Liskeard (UK Parliament constituency)

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Liskeard Borough constituency
Created:	1295
Abolished:	1885
Type:	House of Commons
Members:	two (1295-1832); one (1832-1885)

Liskeard was a parliamentary borough in Cornwall, which elected two Members of Parliament (MPs) to the House of Commons from 1295 until 1832, and then one member from 1832 until 1885, when the borough was abolished.

Contents 1 History 2 Members of Parliament 2.1 1295-1660 2.2 1660-1832 2.3 1832-1885 3 Election results 3.1 Elections before 1715 3.2 Index to Election results 1715-1799 3.3 Index to Election results 1800-1885 3.4 Elections in the 1710s 3.5 Elections in the 1720s 3.6 Elections in the 1730s 3.7 Elections in the 1740s 3.8 Elections in the 1750s 3.9 Elections in the 1760s 3.10 Elections in the 1770s 3.11 Elections in the 1780s 3.12 Elections in the 1790s 3.13 Elections in the 1800s 3.14 Elections in the 1810s 3.15 Elections in the 1820s 3.16 Elections in the 1830s 3.17 Elections in the 1840s 3.18 Elections in the 1850s 3.19 Elections in the 1860s 3.20 Elections in the 1870s 3.21 Elections in the 1880s 4 References

[edit] History

The parliamentary borough was based upon the community of Liskeard in the south-eastern part of Cornwall.

Sedgwick estimated the electorate at 30 in 1740. Namier and Brooke considered it was about 50 in the 1754-1790 period. The right of election before 1832 was in the freemen of the borough. This constituency was under the patronage of the Eliot family, which acquired the preponderent interest by 1722.

There were no contested elections between at least 1715 and 1802. In the early nineteenth century the Whigs attempted to expand the electorate to include householders. During the 1802 general election, 48 householders claimed the right to vote but their ballots were rejected by the Mayor (see the note to the 1802 election result below). The Eliot family continued to contol the borough in the Tory interest, for another thirty years.

The Reform Act 1832 augmented the freemen voters (who retained their ancient right votes), with the beneficiaries of a new householder franchise. The number of voters registered in 1832 was 218. The political effect of the change was that a Whig was elected unopposed to the one remaining seat in 1832, whereas the two Tory candidates had been elected unopposed at the previous seven general elections. Only Whig or Liberal candidates were returned from 1832 until the constituency was abolished.

The Reform Act 1867 preserved the borough constituency but slightly expanded the electorate (from 434 in 1865 to 881 in 1868). Liskeard was one of the smallest boroughs to retain individual representation in the 1868-1885 period. However the constituency was finally abolished by the Redistribution of Seats Act 1885, when the borough became part of the Bodmin or South East division of Cornwall.

[edit] Members of Parliament

[edit] 1295-1660

• 1604-1611: Sir William Killigrew

[edit] 1660-1832

Year	First member		First party	Second member		Second party
1660		John Connock			John Robinson
April 1661		John Harris			Peter Prideaux [1]
May 1661					Bernard Granville
1678		Sir Bourchier Wrey
February 1679		John Connock			John Buller
August 1679		Sir Jonathan Trelawny
1685		Chichester Wrey			John Connock
1689		Sir Bourchier Wrey			John Buller
1690					Emanuel Pyper
1695					William Bridges
1696		Henry Darell
1701		Thomas Dodson
1707		John Dolben
1710		Philip Rashleigh	Tory
1715					Sir John Trelawny
April 1722		Edward Eliot			John Lansdell
November 1722		Thomas Clutterbuck
1727					John Cope
1734		Richard Eliot			George Dennis
1740					Charles Trelawny
1747		Sir George Lee
1754		Edmund Nugent			Philip Stanhope
1759		Philip Stephens
1761					Anthony Champion
1768		Edward Eliot			Samuel Salt
1774		Edward Gibbon
1780		Wilbraham Tollemache
1784		Edward James Eliot			John Eliot
1797		The Earl of Inchiquin
1800		Lord Fincastle
1802		William Eliot
1804					William Huskisson
1807					Viscount Hamilton
1812					Charles Philip Yorke
1818					Sir William Pringle
1826		Lord Eliot
1832	Representation reduced to one Member

