Manchester (UK Parliament constituency)

Manchester was a Parliamentary borough constituency in the county of Lancashire which was represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. Its territory consisted of the city of Manchester.

Manchester
Former Borough constituency
for the House of Commons
CountyLancashire
(now Greater Manchester)
Major settlementsManchester
1832–1885
Number of members1832–1868: Two
1868–1885: Three
Replaced byManchester East
Manchester North
Manchester North East
Manchester North West
Manchester South
Manchester South West
Created fromLancashire
1654–1660
Type of constituencyBorough constituency

History

Manchester had first been represented in Parliament in 1654, when it was granted one seat in the First Protectorate Parliament. However, as with other boroughs enfranchised during the Commonwealth, it was disenfranchised at the Restoration of the monarchy in 1660.

The subsequent growth of Manchester into a major industrial city left its lack of representation a major anomaly, and demands for a seat in Parliament led to a mass public meeting in August 1819. This peaceful rally of 60,000 pro-democracy reformers, men, women and children, was attacked by armed cavalry resulting in 15 deaths and over 600 injuries,[1] and became known as the Peterloo Massacre.

Reform was attempted unsuccessfully by Lord John Russell, whose bills in 1828 and 1830 were rejected by the Commons. The city was finally enfranchised by the Reform Act of 1832, and at the 1832 general election, Manchester returned two Members of Parliament (MPs). The Reform Act 1867 increased this in 1868 to three Members of Parliament.

Under the Redistribution of Seats Act 1885, the constituency was abolished with effect from the 1885 general election, when the city was split into six new single-member divisions: East, North, North East, North West, South, and South West.

Members of Parliament

MPs 1654–1660
Election1st Member
1654Charles Worsley
1656Richard Radcliffe

MPs 1832–1885
Election1st Member[2]1st Party[3] 2nd Member2nd Party3rd Member3rd Party
1832 Mark Philips Whig[4][5][6] Charles Poulett-Thomson Whig[4][5][6] 2 seats until 1868
3 seats from 1868 to 1885
1839 by-election Robert Hyde Greg Whig[4][7][8]
1841 Thomas Milner Gibson Radical[9][10][11][12][13]
1847 John Bright Radical
1857 John Potter Whig[14][15] James Aspinall Turner Whig[14][15]
1858 by-election Thomas Bazley Whig[16]
1859 Liberal Liberal
1865 Edward James Liberal
1867 by-election Jacob Bright Liberal
1868 Hugh Birley Conservative
1874 William Romaine Callender Conservative
1876 by-election Jacob Bright Liberal
1880 John Slagg Liberal
1883 by-election William Houldsworth Conservative
1885 Constituency abolished (1885)

Elections

Elections in the 1880s
By-election, 6 Oct 1883: Manchester[17]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative William Houldsworth 18,188 74.5 +29.4
Liberal Richard Pankhurst 6,216 25.5 −29.4
Majority 11,972 49.0 N/A
Turnout 24,404 46.2 −27.8 (est)
Registered electors 52,831
Conservative hold Swing +29.4
  • Caused by Birley's death.
General election 1880: Manchester (3 seats)[17]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal John Slagg 24,959 27.5 +2.6
Liberal Jacob Bright 24,789 27.4 +3.3
Conservative Hugh Birley 20,594 22.7 −3.0
Conservative William Houldsworth 20,268 22.4 −2.9
Majority 4,195 4.6 N/A
Turnout 45,305 (est) 74.0 (est) +9.5
Registered electors 61,234
Liberal hold Swing
Liberal gain from Conservative Swing
Conservative hold Swing

Elections in the 1870s
By-election, 19 Feb 1876: Manchester[17]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Jacob Bright 22,770 52.0 +3.0
Conservative Francis Powell[18] 20,985 48.0 −3.0
Majority 1,785 4.0 N/A
Turnout 43,755 70.5 +6.0
Registered electors 62,074
Liberal gain from Conservative Swing +3.0
  • Caused by Callender's death.
General election 1874: Manchester (3 seats)[17]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Hugh Birley 19,984 25.7 +4.1
Conservative William Romaine Callender 19,649 25.3 +7.6
Liberal Thomas Bazley 19,325 24.9 +3.3
Liberal Jacob Bright 18,727 24.1 +5.8
Majority 324 0.4 −1.4
Turnout 38,843 (est) 64.5 (est) +5.2
Registered electors 60,222
Conservative hold Swing −0.2
Conservative gain from Liberal Swing +1.5
Liberal hold Swing −1.3

