Portsmouth (UK Parliament constituency)

The constituency first elected MPs in 1295. It was abolished at the 1918 general election, when the Representation of the People Act 1918 divided it into three new constituencies; Portsmouth North, Portsmouth South and Portsmouth Central.

According to Namier and Brooke in The House of Commons 1754–1790, the right of election was in the freemen of the borough who numbered about 100. The town was known as an Admiralty borough and at least one MP was usually an Admiral.

The Earl of Sandwich was First Lord of the Admiralty from 1771 to 1782. He imposed tighter Admiralty control over the borough. This change of policy led to an independent element of the local Council supporting challengers to the Admiralty candidates between 1774 and 1780.

When party politics re-emerged in the late 18th and early 19th centuries, Portsmouth was a predominantly Whig constituency. It only once elected a Tory Member of Parliament between 1790 and 1832.

The Reform Act 1832 considerably expanded the electorate of the borough. The freemen retained their ancient right franchise, but were outnumbered by the new occupier voters amongst the 1,295 electors registered in 1832. As a result of the expanded electorate the borough became more competitive. Contested elections became the norm rather than the exception, as they had been before the Reform Act.

Candidates with naval connections continued to be frequent in Portsmouth, after the Reform Act. The borough developed into a marginal constituency, particularly in the last half century of its existence.

The parliamentary borough of Portsmouth was (as the area remains in the 21st century) a major seaport and naval base on the south coast of England. It is situated in the county of Hampshire.

From the 1885 general election until the dissolution before the 1918 election the constituency was surrounded (on the landward side) by the Fareham seat.

The bloc vote electoral system was used in two seat elections and first past the post for single member by-elections. Each voter had up to as many votes as there were seats to be filled. Votes had to be cast by a spoken declaration, in public, at the hustings (until the secret ballot was introduced in 1872).

Note on percentage change calculations: Where there was only one candidate of a party in successive elections, for the same number of seats, change is calculated on the party percentage vote. Where there was more than one candidate, in one or both successive elections for the same number of seats, then change is calculated on the individual percentage vote.

Note on sources: The information for the election results given below is taken from Sedgwick 1715–1754, Namier and Brooke 1754–1790, Stooks Smith 1790–1832 and from Craig thereafter. Where Stooks Smith gives additional information or differs from the other sources this is indicated in a note after the result.

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1710s – 1720s – 1730s – 1740s – 1750s – 1760s – 1770s – 1780s – 1790s

General election 31 January 1715: Portsmouth (2 seats)

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Nonpartisan	Edward Ernle	Unopposed	N/A	N/A
	Nonpartisan	Charles Wager	Unopposed	N/A	N/A

• Seat vacated when Wager was appointed to an office

By-Election 7 April 1715: Portsmouth

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Nonpartisan	Charles Wager	Unopposed	N/A	N/A
	Nonpartisan hold		Swing	N/A

• Seat vacated when Wager was appointed to an office

By-Election 28 March 1718: Portsmouth

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Nonpartisan	Charles Wager	Unopposed	N/A	N/A
	Nonpartisan hold		Swing	N/A

General election 24 March 1722: Portsmouth (2 seats)

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Nonpartisan	John Norris	Unopposed	N/A	N/A
	Nonpartisan	Charles Wager	Unopposed	N/A	N/A

General election 19 August 1727: Portsmouth (2 seats)

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Nonpartisan	John Norris	Unopposed	N/A	N/A
	Nonpartisan	Charles Wager	Unopposed	N/A	N/A

General election 24 April 1734: Portsmouth (2 seats)

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Nonpartisan	Thomas Lewis	Unopposed	N/A	N/A
	Nonpartisan	Philip Cavendish	Unopposed	N/A	N/A

• Death of Lewis

By-Election 10 February 1737: Portsmouth

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Nonpartisan	Charles Stewart	Unopposed	N/A	N/A
	Nonpartisan hold		Swing	N/A

• Death of Stewart

By-Election 21 February 1741: Portsmouth

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Tory	Edward Vernon	Unopposed	N/A	N/A
	Nonpartisan hold		Swing	N/A

General election 6 May 1741: Portsmouth (2 seats)

