Epsom (UK Parliament constituency)

Parliamentary constituency in the United Kingdom, 1885–1974

Epsom

Former borough constituency
for the House of Commons

Location of Surrey within England

County| Surrey
Major settlements| Epsom, Ewell and Ashtead, others to east before 1945, to west before 1950
1885–1974 (1974)
Seats| One
Created from| parts of West Surrey and Mid Surrey
Replaced by| Epsom and Ewell and
Mole Valley (as to the former Leatherhead Urban District)
During its existence contributed to new seat(s) of| Sutton and Cheam
Esher
Surbiton

Epsom was a borough constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. It elected one Member of Parliament (MP) by the first past the post system of election. From its creation in 1885 until its abolition in 1974, it was won by eight Conservatives. The winner took less than 50% of the votes in its contested elections once, in 1945, receiving 49.9% of the vote in a three-party contest. Six elections, the last being a by-election in 1912, were uncontested.

## History

[edit]

### Geographical history

[edit]

Creation and abolition

The seat was established under the Redistribution of Seats Act 1885 as the Mid or Epsom division of Surrey for the 1885 general election. The Mid designation was lesser used, since it could be misleading, as its extent until 1885 was a long strip to the east bounded by among other parishes: Lambeth, Streatham, Croydon, Burstow, Capel and Sutton.

Scope

The Act of 1885 set up the seat so as to comprise:[1]

* Epsom sessional division
* all parts of Kingston (& Elmbridge) sessional division not within Kingston parish, nor municipal borough; which meant outlying parishes to the south-west, south and south-east
* Effingham (parish)
* Mickleham (parish)

Thus the seat drew on Mid Surrey as to Tolworth, New Malden, Malden, Worcester Park, Surbiton, Hook, Coombe and Long Ditton in the Kingston Hundred and Sessional Division. It drew on West Surrey as to: Ashtead; Banstead; Great Bookham; Little Bookham; Cheam; Chessington; Cuddington; Epsom; Ewell; Fetcham; Headley; Leatherhead; Sutton; Walton on the Hill; Cobham; Thames Ditton; Esher; East Molesey; West Molesey; Stoke D'Abernon; and Walton on Thames.[2][3][4]

The Representation of the People Act 1918 cut the area down to its south-eastern third namely:[5]

* the borough of Epsom and Ewell
* Leatherhead Urban District
* Sutton Urban District

The Representation of the People Act 1948 confirmed a 1945-implemented split-up of all seats of more than 100,000 electors, of Sutton and Cheam Urban District to create Sutton and Cheam (UK Parliament constituency) to the north-east.[6] Removal of a broad western area to form Esher ensued in 1950. As such it remained in the 1970 review-implementing Order.[7] The 1983 reforms saw more than its renaming and technical abolition, the seat shed in the south the former Leatherhead Urban District to Mole Valley created that year.

The seat was abolished for the February 1974 general election, replaced by Epsom and Ewell except for its south which contributed to the new seat of Mole Valley.

## Boundaries

[edit]

1885–1918: The Sessional Divisions of Epsom and Kingston (comprising most of Elmbridge) as excluding "the part of the civil parish of Kingston [and] the Municipal Borough of Kingston-on-Thames", and the (mainly rural) civil parishes of Effingham and Mickleham to the south-west and south respectively.

1918–1945: The Urban Districts of Epsom, Leatherhead, and Sutton, and the Rural District of Epsom.

1945–1974: The Municipal Borough of Epsom and Ewell, and the Urban District of Leatherhead.

## Members of Parliament

[edit]

Election | Member[8] | Party

|
|

| 1885 | Constituency created.
| 1885 | George Cubitt | Conservative
| 1892 | Thomas Bucknill | Conservative
| 1899 by-election | William Keswick | Conservative
| 1912 by-election | Henry Keswick | Conservative
| 1918 | George Blades | Conservative
| 1928 by-election | Sir Archibald Southby | Conservative
| 1947 by-election | Malcolm McCorquodale | Conservative
| 1955 | Peter Rawlinson | Conservative
| Feb 1974 | Constituency abolished. See Epsom and Ewell.

