Barnard Castle (UK Parliament constituency)

Parliamentary constituency in the United Kingdom, 1885–1950

Barnard Castle

Former county constituency
for the House of Commons
1885–1950
Seats| one
Created from| South Durham
Replaced by| Bishop Auckland and North West Durham

Barnard Castle was a county constituency centred on the town of Barnard Castle in County Durham, which returned one Member of Parliament (MP) to the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. It was created for the 1885 general election and abolished for the 1950 general election.

## Boundaries

[edit]

### 1885–1918

[edit]

* The Sessional Divisions of Barnard Castle and Staindrop, Stanhope (except the parishes of Hunstanworth and Edmondbyers) and Wolsingham, and part of the Sessional Division of Bishop Auckland.[1]

The constituency was created for the 1885 general election by the Redistribution of Seats Act 1885 as one of eight new single-member divisions of the county of Durham, replacing the two 2-member seats of North Durham and South Durham. See map on Vision of Britain website.[2]

The seat was located in the west of County Durham, in North East England. To the north of the constituency (moving from west to east) were the Northumberland division of Hexham and then North West Durham. To the east (moving from north to south) were Mid Durham, Bishop Auckland and South East Durham. To the south was Richmond (Yorks). To the west of the constituency (moving from south to north) were the Westmorland divisions of Appleby and Kendal.

### 1918–1950

[edit]

* The Urban Districts of Barnard Castle and Stanhope;
* the Rural Districts of Barnard Castle and Weardale; and
* parts of the Rural Districts of Auckland and Lanchester.[3]

The constituency was expanded northwards, absorbing the western part of the abolished North West Durham seat (Lanchester). Crook and Tow Law were added to the new constituency of Spennymoor and a small area in the east was transferred to Bishop Auckland.

### Abolition

[edit]

In 1950 the Barnard Castle urban and rural districts were included in the Bishop Auckland constituency. Other parts of the former constituency returned to the re-established North West Durham seat.

## Members of Parliament

[edit]

Sir Joseph Pease Election | Member | Party

|
|

| 1885 | Sir Joseph Pease | Liberal
| 1903 | Arthur Henderson | Labour
| 1918 | John Swan | Labour
| 1922 | John Rogerson | Conservative
| 1923 | Moss Turner-Samuels | Labour
| 1924 | Cuthbert Headlam | Conservative
| 1929 | William Lawther | Labour
| 1931 | Cuthbert Headlam | Conservative
| 1935 | Thomas Sexton | Labour
| 1945 | Sydney Lavers | Labour
1950 | constituency abolished

## Election results

[edit]

### Elections in the 1880s

[edit]

General election 1885: Barnard Castle [4] Party  | Candidate  | Votes  | %  | ±%

|
|
|
|

| Liberal | Joseph Pease | 5,962  | 70.82  |
| Conservative | Patrick Bowes-Lyon | 2,457  | 29.18  |
Majority | 3,505  | 41.64  |
Turnout | 8,419  | 84.27  |
Registered electors | 9,991  |  |
| Liberal win (new seat)
General election 1886: Barnard Castle [4] Party  | Candidate  | Votes  | %  | ±%

|
|
|
|

| Liberal | Joseph Pease | Unopposed
| Liberal hold

### Elections in the 1890s

[edit]

General election 1892: Barnard Castle [4] Party  | Candidate  | Votes  | %  | ±%

|
|
|
|

| Liberal | Joseph Pease | 5,337  | 64.60  | N/A
| Conservative | William M Rolley[5] | 2,924  | 35.40  | New
Majority | 2,413  | 29.20  | N/A
Turnout | 8,261  | 75.37  | N/A
Registered electors | 10,960  |  |
| Liberal hold
General election 1895: Barnard Castle [4] Party  | Candidate  | Votes  | %  | ±%

|
|
|
|

| Liberal | Joseph Pease | 4,924  | 56.13  | −8.47
| Conservative | WL Vane  | 3,848  | 43.87  | +8.47
Majority | 1,076  | 12.26  | −16.94
Turnout | 8,772  | 78.36  | +2.99
Registered electors | 11,194  |  |
| Liberal hold | Swing | −8.47  |

### Elections in the 1900s

[edit]

