Brighton (UK Parliament constituency)

Former parliamentary constituency in the United Kingdom

Brighton

Former borough constituency
for the House of Commons
County| 1832–1888: Sussex
1888–1950: East Sussex
Major settlements| Brighton
1832–1950
Seats| Two
Created from| Sussex
Replaced by| Brighton Kemptown, Brighton Pavilion and Hove

Brighton was a parliamentary constituency of the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom from 1832 until it was divided into single-member seats from the 1950 United Kingdom general election. Covering the seaside towns of Brighton and Hove in East Sussex, it elected two Members of Parliament (MP) by the block vote system of election.

## History

[edit]

The constituency was created by the Reform Act 1832 for the 1832 general election. The constituency was based on the south coast seaside resort town of Brighton.

When it was proposed to enfranchise Brighton a Tory observed in Parliament that it would represent merely "toffy (sic), lemonade and jelly shops". Charles Seymour suggests he "obviously feared the Whig proclivities of the numerous tradespeople established there".[1]

The first representatives of the constituency were of radical opinions. Isaac Newton Wigney (MP 1832–1839 and 1841–1842) was described as being of "Whig opinions inclining to radicalism, in favour of the ballot, and pledged himself to resign his seat whenever his constituents called upon him so to do". His colleague, the Nonconformist preacher and attorney George Faithfull (MP 1832–1835), went much further. He advocated "the immediate abolition of slavery, of all unmerited pensions and sinecures, the standing army, all useless expense, the Corn Laws, and every other monopoly. He said that if the extent of suffrage at that time was not found efficient he would vote for universal suffrage: and if triennial Parliaments did not succeed, would vote for having them annually; he was an advocate of the ballot". [2]

Seymour provides figures for the voting qualification of Brighton electors, following the Reform Act 1867. The town was one of six boroughs in England where the £10 occupiers, enfranchised in 1832, were much more numerous than the householders who received the vote under the 1867 Act. There were 7,590 £10 occupiers and only 944 householders on the electoral register.[1]

Members of Parliament for the constituency, after the first two, were of more conventional views; but most elections were won by the Liberal Party until 1884. In 1884 the Liberal MP, William Marriott, broke with his party as he disagreed with Prime Minister Gladstone's foreign and Egyptian policy. Marriott resigned his seat and was re-elected as a Conservative. From that time onwards the Liberal Party never won an election in the constituency, except for a by-election in 1905 and both seats in the landslide victory of 1906. Apart from those few years of liberal strength, Brighton became a safe Conservative constituency.

The 1931 election of Sir Cooper Rawson holds the record for the largest majority ever received at a general election (62,253), as well as the most votes received by an individual (75,205).[3]

## Boundaries

[edit]

The constituency was defined in the Parliamentary Boundaries Act 1832 as comprising the "respective Parishes of Brighthelmstone and Hove".[4] The act named the parliamentary borough as "Brighthelmstone", but the name "Brighton" was invariably used.[5]

The two parishes were adjacent coastal resorts in the historic county of Sussex in South East England. Brighton obtained a charter of incorporation to become a municipal borough in 1854, while Hove formed a local board of health in 1858, becoming a borough forty years later. These changes in local government made no changes to the boundaries of the constituency.[6] Under the Representation of the People Act 1867 the constituency was enlarged to include the Preston area which fell inside Brighton's municipal boundaries.[6]

These boundaries were used until the 1918 general election when seats were redefined in terms of the local government areas then in existence. The parliamentary borough was defined as consisting of the County Borough of Brighton and the Municipal Borough of Hove. The constituency was enlarged to include Aldrington which lay with Hove's borough boundaries.[6]

Under the Representation of the People Act 1948 the remaining multi-member constituencies were abolished and replaced with single-member ones from the 1950 election. The County Borough of Brighton was divided into Brighton Kemptown and Brighton Pavilion. The Municipal Borough of Hove, which had also been included in the old Brighton seat was combined with Portslade by Sea Urban District to form the new Hove constituency.[6]

## Members of Parliament

[edit]

