Parliamentary constituency in the United Kingdom, 1950–1974
Southwark in London, 1868–85
Southwark in London, 1950–74
Southwark (
SUDH -ərk )
[1] was a
constituency centred on the
Southwark district of
South London . It returned two Members of Parliament to the
House of Commons of the
English Parliament from 1295 to 1707, to the
Parliament of Great Britain from 1707 to 1800, and to the
UK Parliament until its first abolition for the
1885 general election . A seat of the same name, covering a smaller area than the last form of the earlier seat in the west of the original and beyond its boundaries to the southwest, was created in 1950 and abolished in 1974.
In its last creation the seat's broad electorate heavily supported the three successive Labour candidates, who won Southwark with a majority of greater than 36% of the votes cast at its eight elections – an extremely
safe seat .
Creation, boundaries, abolition
First creation – or Southwark dual-member constituency
The constituency was created in 1295 as a parliamentary borough (also known as burgh) when its electorate was restricted to the owners of certain properties in its main streets of its burgage, returning
two 'burgesses' as they were sometimes called. Its electorate was expanded to a more standard franchise in 1832. In 1833 the electorate was 4,775 adult males and this had risen to 23,472 by 1880.
[2]
The
Redistribution of Seats Act 1885 replaced the two-member constituency with the seats West Southwark, Rotherhithe and Bermondsey.
[3]
Second creation – or Southwark seat
A seat taking the old constituency name was established for the
1950 general election . Its boundaries were unaltered in the 1955 corrective review and it was abolished for the
February 1974 general election .
Members of Parliament
MPs 1295–1640
MPs 1640–1885
MPs 1950–1974
Election results
Elections in the 1830s
Harris' death caused a by-election.
Harvey was appointed a registrar of Metropolitan Public Carriages, causing a by-election.
Elections in the 1840s
Harvey resigned after being appointed a Commissioner of Police for the City of London, causing a by-election.
Wood's death caused a by-election.
Elections in the 1850s
Molesworth was appointed
First Commissioner of Works and Public Buildings , requiring a by-election.
Molesworth was appointed
Secretary of State for the Colonies , requiring a by-election.
Molesworth's death caused a by-election.
Elections in the 1860s
Napier's death caused a by-election.
Locke was appointed Recorder of
Brighton , requiring a by-election.
Layard was appointed
First Commissioner of Works and Public Buildings , requiring a by-election.
Elections in the 1870s
Layard resigned after being appointed British ambassador to
Spain .
Elections in the 1880s
Locke's death caused a by-election.
Elections in the 1950s
Elections in the 1960s
Elections in the 1970s
References
^ "Southwark", in The Columbia Lippincott Gazetteer of the World (1952), New York: Columbia University Press.
^ F.W.S. Craig (ed.), British Parliamentary Election Results 1832–1885 (London: The Macmillan Press Ltd, 1977)
^
"The public general acts : Great Britain, Incorporated Council of Law Reporting for England and Wales : Free Download, Borrow, and Streaming : Internet Archive" . Internet Archive . 10 June 2020. Retrieved 13 May 2021 .
^
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"History of Parliament" . History of Parliament Trust. Retrieved 21 November 2011 .
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"History of Parliament" . History of Parliament Trust. Retrieved 21 November 2011 .
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"History of Parliament" . History of Parliament Trust. Retrieved 21 November 2011 .
^ Died January 1645; the writ to fill both vacancies was issued in August 1645
^ On petition, Halsey was found not to have been duly elected, and a new election was held
^ Created a baronet, August 1715
^ The by-election in January 1724 was caused by death of
George Meggott
^ The by-election in January 1730 was caused by death of
Edmund Halsey
^ The by-election in June 1743 was caused by death of
Thomas Inwen
^
Mawbey was created a baronet in July 1765
^ The by-election in December 1765 was caused by death of
William Hammond
^ The by-election in December 1782 was caused by death of
Nathaniel Polhill
^
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t Stooks Smith, Henry (1845).
The Parliaments of England, from 1st George I., to the Present Time. Vol II: Oxfordshire to Wales Inclusive . London: Simpkin, Marshall, & Co. pp. 70–72.
^ The by-election in June 1784 was caused by death of
Sir Barnard Turner
^
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Thellusson 's election in May 1796 was declared void in November 1796; a by-election was held at which he was re-elected but he was found to be ineligible to sit and
Tierney was declared elected in his place
^ The by-election in February 1815 was caused by death of
Henry Thornton
^ The by-election in November 1830 was caused by death of
John Rawlinson Harris
^ Spencer, Howard (2009).