[edit] 1832-1885

Year	Member		Party
1832		Charles Buller	Whig
1849		Richard Budden Crowder	Whig
1854		Ralph William Grey	Whig
1859		Ralph Bernal Osborne	Liberal
1865		Sir Arthur Buller	Liberal
1869		Edward Horsman	Liberal
1876		Leonard Courtney	Liberal
1885	Constituency abolished

Notes

1. ^ Prideaux was also elected for Honiton, which he chose to represent, and never sat for Liskeard

[edit] Election results

Note on sources: The information for the election results given below is taken from Sedgwick 1715-1754, Namier and Brooke 1754-1790 and Stooks Smith 1790-1832. From 1832 the principal source was Craig, with additional or different information from Stooks Smith included. Candidates classified by Craig as Liberal before 1859, are labeled as Whig or Radical (following Stooks Smith) or Liberal if their exact allegiance is uncertain. Similarly candidates classified by Craig as Conservative but by Stooks Smith as Tory are listed below as Tory.

Note on percentage change calculations: Where there was only one candidate of a party in successive elections, for the same number of seats, change is calculated on the party percentage vote. Where there was more than one candidate for a party, in one or both successive contested elections for the same number of seats, then change is calculated on the individual candidates percentage vote.

Note on party allegiance of candidates: A party label is only used when the source used quotes one. Other candidates are labelled Non Partisan, but may have associated themselves with a tendency or faction in Parliament.

[edit] Elections before 1715

Dates of Parliaments 1660-1715

Summoned	Elected	Opened	Dismissed
16 March 1660	1660	25 April 1660	29 December 1660
18 February 1661	1661	8 May 1661	24 January 1679
25 January 1679	1679	6 March 1679	12 July 1679
24 July 1679	1679-1680	21 October 1680	18 January 1681
20 January 1681	1681	21 March 1681	28 March 1681
14 February 1685	1685	19 May 1685	2 July 1687
29 December 1688	1688-1689	22 January 1689	6 February 1690
6 February 1690	1690	20 March 1690	11 October 1695
12 October 1695	1695	22 November 1695	6 July 1698
13 July 1698	1698	24 August 1698	19 December 1700
26 December 1700	1700-1701	6 February 1701	11 November 1701
3 November 1701	1701	30 December 1701	2 July 1702
2 July 1702	1702	20 August 1702	5 April 1705
1705	7 May-6 June 1705	14 June 1705	see Note
1707	see Note	23 October 1707	3 April 1708
1708	30 April-7 July 1708	8 July 1708	21 September 1710
1710	2 October-16 November 1710	25 November 1710	8 August 1713
1713	22 August-12 November 1713	12 November 1713	15 January 1715

Note:-

• The MPs of the Parliament of England (elected 1705) and 45 members co-opted from the former Parliament of Scotland, became the House of Commons of the 1st Parliament of Great Britain in 1707.

[edit] Index to Election results 1715-1799

1710s – 1720s – 1730s – 1740s – 1750s – 1760s – 1770s – 1780s – 1790s

[edit] Index to Election results 1800-1885

1800s – 1810s – 1820s – 1830s – 1840s – 1850s – 1860s – 1870s – 1880s

[edit] Elections in the 1710s

General Election 29 January 1715: Liskeard (2 seats)
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Non Partisan	John Trelawny	Unopposed	N/A	N/A
	Tory	Philip Rashleigh	Unopposed	N/A	N/A

[edit] Elections in the 1720s

• Trelawny became a Baronet in 1721

General Election 12 April 1722: Liskeard (2 seats)
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Non Partisan	Edward Eliot	Unopposed	N/A	N/A
	Non Partisan	John Lansdell	Unopposed	N/A	N/A

