Barnstaple (constituency)

Barnstaple
Barnstaple
Former county constituency; for the House of Commons
	Context: 1918-1950. Extract from 1935 result: the main yellow area at north (top) Barnstaple in Devon 1885-1918
1885–1950
Seats	one
Replaced by	North Devon and Torrington
1295–1885
Seats	two
Type of constituency	County constituency

Barnstaple was a constituency centred on the town of Barnstaple in Devon, in the South West of England. It returned two Members of Parliament to the House of Commons of England until 1707, House of Commons of Great Britain until 1800 and the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom until 1885, thereafter, one.

Seatsone

Replaced byNorth Devon and Torrington

Seatstwo

Type of constituencyCounty constituency

Quick facts 1885–1950, Seats ...

Close

It was created in 1295 and abolished for the 1950 general election. Most of the area and the town falls into the North Devon seat.

Year		First member	First party	Second member	Second party
1372		Thomas Raymond
Jan. 1377		Thomas Raymond
Oct. 1377		Thomas Raymond^[1]
1385		John Grey^[2]
1386		John Bidewell		Jocelin Antony
February 1388		Thomas Norris II		William Long
September 1388		John Sampford		Roger Rede
January 1390		Thomas Norris II		Robert Crook
1391		John Aston		Robert Cobbley
1393		Richard Colecote		John Herberd
1394		Thomas Norris II		John Bidewell
1395		Thomas Norris II		John Bidewell
January 1397		Robert Napton		Thomas Holman
1399		Thomas Hoper		Walter Spencer
1402		Robert Napton		John But
1406		Thomas Holman alias Pyers		John Luttrell
1407		John Bakwell		John Hunt
1410		Alfred Wonston		John Foxley
1411		Nicholas Broomford		Alfred Wonston
May 1413		Thomas Haseley		John Broomford
November 1414		John Pyne		John Walwyn
1420		William Weldo		Walter Prideaux
May 1421		John More II		Richard Wood
December 1421		John Cokeworthy II		Sir John Trebell
1427		Sir John Trebell
1512		John Culme		John Goddisland
1515		John Goddisland		?
1529		Hugh Yeo		Anthony Bury
1542		George Rolle		?
1545		George Rolle		George Haydon
1547		Sir James Wilford died 1550 and repl. by Sir Arthur Champernowne		Bartholemew Traheron
1553 (Mar)		William Gardiner		Thomas Prideaux
1553 (Oct)		Robert Carey		Roger Worthe
1554 (Apr)		Sir John Pollard		George Ferrers
1554 (Nov)		Robert Apley		William Salusbury
1555		Robert Apley		George Stapleton
1558		Richard Skinner		William Salusbury
1558–9		Sir John Chichester		John Darte
1562–3		Arthur Bassett		Robert Apley
1571		Peter Wentworth^[3]		Robert Apley
1572		Vincent Skinner		Robert Apley
1584		John Peryam		Robert Prowse
1586		Thomas Hinson		Lewis Darte
1588		Thomas Hinson		John Doddridge
1593		George Chittinge		Richard Leye
1597		Thomas Hinson		George Peard
1601		Richard Martin^[4]		Edward Hancock
1604		Thomas Hinson		George Peard
1614		John Gostlin^[5]		John Delbridge
1621		John Delbridge		Pentecost Dodderidge
1624		John Delbridge		Pentecost Dodderidge
1625		John Delbridge		Pentecost Dodderidge
1626		Sir Alexander St John		John Delbridge