Election | 1st Member | 1st Party | 2nd Member | 2nd Party

|
|
|
|

1832 |  | Isaac Wigney | Radical[7][8][9] |  | George Faithfull | Radical[7][10]
1835 |  | George Pechell
(from 1849 Sir George Brook-Pechell, Bt) | Whig[11][8][12][7][10]
1837 |  | Sir Adolphus Dalrymple | Conservative[7][10]
1841 |  | Isaac Wigney | Radical[7][8][9]
1842 |  | Lord Alfred Hervey | Conservative[7][10]
1857 |  | William Coningham | Radical[8][13][14]
1860 |  | Liberal |  | James White | Liberal
1864 |  | Henry Moor | Conservative
1865 |  | Henry Fawcett | Liberal
1874 |  | James Lloyd Ashbury | Conservative |  | Charles Cameron Shute | Conservative
1880 |  | John Robert Hollond | Liberal |  | Rt Hon. Sir William Thackeray Marriott 1 | Liberal
1884 |  | Conservative
1885 |  | David Smith | Conservative
1886 |  | Sir William Tindal Robertson | Conservative
1889 |  | Gerald Loder | Conservative
1893 |  | Bruce Vernon-Wentworth | Conservative
1905 (5 April 1905)  |  | Ernest Villiers | Liberal
1906 |  | Aurelian Ridsdale | Liberal
1910 |  | Rt Hon. George Tryon | Conservative |  | Hon. Walter Rice | Conservative
1911 |  | John Gordon | Conservative
1914 |  | Charles Thomas-Stanford | Conservative
1918 |  | Coalition Conservative |  | Coalition Conservative
1922 |  | Conservative |  | Cooper Rawson | Conservative
1940 |  | Lord Erskine 2 | Conservative
1941 |  | Anthony Marlowe | Conservative
1944 |  | William Teeling | Conservative
1950 | constituency divided – see Brighton Kemptown, Brighton Pavilion and Hove

Notes:-

* 1 Marriott resigned his seat as a Liberal MP in February 1884, because of dissatisfaction with the foreign and Egyptian policy of the Liberal government. He was re-elected in March 1884 as a Conservative candidate.
* 2 Lord Erskine was a courtesy title. He was the heir apparent of The 12th Earl of Mar and 14th Earl of Kellie, but as he died before his father he never inherited the hereditary titles of his family.

## Elections

[edit]

1940s – 1930s – 1920s – 1910s – 1900s – 1890s – 1880s – 1870s – 1860s – 1850s – 1840s – 1830s – See also – Notes – Further reading – References

### Elections in the 1940s

[edit]

1945 general election: Brighton[15][16] Party  | Candidate  | Votes  | %  | ±%

|
|
|
|

| Conservative | William Teeling | 49,339  | 30.8  | −7.4
| Conservative | Anthony Marlowe | 49,026  | 30.6  | −7.4
| Labour | Joseph Taylor Huddart[17] | 31,074  | 19.4  | +7.3
| Labour | GH Barnard  | 30,844  | 19.2  | +7.5
Majority | 17,952  | 11.2  | −14.7
Turnout | 160,283  | 64.3  | +2.6
Registered electors | 124,714  |  |
| Conservative hold
| Conservative hold
1944 Brighton by-election[16] Party  | Candidate  | Votes  | %  | ±%

|
|
|
|

| Conservative | William Teeling | 14,594  | 53.6  | −22.6
| National Independent  | Bruce Dutton Briant  | 12,635  | 46.4  | New
Majority | 1,959  | 7.2  | −18.7
Turnout | 27,229  | 22.1  | −39.6
Registered electors | 123,310  |  |
| Conservative hold
1941 Brighton by-election[16] Party  | Candidate  | Votes  | %  | ±%

|
|
|
|

| Conservative | Anthony Marlowe | Unopposed
| Conservative hold
1940 Brighton by-election[16] Party  | Candidate  | Votes  | %  | ±%

|
|
|
|

| Conservative | John Erskine | Unopposed
| Conservative hold

Back to Elections

### Elections in the 1930s

[edit]

General election 1935: Brighton[16] Party  | Candidate  | Votes  | %  | ±%

|
|
|
|

| Conservative | George Tryon | 60,913  | 38.2  | −4.5
| Conservative | Cooper Rawson | 60,724  | 38.0  | −4.6
| Labour | Alban Gordon | 19,287  | 12.1  | +4.7
| Labour | Lewis Cohen | 18,743  | 11.7  | +4.4
Majority | 41,437  | 25.9  | −9.3
Turnout | 159,667  | 61.7  | −6.6
Registered electors | 129,356  |  |
| Conservative hold
| Conservative hold
General election 1931: Brighton[16] Party  | Candidate  | Votes  | %  | ±%

|
|
|
|

| Conservative | Cooper Rawson | 75,205  | 42.7  | +13.6
| Conservative | George Tryon | 74,993  | 42.6  | +13.6
| Labour | Lewis Cohen | 12,952  | 7.4  | −4.8
| Labour Co-op | Rosalind Moore[18] | 12,878  | 7.3  | −4.4
Majority | 62,041  | 35.2  | +18.4
Turnout | 176,028  | 68.3  | +3.2
Registered electors | 128,779  |  |
| Conservative hold
| Conservative hold

Back to Elections

### Elections in the 1920s

[edit]

