Hackney South (UK Parliament constituency)

Parliamentary constituency in the United Kingdom, 1885–1955

For the present constituency, see Hackney South and Shoreditch (UK Parliament constituency).

Hackney South

Former borough constituency
for the House of Commons
1885–1955
Seats| one
Created from| Hackney
Replaced by| Bethnal Green and Hackney Central

Hackney South was a parliamentary constituency in "The Metropolis" (later the County of London). It was represented by nine Members of Parliament to the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom, only two of whom, Horatio Bottomley and Herbert Morrison, were elected more than once.

## History

[edit]

The constituency was created under the Redistribution of Seats Act, 1885 when the two-member Parliamentary Borough of Hackney was split into three single-member divisions. The seat, officially the Southern Division of the Parliamentary Borough of Hackney was first contested at the 1885 general election. The constituency was abolished in 1955.

## Boundaries

[edit]

Hackney South in London 1885–1918 Hackney South in London 1918–1950 Hackney South in London 1950–1955 A map showing the wards of Hackney Metropolitan Borough as they appeared in 1916.

### 1885–1918

[edit]

In 1885 the constituency was defined as consisting of:

* No. 7 or South Hackney Ward of Hackney Parish
* No. 6 or Homerton Ward of Hackney Parish
* The part of the No. 5 or Hackney Ward of Hackney Parish south of the centres of Everning Road, Upper Clapton Road, and the Upper and Lower Clapton Roads.[1]

### 1918–1950

[edit]

The Representation of the People Act 1918 redrew constituencies throughout Great Britain and Ireland. Seats in the County of London were redefined in terms of wards of the Metropolitan Boroughs that had been created in 1900. The Metropolitan Borough of Hackney was divided into three divisions, with the same names as the constituencies created in 1885. Hackney South was defined as consisting of:

* Homerton Ward
* South Hackney Ward
* The part of Clapton Park Ward to the south of a line drawn along the centres of Glenarm Road, Glyn Road and Redwald Road to its junction with Maclaren Street, thence across the recreation grounds in Daubeney Road to the borough boundary at a point fifty feet north of a boundary post situate at the junction of the Waterworks River with the River Lea at Lead Mill Point.[2]

### 1950–1955

[edit]

Under the Representation of the People Act 1948 the Boroughs of Hackney and Stoke Newington jointly formed two seats, the borough constituencies of Stoke Newington and Hackney North and Hackney South. Hackney South was enlarged: consisting of the Metropolitan Borough of Hackney except the five wards of Leaside, Maury, Southwold, Springfield and Stamford.[3]

### Redistribution

[edit]

Following a review of constituencies by the Boundary Commission appointed under the House of Commons (Redistribution of Seats) Act 1949, parliamentary seats in the metropolitan boroughs of Bethnal Green, Hackney and Stoke Newington were redrawn. The Hackney South constituency was abolished, with most passing to a new Hackney Central borough constituency, and some parts to Bethnal Green.[4]

## Members of Parliament

[edit]

Election | Member | Party | Notes

|
|
|

| 1885 | Sir Charles Russell | Liberal | later Baron Russell of Killowen
| 1894 by-election | John Fletcher Moulton | Liberal | later Baron Moulton
| 1895 | Thomas Herbert Robertson | Conservative |
| 1906 | Horatio Bottomley | Liberal | resigned 16 May 1912 after being declared bankrupt
| 1912 by-election | Hector Morison | Liberal |
| 1918 | Horatio Bottomley | Independent | expelled 1 August 1922 after being convicted of fraud
| 1922 by-election | Clifford Erskine-Bolst | Conservative |
| 1923 | Herbert Morrison | Labour | later Baron Morrison of Lambeth
| 1924 | George Garro-Jones | Liberal | later 1st Baron Trefgarne
| 1929 | Herbert Morrison | Labour | later Baron Morrison of Lambeth
| 1931 | Marjorie Graves | Conservative |
| 1935 | Herbert Morrison | Labour | later Baron Morrison of Lambeth
| 1945 | Herbert Butler | Labour |
| 1955 | constituency abolished

## Elections

[edit]

### Elections in the 1880s

[edit]

General election 1885: Hackney South[5][6] Party  | Candidate  | Votes  | %  | ±%

|
|
|
|

| Liberal | Charles Russell | 3,544  | 57.7  | N/A
| Conservative | Charles Darling | 2,602  | 42.3  | N/A
Majority  | 942  | 15.4  | N/A
Turnout | 6,146  | 70.8  | N/A
Registered electors | 8,684  |  |
| Liberal win (new seat)

Russell was appointed Attorney General for England and Wales, requiring a by-election.

