Tower Hamlets (UK Parliament constituency)

Parliamentary constituency in the United Kingdom, 1832–1885

Tower Hamlets

Former borough constituency
for the House of Commons

Form 1832-1868. Extract from 1837 result: the easternmost area in orange.

County| Middlesex
1832–1885
Seats| Two
Created from| Middlesex
Replaced by| Bow and Bromley, Limehouse, Mile End, Poplar, St George, Stepney and Whitechapel
During its existence contributed to new seat(s) of| Hackney (constituency)

Tower Hamlets was a parliamentary borough (constituency) in Middlesex, England from 1832 to 1885. It elected two Members of Parliament (MPs) to the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. It was one of the first five of its type in the metropolitan area of London. It was enfranchised by the Reform Act 1832.

In its early years the borough was coterminous with the ancient Tower Hamlets, an area which covered the area of the modern London Borough of Tower Hamlets as well as Shoreditch and Hackney (the parish rather than the larger modern borough), thus extending from the edge of the City of London to the Lea. In 1868, the borough was split in two, with the southern part retaining the name.

## Boundaries

[edit]

### Boundaries 1832–1868

[edit]

The boundaries of the parliamentary borough were defined by the Parliamentary Boundaries Act 1832 as "The several Divisions of the Liberty of the Tower, and the Tower Division of Ossulston Hundred".[1]

It comprised the following civil parishes and places:[2]

* Bethnal Green
* Bow
* Bromley
* Hackney
* Limehouse
* Poplar
* St Botolph Without Aldgate

* St George in the East
* Shoreditch
* Spitalfields
* Tower of London
* Old Tower Without
* Wapping
* Whitechapel (part)

|

### Boundaries 1868–1885

[edit]

Tower Hamlets in the Metropolitan area, showing boundaries used from 1868 to 1885.

The Representation of the People Act 1867 widened the parliamentary franchise and also effected a redistribution of seats. This, along with a rapidly increasing population in the East End, resulted in the existing entity being reduced, shedding the parishes of Bethnal Green, Hackney and Shoreditch forming a separate Hackney constituency. The reformed Tower Hamlets was defined as comprising:[3]

* The Parish of St. George's-in-the-East
* The Hamlet of Mile End Old Town
* The Poplar Union (Bow, Bromley and Poplar)
* The Stepney Union (Limehouse, Ratcliffe, Shadwell and Wapping)
* The Whitechapel Union (Holy Trinity Minories, Mile End New Town, Norton Folgate, Old Artillery Ground, St Botolph Without Aldgate, St Katherine by the Tower, Spitalfields, Whitechapel.)
* The Tower of London.[2]

### Redistribution

[edit]

In 1885 the parliamentary borough was split into seven single-member divisions. These were Bow and Bromley, Limehouse, Mile End, Poplar, St George, Stepney and Whitechapel.

## Members of Parliament

[edit]

Election | First member [4] | First party | Second member | Second party

|
|
|
|

|  | 1832 | Stephen Lushington | Whig[5][6][7] | Sir William Clay, Bt | Radical[8][9]
| 1841 | Charles Richard Fox | Whig[5][10][11]
| 1847 | George Thompson | Radical[12][13][14]
| 1852 | Charles Salisbury Butler | Radical[15]
| 1857 | Rt Hon. Acton Smee Ayrton | Radical[16][17][18]
|  | 1859 | Liberal | Liberal
| 1868 | Joseph d'Aguilar Samuda | Liberal
| 1874 | Charles Ritchie | Conservative
| 1880 | James Bryce | Liberal
| 1885 | Constituency abolished

## Elections

[edit]

Turnout, in multi-member elections, is estimated by dividing the number of votes by two. To the extent that electors did not use both their votes, the figure given will be an underestimate.

Change is calculated for individual candidates, when a party had more than one candidate in an election or the previous one. When a party had only one candidate in an election and the previous one change is calculated for the party vote.