General election 1900: Barnard Castle [4] Party  | Candidate  | Votes  | %  | ±%

|
|
|
|

| Liberal | Joseph Pease | 5,036  | 58.69  | +2.56
| Conservative | WL Vane  | 3,545  | 41.31  | −2.56
Majority | 1,491  | 17.38  | +5.11
Turnout | 8,581  | 77.69  | −0.67
Registered electors | 11,045  |  |
| Liberal hold | Swing | +2.56  |
By-election, 1903: Barnard Castle [4] Party  | Candidate  | Votes  | %  | ±%

|
|
|
|

| Labour Repr. Cmte. | Arthur Henderson | 3,370  | 35.47  | New
| Conservative | WL Vane  | 3,323  | 34.97  | −6.34
| Liberal | Hubert Beaumont | 2,809  | 29.56  | −29.13
Majority | 47  | 0.50  | N/A
Turnout | 9,502  | 84.64  | +6.95
Registered electors | 11,226  |  |
| Labour Repr. Cmte. gain from Liberal | Swing |  |
General election 1906: Barnard Castle [4][note 1] Party  | Candidate  | Votes  | %  | ±%

|
|
|
|

| Labour | Arthur Henderson | 5,540  | 58.76  | N/A
| Conservative | EW Morrison-Bell  | 3,888  | 41.23  | −0.08
Majority | 1,652  | 17.53  | N/A
Turnout | 9,428  | 81.16  | +3.47
Registered electors | 11,617  |  |
| Labour gain from Liberal | Swing |  |

### Elections in the 1910s

[edit]

General election January 1910: Barnard Castle [4] Party  | Candidate  | Votes  | %  | ±%

|
|
|
|

| Labour | Arthur Henderson | 6,096  | 56.75  | −2.01
| Liberal Unionist | HG Stobart  | 4,646  | 43.25  | +2.02
Majority | 1,450  | 13.50  | −4.02
Turnout | 10,742  | 87.96  | +6.80
Registered electors | 12,212  |  |
| Labour hold | Swing | −2.02  |
General election December 1910: Barnard Castle [4] Party  | Candidate  | Votes  | %  | ±%

|
|
|
|

| Labour | Arthur Henderson | 5,868  | 57.02  | +0.27
| Liberal Unionist | HG Stobart  | 4,423  | 42.98  | −0.27
Majority | 1,445  | 14.04  | +0.54
Turnout | 10,291  | 84.27  | −3.69
Registered electors | 12,212  |  |
| Labour hold | Swing | −2.02  |
General election 1918: Barnard Castle [6][7] Party  | Candidate  | Votes  | %  | ±%

|
|
|
|

| Labour | John Swan | 5,468  | 42.86  | −14.16
C | Unionist | John Rogerson | 3,837  | 30.07  | −12.91
| Liberal | Albert Ernest Hillary | 2,180  | 17.09  | New
| National Farmers' Union | Octavius Monkhouse  | 1,274  | 9.99  | New
Majority | 1,631  | 12.79  | −1.25
Turnout | 12,759  | 63.96  | −20.29
Registered electors | 19,949  |  |
| Labour hold | Swing | −0.63  |
C indicates candidate endorsed by the coalition government.

### Elections in the 1920s

[edit]

General election 1922: Barnard Castle [6] Party  | Candidate  | Votes  | %  | ±%

|
|
|
|

| Unionist | John Rogerson | 8,271  | 50.67  | +20.60
| Labour | John Swan | 8,052  | 49.33  | +6.47
Majority | 219  | 1.34  | N/A
Turnout | 16,323  | 78.51  | +14.55
Registered electors | 20,791  |  |
| Unionist gain from Labour | Swing | +7.07  |
General election 1923: Barnard Castle [6] Party  | Candidate  | Votes  | %  | ±%

|
|
|
|

| Labour | Moss Turner-Samuels | 9,171  | 55.07  | +5.74
| Unionist | John Rogerson | 7,482  | 44.93  | −5.74
Majority | 1,689  | 10.14  | N/A
Turnout | 16,653  | 78.79  | +0.28
Registered electors | 21,135  |  |
| Labour gain from Unionist | Swing | +5.74  |
General election 1924: Barnard Castle [6] Party  | Candidate  | Votes  | %  | ±%