1628		Sir Alexander St John		John Delbridge
1640 April		George Peard		Thomas Matthew
1640 November		George Peard		Richard Ferris
		Peard died; Ferrers disabled
1646		Philip Skippon		John Dodderidge
1653		Not represented in Barebones Parliament
1654		John Dodderidge
1656		Sir John Coppleston
1659		Sir John Coppleston		George Walters
1660		John Rolle		Nicholas Dennys
1661		Sir John Chichester, of Raleigh
1667		Sir John Northcote
1677		John Basset
February 1679				Sir Hugh Acland	Tory
October 1679				Arthur Acland
1680				Richard Lee
1685				Sir Arthur Chichester
1689		Richard Lee		Sir Arthur Chichester
1690		Sir George Hutchins		Arthur Champneys
1695		Sir Nicholas Hooper	Tory	Arthur Champneys
1705				Samuel Rolle
1708				Richard Acland
1713				Sir Arthur Chichester
1715		John Rolle		Sir Arthur Chichester
1718				John Basset
1721				Sir Hugh Acland
1722		Lieutenant-General Thomas Whetham		Sir Hugh Acland
1727		Richard Coffin	Whig	Theophilus Fortescue	Whig
1734		Sir John Chichester	Tory
1740		John Basset
1741		John Harris		Henry Rolle
1747		Thomas Benson		Henry Rolle
1748		Thomas Benson		Sir Bourchier Wrey
1754		John Harris	Whig	George Amyand^[6]	Whig
1761		Denys Rolle		George Amyand^[6]	Whig
1766		Denys Rolle		John Clevland	Whig^[7]
1774		William Devaynes	Tory^[7]
1780		Francis Basset
1784		William Devaynes	Tory^[7]
1796		Richard Wilson	Whig^[7]
1802		William Devaynes	Tory^[7]	Captain Sir Edward Pellew	Tory^[7]
1804		William Devaynes	Tory^[7]	Viscount Ebrington	Whig^[7]
1806		William Taylor	Tory^[7]	Viscount Ebrington	Whig^[7]
1807				George Woodford Thellusson	Tory^[7]
January 1812				William Busk	Whig^[7]
October 1812		Sir Manasseh Masseh Lopes^[8]	Tory^[7]	Sir Eyre Coote	Tory^[7]
1818		Sir Manasseh Masseh Lopes^[8]	Tory^[7]	Francis Ommanney	Tory^[7]
1820		Michael Nolan	Tory^[7]
1824		Frederick Hodgson	Tory^[7]
1826		Frederick Hodgson	Tory^[7]	Henry Alexander	Tory^[7]
1830		Stephens Lyne-Stephens	Tory^[7]	George Tudor	Tory^[7]
1831		Frederick Hodgson	Tory^[7]	John Chichester	Whig^[7]^[9]^[10]
1832		Charles St John Fancourt	Tory^[7]
1834		Charles St John Fancourt	Conservative^[7]
1837		Frederick Hodgson	Conservative^[7]
1841		Frederick Hodgson	Conservative^[7]	Montague Gore	Conservative^[7]
1847		Richard Bremridge	Conservative	Hon. John Fortescue	Whig^[11]^[12]
1852^[13]		Richard Bremridge	Conservative	Sir William Fraser	Conservative
1854		John Laurie^[14]	Conservative	Richard Samuel Guinness	Conservative
1855		George Stucley	Conservative	Richard Samuel Guinness	Conservative
1857		John Laurie	Conservative	Sir William Fraser	Conservative
1859		John Ferguson Davie	Liberal	George Potts	Liberal
1863				Thomas Lloyd^[15]	Liberal
1864				Richard Bremridge	Conservative
1865		Sir George Stucley	Conservative	Thomas Cave	Liberal
1868		Charles Henry Williams	Conservative
1874		Samuel Danks Waddy	Liberal
February 1880		Newton Wallop	Liberal
April 1880		Newton Wallop	Liberal	Sir Robert Carden	Conservative
1885	Representation reduced to one member