## Elections

[edit]

Epsom election history

### Elections in the 1880s

[edit]

General election 1885: Epsom[9][10] Party  | Candidate  | Votes  | %  | ±%

|
|
|
|

| Conservative | George Cubitt | 4,621  | 66.1  |
| Liberal | Richard Harris[11] | 2,368  | 33.9  |
Majority | 2,253  | 32.2  |
Turnout | 6,989  | 77.6  |
Registered electors | 9,009  |  |
| Conservative win (new seat)
General election 1886: Epsom[9][10] Party  | Candidate  | Votes  | %  | ±%

|
|
|
|

| Conservative | George Cubitt | Unopposed
| Conservative hold

### Elections in the 1890s

[edit]

General election 1892: Epsom[9][10] Party  | Candidate  | Votes  | %  | ±%

|
|
|
|

| Conservative | Thomas Bucknill | 5,123  | 65.3  | N/A
| Liberal | Thomas Brassey | 2,720  | 34.7  | New
Majority | 2,403  | 30.6  | N/A
Turnout | 7,843  | 75.7  | N/A
Registered electors | 10,354  |  |
| Conservative hold | Swing | N/A |
General election 1895: Epsom[12][10] Party  | Candidate  | Votes  | %  | ±%

|
|
|
|

| Conservative | Thomas Bucknill | Unopposed
| Conservative hold
William Keswick 1899 Epsom by-election[12][10] Party  | Candidate  | Votes  | %  | ±%

|
|
|
|

| Conservative | William Keswick | Unopposed
| Conservative hold

### Elections in the 1900s

[edit]

General election 1900: Epsom[12][10] Party  | Candidate  | Votes  | %  | ±%

|
|
|
|

| Conservative | William Keswick | Unopposed
| Conservative hold
Aston General election 1906: Epsom[9][10] Party  | Candidate  | Votes  | %  | ±%

|
|
|
|

| Conservative | William Keswick | 7,313  | 54.0  | N/A
| Liberal | Alfred Withall Aston  | 6,221  | 46.0  | New
Majority | 1,092  | 8.0  | N/A
Turnout | 13,534  | 84.9  | N/A
Registered electors | 15,933  |  |
| Conservative hold | Swing | N/A |

### Elections in the 1910s

[edit]

Sir Albert Rollit General election January 1910: Epsom[13] Party  | Candidate  | Votes  | %  | ±%

|
|
|
|

| Conservative | William Keswick | 10,919  | 67.6  | +13.6
| Liberal | Albert Rollit | 5,232  | 32.4  | −13.6
Majority | 5,687  | 35.2  | +27.2
Turnout | 16,151  | 85.8  | +0.9
Registered electors | 18,821  |  |
| Conservative hold | Swing | +13.6  |
General election December 1910: Epsom[13] Party  | Candidate  | Votes  | %  | ±%

|
|
|
|

| Conservative | William Keswick | Unopposed
| Conservative hold
Henry Keswick 1912 Epsom by-election[13] Party  | Candidate  | Votes  | %  | ±%

|
|
|
|

| Unionist | Henry Keswick | Unopposed
| Unionist hold

General election 1914–15:

Another general election was required to take place before the end of 1915. The political parties had been making preparations for an election to take place and by July 1914, the following candidates had been selected;

* Unionist: Henry Keswick

General election 1918: Epsom[14] Party  | Candidate  | Votes  | %  | ±%

|
|
|
|

C | Unionist | Rowland Blades | 13,556 | 73.9 | N/A
| Labour | James Chuter Ede | 4,796  | 26.1  | New
Majority | 8,760  | 47.8  | N/A
Turnout | 18,352  | 56.3  | N/A
Registered electors | 32,590  |  |
| Unionist hold | Swing | N/A |
C indicates candidate endorsed by the coalition government.

### Elections in the 1920s

[edit]

General election 1922: Epsom[14] Party  | Candidate  | Votes  | %  | ±%

|
|
|
|

| Unionist | Rowland Blades | 16,249  | 71.2  | −2.7
| Labour | Somerville Hastings | 6,571  | 28.8  | +2.7
Majority | 9,678  | 42.4  | −5.4
Turnout | 22,820  | 65.3  | +9.0
Registered electors | 34,945  |  |
| Unionist hold | Swing | −2.7  |
General election 1923: Epsom[14] Party  | Candidate  | Votes  | %  | ±%

|
|
|
|

| Unionist | Rowland Blades | 14,230  | 71.0  | −0.2
| Labour | John Langdon-Davies | 5,807  | 29.0  | +0.2
Majority | 8,423  | 42.0  | −0.4
Turnout | 20,037  | 55.6  | −9.7
Registered electors | 36,055  |  |
| Unionist hold | Swing | −0.2  |
General election 1924: Epsom[14] Party  | Candidate  | Votes  | %  | ±%

