Cambridge University (UK Parliament constituency)

Parliamentary constituency in the United Kingdom, 1801–1950

Cambridge University

Former university constituency
for the House of Commons
1603–1950
Seats| 2
Replaced by| Cambridge

Cambridge University was a university constituency electing two members to the British House of Commons, from 1603 to 1950.

## Franchise and method of election

[edit]

This university constituency was created by a Royal Charter of 1603. It was abolished in 1950 by the Representation of the People Act 1948.

The constituency was not a geographical area. Its electorate consisted of the graduates of the University of Cambridge. Before 1918 the franchise was restricted to male graduates with a Doctorate or Master of Arts degree. Sedgwick records that there were 377 electors in 1727. For the 1754–1790 period, Namier and Brooke estimated the electorate at about 500.

The constituency returned two Members of Parliament. Before 1918 they were elected by plurality-at-large voting, but from 1918 onwards the two members were elected by the Single Transferable Vote method.

## History

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In the early 18th century, the electors of both English universities were mostly Tories, but the Whig ministers of King George I were able to persuade him to use his royal prerogative to confer Cambridge doctorates on a large number of Whigs, so that from 1727 the university largely returned Whig representatives. At Oxford, the King did not enjoy the same prerogative power, so that the University of Oxford constituency remained Tory, and indeed often Jacobite, in its preferences.

The leading 18th-century Whig politician Thomas Pelham-Holles, 1st Duke of Newcastle, was Chancellor of the University of Cambridge from 1748 to 1768 and recommended to the electors suitable candidates to represent them in Parliament. This practice continued under his successor, another Whig Duke and Prime Minister, Augustus FitzRoy, 3rd Duke of Grafton, Chancellor of the university from 1768 to 1811. However, Grafton was less influential as a politician than Newcastle had been and also less attentive towards the university, and as a result some of his nominations came in for criticism, notably that of his friend Richard Croftes.

Croftes was far from typical of a university member of parliament: he was neither the son of a peer, like the Hon. John Townshend, the Marquess of Granby, and Grafton's own son the Earl of Euston, nor a distinguished lawyer-politician, such as William de Grey, James Mansfield, and Sir Vicary Gibbs, nor a prominent political figure like William Pitt the Younger and Lord Henry Petty. In the late 18th and early 19th centuries, Pittite and Tory candidates began to be elected. At the appearance of this political development, some of the Pittite members, including the younger William Pitt himself, one of the members for the university from 1784 to 1806, described themselves as Whigs. As time passed, the division between the 19th century Tory and Whig parties became clearer.

The future Prime Minister, Viscount Palmerston, retained his university seat as a Whig after he left the Tory ranks, but in 1831 he was defeated. After Palmerston ceased to represent the university he was elected by a territorial constituency. From then until the 1920s, all of the university's members were Tories and/or Conservatives.

Even after the introduction of the single transferable vote in 1918, most of the members continued to be elected as Conservatives.

## Members of Parliament

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This is a list of people who have been elected to represent this university in the Parliament of the United Kingdom.

### 1603 to 1660

[edit]

This list is incomplete; you can help by adding missing items. (January 2011)

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* Constituency created 1603

Year | First member | Second member

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1604 | Nicholas Steward | Henry Mountlow
1614 | Sir Miles Sandys | Sir Francis Bacon
1621 | Robert Naunton | Barnaby Gough
1624 | Sir Robert Naunton | Barnaby Gough
1625 | Sir Robert Naunton | Sir Albert Morton
1626 | Thomas Eden | Sir John Coke
1628–1629 | Thomas Eden | Sir John Coke
1629–1640 | No Parliaments summoned
Apr 1640 | Thomas Eden | Henry Lucas
Nov 1640 | Thomas Eden | Henry Lucas
Eden died 1644 replaced by Nathaniel Bacon
1648 | Lucas secluded in Pride's Purge
1654 | Henry Cromwell | (one seat only)
1656 | Richard Cromwell | (one seat only)
1659 | John Thurloe | Thomas Sclater

### 1660 to 1784

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Year | Member | Party | Member | Party

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1660 Apr | George Monck |  | Thomas Crouch |
1660 Jun | William Montagu |
1661 | Sir Richard Fanshawe |
1667 | Sir Charles Wheler, 2nd Baronet |
1679 | Sir Thomas Exton |  | James Vernon |
1681 | Robert Brady |
1689 | Sir Robert Sawyer |  | Isaac Newton | Whig
1690 | Edward Finch |
1692 | Henry Boyle | Whig
1695 | George Oxenden |
1698 | Anthony Hammond |
1701 | Isaac Newton | Court Whig
1702 | Arthur Annesley | Tory
1705 | Dixie Windsor | Tory
1710 | Thomas Paske | Tory
1720 | Thomas Willoughby | Tory
1727 | Edward Finch | Whig | Thomas Townshend | Whig
1768 | Charles Yorke | Rockingham Whig
1770 | William de Grey |
1771 | Richard Croftes |
1774 | Charles Manners, Marquess of Granby |
1779 | James Mansfield |
1780 | Lord John Townshend | Whig

### 1784 to 1950

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Year | Member | Party | Member | Party

