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Sudbury (constituency)

Parliamentary constituency in the United Kingdom, 1801-1844 & 1885–1950 From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Sudbury was a parliamentary constituency which was represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom.

Quick facts 1559–1844, Seats ...
Sudbury
Former borough constituency
for the House of Commons
1559–1844
Seatstwo
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Seatsone
Created fromWestern Division of Suffolk
Replaced bySudbury and Woodbridge
Quick facts 1885–1950, Seats ...
Sudbury
Former county constituency
for the House of Commons
1885–1950
Seatsone
Created fromWestern Division of Suffolk
Replaced bySudbury and Woodbridge
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History

Quick facts Long title, Citation ...
Sudbury Disfranchisement Act 1843
Act of Parliament
coat of arms
Parliament of Great Britain
Long titleAn Act to indemnify Witnesses who may give Evidence before the Lords Spiritual and Temporal on a Bill to exclude the Borough of Sudbury from sending Burgesses to serve in Parliament.
Citation6 & 7 Vict. c. 11
Dates
Royal assent11 April 1843
Other legislation
Repealed by
Status: Repealed
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A parliamentary borough consisting of the town of Sudbury in Suffolk, the constituency elected two Members of Parliament (MPs) by the bloc vote system of election to the House of Commons of England from 1559 to 1707, then to the House of Commons of Great Britain from 1707 to 1800, and to the House of Commons of the United Kingdom from 1801 until it was disenfranchised for corruption in 1844, after which it was absorbed into the Western Division of Suffolk. It was probably enfranchised through lobbying from Ambrose Cave the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster who had interests in the area and could influence the choice of MPs.[1] Sudbury had in the 18th century been seen as a particularly expensive seat[2] but not under the influence of any patron[3] and in the 1761 general election Horace Walpole the cousin of the outgoing MP, Thomas Walpole, had claimed that Sudbury had openly advertised itself for sale[4] with the new MP, John Henniker having to spend £5,500 from the Duke of Newcastle's funds.[5] but not under the influence of any patron[3] The Sudbury election of 1835, which Charles Dickens reported for the Morning Chronicle, is thought by many experts to be the inspiration for the famous Eatanswill election in his novel Pickwick Papers.[6]

The seat was re-established as one of five single-member county divisions of the Parliamentary County of Suffolk by the Redistribution of Seats Act 1885 for the 1885 general election, electing one MP by the first past the post voting system. It was abolished for the 1950 general election.

Boundaries and boundary changes

1885–1918

  • The part of the Municipal Borough of Sudbury in the county of Suffolk;
  • The Sessional Divisions of Boxford, Cosford, Melford, and Risbridge; and
  • Parts of the Sessional Divisions of Newmarket, and Thingoe and Thedwestry.[7]

The county division was formed from part of the abolished Western Division and included the towns of Sudbury, Hadleigh and Haverhill.

1918–1950

  • The Municipal Borough of Sudbury;
  • The Urban Districts of Glemsford, Hadleigh, and Haverhill;
  • The Rural Districts of Clare, Cosford, and Melford; and
  • Parts of the Rural Districts of Moulton and Thingoe.[8]

Marginal changes to boundaries.

On abolition, western and northern parts, including Haverhill, transferred to Bury St Edmunds.  Central, southern and western parts, including Sudbury and Hadleigh, formed part of the new county constituency of Sudbury and Woodbridge.

Members of Parliament

MPs 1559–1640

More information Parliament, First member ...
ParliamentFirst memberSecond member
1559Clement ThrockmortonHenry Fortescue[1]
1563John HeighamThomas Andrews[1]
1571John HuntJohn Gurdon[1]
1572Richard EdenMartin Cole[1]
1584Edward WaldegraveHenry Blagge[1]
1586Henry BlaggeGeoffrey Rusham[1]
1588Thomas EdenThomas Jermyn[1]
1593William FortescueDudley Fortescue[1]
1597George WaldegraveJohn Clapham[1]
1601Philip GawdyEdward Glascock[1]
1604–1611Sir Thomas BeckinghamThomas Eden, jnr
1614Robert CraneHenry Binge
1621Edward OsborneBrampton Gurdon
1624Robert CraneSir William Pooley
1625Sir Nathaniel BarnardistonRobert Crane
1626Sir Nathaniel BarnardistonThomas Smith
1628Sir Robert CraneSir William Pooley
1629–1640No Parliaments summoned
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MPs 1640–1844

