Thornbury (UK Parliament constituency)

Thornbury was a county constituency centred on the town of Thornbury in Gloucestershire. It returned one Member of Parliament to the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom, elected by the first past the post voting system.

Thornbury
Former County constituency
for the House of Commons
CountyGloucestershire
Major settlementsThornbury
1885–1950
Number of membersOne
Replaced byStroud & Thornbury
Created fromWest Gloucestershire

History

The constituency was created by the Redistribution of Seats Act 1885 for the 1885 general election, and abolished for the 1950 general election.

Boundaries

1885–1918: The Sessional Divisions of Chipping Sodbury, Thornbury, and Lawford's Gate except the part included in the parliamentary borough of Bristol.

1918–1950: The Urban District of Kingswood, and the Rural Districts of Sodbury, Thornbury, and Warmley.

Members of Parliament
Election Member [1] Party
1885 Stafford Howard Liberal
1886 John Plunkett Conservative
1892 Charles Colston Conservative
1906 Athelstan Rendall Liberal
1922 Herbert Charles Woodcock Conservative
1923 Athelstan Rendall Liberal
1924 Sir Derrick Gunston, Bt. Unionist
1945 Joseph Alpass Labour
1950 constituency abolished

Elections

Elections in the 1880s
General election 1885: Thornbury [2][3][4]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Stafford Howard 4,834 50.8
Conservative Benjamin St John Ackers 4,689 49.2
Majority 145 1.6
Turnout 9,523 84.0
Registered electors 11,333
Liberal win (new seat)
General election 1886: Thornbury [2][3]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative John Plunkett 4,935 54.9 +5.7
Liberal Stafford Howard 4,054 45.1 -5.7
Majority 881 9.8 N/A
Turnout 8,989 79.3 -4.7
Registered electors 11,333
Conservative gain from Liberal Swing -5.7

Elections in the 1890s
Colston
General election 1892: Thornbury [2][3][5]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Charles Colston 5,202 51.1 -3.8
Liberal Stafford Howard 4,978 48.9 +3.8
Majority 224 2.2 -7.6
Turnout 10,180 85.8 +6.5
Registered electors 11,867
Conservative hold Swing -3.8
Allen
General election 1895: Thornbury [2][3][6]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Charles Colston 5,727 55.3 +4.2
Liberal Arthur Acland Allen 4,638 44.7 -4.2
Majority 1,089 10.6 +8.4
Turnout 10,635 85.0 -0.8
Registered electors 12,195
Conservative hold Swing +4.2

Elections in the 1900s
General election 1900: Thornbury [2][3][6]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Charles Colston Unopposed
Conservative hold
General election 1906: Thornbury [2][3]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Athelstan Rendall 7,370 58.4 New
Conservative Charles Colston 5,240 41.6 N/A
Majority 2,130 16.8 N/A
Turnout 12,610 89.5 N/A
Registered electors 14,096
Liberal gain from Conservative Swing N/A

Elections in the 1910s
General election January 1910: Thornbury [2][7]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Athelstan Rendall 7,270 53.8 -4.6
Conservative Cyril Augustus Ward 6,251 46.2 +4.6
Majority 1,019 7.6 -9.2
Turnout 13,521 91.7 +2.2
Liberal hold Swing -4.6
George Cockerill
General election December 1910: Thornbury [2][7]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Athelstan Rendall 6,820 53.9 +0.1
Conservative George Cockerill 5,837 46.1 -0.1
Majority 983 7.8 +0.2
Turnout 12,657 85.9 -5.8
Liberal hold Swing +0.1

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;

Athelstan Rendall
General election 1918: Thornbury [9]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
C Liberal Athelstan Rendall 9,999 62.0 +8.1
National Thomas Pilcher 6,132 38.0 New
Majority 3,687 24.0 +16.2
Turnout 16,131 47.6 −38.3
Registered electors 33,862
Liberal hold Swing N/A
C indicates candidate endorsed by the coalition government.

Elections in the 1920s
General election 1922: Thornbury [9]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Unionist Herbert Charles Woodcock 10,682 39.5 +1.5
Liberal Athelstan Rendall 10,578 39.2 -22.8
Labour Joseph Alpass 5,749 21.3 New
Majority 104 0.3 -23.7
Turnout 27,009 77.9 +30.3
Registered electors 34,655 +2.33
Unionist gain from Liberal Swing N/A
General election 1923: Thornbury [9]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Athelstan Rendall 16,722 62.0 +22.8
Unionist Herbert Charles Woodcock 10,252 38.0 -1.5
Majority 6,470 24.0 +2.7
Turnout 26,974 75.6 -2.3
Registered electors 35,695 +3.0
Liberal gain from Unionist Swing +12.2
General election 1924: Thornbury [9]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Unionist Derrick Gunston 12,500 42.9 +4.9
Liberal Athelstan Rendall 10,283 35.3 -26.7
Labour Godfrey Elton 6,376 21.9 New
Majority 2,217 7.6 N/A
Turnout 29,159 79.5 +3.9
Registered electors 36,672 +2.7
Unionist gain from Liberal Swing +15.8
General election 1929: Thornbury[9]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Unionist Derrick Gunston 13,914 34.0 -8.9
Liberal John Adam Day 13,614 33.2 -2.1
Labour Godfrey Elton 13,445 32.8 +10.9
Majority 300 0.8 -6.8
Turnout 40,973 82.5 +3.0
Registered electors 49,645 +35.4
Unionist hold Swing -3.4

Elections in the 1930s
General election 1931: Thornbury [9]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Derrick Gunston 23,072 55.1 +21.1
Labour George Pearce Blizard 11,008 26.3 -6.5
Liberal J. Howard Whitehouse 7,826 18.7 -14.5
Majority 12,064 28.8 +28.0
Turnout 41,906 79.7 -2.8
Registered electors 52,547 +5.8
Conservative hold Swing +13.8
General election 1935: Thornbury [9]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Derrick Gunston 19,180 47.4 -7.7
Labour F. A. Heron 15,164 37.5 +11.2
Liberal Wilfred John Jenkins 6,104 15.1 -3.6
Majority 4,016 9.9 -18.9
Turnout 40,448 71.5 -8.2
Registered electors 56,582 +7.7
Conservative hold Swing -9.4

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 and by the Autumn of 1939, the following candidates had been selected;

Elections in the 1940s
General election 1945: Thornbury [9]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Joseph Alpass 28,364 49.3 +11.8
Conservative Derrick Gunston 18,927 32.9 -14.5
Liberal Ronald W Brighton 10,262 17.8 +2.7
Majority 9,437 16.4 N/A
Turnout 57,553 76.4 +4.9
Registered electors 75,286 +33.1
Labour gain from Conservative Swing +13.2

References
  1. Leigh Rayment's Historical List of MPs – Constituencies beginning with "T" (part 1)
  2. Craig, F. W. S., ed. (1974). British Parliamentary Election Results: 1885-1918. London: Macmillan Press. p. 287. ISBN 9781349022984.
  3. The Liberal Year Book, 1907
  4. Debrett's House of Commons & Judicial Bench, 1886
  5. Debrett's House of Commons & Judicial Bench, 1896
  6. Debrett's House of Commons & Judicial Bench, 1901
  7. Debrett's House of Commons & Judicial Bench, 1916
  8. Standard 21 June 1913
  9. British Parliamentary Election Results 1918-1949, FWS Craig
  10. Report of the Annual Conference of the Labour Party, 1939
  11. Gloucestershire Echo, 9 May 1938
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