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1784 |  | William Pitt the Younger | Tory1[1] |  | Earl of Euston | Whig[1]
1806 |  | Lord Henry Petty | Whig[1]
1807 |  | Sir Vicary Gibbs | Tory[1]
1811 |  | Viscount Palmerston | Tory[1]
1812 |  | John Henry Smyth | Whig[1]
1822 |  | William John Bankes | Tory[1]
1826 |  | Sir John Copley | Tory[1]
1827 |  | Sir Nicholas Conyngham Tindal | Tory[1]
1829 |  | William Cavendish | Whig[1]
1830 |  | Whig[1]
1831 |  | Henry Goulburn | Tory[1] |  | William Yates Peel | Tory[1]
1832 |  | Charles Manners-Sutton | Tory[1]
1834 |  | Conservative[1] |  | Conservative[1]
1835 |  | Hon. Charles Law | Conservative[1]
1850 |  | Loftus Wigram | Conservative
1856 |  | Spencer Horatio Walpole | Conservative
1859 |  | Charles Jasper Selwyn | Conservative
1868 |  | Alexander Beresford Hope | Conservative
1882 |  | Henry Cecil Raikes | Conservative
1887 |  | Sir George Stokes, Bt | Conservative
1891 |  | Sir Richard Claverhouse Jebb 2 | Conservative
1892 |  | Sir John Eldon Gorst | Conservative
1906 |  | Samuel Butcher | Conservative |  | John Rawlinson | Conservative
1911 |  | Sir Joseph Larmor | Conservative
1918 | Co. Conservative 3 | Co. Conservative3
1922 |  | J. R. M. Butler | Ind. Liberal4 | Conservative
1923 |  | Sir Geoffrey G. Butler 5 | Conservative
1926 |  | Sir John Withers | Conservative
1929 |  | Godfrey Wilson | Conservative
1935 |  | Sir Kenneth Pickthorn | Conservative
1940 |  | Dr. Archibald Hill | Ind. Conservative4
1945 |  | Wilson Harris | Independent

Notes:-

* 1 Pitt called himself a Whig, but is usually retrospectively regarded as a Tory since most of his followers (whether their background was in the Whig or Tory tradition) came to call themselves the Tory Party in the decade after Pitt's death.
* 2 Jebb died on 10 December 1905 – seat vacant at dissolution.
* 3 Co. is an abbreviation for Coalition.
* 4 Ind. is an abbreviation for Independent.
* 5 Sir Geoffrey G. Butler died on 2 May 1929 – seat vacant at dissolution.

## Elections before 1715

[edit]

This list is incomplete; you can help by adding missing items. (August 2008)

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## Election by block vote 1715–1918

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1710s – 1720s – 1730s – 1740s – 1750s – 1760s – 1770s – 1780s – 1790s – 1800s – 1810s – 1820s – 1830s – 1840s – 1850s – 1860s – 1870s – 1880s – 1890s – 1900s – 1910s

### Elections in the 1710s

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General election 26 January 1715: Cambridge University (2 seats)  Party  | Candidate  | Votes  | %  | ±%

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| Tory | Dixie Windsor | Unopposed  | N/A | N/A
| Tory | Thomas Paske | Unopposed  | N/A | N/A

### Elections in the 1720s

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* Death of Paske

By-election 19 December 1720: Cambridge University  Party  | Candidate  | Votes  | %  | ±%

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| Tory | Thomas Willoughby | 176  | 55.17  | N/A
| Whig | Henry Finch | 143  | 44.83  | N/A
Majority  | 33  | 10.34  | N/A
Turnout | 319  | N/A | N/A
| Tory hold | Swing | N/A |

* Note (1722): Stooks Smith gives Willoughby 319 votes.

General election 22 March 1722: Cambridge University (2 seats)  Party  | Candidate  | Votes  | %  | ±%

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| Tory | Dixie Windsor | Unopposed  | N/A | N/A
| Tory | Thomas Willoughby | Unopposed  | N/A | N/A
General election 22 August 1727: Cambridge University (2 seats)  Party  | Candidate  | Votes  | %  | ±%

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| Whig | Edward Finch | 221  | 37.14  | N/A
| Whig | Thomas Townshend | 198  | 33.28  | N/A
| Tory | Dixie Windsor | 176  | 29.58  | N/A
Turnout | 595 (377 voted)  | 79.70  | N/A
Registered electors | 473  |  |

* Note (1727): Unusually, for a pre-1832 election, Stooks Smith records the total number of electors for the constituency as well as the number who voted; so a turnout figure can be calculated.

### Elections in the 1730s

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General election 29 April 1734: Cambridge University (2 seats)  Party  | Candidate  | Votes  | %  | ±%

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| Whig | Thomas Townshend | 222  | 30.33  | −2.95
| Whig | Edward Finch | 209  | 28.55  | −8.59
| Whig | Goodrick  | 174  | 23.77  | N/A
| Tory | Dixie Windsor | 137  | 17.35  | −12.23
Turnout | 732  | N/A | N/A

* Note (1734): Goodrick was an Opposition Whig

### Elections in the 1740s

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General election 6 May 1741: Cambridge University (2 seats)  Party  | Candidate  | Votes  | %  | ±%

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| Whig | Edward Finch | Unopposed  | N/A | N/A
| Whig | Thomas Townshend | Unopposed  | N/A | N/A

* Seat vacated when Finch was appointed a Groom of the Bedchamber

By-election 23 July 1742: Cambridge University  Party  | Candidate  | Votes  | %  | ±%

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| Whig | Edward Finch | Unopposed  | N/A | N/A
| Whig hold | Swing | N/A |
General election 26 June 1747: Cambridge University (2 seats)  Party  | Candidate  | Votes  | %  | ±%

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| Whig | Edward Finch | Unopposed  | N/A | N/A
| Whig | Thomas Townshend | Unopposed  | N/A | N/A