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Nonpartisan	Philip Cavendish	60	48.78	N/A
	Nonpartisan	Martin Bladen	54	43.90	N/A
	Tory	Edward Vernon	9	7.32	N/A
Turnout			123	N/A	N/A

• Seat vacated when Cavendish was appointed to an office

By-Election 23 March 1742: Portsmouth

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Nonpartisan	Philip Cavendish	Unopposed	N/A	N/A
	Nonpartisan hold		Swing	N/A

• Death of Cavendish

By-Election 14 December 1743: Portsmouth

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Nonpartisan	Sir Charles Hardy	Unopposed	N/A	N/A
	Nonpartisan hold		Swing	N/A

• Death of Hardy

By-Election 28 December 1744: Portsmouth

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Nonpartisan	Isaac Townsend	Unopposed	N/A	N/A
	Nonpartisan hold		Swing	N/A

• Death of Bladen

By-Election 3 March 1746: Portsmouth

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Nonpartisan	Thomas Gore	Unopposed	N/A	N/A
	Nonpartisan hold		Swing	N/A

General election 1 July 1747: Portsmouth (2 seats)

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Nonpartisan	Isaac Townsend	Unopposed	N/A	N/A
	Nonpartisan	Thomas Gore	Unopposed	N/A	N/A

• Gore chose to sit for Bedford

By-Election 15 December 1747: Portsmouth

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Nonpartisan	Edward Legge	Unopposed	N/A	N/A
	Nonpartisan hold		Swing	N/A

• Election declared void on 19 December 1747 as, unknown to anyone in England on 15 December, Legge had died on 19 September 1747.

By-Election 28 December 1747: Portsmouth

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Nonpartisan	Edward Hawke	Unopposed	N/A	N/A
	Nonpartisan hold		Swing	N/A

General election 18 April 1754: Portsmouth (2 seats)

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Nonpartisan	William Rowley	Unopposed	N/A	N/A
	Nonpartisan	Edward Hawke	Unopposed	N/A	N/A

• Seat vacated when Rowley was appointed a Lord Commissioner of the Admiralty

By-Election 25 April 1757: Portsmouth

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Nonpartisan	William Rowley	Unopposed	N/A	N/A
	Nonpartisan hold		Swing	N/A

General election 31 March 1761: Portsmouth (2 seats)

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Nonpartisan	Edward Hawke	Unopposed	N/A	N/A
	Nonpartisan	Matthew Fetherstonhaugh	Unopposed	N/A	N/A

• Seat vacated when Hawke was appointed a Lord Commissioner of the Admiralty

By-Election 10 December 1766: Portsmouth

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Nonpartisan	Edward Hawke	Unopposed	N/A	N/A
	Nonpartisan hold		Swing	N/A

General election 22 March 1768: Portsmouth (2 seats)

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Nonpartisan	Edward Hawke	Unopposed	N/A	N/A
	Nonpartisan	Matthew Fetherstonhaugh	Unopposed	N/A	N/A

• Death of Fetherstonhaugh

By-Election 29 March 1774: Portsmouth

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Nonpartisan	Peter Taylor	39	61.90	N/A
	Nonpartisan	Joshua Iremonger	24	38.10	N/A
Majority			15	23.80	N/A
	Nonpartisan hold		Swing	N/A

General election 10 October 1774: Portsmouth (2 seats)

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Nonpartisan	Edward Hawke	65	47.79	N/A
	Nonpartisan	Peter Taylor	37	27.21	N/A
	Nonpartisan	Joshua Iremonger	34	25.00	N/A

• Creation of Hawke as a peer

By-Election 18 May 1776: Portsmouth

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Nonpartisan	Maurice Suckling	Unopposed	N/A	N/A
	Nonpartisan hold		Swing	N/A

• Death of Taylor

By-Election 26 November 1777: Portsmouth

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Nonpartisan	William Gordon	23	65.71	N/A
	Nonpartisan	Henry Fetherstonhaugh	12	34.29	N/A
Majority			11	31.43	N/A
	Nonpartisan hold		Swing	N/A

• Death of Suckling

By-Election 10 August 1778: Portsmouth

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Nonpartisan	Robert Monckton	Unopposed	N/A	N/A
	Nonpartisan hold		Swing	N/A