Scoble 1886 Hackney South by-election[7] Party  | Candidate  | Votes  | %  | ±%

|
|
|
|

| Liberal | Charles Russell | 3,174  | 61.4  | +3.7
| Conservative | Andrew Scoble | 1,979  | 38.3  | −4.0
| Independent Liberal | Henry Munster | 17  | 0.3  | New
Majority  | 1,195  | 23.1  | +7.7
Turnout | 5,170  | 59.5  | −11.3
Registered electors | 8,684  |  |
| Liberal hold | Swing | +3.8  |
General election 1886: Hackney South[5][8] Party  | Candidate  | Votes  | %  | ±%

|
|
|
|

| Liberal | Charles Russell | 2,800  | 50.9  | −6.8
| Conservative | Charles Darling | 2,700  | 49.1  | +6.8
Majority  | 100  | 1.8  | −13.6
Turnout | 5,500  | 63.3  | −7.5
Registered electors | 8,684  |  |
| Liberal hold | Swing | −6.8  |

### Elections in the 1890s

[edit]

Robertson General election 1892: Hackney South[5][9] Party  | Candidate  | Votes  | %  | ±%

|
|
|
|

| Liberal | Charles Russell | 4,440  | 57.4  | +6.5
| Conservative | Thomas Robertson | 3,294  | 42.6  | −6.5
Majority  | 1,146  | 14.8  | +13.0
Turnout | 7,734  | 70.0  | +6.7
Registered electors | 11,048  |  |
| Liberal hold | Swing | +6.5  |

Russell is appointed Attorney General for England and Wales, requiring a by-election.

By-election, 1892: Hackney South[5] Party  | Candidate  | Votes  | %  | ±%

|
|
|
|

| Liberal | Charles Russell | Unopposed
| Liberal hold

Russell is appointed Lord of Appeal in Ordinary, becoming Lord Russell of Killowen, causing a by-election.

Moulton 1894 Hackney South by-election[10][5] Party  | Candidate  | Votes  | %  | ±%

|
|
|
|

| Liberal | John Moulton | 4,530  | 51.1  | −6.3
| Conservative | Thomas Robertson | 4,338  | 48.9  | +6.3
Majority  | 192  | 2.2  | −12.6
Turnout | 8,868  | 75.9  | +5.9
Registered electors | 11,688  |  |
| Liberal hold | Swing | −6.3  |
General election 1895: Hackney South[5][11] Party  | Candidate  | Votes  | %  | ±%

|
|
|
|

| Conservative | Thomas Robertson | 4,681  | 51.8  | +9.2
| Liberal | John Moulton | 4,362  | 48.2  | −9.2
Majority  | 319  | 3.6  | N/A
Turnout | 9,043  | 73.2  | +3.2
Registered electors | 12,360  |  |
| Conservative gain from Liberal | Swing | +9.2  |

### Elections in the 1900s

[edit]

General election 1900: Hackney South[5] Party  | Candidate  | Votes  | %  | ±%

|
|
|
|

| Conservative | Thomas Robertson | 4,714  | 51.9  | +0.1
| Liberal | Horatio Bottomley | 4,376  | 48.1  | −0.1
Majority  | 338  | 3.8  | +0.2
Turnout | 9,090  | 69.1  | −4.1
Registered electors | 13,146  |  |
| Conservative hold | Swing | +0.1  |
General election 1906: Hackney South[5] Party  | Candidate  | Votes  | %  | ±%

|
|
|
|

| Liberal | Horatio Bottomley | 6,736  | 57.1  | +9.0
| Conservative | Thomas Robertson | 3,257  | 27.6  | −24.3
| Free Church and Progressive  | William Riley  | 804  | 15.3  | New
Majority  | 3,479  | 29.5  | N/A
Turnout | 10,797  | 89.9  | +20.8
Registered electors | 13,126  |  |
| Liberal gain from Conservative | Swing | +16.7  |

### Elections in the 1910s

[edit]