### Elections in the 1830s

[edit]

General election 1832: Tower Hamlets[19][5] Party  | Candidate  | Votes  | %  | ±%

|
|
|
|

| Whig | Stephen Lushington | 3,978  | 31.5  | N/A
| Radical | William Clay | 3,751  | 29.7  | N/A
| Whig | Leicester Stanhope | 2,952  | 23.4  | N/A
| Whig | Frederick Marryat | 1,934  | 15.3  | N/A
Turnout | 7,320  | 73.9  | N/A
Registered electors | 9,906  |  |
Majority | 227  | 1.8  | N/A
| Whig win (new seat)
Majority | 799  | 6.3  | N/A
| Radical win (new seat)
General election 1835: Tower Hamlets[19][5] Party  | Candidate  | Votes  | %  | ±%

|
|
|
|

| Radical | William Clay | 2,779  | 47.7  | +18.0
| Whig | Stephen Lushington | 2,580  | 44.3  | −25.9
| Conservative | Ryder Burton[20] | 465  | 8.0  | New
Turnout | 2,912 (est)  | 30.8 (est)  | −43.1
Registered electors | 9,462  |  |
Majority | 199  | 3.4  | −2.9
| Radical hold | Swing | +22.0  |
Majority | 2,115  | 36.3  | +34.5
| Whig hold | Swing | −22.0  |
General election 1837: Tower Hamlets[19][5] Party  | Candidate  | Votes  | %  | ±%

|
|
|
|

| Radical | William Clay | Unopposed
| Whig | Stephen Lushington | Unopposed
Registered electors | 13,318  |  |
| Radical hold
| Whig hold

Lushington was appointed a judge of the High Court of Admiralty, requiring a by-election.

By-election, 11 February 1839: Tower Hamlets[19][5] Party  | Candidate  | Votes  | %  | ±%

|
|
|
|

| Whig | Stephen Lushington | Unopposed
| Whig hold

### Elections in the 1840s

[edit]

General election 1841: Tower Hamlets[19] Party  | Candidate  | Votes  | %  | ±%

|
|
|
|

| Radical | William Clay | 4,706  | 34.6  | N/A
| Whig | Charles Richard Fox | 4,096  | 30.1  | N/A
| Conservative | George Richard Robinson[21] | 2,183  | 16.1  | New
| Whig | Andrew Kennedy Hutchinson[22][23][24] | 1,775  | 13.1  | N/A
| Radical | Thomas Edward Perronet Thompson[25][24] | 831  | 6.1  | N/A
Turnout | 6,796 (est)  | 49.1 (est)  | N/A
Registered electors | 13,842  |  |
Majority | 610  | 4.5  | N/A
| Radical hold | Swing | N/A |
Majority | 1,913  | 14.0  | N/A
| Whig hold | Swing | N/A |

Fox was appointed Surveyor-General of the Ordnance, requiring a by-election.

By-election, 11 July 1846: Tower Hamlets[19] Party  | Candidate  | Votes  | %  | ±%

|
|
|
|

| Whig | Charles Richard Fox | Unopposed
| Whig hold
General election 1847: Tower Hamlets[19] Party  | Candidate  | Votes  | %  | ±%

|
|
|
|

| Radical | George Thompson | 6,268  | 49.2  | +43.1
| Radical | William Clay | 3,839  | 30.2  | −4.4
| Whig | Charles Richard Fox | 2,622  | 20.6  | −22.6
Majority | 3,646  | 28.6  | N/A
Turnout | 6,365 (est)  | 33.9 (est)  | −15.2
Registered electors | 18,748  |  |
| Radical hold | Swing | +27.2  |
| Radical gain from Whig | Swing | +3.5  |

### Elections in the 1850s

[edit]

General election 1852: Tower Hamlets[19] Party  | Candidate  | Votes  | %  | ±%

|
|
|
|

| Radical | William Clay | 7,728  | 32.3  | +2.1
| Radical | Charles Salisbury Butler | 7,718  | 32.3  | N/A
| Radical | George Thompson | 4,568  | 19.1  | −30.1
| Radical | Acton Smee Ayrton | 2,792  | 11.7  | N/A
| Radical | William Newton[26] | 1,095  | 4.6  | N/A
Majority | 3,150  | 13.2  | +3.6
Turnout | 11,951 (est)  | 50.8 (est)  | +16.9
Registered electors | 23,534  |  |
| Radical hold | Swing | N/A |
| Radical hold | Swing | N/A |
General election 1857: Tower Hamlets[19] Party  | Candidate  | Votes  | %  | ±%

|
|
|
|

| Radical | Acton Smee Ayrton | 7,813  | 35.9  | +24.2
| Radical | Charles Salisbury Butler | 7,297  | 33.5  | +1.2
| Radical | William Clay | 6,654  | 30.6  | −1.7
Majority | 643  | 2.9  | −10.3
Turnout | 10,882 (est)  | 38.9 (est)  | −11.9
Registered electors | 27,980  |  |
| Radical hold | Swing | N/A |
| Radical hold | Swing | N/A |
General election 1859: Tower Hamlets[19] Party  | Candidate  | Votes  | %  | ±%

|
|
|
|

| Liberal | Charles Salisbury Butler | Unopposed
| Liberal | Acton Smee Ayrton | Unopposed
Registered electors | 28,843  |  |
| Liberal hold
| Liberal hold

