Oldham (UK Parliament constituency)

Parliamentary constituency in the United Kingdom, 1832–1950

Oldham

Former borough constituency
for the House of Commons
1832–1950
Seats| two
Created from| Lancashire
Replaced by| Oldham East and Oldham West

Oldham was a parliamentary constituency centred on the town of Oldham, England. It returned two Members of Parliament (MPs) to the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. The constituency was created by the Reform Act 1832 and was abolished for the 1950 general election when it was split into the Oldham East and Oldham West constituencies.

The Oldham constituency was where Winston Churchill began his political career. Although taking two attempts to succeed, in the 1900 general election Churchill was elected as the member of Parliament for Oldham. He held the constituency for the Conservative Party until he defected from them in defence of free trade in 1904. He then represented the Liberal Party as MP for the seat until the 1906 general election.

## Boundaries

[edit]

Though centred on Oldham (the town), the constituency covered a much broader territory; Shaw and Crompton, Royton, Chadderton and Lees all formed part of this district, though these were each granted individual urban district status at a local government level in 1894.

1885–1918: The existing parliamentary borough, and so much of the municipal borough of Oldham as was not already included in the parliamentary borough.[1]

## Members of Parliament

[edit]

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

|
|
|
|

1832 |  | John Fielden | Radical[3][4][5][6] |  | William Cobbett | Radical[3][4]
1835 by-election |  | John Frederick Lees | Conservative[4]
1837 |  | William Augustus Johnson | Radical[7][4][5]
1847 |  | William Johnson Fox | Radical[8][3][9][10][11] |  | John Duncuft | Peelite[12][13]
1852 |  | John Morgan Cobbetta | Radical[3][14][15]
1852 by-election |  | William Johnson Fox | Radical[8][3][9][10][11]
1857 |  | James Platt | Radical[16][17]
1857 by-election |  | William Johnson Fox | Radical[8][3][9][10]
1859 |  | Liberal |  | Liberal
1862 by-election |  | J. T. Hibbert | Liberal
1865 |  | John Platt | Liberal
1872 by-election |  | John Morgan Cobbett a | Conservative
1874 |  | Frederick Spinks | Conservative
1877 by-election |  | J. T. Hibbert | Liberal
1880 |  | Hon. Edward Stanley | Liberal
1885 |  | James Mackenzie Maclean | Conservative
1886 |  | Elliott Lees | Conservative
1892 |  | Joshua Milne Cheetham | Liberal |  | J. T. Hibbert | Liberal
1895 |  | Robert Ascroft | Conservative |  | James Francis Oswald | Conservative
1899 by-election |  | Rt Hon. Alfred Emmott | Liberal |  | Walter Runciman | Liberal
1900 |  | Winston Churchill b | Conservative
1904  |  | Liberal
1906 |  | John Albert Bright | Liberal
1910 (Jan) |  | Sir William Barton | Liberal
1911 by-election |  | Edmund Bartley-Denniss c | Conservative
1918 |  | Coalition Conservative |  | Coalition Liberal
1922 |  | Sir Edward Grigg | National Liberal |  | William John Tout | Labour
1923 |  | Liberal
1924 |  | Duff Cooper | Conservative
1925 by-election |  | William Wiggins | Liberal
1929 |  | Rev. Gordon Lang | Labour |  | James Wilson | Labour
1931 |  | Anthony Crossley | Conservative |  | Hamilton Kerr | Conservative
1935 |  | John Dodd | National Liberal
1945 |  | Frank Fairhurst | Labour |  | Leslie Hale | Labour
1950 | Multi member constituency abolished - see Oldham East and Oldham West

Notes:-

* a J M Cobbett's political affiliations are complicated.[18] He had stood unsuccessfully on an all-Radical 'plague on both your houses' slate with John Fielden in 1847. He was elected in 1852 as the Radical half of an explicit Radical-Tory alliance.[19] At the 1857 election he was opposed by two Liberals and denied that he had sold out to Palmerston, asserting that the Liberal Chief Whip had no confidence in him.[20] In 1865 he stood unsuccessfully in conjunction with a Conservative,[21] opposed by two Liberals. Nonetheless, from 1852 to 1865 outside Oldham he was generally taken to be a Liberal. From 1872 to his death in 1877 he sat as a Conservative (but one calling for annual Parliaments and manhood suffrage)[22]
* b Churchill changed his party allegiance in April 1904.
* c Denniss changed his surname to Bartley-Denniss, when he was knighted in 1922.

