Louth, Lincolnshire (UK Parliament constituency)

Parliamentary constituency in the United Kingdom, 1885–1983

For other parliamentary constituencies called Louth, see Louth (disambiguation)

Louth

Former County constituency
for the House of Commons
1885–1983
Seats| one
Created from| North Lincolnshire
Replaced by| Brigg and Cleethorpes and East Lindsey

Louth was a county constituency in Lincolnshire which returned one Member of Parliament (MP) to the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom from 1885 until it was abolished for the 1983 general election.

It should not be confused with the former Irish constituency of County Louth (UK Parliament constituency). Between 1885 and 1918, its formal name was The East Lindsey (or Louth) Division of Lincolnshire, and it was sometimes referred to simply as East Lindsey.

## Boundaries[edit]

1885–1918: The Sessional Divisions of Louth, Market Rasen, and Wragby, and parts of the Sessional Divisions of Alford, Grimsby, and Horncastle.

1918–1950: The Borough of Louth, the Urban Districts of Mablethorpe and Market Rasen, and the Rural Districts of Caistor, Grimsby, and Louth.

1950–1974: The Boroughs of Louth and Cleethorpes, and the Rural Districts of Grimsby and Louth.

1974–1983: As prior but with redrawn boundaries.

## Members of Parliament[edit]

Election | Member | Party

|
|

| 1885 | Francis Otter | Liberal
| 1886 | Arthur Raymond Heath | Conservative
| 1892 | Sir Robert Perks, 1st Baronet | Liberal
| January 1910 | Langton Brackenbury | Conservative
| December 1910 | Timothy Davies | Liberal
| 1918 | Langton Brackenbury | Coalition Conservative
| 1920 by-election | Thomas Wintringham | Liberal
| 1921 by-election | Margaret Wintringham | Liberal
| 1924 | Arthur Heneage | Conservative
| 1945 | Sir Cyril Osborne | Conservative
| 1969 by-election | Jeffrey Archer | Conservative
| Oct 1974 | Michael Brotherton | Conservative
1983 | constituency abolished

## Election results[edit]

### Elections in the 1880s[edit]

General election 1885: Louth[1][2] Party  | Candidate  | Votes  | %  | ±%

|
|
|
|

| Liberal | Francis Otter | 4,801  | 57.2  |
| Conservative | James Lowther | 3,594  | 42.8  |
Majority  | 1,207  | 14.4  |
Turnout | 8,395  | 81.9  |
Registered electors | 10,252  |  |
| Liberal win (new seat)
General election 1886: Louth[1][2] Party  | Candidate  | Votes  | %  | ±%

|
|
|
|

| Conservative | Arthur Heath | Unopposed
| Conservative gain from Liberal

### Elections in the 1890s[edit]

Perks General election 1892: Louth[1][2] Party  | Candidate  | Votes  | %  | ±%

|
|
|
|

| Liberal | Robert Perks | 4,284  | 55.4  | New
| Conservative | Arthur Heath | 3,445  | 44.6  | N/A
Majority  | 839  | 10.8  | N/A
Turnout | 7,729  | 78.6  | N/A
Registered electors | 9,829  |  |
| Liberal gain from Conservative | Swing | N/A |
General election 1895: Louth[2][3] Party  | Candidate  | Votes  | %  | ±%

|
|
|
|

| Liberal | Robert Perks | 4,191  | 52.6  | −2.8
| Conservative | Francis Lucas | 3,779  | 47.4  | +2.8
Majority  | 412  | 5.2  | −5.6
Turnout | 7,970  | 73.4  | −5.2
Registered electors | 10,863  |  |
| Liberal hold | Swing | −2.8  |

### Elections in the 1900s[edit]

General election 1900: Louth[2][3] Party  | Candidate  | Votes  | %  | ±%

|
|
|
|

| Liberal | Robert Perks | 4,188  | 56.0  | +3.4
| Conservative | Eyre Coote (born 1857)  | 3,286  | 44.0  | −3.4
Majority  | 902  | 12.0  | +6.8
Turnout | 7,474  | 77.7  | +4.3
Registered electors | 9,621  |  |
| Liberal hold | Swing | +3.4  |
General election 1906: Louth[1][2] Party  | Candidate  | Votes  | %  | ±%

|
|
|
|

| Liberal | Robert Perks | 4,551  | 56.0  | 0.0
| Conservative | Thomas Comyn-Platt  | 3,572  | 44.0  | 0.0
Majority  | 979  | 12.0  | 0.0
Turnout | 8,123  | 80.6  | +2.9
Registered electors | 10,075  |  |
| Liberal hold | Swing | 0.0  |