General election January 1910: Hackney South[5][12] Party  | Candidate  | Votes  | %  | ±%

|
|
|
|

| Liberal | Horatio Bottomley | 7,299  | 62.9  | +5.8
| Conservative | Conway Wertheimer  | 4,304  | 37.1  | +9.5
Majority  | 2,995  | 25.8  | −3.7
Turnout | 11,603  | 82.2  | −7.7
| Liberal hold | Swing | −1.8  |
General election December 1910: Hackney South[5][13] Party  | Candidate  | Votes  | %  | ±%

|
|
|
|

| Liberal | Horatio Bottomley | 5,068  | 49.4  | −13.5
| Conservative | Sydney Charles Nettleton King-Farlow  | 3,243  | 31.6  | −5.5
| Independent Liberal | Richard Roberts | 1,946  | 19.0  | New
Majority  | 1,825  | 17.8  | −8.0
Turnout | 10,257  | 72.6  | −9.6
| Liberal hold | Swing | −4.0  |

* Roberts was nominated by a breakaway local Liberal Association opposed to Bottomley, which was recognised by the London Liberal Federation.

Morison 1912 Hackney South by-election[14] Party  | Candidate  | Votes  | %  | ±%

|
|
|
|

| Liberal | Hector Morison | 5,339  | 52.5  | +3.1
| Conservative | John Constant Gibson  | 4,836  | 47.5  | +15.9
Majority  | 503  | 5.0  | −12.8
Turnout | 10,175  | 70.1  | −2.5
| Liberal hold | Swing | −6.4  |
General election 1918: Hackney South[15] Party  | Candidate  | Votes  | %  | ±%

|
|
|
|

| Independent | Horatio Bottomley | 11,145  | 79.7  | New
C | Liberal | Arthur Henri  | 2,830  | 20.3  | −29.1
Majority  | 8,315  | 59.4  | N/A
Turnout | 13,975  | 55.4  | −17.2
Registered electors | 25,212  |  |
| Independent gain from Liberal
C indicates candidate endorsed by the coalition government.

### Elections in the 1920s

[edit]

1922 Hackney South by-election Party  | Candidate  | Votes  | %  | ±%

|
|
|
|

| Coalition Unionist | Clifford Erskine-Bolst | 9,118  | 50.2  | New
| Labour | Holford Knight | 9,046  | 49.8  | New
Majority  | 72  | 0.4  | N/A
Turnout | 18,164  | 56.3  | +0.9
Registered electors | 32,262  |  |
| Unionist gain from Independent | Swing | N/A |
General election 1922: Hackney South[15][16] Party  | Candidate  | Votes  | %  | ±%

|
|
|
|

| Unionist | Clifford Erskine-Bolst | 14,017  | 60.2  | N/A
| Labour | Holford Knight | 9,276  | 39.8  | N/A
Majority  | 4,741  | 20.4  | N/A
Turnout | 23,293  | 70.0  | +14.6
Registered electors | 33,284  |  |
| Unionist gain from Independent | Swing | N/A |

General election 1923: Hackney South[15][17] Party  | Candidate  | Votes  | %  | ±%

|
|
|
|

| Labour | Herbert Morrison | 9,578  | 42.8  | +3.0
| Liberal | George Garro-Jones | 6,757  | 30.2  | New
| Unionist | Clifford Erskine-Bolst | 6,047  | 27.0  | −33.2
Majority  | 2,821  | 12.6  | N/A
Turnout | 22,382  | 65.8  | −4.2
Registered electors | 34,037  |  |
| Labour gain from Unionist | Swing | +18.1  |

General election 1924: Hackney South[15][18] Party  | Candidate  | Votes  | %  | ±%

|
|
|
|

| Liberal | George Garro-Jones | 13,415  | 53.5  | +23.3
| Labour | Herbert Morrison | 11,651  | 46.5  | +3.7
Majority  | 1,764  | 7.0  | N/A
Turnout | 25,066  | 72.5  | +6.7
Registered electors | 34,565  |  |
| Liberal gain from Labour | Swing | +9.8  |
General election 1929: Hackney South[15][19] Party  | Candidate  | Votes  | %  | ±%

|
|
|
|

| Labour | Herbert Morrison | 15,590  | 51.2  | +4.7
| Unionist | Sir Tresham Lever, 2nd Baronet  | 8,222  | 27.0  | New
| Liberal | Muriel Morgan Gibbon | 6,302  | 20.7  | −32.8
| Communist | J. T. Murphy | 331  | 1.1  | New
Majority  | 7,368  | 24.2  | N/A
Turnout | 30,445  | 69.2  | −3.3
Registered electors | 43,997  |  |
| Labour gain from Liberal | Swing | +18.8  |