|
|
|
|

| Unionist | Rowland Blades | 20,017  | 79.5  | +8.5
| Labour | Philip Butler  | 5,149  | 20.5  | −8.5
Majority | 14,868  | 59.0  | +17.0
Turnout | 25,166  | 67.1  | +11.5
Registered electors | 37,515  |  |
| Unionist hold | Swing | +8.5  |
1928 Epsom by-election[14] Party  | Candidate  | Votes  | %  | ±%

|
|
|
|

| Unionist | Archibald Southby | 13,364  | 60.3  | −19.2
| Liberal | Samuel Parnell Kerr  | 5,095  | 23.0  | New
| Labour | Helen Mary Keynes | 3,719  | 16.8  | −3.7
Majority | 8,269  | 37.2  | −21.8
Turnout | 22,178  | 51.2  | −15.9
Registered electors | 43,292  |  |
| Unionist hold | Swing | −7.8  |
General election 1929: Epsom[14] Party  | Candidate  | Votes  | %  | ±%

|
|
|
|

| Unionist | Archibald Southby | 24,720  | 57.8  | −21.7
| Liberal | Samuel Parnell Kerr  | 10,422  | 24.3  | N/A
| Labour | Stanley Morgan | 7,662  | 17.9  | −2.6
Majority | 14,298  | 33.5  | −25.5
Turnout | 42,804  | 67.7  | +0.6
Registered electors | 63,268  |  |
| Unionist hold | Swing | −9.6  |

### Elections in the 1930s

[edit]

General election 1931: Epsom[14] Party  | Candidate  | Votes  | %  | ±%

|
|
|
|

| Conservative | Archibald Southby | 44,076  | 85.34  |
| Labour | Stanley Morgan | 7,571  | 14.66  |
Majority | 36,505  | 70.68  |
Turnout | 51,647  |  |
| Conservative hold | Swing |  |
General election 1935: Epsom[14] Party  | Candidate  | Votes  | %  | ±%

|
|
|
|

| Conservative | Archibald Southby | 49,948  | 72.14  |
| Labour | Stanley Morgan | 19,286  | 27.86  |
Majority | 30,662  | 44.28  |
Turnout | 69,234  |  |
| Conservative hold | Swing |  |

General election 1939–40:

Another general election was required to take place before the end of 1940. The political parties had been making preparations for an election to take place and by the Autumn of 1939, the following candidates had been selected;

* Conservative: Archibald Southby
* Labour: C Hackforth-Jones[15]
* Liberal: John Pickering Hughes

### Elections in the 1940s

[edit]

General election 1945: Epsom[14] Party  | Candidate  | Votes  | %  | ±%

|
|
|
|

| Conservative | Archibald Southby | 27,081  | 49.91  |
| Labour | Edward Shackleton | 20,533  | 37.84  |
| Liberal | James Morgan Fowler  | 6,643  | 12.24  | New
Majority | 6,548  | 12.07  |
Turnout | 54,257  | 74.87  |
| Conservative hold | Swing |  |
1947 Epsom by-election[14] Party  | Candidate  | Votes  | %  | ±%

|
|
|
|

| Conservative | Malcolm McCorquodale | 33,633  | 61.0  | +11.1
| Labour | R. Bishop  | 17,339  | 31.5  | −6.3
| Liberal | David Cairns | 4,121  | 7.5  | −4.7
Majority | 16,447  | 29.5  | +17.4
Turnout | 16,294  |  |
| Conservative hold | Swing |  |

### Elections in the 1950s

[edit]

General election 1950: Epsom[16] Party  | Candidate  | Votes  | %  | ±%

|
|
|
|

| Conservative | Malcolm McCorquodale | 33,103  | 60.73  |
| Labour | Frank Martin Hardie  | 15,256  | 27.99  |
| Liberal | N. Geoffrey Hudson  | 6,153  | 11.29  |
Majority | 17,847  | 32.74  |
Turnout | 54,512  |  |
| Conservative hold | Swing |  |
General election 1951: Epsom[16] Party  | Candidate  | Votes  | %  | ±%

|
|
|
|

| Conservative | Malcolm McCorquodale | 36,333  | 68.66  |
| Labour | Frank Martin Hardie  | 16,584  | 31.34  |
Majority | 19,749  | 37.32  |
Turnout | 52,917  |  |
| Conservative hold | Swing |  |
General election 1955: Epsom[16] Party  | Candidate  | Votes  | %  | ±%

|
|
|
|

| Conservative | Peter Rawlinson | 36,779  | 71.44  |
| Labour | Arthur Bertram Spencer Soper  | 14,706  | 28.56  |
Majority | 22,073  | 42.88  |
Turnout | 51,485  | 77.56  |
| Conservative hold | Swing |  |
General election 1959: Epsom[16] Party  | Candidate  | Votes  | %  | ±%

|
|
|
|

| Conservative | Peter Rawlinson | 35,484  | 62.88  |
| Labour | D. Eric Heather  | 11,039  | 19.56  |
| Liberal | Robert William M. Walsh  | 9,910  | 17.56  | New
Majority | 24,445  | 43.32  |
Turnout | 56,433  |  |
| Conservative hold | Swing |  |