### Elections in the 1860s

[edit]

General election 1865: Tower Hamlets[19] Party  | Candidate  | Votes  | %  | ±%

|
|
|
|

| Liberal | Charles Salisbury Butler | Unopposed
| Liberal | Acton Smee Ayrton | Unopposed
Registered electors | 34,115  |  |
| Liberal hold
| Liberal hold
General election 1868: Tower Hamlets[19] Party  | Candidate  | Votes  | %  | ±%

|
|
|
|

| Liberal | Acton Smee Ayrton | 9,839  | 28.0  | N/A
| Liberal | Joseph d'Aguilar Samuda | 7,849  | 22.3  | N/A
| Conservative | Octavius Coope[27] | 7,446  | 21.2  | New
| Liberal | Edmond Beales[28] | 7,160  | 20.4  | N/A
| Lib-Lab | William Newton | 2,890  | 8.2  | N/A
Majority | 403  | 1.1  | N/A
Turnout | 17,592 (est)  | 54.1 (est)  | N/A
Registered electors | 32,546  |  |
| Liberal hold | Swing | N/A |
| Liberal hold | Swing | N/A |

Ayrton was appointed First Commissioner of Works and Public Buildings, requiring a by-election.

By-election, 8 November 1869: Tower Hamlets[19] Party  | Candidate  | Votes  | %  | ±%

|
|
|
|

| Liberal | Acton Smee Ayrton | Unopposed
| Liberal hold

### Elections in the 1870s

[edit]

General election 1874: Tower Hamlets[19] Party  | Candidate  | Votes  | %  | ±%

|
|
|
|

| Conservative | Charles Ritchie | 7,228  | 29.7  | +9.5
| Liberal | Joseph d'Aguilar Samuda | 5,900  | 24.2  | +1.9
| Liberal | Edmund Hay Currie  | 5,022  | 20.6  | N/A
| Liberal | Acton Smee Ayrton | 3,202  | 13.2  | −14.8
| Liberal | Frederick Maxse | 2,992  | 12.3  | N/A
Majority | 4,026  | 16.5  | N/A
Turnout | 15,786 (est)  | 47.9 (est)  | −6.2
Registered electors | 32,937  |  |
| Conservative gain from Liberal | Swing | +8.0  |
| Liberal hold | Swing | −1.4  |

### Elections in the 1880s

[edit]

General election 1880: Tower Hamlets[19] Party  | Candidate  | Votes  | %  | ±%

|
|
|
|

| Liberal | James Bryce | 12,020  | 30.6  | N/A
| Conservative | Charles Ritchie | 11,720  | 29.9  | +0.2
| Liberal | Joseph d'Aguilar Samuda | 10,384  | 26.5  | +2.3
| Lib-Lab | Benjamin Lucraft[29] | 5,103  | 13.0  | N/A
Turnout | 28,025 (est)  | 68.3 (est)  | +20.4
Registered electors | 41,042  |  |
Majority | 300  | 0.7  |
| Liberal hold | Swing | N/A |
Majority | 1,336  | 3.4  | −13.1
| Conservative hold | Swing | −1.1  |

## References

[edit]