### Elections in the 1750s

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General election 17 April 1754: Cambridge University (2 seats)  Party  | Candidate  | Votes  | %  | ±%

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| Whig | Edward Finch | Unopposed  | N/A | N/A
| Whig | Thomas Townshend | Unopposed  | N/A | N/A

* Seat vacated when Finch was appointed to an office

By-election 14 June 1757: Cambridge University  Party  | Candidate  | Votes  | %  | ±%

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| Whig | Edward Finch | Unopposed  | N/A | N/A
| Whig hold | Swing | N/A |

### Elections in the 1760s

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* Seat vacated when Finch was appointed to an office

By-election 14 January 1761: Cambridge University  Party  | Candidate  | Votes  | %  | ±%

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| Whig | Edward Finch | Unopposed  | N/A | N/A
| Whig hold | Swing | N/A |
General election 27 March 1761: Cambridge University (2 seats)  Party  | Candidate  | Votes  | %  | ±%

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| Whig | Edward Finch | Unopposed  | N/A | N/A
| Whig | Thomas Townshend | Unopposed  | N/A | N/A
General election 19 March 1768: Cambridge University (2 seats)  Party  | Candidate  | Votes  | %  | ±%

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| Non-partisan  | Charles Yorke | Unopposed  | N/A | N/A
| Whig | Thomas Townshend | Unopposed  | N/A | N/A

### Elections in the 1770s

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* Seat vacated on the appointment of Yorke as Lord Chancellor

By-election 1 February 1770: Cambridge University  Party  | Candidate  | Votes  | %  | ±%

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| Non-partisan  | William de Grey | Unopposed  | N/A | N/A
| Non-partisan hold | Swing | N/A |

* Seat vacated on the appointment of de Grey as Chief Justice of the Court of Common Pleas

By-election 4 February 1771: Cambridge University  Party  | Candidate  | Votes  | %  | ±%

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| Non-partisan  | Richard Croftes | 76  | 62.81  | N/A
| Non-partisan  | William Wynne  | 45  | 37.19  | N/A
Majority  | 31  | 25.62  | N/A
Turnout | 121  | N/A | N/A
| Non-partisan hold | Swing | N/A |
General election 10 October 1774: Cambridge University (2 seats)  Party  | Candidate  | Votes  | %  | ±%

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| Non-partisan  | Charles Manners | Unopposed  | N/A | N/A
| Non-partisan  | Richard Croftes | Unopposed  | N/A | N/A

* Succession of Granby as the 4th Duke of Rutland

By-election 10 June 1779: Cambridge University  Party  | Candidate  | Votes  | %  | ±%

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| Non-partisan  | James Mansfield | 157  | 35.68  | N/A
| Non-partisan  | John Townshend | 145  | 32.95  | N/A
| Non-partisan  | Thomas Villiers | 138  | 31.36  | N/A
Majority  | 12  | 2.73  | N/A
Turnout | 440  | N/A | N/A
| Non-partisan hold | Swing | N/A |

### Elections in the 1780s

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General election 9 September 1780: Cambridge University (2 seats)  Party  | Candidate  | Votes  | %  | ±%

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| Non-partisan  | James Mansfield | 277  | 27.10  | N/A
| Non-partisan  | John Townshend | 247  | 24.17  | N/A
| Non-partisan  | Thomas Villiers | 206  | 20.16  | N/A
| Non-partisan  | Richard Croftes | 150  | 14.68  | N/A
| Non-partisan  | William Pitt | 142  | 13.89  | N/A
Turnout | 1,022 (546 voters)  | N/A | N/A

* Note (1780): Stooks Smith records Townshend as getting 237 votes.
* Seat vacated on Townshend being appointed to an office

By-election 3 April 1782: Cambridge University  Party  | Candidate  | Votes  | %  | ±%

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| Non-partisan  | John Townshend | Unopposed  | N/A | N/A
| Non-partisan hold | Swing | N/A |

* Seat vacated on Townshend being appointed to an office

By-election 11 April 1783: Cambridge University  Party  | Candidate  | Votes  | %  | ±%

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| Non-partisan  | John Townshend | Unopposed  | N/A | N/A
| Non-partisan hold | Swing | N/A |

* Seat vacated on Mansfield being appointed as Solicitor General for England and Wales

By-election 26 November 1783: Cambridge University  Party  | Candidate  | Votes  | %  | ±%

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| Non-partisan  | James Mansfield | Unopposed  | N/A | N/A
| Non-partisan hold | Swing | N/A |
General election 3 April 1784: Cambridge University (2 seats)  Party  | Candidate  | Votes  | %  | ±%

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| Non-partisan  | William Pitt | 351  | 31.65  | +17.76
| Non-partisan  | George FitzRoy | 299  | 26.96  | N/A
| Non-partisan  | John Townshend | 278  | 25.07  | +0.90
| Non-partisan  | James Mansfield | 181  | 16.32  | −10.78
Turnout | 1,109 (588 voters)  | N/A | N/A

* The 1784 election was broadly a contest between the new government of Pitt and the ousted Fox-North Coalition, in which both Townshend and Mansfield had held office.