### Elections in the 1960s

[edit]

General election 1964: Epsom[16] Party  | Candidate  | Votes  | %  | ±%

|
|
|
|

| Conservative | Peter Rawlinson | 31,959  | 55.05  |
| Liberal | Robert William M. Walsh  | 13,968  | 24.06  |
| Labour | Alan Lee Williams | 12,131  | 20.89  |
Majority | 17,991  | 30.99  |
Turnout | 58,058  |  |
| Conservative hold | Swing |  |
General election 1966: Epsom[16] Party  | Candidate  | Votes  | %  | ±%

|
|
|
|

| Conservative | Peter Rawlinson | 31,434  | 54.59  |
| Labour | Cyril Carter  | 13,841  | 24.04  |
| Liberal | Robert William M. Walsh  | 12,305  | 21.37  |
Majority | 17,593  | 30.55  |
Turnout | 57,580  |  |
| Conservative hold | Swing |  |

### Elections in the 1970s

[edit]

General election 1970: Epsom[16] Party  | Candidate  | Votes  | %  | ±%

|
|
|
|

| Conservative | Peter Rawlinson | 35,541  | 61.41  |
| Labour | E. Guy Wilson  | 12,767  | 22.06  |
| Liberal | Peter Hasler Billenness  | 9,563  | 16.52  |
Majority | 22,774  | 39.35  |
Turnout | 57,871  |  |
| Conservative hold | Swing |  |

## See also

[edit]

* List of parliamentary constituencies in Surrey

## References

[edit]

1. ^ "Redistribution of Seats Act 1885, 48 & 49 Vict. C. 23". Proprietors of the Law Journal Reports - via archive.org.
2. ^ "CHERTSEY PETTY SESSIONAL DIVISION: RECORDS (summary of PS1-PS7 of Surrey History Centre, 7 Petty Sessional Divisions scope". National Archives. Archived from the original on 5 December 2019. Retrieved 4 December 2019.
3. ^ Dickens, Jr, Charles (1879). "Combined petty sessional division: Kingston and Elmbridge as dealt with under heading Kingston sessional division in the 1885 Act". Dickens's Dictionary of London. Archived from the original on 5 December 2019. Retrieved 4 April 2022.
4. ^ "Redistribution of Seats Act 1885: Appendix D - county constituencies". Proprietors of the Law Journal Reports - via archive.org.
5. ^ "Representation of the People Act 1918" (PDF). legislation.gov.uk. Archived (PDF) from the original on 17 February 2022. Retrieved 4 April 2022.
6. ^ "Representation of the People Act 1948" (PDF). legislation.gov.uk. Archived (PDF) from the original on 20 January 2022. Retrieved 4 April 2022.
7. ^ "SI 1970 No. 1674: The Parliamentary Constituencies (England) Order 1970" (PDF). legislation.gov.uk. Archived (PDF) from the original on 8 March 2022. Retrieved 4 April 2022.
8. ^ Leigh Rayment's Historical List of MPs – Constituencies beginning with "E" (part 2)
9. ^ a b c d Liberal Yearbook 1907.
10. ^ a b c d e f g Craig, FWS, ed. (1974). British Parliamentary Election Results: 1885-1918. London: Macmillan Press. ISBN 9781349022984.
11. ^ "Election Intelligence". London Evening Standard. 28 September 1885. p. 3. Retrieved 26 November 2017 - via British Newspaper Archive.
12. ^ a b c Debrett's House of Commons, 1901.
13. ^ a b c Debrett's House of Commons, 1916
14. ^ a b c d e f g h i j British Parliamentary Election Results 1918-1949, F. W. S. Craig, Political Reference Publications, Glasgow, 1949.
15. ^ Report of the Annual Conference of the Labour Party, 1939.
16. ^ a b c d e f g British parliamentary election results, 1950-1973, by F. W. S. Craig, Political Reference Publications, Glasgow, 1973.

51°20′N 0°16′W﻿ / ﻿51.33°N 0.27°W﻿ / 51.33; -0.27