### Elections in the 1910s[edit]

General election January 1910: Louth[2][4] Party  | Candidate  | Votes  | %  | ±%

|
|
|
|

| Conservative | Langton Brackenbury | 4,433  | 50.9  | +6.9
| Liberal | Timothy Davies | 4,275  | 49.1  | −6.9
Majority  | 158  | 1.8  | N/A
Turnout | 8,708  | 84.4  | +3.8
| Conservative gain from Liberal | Swing | +6.9  |
Davies General election December 1910: Louth[2][4] Party  | Candidate  | Votes  | %  | ±%

|
|
|
|

| Liberal | Timothy Davies | 4,260  | 50.4  | +1.3
| Conservative | Langton Brackenbury | 4,188  | 49.6  | −1.3
Majority  | 72  | 0.8  | N/A
Turnout | 8,448  | 81.9  | −2.5
| Liberal gain from Conservative | Swing | +1.3  |

General Election 1914–15

A General Election was due to take place by the end of 1915. By the autumn of 1914, the following candidates had been adopted to contest that election. Due to the outbreak of war, the election never took place.

* Liberal: Timothy Davies
* Unionist: Langton Brackenbury

General election 1918: Louth  Party  | Candidate  | Votes  | %  | ±%

|
|
|
|

C | Unionist | Langton Brackenbury | 9,055 | 54.5 | +4.9
| Liberal | Timothy Davies | 7,559  | 45.5  | −4.9
Majority  | 1,496  | 9.0  | N/A
Turnout | 16,614  | 60.3  | −21.6
| Unionist gain from Liberal | Swing |  |
C indicates candidate endorsed by the coalition government.

### Elections in the 1920s[edit]

Thomas Wintringham 1920 Louth by-election Party  | Candidate  | Votes  | %  | ±%

|
|
|
|

| Liberal | Thomas Wintringham | 9,859  | 57.3  | +11.8
| Unionist |

* Christopher Hatton Turnor

| 7,354  | 42.7  | −11.8
Majority  | 2,505  | 14.6  | N/A
Turnout | 17,213  | 63.1  | +2.8
| Liberal gain from Unionist | Swing | +11.8  |

* endorsed by Coalition Government

Margaret Wintringham 1921 Louth by-election Party  | Candidate  | Votes  | %  | ±%

|
|
|
|

| Liberal | Margaret Wintringham | 8,386  | 42.2  | −15.1
| Unionist | Alan Hutchings  | 7,695  | 38.3  | −4.4
| Labour | James L. George  | 3,873  | 19.5  | New
Majority  | 791  | 3.9  | −10.7
Turnout | 19,954  | 72.1  | +9.0
| Liberal hold | Swing |  |
General election 1922: Louth  Party  | Candidate  | Votes  | %  | ±%

|
|
|
|

| Liberal | Margaret Wintringham | 11,609  | 52.0  | +6.5
| Unionist | Alan Hutchings [5] | 10,726  | 48.0  | −6.5
Majority  | 883  | 4.0  | −5.0
Turnout | 22,335  | 78.5  | +18.2
| Liberal hold | Swing |  |
General election 1923: Louth  Party  | Candidate  | Votes  | %  | ±%

|
|
|
|

| Liberal | Margaret Wintringham | 12,104  | 52.4  | +0.4
| Unionist | Geoffrey Peto | 11,003  | 47.6  | −0.4
Majority  | 1,101  | 4.8  | +0.8
Turnout | 23,107  | 79.6  | +1.1
| Liberal hold | Swing | +0.4  |
General election, 1924: Louth  Party  | Candidate  | Votes  | %  | ±%

|
|
|
|

| Unionist | Arthur Heneage | 12,674  | 52.8  | +5.2
| Liberal | Margaret Wintringham | 11,330  | 47.2  | −5.2
Majority  | 1,344  | 5.6  | N/A
Turnout | 24,004  | 80.9  | +1.3
| Unionist gain from Liberal | Swing |  |
General election, 1929: Louth  Party  | Candidate  | Votes  | %  | ±%

|
|
|
|

| Unionist | Arthur Heneage | 13,999  | 44.4  | −8.4
| Liberal | Margaret Wintringham | 13,560  | 42.9  | −4.3
| Labour | T Holmes  | 4,027  | 12.7  | New
Majority  | 439  | 1.5  | −4.1
Turnout | 31,586  | 81.8  | +0.9
| Unionist hold | Swing | −2.1  |