• Death of Eliot

By-Election 2 November 1722: Liskeard
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Non Partisan	Thomas Clutterbuck	Unopposed	N/A	N/A
	Non Partisan hold		Swing	N/A

General Election 25 August 1727: Liskeard (2 seats)
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Non Partisan	Thomas Clutterbuck	Unopposed	N/A	N/A
	Non Partisan	John Cope	Unopposed	N/A	N/A

[edit] Elections in the 1730s

• Seat vacated on Clutterbuck being appointed a Lord of the Admiralty

By-Election 15 June 1732: Liskeard
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Non Partisan	Thomas Clutterbuck	Unopposed	N/A	N/A
	Non Partisan hold		Swing	N/A

• Death of Dennis

By-Election 25 March 1739: Liskeard
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Non Partisan	Charles Trelawny	Unopposed	N/A	N/A
	Non Partisan hold		Swing	N/A

[edit] Elections in the 1740s

General Election 11 May 1741: Liskeard (2 seats)
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Non Partisan	Richard Eliot	Unopposed	N/A	N/A
	Non Partisan	Charles Trelawny	Unopposed	N/A	N/A

General Election 1 July 1747: Liskeard (2 seats)
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Non Partisan	Charles Trelawny	Unopposed	N/A	N/A
	Non Partisan	Dr. George Lee	Unopposed	N/A	N/A

[edit] Elections in the 1750s

• Seat vacated on the appointment of Trelawny as Assay-Master of Tin for the Duchy of Cornwall

By-Election 2 July 1751: Liskeard
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Non Partisan	Charles Trelawny	Unopposed	N/A	N/A
	Non Partisan hold		Swing	N/A

General Election 17 April 1754: Liskeard (2 seats)
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Non Partisan	Edmund Nugent	Unopposed	N/A	N/A
	Non Partisan	Philip Stanhope	Unopposed	N/A	N/A

• Seat vacated on the appointment of Nugent to an office

By-Election 1 December 1759: Liskeard
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Non Partisan	Philip Stephens	Unopposed	N/A	N/A
	Non Partisan hold		Swing	N/A

[edit] Elections in the 1760s

General Election 30 March 1761: Liskeard (2 seats)
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Non Partisan	Philip Stephens	Unopposed	N/A	N/A
	Non Partisan	Anthony Champion	Unopposed	N/A	N/A

General Election 22 March 1768: Liskeard (2 seats)
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Non Partisan	Edward Eliot	Unopposed	N/A	N/A
	Non Partisan	Samuel Salt	Unopposed	N/A	N/A

[edit] Elections in the 1770s

General Election 11 October 1774: Liskeard (2 seats)
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Non Partisan	Edward Gibbon	Unopposed	N/A	N/A
	Non Partisan	Samuel Salt	Unopposed	N/A	N/A

• Seat vacated on the appointment of Gibbon to an office

By-Election 12 July 1779: Liskeard
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Non Partisan	Philip Stephens	Unopposed	N/A	N/A
	Non Partisan hold		Swing	N/A

[edit] Elections in the 1780s

General Election 9 September 1780: Liskeard (2 seats)
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Non Partisan	Hon. Wilbraham Tollemache	Unopposed	N/A	N/A
	Non Partisan	Samuel Salt	Unopposed	N/A	N/A

General Election 5 April 1784: Liskeard (2 seats)
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Non Partisan	Hon. Edward James Eliot	Unopposed	N/A	N/A
	Non Partisan	Hon. John Eliot	Unopposed	N/A	N/A

• Seat vacated on the appointment of E.J. Eliot as Remembrancer of the Court of Exchequer

By-Election 6 February 1786: Liskeard
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Non Partisan	Hon. Edward James Eliot	Unopposed	N/A	N/A
	Non Partisan hold		Swing	N/A