General election 9 September 1780: Portsmouth (2 seats)

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Nonpartisan	Robert Monckton	34	52.31	N/A
	Nonpartisan	William Gordon	20	30.77	N/A
	Nonpartisan	Henry Fetherstonhaugh	11	16.92	N/A

• Death of Monckton

By-Election 5 June 1782: Portsmouth

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Nonpartisan	Henry Fetherstonhaugh	Unopposed	N/A	N/A
	Nonpartisan hold		Swing	N/A

• Seat vacated on the grant of a pension, at the pleasure of the Crown, to Gordon

By-Election 28 July 1783: Portsmouth

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Whig	Thomas Erskine	Unopposed	N/A	N/A
	Whig gain from Nonpartisan		Swing	N/A

• Source for party: Stooks Smith

General election 1 April 1784: Portsmouth (2 seats)

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Nonpartisan	Henry Fetherstonhaugh	Unopposed	N/A	N/A
	Nonpartisan	William Cornwallis	Unopposed	N/A	N/A

General election 1790: Portsmouth (2 seats)

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Whig	Henry Fetherstonhaugh	Unopposed	N/A	N/A
	Whig	Thomas Erskine	Unopposed	N/A	N/A

General election 1796: Portsmouth (2 seats)

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Whig	Thomas Erskine	Unopposed	N/A	N/A
	Nonpartisan	Hugh Seymour	Unopposed	N/A	N/A

• Seymour is referred to as Hugh Seymour-Conway in the above list of members of parliament

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1800s – 1810s – 1820s – 1830s – 1840s – 1850s – 1860s – 1870s – 1880s – 1890s – 1900s – 1910s

• Death of Seymour

By-Election November 1801: Portsmouth

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Whig	John Markham	Unopposed	N/A	N/A
	Whig gain from Nonpartisan

General election 1802: Portsmouth (2 seats)

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Whig	Thomas Erskine	Unopposed	N/A	N/A
	Whig	John Markham	Unopposed	N/A	N/A

• The above list of members of parliament includes David Montagu Erskine as an MP in 1806, in succession to his father Thomas Erskine (who became Lord Chancellor and was elevated to the peerage as the 1st Baron Erskine in 1806). Stooks Smith does not record this election

General election 1806: Portsmouth (2 seats)

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Whig	John Markham	Unopposed	N/A	N/A
	Whig	Thomas Miller	Unopposed	N/A	N/A

General election 1807: Portsmouth (2 seats)

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Whig	John Markham	Unopposed	N/A	N/A
	Whig	Thomas Miller	Unopposed	N/A	N/A

General election 1812: Portsmouth (2 seats)

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Whig	John Markham	Unopposed	N/A	N/A
	Whig	Thomas Miller	Unopposed	N/A	N/A

• Death of Miller

By-Election February 1817: Portsmouth

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Whig	John Bonham-Carter	Unopposed	N/A	N/A
	Whig hold

General election 1818: Portsmouth (2 seats)

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Whig	John Bonham-Carter	Unopposed	N/A	N/A
	Tory	George Cockburn	Unopposed	N/A	N/A

General election 1820: Portsmouth (2 seats)

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Whig	John Bonham-Carter	53	48.62	N/A
	Whig	John Markham	34	31.19	N/A
	Tory	George Cockburn	22	20.18	N/A
Majority			12	11.01	N/A
Turnout			109		N/A
	Whig hold		Swing
	Tory gain from Whig		Swing

General election 1826: Portsmouth (2 seats)

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Whig	John Bonham-Carter	Unopposed	N/A	N/A
	Whig	Francis Baring	Unopposed	N/A	N/A

General election 1830: Portsmouth (2 seats)^[5][11]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Whig	John Bonham-Carter	Unopposed
	Whig	Francis Baring	Unopposed
	Whig hold
	Whig hold

• Seat vacated on the appointment of Baring as a Lord Commissioner of the Treasury

By-election, 29 November 1830: Portsmouth^[5][11]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Whig	Francis Baring	Unopposed
	Whig hold

