8,138 85.2 N/A
Registered electors 9,555
Conservative hold Swing N/A

Stanhope's death caused a by-election.

 
Lord Willoughby
1894 Horncastle by-election[2][3]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Gilbert Heathcote-Drummond-Willoughby 4,582 55.0 +0.5
Liberal Herbert James Torr[4] 3,744 45.0 −0.5
Majority 838 10.0 +1.0
Turnout 8,326 87.4 +2.2
Registered electors 9,528
Conservative hold Swing +0.5
General election 1895: Horncastle [5][3][2]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Gilbert Heathcote-Drummond-Willoughby 4,563 60.2 +5.7
Lib-Lab John Bruce Wallace 3,022 39.8 −5.7
Majority 1,541 20.4 +11.4
Turnout 7,585 65.2 −20.0
Registered electors 11,642
Conservative hold Swing +5.7

Elections in the 1900s edit

General election 1900: Horncastle[5][2]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Gilbert Heathcote-Drummond-Willoughby 4,302 59.2 −1.0
Liberal T Wallis 2,962 40.8 +1.0
Majority 1,340 18.4 −2.0
Turnout 7,264 76.6 +11.4
Registered electors 9,488
Conservative hold Swing −1.0
General election 1906: Horncastle[2]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Gilbert Heathcote-Drummond-Willoughby 4,250 50.9 −8.3
Liberal A Adams 4,100 49.1 +8.3
Majority 150 1.8 −16.6
Turnout 8,350 86.6 +10.0
Registered electors 9,637
Conservative hold Swing −8.3

Elections in the 1910s edit

General election January 1910: Horncastle[1]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Gilbert Heathcote-Drummond-Willoughby 5,162 54.6 +3.7
Liberal Charles Conybeare 4,292 45.4 −3.7
Majority 870 9.2 +7.4
Turnout 9,454 90.0 +3.4
Conservative hold Swing +3.7
General election December 1910: Horncastle
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Gilbert Heathcote-Drummond-Willoughby 4,705 52.9 −1.7
Liberal Frederick Linfield 4,181 47.1 +1.7
Majority 524 5.8 −3.4
Turnout 8,886 86.0 −4.0
Conservative hold Swing −1.6
1911 Horncastle by-election
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Archibald Weigall 4,955 50.5 −2.4
Liberal Frederick Linfield 4,848 49.5 +2.4
Majority 107 1.0 −4.8
Turnout 9,803 90.7 +4.7
Conservative hold Swing −2.4
 
William Weigall
General election 1918: Horncastle
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
C Unionist Archibald Weigall 8,826 54.3 +1.4
Liberal Samuel Pattinson 7,433 45.7 −1.4
Majority 1,393 8.6 +2.8
Turnout 16,259 68.2 −17.8
Registered electors 23,854
Unionist hold Swing +1.4
C indicates candidate endorsed by the coalition government.

Elections in the 1920s edit

1920 Horncastle by-election[6]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
C Unionist Stafford Hotchkin 8,140 44.5 −9.8
Liberal Samuel Pattinson 6,727 36.7 −9.0
Labour William Holmes 3,443 18.8 New
Majority 1,413 7.8 −0.8
Turnout 18,310 77.0 +8.8
Registered electors 23,764
Unionist hold Swing −0.4
C indicates candidate endorsed by the coalition government.
General election 1922: Horncastle [7]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Samuel Pattinson 10,797 54.1 +8.4
Unionist Maurice Roche 9,158 45.9 −8.4
Majority 1,639 8.2 N/A
Turnout 19,955 81.5 +13.3
Registered electors 24,485
Liberal gain from Unionist Swing +8.4
General election 1923: Horncastle [7]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Samuel Pattinson 10,954 54.5 +0.4
Unionist John Du Cane 9,135 45.5 −0.4
Majority 1,819 9.0 +0.8
Turnout 20,089 80.9 −0.6
Registered electors 24,821
Liberal hold Swing +0.4
General election 1924: Horncastle
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Unionist Henry Haslam 10,912 52.8 +7.3
Liberal Samuel Pattinson 9,743 47.2 −7.3
Majority 1,169 5.6 N/A
Turnout 20,655 81.7 +0.8
Registered electors 25,286
Unionist gain from Liberal Swing +7.3
General election 1929: Horncastle
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Unionist Henry Haslam 12,837 48.1 −4.7
Liberal Frederick Linfield 10,168 38.1 −9.1
Labour J. R. Sanderson 3,683 13.8 N/A
Majority 2,669 10.0 +4.4
Turnout 26,688 80.8 −0.9
Registered electors 33,042
Unionist hold Swing +2.2