[edit] Elections in the 1790s

General Election 1790: Liskeard (2 seats)
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Non Partisan	Hon. Edward James Eliot	Unopposed	N/A	N/A
	Non Partisan	Hon. John Eliot	Unopposed	N/A	N/A

• Seat vacated on the appointment of E.J. Eliot as a Commissioner for India

By-Election 1793: Liskeard
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Non Partisan	Hon. Edward James Eliot	Unopposed	N/A	N/A
	Non Partisan hold		Swing	N/A

General Election 1796: Liskeard (2 seats)
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Non Partisan	Hon. Edward James Eliot	Unopposed	N/A	N/A
	Non Partisan	Hon. John Eliot	Unopposed	N/A	N/A

• Death of E.J. Eliot

By-Election 1797: Liskeard
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Non Partisan	The 5th Earl of Inchiquin	Unopposed	N/A	N/A
	Non Partisan hold		Swing	N/A

• Inchiquin was a peer of Ireland

[edit] Elections in the 1800s

• Resignation of Inchiquin

By-Election 1800: Liskeard
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Non Partisan	Lord Fincastle	Unopposed	N/A	N/A
	Non Partisan hold		Swing	N/A

• Note (1800): Stooks Smith recorded that William Huskisson was returned unopposed at this by-election, but this appears to be an error.

General Election 1802: Liskeard (2 seats)
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Tory	Hon. John Eliot	27	48.21	N/A
	Tory	Hon. William Eliot	27	48.21	N/A
	Whig	Thomas Sheridan	1	1.79	N/A
	Whig	William Ogilvie	1	1.79	N/A
Turnout			56	N/A	N/A

• Note (1802): 48 householders claimed the right to vote. The ballots they tendered were rejected by the Mayor. 44 wanted to vote for Sheridan and Ogilvie, 3 for the Eliots and 1 for John Eliot and Sheridan.
• Succession of John Eliot as the 2nd Lord Eliot

By-Election March 1804: Liskeard
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Tory	William Huskisson	21	87.50	N/A
	Whig	Thomas Sheridan	3	12.50	N/A
Majority			18	75.00	N/A
Turnout			24	N/A	N/A
	Tory hold		Swing	N/A

General Election 1806: Liskeard (2 seats)
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Tory	Hon. William Eliot	Elected	N/A	N/A
	Tory	William Huskisson	Elected	N/A	N/A
	Whig	Nicholas Tomlinson	6	N/A	N/A
	Whig	Alexander Nowell	1	N/A	N/A
Turnout			56	N/A	N/A

• Note (1806): Stooks Smith does not give the votes for the elected candidates.

General Election 1807: Liskeard (2 seats)
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Tory	Hon. William Eliot	Unopposed	N/A	N/A
	Tory	Viscount Hamilton	Unopposed	N/A	N/A

[edit] Elections in the 1810s

General Election 1812: Liskeard (2 seats)
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Tory	Hon. William Eliot	Unopposed	N/A	N/A
	Tory	Rt Hon. Charles Philip Yorke	Unopposed	N/A	N/A

General Election 1818: Liskeard (2 seats)
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Tory	Hon. William Eliot	Unopposed	N/A	N/A
	Tory	Sir William Henry Pringle	Unopposed	N/A	N/A

[edit] Elections in the 1820s

General Election 1820: Liskeard (2 seats)
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Tory	Hon. William Eliot	Unopposed	N/A	N/A
	Tory	Sir William Henry Pringle	Unopposed	N/A	N/A

General Election 1826: Liskeard (2 seats)
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Tory	Sir William Henry Pringle	Unopposed	N/A	N/A
	Tory	Lord Eliot	Unopposed	N/A	N/A

[edit] Elections in the 1830s

General Election 1830: Liskeard (2 seats)
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Tory	Sir William Henry Pringle	Unopposed	N/A	N/A
	Tory	Lord Eliot	Unopposed	N/A	N/A