## Elections

[edit]

### Elections in the 1830s

[edit]

General election 1832: Oldham (2 seats)[23][4] Party  | Candidate  | Votes  | %

|
|
|

| Radical | YJohn Fielden | 677  | 43.0
| Radical | YWilliam Cobbett | 645  | 40.9
| Whig | Benjamin Heywood Bright[24] | 150  | 9.5
| Tory | William Burge | 101  | 6.4
| Whig | George Stephen  | 3  | 0.2
Majority  | 495  | 31.4
Turnout | 848  | 75.0
Registered electors | 1,131  |
| Radical win (new seat)
| Radical win (new seat)
General election 1835: Oldham[23][4] Party  | Candidate  | Votes  | %

|
|
|

| Radical | YJohn Fielden | Unopposed
| Radical | YWilliam Cobbett | Unopposed
Registered electors | 1,029  |
| Radical hold
| Radical hold

Cobbett's death caused a by-election.

By-election, 8 July 1835: Oldham (1 seat)[23][4] Party  | Candidate  | Votes  | %

|
|
|

| Conservative | YJohn Frederick Lees | 394  | 48.7
| Radical | John Morgan Cobbett | 381  | 47.1
| Radical | Feargus O'Connor | 34  | 4.2
Majority  | 13  | 1.6
Turnout | 809  | 78.6
Registered electors | 1,029  |
| Conservative gain from Radical
General election 1837: Oldham[23][4] Party  | Candidate  | Votes  | %

|
|
|

| Radical | YWilliam Augustus Johnson | 545  | 32.4
| Radical | YJohn Fielden | 541  | 32.2
| Conservative | Joseph Jones  | 315  | 18.8
| Conservative | John Frederick Lees | 279  | 16.6
Majority  | 226  | 13.4
Turnout | 859  | 62.6
Registered electors | 1,372  |
| Radical hold
| Radical hold

### Elections in the 1840s

[edit]

General election 1841: Oldham[23] Party  | Candidate  | Votes  | %  | ±%

|
|
|
|

| Radical | YJohn Fielden | Unopposed
| Radical | YWilliam Augustus Johnson | Unopposed
Registered electors | 1,467  |  |
| Radical hold
| Radical hold
General election 1847: Oldham[23] Party  | Candidate  | Votes  | %  | ±%

|
|
|
|

| Radical | YWilliam Johnson Fox | 726  | 27.3  | N/A
| Peelite | YJohn Duncuft | 696  | 26.2  | New
| Radical | John Morgan Cobbett | 624  | 23.5  | N/A
| Radical | John Fielden | 612  | 23.0  | N/A
Turnout | 1,329 (est)  | 78.6 (est)  | N/A
Registered electors | 1,691  |  |
Majority | 30  | 1.1  | N/A
| Radical hold | Swing | N/A |
Majority | 84  | 3.2  | N/A
| Peelite gain from Radical | Swing | N/A |

### Elections in the 1850s

[edit]

General election 1852: Oldham[23] Party  | Candidate  | Votes  | %  | ±%

|
|
|
|

| Radical | YJohn Morgan Cobbett | 957  | 36.8  | +13.3
| Peelite | YJohn Duncuft | 868  | 33.4  | +7.2
| Radical | William Johnson Fox | 777  | 29.9  | +2.6
Turnout | 1,301 (est)  | 68.8 (est)  | −9.8
Registered electors | 1,890  |  |
Majority | 89  | 3.4  | +2.3
| Radical hold | Swing | +4.9  |
Majority | 91  | 3.5  | +0.3
| Peelite hold | Swing | −11.6  |

Duncuft's death caused a by-election.