Cyril Dallow General election 1929: Brighton[16] Party  | Candidate  | Votes  | %  | ±%

|
|
|
|

| Unionist | Cooper Rawson | 46,515  | 29.1  | −13.2
| Unionist | George Tryon | 46,287  | 29.0  | −13.5
| Labour | Laurence S Cheshire[19] | 19,494  | 12.2  | −3.0
| Labour | William McLaine  | 18,770  | 11.7  | N/A
| Liberal | Cyril Berkeley Dallow  | 14,770  | 9.3  | New
| Liberal | John Brudenell-Bruce | 13,816  | 8.7  | New
Majority | 26,793  | 16.8  | −10.3
Turnout | 159,652  | 65.1  | +9.9
Registered electors | 122,641  |  |
| Unionist hold
| Unionist hold
General election 1924: Brighton[16] Party  | Candidate  | Votes  | %  | ±%

|
|
|
|

| Unionist | George Tryon | 39,387  | 42.5  | +15.7
| Unionist | Cooper Rawson | 39,253  | 42.3  | +15.8
| Labour | Alban Gordon | 14,072  | 15.2  | +6.7
Majority | 25,181  | 27.1  | +16.1
Turnout | 92,712  | 55.2  | −13.0
Registered electors | 83,980  |  |
| Unionist hold
| Unionist hold
General election 1923: Brighton[16] Party  | Candidate  | Votes  | %  | ±%

|
|
|
|

| Unionist | George Tryon | 30,137  | 26.8  | −5.2
| Unionist | Cooper Rawson | 29,759  | 26.5  | −3.5
| Liberal | Walter Runciman | 17,462  | 15.5  | −9.2
| Liberal | Henry Lunn | 16,567  | 14.7  | N/A
| Labour | Alban Gordon | 9,545  | 8.5  | New
| Labour | Herbert Carden  | 9,040  | 8.0  | New
Majority | 12,297  | 11.0  | +5.7
Turnout | 112,510  | 68.2  | +12.8
Registered electors | 82,475  |  |
| Unionist hold
| Unionist hold
Fry General election 1922: Brighton[16] Party  | Candidate  | Votes  | %  | ±%

|
|
|
|

| Unionist | George Tryon | 28,549  | 32.0  | −7.7
| Unionist | Cooper Rawson | 26,844  | 30.0  | −9.2
| Liberal | C. B. Fry | 22,059  | 24.7  | N/A
| Ind. Unionist | Harry Wheater[20] | 11,913  | 13.3  | New
Majority | 4,785  | 5.3  | −23.1
Turnout | 89,365  | 55.4  | +5.1
Registered electors | 80,674  |  |
| Unionist hold
| Unionist hold

Back to Elections

### Elections in the 1910s

[edit]

General election 1918: Brighton[16][note 1][21] Party  | Candidate  | Votes  | %  | ±%

|
|
|
|

C | Unionist | George Tryon | 32,958 | 39.7 | +8.9
C | Unionist | Charles Thomas-Stanford | 32,561 | 39.2 | +8.4
| Labour | Thomas Lewis  | 8,971  | 10.8  | New
| Labour | George William Alfred Canter  | 8,514  | 10.3  | New
Majority | 23,590  | 28.4  | +16.8
Turnout | 83,004  | 50.3  | −31.6
Registered electors | 82,449  |  |
| Unionist hold
| Unionist hold
C indicates candidate endorsed by the coalition government.
1914 Brighton by-election[22][note 2] Party  | Candidate  | Votes  | %  | ±%

|
|
|
|

| Unionist | Charles Thomas-Stanford | Unopposed
| Unionist hold
1911 Brighton by-election[22][note 3] Party  | Candidate  | Votes  | %  | ±%

|
|
|
|

| Conservative | John Gordon | Unopposed
| Conservative hold
General election December 1910: Brighton[22] Party  | Candidate  | Votes  | %  | ±%

|
|
|
|

| Conservative | George Tryon | 10,780  | 30.8  | +0.4
| Conservative | Walter Rice | 10,757  | 30.8  | +0.5
| Liberal | Alfred Morris[23] | 6,723  | 19.2  | −0.5
| Liberal | Morres Nickalls[24] | 6,699  | 19.2  | −0.4
Majority | 4,034  | 11.6  | +1.0
Turnout | 4,034  | 81.9  | −7.4
Registered electors | 21,427  |  |
| Conservative hold
| Conservative hold
General election January 1910: Brighton[22] Party  | Candidate  | Votes  | %  | ±%

|
|
|
|

| Conservative | George Tryon | 11,625  | 30.4  | +6.6
| Conservative | Walter Rice | 11,567  | 30.3  | +6.5
| Liberal | George Evatt[25] | 7,506  | 19.7  | −6.7
| Liberal | Morres Nickalls[26] | 7,472  | 19.6  | −6.4
Majority | 4,153  | 10.8  | N/A
Majority | 4,061  | 10.6  | N/A
Turnout | 38,170  | 89.3  | +6.8
Registered electors | 21,427  |  |
| Conservative gain from Liberal
| Conservative gain from Liberal