### Elections in the 1790s

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General election 1790: Cambridge University (2 seats)  Party  | Candidate  | Votes  | %  | ±%

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| Tory | William Pitt | 510  | 42.50  | +10.85
| Whig | George FitzRoy | 483  | 40.25  | +13.29
| Whig | Lawrence Dundas | 207  | 17.25  | N/A
Turnout | 1,200 (684 voters)  | N/A | N/A

* Note (1790): Party labels in the 1790–1832 period follow Stooks Smith, who classifies Pitt and his Pittite supporters as Tories without regard to what they would have actually called themselves.
* Seat vacated on Pitt being appointed Lord Warden of the Cinque Ports

By-election 1792: Cambridge University  Party  | Candidate  | Votes  | %  | ±%

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| Tory | William Pitt | Unopposed  | N/A | N/A
| Tory hold | Swing | N/A |

* Seat vacated on Euston being appointed to an office

By-election 1794: Cambridge University  Party  | Candidate  | Votes  | %  | ±%

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| Whig | George FitzRoy | Unopposed  | N/A | N/A
| Whig hold | Swing | N/A |
General election 1796: Cambridge University (2 seats)  Party  | Candidate  | Votes  | %  | ±%

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| Tory | William Pitt | Unopposed  | N/A | N/A
| Whig | George FitzRoy | Unopposed  | N/A | N/A

### Elections in the 1800s

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General election 1802: Cambridge University (2 seats)  Party  | Candidate  | Votes  | %  | ±%

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| Tory | William Pitt | Unopposed  | N/A | N/A
| Whig | George FitzRoy | Unopposed  | N/A | N/A

* Seat vacated on Pitt being appointed Chancellor of the Exchequer

By-election 1804: Cambridge University  Party  | Candidate  | Votes  | %  | ±%

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| Tory | William Pitt | Unopposed  | N/A | N/A
| Tory hold

* Death of Pitt

By-election February 1806: Cambridge University  Party  | Candidate  | Votes  | %  | ±%

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| Whig | Henry Petty | 331  | 54.80  | N/A
| Whig | John Spencer | 145  | 24.01  | N/A
| Tory | Henry Temple | 128  | 21.19  | N/A
Majority  | 186  | 30.79  | N/A
Turnout | 604  | N/A | N/A
| Whig gain from Tory | Swing | N/A |

* Palmerston was a Peer of Ireland

General election 1806: Cambridge University (2 seats)  Party  | Candidate  | Votes  | %  | ±%

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| Whig | Henry Petty | Unopposed  | N/A | N/A
| Whig | George FitzRoy | Unopposed  | N/A | N/A
General election 1807: Cambridge University (2 seats)  Party  | Candidate  | Votes  | %  | ±%

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| Whig | George FitzRoy | 324  | 26.75  | N/A
| Tory | Vicary Gibbs | 312  | 25.76  | New
| Tory | Henry Temple | 310  | 25.60  | New
| Whig | Henry Petty | 265  | 21.88  | N/A
Turnout | 1,211 (631 voters)  | N/A | N/A

### Elections in the 1810s

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* Succession of Euston as the 4th Duke of Grafton

By-election March 1811: Cambridge University  Party  | Candidate  | Votes  | %  | ±%

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| Tory | Henry Temple | 451  | 56.66  | N/A
| Whig | John Henry Smyth  | 345  | 43.34  | N/A
Majority  | 106  | 13.32  | N/A
Turnout | 796  | N/A | N/A
| Tory gain from Whig | Swing | N/A |

* Seat vacated on Gibbs being appointed a Judge of the Court of Common Pleas

By-election 1812: Cambridge University  Party  | Candidate  | Votes  | %  | ±%

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| Whig | John Henry Smyth  | Unopposed  | N/A | N/A
| Whig gain from Tory
General election 1812: Cambridge University (2 seats)  Party  | Candidate  | Votes  | %  | ±%

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| Tory | Henry Temple | Unopposed  | N/A | N/A
| Whig | John Henry Smyth  | Unopposed  | N/A | N/A
General election 1818: Cambridge University (2 seats)  Party  | Candidate  | Votes  | %  | ±%

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| Tory | Henry Temple | Unopposed  | N/A | N/A
| Whig | John Henry Smyth  | Unopposed  | N/A | N/A

### Elections in the 1820s

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General election 1820: Cambridge University (2 seats)  Party  | Candidate  | Votes  | %  | ±%

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| Tory | Henry Temple | Unopposed  | N/A | N/A
| Whig | John Henry Smyth | Unopposed  | N/A | N/A

* Death of Smyth

By-election 1822: Cambridge University  Party  | Candidate  | Votes  | %  | ±%

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| Tory | William John Bankes | 419  | 45.59  | N/A
| Tory | Lord Harvey  | 281  | 30.58  | N/A
| Whig | James Scarlett | 219  | 23.83  | N/A
Majority  | 138  | 15.02  | N/A
Turnout | 919  | N/A | N/A
| Tory gain from Whig | Swing | N/A |
General election 1826: Cambridge University (2 seats)  Party  | Candidate  | Votes  | %  | ±%

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| Tory | John Copley | 772  | 32.88  | N/A
| Whig | Henry Temple | 631  | 26.87  | N/A
| Tory | William John Bankes | 508  | 21.64  | N/A
| Tory | Henry Goulburn | 437  | 18.61  | N/A
Majority  | 123  | 5.23  | N/A
Turnout | 2,348 (1,293 voters)  | N/A | N/A
| Tory hold | Swing | N/A |
| Whig hold | Swing | N/A |

* Seat vacated on the appointment of Copley as Lord Chancellor and creation as 1st Baron Lyndhurst

By-election May 1827: Cambridge University  Party  | Candidate  | Votes  | %  | ±%

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| Tory | Nicholas Conyngham Tindal | 479  | 55.89  | N/A
| Tory | William John Bankes | 378  | 44.11  | N/A
Majority  | 101  | 11.78  | N/A
Turnout | 857  | 43.93  | N/A
Registered electors | 1,951  |  |
| Tory hold | Swing | N/A |

