Down (UK Parliament constituency)
Parliamentary constituency in the United Kingdom, 1922–1950
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County Down was a UK Parliament constituency in Ireland and later Northern Ireland. It was a two-member constituency and existed in two periods, 1801–1885 and 1922–1950.
| County Down | |
|---|---|
| Former county constituency for the House of Commons | |
| County | County |
| 1801–1885 | |
| Seats | 2 |
| Created from | County Down (IHC) |
| Replaced by | East Down, North Down, South Down and West Down |
| 1922–1950 | |
| Seats | 2 |
| Created from | East Down, Mid Down, North Down, South Down and West Down |
| Replaced by | North Down and South Down |
Boundaries
1801–1885: The whole of County Down, excluding the Boroughs of Downpatrick and Newry.
1922–1950: The Administrative county of Down, that is the whole of County Down excluding the part in the City of Belfast.
Members of Parliament
1801–1885
| Election | First member | First party | Second member | Second party | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1801 | Robert Stewart, Viscount Castlereagh | Tory | Francis Savage | |||
| 1802 | ||||||
| 1805 | Hon. John Meade | Whig[1] | ||||
| 1806 | ||||||
| 1807 | ||||||
| May 1812 | Hon. Robert Ward | |||||
| October 1812 | Robert Stewart, Viscount Castlereagh | Tory[1] | ||||
| 1817 | Lord Arthur Hill | Whig[1] | ||||
| 1818 | ||||||
| 1820 | ||||||
| 1821 | Mathew Forde | Tory | ||||
| 1826 | Frederick Stewart, Viscount Castlereagh | Tory[1] | ||||
| 1830 | ||||||
| 1831 | ||||||
| 1834 | Conservative[1] | |||||
| 1832 | ||||||
| 1835 | ||||||
| 1836 | Earl of Hillsborough | Conservative[1] | ||||
| 1837 | ||||||
| 1841 | ||||||
| 1845 | Lord Arthur Hill-Trevor | Conservative | ||||
| 1847 | ||||||
| 1852 | David Stewart Ker | Conservative | ||||
| 1857 | William Brownlow Forde | Conservative | ||||
| 1859 | ||||||
| 1865 | ||||||
| 1868 | ||||||
| 1874 | James Sharman Crawford | Liberal | ||||
| 1878 | Charles Vane-Tempest-Stewart, Viscount Castlereagh | Conservative | ||||
| 1880 | Lord Arthur Hill | Conservative | ||||
| 1884 | Richard Ker | Conservative | ||||
| 1885 | constituency abolished: see East Down, West Down, South Down and North Down | |||||
1922–1950
| Election | First member | First party | Second member | Second party | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1922 | David Reid | Ulster Unionist Party | John Simms | Ulster Unionist Party | ||
| 1931 | Viscount Castlereagh | Ulster Unionist Party | ||||
| 1939 | James Little | Ulster Unionist Party | ||||
| 1945 | Independent Unionist | Walter Smiles | Ulster Unionist Party | |||
| 1946 | C. H. Mullan | Ulster Unionist Party |
Elections
Elections in the 1940s
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| UUP | C. H. Mullan | 50,699 | 51.4 | +30.5 | |
| NI Labour | Desmond Donnelly | 28,846 | 29.3 | New | |
| Ind. Unionist | J. Hastings-Little | 16,895 | 17.1 | −23.3 | |
| Ind. Unionist | James Brown | 2,125 | 2.2 | −16.9 | |
| Majority | 21,853 | 22.1 | N/A | ||
| Turnout | 98,565 | ||||
| UUP gain from Ind. Unionist | Swing | ||||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ind. Unionist | James Little | 46,732 | 40.4 | N/A | |
| UUP | Walter Smiles | 24,148 | 20.9 | −22.6 | |
| UUP | John Blakiston Houston | 22,730 | 19.6 | −26.8 | |
| Ind. Unionist | James Brown | 22,163 | 19.1 | New | |
| Majority | 24,002 | 20.8 | N/A | ||
| Turnout | 115,773 | 39.8 | −16.9 | ||
| Ind. Unionist gain from UUP | Swing | N/A | |||
| UUP hold | Swing | ||||
Elections in the 1930s
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| UUP | James Little | Unopposed | |||