"BROUGHAM, William (1795–1886), of 12 Old Buildings, Lincoln's Inn, Mdx" . The History of Parliament .
^ Spencer, Howard.
"Southwark" .
The History of Parliament . Retrieved 4 April 2018 .
^ Fisher, David R. (2009).
"HARVEY, Daniel Whittle (1786–1863), of Feering House, Kelvedon, Essex and 7 Great George Street, Mdx" . The History of Parliament .
^ The
by-election in January 1840 was caused by the resignation of
Daniel Whittle Harvey
^
"Southwark" . Dublin Morning Register . 27 January 1840. p. 2 – via
British Newspaper Archive .
^
"Southwark Election" . Cambridge Independent Press . 25 January 1840. p. 2 – via
British Newspaper Archive .
^ The
by-election in September 1845 was caused by the death of
Benjamin Wood
^
"Newcastle Journal" . 6 September 1845. p. 2 – via
British Newspaper Archive .
^
"The Elections—Sunderland and Southwark" . Coventry Herald . 5 September 1845. p. 4 – via
British Newspaper Archive .
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b Steele, E. D. (1991). "At home". Palmerston and Liberalism, 1855–1865 .
Cambridge University Press . pp. 72, 118.
ISBN
9780521400459 .
^ Weinstein, Benjamin (2011).
Liberalism and Local Government in Early Victorian London . Boydell and Brewer. p. 91.
ISBN
9780861933129 .
^ Hicks, Geoff; Charmley, John; Grosvenor, Bendor, eds. (2012).
"The Second Derby Government" . Documents on Conservative Foreign Policy, 1852–1878 .
Cambridge University Press . p. 112.
ISBN
9781107035928 .
^ Hawkins, Angus (2015).
"Shooting Niagara" . Victorian Political Culture: 'habits of Heart and Mind' (Illustrated ed.).
Oxford University Press . p. 259.
ISBN
9780198728481 .
^ The
by-election in December 1860 was caused by the death of
Sir Charles Napier
^ The
by-election in February 1870 was caused by the resignation of
Austen Henry Layard
^ The
by-election in December 1880 was caused by the death of
John Locke
^
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Craig, F. W. S. , ed. (1977). British Parliamentary Election Results 1832–1885 (e-book) (1st ed.). London: Macmillan Press. pp. 16–17.
ISBN
978-1-349-02349-3 .
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"London and Suburbs Elections" . Cobbett's Weekly Political Register . 15 December 1832 – via
British Newspaper Archive .
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"Southwark" . Morning Post . 10 December 1832. p. 2 – via
British Newspaper Archive .
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"Southwark Election" . Evening Mail . 20 January 1840. p. 6 – via
British Newspaper Archive .
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"Southwark Election" . Globe . 2 September 1845. p. 1 – via
British Newspaper Archive .
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"Belfast Commercial Chronicle" . 15 September 1845. pp. 2–3 – via
British Newspaper Archive .
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"Election Intelligence" .
Reynold's Weekly Newspaper . 4 July 1852. p. 14 – via
British Newspaper Archive .
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"Scovell" .
Morning Advertiser . 20 November 1860. p. 3 – via
British Newspaper Archive .
^
"Southwark Election" .
Daily Telegraph & Courier . 28 January 1874. p. 9 – via
British Newspaper Archive .
^
"For the representation of Southwark" .
Illustrated London News . 14 February 1880. p. 10 – via
British Newspaper Archive .
^
"General Election" .
John Bull . 20 March 1880. p. 5.
Sources
Robert Beatson, A Chronological Register of Both Houses of Parliament (London: Longman, Hurst, Res & Orme, 1807)
A Chronological Register of Both Houses of the British Parliament, from the Union in 1708, to the Third Parliament of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, in 1807
D Brunton & D H Pennington, Members of the Long Parliament (London: George Allen & Unwin, 1954)
Cobbett's Parliamentary history of England, from the Norman Conquest in 1066 to the year 1803 (London: Thomas Hansard, 1808)
Digital Bodleian
F W S Craig, British Parliamentary Election Results 1832–1885 (2nd edition, Aldershot: Parliamentary Research Services, 1989)
Leigh Rayment's Historical List of MPs – Constituencies beginning with "S" (part 4)