Back to Elections

### Elections in the 1900s

[edit]

Ridsdale General election 1906: Brighton[22][note 4] Party  | Candidate  | Votes  | %  | ±%

|
|
|
|

| Liberal | Ernest Villiers | 9,062  | 26.4  | N/A
| Liberal | Aurelian Ridsdale | 8,919  | 26.0  | N/A
| Conservative | George Tryon | 8,188  | 23.8  | −17.1
| Conservative | John Gordon | 8,176  | 23.8  | −10.8
Majority | 731  | 2.2  | N/A
Majority | 886  | 2.6  | N/A
Turnout | 34,345  | 82.5  | +20.3
Registered electors | 20,976  |  |
| Liberal gain from Conservative
| Liberal gain from Conservative
Villiers 1905 Brighton by-election[22][note 5] Party  | Candidate  | Votes  | %  | ±%

|
|
|
|

| Liberal | Ernest Villiers | 8,209  | 52.6  | New
| Conservative | Gerald Loder | 7,392  | 47.4  | −28.1
Majority | 817  | 5.2  | N/A
Turnout | 15,601  | 76.3  | +14.1
Registered electors | 20,439  |  |
| Liberal gain from Conservative
General election 1900: Brighton[22] Party  | Candidate  | Votes  | %  | ±%

|
|
|
|

| Conservative | Gerald Loder | 7,858  | 40.9  | +2.4
| Conservative | Bruce Vernon-Wentworth | 6,626  | 34.6  | −2.0
| Independent Protestant  | John Kensit | 4,693  | 24.5  | New
Majority | 1,933  | 10.1  | −1.6
Turnout | 19,177  | 62.2  | −12.2
Registered electors | 18,634  |  |
| Conservative hold
| Conservative hold

Back to Elections

### Elections in the 1890s

[edit]

General election 1895: Brighton[22][note 6] Party  | Candidate  | Votes  | %  | ±%

|
|
|
|

| Conservative | Gerald Loder | 7,878  | 38.5  | +0.2
| Conservative | Bruce Vernon-Wentworth | 7,490  | 36.6  | +1.6
| Liberal | Joseph Ewart[7] | 5,082  | 24.9  | −1.8
Majority | 2,408  | 11.7  | +3.4
Turnout | 20,450  | 74.4  | −1.8
Registered electors | 17,083  |  |
| Conservative hold
| Conservative hold
By-election, 14 December 1893[22][note 7] Party  | Candidate  | Votes  | %  | ±%

|
|
|
|

| Conservative | Bruce Vernon-Wentworth | Unopposed
| Conservative hold
General election 1892: Brighton[22][note 8] Party  | Candidate  | Votes  | %  | ±%

|
|
|
|

| Conservative | Gerald Loder | 7,807  | 38.3  | −2.9
| Conservative | William Thackeray Marriott | 7,134  | 35.0  | −5.6
| Liberal | Frederick William Maude  | 5,448  | 26.7  | +8.5
Majority | 1,686  | 8.3  | −14.1
Turnout | 20,389  | 76.2  | +18.4
Registered electors | 16,883  |  |
| Conservative hold
| Conservative hold

Back to Elections

### Elections in the 1880s

[edit]

1889 Brighton by-election[22][note 9] Party  | Candidate  | Votes  | %  | ±%

|
|
|
|

| Conservative | Gerald Loder | 7,132  | 60.7  | −21.1
| Liberal | Robert Peel | 4,625  | 39.3  | +21.1
Majority | 2,507  | 21.4  | −1.0
Turnout | 11,757  | 76.8  | +19.0
Registered electors | 15,307  |  |
| Conservative hold | Swing | −21.1  |
By-election, 29 November 1886[22][note 10] Party  | Candidate  | Votes  | %  | ±%

|
|
|
|

| Conservative | William Tindal Robertson | Unopposed
| Conservative hold
By-election, 11 August 1886[22][note 11] Party  | Candidate  | Votes  | %  | ±%

|
|
|
|

| Conservative | William Thackeray Marriott | Unopposed
| Conservative hold
General election 1886: Brighton[22] Party  | Candidate  | Votes  | %  | ±%

|
|
|
|

| Conservative | David Smith | 5,963  | 41.2  | +11.7
| Conservative | William Thackeray Marriott | 5,875  | 40.6  | +11.1
| Liberal | William Hall[27] | 2,633  | 18.2  | −22.8
Majority | 3,242  | 22.4  | +13.5
Turnout | 8,577  | 57.8  | −23.2
Registered electors | 14,848  |  |
| Conservative hold
| Conservative hold
General election 1885: Brighton[22] Party  | Candidate  | Votes  | %  | ±%