Year		Member	Party
	1885	George Pitt-Lewis	Liberal
	1886	George Pitt-Lewis	Liberal Unionist
	1892	Alfred Billson	Liberal
	1895	Cameron Gull	Liberal Unionist
	1900	Ernest Soares	Liberal
	1911	Godfrey Baring	Liberal
	1918	Tudor Rees	Liberal
	1922	Basil Peto	Conservative
	1923	Tudor Rees	Liberal
	1924	Basil Peto	Unionist
	1935	Richard Acland	Liberal
	1942	Richard Acland	Common Wealth
	1945	Christopher Peto	Conservative
1950		constituency abolished

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Tory	Stephens Lyne-Stephens	370	39.0
	Tory	George Tudor	332	35.0
	Tory	Colin Campbell	246	25.9
Majority			86	9.1
Turnout			522
	Tory hold		Swing
	Tory hold		Swing

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Tory	Frederick Hodgson	245	37.9	*N/A*
	Whig	John Chichester	218	33.7	*New*
	Tory	George Tudor	183	28.3	−6.7
Turnout			381
Majority			27	4.2	−4.9
	Tory hold		Swing	N/A
Majority			35	5.4	N/A
	Whig gain from Tory		Swing	N/A

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Whig	John Chichester	519	42.5	+8.8
	Tory	Charles St. John Fancourt	349	28.6	−37.6
	Radical	Thomas Northmore	225	18.4	N/A
	Whig	George Hervey	129	10.6	N/A
Turnout			684	95.0
Registered electors			720
Majority			170	13.9	+8.5
	Whig hold		Swing	−5.0
Majority			124	10.1	+5.9
	Tory hold		Swing	−21.0

Barnstaple (constituency)

Boundaries

Members of Parliament

1295–1885

1885–1950

Election results

Elections in the 1830s

Elections in the 1840s

Elections in the 1850s

Elections in the 1860s

Elections in the 1870s

Elections in the 1880s

Elections in the 1890s

Elections in the 1900s

Elections in the 1910s

Elections in the 1920s

Elections in the 1930s

Elections in the 1940s

Notes

References

Related Articles

Barnstaple
Former county constituency for the House of Commons
Context: 1918-1950. Extract from 1935 result: the main yellow area at north (top) Barnstaple in Devon 1885-1918
1885–1950
Seats	one
Replaced by	North Devon and Torrington
1295–1885
Seats	two
Type of constituency	County constituency

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Whig	John Chichester	542	44.9	+2.4
	Conservative	Charles St. John Fancourt	528	43.7	+15.1
	Whig	James Stewart	134	11.1	+0.5
	Conservative	J Woolley	3	0.2	N/A
Turnout			748	94.7	−0.3
Registered electors			790
Majority			14	1.2	−12.7
	Whig hold		Swing	−2.6
Majority			394	32.6	+22.5
	Conservative hold		Swing	+6.8

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Whig	John Chichester	387	35.5	−20.5
	Conservative	Frederick Hodgson	356	32.6	−11.1
	Conservative	William Best^[17]	348	31.9	+20.8
Majority			31	2.9	+1.7
Turnout			666	83.9	−10.8
Registered electors			794
	Whig hold		Swing	−12.3
	Conservative hold		Swing	−0.4

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	Frederick Hodgson	360	25.8	−6.8
	Conservative	Montague Gore	349	25.0	−39.5
	Whig	John Fortescue	346	24.7	+7.0
	Whig	John Chichester	343	24.5	+6.8
Majority			6	0.5	N/A
Turnout			701	86.9	+3.0
Registered electors			771
	Conservative hold		Swing	−6.9
	Conservative gain from Whig		Swing	−23.2

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	Richard Bremridge	464	38.2	+13.2
	Whig	John Fortescue	396	32.6	+6.8
	Conservative	Frederick Hodgson	356	29.3	−19.9
Turnout			608 (est)	77.8 (est)	−9.1
Registered electors			781
Majority			68	5.6	+5.1
	Conservative hold		Swing	+4.9
Majority			40	3.3	N/A
	Whig gain from Conservative		Swing	+6.8

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	William Fraser	406	35.9	+6.6
	Conservative	Richard Bremridge	393	34.7	−3.5
	Whig	Hugh Fortescue^[12]	332	29.4	−3.2
Majority			74	6.5	N/A
Turnout			732 (est)	94.9 (est)	+16.1
Registered electors			771
	Conservative hold		Swing	+4.1
	Conservative gain from Whig		Swing	−1.0

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	John Laurie	333	35.4	−0.5
	Conservative	Richard Samuel Guinness	323	34.3	−0.4
	Whig	William Tite^[19]	286	30.4	+1.0
Majority			37	3.9	−2.6
Turnout			614 (est)	78.3 (est)	−16.6
Registered electors			784
	Conservative hold		Swing	−0.5
	Conservative hold		Swing	−0.5

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	George Buck	Unopposed
	Conservative hold