### Elections in the 1930s[edit]

General election 1931: Louth  Party  | Candidate  | Votes  | %  | ±%

|
|
|
|

| Conservative | Arthur Heneage | 18,434  | 56.1  | +11.7
| Liberal | Ramsay Muir | 14,439  | 43.9  | +1.0
Majority  | 3,995  | 12.2  | +10.7
Turnout | 32,873  | 81.6  | −0.2
| Conservative hold | Swing |  |
General election 1935: Louth  Party  | Candidate  | Votes  | %  | ±%

|
|
|
|

| Conservative | Arthur Heneage | 19,705  | 61.64  |
| Labour | Jack H Franklin  | 12,261  | 38.36  | New
Majority  | 7,444  | 23.28  |
Turnout | 31,966  | 71.85  |
| Conservative hold | Swing |  |

### Elections in the 1940s[edit]

General Election 1939–40

A General Election was due to take place by the spring of 1940. By the autumn of 1939, the following candidates had been adopted to contest that election. Due to the outbreak of war, the election never took place.

* Conservative: Arthur Heneage
* Liberal: Alan Pryce-Jones[6]
* Labour: Jack H Franklin

General election 1945: Louth  Party  | Candidate  | Votes  | %  | ±%

|
|
|
|

| Conservative | Cyril Osborne | 16,333  | 46.18  |
| Labour | Jack H Franklin  | 11,628  | 32.88  |
| Liberal | Walter K Carter  | 7,176  | 20.29  | New
| Independent Liberal | Samuel Randolph Charlesworth  | 233  | 0.66  | New
Majority  | 4,705  | 13.30  |
Turnout | 35,370  | 71.91  |
| Conservative hold | Swing |  |

### Elections in the 1950s[edit]

General election 1950: Louth  Party  | Candidate  | Votes  | %  | ±%

|
|
|
|

| Conservative | Cyril Osborne | 19,647  | 48.48  |
| Labour | Henry James Herbert Dyer  | 15,063  | 37.17  |
| Liberal | Albert William Cox  | 5,817  | 14.35  |
Majority  | 4,584  | 11.31  |
Turnout | 40,527  | 82.36  |
| Conservative hold | Swing |  |
General election 1951: Louth  Party  | Candidate  | Votes  | %  | ±%

|
|
|
|

| Conservative | Cyril Osborne | 21,587  | 53.66  |
| Labour | Henry James Herbert Dyer  | 15,819  | 39.32  |
| Liberal | Reginald Clifford Gaul  | 2,822  | 7.02  |
Majority  | 5,768  | 14.34  |
Turnout | 40,228  | 80.46  |
| Conservative hold | Swing |  |
General election 1955: Louth  Party  | Candidate  | Votes  | %  | ±%

|
|
|
|

| Conservative | Cyril Osborne | 21,796  | 58.79  |
| Labour | Douglas Rene Louis Maroel Poirier  | 15,276  | 41.21  |
Majority  | 6,520  | 17.58  |
Turnout | 37,072  | 73.66  |
| Conservative hold | Swing |  |
General election 1959: Louth  Party  | Candidate  | Votes  | %  | ±%

|
|
|
|

| Conservative | Cyril Osborne | 24,211  | 61.11  |
| Labour | Francis Robert Macdonald  | 15,408  | 38.89  |
Majority  | 8,803  | 22.22  |
Turnout | 39,619  | 76.52  |
| Conservative hold | Swing |  |