|
|
|
|

| Conservative | William Thackeray Marriott | 7,047  | 29.5  | +4.8
| Conservative | David Smith | 7,019  | 29.5  | +5.2
| Liberal | John Webb Probyn  | 4,899  | 20.6  | −4.9
| Liberal | John Robert Hollond | 4,865  | 20.4  | −5.2
Majority | 2,182  | 9.1  | N/A
Majority | 2,120  | 8.9  | N/A
Turnout | 12,021  | 81.0  | +3.8 (est)
Registered electors | 14,848  |  |
| Conservative gain from Liberal | Swing | +4.9  |
| Conservative gain from Liberal | Swing | +5.2  |
By-election, 10 Jul 1885: Brighton[28] Party  | Candidate  | Votes  | %  | ±%

|
|
|
|

| Conservative | William Thackeray Marriott | Unopposed
| Conservative gain from Liberal

* Caused by Marriott's appointment as Judge Advocate General of the Armed Forces.

By-election, 3 Mar 1884: Brighton[28] Party  | Candidate  | Votes  | %  | ±%

|
|
|
|

| Conservative | William Thackeray Marriott | 5,478  | 57.7  | +8.7
| Liberal | Robert Romer | 4,021  | 42.3  | −8.8
Majority | 1,457  | 15.4  | N/A
Turnout | 9,499  | 71.2  | −6.0 (est)
Registered electors | 13,340  |  |
| Conservative gain from Liberal | Swing | +8.8  |

* Caused by Marriott's decision to seek re-election as a Conservative.

General election 1880: Brighton[28] Party  | Candidate  | Votes  | %  | ±%

|
|
|
|

| Liberal | John Robert Hollond | 4,913  | 25.6  | +3.1
| Liberal | William Thackeray Marriott | 4,904  | 25.5  | +4.4
| Conservative | James Lloyd Ashbury | 4,739  | 24.7  | −4.8
| Conservative | Edward Field[29] | 4,664  | 24.3  | −2.6
Majority | 249  | 1.3  | N/A
Majority | 165  | 0.8  | N/A
Turnout | 9,610 (est)  | 77.2 (est)  | +4.5
Registered electors | 12,454  |  |
| Liberal gain from Conservative | Swing | +4.0  |
| Liberal gain from Conservative | Swing | +3.5  |

Back to Elections

### Elections in the 1870s

[edit]

General election 1874: Brighton[28] Party  | Candidate  | Votes  | %  | ±%

|
|
|
|

| Conservative | James Lloyd Ashbury | 4,393  | 29.5  | +3.0
| Conservative | Charles Cameron Shute | 3,995  | 26.9  | +15.7
| Liberal | James White | 3,351  | 22.5  | −7.9
| Liberal | Henry Fawcett | 3,130  | 21.1  | −6.9
Majority | 1,263  | 9.4  | N/A
Majority | 644  | 4.4  | N/A
Turnout | 7,435 (est)  | 72.7 (est)  | +9.2
Registered electors | 10,228  |  |
| Conservative gain from Liberal | Swing | +5.5  |
| Conservative gain from Liberal | Swing | +11.3  |

Back to Elections

### Elections in the 1860s

[edit]

General election 1868: Brighton[28] Party  | Candidate  | Votes  | %  | ±%

|
|
|
|

| Liberal | James White | 3,342  | 30.4  | −8.6
| Liberal | Henry Fawcett | 3,081  | 28.0  | −5.9
| Conservative | James Lloyd Ashbury | 2,917  | 26.5  | +12.9
| Conservative | Henry Moor | 1,232  | 11.2  | −2.4
| Liberal | William Coningham | 432  | 3.9  | N/A
Majority | 164  | 1.5  | −5.3
Turnout | 5,502 (est)  | 63.5 (est)  | −20.1
Registered electors | 10,228  |  |
| Liberal hold | Swing | −10.8  |
| Liberal hold | Swing | −1.8  |
General election 1865: Brighton[28] Party  | Candidate  | Votes  | %  | ±%

|
|
|
|

| Liberal | James White | 3,065  | 39.0  | −1.3
| Liberal | Henry Fawcett | 2,665  | 33.9  | −2.7
| Conservative | Henry Moor | 2,134  | 27.1  | +4.0
Majority | 531  | 6.8  | −6.7
Turnout | 4,999 (est)  | 83.6 (est)  | +0.8
Registered electors | 5,978  |  |
| Liberal hold | Swing | −1.7  |
| Liberal hold | Swing | −2.4  |
By-election, 16 Feb 1864: Brighton[28] Party  | Candidate  | Votes  | %  | ±%

|
|
|
|

| Conservative | Henry Moor | 1,663  | 39.3  | +16.2
| Liberal | Henry Fawcett | 1,468  | 34.7  | N/A
| Liberal | Julian Goldsmid | 775  | 18.3  | N/A
| Liberal | Francis Kuper Dumas[30] | 246  | 5.8  | N/A
| Independent | Edward Harper[31] | 82  | 1.9  | New
Majority | 195  | 4.6  | N/A
Turnout | 4,234  | 77.9  | −4.9
Registered electors | 5,434  |  |
| Conservative gain from Liberal | Swing |  |

* Caused by Coningham's resignation.