By-election, 3 December 1852: Oldham[23] Party  | Candidate  | Votes  | %  | ±%

|
|
|
|

| Radical | YWilliam Johnson Fox | 895  | 53.3  | −13.4
| Conservative | James Heald[25] | 783  | 46.7  | +13.3
Majority | 112  | 6.6  | N/A
Turnout | 1,678  | 84.8  | +16.0
Registered electors | 1,978  |  |
| Radical gain from Peelite | Swing | −13.3  |
General election 1857: Oldham[23] Party  | Candidate  | Votes  | %  | ±%

|
|
|
|

| Radical | YJohn Morgan Cobbett | 949  | 34.1  | −2.7
| Radical | YJames Platt | 934  | 33.6  | N/A
| Radical | William Johnson Fox | 898  | 32.3  | +2.4
Majority | 36  | 1.3  | −2.1
Turnout | 1,391 (est)  | 66.3 (est)  | −2.5
Registered electors | 2,098  |  |
| Radical hold | Swing | N/A |
| Radical gain from Peelite | Swing | N/A |

Platt's death caused a by-election.

By-election, 19 October 1857: Oldham[23] Party  | Candidate  | Votes  | %  | ±%

|
|
|
|

| Radical | William Johnson Fox | Unopposed
| Radical hold
General election 1859: Oldham[23] Party  | Candidate  | Votes  | %  | ±%

|
|
|
|

| Liberal | YWilliam Johnson Fox | 1,039  | 35.1  | +2.8
| Liberal | YJohn Morgan Cobbett | 966  | 32.6  | −1.5
| Liberal | J. T. Hibbert | 955  | 32.3  | N/A
Majority | 11  | 0.3  | −1.0
Turnout | 1,480 (est)  | 68.8 (est)  | +2.5
Registered electors | 2,151  |  |
| Liberal hold | Swing | N/A |
| Liberal hold | Swing | N/A |

### Elections in the 1860s

[edit]

Fox's resignation caused a by-election.

By-election, 5 May 1862: Oldham[23] Party  | Candidate  | Votes  | %  | ±%

|
|
|
|

| Liberal | YJ. T. Hibbert | Unopposed
| Liberal hold
General election 1865: Oldham[23] Party  | Candidate  | Votes  | %  | ±%

|
|
|
|

| Liberal | YJ. T. Hibbert | 1,104  | 28.1  | −4.2
| Liberal | YJohn Platt | 1,075  | 27.4  | N/A
| Liberal | John Morgan Cobbett | 899  | 22.9  | −9.7
| Conservative | Frederick Spinks | 846  | 21.6  | New
Majority | 176  | 4.5  | +4.2
Turnout | 1,962 (est)  | 85.9 (est)  | +17.1
Registered electors | 2,285  |  |
| Liberal hold | Swing |  |
| Liberal hold | Swing |  |
General election 1868: Oldham[23] Party  | Candidate  | Votes  | %  | ±%

|
|
|
|

| Liberal | YJ. T. Hibbert | 6,140  | 25.1  | −3.0
| Liberal | YJohn Platt | 6,122  | 25.0  | −2.4
| Conservative | John Morgan Cobbett | 6,116  | 25.0  | +2.1
| Conservative | Frederick Spinks | 6,084  | 24.9  | +3.3
Majority | 6  | 0.0  | −4.5
Turnout | 12,231 (est)  | 90.9 (est)  | +5.0
Registered electors | 13,454  |  |
| Liberal hold | Swing | −2.9  |
| Liberal hold | Swing | −2.6  |

### Elections in the 1870s

[edit]

Platt's death caused a by-election.

1872 Oldham by-election[23] Party  | Candidate  | Votes  | %  | ±%

|
|
|
|

| Conservative | YJohn Morgan Cobbett | 7,278  | 51.0  | +1.1
| Liberal | Edward Stanley | 6,984  | 49.0  | −1.1
Majority | 294  | 2.0  | N/A
Turnout | 14,262  | 88.8  | −2.1
Registered electors | 16,063  |  |
| Conservative gain from Liberal | Swing | +1.1  |
General election 1874: Oldham[23] Party  | Candidate  | Votes  | %  | ±%

|
|
|
|

| Conservative | YFrederick Spinks | 8,582  | 25.3  | +0.4
| Conservative | YJohn Morgan Cobbett | 8,541  | 25.2  | +0.2
| Liberal | J. T. Hibbert | 8,397  | 24.8  | −0.3
| Liberal | Edward Stanley | 8,360  | 24.7  | −0.3
Majority | 222  | 1.6  | N/A
Majority | 144  | 0.4  | N/A
Turnout | 16,940 (est)  | 91.3 (est)  | +0.4
Registered electors | 18,560  |  |
| Conservative gain from Liberal | Swing | +0.4  |
| Conservative gain from Liberal | Swing | +0.3  |

Cobbett's death caused a by-election.