1. ^ Parliamentary Boundaries Act 1832 (2 & 3 Will.4 c.64), Schedule O
2. ^ a b Youngs, Frederic A Jr. (1979). Guide to the Local Administrative Units of England, Vol.I: Southern England. London: Royal Historical Society. p. 749\. ISBN 0-901050-67-9.
3. ^ Representation of the People Act 1867 c.102, Schedule C
4. ^ Leigh Rayment's Historical List of MPs – Constituencies beginning with "T" (part 2)
5. ^ a b c d e f Stooks Smith, Henry. (1973) [1844–1850]. Craig, F. W. S. (ed.). The Parliaments of England (2nd ed.). Chichester: Parliamentary Research Services. p. 213. ISBN 0-900178-13-2.
6. ^ "North Northamptonshire Election". Northampton Mercury. 5 August 1837. pp. 1–2. Retrieved 24 October 2018 – via British Newspaper Archive.
7. ^ "Freeman's Journal". 2 August 1837. p. 4. Retrieved 24 October 2018 – via British Newspaper Archive.
8. ^ Hawkins, Angus (2007). "Conservative Consolation: 1835-1841". The Forgotten Prime Minister: The 14th Earl of Derby: Volume I: Ascent, 1799–1851 (Illustrated ed.). Oxford: Oxford University Press. p. 193\. ISBN 9780199204403. Retrieved 6 April 2018 – via Google Books.
9. ^ Dod, Charles Roger; Dod, Robert Phipps (1847). "Members of the House of Commons". Dod's Parliamentary Companion, Volume 15. Dod's Parliamentary Companion. p. 145. Retrieved 6 April 2018 – via Google Books.
10. ^ "Staffordshire Gazette and County Standard". 8 July 1841. pp. 1–2. Retrieved 24 October 2018 – via British Newspaper Archive.
11. ^ Vigne, Randolph (2012). Thomas Pringle: South African Pioneer, Poet & Abolitionist. Woodbridge: James Currey. p. 236\. ISBN 978-1-84701-052-0. Retrieved 24 October 2018 – via Google Books.
12. ^ Spychal, Martin (12 December 2017). "MP of the Month: George Donisthorpe Thompson (1804–1878)". The Victorian Commons. Retrieved 6 April 2018.
13. ^ Hawkins, Angus (2015). "The Dynamics of Voting". Victorian Political Culture: 'Habits of Heart and Mind' (First ed.). Oxford: Oxford University Press. p. 193\. ISBN 9780198728481. Retrieved 6 April 2018 – via Google Books.
14. ^ Bayly, C. A. (2012). "The invention of class in India". Indian Thought in the Age of Liberalism and Empire (First ed.). Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. p. 112\. ISBN 9781107013834. Retrieved 6 April 2018 – via Google Books.
15. ^ Weinstein, Benjamin (2011). Liberalism and Local Government in Early Victorian London. Boydell & Brewer. p. 91\. ISBN 9780861933129. Retrieved 20 March 2018 – via Google Books.
16. ^ Hawkins, Angus (1987). "Reform Deferred". Parliament, Party and the Art of Politics in Britain, 1855–59 (Illustrated ed.). Basingstoke: Macmillan Press. p. 83\. ISBN 9781349089253. Retrieved 6 April 2018 – via Google Books.
17. ^ Jarvis, Adrian, ed. (2016). Port and Harbour Engineering. Routledge. ISBN 9781351909914. Retrieved 6 April 2018 – via Google Books.
18. ^ Crawford, Elizabeth, ed. (1999). The Women's Suffrage Movement: A Reference Guide 1866-1928. London: UCL Press. ISBN 184142031X. Retrieved 6 April 2018 – via Google Books.
19. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o Craig, F. W. S., ed. (1977). British Parliamentary Election Results 1832-1885 (e-book) (1st ed.). London: Macmillan Press. pp. 18–19\. ISBN 978-1-349-02349-3.
20. ^ "To the Electors of the Tower Hamlets". Morning Advertiser. 5 January 1835. p. 1. Retrieved 5 September 2019 – via British Newspaper Archive.
21. ^ "Dublin Morning Register". 28 June 1841. p. 4. Retrieved 24 October 2018 – via British Newspaper Archive.
22. ^ "Electioneering Intelligence". Leeds Times. 26 June 1841. p. 3. Retrieved 24 October 2018 – via British Newspaper Archive.
23. ^ "Domestic Intelligence". Worcestershire Chronicle. 7 July 1841. p. 1. Retrieved 24 October 2018 – via British Newspaper Archive.
24. ^ a b "Election Movements". John Bull. 14 June 1841. p. 10. Retrieved 24 October 2018 – via British Newspaper Archive.
25. ^ "The Tower Hamlets". Wolverhampton Chronicle and Staffordshire Advertiser. 7 July 1841. p. 2. Retrieved 24 October 2018 – via British Newspaper Archive.
26. ^ Alastair J. Reid. "Newton, William", Oxford Dictionary of National Biography
27. ^ "The Elections". Chelmsford Chronicle. 6 November 1868. p. 3. Retrieved 20 March 2018 – via British Newspaper Archive.
28. ^ "Register". Newcastle Chronicle. 21 November 1868. p. 4. Retrieved 4 June 2023 – via British Newspaper Archive.
29. ^ "Marylebone". Daily News. 3 April 1880. p. 5. Retrieved 23 December 2017 – via British Newspaper Archive.

## 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 (Macmillan Press 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)

* v
* t
* e

Historic constituencies in London

1832|

* City of London
* Finsbury
* Greenwich
* Lambeth
* Marylebone
* Southwark
* Tower Hamlets
* Westminster

1868|

* Chelsea
* City of London
* Finsbury
* Greenwich
* Hackney
* Lambeth
* Marylebone
* Southwark
* Tower Hamlets
* Westminster

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