Honiton (UK Parliament constituency)

Honiton was a parliamentary constituency centred on the town of Honiton in east Devon, formerly represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. It sent members intermittently from 1300, consistently from 1640. It elected two Members of Parliament (MPs) until it was abolished in 1868. It was recreated in 1885 as a single-member constituency.

Honiton
Former County constituency
for the House of Commons
Honiton in Devon, showing boundaries used from 1983 to 1997.
CountyDevon
1885–1997
Number of membersOne
Replaced byEast Devon, Tiverton and Honiton
Created fromEast Devon
1640–1868
Number of membersTwo
Replaced byEast Devon

For the 1997 general election, the town of Honiton was added to the neighbouring constituency of Tiverton to form the Tiverton & Honiton constituency. The remainder continued as the East Devon constituency.

Honiton was regarded as a potwalloper borough by the time of Thomas Cochrane. It was notorious for the bribes demanded by its electors, and was therefore a very expensive seat for a candidate to seek election in. The Yonge family of Colyton, patrons of the borough, were almost ruined by representing Honiton on several occasions.[1][2] Sir William Pole, 4th Baronet (1678–1741) who had twice represented Honiton at great personal financial expense, made an "earnest request and recommendation" in his will that his son would "never stand as a candidate or if chosen will never be prevailed upon to represent or serve in Parliament for the borough of Honiton".[3]

Boundaries

1885–1918: The Sessional Divisions of Axminster, Honiton, Ottery, and Woodbury.

1918–1974: The Borough of Honiton, the Urban Districts of Axminster, Budleigh Salterton, Exmouth, Ottery St Mary, Seaton, and Sidmouth, the Rural Districts of Axminster and Honiton, and part of the Rural District of St Thomas.

1974–1983: The Borough of Honiton, the Urban Districts of Budleigh Salterton, Exmouth, Ottery St Mary, Seaton, and Sidmouth, the Rural Districts of Axminster and Honiton, and part of the Rural District of St Thomas.

1983–1997: The District of East Devon wards of Axminster Hamlets, Axminster Town, Beer, Budleigh Salterton, Colyton, Edenvale, Exmouth Brixington, Exmouth Halsdon, Exmouth Littleham Rural, Exmouth Littleham Urban, Exmouth Withycombe Raleigh, Exmouth Withycombe Urban, Honiton St Michael's, Honiton St Paul's, Lympstone, Newbridges, Newton Poppleford and Harpford, Otterhead, Patteson, Raleigh, Seaton, Sidmouth Rural, Sidmouth Town, Sidmouth Woolbrook, Trinity, Upper Axe, Woodbury, and Yarty.

Members of Parliament

Honiton re-enfranchised by Parliament in Nov 1640

MPs 1640–1660

Long Parliament

Honiton was unrepresented in the Barebones Parliament.

First Protectorate Parliament

Second Protectorate Parliament

Third Protectorate Parliament

Long Parliament (restored)

  • 1659-1660: Not represented

MPs 1660–1868
ElectionFirst member[4] !First partySecond member[4]Second party
1660 Sir John Yonge Samuel Serle
1661 Sir Courtenay Pole Peter Prideaux
1679 Sir Walter Yonge Sir Thomas Putt
1685 Edmond Walrond
1689 Richard Courtenay
1690 Sir William Drake Sir Walter Yonge
1711 James Sheppard
1715 Sir William Courtenay Sir William YongeWhig
1716 Sir William Pole
1727 James Sheppard
1731 Sir William Pole
1734 William Courtenay
1741 Henry Reginald Courtenay
1747 John Heath (later John Duke)
1754 Henry Reginald Courtenay Sir George Yonge
1761 John Duke
1763 Sir George Yonge
1768 Brass Crosby
1774 Laurence Cox
1780 Alexander Macleod
1781 Jacob Wilkinson
1784 Sir George Collier
1790 George Templer (1755–1819), of Shapwick, Somerset
1796 George Chambers George Shum
1802 Sir John Honywood
1805 Augustus Cavendish-BradshawWhig[5]
1806 (April) Richard Bateman-Robson
1806 (October) Thomas CochraneWhig[5]
1807 Sir Charles Hamilton
1812 Richard Howard-Vyse George Robinson
1818 Hon. Peregrine Cust[6]Tory[5] Samuel CrawleyWhig[5]
1826 Josiah John Guest[7]Whig[5] Harry Baines Lott[8]
1830 Sir George WarrenderTory[5]
1831 Harry Baines Lott[9]
1832 George Child-VilliersTory[5] James Ruddell-ToddWhig[5]
1834 Conservative[5]
1835 Hugh Duncan BaillieConservative[5] Arthur ChichesterConservative[5]
1837 James StewartWhig[5][10][11]
1841 Forster Alleyne McGeachyConservative[5]
1847 Joseph LockeWhig[12][13][14] Sir James Hogg 1st BtConservative
1857 Archibald Stuart-WortleyConservative
1859 Liberal Alexander Baillie-CochraneConservative
1860 George MoffattLiberal
1865 Frederick GoldsmidLiberal
1866 Julian GoldsmidLiberal
1868 Constituency abolished, but re-established in 1885