1877 Oldham by-election[23] Party  | Candidate  | Votes  | %  | ±%

|
|
|
|

| Liberal | YJ. T. Hibbert | 9,542  | 51.9  | +2.4
| Conservative | Thomas Evans Lees[26] | 8,831  | 48.1  | −2.4
Majority | 711  | 3.8  | N/A
Turnout | 18,373  | 90.7  | −0.6
Registered electors | 20,249  |  |
| Liberal gain from Conservative | Swing | +2.4  |

### Elections in the 1880s

[edit]

General election 1880: Oldham[23] Party  | Candidate  | Votes  | %  | ±%

|
|
|
|

| Liberal | YJ. T. Hibbert | 10,630  | 27.5  | +2.7
| Liberal | YEdward Stanley | 10,409  | 27.0  | +2.3
| Conservative | Frederick Spinks | 8,982  | 23.3  | −2.0
| Conservative | Smith Taylor-Whitehead[27] | 8,593  | 22.3  | −2.9
Majority | 2,037  | 5.2  | N/A
Majority | 1,427  | 3.7  | N/A
Turnout | 19,307 (est)  | 91.6 (est)  | +0.3
Registered electors | 21,084  |  |
| Liberal gain from Conservative | Swing | +2.4  |
| Liberal gain from Conservative | Swing | +2.6  |
General election 1885: Oldham[28][29] Party  | Candidate  | Votes  | %  | ±%

|
|
|
|

| Liberal | YJ. T. Hibbert | 12,259  | 25.7  | −1.8
| Conservative | YJames Mackenzie Maclean | 11,992  | 25.2  | +1.9
| Liberal | Edward Stanley | 11,847  | 24.9  | −2.1
| Conservative | Smith Taylor-Whitehead[27] | 11,491  | 24.9  | +1.9
Turnout | 24,016  | 93.8  | +2.2 (est)
Registered electors | 25,600  |  |
Majority | 768  | 1.5  | −2.2
| Liberal hold | Swing | −1.9  |
Majority | 145  | 0.3  | N/A
| Conservative gain from Liberal | Swing | +2.0  |
Elliot Lees General election 1886: Oldham[28][29] Party  | Candidate  | Votes  | %  | ±%

|
|
|
|

| Conservative | YJames Mackenzie Maclean | 11,606  | 25.8  | +0.6
| Conservative | YElliot Lees | 11,484  | 25.6  | +1.4
| Liberal | J. T. Hibbert | 10,921  | 24.3  | −1.4
| Liberal | Joshua Cheetham | 10,891  | 24.3  | −0.6
Majority | 563  | 1.3  | N/A
Turnout | 22,608  | 88.3  | −5.5
Registered electors | 25,600  |  |
| Conservative hold | Swing | +0.6  |
| Conservative gain from Liberal | Swing | +1.4  |

### Elections in the 1890s

[edit]

General election 1892: Oldham[30][29] Party  | Candidate  | Votes  | %  | ±%

|
|
|
|

| Liberal | YJoshua Cheetham | 12,619  | 25.6  | +1.3
| Liberal | YJ. T. Hibbert | 12,541  | 25.4  | +1.1
| Conservative | Elliot Lees | 12,205  | 24.7  | −0.8
| Conservative | James Mackenzie Maclean | 11,952  | 24.2  | −1.6
Majority | 677  | 1.4  | N/A
Majority | 336  | 0.7  | N/A
Turnout | 24,857 (est)  | 89.0  | +0.7
Registered electors | 27,929  |  |
| Liberal gain from Conservative | Swing | +1.1  |
| Liberal gain from Conservative | Swing | +1.4  |
Robert Ascroft James Oswald General election 1895: Oldham[30][29] Party  | Candidate  | Votes  | %  | ±%