General Election 1831: Liskeard (2 seats)
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Tory	Sir William Henry Pringle	Unopposed	N/A	N/A
	Tory	Lord Eliot	Unopposed	N/A	N/A

• Electorate expanded and constituency reduced to one seat, by the Reform Act 1832

General Election 1832: Liskeard
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Whig	Charles Buller	Unopposed	N/A	N/A
Registered Electors			218
	Whig gain from Tory		Swing	N/A

General Election 1835: Liskeard
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Whig	Charles Buller	114	64.04	N/A
	Tory	Samuel Trehawke Kekewich	64	35.96	N/A
Majority			50	28.09	N/A
Turnout			178	82.41	N/A
Registered Electors			216
	Whig hold		Swing	N/A

• Note (1835): Stooks Smith recorded 211 registered electors, but the turnout is calculated on Craig's figure above

General Election 1837: Liskeard
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Whig	Charles Buller	113	54.33	-9.71
	Tory	Samuel Trehawke Kekewich	95	45.67	+9.71
Majority			18	8.65	-19.44
Turnout			208	83.87	+1.46
Registered Electors			248
	Whig hold		Swing	+9.71 (W to T)

• Note (1837): Stooks Smith recorded 250 registered electors, but the turnout is calculated on Craig's figure above

[edit] Elections in the 1840s

General Election 1841: Liskeard
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Whig	Charles Buller	Unopposed	N/A	N/A
Registered Electors			296
	Whig hold		Swing	N/A

• Note (1841): Stooks Smith recorded 285 registered electors, but the turnout is calculated on Craig's figure above
• Seat vacated on the appointment of Buller as Judge-Advocate General

By-Election 15 July 1846: Liskeard
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Whig	Charles Buller	Unopposed	N/A	N/A
	Whig hold		Swing	N/A

General Election 1847: Liskeard
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Whig	Rt Hon. Charles Buller	170	59.23	N/A
	Tory	William C. Curteis	117	40.77	N/A
Majority			53	18.47	N/A
Turnout			287	82.23	N/A
Registered Electors			349
	Whig hold		Swing	N/A

• Note (1847): Stooks Smith recorded 333 registered electors, but the turnout is calculated on Craig's figure above
• Seat vacated on the appointment of Buller as President of the Poor Law Board

By-Election 14 December 1847: Liskeard
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Whig	Rt Hon. Charles Buller	Unopposed	N/A	N/A
	Whig hold		Swing	N/A

• Death of Buller

By-Election 3 January 1849: Liskeard
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Whig	Richard Budden Crowder	Unopposed	N/A	N/A
	Whig hold		Swing	N/A

[edit] Elections in the 1850s

General Election 1852: Liskeard
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Whig	Richard Budden Crowder	Unopposed	N/A	N/A
Registered Electors			343
	Whig hold		Swing	N/A

• Seat vacated on the appointment of Crowder as a Judge of the Court of Common Pleas

By-Election 29 March 1854: Liskeard
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Whig	Ralph William Grey	138	51.49	N/A
	Liberal	John Salusbury Trelawny	119	44.40	N/A
	Liberal	J.H. Reed	11	4.10	N/A
Majority			19	7.09	N/A
Turnout			268	76.14	N/A
Registered Electors			352
	Whig hold		Swing	N/A

• Trelawny and Reed are classified as Liberals (following Craig), as it is undetermined which wing of liberalism they belonged to. The list of MPs above refers to Grey as a Whig, so he is classified as such in this result.

General Election 1857: Liskeard
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Whig	Ralph William Grey	174	58.39	+6.90
	Liberal	Hon. Arthur Hamilton Gordon	124	41.61	N/A
Majority			50	16.78	+9.69
Turnout			298	79.89	+3.75
Registered Electors			373
	Whig hold		Swing	N/A

• Gordon is classified as Liberal (following Craig), as it is undetermined which wing of liberalism he belonged to. The list of MPs above refers to Grey as a Whig, so he is classified as such in this result.