MPs 1885–1997
Election Member[4] Party Notes
1885 John Kennaway Conservative
Jan 1910 Clive Morrison-Bell Conservative
1931 Cedric Drewe Conservative
1955 Robert Mathew Conservative Died 1966
1967 by-election Peter Emery Conservative
1997 constituency abolished: see Tiverton and Honiton & Devon East

Election results
East Devon election results

Elections in the 1830s
General election 1830: Honiton[5][15]
Party Candidate Votes %
Whig John Josiah Guest Unopposed
Tory George Warrender Unopposed
Whig hold
Tory gain from Non Partisan
General election 1831: Honiton[5][15]
Party Candidate Votes %
Tory George Warrender 319 36.7
Non Partisan Harry Baines Lott 283 32.6
Whig John Josiah Guest 259 29.8
Radical John Thomas Mayne 8 0.9
Turnout 492 c. 96.5
Registered electors c. 510
Majority 36 4.1
Tory hold
Majority 24 2.8
Non Partisan gain from Whig
General election 1832: Honiton[5][16]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Tory George Child Villiers 360 46.6 +28.3
Whig James Ruddell-Todd 302 39.1 +9.3
Tory James Peel Cockburn 110 14.2 −4.2
Turnout 492 96.3 c. −0.2
Registered electors 511
Majority 58 7.5 +3.4
Tory hold Swing +11.8
Majority 192 24.9 N/A
Whig gain from Non Partisan Swing −1.4
General election 1835: Honiton[5][16]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Hugh Duncan Baillie 332 42.6 −4.0
Conservative Arthur Chichester 226 29.0 +14.8
Whig James Ruddell-Todd 221 28.4 −10.7
Majority 5 0.6 −6.9
Turnout 446 94.7 −1.6
Registered electors 471
Conservative hold Swing +0.7
Conservative gain from Whig Swing +10.1
General election 1837: Honiton[5][16]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Hugh Duncan Baillie 294 40.7 −1.9
Whig James Stewart 225 31.2 +2.8
Conservative Alexander Grant 203 28.1 −0.9
Turnout 435 94.6 −0.1
Registered electors 460
Majority 69 9.5 +8.9
Conservative hold Swing −1.7
Majority 22 3.1 N/A
Whig gain from Conservative Swing +2.8

Elections in the 1840s
General election 1841: Honiton[16]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Hugh Duncan Baillie Unopposed
Conservative Forster Alleyne McGeachy Unopposed
Registered electors 440
Conservative hold
Conservative gain from Whig
General election 1847: Honiton[16]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative James Hogg Unopposed
Whig Joseph Locke Unopposed
Registered electors 446
Conservative hold
Whig gain from Conservative

Elections in the 1850s
General election 1852: Honiton[16]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Whig Joseph Locke 166 37.6 N/A
Conservative James Hogg 152 34.5 N/A
Conservative Richard Gard[17] 123 27.9 N/A
Majority 14 3.1 N/A
Turnout 221 (est) 76.8 (est) N/A
Registered electors 287
Whig hold Swing N/A
Conservative hold Swing N/A
General election 1857: Honiton[16]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Whig Joseph Locke 214 47.6 +10.0
Conservative Archibald Stuart-Wortley 119 26.4 −1.5
Conservative James Hogg 117 26.0 −8.5
Majority 95 21.2 +18.1
Turnout 225 (est) 85.2 (est) +8.4
Registered electors 264
Whig hold Swing +10.0
Conservative hold Swing −6.8
General election 1859: Honiton[16]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Joseph Locke Unopposed
Conservative Alexander Baillie-Cochrane Unopposed
Registered electors 287
Liberal hold
Conservative hold

Elections in the 1860s

Locke's death caused a by-election.