|
|
|
|

| Conservative | YRobert Ascroft | 13,085  | 26.2  | +1.5
| Conservative | YJames Oswald | 12,465  | 25.0  | +0.8
| Liberal | Adam Lee  | 12,249  | 24.6  | −1.0
| Liberal | J. T. Hibbert | 12,092  | 24.2  | −1.2
Majority | 993  | 2.0  | N/A
Majority | 216  | 0.4  | N/A
Turnout | 25,185 (est)  | 87.5  | −1.5
Registered electors | 28,783  |  |
| Conservative gain from Liberal | Swing | +1.2  |
| Conservative gain from Liberal | Swing | +1.0  |

Ascroft’s death and Oswald's resignation caused a by-election.

Walter Runciman James Mawdsley 1899 Oldham by-election Party  | Candidate  | Votes  | %  | ±%

|
|
|
|

| Liberal | YAlfred Emmott | 12,976  | 26.7  | +2.1
| Liberal | YWalter Runciman | 12,770  | 26.2  | +2.0
| Conservative | Winston Churchill | 11,477  | 23.6  | −2.6
| Conservative | James Mawdsley | 11,449  | 23.5  | −1.5
Majority | 1,527  | 3.2  | N/A
Majority | 1,293  | 2.6  | N/A
Turnout | 24,546 (est)  | 86.2  | −1.3
Registered electors | 28,476  |  |
| Liberal gain from Conservative | Swing | +2.4  |
| Liberal gain from Conservative | Swing | +1.8  |

### Elections in the 1900s

[edit]

Alfred Emmott General election 1900: Oldham[31][29] Party  | Candidate  | Votes  | %  | ±%

|
|
|
|

| Liberal | YAlfred Emmott | 12,947  | 25.3  | +0.7
| Conservative | YWinston Churchill | 12,931  | 25.3  | −0.9
| Liberal | Walter Runciman | 12,709  | 24.9  | +0.7
| Conservative | Charles Birch Crisp  | 12,522  | 24.5  | −0.5
Turnout | 51,109  | 87.9  | +0.4
Registered electors | 29,253  |  |
Majority | 425  | 0.8  | N/A
| Liberal gain from Conservative | Swing | +0.6  |
Majority | 222  | 0.4  | 0.0
| Conservative hold | Swing | −0.8  |
General election 1906: Oldham[31][29] Party  | Candidate  | Votes  | %  | ±%

|
|
|
|

| Liberal | YAlfred Emmott | 17,397  | 30.3  | +5.0
| Liberal | YJohn Bright | 16,672  | 29.0  | +4.1
| Conservative | Charles Birch Crisp  | 11,989  | 20.9  | −3.6
| Conservative | E. L. Hartley  | 11,391  | 19.8  | −5.5
Turnout | 57,449  | 89.3  | +1.4
Registered electors | 32,387  |  |
Majority | 4,683  | 8.1  | N/A
| Liberal hold | Swing | +4.3  |
| Liberal gain from Conservative | Swing | +3.9  |

### Elections in the 1910s

[edit]

General election January 1910: Oldham[31] Party  | Candidate  | Votes  | %  | ±%

|
|
|
|

| Liberal | YAlfred Emmott | 19,252  | 30.0  | −0.3
| Liberal | YWilliam Barton | 18,840  | 29.4  | +0.4
| Conservative | Joseph Hilton  | 13,462  | 21.0  | +0.1
| Conservative | Sidney Stott | 12,577  | 19.6  | −0.2
Majority | 5,378  | 8.4  | +0.3
Turnout | 64,131  | 91.8  | +2.5
Registered electors | 35,315  |  |
| Liberal hold | Swing | −0.2  |
| Liberal hold | Swing | +0.2  |
General election December 1910: Oldham[31] Party  | Candidate  | Votes  | %  | ±%

|
|
|
|

| Liberal | YAlfred Emmott | 17,108  | 28.1  | −1.9
| Liberal | YWilliam Barton | 16,941  | 27.9  | −1.5
| Conservative | Arthur Edward Wrigley  | 13,440  | 22.1  | +1.1
| Conservative | Edmund Bartley-Denniss | 13,281  | 21.9  | +2.3
Majority | 3,501  | 5.8  | −2.6
Turnout | 60,770  | 86.8  | −5.0
Registered electors | 35,315  |  |
| Liberal hold | Swing | −1.5  |
| Liberal hold | Swing | −1.3  |
1911 Oldham by-election[32] Party  | Candidate  | Votes  | %  | ±%