By-election, 16 Jul 1860: Brighton[28] Party  | Candidate  | Votes  | %  | ±%

|
|
|
|

| Liberal | James White | 1,588  | 47.0  | +6.7
| Conservative | Henry Moor | 1,242  | 36.8  | +13.7
| Liberal | Frederick Goldsmid[32] | 548  | 16.2  | −20.4
Majority | 346  | 10.2  | −3.3
Turnout | 3,378  | 70.6  | −12.2
Registered electors | 4,786  |  |
| Liberal hold | Swing |  |

* Caused by Pechell's death.

Back to Elections

### Elections in the 1850s

[edit]

General election 1859: Brighton[28] Party  | Candidate  | Votes  | %  | ±%

|
|
|
|

| Liberal | George Brooke-Pechell | 2,322  | 40.3  | −3.0
| Liberal | William Coningham | 2,106  | 36.6  | +0.5
| Conservative | Allan MacNab | 1,327  | 23.1  | +2.6
Majority | 779  | 13.5  | −2.1
Turnout | 3,541 (est)  | 82.8 (est)  | +2.3
Registered electors | 4,277  |  |
| Liberal hold | Swing | −2.2  |
| Liberal hold | Swing | −0.4  |
General election 1857: Brighton[28] Party  | Candidate  | Votes  | %  | ±%

|
|
|
|

| Whig | George Brooke-Pechell | 2,278  | 43.3  | +1.9
| Radical | William Coningham | 1,900  | 36.1  | +8.3
| Conservative | Alfred Hervey | 1,080  | 20.5  | −10.3
Turnout | 3,169 (est)  | 80.5 (est)  | −2.2
Registered electors | 3,936  |  |
Majority | 378  | 7.2  | −3.4
| Whig hold | Swing | +3.5  |
Majority | 820  | 15.6  | N/A
| Radical gain from Conservative | Swing | +6.7  |
By-election, 4 January 1853: Brighton[28] Party  | Candidate  | Votes  | %  | ±%

|
|
|
|

| Conservative | Alfred Hervey | Unopposed
| Conservative hold

* Caused by Hervey's appointment as a Lord Commissioner of the Treasury

General election 1852: Brighton[28][33] Party  | Candidate  | Votes  | %  | ±%

|
|
|
|

| Whig | George Brooke-Pechell | 1,924  | 41.4  | −1.1
| Conservative | Alfred Hervey | 1,431  | 30.8  | −2.7
| Radical | John Salusbury-Trelawny[34][35] | 1,173  | 25.2  | +13.2
| Radical | John Ffooks[36][37] | 119  | 2.6  | −9.4
Turnout | 3,039 (est)  | 82.7 (est)  | +16.1
Registered electors | 3,675  |  |
Majority | 493  | 10.6  | +1.6
| Whig hold | Swing | −1.5  |
Majority | 258  | 5.6  | −3.9
| Conservative hold | Swing | −2.3  |

Back to Elections

### Elections in the 1840s

[edit]

General election, 30 July 1847: Brighton (2 seats)[38][28] Party  | Candidate  | Votes  | %  | ±%

|
|
|
|

| Whig | George Pechell | 1,571  | 42.5  | +2.1
| Conservative | Alfred Hervey | 1,239  | 33.5  | +9.1
| Radical | William Coningham | 886  | 24.0  | −12.6
Turnout | 1,848 (est)  | 66.6 (est)  | −18.7
Registered electors | 2,776  |  |
Majority | 332  | 9.0  | +3.2
| Whig hold | Swing | −1.2  |
Majority | 353  | 9.5  | N/A
| Conservative gain from Radical | Swing | +7.7  |
By-election, 6 May 1842: Brighton[39][28] Party  | Candidate  | Votes  | %  | ±%

|
|
|
|

| Conservative | Alfred Hervey | 1,277  | 66.1  | +41.7
| Radical | Summers Harford | 640  | 33.1  | −1.5
| Chartist | Charles Brooker  | 16  | 0.8  | +0.3
Majority | 637  | 33.0  | N/A
Turnout | 1,933  | 76.3  | −9.0
Registered electors | 2,533  |  |
| Conservative gain from Radical | Swing | +21.6  |

* Caused by Wigney's resignation by accepting the office of Steward of the Chiltern Hundreds after he was declared bankrupt