* Note (1827): Unusually for a pre-1832 election Stooks Smith provides a total electorate figure, so a turnout percentage can be calculated. See the 1727 result above for another instance.
* Seat vacated on the appointment of Tindal as Chief Justice of the Court of Common Pleas

By-election June 1829: Cambridge University  Party  | Candidate  | Votes  | %  | ±%

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| Whig | William Cavendish | 609  | 56.86  | N/A
| Tory | George Bankes | 462  | 43.14  | −0.97
Majority  | 147  | 13.72  | N/A
Turnout | 1,071  |  |
| Whig gain from Tory | Swing |  |

### Elections in the 1830s

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General election 1830: Cambridge University (2 seats)[1][2] Party  | Candidate  | Votes  | %

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| Whig | Henry Temple | Unopposed
| Whig | William Cavendish | Unopposed
| Whig gain from Tory
| Whig gain from Tory

* Seat vacated on the appointment of Palmerston as Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs

By-election, 30 November 1830: Cambridge University[1][2] Party  | Candidate  | Votes  | %

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| Whig | Henry Temple | Unopposed
| Whig hold
General election 1831: Cambridge University (2 seats)[1][2] Party  | Candidate  | Votes  | %

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| Tory | Henry Goulburn | 805  | 28.3
| Tory | William Yates Peel | 804  | 28.2
| Whig | William Cavendish | 630  | 22.1
| Whig | Henry Temple | 610  | 21.4
Majority  | 174  | 6.1
Turnout | 1,450  | 65.5
Registered electors | 2,215  |
| Tory gain from Whig
| Tory gain from Whig
General election 12 December 1832: Cambridge University (2 seats)[1] Party  | Candidate  | Votes  | %

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| Tory | Henry Goulburn | Unopposed
| Speaker | Charles Manners-Sutton | Unopposed
Registered electors | 2,319  |
| Tory hold
| Speaker gain from Tory
General election 12 December 1835: Cambridge University (2 seats)[1] Party  | Candidate  | Votes  | %

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| Conservative | Henry Goulburn | Unopposed
| Speaker | Charles Manners-Sutton | Unopposed
Registered electors | 2,319  |
| Conservative hold
| Speaker hold

* Manners-Sutton created 'The 1st Viscount Canterbury'.

By-election, 21 March 1835: Cambridge University[1] Party  | Candidate  | Votes  | %

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| Conservative | Charles Law | Unopposed
| Conservative gain from Speaker
General election 25 July 1837: Cambridge University (2 seats)[1] Party  | Candidate  | Votes  | %

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| Conservative | Henry Goulburn | Unopposed
| Conservative | Charles Law | Unopposed
Registered electors | 2,613  |
| Conservative hold
| Conservative gain from Speaker

* Note (1837): McCalmont's Parliamentary Poll Book classifies Law as a Peelite between this election and that of 1847.

### Elections in the 1840s

[edit]

General election 30 June 1841: Cambridge University (2 seats)  Party  | Candidate  | Votes  | %  | ±%

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| Conservative | Henry Goulburn | Unopposed
| Conservative | Charles Law | Unopposed
Registered electors | 2,873  |  |
| Conservative hold
| Conservative hold

* Note (1841): McCalmont's Parliamentary Poll Book classifies Goulburn as a Liberal Conservative and Law as a Peelite for this election.
* Goulburn appointed Chancellor of the Exchequer.

By-election, 15 September 1841: Cambridge University  Party  | Candidate  | Votes  | %  | ±%

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| Conservative | Henry Goulburn | Unopposed
| Conservative hold
General election 3 August 1847: Cambridge University (2 seats)  Party  | Candidate  | Votes  | %  | ±%

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|
|

| Conservative | Charles Law | 1,486  | 31.7  | N/A
| Conservative | Henry Goulburn | 1,189  | 25.4  | N/A
| Conservative | Rudolph Feilding | 1,147  | 24.5  | N/A
| Whig | John Shaw-Lefevre | 860  | 18.4  | New
Majority  | 42  | 0.9  | N/A
Turnout | 2,341 (est)  | 61.6  | N/A
Registered electors | 3,800  |  |
| Conservative hold | Swing | N/A |
| Conservative hold | Swing | N/A |

* Note 1 (1847): 3,800 registered electors; 4,682 votes cast; minimum possible turnout estimated by dividing votes by 2. To the extent that electors did not use both their votes, the figure will be an underestimate.
* Note 2 (1847): McCalmont's Parliamentary Poll Book classifies Goulburn as a Liberal Conservative and Law as a Peelite for this election.

### Elections in the 1850s

[edit]

* Death of Law.

By-election, 4 October 1850: Cambridge University[3] Party  | Candidate  | Votes  | %  | ±%

|
|
|
|

| Conservative | Loftus Wigram | Unopposed
| Conservative hold
General election 10 July 1852: Cambridge University (2 seats)[3] Party  | Candidate  | Votes  | %  | ±%

|
|
|
|

| Conservative | Henry Goulburn | Unopposed
| Conservative | Loftus Wigram | Unopposed
Registered electors | 4,063  |  |
| Conservative hold
| Conservative hold

* Note (1852): McCalmont's Parliamentary Poll Book classifies Goulburn as a Liberal Conservative for this election.
* Death of Goulburn.