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	William Fraser	344	34.7	−1.2
	Conservative	John Laurie	252	25.4	−9.3
	Radical	James Taylor^[21]	180	18.2	N/A
	Peelite	George Potts^[22]	179	18.1	N/A
	Conservative	Henry Thoby Prinsep	36	3.6	N/A
Majority			72	7.3	+0.8
Turnout			496 (est)	66.8 (est)	−28.1
Registered electors			742
	Conservative hold		Swing	N/A
	Conservative hold		Swing	N/A

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Liberal	John Ferguson Davie	348	34.0	+15.8
	Liberal	George Potts	266	26.0	+7.9
	Conservative	George Stucley	210	20.5	−4.9
	Conservative	William Fraser	199	19.5	−15.2
Majority			56	5.5	N/A
Turnout			512 (est)	73.8 (est)	+7.0
Registered electors			693
	Liberal gain from Conservative		Swing	+12.9
	Liberal gain from Conservative		Swing	+9.0

General election 1865: Barnstaple ^[16]^[25]
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	George Stucley	364	28.9	+8.4
	Liberal	Thomas Cave	331	26.3	−7.7
	Conservative	Howell Gwyn	302	24.0	+4.5
	Liberal	Henry Hawkins	262	20.8	−5.2
Turnout			630 (est)	88.0 (est)	+14.2
Registered electors			715
Majority			102	8.1	N/A
	Conservative gain from Liberal		Swing	+7.4
Majority			29	2.3	−3.2
	Liberal hold		Swing	−7.1

General election 1868: Barnstaple ^[16]
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Liberal	Thomas Cave	791	35.2	+8.9
	Conservative	Charles Henry Williams	788	35.1	−17.8
	Liberal	William Herbert Evans^[26]	667	29.7	+8.9
Turnout			1,517 (est)	95.1 (est)	+7.1
Registered electors			1,596
Majority			3	0.1	−2.2
	Liberal hold		Swing	+8.9
Majority			121	5.4	+2.8
	Conservative hold		Swing	−8.9

General election 1886: Barnstaple ^[29]^[30]^[32]
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Liberal Unionist	George Pitt-Lewis	4,222	58.8	+13.9
	Liberal	Isaac Leadam	2,960	41.2	−13.9
Majority			1,262	17.6	N/A
Turnout			7,182	70.5	−11.1
Registered electors			10,189
	Liberal Unionist gain from Liberal		Swing	+13.9

General election 1906: Barnstaple ^[29]^[30]
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Liberal	Ernest Soares	6,510	59.3	+7.5
	Conservative	Edgar Horne	4,465	40.7	−7.5
Majority			2,045	18.6	+15.0
Turnout			10,975	85.0	+3.9
Registered electors			12,908
	Liberal hold		Swing	+7.5

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Liberal	Thomas Lloyd	305	51.8	−8.2
	Conservative	Richard Bremridge	284	48.2	+8.2
Majority			21	3.6	−1.9
Turnout			589	79.8	+6.0
Registered electors			738
	Liberal hold		Swing	−8.2

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Liberal	Thomas Cave	757	28.7	−6.5
	Liberal	Samuel Danks Waddy	675	25.6	−4.1
	Conservative	John Fleming	622	23.6	+6.0
	Conservative	John Holt^[27]	580	22.0	+4.4
Majority			53	2.0	N/A
Turnout			1,317 (est)	82.8 (est)	−12.3
Registered electors			1,591
	Liberal hold		Swing	−5.5
	Liberal gain from Conservative		Swing	−5.1

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Liberal	Newton Wallop	817	53.1	−1.2
	Conservative	Robert Carden	721	46.9	+1.3
Majority			96	6.2	+4.2
Turnout			1,538	93.4	+10.6 (est)
Registered electors			1,646
	Liberal hold		Swing	−1.3

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	Robert Carden	856	35.9	+12.3
	Liberal	Newton Wallop	811	34.0	+5.3
	Liberal	Henry Grenfell^[28]	720	30.2	+4.6
Majority			136	5.7	N/A
Turnout			1,194 (est)	72.5 (est)	−10.3 (est)
Registered electors			1,646
	Conservative gain from Liberal		Swing	+3.5
	Liberal hold		Swing	−0.8

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Liberal	George Pitt-Lewis	4,577	55.1	−9.1
	Conservative	Arthur Kekewich	3,734	44.9	+9.0
Majority			843	10.2	N/A
Turnout			8,311	81.6	+9.1 (est)
Registered electors			10,189
	Liberal win