General election 1831: Portsmouth (2 seats)^[5][11]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Whig	John Bonham-Carter	Unopposed
	Whig	Francis Baring	Unopposed
Registered electors			49
	Whig hold
	Whig hold

General election 1832: Portsmouth (2 seats)^[5][12]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Whig	John Bonham-Carter	826	46.1
	Whig	Francis Baring	707	39.5
	Radical	Charles Napier	258	14.4
Majority			449	25.1
Turnout			983	75.9
Registered electors			1,295
	Whig hold
	Whig hold

General election 1835: Portsmouth (2 seats)^[5][12]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Whig	John Bonham-Carter	643	30.5	−15.6
	Whig	Francis Baring	571	27.1	−12.4
	Conservative	Charles Rowley	557	26.4	New
	Radical	Charles Napier	335	15.9	+1.5
Majority			14	0.7	−24.4
Turnout			1,143	85.3	+9.4
Registered electors			1,340
	Whig hold		Swing	−8.2
	Whig hold		Swing	−6.6

General election 1837: Portsmouth (2 seats)^[5][12]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Whig	Francis Baring	635	28.6	−1.9
	Whig	John Bonham-Carter	630	28.4	+1.3
	Conservative	George Cockburn	518	23.3	+10.1
	Conservative	James Harris	438	19.7	+6.5
Majority			112	5.1	+4.4
Turnout			1,118	71.6	−13.7
Registered electors			1,561
	Whig hold		Swing	−5.1
	Whig hold		Swing	−3.5

Note (1837): Stooks Smith gives a registered electorate figure of 1,517; but Craig's figure is used to calculate turnout.

• Death of Carter

By-election, 26 February 1838: Portsmouth^[5][12]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Whig	George Staunton	Unopposed
	Whig hold

Note (1838): Daniel Quarrier (Conservative) was a candidate for this by-election, but retired before the poll.

• Seat vacated on the appointment of Baring as Chancellor of the Exchequer.

By-election, 30 August 1839: Portsmouth^[5][12]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Whig	Francis Baring	Unopposed
	Whig hold

General election 1841: Portsmouth (2 seats)^[12]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Whig	Francis Baring	Unopposed
	Whig	George Staunton	Unopposed
Registered electors			1,834
	Whig hold
	Whig hold

General election 1847: Portsmouth (2 seats)^[12]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Whig	Francis Baring	Unopposed
	Whig	George Staunton	Unopposed
Registered electors			2,068
	Whig hold
	Whig hold

• Seat vacated on the appointment of Baring as First Lord of the Admiralty..

By-election, 6 February 1849: Portsmouth^[12]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Whig	Francis Baring	Unopposed
	Whig hold

General election 1852: Portsmouth (2 seats)^[12]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Whig	Francis Baring	Unopposed
	Whig	Charles Monck	Unopposed
Registered electors			3,332
	Whig hold
	Whig hold

• Note (1852): Monck was a peer in the peerage of Ireland.
• Seat vacated on the appointment of Monck as a Lord Commissioner of the Treasury.

By-election, 14 March 1855: Portsmouth^[12]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Whig	Charles Monck	1,478	75.8	N/A
	Radical	Stephen Gaselee[13]	473	24.2	N/A
Majority			1,005	51.6	N/A
Turnout			1,951	56.7	N/A
Registered electors			3,439
	Whig hold		Swing	N/A

General election 1857: Portsmouth (2 seats)^[12]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	James Dalrymple-Horn-Elphinstone	1,522	33.9	New
	Whig	Francis Baring	1,496	33.3	N/A
	Whig	Charles Monck	1,476	32.8	N/A
Majority			46	1.1	N/A
Turnout			2,247 (est)	61.2 (est)	N/A
Registered electors			3,671
	Conservative gain from Whig		Swing	N/A
	Whig hold		Swing	N/A

• Note (1857): Number of voters unknown. The turnout 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 of actual turnout.

General election 1859: Portsmouth (2 seats)^[12]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	James Dalrymple-Horn-Elphinstone	1,640	27.1	+10.1
	Liberal	Francis Baring	1,574	26.0	−7.3
	Conservative	Thomas Charles Bruce	1,447	23.9	+6.9
	Liberal	Henry Keppel	1,386	22.9	−9.9
Turnout			3,024 (est)	79.1 (est)	+17.9
Registered electors			3,821
Majority			66	1.1	0.0
	Conservative hold		Swing	+9.4
Majority			127	2.1	N/A
	Liberal hold		Swing	−7.9

• Note (1859): Estimated turnout, see the 1857 note.