Elections in the 1930s edit

General election 1931: Horncastle
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Henry Haslam 18,100 67.3 +19.2
Liberal George Henry John Dutton 8,788 32.7 −5.4
Majority 9,312 34.6 +24.6
Turnout 26,888 70.3 −10.5
Conservative hold Swing +12.3
General election 1935: Horncastle
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Henry Haslam 17,594 68.79
Labour Frank J Knowles 7,982 31.21 New
Majority 9,612 37.58
Turnout 25,576 69.40
Conservative hold Swing

Elections in the 1940s edit

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: Horncastle
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative John Maitland 14,019 53.10
Labour George Holderness 7,052 26.72
Liberal Frank Emerson 5,329 20.18 New
Majority 6,967 26.38
Turnout 26,403 70.45
Conservative hold Swing

Elections in the 1950s edit

General election 1950: Horncastle
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative John Maitland 22,329 65.67 +12.57
Labour Francis H Clark 11,671 34.33 +7.61
Majority 10,658 31.34 +4.92
Turnout 34,000 78.73 +8.28
Conservative hold Swing +2.48
General election 1951: Horncastle
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative John Maitland 22,043 66.42 +0.75
Labour Francis H Clark 11,143 33.58 −0.75
Majority 10,900 32.84 +1.50
Turnout 33,186 76.67 −2.06
Conservative hold Swing +0.75
General election 1955: Horncastle
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative John Maitland 20,392 66.83 +0.41
Labour Wilfrid Pashby 10,122 33.17 −0.41
Majority 10,270 33.66 +0.82
Turnout 30,514 71.01 −5.66
Conservative hold Swing +0.41
General election 1959: Horncastle
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative John Maitland 19,799 66.60 −0.23
Labour Hugh W Peck 9,928 33.40 +0.23
Majority 9,871 33.20 −0.46
Turnout 29,727 70.34 −0.67
Conservative hold Swing +0.23

Elections in the 1960s edit

General election 1964: Horncastle
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative John Maitland 15,854 49.59 −17.01
Labour Robin Brumby 8,069 25.24 −8.16
Liberal T Frank Smith 8,044 25.16 New
Majority 7,785 24.35 −8.85
Turnout 31,967 74.73 +4.39
Conservative hold Swing −4.43
General election 1966: Horncastle
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Peter Tapsell 15,090 46.64 −2.95
Labour Robert NH Sackur 9,715 30.02 +4.78
Liberal T Frank Smith 7,552 23.34 −1.82
Majority 5,375 16.62 −7.73
Turnout 32,357 81.10 +6.37
Conservative hold Swing −3.86

Elections in the 1970s edit

General election 1970: Horncastle
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Peter Tapsell 19,299 55.35 +8.71
Labour Eric A Skinns 8,860 25.41 −4.61
Liberal Roger S Miller 6,707 19.24 −4.10
Majority 10,439 29.94 +13.32
Turnout 34,866 74.20 −6.90
Conservative hold Swing +7.69
General election February 1974: Horncastle
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Peter Tapsell 19,344 49.53 −5.82
Liberal Roger S Miller 12,555 32.15 +12.91
Labour AJR Berry 6,791 17.39 −1.85
Independent Democratic Alliance EP Iszatt 367 0.94 New
Majority 6,789 17.38 −12.56
Turnout 39,057 79.33 +5.13
Conservative hold Swing −9.41
General election October 1974: Horncastle
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Peter Tapsell 16,750 47.71 −1.82
Liberal MJC Starky 11,506 32.78 +0.63
Labour K Bratton 6,849 19.51 +2.12
Majority 5,244 14.93 −2.45
Turnout 35,105 70.74 −8.59
Conservative hold Swing −1.23
General election 1979: Horncastle
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Peter Tapsell 21,362 55.12 +7.51
Liberal MJC Starky 10,833 27.95 −4.83
Labour DP Collins 6,240 16.10 −3.41
National Front M Hook 319 0.82 New
Majority 10,529 27.17 +12.24
Turnout 38,754 75.21 +4.47
Conservative hold Swing +6.17

References edit

  1. ^ a b c d British parliamentary election results, 1885-1918 (Craig)
  2. ^ a b c d e Craig, FWS, ed. (1974). British Parliamentary Election Results: 1885-1918. London: Macmillan Press. ISBN 9781349022984.
  3. ^ a b The Liberal Year Book, 1907
  4. ^ "Mr Herbert James Torr". Boston Guardian. 30 December 1893. p. 5. Retrieved 23 November 2017.
  5. ^ a b Debrett's House of Commons & Judicial Bench, 1901
  6. ^ The Times, 10 March 1920 & Cook and Ramsden, op cit, p271
  7. ^ a b The Liberal Year Book, 1931