|
|
|
|

| Conservative | YEdmund Bartley-Denniss | 12,255  | 40.4  | −3.6
| Liberal | Arthur Stanley | 10,623  | 35.0  | −21.0
| Labour | William C. Robinson | 7,448  | 24.6  | New
Majority | 1,632  | 5.4  | N/A
Turnout | 30,326  | 85.1  | −1.7
Registered electors | 35,626  |  |
| Conservative gain from Liberal | Swing | +8.7  |

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 the July 1914, the following candidates had been selected;

* Liberal: W. H. Sumnervell
* Unionist: John Radcliffe Platt, Edmund Bartley-Denniss
* Labour: William C. Robinson

William Barton General election 1918: Oldham[33] Party  | Candidate  | Votes  | %  | ±%

|
|
|
|

C | Unionist | YEdmund Bartley-Denniss | 26,568 | 34.3 | +12.4
C | Liberal | YWilliam Barton | 26,254 | 34.0 | +6.1
| Labour | William C. Robinson | 15,178  | 19.6  | N/A
| Liberal | Walter Rea | 9,323  | 12.1  | −16.0
Turnout | 77,323  | 54.2  | −32.6
Registered electors | 71,378  |  |
Majority | 17,245  | 22.2  | N/A
| Unionist gain from Liberal | Swing | +14.2  |
Majority | 11,076  | 14.4  | +8.6
| Liberal hold | Swing |  |
C indicates candidate endorsed by the coalition government.

### Elections in the 1920s

[edit]

Edward Grigg General election 1922: Oldham[33] Party  | Candidate  | Votes  | %  | ±%

|
|
|
|

| National Liberal | YEdward Grigg | 24,762  | 28.0  | N/A
| Labour | YWilliam Tout | 24,434  | 27.7  | +8.1
| Unionist | Samuel Smethurst  | 23,200  | 26.2  | −8.1
| Liberal | William Tudor Davies  | 9,812  | 11.1  | −22.9
| Liberal | Mary Emmott | 6,186  | 7.0  | −5.1
Turnout | 88,394  | 62.6  | +8.4
| National Liberal gain from Liberal | Swing | N/A |
Majority | 14,950  | 16.7  | N/A
| Labour gain from Unionist | Swing | +8.1  |
Majority | 1,234  | 1.5  | N/A
General election 1923: Oldham (2 seats) [34] Party  | Candidate  | Votes  | %  | ±%

|
|
|
|

| Labour | YWilliam Tout | 20,939  | 23.4  | −4.3
| Liberal | YEdward Grigg | 20,681  | 23.2  | −4.8
| Liberal | William Wiggins | 17,990  | 20.1  | +9.0
| Unionist | W.E. Freeman  | 15,819  | 17.7  | N/A
| Unionist | Samuel Smethurst  | 13,894  | 15.6  | −10.6
Majority | 2,949  | 3.3  | +1.8
Majority | 4,862  | 5.5  | −11.2
Turnout | 89,323  | 76.3  | +13.7
| Labour hold | Swing |  |
| Liberal hold | Swing |  |
General election 1924: Oldham[35] Party  | Candidate  | Votes  | %  | ±%

|
|
|
|

| Unionist | YDuff Cooper | 37,419  | 31.2  |
| Liberal | YEdward Grigg | 36,761  | 30.7  |
| Labour | William Tout | 23,623  | 19.7  |
| Labour | James Wilson | 22,081  | 18.4  |
Majority | 13,796  | 11.5  | N/A
Turnout | 119,884  |  |
| Liberal hold | Swing |  |
| Unionist gain from Labour | Swing |  |
1925 Oldham by-election[36] Party  | Candidate  | Votes  | %  | ±%

|
|
|
|

| Liberal | YWilliam Wiggins | 26,325  | 54.8  | +24.1
| Labour | William Tout | 21,702  | 45.2  | +25.5
Majority | 4,623  | 9.6  | −1.4
Turnout | 48,027  |  |
| Liberal hold | Swing |  |
General election 1929: Oldham[35] Party  | Candidate  | Votes  | %  | ±%