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Liberal	Alfred Billson	4,383	50.9	+9.7
	Liberal Unionist	W Leedham White	4,236	49.1	−9.7
Majority			147	1.8	N/A
Turnout			8,619	82.5	+12.0
Registered electors			10,442
	Liberal gain from Liberal Unionist		Swing	+9.7

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Liberal Unionist	Cameron Gull	4,825	51.2	+2.1
	Liberal	Alfred Billson	4,593	48.8	−2.1
Majority			232	2.4	N/A
Turnout			9,418	86.5	+4.0
Registered electors			10,885
	Liberal Unionist gain from Liberal		Swing	+2.1

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Liberal	Ernest Soares	5,007	51.8	+3.0
	Liberal Unionist	Cameron Gull	4,660	48.2	−3.0
Majority			347	3.6	N/A
Turnout			9,667	81.1	−5.4
Registered electors			11,916
	Liberal gain from Liberal Unionist		Swing	+3.0

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Liberal	Ernest Soares	6,236	53.8	−5.5
	Liberal Unionist	George Borwick, 2nd Baron Borwick	5,354	46.2	+5.5
Majority			882	7.6	−11.0
Turnout			11,590	88.3	+3.3
	Liberal hold		Swing	−5.5

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Liberal	Ernest Soares	6,047	54.0	+0.2
	Liberal Unionist	Charles Sandbach Parker	5,155	46.0	−0.2
Majority			892	8.0	+0.4
Turnout			11,202	85.3	−3.0
	Liberal hold		Swing	+0.2

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Liberal	Godfrey Baring	6,239	52.0	−2.0
	Liberal Unionist	Charles Sandbach Parker	5,751	48.0	+2.0
Majority			488	4.0	−4.0
Turnout			11,990	88.2	+2.9
	Liberal hold		Swing	−2.0

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Liberal	Tudor Rees	11,281	51.4	−2.6
	Unionist	Charles Sandbach Parker	10,679	48.6	+2.6
Majority			602	2.8	−5.2
Turnout			21,960	69.1	−16.2
	Liberal hold		Swing

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Unionist	Basil Peto	13,793	50.3	+1.7
	Liberal	Tudor Rees	13,619	49.7	−1.7
Majority			174	0.6	N/A
Turnout			27,412	83.1	+14.0
	Unionist gain from Liberal		Swing	+1.7

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Liberal	Tudor Rees	14,880	50.1	+0.4
	Unionist	Basil Peto	13,614	45.8	−4.5
	Labour	Richard W. Gifford	1,225	4.1	New
Majority			1,266	4.3	N/A
Turnout			29,719	87.6	+4.5
	Liberal gain from Unionist		Swing	+2.5

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Unionist	Basil Peto	15,479	52.0	+6.2
	Liberal	Tudor Rees	14,284	48.0	−2.1
Majority			1,195	4.0	N/A
Turnout			29,763	85.9	−1.7
	Unionist gain from Liberal		Swing	+4.1

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Unionist	Basil Peto	17,382	45.9	−6.1
	Liberal	David Marshall Mason	16,593	43.9	−4.1
	Labour	Donald Evan Mullins	3,864	10.2	New
Majority			789	2.0	−2.0
Turnout			37,839
	Unionist hold		Swing	−1.0

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	Basil Peto	20,028	52.2	+6.3
	Liberal	Richard Acland	18,318	47.8	+3.9
Majority			1,710	4.4	+2.4
Turnout			38,346	86.3
	Conservative hold		Swing	+1.2

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Liberal	Richard Acland	19,432	50.6	+2.8
	Conservative	Benjamin Lampard-Vachell	18,978	49.4	−2.8
Majority			454	1.2	N/A
Turnout			38,410	83.8	−2.5
	Liberal gain from Conservative		Swing

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	Christopher Peto	17,822	42.6	−6.8
	Liberal	Mark Bonham Carter	13,752	32.9	−17.7
	Labour	Ivor Arthur Jack Williams	10,237	24.5	New
Majority			4,070	9.7	N/A
Turnout			41,811	75.8	−8.0
	Conservative gain from Liberal		Swing