Elections in the 1860s
General election 1868: Manchester (3 seats)[17]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Hugh Birley 15,486 21.6 N/A
Liberal Thomas Bazley 14,192 19.8 −12.6
Liberal Jacob Bright 13,154 18.3 −4.5
Conservative Joseph Hoare 12,684 17.7 N/A
Liberal Ernest Charles Jones 10,662 14.9 N/A
Liberal Mitchell Henry 5,236 7.3 N/A
Turnout 28,620 (est) 59.3 (est) +2.6
Registered electors 48,256
Majority 1,294 1.8 N/A
Conservative gain from Liberal Swing N/A
Majority 830 1.2 −3.5
Liberal hold Swing N/A
Liberal win (new seat)
  • Seat increased to three members.
By-election, 27 November 1867: Manchester[17]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Jacob Bright 8,160 53.6 +30.8
Conservative John Marsland Bennett[19] 6,420 42.2 New
Liberal Mitchell Henry[20] 643 4.2 N/A
Majority 1,740 11.4 +6.7
Turnout 15,223 70.7 +14.0
Registered electors 21,542
Liberal hold Swing N/A
  • James' death caused a by-election. Bright was an advanced Liberal, and Henry was a Whig liberal.[21]
General election 1865: Manchester (2 seats)[17]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Thomas Bazley 7,909 32.4 +2.8
Liberal Edward James 6,698 27.4 N/A
Liberal Jacob Bright 5,562 22.8 N/A
Liberal Abel Heywood 4,242 17.4 −4.0
Majority 1,136 4.7 −2.6
Turnout 12,206 (est) 56.7 (est) −12.8
Registered electors 21,542
Liberal hold Swing N/A
Liberal hold Swing N/A

Elections in the 1850s
General election 1859: Manchester (2 seats)[17]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Thomas Bazley 7,545 29.6 −1.1
Liberal James Aspinall Turner 7,300 28.6 −0.2
Liberal Abel Heywood 5,448 21.4 N/A
Conservative Joseph Denman[22][23] 5,201 20.4 New
Majority 1,852 7.3 −1.0
Turnout 12,747 (est) 69.5 (est) −6.1
Registered electors 18,334
Liberal hold Swing N/A
Liberal hold Swing N/A
By-election, 17 November 1858: Manchester[17]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Whig Thomas Bazley Unopposed
Whig hold
  • Caused by Potter's death.
General election 1857: Manchester (2 seats)[17]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Whig John Potter 8,368 30.7
Whig James Aspinall Turner 7,854 28.8
Radical Thomas Milner Gibson 5,588 20.5 −8.9
Radical John Bright 5,458 20.0 −8.0
Majority 2,266 8.3 N/A
Turnout 13,634 (est) 75.6 (est) +5.3
Registered electors 18,044
Whig gain from Radical Swing N/A
Whig hold Swing N/A
General election 1852: Manchester (2 seats)[17][24]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Whig Thomas Milner Gibson 5,762 29.4 New
Radical John Bright 5,475 28.0 N/A
Conservative George Loch 4,364 22.3 New
Conservative Joseph Denman 3,969 20.3 New
Majority 1,111 5.7 N/A
Turnout 9,785 (est) 70.3 (est) N/A
Registered electors 13,921
Radical hold Swing N/A
Radical hold Swing N/A

Elections in the 1840s
General election 1847: Manchester (2 seats)[17]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Radical John Bright Unopposed
Radical Thomas Milner Gibson Unopposed
Registered electors 12,841
Radical hold
Radical gain from Whig
By-election, 13 July 1846: Manchester[17]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Radical Thomas Milner Gibson Unopposed
Radical hold
General election 1841: Manchester (2 seats)[17]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Whig Mark Philips 3,695 28.3 −49.3
Radical Thomas Milner Gibson 3,575 27.3 N/A
Conservative George Murray 3,115 23.8 +12.6
Conservative William Entwisle 2,692 20.6 +9.4
Turnout 6,539 (est) 60.4 (est) c. +5.5
Registered electors 10,818
Majority 120 1.0 −13.4
Whig hold Swing −31.0
Majority 460 3.5 N/A
Radical gain from Whig Swing N/A

Elections in the 1830s
By-election, 7 September 1839: Manchester[17][4]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Whig Robert Hyde Greg 3,096 50.5 −27.1
Conservative George Murray 2,969 48.4 +26.0
Radical Thomas Perronet Thompson 63 1.0 New
Majority 127 2.1 −12.3
Turnout 6,128 54.8 −0.1
Registered electors 11,185
Whig hold Swing −26.6
  • Caused by Poulett-Thomson's resignation after being appointed Governor-General of Canada
General election 1837: Manchester (2 seats)[17][4]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Whig Charles Poulett-Thomson 4,158 40.8 +6.0
Whig Mark Philips 3,750 36.8 +4.0
Conservative William Ewart Gladstone 2,281 22.4 −3.9
Majority 1,469 14.4 +7.9
Turnout 6,146 54.9 −11.5
Registered electors 11,185
Whig hold Swing +4.0
Whig hold Swing +3.0
By-election, 30 April 1835: Manchester[17][4]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Whig Charles Poulett-Thomson 3,183 63.4 −4.2
Conservative Benjamin Braidley 1,837 36.6 +10.3
Majority 1,346 26.8 +20.3
Turnout 5,020 59.5 −6.9
Registered electors 8,432
Whig hold Swing −4.7
  • Caused by Poulett-Thomson's appointment as President of the Board of Trade
General election 1835: Manchester (2 seats)[17][4]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Whig Charles Poulett-Thomson 3,355 34.8 +13.5
Whig Mark Philips 3,163 32.8 +2.6
Conservative Benjamin Braidley 2,535 26.3 +10.2
Radical Charles Wolseley 583 6.1 −7.4
Majority 628 6.5 +4.1
Turnout 5,595 66.4 −11.9
Registered electors 8,432
Whig hold Swing +8.6
Whig hold Swing +3.2
General election 1832: Manchester (2 seats)[17][4]
Party Candidate Votes %
Whig Mark Philips 2,923 30.2
Whig Charles Poulett-Thomson 2,068 21.3
Whig Samuel Jones-Loyd 1,832 18.9
Tory John Thomas Hope 1,560 16.1
Radical William Cobbett 1,305 13.5
Majority 236 2.4
Turnout 5,267 78.3
Registered electors 6,726
Whig win (new seat)
Whig win (new seat)