By-election, 22 October 1860: Honiton[16]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal George Moffatt Unopposed
Liberal hold
General election 1865: Honiton[16]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Frederick Goldsmid 171 42.9 N/A
Conservative Alexander Baillie-Cochrane 140 35.1 N/A
Liberal Evan Matthew Richards[18] 88 22.1 N/A
Turnout 200 (est) 74.7 (est) N/A
Registered electors 267
Majority 31 7.8 N/A
Liberal hold Swing N/A
Majority 52 13.0 N/A
Conservative hold Swing N/A

Goldsmid's death caused a by-election.

By-election, 28 March 1866: Honiton[16]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Julian Goldsmid Unopposed
Liberal hold

In 1868, the seat was absorbed into East Devon. It was later recreated for 1885.

Elections in the 1880s
General election 1885: Honiton [19][20][21]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative John Kennaway 4,540 60.6
Liberal John Budd Phear 2,957 39.4
Majority 1,583 21.2
Turnout 7,497 83.2
Registered electors 9,012
Conservative win (new seat)
General election 1886: Honiton [19][21]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative John Kennaway Unopposed
Conservative hold

Elections in the 1890s
General election 1892: Honiton [19][21]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative John Kennaway 4,591 64.2 N/A
Liberal William Hickman Smith Aubrey 2,565 35.8 New
Majority 2,026 28.4 N/A
Turnout 7,156 78.1 N/A
Registered electors 9,167
Conservative hold Swing N/A
General election 1895: Honiton [19][22][21]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative John Kennaway Unopposed
Conservative hold

Elections in the 1900s
General election 1900: Honiton [19][22][21]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative John Kennaway Unopposed
Conservative hold
Luke
General election 1906: Honiton [19][21]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative John Kennaway 4,854 56.7 N/A
Liberal William Balkwill Luke 3,711 43.3 New
Majority 1,143 13.4 N/A
Turnout 8,565 87.4 N/A
Registered electors 9,797
Conservative hold Swing N/A

Elections in the 1910s
General election January 1910: Honiton [23][21]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Clive Morrison-Bell 5,604 60.0 +3.3
Liberal William Balkwill Luke 3,733 40.0 −3.3
Majority 1,871 20.0 +6.6
Turnout 9,337 88.7 +1.3
Registered electors 10,522
Conservative hold Swing +3.3
General election December 1910: Honiton [23][21]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Clive Morrison-Bell 5,348 60.9 +0.9
Liberal Harry Geen 3,439 39.1 −0.9
Majority 1,909 21.8 +1.8
Turnout 8,787 83.5 −5.2
Registered electors 10,522
Conservative hold Swing +0.9

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: Honiton[24]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
C Unionist Clive Morrison-Bell Unopposed
Unionist hold
C indicates candidate endorsed by the coalition government.

Elections in the 1920s
Halse
General election 1922: Honiton[24]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Unionist Clive Morrison-Bell 12,972 55.5 N/A
Liberal John George Hawkins Halse 10,404 44.5 New
Majority 2,568 11.0 N/A
Turnout 23,376 79.1 N/A
Registered electors 29,546
Unionist hold Swing N/A
General election 1923: Honiton[24]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Unionist Clive Morrison-Bell 12,470 50.6 −4.9
Liberal John George Hawkins Halse 12,177 49.4 +4.9
Majority 293 1.2 −9.8
Turnout 24,647 81.0 +1.9
Registered electors 30,443
Unionist hold Swing −4.9
General election 1924: Honiton[24]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Unionist Clive Morrison-Bell 14,804 55.2 +4.6
Liberal John George Hawkins Halse 12,025 44.8 −4.6
Majority 2,779 10.4 +9.2
Turnout 26,829 85.5 +4.5
Registered electors 31,388
Unionist hold Swing +4.6
General election 1929: Honiton[24]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Unionist Clive Morrison-Bell 17,911 50.9 −4.3
Liberal John George Hawkins Halse 16,353 46.5 +1.7
Labour Rose Davies 915 2.6 New
Majority 1,558 4.4 −6.0
Turnout 35,179 84.3 −1.2
Registered electors 41,723
Unionist hold Swing −3.0

Elections in the 1930s
General election 1931: Honiton[24]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Cedric Drewe 21,854 60.0 +9.1
Liberal John George Hawkins Halse 14,563 40.0 -6.5
Majority 7,291 20.0 +15.6
Turnout 36,417 83.5 -0.8
Conservative hold Swing +7.8
General election 1935: Honiton[24]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Cedric Drewe 22,805 71.9 +11.9
Labour J R Morris 8,916 28.1 New
Majority 13,889 43.8 +23.8
Turnout 31,721 69.6 -13.9
Conservative hold Swing N/A