### Elections in the 1960s[edit]

General election 1964: Louth  Party  | Candidate  | Votes  | %  | ±%

|
|
|
|

| Conservative | Cyril Osborne | 21,227  | 48.95  |
| Labour | Francis Robert Macdonald  | 14,188  | 32.72  |
| Liberal | Edmund Marshall | 7,949  | 18.33  |
Majority  | 7,039  | 16.23  |
Turnout | 43,364  | 77.88  |
| Conservative hold | Swing |  |
General election 1966: Louth  Party  | Candidate  | Votes  | %  | ±%

|
|
|
|

| Conservative | Cyril Osborne | 19,977  | 46.37  |
| Labour | Robin Brumby  | 15,885  | 36.87  |
| Liberal | Edmund Marshall | 7,222  | 16.76  |
Majority  | 4,092  | 9.50  |
Turnout | 43,084  | 74.35  |
| Conservative hold | Swing |  |
1969 Louth by-election Party  | Candidate  | Votes  | %  | ±%

|
|
|
|

| Conservative | Jeffrey Archer | 16,317  | 58.00  | +11.63
| Labour | Bruce Briggs  | 5,590  | 19.87  | −17.00
| Liberal | John Adams  | 5,003  | 17.78  | +1.02
| Democratic Party | George FitzGerald | 1,225  | 4.35  | New
Majority  | 10,727  | 38.13  | +28.63
Turnout | 28,135  |  |
| Conservative hold | Swing | +14.3  |

### Elections in the 1970s[edit]

General election 1970: Louth  Party  | Candidate  | Votes  | %  | ±%

|
|
|
|

| Conservative | Jeffrey Archer | 25,659  | 53.08  | +6.71
| Labour | James Murray  | 16,403  | 33.93  | −2.94
| Liberal | John Adams  | 6,279  | 12.99  | −3.77
Majority  | 9,256  | 19.15  | +9.65
Turnout | 48,341  | 71.57  |
| Conservative hold | Swing |  |
General election February 1974: Louth  Party  | Candidate  | Votes  | %  | ±%

|
|
|
|

| Conservative | Jeffrey Archer | 25,158  | 45.13  |
| Liberal | John CL Sellick  | 15,440  | 27.70  |
| Labour | AG Dowson  | 15,148  | 27.17  |
Majority  | 9,718  | 17.43  |
Turnout | 55,746  | 79.70  |
| Conservative hold | Swing |  |
General election October 1974: Louth  Party  | Candidate  | Votes  | %  | ±%

|
|
|
|

| Conservative | Michael Brotherton | 19,819  | 38.48  |
| Liberal | John CL Sellick  | 16,939  | 32.89  |
| Labour | R Mitchell  | 14,747  | 28.63  |
Majority  | 2,880  | 5.59  |
Turnout | 51,505  | 73.06  |
| Conservative hold | Swing |  |
General election 1979: Louth  Party  | Candidate  | Votes  | %  | ±%

|
|
|
|

| Conservative | Michael Brotherton | 25,701  | 44.85  |
| Liberal | John CL Sellick  | 19,026  | 33.20  |
| Labour | Clive Betts | 12,316  | 21.49  |
| National Front | CDB Stokes  | 261  | 0.46  | New
Majority  | 6,675  | 11.65  |
Turnout | 57,304  | 78.22  |
| Conservative hold | Swing |  |

## See also[edit]

* 1920 Louth by-election
* 1921 Louth by-election
* 1969 Louth by-election

## References[edit]

1. ^ a b c d Liberal Year Book 1908
2. ^ a b c d e f g h British Parliamentary Election Results 1885-1918, FWS Craig
3. ^ a b Debrett's House of Commons 1901
4. ^ a b Debrett's House of Commons 1916
5. ^ ‘HUTCHINGS, Sir Alan’, Who Was Who, A & C Black, an imprint of Bloomsbury Publishing plc, 1920–2016; online edn, Oxford University Press, 2014 ; online edn, April 2014 accessed 16 Oct 2017
6. ^ The Liberal Magazine 1939

* Craig, F. W. S. (1983) [1969]. British parliamentary election results 1918-1949 (3rd ed.). Chichester: Parliamentary Research Services. ISBN 0-900178-06-X.
* The Constitutional Year Book for 1913 (London: National Union of Conservative and Unionist Associations, 1913)
* Leigh Rayment's Historical List of MPs – Constituencies beginning with "L" (part 4)