Sources

References
  1. Ward, David (27 December 2007). "New plaque tells truth of Peterloo killings 188 years on". The Guardian. London: Guardian News and Media Ltd. Retrieved 25 March 2008.
  2. Leigh Rayment's Historical List of MPs – Constituencies beginning with "L" (part 1)
  3. Craig, F. W. S. (1989) [1977]. British parliamentary election results 1832–1885 (2nd ed.). Chichester: Parliamentary Research Services. p. 206. ISBN 978-0-900178-26-9.
  4. Stooks Smith, Henry. (1973) [1844–1850]. Craig, F. W. S. (ed.). The Parliaments of England (2nd ed.). Chichester: Parliamentary Research Services. pp. 184–185. ISBN 978-0-900178-13-9.
  5. Churton, Edward (1838). The Assembled Commons or Parliamentary Biographer: 1838. pp. 182, 221 – via Google Books.
  6. Mosse, Richard Bartholomew (1838). The Parliamentary Guide: a concise history of the Members of both Houses, etc. pp. 205, 223 – via Google Books.
  7. "Sherborne Mercury". 9 September 1839. p. 1 – via British Newspaper Archive.
  8. "Wilts and Gloucestershire Standard". 7 September 1839. pp. 2–3 – via British Newspaper Archive.
  9. Hawkins, Angus (2015). "'Parliamentary Government' and its Critics". Victorian Political Culture: 'Habits of Heart and Mind'. Oxford: Oxford University Press. p. 130. ISBN 9780198728481.
  10. "The Milner-Gibsons". The Milner-Gibsons (1806-1986). 3 August 2013.
  11. Jenkins, Terry. "Parties, Politics and Society in Mid-Victorian Britain" (PDF). St Ambrose College. p. 2. Retrieved 7 April 2018.
  12. Hawkins, Angus (Winter 2009–10). "Celebrating 1859: Party, Patriotism and Liberal Values" (PDF). Journal of Liberal History. 65: 11.
  13. Douglas, David C., ed. (2006). English Historical Documents. New York: Taylor & Francis e-Library. p. 26. ISBN 978-0-203-19907-7.
  14. Silver, Arthur (1966). Manchester Men & Indian Cotton 1847-72. Manchester: Manchester University Press. p. 17.
  15. Trevelyan, George Macaulay (1913). The Life of John Bright. London: Constable and Company. p. 259.
  16. Taylor, Antony (1997). "'The Best Way to Get What He Wanted': Ernest Jones and the Boundaries of Liberalism in the Manchester Election of 1868". Parliamentary History. 16 (2): 185–204. doi:10.1111/j.1750-0206.1997.tb00225.x.
  17. Craig, F. W. S., ed. (1977). British Parliamentary Election Results 1832-1885 (e-book) |format= requires |url= (help) (1st ed.). London: Macmillan Press. pp. 206–207. ISBN 978-1-349-02349-3.
  18. "Borough of Manchester Election, 1876". Manchester Courier and Lancashire General Advertiser. 12 February 1876. p. 1 – via British Newspaper Archive.
  19. "Manchester". Yorkshire Post and Leeds Intelligencer. 15 November 1867. p. 4 – via British Newspaper Archive.
  20. "Representation of Manchester - Candidature of Mr Mitchell Henry". Manchester Courier and Lancashire General Advertiser. Manchester. 26 November 1867. p. 1 – via British Newspaper Archive.
  21. "Manchester". Westmorland Gazette. Cumbria. 16 November 1867. p. 5 – via British Newspaper Archive.
  22. "Manchester". Manchester Courier and Lancashire General Advertiser. 30 April 1859. pp. 6–7 – via British Newspaper Archive.
  23. "Manchester". Wolverhampton Chronicle and Staffordshire Advertiser. 4 May 1859. p. 7 – via British Newspaper Archive.
  24. "Stonehaven Journal". 20 July 1852. p. 2 – via British Newspaper Archive.
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