By-election, 11 February 1856: Cambridge University[3] Party  | Candidate  | Votes  | %  | ±%

|
|
|
|

| Conservative | Spencer Horatio Walpole | 886  | 67.9  | N/A
| Whig | George Denman[4] | 419  | 32.1  | New
Majority  | 467  | 35.8  | N/A
Turnout | 1,305  | 28.7  | N/A
Registered electors | 4,552  |  |
| Conservative hold | Swing | N/A |
General election 28 March 1857: Cambridge University (2 seats)[3] Party  | Candidate  | Votes  | %  | ±%

|
|
|
|

| Conservative | Spencer Horatio Walpole | Unopposed
| Conservative | Loftus Wigram | Unopposed
Registered electors | 4,552  |  |
| Conservative hold
| Conservative hold

* Appointment of Walpole as Secretary of State for the Home Department.

By-election, 4 March 1858: Cambridge University[3] Party  | Candidate  | Votes  | %  | ±%

|
|
|
|

| Conservative | Spencer Horatio Walpole | Unopposed
| Conservative hold
General election 29 April 1859: Cambridge University (2 seats)[3] Party  | Candidate  | Votes  | %  | ±%

|
|
|
|

| Conservative | Charles Jasper Selwyn | Unopposed
| Conservative | Spencer Horatio Walpole | Unopposed
Registered electors | 4,566  |  |
| Conservative hold
| Conservative hold

### Elections in the 1860s

[edit]

General election 11 July 1865: Cambridge University (2 seats)[3] Party  | Candidate  | Votes  | %  | ±%

|
|
|
|

| Conservative | Charles Jasper Selwyn | Unopposed
| Conservative | Spencer Horatio Walpole | Unopposed
Registered electors | 5,184  |  |
| Conservative hold
| Conservative hold

* Appointment of Walpole as Secretary of State for the Home Department.

By-election 11 July 1866: Cambridge University[3] Party  | Candidate  | Votes  | %  | ±%

|
|
|
|

| Conservative | Spencer Horatio Walpole | Unopposed
| Conservative hold

* Appointment of Selwyn as Solicitor-General.

By-election 22 July 1867: Cambridge University[3] Party  | Candidate  | Votes  | %  | ±%

|
|
|
|

| Conservative | Charles Jasper Selwyn | Unopposed
| Conservative hold

* Appointment of Selwyn as Judge of the Court of Appeal in Chancery.

By-election 24 February 1868: Cambridge University[3] Party  | Candidate  | Votes  | %  | ±%

|
|
|
|

| Conservative | Alexander Beresford Hope | 1,931  | 58.0  | N/A
| Conservative | Anthony Cleasby[5] | 1,400  | 42.0  | N/A
Majority  | 531  | 16.0  | N/A
Turnout | 3,331  | 64.3  | N/A
Registered electors | 5,184  |  |
| Conservative hold
General election 16 November 1868: Cambridge University (2 seats)[3] Party  | Candidate  | Votes  | %  | ±%

|
|
|
|

| Conservative | Alexander Beresford Hope | Unopposed
| Conservative | Spencer Horatio Walpole | Unopposed
Registered electors | 5,435  |  |
| Conservative hold
| Conservative hold

### Elections in the 1870s

[edit]

General election 2 February 1874: Cambridge University (2 seats)  Party  | Candidate  | Votes  | %  | ±%

|
|
|
|

| Conservative | Alexander Beresford Hope | Unopposed
| Conservative | Spencer Horatio Walpole | Unopposed
Registered electors | 5,855  |  |
| Conservative hold
| Conservative hold

### Elections in the 1880s

[edit]

General election April 1880: Cambridge University (2 seats)[3] Party  | Candidate  | Votes  | %  | ±%

|
|
|
|

| Conservative | Alexander Beresford Hope | Unopposed
| Conservative | Spencer Horatio Walpole | Unopposed
Registered electors | 6,161  |  |
| Conservative hold
| Conservative hold

Walpole's resignation caused a by-election.

By-election 23–28 Nov 1882: Cambridge University[3] Party  | Candidate  | Votes  | %  | ±%

|
|
|
|

| Conservative | Henry Cecil Raikes | 3,491  | 72.9  | N/A
| Liberal | James Stuart | 1,301  | 27.2  | New
Majority  | 2,190  | 45.7  | N/A
Turnout | 4,792  | 75.2  | N/A
Registered electors | 6,371  |  |
| Conservative hold | Swing | N/A |
Hope General election 1885: Cambridge University (2 seats)[6] Party  | Candidate  | Votes  | %  | ±%

|
|
|
|

| Conservative | Alexander Beresford Hope | Unopposed
| Conservative | Henry Cecil Raikes | Unopposed
| Conservative hold
| Conservative hold
General election 1886: Cambridge University (2 seats)[6] Party  | Candidate  | Votes  | %  | ±%

|
|
|
|

| Conservative | Alexander Beresford Hope | Unopposed
| Conservative | Henry Cecil Raikes | Unopposed
| Conservative hold
| Conservative hold

Raikes was appointed Postmaster General, requiring a by-election.

By-election, 13 Aug 1886: Cambridge University[6] Party  | Candidate  | Votes  | %  | ±%

|
|
|
|

| Conservative | Henry Cecil Raikes | Unopposed
| Conservative hold
Stokes

Beresford-Hope's death caused a by-election.