|
|
|
|

| Labour | YGordon Lang | 34,223  | 26.2  | +6.5
| Labour | YJames Wilson | 32,727  | 25.0  | +6.6
| Unionist | Duff Cooper | 29,424  | 22.5  | −8.7
| Liberal | John Dodd | 20,810  | 15.9  | −14.8
| Liberal | George James Jenkins  | 13,528  | 10.4  | N/A
Majority | 13,413  | 10.3  | N/A
Majority | 3,303  | 2.5  | N/A
Turnout | 130,712  | 81.2  |
| Labour gain from Liberal | Swing |  |
| Labour gain from Unionist | Swing |  |

### Elections in the 1930s

[edit]

General election 1931: Oldham[35] Party  | Candidate  | Votes  | %  | ±%

|
|
|
|

| Conservative | YAnthony Crossley | 50,693  | 32.5  |
| Conservative | YHamilton Kerr | 50,395  | 32.3  |
| Labour | Gordon Lang | 28,629  | 18.3  |
| Labour | James Wilson | 26,361  | 16.9  |
Majority | 21,766  | 14.2  | N/A
Majority | 24,034  | 15.4  | N/A
Turnout | 156,348  |  |
| Conservative gain from Labour | Swing |  |
| Conservative gain from Labour | Swing |  |
General election 1935: Oldham[35] Party  | Candidate  | Votes  | %  | ±%

|
|
|
|

| Conservative | YHamilton Kerr | 36,738  | 25.51  |
| National Liberal | YJohn Dodd | 34,755  | 24.13  |
| Labour | Gordon Lang | 34,316  | 23.83  |
| Labour | Matthew Burrow Farr | 29,647  | 20.58  |
| Liberal | William Gretton Ward  | 8,534  | 5.92  |
Majority | 1,983  | 1.68  | −12.5
Turnout | 143,990  |  |
| Conservative hold | Swing |  |
| National Liberal 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;

* Conservative: Hamilton Kerr
* Liberal National: John Dodd
* Labour: Leslie Hale, D A Mainds[37]
* Liberal: James Taylor Middleton[38]

### Elections in the 1940s

[edit]

General election 1945: Oldham[39] Party  | Candidate  | Votes  | %  | ±%

|
|
|
|

| Labour | YFrank Fairhurst | 31,704  | 23.9  |
| Labour | YLeslie Hale | 31,327  | 23.6  |
| Conservative | Hamilton Kerr | 26,911  | 20.3  |
| National Liberal | John Dodd | 24,199  | 18.2  |
| Liberal | James Taylor Middleton  | 10,365  | 7.8  |
| Liberal | Thomas Donald Farrell Powell  | 8,264  | 6.2  |
Majority | 7,505  | 5.7  | N/A
Majority | 4,416  | 3.3  | N/A
Turnout | 132,770  | 74.6  |
| Labour gain from National Liberal | Swing |  |
| Labour gain from Conservative | Swing |  |

## References

[edit]