| UUP hold | |||||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| UUP | David Reid | 66,324 | 46.4 | N/A | |
| UUP | Robin Vane-Tempest-Stewart | 58,777 | 43.5 | N/A | |
| Ind. Republican | Patrick O'Hagan | 20,236 | 13.3 | New | |
| Majority | 38,541 | 30.2 | N/A | ||
| Turnout | 145,337 | 56.7 | N/A | ||
| UUP hold | Swing | N/A | |||
| UUP hold | Swing | N/A | |||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| UUP | David Reid | Unopposed | |||
| UUP | Robin Vane-Tempest-Stewart | Unopposed | |||
| UUP hold | |||||
| UUP hold | |||||
Elections in the 1920s
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| UUP | David Reid | 54,073 | 36.3 | −10.2 | |
| UUP | John Simms | 53,943 | 36.2 | −10.2 | |
| Ulster Liberal | Robert Pollock | 20,999 | 14.1 | New | |
| Ulster Liberal | David Johnston | 20,013 | 13.4 | New | |
| Majority | 32,944 | 22.1 | −17.2 | ||
| Turnout | 149,028 | 58.5 | −7.3 | ||
| UUP hold | Swing | ||||
| UUP hold | Swing | ||||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| UUP | David Reid | 58,929 | 46.5 | N/A | |
| UUP | John Simms | 58,777 | 46.4 | N/A | |
| Sinn Féin | Michael Murney | 8,941 | 7.1 | New | |
| Majority | 49,836 | 39.3 | N/A | ||
| Turnout | 117,706 | 65.8 | N/A | ||
| UUP hold | Swing | N/A | |||
| UUP hold | Swing | N/A | |||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| UUP | David Reid | Unopposed | |||
| UUP | John Simms | Unopposed | |||
| UUP hold | |||||
| UUP hold | |||||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| UUP | David Reid | Unopposed | |||
| UUP | John Simms | Unopposed | |||
| UUP win (new seat) | |||||
| UUP win (new seat) | |||||
Elections in the 1880s
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Conservative | Arthur Hill | 5,097 | 52.0 | −15.2 | |
| Liberal | John Shaw Brown | 4,696 | 48.0 | +15.3 | |
| Majority | 401 | 4.0 | +3.9 | ||
| Turnout | 9,793 | 78.9 | −7.6 | ||
| Registered electors | 12,412 | ||||
| Conservative hold | Swing | −15.3 | |||
- Caused by Hill's appointment as Comptroller of the Household.
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Conservative | Richard Ker | 4,387 | 52.3 | −14.9 | |
| Liberal | Arthur Crawford (Liberal politician) | 3,998 | 47.7 | +15.0 | |
| Majority | 389 | 4.6 | +4.5 | ||
| Turnout | 8,385 | 67.6 | −18.9 (est) | ||
| Registered electors | 12,412 | ||||
| Conservative hold | Swing | −15.0 | |||
The electorate was 12,718 in 1881.
- Caused by Vane-Tempest's succession to the peerage, becoming Marquess of Londonderry.
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Conservative | Arthur Hill | 5,873 | 34.4 | −0.2 | |
| Conservative | Charles Vane-Tempest | 5,599 | 32.8 | +0.6 | |
| Liberal | John Crawford (Liberal politician) | 5,579 | 32.7 | −0.4 | |
| Majority | 20 | 0.1 | −1.4 | ||
| Turnout | 11,452 (est) | 86.5 (est) | +4.5 | ||
| Registered electors | 13,236 | ||||
| Conservative hold | Swing | 0.0 | |||
| Conservative hold | Swing | +0.4 | |||
Blakely McCartney brought a petition against Vane-Tempest under the Parliamentary Elections Act 1868, which was tried in June by Francis Alexander FitzGerald and Charles Robert Barry. FitzGerald found no corrupt practices, while Barry found there was undue influence in favour of Vane-Tempest but not with his knowledge or consent.[3]
Elections in the 1870s
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Conservative | Charles Vane-Tempest | 6,076 | 56.4 | −10.4 | |
| Liberal | William Drennan Andrews | 4,701 | 43.6 | +10.5 | |
| Majority | 1,375 | 12.8 | N/A | ||
| Turnout | 10,777 | 84.1 | +2.1 | ||
| Registered electors | 12,814 | ||||
| Conservative gain from Liberal | Swing | −10.5 | |||
- Sharman Crawford's death caused a by-election.