General election 1865: Portsmouth (2 seats)^[12]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Liberal	William Henry Stone	2,164	28.8	+2.8
	Liberal	Stephen Gaselee	2,103	28.0	+5.1
	Conservative	James Dalrymple-Horn-Elphinstone	1,677	22.4	−4.7
	Conservative	Thomas Charles Bruce	1,559	20.8	−3.1
Majority			426	5.6	+3.5
Turnout			3,752 (est)	80.3 (est)	+1.2
Registered electors			4,670
	Liberal hold		Swing	+3.4
	Liberal gain from Conservative		Swing	+4.5

• Note (1865): Estimated turnout, see the 1857 note.
• Expansion of the electorate provided for by the Reform Act 1867

General election 1868: Portsmouth (2 seats)^[12]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	James Dalrymple-Horn-Elphinstone	5,306	41.5	−1.7
	Liberal	William Henry Stone	3,785	29.6	+0.8
	Liberal	Stephen Gaselee	3,687	28.9	+0.9
Majority			1,521	11.9	N/A
Turnout			9,042 (est)	78.0 (est)	−2.3
Registered electors			11,597
	Conservative gain from Liberal		Swing	−1.7
	Liberal hold		Swing	+0.8

• Note (1868): Estimated turnout, see the 1857 note.

General election 1874: Portsmouth (2 seats)^[12]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	James Dalrymple-Horn-Elphinstone	5,927	28.2	+7.4
	Conservative	Thomas Charles Bruce	5,879	27.9	+7.1
	Liberal	William Henry Stone	4,644	22.1	−7.5
	Liberal	Sir Wyndham Portal, 1st Baronet	4,588	21.8	−7.1
Majority			1,235	5.8	−5.9
Turnout			10,519	70.5	−7.5
Registered electors			14,931
	Conservative hold		Swing	+7.4
	Conservative gain from Liberal		Swing	+7.2

• Note (1874): Estimated turnout, see the 1857 note.
• Seat vacated on the appointment of Elphinstone as a Lord Commissioner of the Treasury

By-Election 16 March 1874: Portsmouth^[12]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	James Dalrymple-Horn-Elphinstone	Unopposed
	Conservative hold

General election 1880: Portsmouth (2 seats)^[12]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	Thomas Charles Bruce	6,683	26.4	−1.5
	Conservative	Henry Drummond Wolff	6,593	26.0	−2.2
	Liberal	John Freeman Norris[14]	6,040	23.8	+1.7
	Liberal	Edmund Verney	6,023	23.8	+2.0
Majority			553	2.2	−3.6
Turnout			12,670	77.0	+6.5
Registered electors			16,463
	Conservative hold		Swing	−1.6
	Conservative hold		Swing	−2.1

• Note (1880): Estimated turnout, see the 1857 note.
• Electorate expanded by the Representation of the People Act 1884

General election 1885: Portsmouth (2 seats)^[15]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Liberal	William Crossman	8,367	26.3	+2.5
	Liberal	Philip Vanderbyl	8,214	25.8	+2.0
	Conservative	Thomas Charles Bruce	7,650	24.0	−2.4
	Conservative	Henry Drummond Wolff	7,595	23.9	−2.1
Majority			564	1.8	N/A
Turnout			16,068	79.2	+2.2
Registered electors			20,279
	Liberal gain from Conservative		Swing	+2.5
	Liberal gain from Conservative		Swing	+2.1

General election 1886: Portsmouth (2 seats)^[15]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Liberal Unionist	William Crossman	8,482	27.2	+3.2
	Conservative	Samuel Wilson	8,325	26.8	+2.9
	Liberal	Philip Vanderbyl	7,196	23.2	−2.6
	Liberal	John Baker	7,069	22.8	−3.5
Turnout			15,722	77.5	−1.7
Registered electors			20,279
Majority			1,286	4.0	N/A
	Liberal Unionist gain from Liberal		Swing	+2.9
Majority			1,256	4.0	N/A
	Conservative gain from Liberal		Swing	+3.2