1. ^ "Chap. 23. Redistribution of Seats Act, 1885". The Public General Acts of the United Kingdom passed in the forty-eighth and forty-ninth years of the reign of Queen Victoria. London: Eyre and Spottiswoode. 1885. pp. 111–198.
2. ^ a b Leigh Rayment's Historical List of MPs – Constituencies beginning with "O"
3. ^ a b c d e f Rix, Kathryn (21 July 2015). "A rather pale copy of the original: John Morgan Cobbett (1800–1877)". The Victorian Commons. Retrieved 10 June 2018.
4. ^ a b c d e f g h Stooks Smith, Henry. (1973) [1844-1850]. Craig, F. W. S. (ed.). The Parliaments of England (2nd ed.). Chichester: Parliamentary Research Services. p. 185. ISBN 0-900178-13-2.
5. ^ a b Churton, Edward (1838). The Assembled Commons or Parliamentary Biographer: 1838. pp. 90, 134. Retrieved 27 November 2018 - via Google Books.
6. ^ The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica. "John Fielden". Encyclopaedia Britannica. Retrieved 27 November 2018.
7. ^ "an ultra-Radical of Cobbettite opinions" - "Oldham". Manchester Times. 29 July 1837. p. 3.
8. ^ a b c "William Johnson Fox (1786–1864), Religious and political orator, journalist and Liberal politician; MP for Oldham". National Portrait Gallery. Retrieved 10 June 2018.
9. ^ a b c Rudy, Jason R. (2009). Electric meters: Victorian physiological poetics. Athens, Ohio: Ohio University Press. p. 47\. ISBN 978-0-8214-1882-6. Retrieved 10 June 2018.
10. ^ a b c "Oldham". Leeds Times. 7 August 1847. p. 7. Retrieved 10 June 2018 - via British Newspaper Archive.
11. ^ a b Dod, Charles Roger; Dod, Robert Phipps (1847). Dod's Parliamentary Companion, Volume 15. Dod's Parliamentary Companion. p. 169. Retrieved 27 November 2018 - via Google Books.
12. ^ "The Elections". London Evening Standard. 2 July 1852. pp. 3–4. Retrieved 10 June 2018 - via British Newspaper Archive.
13. ^ The Reasoner, Volumes 2-3. 1847. p. 461. Retrieved 10 June 2018.
14. ^ "The Country". The Spectator. 11 July 1835. p. 7. Retrieved 10 June 2018.
15. ^ "Electioneering Prospects in Lancashire". Newcastle Guardian and Tyne Mercury. 3 July 1852. p. 2. Retrieved 10 June 2018 - via British Newspaper Archive.
16. ^ Rix, Kathryn (27 August 2015). "MP of the Month: the untimely death of James Platt, MP for Oldham (1823–57)". The Victorian Commons. Retrieved 10 June 2018.
17. ^ "The General Election". Lloyd's Weekly Newspaper. 15 March 1857. p. 2. Retrieved 10 June 2018 - via British Newspaper Archive.
18. ^ "Death of Mr J M Cobbett MP for Oldham". Manchester Courier and Lancashire General Advertiser. 15 February 1877.
19. ^ "The Elections". Manchester Courier and Lancashire General Advertiser. 10 July 1852.
20. ^ "The General Election". Morning Post. 30 March 1857.
21. ^ "Oldham Election". Manchester Courier and Lancashire General Advertiser. 24 June 1865.
22. ^ "Death of Mr Cobbett MP". Pall Mall Gazette. 14 February 1877.
23. ^ 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.
24. ^ "8 December 1832". Sun. p. 3. Retrieved 20 April 2020 - via British Newspaper Archive.
25. ^ "The Oldham Election". The Daily News. 3 December 1852. p. 5. Retrieved 14 June 2018 - via British Newspaper Archive.
26. ^ "Election Intelligence". Western Mail. 26 February 1877. p. 3. Retrieved 26 January 2018.
27. ^ a b "The Conservative Candidates for Oldham". Manchester Courier and Lancashire General Advertiser. 22 November 1882. p. 8. Retrieved 6 December 2017 - via British Newspaper Archive.
28. ^ a b Liberal Year Book (1889), p.217
29. ^ a b c d e f Craig, FWS, ed. (1974). British Parliamentary Election Results: 1885-1918. London: Macmillan Press. ISBN 9781349022984.
30. ^ a b The Liberal Yearbook (1917), p.316
31. ^ a b c d P. F. Clarke, Lancashire and the New Liberalism, pp. 435–436
32. ^ Manchester Guardian, 14 November 1911, p.9
33. ^ a b The Liberal Year Book (1923), p.261
34. ^ British Parliamentary Election Results 1918-1949, FWS Craig
35. ^ a b c d The Constitutional Year Book (1938), p.220
36. ^ F. W. S. Craig, British Parliamentary Election Results, 1918–1949; Political Reference Publications, Glasgow, 1949 p211
37. ^ Report of the Annual Conference of the Labour Party, 1939
38. ^ The Liberal Magazine, 1939
39. ^ "Politics Resources". Election 1945. Politics Resources. Archived from the original on 24 September 2015. Retrieved 6 January 2011.

## Sources

[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 (The 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)
* 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)

Authority control databases |

* VIAF

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