Elections 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: Honiton[24]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Cedric Drewe 24,499 65.8 -6.1
Labour Henry Thomas Langdon 12,739 34.2 +6.1
Majority 11,760 31.6 -12.2
Turnout 37,238 70.3 +0.7
Conservative hold Swing -6.1

Elections in the 1950s
General election 1950: Honiton
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Cedric Drewe 26,767 57.78
Labour GR Sargeant 10,816 23.35
Liberal Guy Barrington 8,742 18.87 New
Majority 15,951 34.43
Turnout 46,295 84.43
Conservative hold Swing
General election 1951: Honiton
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Cedric Drewe 27,015 58.42
Liberal John B Halse 9,858 21.32
Labour Norman L Stevens 9,369 20.26
Majority 17,157 37.10
Turnout 46,242 82.54
Conservative hold Swing
General election 1955: Honiton
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Robert Mathew 25,808 57.63
Liberal John B Halse 11,067 24.71
Labour Frederick W Thornton 7,907 17.66
Majority 14,741 32.92
Turnout 44,782 79.68
Conservative hold Swing
General election 1959: Honiton
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Robert Mathew 25,959 56.69
Liberal John B Halse 12,906 28.18
Labour Frederick W Morgan 6,928 15.13
Majority 13,053 28.51
Turnout 45,793 80.10
Conservative hold Swing

Elections in the 1960s
General election 1964: Honiton
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Robert Mathew 26,475 55.04
Liberal Warwick Deal 12,354 25.68
Labour Marjorie Clark 9,273 19.28
Majority 14,121 29.36
Turnout 48,102 78.77
Conservative hold Swing
General election 1966: Honiton
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Robert Mathew 26,966 54.4 -0.6
Labour Marjorie Clark 13,257 26.7 +7.4
Liberal Raymond Hicks 9,342 18.9 -6.8
Majority 13,707 27.7 -1.7
Turnout 49,565 78.6 -0.2
Conservative hold Swing
1967 Honiton by-election
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Peter Emery 26,501 57.0 +2.6
Liberal Bridget Trethewey 10,509 22.6 +3.7
Labour Marjorie Clark 9,501 20.4 -6.3
Majority 15,992 34.4 +6.7
Turnout 46,511 72.6 -6.0
Conservative hold Swing -0.7

Elections in the 1970s
General election 1970: Honiton
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Peter Emery 32,885 59.48
Liberal Bridget Trethewey 11,330 20.49
Labour Malyn DD Newitt 11,072 20.03
Majority 21,555 38.99
Turnout 55,287 76.66
Conservative hold Swing
General election February 1974: Honiton
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Peter Emery 32,429 54.48
Liberal V Howell 18,306 30.75
Labour Malyn DD Newitt 8,791 14.77
Majority 14,123 23.73
Turnout 59,526 81.98
Conservative hold Swing
General election October 1974: Honiton
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Peter Emery 29,720 53.77
Liberal V Howell 16,500 29.85
Labour RL Spiller 9,048 16.37
Majority 13,220 23.92
Turnout 55,268 75.64
Conservative hold Swing
General election 1979: Honiton
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Peter Emery 37,832 62.42
Liberal R Ruffle 12,601 20.79
Labour T Luesby 8,756 14.45
Ecology MH Bacon 1,423 2.35 New
Majority 25,231 41.63
Turnout 60,612 77.41
Conservative hold Swing

Elections in the 1980s
General election 1983: Honiton[26]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Peter Emery 32,602 60.58
SDP A Sampson 17,833 33.14 New
Labour RAC Sharpe 3,377 6.28
Majority 14,769 27.44
Turnout 53,812 74.50
Conservative hold Swing
General election 1987: Honiton[27]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Peter Emery 34,931 59.2 -1.4
SDP Gerald Tatton-Brown 18,369 31.1 -2.0
Labour Simon Pollentine 4,988 8.5 +2.2
Monster Raving Loony Stuart Hughes 747 1.3 New
Majority 16,562 28.05 +0.6
Turnout 59,035 76.41 +1.91
Conservative hold Swing