General election 1892: Portsmouth (2 seats)^[15]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Liberal	John Baker	9,643	25.9	+3.1
	Liberal	Walter Clough	9,448	25.4	+2.2
	Conservative	George Henry Smith Willis	9,135	24.5	−2.3
	Liberal Unionist	Anthony Ashley	9,000	24.2	−3.0
Majority			313	0.9	N/A
Turnout			18,731	80.6	+3.1
Registered electors			23,237
	Liberal gain from Liberal Unionist		Swing	+3.1
	Liberal gain from Conservative		Swing	+2.3

General election 1895: Portsmouth (2 seats)^[15]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Liberal	John Baker	10,451	26.2	+0.3
	Liberal	Walter Clough	10,255	25.6	+0.2
	Conservative	Alfred Harmsworth	9,717	24.3	−0.2
	Liberal Unionist	Anthony Ashley	9,567	23.9	−0.3
Majority			538	1.3	+0.4
Turnout			20,129	83.7	+3.1
Registered electors			24,057
	Liberal hold		Swing	+0.3
	Liberal hold		Swing	+0.3

1900 Portsmouth by-election

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Liberal	Thomas Bramsdon	10,287	51.4	−0.4
	Conservative	James Majendie	9,708	48.6	+0.4
Majority			579	2.8	+1.5
Turnout			19,995	74.9	−8.8
Registered electors			26,698
	Liberal hold		Swing	−0.4

General election 1900: Portsmouth (2 seats)

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	James Majendie	10,818	26.1	+1.8
	Conservative	Reginald Lucas	10,383	25.1	+1.2
	Liberal	John Baker	10,214	24.6	−1.6
	Liberal	Thomas Bramsdon	10,031	24.2	−1.4
Majority			169	0.5	N/A
Turnout			21,072	78.9	−4.8
Registered electors			26,698
	Conservative gain from Liberal		Swing	+1.7
	Conservative gain from Liberal		Swing	+1.3

General election 1906: Portsmouth (2 seats)^[15]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Liberal	Thomas Bramsdon	10,500	22.6	−1.6
	Liberal	John Baker	10,236	22.0	−2.6
	Labour Repr. Cmte.	William Sanders	8,172	17.6	New
	Conservative	E.W. Hills	7,970	17.1	−9.0
	Conservative	A. Whitelaw	7,752	16.7	−8.4
	Naval	Fred T. Jane	1,859	4.0	New
Majority			2,530	5.5	N/A
Turnout			25,478	82.8	+3.9
Registered electors			30,754
	Liberal gain from Conservative		Swing	+3.7
	Liberal gain from Conservative		Swing	+2.9

General election January 1910: Portsmouth (2 seats)^[15]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	Lord Charles Beresford	16,777	28.7	+11.6
	Liberal Unionist	Bertram Falle	15,592	26.8	+10.1
	Liberal	Thomas Bramsdon	12,397	21.3	−1.3
	Liberal	Richard Lambert	9,965	17.1	−4.9
	Labour	William Sanders	3,529	6.1	−11.5
Turnout			30,100	89.4	+6.6
Registered electors			33,666
Majority			4,380	7.4	N/A
	Conservative gain from Liberal		Swing	+6.5
Majority			5,627	9.7	N/A
	Liberal Unionist gain from Liberal		Swing	+7.5

General election December 1910: Portsmouth (2 seats)^[15]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	Lord Charles Beresford	15,125	26.9	−1.8
	Liberal Unionist	Bertram Falle	14,856	26.5	−0.3
	Liberal	Edward Hemmerde	13,146	23.4	+2.1
	Liberal	Henry Harben	13,013	23.2	+4.1
Turnout			28,236	83.9	−5.5
Registered electors			33,666
Majority			1,979	3.5	−3.9
	Conservative hold		Swing	−2.0
Majority			1,843	3.3	−6.4
	Liberal Unionist hold		Swing	−2.2

1916 Portsmouth by-election^[15]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Unionist	Hedworth Meux	Unopposed
	Unionist hold