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Conservative | Edwin Hill-Trevor | 5,029 | 34.6 | N/A | |
| Liberal | James Sharman Crawford | 4,814 | 33.1 | New | |
| Conservative | William Brownlow Forde | 4,683 | 32.2 | N/A | |
| Turnout | 9,670 (est) | 82.0 (est) | N/A | ||
| Registered electors | 11,797 | ||||
| Majority | 215 | 1.5 | N/A | ||
| Conservative hold | Swing | N/A | |||
| Majority | 131 | 0.9 | N/A | ||
| Liberal gain from Conservative | Swing | N/A | |||
Elections in the 1860s
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Conservative | Edwin Hill-Trevor | Unopposed | |||
| Conservative | William Brownlow Forde | Unopposed | |||
| Registered electors | 11,646 | ||||
| Conservative hold | |||||
| Conservative hold | |||||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Conservative | Edwin Hill-Trevor | Unopposed | |||
| Conservative | William Brownlow Forde | Unopposed | |||
| Registered electors | 11,435 | ||||
| Conservative hold | |||||
| Conservative hold | |||||
The electorate was 11,470 in 1862.
Elections in the 1850s
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Conservative | Edwin Hill | Unopposed | |||
| Conservative | William Brownlow Forde | Unopposed | |||
| Registered electors | 11,367 | ||||
| Conservative hold | |||||
| Conservative hold | |||||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Conservative | Edwin Hill | 5,839 | 39.1 | −0.1 | |
| Conservative | William Brownlow Forde | 5,341 | 35.8 | +1.2 | |
| Peelite | David Stewart Ker[4] | 3,735 | 25.0 | N/A | |
| Majority | 1,606 | 10.8 | +2.4 | ||
| Turnout | 9,325 (est) | 86.7 (est) | +11.9 | ||
| Registered electors | 10,759 | ||||
| Conservative hold | Swing | +0.3 | |||
| Conservative hold | Swing | +0.9 | |||
The Poll Books for part of County Down, showing how each elector voted in the 1857 general election are available in the Public Record Office of Northern Ireland under reference D/671/O/2/7-8.
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Conservative | Edwin Hill | 4,654 | 39.2 | N/A | |
| Conservative | David Stewart Ker | 4,117 | 34.6 | N/A | |
| Radical | William Sharman Crawford[6][7][8] | 3,113 | 26.2 | New | |
| Majority | 1,004 | 8.4 | N/A | ||
| Turnout | 7,499 (est) | 74.8 (est) | N/A | ||
| Registered electors | 10,028 | ||||
| Conservative hold | Swing | N/A | |||
| Conservative hold | Swing | N/A | |||
The Poll Books for part of County Down, showing how each elector voted in the 1852 general election are available in the Public Record Office of Northern Ireland under reference D/671/O/2/5-6.