By-election, 17 Nov 1887: Cambridge University[6] Party  | Candidate  | Votes  | %  | ±%

|
|
|
|

| Conservative | George Stokes | Unopposed
| Conservative hold

### Elections in the 1890s

[edit]

Jebb 1891 Cambridge University by-election[6] Party  | Candidate  | Votes  | %  | ±%

|
|
|
|

| Conservative | Richard Claverhouse Jebb | Unopposed
| Conservative hold
General election 1892: Cambridge University (2 seats)[6] Party  | Candidate  | Votes  | %  | ±%

|
|
|
|

| Conservative | John Eldon Gorst | Unopposed
| Conservative | Richard Claverhouse Jebb | Unopposed
| Conservative hold
| Conservative hold
General election 1895: Cambridge University (2 seats)[6] Party  | Candidate  | Votes  | %  | ±%

|
|
|
|

| Conservative | John Eldon Gorst | Unopposed
| Conservative | Richard Claverhouse Jebb | Unopposed
| Conservative hold
| Conservative hold

### Elections in the 1900s

[edit]

General election 1900: Cambridge University (2 seats)[6] Party  | Candidate  | Votes  | %  | ±%

|
|
|
|

| Conservative | John Eldon Gorst | Unopposed
| Conservative | Richard Claverhouse Jebb | Unopposed
| Conservative hold
| Conservative hold
General election 1906: Cambridge University (2 seats)[6] Party  | Candidate  | Votes  | %  | ±%

|
|
|
|

| Conservative | Samuel Butcher | 3,050  | 39.72  | N/A
| Conservative | John Rawlinson | 2,976  | 38.76  | N/A
| Free Trader | John Eldon Gorst | 1,653  | 21.53  | New
Majority  | 1,323  | 17.23  | N/A
Turnout | 4,063  | 65.8  | N/A
Registered electors | 6,972  |  |
| Conservative hold | Swing | N/A |
| Conservative hold | Swing | N/A |

### Elections in the 1910s

[edit]

General election January 1910: Cambridge University (2 seats)  Party  | Candidate  | Votes  | %  | ±%

|
|
|
|

| Conservative | Samuel Butcher | Unopposed
| Conservative | John Rawlinson | Unopposed
| Conservative hold
| Conservative hold
General election December 1910: Cambridge University (2 seats)  Party  | Candidate  | Votes  | %  | ±%

|
|
|
|

| Conservative | Samuel Butcher | Unopposed
| Conservative | John Rawlinson | Unopposed
| Conservative hold
| Conservative hold
Cox 1911 Cambridge University by-election Party  | Candidate  | Votes  | %  | ±%

|
|
|
|

| Conservative | Joseph Larmor | 2,308  | 50.24  | N/A
| Free Trade | Harold Cox | 1,954  | 42.53  | New
| Ind. Conservative | Thomas Ethelbert Page | 332  | 7.23  | New
Majority  | 354  | 7.71  | N/A
Turnout | 7,129  | 64.44  | N/A
| Conservative hold | Swing | N/A |

## Elections 1918–1950

[edit]

General elections from 1918, when most constituencies polled on the same day, were on different polling days than for territorial constituencies. The polls for university constituencies were open for five days. The elections were conducted by Single Transferable Vote.

### Elections in the 1910s

[edit]

General election 1918: Cambridge University (2 seats)  Party | Candidate | FPv% | Count

|
|
|

1 | 2
C | Coalition Unionist | John Rawlinson | 35.16  | 2,034 |
C | Coalition Unionist | Joseph Larmor | 32.69  | 1,891  | 1,986
| Independent | William Cecil Dampier | 21.09  | 1,220  | 1,229
| Labour | J. C. Squire | 11.06  | 640  | 641
Electorate: 9,282  Valid: 5,785  Quota: 1,929  Turnout: 62.32%
C indicates candidate endorsed by the coalition government.

### Elections in the 1920s

[edit]

General election 1922: Cambridge University (2 seats)  Party  | Candidate  | Votes  | %  | ±%

|
|
|
|

| Unionist | John Rawlinson | 4,192  | 49.39  | +14.23
| Independent Liberal | J. R. M. Butler | 3,453  | 39.86  | New
| Unionist | William Ritchie Sorley | 1,018  | 11.75  | New
Majority  | 2,435  | 28.11  | N/A
Quota | 2,888  |  |
Registered electors | 13,592  |  |
Turnout | 8,663  | 63.74  |
| Independent Liberal gain from Unionist | Swing | N/A |

* As two candidates achieved the quota only one count was necessary

General election 1923: Cambridge University (2 seats)  Party | Candidate | FPv% | Count

|
|
|

1 | 2
| Unionist | John Rawlinson | 40.85  | 4,207 |
| Unionist | Geoffrey G. Butler | 27.61  | 2,844  | 3,560
| Independent Liberal | J. R. M. Butler | 31.54  | 3,248  | 3,283
Electorate: 14,974  Valid: 10,229  Quota: 3,434  Turnout: 68.78%

General election 1924: Cambridge University (2 seats)  Party  | Candidate  | Votes  | %  | ±%

|
|
|
|

| Unionist | John Rawlinson | 4,569  | 38.60  | −2.25
| Unionist | Geoffrey G. Butler | 4,026  | 34.01  | +6.40
| Independent Liberal | J. R. M. Butler | 3,241  | 27.38  | −4.16
Majority  | 785  | 6.63  |
Quota | 3,946  |  |
Registered electors | 16,621  |  |
Turnout | 11,836  | 71.21  | +2.43
| Unionist hold | Swing |  |