General Election 1859: Liskeard
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Whig	Ralph William Grey	164	50.62	-7.78
	Conservative	William Henry Pole Carew	160	49.38	N/A
Majority			4	1.23	-15.55
Turnout			324	82.03	+2.14
Registered Electors			395
	Whig hold		Swing	N/A

• The Whig Party is regarded as having merged into a new Liberal Party, which was formed at a meeting of the supporters of Lord Palmerston on 6 July 1859; although Whigs and Radicals had been informally referred to collectively as Liberals for decades.
• Seat vacated on the appointment of Grey as a Collector of Customs

By-Election 19 August 1859: Liskeard
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Liberal	Ralph Bernal Osborne	Unopposed	N/A	N/A
	Liberal gain from Whig		Swing	N/A

[edit] Elections in the 1860s

General Election 1865: Liskeard
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Liberal	Sir Arthur William Buller	Unopposed	N/A	N/A
Registered Electors			434
	Liberal hold		Swing	N/A

• Electorate expanded by the Reform Act 1867

General Election 1868: Liskeard
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Liberal	Sir Arthur William Buller	Unopposed	N/A	N/A
Registered Electors			881
	Liberal hold		Swing	N/A

• Death of Buller

By-Election 11 May 1869: Liskeard
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Liberal	Rt Hon. Edward Horsman	368	56.36	N/A
	Liberal	Sir F. Lycett	285	43.64	N/A
Majority			83	12.71	N/A
Turnout			653	74.12	N/A
Registered Electors			881
	Liberal hold		Swing	N/A

[edit] Elections in the 1870s

General Election 1874: Liskeard
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Liberal	Rt Hon. Edward Horsman	334	50.38	-5.98
	Liberal	Leonard Courtney	329	49.62	N/A
Majority			5	0.75	-11.96
Turnout			663	81.75	+7.63
Registered Electors			811
	Liberal hold		Swing	N/A

• Death of Horsman

By-Election 22 December 1876: Liskeard
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Liberal	Leonard Courtney	388	58.00	+8.38
	Conservative	J.B. Sterling	281	42.00	N/A
Majority			107	15.99	N/A
Turnout			669	86.10	+4.35
Registered Electors			777
	Liberal hold		Swing	N/A

[edit] Elections in the 1880s

General Election 1880: Liskeard
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Liberal	Leonard Courtney	370	55.14	-2.86
	Liberal	Rt Hon. Edward Pleydell Bouverie	301	44.86	N/A
Majority			69	10.28	-5.71
Turnout			671	91.17	+9.42
Registered Electors			736
	Liberal hold		Swing	N/A

• Electorate expanded by the Representation of the People Act 1884, but the constituency was abolished by the Redistribution of Seats Act 1885 with effect from the UK general election, 1885.

[edit] References

• F W S Craig, "British Parliamentary Election Results 1832-1885" (2nd edition, Aldershot: Parliamentary Research Services, 1989)
• J Holladay Philbin, Parliamentary Representation 1832 - England and Wales (New Haven: Yale University Press, 1965)
• Boundaries of Parliamentary Constituencies 1885-1972, compiled and edited by F.W.S. Craig (Parliamentary Reference Publications 1972)
• The House of Commons 1715-1754, by Romney Sedgwick (HMSO 1970)
• The House of Commons 1754-1790, by Sir Lewis Namier and John Brooke (HMSO 1964)
• The Parliaments of England by Henry Stooks Smith (1st edition published in three volumes 1844-50), second edition edited (in one volume) by F.W.S. Craig (Political Reference Publications 1973)) out of copyright
• Who's Who of British Members of Parliament: Volume I 1832-1885, edited by M. Stenton (The Harvester Press 1976)
• Who's Who of British Members of Parliament, Volume II 1886-1918, edited by M. Stenton and S. Lees (Harvester Press 1978)

• Leigh Rayment's Peerage Page