### Elections in the 1930s

[edit]

General election 1931: Hackney South[15][20] Party  | Candidate  | Votes  | %  | ±%

|
|
|
|

| Conservative | Marjorie Graves | 15,920  | 55.4  | +28.4
| Labour | Herbert Morrison | 12,827  | 44.6  | −6.6
Majority  | 3,093  | 10.8  | N/A
Turnout | 28,747  |  |
| Conservative gain from Labour | Swing |  |
General election 1935: Hackney South[15][21] Party  | Candidate  | Votes  | %  | ±%

|
|
|
|

| Labour | Herbert Morrison | 15,830  | 59.3  | +14.7
| Conservative | Marjorie Graves | 10,876  | 40.7  | −14.7
Majority  | 4,954  | 18.6  | N/A
Turnout | 26,706  |  |
| Labour gain from Conservative | 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;

* Labour: Herbert Morrison[22]
* Liberal National:

### Elections in the 1940s

[edit]

General election 1945: Hackney South[15][23] Party  | Candidate  | Votes  | %  | ±%

|
|
|
|

| Labour | Herbert Butler | 10,432  | 51.6  | −7.7
| National Liberal | Stanley Price  | 4,901  | 24.2  | −16.5
| Communist | William Rust | 4,891  | 24.2  | New
Majority  | 5,531  | 27.4  | +8.8
Turnout | 20,224  |  |
| Labour hold | Swing |  |

### Elections in the 1950s

[edit]

General election 1950: Hackney South[24][25] Party  | Candidate  | Votes  | %  | ±%

|
|
|
|

| Labour | Herbert Butler | 35,821  | 61.0  | +9.4
| Conservative | Herbert P. Brooks  | 15,105  | 25.7  | +1.5
| Liberal | Frank Albert Marlow  | 5,575  | 9.5  | New
| Communist | John Richard Betteridge  | 1,891  | 3.8  | −20.4
Majority  | 20,716  | 35.3  | +7.9
Turnout | 61,392  | 77.4  |
| Labour hold | Swing |  |
General election 1951: Hackney South[24][26] Party  | Candidate  | Votes  | %  | ±%

|
|
|
|

| Labour | Herbert Butler | 39,271  | 66.5  | +5.5
| Conservative | Peter Rawlinson | 18,003  | 30.5  | +4.8
| Communist | John Richard Betteridge  | 1,744  | 3.0  | −0.8
Majority  | 21,268  | 36.0  | +0.7
Turnout | 59,018  | 77.1  | −0.3
| Labour hold | Swing |  |

## References

[edit]

1. ^ Redistribution of Seats Act, 1885, C. 23., Sixth Schedule, Divisions of boroughs. Number, names, contents, and boundaries of divisions.
2. ^ Representation of the People Act 1918 c.64, Ninth Schedule: Redistribution of Seats
3. ^ Representation Of The People Act 1948, c.65, First Schedule: Parliamentary Constituencies
4. ^ The Parliamentary Constituencies (Bethnal Green, Hackney and Stoke Newington) Order 1955 (S.I. 1955/20)
5. ^ a b c d e f g h i j British Parliamentary Election Results 1885-1918, F. W. S. Craig
6. ^ "The General Election. The Polls". The Times. 26 November 1885. p. 7.
7. ^ "Election Intelligence (Hackney South)". The Times. 12 February 1886. p. 6.
8. ^ "The General Election. The Polls". The Times. 6 July 1886. p. 6.
9. ^ "The General Election. The Polls". The Times. 7 July 1892. p. 6.
10. ^ "Election Intelligence (Hackney South)". The Times. 8 May 1894. p. 5.
11. ^ "The General Election, More Unionist Gains, The Polls". The Times. 17 July 1895. p. 6.
12. ^ "Progress Of The General Election". The Times. 20 January 1910. p. 6.
13. ^ "Progress Of The General Election". The Times. 7 December 1910. p. 7.
14. ^ "South Hackney Election". The Times. 25 May 1912. p. 9.
15. ^ a b c d e f g h British Parliamentary Election Results 1918-1949, F. W. S. Craig.
16. ^ "The General Election: First Returns, Polling In The Boroughs, Heavy Voting". The Times. 16 November 1922. p. 6.
17. ^ "The General Election: First Returns, Polling In The Boroughs, Liberal Gains". The Times. 7 December 1923. p. 6.
18. ^ "The General Election: First Returns, Polling In The Boroughs". The Times. 30 October 1924. p. 6.
19. ^ "The General Election: First Returns, Polling In The Boroughs". The Times. 31 May 1929. p. 6.
20. ^ "The General Election: First Returns, Polling In The Boroughs". The Times. 28 October 1931. p. 6.
21. ^ "The General Election: First Returns, Polling In The Boroughs". The Times. 15 November 1935. p. 8.
22. ^ Report of the Annual Conference of the Labour Party, 1939
23. ^ "UK general election results 1945". Political Science Resources. University of Keele. Retrieved 25 April 2009.[permanent dead link]
24. ^ a b British Parliamentary Election Results 1950-1973, F. W. S. Craig.
25. ^ "UK general election results 1950". Political Science Resources. University of Keele. Retrieved 25 April 2009.
26. ^ "UK general election results 1951". Political Science Resources. University of Keele. Archived from the original on 9 June 2008. Retrieved 25 April 2009.