Elections in the 1990s
General election 1992: Honiton[28][29]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Peter Emery 33,533 52.4 −6.8
Liberal Democrats JM Sharratt 17,022 26.6 −4.5
Labour R Davison 8,142 12.7 +4.2
Ind. Conservative DA Owen 2,175 3.4 New
Raving Loony Green Giant Stuart Basil Fawlty Hughes 1,442 2.3 New
Liberal Gerald Halliwell 1,005 1.6 New
Green Alan Tootill 650 1.0 New
Majority 16,511 25.8 −2.2
Turnout 63,969 80.7 +4.3
Conservative hold Swing −1.1

See also

Notes and references
  1. http://www.historyofparliamentonline.org/volume/1754-1790/constituencies/honiton#constituency-main-article
  2. http://www.historyofparliamentonline.org/volume/1790-1820/constituencies/honiton
  3. http://www.historyofparliamentonline.org/volume/1715-1754/member/pole-sir-william-1678-1741
  4. Leigh Rayment's Historical List of MPs – Constituencies beginning with "H" (part 3)
  5. Stooks Smith, Henry. (1973) [1844-1850]. Craig, F. W. S. (ed.). The Parliaments of England (2nd ed.). Chichester: Parliamentary Research Services. pp. 70–72. ISBN 0-900178-13-2.
  6. P W Cust lived 1791-1873, according to Rayment
  7. 1826 general election The Times, Saturday 27 May 1826; p.4; Issue 12978; col E: "Mr. Guest, a great iron founder of Wales comes in for Honiton, without opposition, instead of Mr Cust, who retires". General Election: The Times, Saturday 1 July 1826; p.2; Issue 13008; col A: From the London Gazette, Friday, June 30 - List of members returned to the new parliament . . . Josiah John Guest . . .
  8. H B Lott lived 1781-1833, according to Rayment. Bridgewater Advertiser reported Harry Lott - magistrate died 1 July 1833, age 51 at Tracey House near Honiton. . . Hansard says Mr Henry Lott served the Honiton Constituency 16 June 1826 - 30 July 1830 and 5 May 1831 - 13 December 1832.
  9. The Times, Saturday 7 May 1831; pg. 2; Issue 14533; col F: General Election. Members Returned To The New Parliament: HONITON: Sir G Warrender and H B Lott Esq. The Times, Saturday, 28 May 1831; p.3; Issue 14550; col E: "From the London Gazette, Friday, May 27". - "Members Returned To The New Parliament: HONITON: Sir G Warrender and Harry Baines Lott of Tracey-house in the parish of Awliscombe in the county of Devon, Esq."
  10. "Inverness Courier". 26 July 1837. p. 2. Retrieved 9 November 2018 – via British Newspaper Archive.
  11. "General Elections". Bucks Herald. 8 July 1837. p. 4. Retrieved 9 November 2018 – via British Newspaper Archive.
  12. "The General Election". Morning Post. 24 July 1847. p. 3. Retrieved 14 May 2018 – via British Newspaper Archive.
  13. "The Railway Parliament". West Kent Guardian. 21 August 1847. p. 1. Retrieved 14 May 2018 – via British Newspaper Archive.
  14. "Political". Norfolk News. 31 July 1847. p. 2. Retrieved 14 May 2018 – via British Newspaper Archive.
  15. Jenkins, Terry. "Honiton". The History of Parliament. Retrieved 14 April 2020.
  16. Craig, F. W. S., ed. (1977). British Parliamentary Election Results 1832-1885 (1st ed.). London: Macmillan Press. ISBN 978-1-349-02349-3.
  17. "Election Intelligence". Exeter and Plymouth Gazette. 10 July 1852. pp. 6–7. Retrieved 14 May 2018 – via British Newspaper Archive.
  18. "Election Intelligence". Exeter and Plymouth Gazette. 14 July 1865. pp. 9–11. Retrieved 25 March 2018 – via British Newspaper Archive.
  19. The Liberal Year Book, 1907
  20. Debrett's House of Commons & Judicial Bench, 1886
  21. Craig, FWS, ed. (1974). British Parliamentary Election Results: 1885-1918. London: Macmillan Press. ISBN 9781349022984.
  22. Debrett's House of Commons & Judicial Bench, 1901
  23. Debrett's House of Commons & Judicial Bench, 1916
  24. British Parliamentary Election Results 1918-1949, F W S Craig
  25. Report of the Annual Conference of the Labour Party, 1939
  26. "Election Data 1983". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 28 June 2017.
  27. "Election Data 1987". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 28 June 2017.
  28. "Election Data 1992". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 28 June 2017.
  29. "Politics Resources". Election 1992. Politics Resources. 9 April 1992. Archived from the original on 24 July 2011. Retrieved 6 Dec 2010.
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