Elections in the 1840s
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Conservative | Edwin Hill | Unopposed | |||
| Conservative | Frederick Stewart | Unopposed | |||
| Registered electors | 2,446 | ||||
| Conservative hold | |||||
| Conservative hold | |||||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Conservative | Edwin Hill | Unopposed | |||
| Conservative hold | |||||
- Caused by Hill's succession to the peerage, becoming 4th Marquess of Downshire
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Conservative | Arthur Hill | Unopposed | |||
| Conservative | Frederick Stewart | Unopposed | |||
| Registered electors | 2,215 | ||||
| Conservative hold | |||||
| Conservative hold | |||||
Elections in the 1830s
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Conservative | Arthur Hill | Unopposed | |||
| Conservative | Frederick Stewart | Unopposed | |||
| Registered electors | 3,525 | ||||
| Conservative hold | |||||
| Conservative gain from Whig | |||||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Conservative | Arthur Hill | Unopposed | |||
| Conservative gain from Whig | |||||
- Caused by Arthur Hill's succession as 2nd Baron Sandys
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Whig | Arthur Hill | Unopposed | |||
| Conservative | Frederick Stewart | Unopposed | |||
| Registered electors | 3,729 | ||||
| Whig hold | |||||
| Conservative hold | |||||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Whig | Arthur Hill | Unopposed | |||
| Tory | Frederick Stewart | Unopposed | |||
| Registered electors | 3,130 | ||||
| Whig hold | |||||
| Tory hold | |||||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Whig | Arthur Hill | 1,671 | 45.7 | +12.7 | |
| Tory | Frederick Stewart | 1,067 | 29.2 | −7.5 | |
| Radical | William Sharman Crawford | 917 | 25.1 | N/A | |
| Turnout | c. 1,828 | c. 91.8 | c. +12.9 | ||
| Registered electors | 1,990 | ||||
| Majority | 604 | 16.5 | +13.7 | ||
| Whig hold | Swing | +10.1 | |||
| Majority | 150 | 4.1 | +0.4 | ||
| Tory hold | Swing | −10.1 | |||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tory | Frederick Stewart | 930 | 36.7 | −12.6 | |
| Whig | Arthur Hill | 837 | 33.0 | −16.5 | |
| Whig | Mathew Forde | 766 | 30.2 | N/A | |
| Turnout | 1,570 | 78.9 | |||
| Registered electors | 1,990 | ||||
| Majority | 93 | 3.7 | −44.4 | ||
| Tory hold | Swing | ||||
| Majority | 71 | 2.8 | −45.5 | ||
| Whig hold | Swing | ||||
Elections in the 1820s
At the by-election on 15 July 1829 following Frederick Stewart's appointment as a Lord Commissioner of the Admiralty, he was re-elected unopposed.
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Whig | Arthur Hill | 667 | 49.5 | N/A | |
| Tory | Frederick Stewart | 665 | 49.3 | N/A | |
| Tory | John Stewart | 16 | 1.2 | N/A | |
| Majority | 649 | 48.1 | N/A | ||
| Turnout | 1,348 | ||||
| Whig hold | Swing | ||||
| Tory hold | Swing | ||||
At the by-election on 9 May 1821 following Robert Stewart vacating his seat, Mathew Forde was returned unopposed.
Elections in the 1810s
At the 1818 and 1820 general elections, Arthur Hill and Robert Stewart were elected unopposed.
At the by-election on 26 February 1817 following the Hon. John Meade's appointment as consul general in Spain, Arthur Hill was returned unopposed.
The electorate was approximately 15,000 in 1815.
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tory | Robert Stewart | 55 | 50.9 | N/A | |
| Nonpartisan | John Meade | 52 | 48.1 | N/A | |
| Nonpartisan | Eldred Pottinger | 13 | 12.0 | N/A | |
| Majority | 39 | 36.1 | N/A | ||
| Turnout | 118 | ||||
| Tory hold | Swing | ||||
| Nonpartisan hold | Swing | ||||
At the by-election on 30 May 1812 following Francis Savage's acceptance of the Chiltern Hundreds, Robert Ward was returned unopposed. "Castlereagh ... was not prepared to come in at that moment, and after an unsuccessful attempt to persuade Savage to reconsider his decision, he arranged for his old friend Colonel Ward to stand as a 'stopgap' until the general election".[10]
Elections in the 1800s
At the 1806 and 1807 general elections, Francis Savage and John Meade were elected unopposed.
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nonpartisan | John Meade | 1,973 | 57.1 | N/A | |
| Tory | Robert Stewart | c. 1481 | 42.9 | N/A | |
| Majority | 492 | 14.2 | N/A | ||
| Turnout | 3,454 | ||||
| Nonpartisan gain from Whig | Swing | ||||
At the creation of the Parliament of the United Kingdom in 1801, the sitting members of the Parliament of Ireland for County Down, Francis Savage and Viscount Castlereagh, continued as MPs for the county. At the 1802 general election, Savage and Castlereagh were returned unopposed.