## Sources

[edit]

* Leigh Rayment's Historical List of MPs – Constituencies beginning with "H" (part 1)

* v
* t
* e

Historic constituencies in London

1885|

* Battersea
* Bermondsey
* Bethnal Green North East
* Bethnal Green South West
* Bow and Bromley
* Brixton
* Camberwell North
* Chelsea
* City of London
* Clapham
* Deptford
* Dulwich
* Finsbury Central
* Finsbury East
* Fulham
* Greenwich
* Hackney Central
* Hackney North
* Hackney South
* Haggerston
* Hammersmith
* Hampstead
* Holborn
* Hoxton
* Islington East
* Islington North
* Islington South
* Islington West
* Kennington
* Kensington North
* Kensington South
* Lambeth North
* Lewisham
* Limehouse
* Marylebone East
* Marylebone West
* Mile End
* Newington West
* Norwood
* Paddington North
* Paddington South
* Peckham
* Poplar
* Rotherhithe
* Southwark West
* St George
* St George's Hanover Square
* St Pancras East
* St Pancras North
* St Pancras South
* St Pancras West
* Stepney
* Strand
* Walworth
* Wandsworth
* Westminster
* Whitechapel
* Woolwich

1918|

* Balham and Tooting
* Battersea North
* Battersea South
* Bermondsey West
* Bethnal Green North East
* Bethnal Green South West
* Bow and Bromley
* Brixton
* Camberwell North
* Camberwell North West
* Clapham
* Dulwich
* Chelsea
* City of London
* Deptford
* Finsbury
* Fulham East
* Fulham West
* Greenwich
* Hackney Central
* Hackney North
* Hackney South
* Hammersmith North
* Hammersmith South
* Hampstead
* Holborn
* Islington East
* Islington North
* Islington South
* Islington West
* Kennington
* Kensington North
* Kensington South
* Lambeth North
* Lewisham East
* Lewisham West
* Limehouse
* Mile End
* Norwood
* Paddington North
* Paddington South
* Peckham
* Poplar South
* Putney
* Rotherhithe
* St Marylebone
* St Pancras North
* St Pancras South East
* St Pancras South West
* Shoreditch
* Southwark Central
* Southwark North
* Southwark South East
* Stoke Newington
* Streatham
* Wandsworth Central
* Westminster Abbey
* Westminster St George's
* Whitechapel and St George's
* Woolwich East
* Woolwich West

1950|

* Battersea North
* Battersea South
* Bermondsey
* Bethnal Green
* Brixton
* Chelsea
* Cities of London and Westminster
* Clapham
* Deptford
* Dulwich
* Fulham East
* Fulham West
* Greenwich
* Hackney South
* Hammersmith North
* Hammersmith South
* Hampstead
* Holborn and St Pancras South
* Islington East
* Islington North
* Islington South West
* Kensington North
* Kensington South
* Lewisham North
* Lewisham South
* Lewisham West
* Norwood
* Paddington North
* Paddington South
* Peckham
* Poplar
* Putney
* St Marylebone
* St Pancras North
* Streatham
* Shoreditch and Finsbury
* Southwark
* Stepney
* Stoke Newington and Hackney North
* Vauxhall
* Wandsworth Central
* Woolwich East
* Woolwich West

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