* As two candidates achieved the quota only one count was necessary

1926 Cambridge University by-election Party  | Candidate  | Votes  | %  | ±%

|
|
|
|

| Unionist | John Withers | Unopposed  | N/A | N/A
| Unionist hold
General election 1929: Cambridge University (2 seats)  Party | Candidate | FPv% | Count

|
|
|

1 | 2
| Unionist | John Withers | 39.76  | 6,356 |
| Unionist | Godfrey Wilson | 31.71  | 5,069  | 6,046
| Liberal | Hubert Henderson | 19.38  | 3,099  | 3,131
| Labour | Alexander Wood | 9.15  | 1,463  | 1,480
Electorate: 23,978  Valid: 15,987  Quota: 5,330  Turnout: 66.67

### Elections in the 1930s

[edit]

General election 1931: Cambridge University (2 seats)  Party  | Candidate  | Votes  | %  | ±%

|
|
|
|

| Conservative | Godfrey Wilson | Unopposed  | N/A | N/A
| Conservative | John Withers | Unopposed  | N/A | N/A
| Conservative hold
1935 Cambridge University by-election Party  | Candidate  | Votes  | %  | ±%

|
|
|
|

| Conservative | Kenneth Pickthorn | Unopposed  | N/A | N/A
| Conservative hold
General election 1935: Cambridge University (2 seats)  Party  | Candidate  | Votes  | %  | ±%

|
|
|
|

| Conservative | John Withers | 7,602  | 42.30  | N/A
| Conservative | Kenneth Pickthorn | 6,917  | 38.49  | N/A
| Labour | Lionel Elvin | 3,453  | 19.21  | New
Majority  | 3,464  | 19.28  | N/A
Quota | 5,991  |  |
Registered electors | 33,617  |  |
Turnout | 17,972  | 53.46  | N/A
| Conservative hold | Swing |  |

* As two candidates achieved the quota only one count was necessary

### Elections in the 1940s

[edit]

1940 Cambridge University by-election Party  | Candidate  | Votes  | %  | ±%

|
|
|
|

| Ind. Conservative | Archibald Hill | 9,840  | 64.62  | New
| Independent Progressive | John Ryle | 5,387  | 35.38  | New
Majority  | 4,453  | 29.24  | N/A
Turnout | 39,171  | 38.87  | N/A
| Ind. Conservative gain from Conservative | Swing |  |
General election 1945: Cambridge University (2 seats)  Party | Candidate | FPv% | Count

|
|
|

1 | 2 | 3 | 4
| Conservative | Kenneth Pickthorn | 46.18  | 10,202 |  |  |
| Independent | Wilson Harris | 16.18  | 3,574  | 4,709  | 5,185  | 6,556
| Independent Progressive | J. B. Priestley | 22.82  | 5,041  | 5,128  | 5,238  | 5,745
| Independent | Charles Hill | 10.13  | 2,238  | 3,092  | 3,595  | eliminated
| National | Ernest Leslie Howard-Williams  | 4.69  | 1,036  | 1,798  | eliminated  | –
Electorate: 42,012  Valid: 22,091  Quota: 7,364  Turnout: 52.58

## See also

[edit]

* List of former United Kingdom Parliament constituencies

## References

[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)
* McCalmont's Parliamentary Poll Book: British Election Results 1832–1918 (8th edition, The Harvester Press 1971)
* 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)
* 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)
* Who's Who of British Members of Parliament, Volume III 1919–1945, edited by M. Stenton and S. Lees (Harvester Press 1979)
* Who's Who of British Members of Parliament, Volume IV 1945–1979, edited by M. Stenton and S. Lees (Harvester Press 1981)
* Leigh Rayment's Historical List of MPs – Constituencies beginning with "C" (part 1)

Specific

1. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x Stooks Smith, Henry. (1973) [1844-1850]. Craig, F. W. S. (ed.). The Parliaments of England (2nd ed.). Chichester: Parliamentary Research Services. pp. 28–31. ISBN 0-900178-13-2.
2. ^ a b c Fisher, David R. "Cambridge University". The History of Parliament. Retrieved 9 May 2020.
3. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m 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.
4. ^ "Cambridge University Election". Yorkshire Gazette. 9 February 1856. p. 3. Retrieved 14 September 2018 - via British Newspaper Archive.
5. ^ "Cambridge University Election". Cambridge Independent Press. 29 February 1868. p. 5. Retrieved 1 February 2018 - via British Newspaper Archive.
6. ^ a b c d e f g h i Craig, FWS, ed. (1974). British Parliamentary Election Results: 1885-1918. London: Macmillan Press. ISBN 9781349022984.

Parliament of the United Kingdom

Preceded by

Appleby

|  Constituency represented by the prime minister
1784–1801  | Succeeded by

Devizes

Preceded by

Devizes

|  Constituency represented by the prime minister
1804–1806  | Vacant

until 1809

Title next held by

Northampton
Preceded by

Scarborough

|  Constituency represented by the speaker
1832–1835  | Succeeded by

Edinburgh

* v
* t
* e

University constituencies of the Parliament of the United Kingdom

England|

* Cambridge University (1603–1950)
* Oxford University (1603–1950)
* London University (1868–1950)
* Combined English Universities (1918–1950)

Ireland|

* Dublin University (1801–1922)
* National University of Ireland (1918–1922)
* Queen's University of Belfast (1918–1950)

Scotland|

* Glasgow and Aberdeen Universities (1868–1918)
* Edinburgh and St Andrews Universities (1868–1918)
* Combined Scottish Universities (1918–1950)

Wales|

* University of Wales (1918–1950)

*[FPv%]: First preference votes percentage
*[v]: View this template
*[t]: Discuss this template
*[e]: Edit this template