General election, 1 July 1841: Brighton (2 seats)[40][28][10] Party  | Candidate  | Votes  | %  | ±%

|
|
|
|

| Whig | George Pechell | 1,443  | 40.4  | +2.9
| Radical | Isaac Wigney | 1,235  | 34.6  | +0.5
| Conservative | Adolphus Dalrymple | 872  | 24.4  | −4.0
| Chartist | Charles Brooker  | 19  | 0.5  | New
Turnout | 2,050  | 85.3  | +2.0
Registered electors | 2,403  |  |
Majority | 208  | 5.8  | −3.3
| Whig hold | Swing | +2.5  |
Majority | 363  | 10.2  | N/A
| Radical gain from Conservative | Swing | +1.3  |

Back to Elections

### Elections in the 1830s

[edit]

General election, 26 July 1837: Brighton (2 seats)[41][28][10] Party  | Candidate  | Votes  | %  | ±%

|
|
|
|

| Whig | George Pechell | 1,083  | 37.5  | −2.0
| Conservative | Adolphus Dalrymple | 819  | 28.4  | +8.6
| Radical | Isaac Wigney | 801  | 27.8  | +6.3
| Radical | George Faithfull | 183  | 6.3  | −12.9
Turnout | 1,640  | 83.3  | −6.7
Registered electors | 1,968  |  |
Majority | 264  | 9.1  | −11.2
| Whig hold | Swing | +0.7  |
Majority | 18  | 0.6  | N/A
| Conservative gain from Radical | Swing | +6.0  |
General election, 8 & 9 January 1835: Brighton (2 seats)[42][28][10] Party  | Candidate  | Votes  | %  | ±%

|
|
|
|

| Whig | George Pechell | 961  | 39.5  | +1.3
| Radical | Isaac Wigney | 523  | 21.5  | −11.7
| Conservative | Adolphus Dalrymple | 483  | 19.8  | +18.6
| Radical | George Faithfull | 467  | 19.2  | −8.2
Turnout | 1,382  | 90.0  | +3.0
Registered electors | 1,535  |  |
Majority | 494  | 20.3  | N/A
| Whig gain from Radical | Swing | +5.6  |
Majority | 40  | 1.7  | −2.4
| Radical hold | Swing | −10.5  |
General election, 12 December 1832: Brighton (2 seats)[43][28][10] Party  | Candidate  | Votes  | %  | ±%

|
|
|
|

| Radical | Isaac Wigney | 873  | 33.2  |
| Radical | George Faithfull | 722  | 27.4  |
| Whig | George Pechell | 613  | 23.3  |
| Whig | William Crawford | 391  | 14.9  |
| Tory | Adolphus Dalrymple | 32  | 1.2  |
Majority | 109  | 4.1  |
Turnout | 1,434  | 87.0  |
Registered electors | 1,649  |  |
| Radical win (new seat)
| Radical win (new seat)

Back to Elections

## See also

[edit]

* List of former United Kingdom Parliament constituencies

## Notes

[edit]

1. ^ Results compared to the 1910 general election, not the later by-elections
2. ^ Held due to Gordon's resignation
3. ^ Held due to Rice's elevation to the House of Lords
4. ^ Compared to the 1900 general election, not the 1905 by-election
5. ^ Held due to Loder's appointment as Lord Commissioner of the Treasury
6. ^ Results compared to the 1892 general election, not the later by-election
7. ^ Held due to Marriott's resignation
8. ^ Results compared to the 1886 general election, not the later by-elections
9. ^ Held due to Robertson's death
10. ^ Held due to Smith's death
11. ^ Held due to Marriott's appointment as Judge-Advocate-General

## References

[edit]

