Wolverhampton (UK Parliament constituency)

Wolverhampton was a parliamentary constituency centred on the town of Wolverhampton in Staffordshire. It elected two Members of Parliament to the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom.

Wolverhampton
Former Borough constituency
for the House of Commons
18321885
SeatsTwo
Created fromStaffordshire
Replaced byWolverhampton East, Wolverhampton South and Wolverhampton West

History

The constituency was created under the Great Reform Act, and first used at the 1832 general election. It was abolished by the Redistribution of Seats Act 1885, when it was replaced for the 1885 general election by three new single-member constituencies: Wolverhampton East, Wolverhampton South and Wolverhampton West.

Members of Parliament

Election1st Member1st Party2nd Member2nd Party
1832William Wolryche-WhitmoreWhig[1][2]Richard FryerWhig[1][3]
1835Charles Pelham VilliersRadical[4][5][3]Thomas ThornelyRadical[6][7]
1859LiberalSir Richard BethellLiberal
1861 by-electionThomas Matthias WeguelinLiberal
1880Henry FowlerLiberal
1885constituency divided: see Wolverhampton East, Wolverhampton South and Wolverhampton West.

Election results

Elections in the 1830s

General election 1832: Wolverhampton[8][1]
PartyCandidateVotes%
WhigWilliam Wolryche-Whitmore 850 32.3
WhigRichard Fryer 810 30.8
ToryFrancis Holyoake61523.4
RadicalJohn Nicholson35813.6
Majority1957.4
Turnout1,46386.1
Registered electors1,700
Whig win (new seat)
Whig win (new seat)
General election 1835: Wolverhampton[8][1]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
RadicalCharles Pelham Villiers 776 30.0 N/A
RadicalThomas Thornely 776 30.0 N/A
ConservativeDudley Fereday65825.5+2.1
RadicalJohn Nicholson37414.5+0.9
Majority1184.5N/A
Turnout1,49881.5−4.6
Registered electors1,839
Radical gain from WhigSwing
Radical gain from WhigSwing
General election 1837: Wolverhampton[8][1]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
RadicalCharles Pelham Villiers 1,068 32.1 +2.1
RadicalThomas Thornely 1,024 30.8 +0.8
ConservativeRyder Burton[9]62318.7+6.0
ConservativeJohn Benbow61318.4+5.7
Majority40112.1+7.6
Turnout1,67577.2−4.3
Registered electors2,170
Radical holdSwing−1.9
Radical holdSwing−3.3

Elections in the 1840s

General election 1841: Wolverhampton[8][1]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
RadicalCharles Pelham VilliersUnopposed
RadicalThomas ThornelyUnopposed
Registered electors2,571
Radical hold
Radical hold
General election 1847: Wolverhampton[8]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
RadicalCharles Pelham VilliersUnopposed
RadicalThomas ThornelyUnopposed
Registered electors2,692
Radical hold
Radical hold

Elections in the 1850s

General election 1852: Wolverhampton[8]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
RadicalCharles Pelham VilliersUnopposed
RadicalThomas ThornelyUnopposed
Registered electors3,587
Radical hold
Radical hold

Villiers was appointed Judge-Advocate-General of the Armed Forces, requiring a by-election.

By-election, 4 January 1853: Wolverhampton[8]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
RadicalCharles Pelham VilliersUnopposed
Radical hold
General election 1857: Wolverhampton[8]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
RadicalCharles Pelham VilliersUnopposed
RadicalThomas ThornelyUnopposed
Registered electors3,611
Radical hold
Radical hold
General election 1859: Wolverhampton[8]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
LiberalCharles Pelham VilliersUnopposed
LiberalRichard BethellUnopposed
Registered electors3,821
Liberal hold
Liberal hold

Bethell was appointed Attorney General for England and Wales, requiring a by-election.

By-election, 27 June 1859: Wolverhampton[8]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
LiberalRichard BethellUnopposed
Liberal hold

Villiers was appointed President of the Poor Law Board, requiring a by-election.

By-election, 9 July 1859: Wolverhampton[8]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
LiberalCharles Pelham VilliersUnopposed
Liberal hold

Elections in the 1860s

Bethell resigned after being appointed Lord Chancellor, causing him to become Lord Westbury and a by-election to be called.

By-election, 3 July 1861: Wolverhampton[8]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
LiberalThomas Matthias Weguelin 1,363 48.7 N/A
LiberalSamuel Griffiths[10]77227.6N/A
ConservativeAlexander Staveley Hill[11]66523.8New
Majority59121.1N/A
Turnout2,80068.1N/A
Registered electors4,110
Liberal holdSwingN/A
General election 1865: Wolverhampton[8]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
LiberalCharles Pelham Villiers 1,623 50.9 N/A
LiberalThomas Matthias Weguelin 1,519 47.6 N/A
ConservativeThomas Thornycroft[12]471.5N/A
Majority1,47246.1N/A
Turnout1,618 (est)33.5 (est)N/A
Registered electors4,830
Liberal holdSwingN/A
Liberal holdSwingN/A
General election 1868: Wolverhampton[8]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
LiberalCharles Pelham VilliersUnopposed
LiberalThomas Matthias WeguelinUnopposed
Registered electors15,772
Liberal hold
Liberal hold

Elections in the 1870s

General election 1874: Wolverhampton[8]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
LiberalCharles Pelham Villiers 10,358 43.1 N/A
LiberalThomas Matthias Weguelin 10,036 41.8 N/A
ConservativeWalter Williams[13]3,62815.1New
Majority6,40826.7N/A
Turnout13,825 (est)59.4 (est)N/A
Registered electors23,257
Liberal holdSwingN/A
Liberal holdSwingN/A

Elections in the 1880s

General election 1880: Wolverhampton[8]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
LiberalCharles Pelham Villiers 12,197 41.1 −2.0
LiberalHenry Fowler 11,606 39.1 −2.7
ConservativeAlfred Hickman5,87419.8+4.7
Majority5,73219.3−7.4
Turnout17,776 (est)77.9 (est)+18.5
Registered electors22,821
Liberal holdSwing−2.2
Liberal holdSwing−2.5

See also

References