|
|
|
|

| Unionist | Cuthbert Headlam | 9,465  | 50.84  | +5.91
| Labour | Moss Turner-Samuels | 9,152  | 49.16  | −5.91
Majority | 313  | 1.68  | N/A
Turnout | 18,617  | 84.89  | +6.10
Registered electors | 21,931  |  |
| Unionist gain from Labour | Swing | +5.91  |
General election 1929: Barnard Castle [6] Party  | Candidate  | Votes  | %  | ±%

|
|
|
|

| Labour | Will Lawther | 9,281  | 42.01  | −7.15
| Unionist | Cuthbert Headlam | 8,406  | 38.06  | −12.78
| Liberal | E Spence  | 4,402  | 19.93  | New
Majority | 875  | 3.95  | N/A
Turnout | 22,089  | 83.39  | −1.50
Registered electors | 26,488  |  |
| Labour gain from Unionist | Swing | +2.82  |

### Elections in the 1930s

[edit]

General election 1931: Barnard Castle [6] Party  | Candidate  | Votes  | %  | ±%

|
|
|
|

| Conservative | Cuthbert Headlam | 12,721  | 55.29  | +17.23
| Labour | Will Lawther | 10,287  | 44.71  | +2.70
Majority | 2,434  | 10.58  | N/A
Turnout | 23,008  | 85.20  | +1.81
Registered electors | 27,006  |  |
| Conservative gain from Labour | Swing | +7.27  |
General election 1935: Barnard Castle [6] Party  | Candidate  | Votes  | %  | ±%

|
|
|
|

| Labour | Thomas Sexton | 11,458  | 49.80  | +5.09
| Conservative | Cuthbert Headlam | 10,138  | 44.06  | −11.23
| Liberal | Alfred Graham  | 1,393  | 6.05  | New
Majority | 1,320  | 5.74  | N/A
Turnout | 23,008  | 84.25  | −0.95
Registered electors | 27,309  |  |
| Labour gain from Conservative | Swing | +8.16  |

### Election in the 1940s

[edit]

General election 1945: Barnard Castle [6] Party  | Candidate  | Votes  | %  | ±%

|
|
|
|

| Labour | Sydney Lavers | 12,024  | 58.30  | +8.50
| Conservative | Giffard Le Quesne Martel | 8,600  | 41.70  | −2.36
Majority | 3,424  | 16.60  | +10.86
Turnout | 20,624  | 75.31  | −8.94
Registered electors | 27,387  |  |
| Labour hold | Swing | +5.43  |

## See also

[edit]

* History of parliamentary constituencies and boundaries in Durham

## References

[edit]

1. ^ "Redistribution of Seats Act 1885". Proprietors of the Law Journal Reports. pp. 155–156.
2. ^ "HMSO Boundary Commission Report 1885, Durham".
3. ^ Craig, Fred W. S. (1972). Boundaries of parliamentary constituencies 1885-1972;. Chichester: Political Reference Publications. p. 10\. ISBN 0-900178-09-4. OCLC 539011.
4. ^ a b c d e f g h i Craig, FWS, ed. (1974). British Parliamentary Election Results: 1885-1918. London: Macmillan Press. p. 267\. ISBN 9781349022984.
5. ^ "Barnard Castle Division". The Northern Echo. 7 July 1892. p. 3. Retrieved 21 November 2017.
6. ^ a b c d e f g h Craig, F.W.S., ed. (1969). British parliamentary election results 1918-1949. Glasgow: Political Reference Publications. p. 338. ISBN 0-900178-01-9.
7. ^ Debrett's House of Commons and the Judicial Bench, 1922

* Boundaries of Parliamentary Constituencies 1885-1972, compiled and edited by F.W.S. Craig (Parliamentary Reference Publications 1972)

Notes

1. ^ Results compared to the 1900 general election, not the 1903 by-election

## Sources

[edit]

* Craig, F. W. S. (1983) [1969]. British parliamentary election results 1918-1949 (3rd ed.). Chichester: Parliamentary Research Services. ISBN 0-900178-06-X.
* Leigh Rayment's Historical List of MPs – Constituencies beginning with "B" (part 1)