1. ^ a b Seymour, Charles (1915). Electoral reform in England and Wales: the development and operation of the parliamentary franchise, 1832–1885. New Haven, Connecticut: Yale University Press. pp. 69–70.
2. ^ Michael Stenton, ed. (1981). Who's who of British members of Parliament. A biographical dictionary of the House of Commons based on annual volumes of Dod's Parliamentary companion and other sources (4 volumes). Humanities Press. ISBN 0-391-00613-4.
3. ^ Colin Rallings and Michael Thrasher, ed. (2000). British Electoral Facts 1832–1999. Ashgate Publishing. ISBN 1-84014-053-4.
4. ^ Parliamentary Boundaries Act 1832 c.64 Sch O
5. ^ "No. 19231". The London Gazette. 20 January 1835. p. 102.
6. ^ a b c d Youngs, Frederic A. Jr. (1979). Guide to the Local Administrative Units of England, Vol.I: Southern England. London: Royal Historical Society. pp. 693, 767. ISBN 0-901050-67-9.
7. ^ a b c d e f g "UK Parliamentary Elections 1832–1895". Brighton History. Retrieved 19 April 2018.
8. ^ a b c d Hawkins, Angus (2015). "The Dynamics of Voting". Victorian Political Culture: 'Habits of Heart & Mind'. Oxford: Oxford University Press. pp. 184, 190. ISBN 9780198728481.
9. ^ a b Elms, Kate. "Brighton's first MPs". Brighton Museums. Retrieved 13 December 2012.
10. ^ a b c d e f g h 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. 77–78.
11. ^ J. K. Laughton, ‘Pechell, Sir George Richard Brooke, fourth baronet (1789–1860)’, rev. Andrew Lambert, Oxford Dictionary of National Biography, Oxford University Press, 2004 , accessed 13 October 2010
12. ^ Burke, Edmund (1842). The Annual Register of World Events: A Review of the Year, Volume 83. Longmans, Green. p. 66.
13. ^ Wells, Roger (April 1991). "Southern Chartism". Rural History. 2 (1): 37–59\. doi:10.1017/S0956793300002612.
14. ^ Gardeners Chronicle & New Horticulturist, Volume 7. Haymarket Publishing. 1847. p. 186.
15. ^ "UK General Election results July 1945". Archived from the original on 2 September 2012. Retrieved 3 May 2012.
16. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k Craig, F.W.S., ed. (1969). British parliamentary election results 1918-1949. Glasgow: Political Reference Publications. pp. 103–4. ISBN 0-900178-01-9.
17. ^ "Broadside against admirals enlivened the Labour Party Conference yesterday". Daily Herald. 8 June 1949. p. 5.
18. ^ "Women Candidates". Western Morning News. 14 October 1931. p. 5.
19. ^ "Lewes and Brighton". Sussex Agricultural Express. 24 May 1929. p. 12.
20. ^ "Wills and Estate". The Scotsman. 28 July 1927. p. 7.
21. ^ Debrett's House of Commons and the Judicial Bench, 1922
22. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o Craig, FWS, ed. (1974). British Parliamentary Election Results: 1885-1918. London: Macmillan Press. p. 82\. ISBN 9781349022984.
23. ^ "Another Wet Sunday". Brighton Gazette. 30 November 1910. p. 4.
24. ^ "Mr. M. Nickalls". London Daily News. 5 December 1910. p. 3.
25. ^ "A memorable by-election". Brighton Gazette. 15 December 1909. p. 1.
26. ^ "Mr Morres Nickalls". London Daily News. 4 January 1910. p. 5.
27. ^ "Liberal Meeting at Brighton". Brighton Gazette. 29 June 1886. p. 3.
28. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r Craig, F. W. S., ed. (1977). British Parliamentary Election Results 1832-1885 (e-book) (1st ed.). London: Macmillan Press. ISBN 978-1-349-02349-3.
29. ^ "To the electors of the Borough of Brighton". Brighton Gazette. 3 April 1880. p. 1.
30. ^ "The Brighton Election". Lloyd's Weekly Newspaper. 21 February 1864. p. 5 - via British Newspaper Archive.
31. ^ "Brighton Guardian". 3 February 1864. p. 1 - via British Newspaper Archive.
32. ^ "Brighton Election". Brighton Gazette. 12 July 1860. p. 4 - via British Newspaper Archive.
33. ^ "Brighton". Sussex Advertiser. 13 July 1852. p. 3 - via British Newspaper Archive.
34. ^ Dod, Charles Roger; Dod, Robert Phipps (1847). Dod's Parliamentary Companion, Volume 15. Dod's Parliamentary Companion. p. 246.
35. ^ Hoppen, K. Theodore (2016). Governing Hibernia: British Politicians and Ireland 1800-1921. Oxford: Oxford University Press. p. 133\. ISBN 9780191075643.
36. ^ "Brighton". Morning Post. 8 July 1852. p. 3 - via British Newspaper Archive.
37. ^ "The Approaching Elections". Staffordshire Advertiser. 3 July 1852. p. 3 - via British Newspaper Archive.
38. ^ "The General Election". The Times. 31 July 1847. p. 3.
39. ^ "Brighton Election. Close of Poll". The Times. 7 May 1842. p. 6.
40. ^ "The General Election. Elections Decided". The Times. 2 July 1841. p. 3.
41. ^ "The Elections". Morning Post. 27 July 1837. p. 3.
42. ^ "Brighton, Jan 9. Second and Last Day". The Times. 10 January 1835. p. 2.
43. ^ "General Election. Members Returned". The Times. 13 December 1832. p. 4.

## Further reading

[edit]

* Boundaries of Parliamentary Constituencies 1885–1972, compiled and edited by F.W.S. Craig (Parliamentary Reference Publications 1972)
* British Parliamentary Election Results 1832–1885, compiled and edited by F.W.S. Craig (Macmillan Press 1977)
* British Parliamentary Election Results 1885–1918, compiled and edited by F.W.S. Craig (Macmillan Press 1974)
* British Parliamentary Election Results 1918–1949, compiled and edited by F.W.S. Craig (Macmillan Press, revised edition 1977)
* Leigh Rayment's Historical List of MPs – Constituencies beginning with "B" (part 5)