More information Year, First member ...
YearFirst memberFirst partySecond memberSecond party
April 1640 Sir Robert CraneParliamentarian Richard Pepys
November 1640 (Sir) Simonds d'Ewes[9]Parliamentarian
February 1643 Crane died – seat left vacant
1645 Brampton GurdonParliamentarian
December 1648 D'Ewes ceased sitting after Pride's Purge
1653 Sudbury was unrepresented in the Barebones Parliament
1654 John Fothergill Sudbury had only one seat in the First and
Second Parliaments of the Protectorate
1656
January 1659 Samuel Hassel
May 1659 Not represented in the restored Rump
April 1660 John Gurdon Parliamentarian Joseph Brand
1661 Thomas Waldegrave Isaac Appleton
1662 Sir Robert Cordell Whig
1677 Sir Gervase Elwes Whig
February 1679 Gervase Elwes
September 1679 Sir Gervase Elwes Whig
1685 Sir John Cordell Tory Sir George Wenyeve Tory
1689 Sir John Poley Tory[10] Philip Gurdon Whig[10]
February 1690 John Robinson Whig[11]
October 1690 Sir Thomas Barnardiston Whig
1698 Samuel Kekewich
1699 John Gurdon Tory[11]
1700 Sir Gervase Elwes Whig
January 1701 Sir John Cordell Tory[11]
December 1701 Joseph Haskin Stiles Whig[11]
1703 George Dashwood Tory[11]
1705 Philip Skippon Whig[11]
1706 Sir Hervey Elwes Whig
1710 John Mead Tory[11] Lieutenant-General Robert Echlin Tory[11]
1713 Sir Hervey Elwes Whig
1715 Thomas Western
1722 John Knight Whig Colonel William Windham
1727 Carteret Leathes
January 1734 Richard Jackson
April 1734 Richard Price Edward Stephenson
1741 Thomas Fonnereau Carteret Leathes
1747 Richard Rigby Whig
1754 Thomas Walpole
1761 John Henniker
1768 (Sir) Patrick Blake[12] (Sir) Walden Hanmer[13]
1774 [14] Thomas Fonnereau Philip Champion Crespigny Whig
1775 Sir Patrick Blake, Bt Sir Walden Hanmer
1780 Philip Champion Crespigny[15] Whig
1781 Sir James Marriott
1784 William Smith Whig John Langston
1790 John Hippisley Whig Thomas Champion Crespigny
1796 William Smith Whig Sir James Marriott
1802 Sir John Hippisley Whig[16] John Pytches Whig[16]
1807 Emanuel Felix Agar Tory[16]
1812 Charles Wyatt Tory[16]
1818 William Heygate Tory[16] John Broadhurst Whig[16]
1820 Charles Augustus Tulk Whig[16]
1826 John Wilks Whig[16] Bethel Walrond Whig[16]
1828 John Norman Macleod Tory[16]
1830 Sir John Walsh Tory[16]
1831 Digby Cayley Wrangham Tory[16]
1832 Michael Angelo Taylor Whig[16]
Jul. 1834 Sir Edward Barnes[17] Tory[16]
Dec. 1834 Conservative[16] Conservative[16]
1835 John Bagshaw Whig[18][19][20][21][16] Benjamin Smith Whig[16]
July 1837 Sir James Hamilton Conservative[16] Sir Edward Barnes Conservative[16]
December 1837 Joseph Bailey Conservative[16]
1838 Sir John Walsh Conservative[16]
1840 George Tomline Conservative[16]
1841[22] Frederick Villiers Meynell Whig[16][23] David Ochterlony Dyce Sombre Whig[16][23]
29 July 1844 Constituency disfranchised for corruption and incorporated into Western Suffolk
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MPs 1885–1950

More information Election, Member ...
ElectionMemberParty
1885 Sir William Quilter Liberal
1886 Sir William Quilter Liberal Unionist
1906 William Heaton-Armstrong Liberal
1910 (January) Sir Cuthbert Quilter Conservative
1918 Stephen Howard Coalition Liberal
Jan 1922 National Liberal
Nov 1922 Herbert Mercer Conservative
1923 Frederick Loverseed Liberal
1924 Henry Walter Burton Conservative
1945 Roland Hamilton Labour
1950 constituency abolished
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Elections

Elections in the 1830s

More information Party, Candidate ...
General election 1830: Sudbury[16][24]
Party Candidate Votes %
Whig Bethel Walrond Unopposed
Tory John Walsh Unopposed
Whig hold
Tory gain from Whig
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More information Party, Candidate ...
General election 1831: Sudbury[16][24]
Party Candidate Votes %
Tory John Walsh 544 46.0
Tory Digby Cayley Wrangham 400 33.8
Whig William Windham 239 20.2
Majority 161 13.6
Turnout 656 c. 65.6
Registered electors c. 1,000
Tory hold
Tory gain from Whig
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More information Party, Candidate ...
General election 1832: Sudbury[16][25]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Whig Michael Angelo Taylor 263 33.0 +22.9
Tory John Walsh 253 31.8 −14.2
Tory Digby Cayley Wrangham 234 29.4 −4.4
Whig John Bagshaw 46 5.8 −4.3
Turnout 474 93.1 c. +27.5
Registered electors 509
Majority 29 3.6 N/A
Whig gain from Tory Swing +16.1
Majority 19 2.4 −11.2
Tory hold Swing −12.8
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Taylor's death caused a by-election.

More information Party, Candidate ...
By-election, 25 July 1834: Sudbury[16][25]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Tory Edward Barnes 264 50.1 −11.1
Whig John Bagshaw 263 49.9 +11.1
Majority 1 0.2 −2.2
Turnout 527 96.3 +3.2
Registered electors 547
Tory gain from Whig Swing −11.1
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  • Both candidates received the same number of votes, but the mayor's vote was added in favour of Barnes
More information Party, Candidate ...
General election 1835: Sudbury[16][25]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Whig John Bagshaw 285 28.4 −4.6
Whig Benjamin Smith 251 25.0 +19.2
Conservative Edward Barnes 241 24.0 −7.8
Conservative Stephens Lyne-Stephens 227 22.6 −6.8
Majority 10 1.0 −2.6
Turnout 527 95.1 +2.0
Registered electors 554
Whig hold Swing +1.4
Whig gain from Conservative Swing +13.3
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More information Party, Candidate ...
General election 1837: Sudbury[16][25]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Edward Barnes 372 42.1 +18.1
Conservative Sir James Hamilton, 2nd Baronet, of Woodbrook 342 38.7 +16.1
Whig William Abel Smith 151 17.1 −11.3
Whig Sir Thomas Edward Michell Turton, 2nd Baronet 19 2.1 −22.9
Majority 191 21.6 N/A
Turnout 502 83.8 −11.3
Registered electors 599
Conservative gain from Whig Swing +17.6
Conservative gain from Whig Swing +16.6
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Hamilton's resignation caused a by-election.

More information Party, Candidate ...
By-election, 12 December 1837: Sudbury[16][25]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Joseph Bailey 303 54.3 −26.5
Whig James Morrison 255 45.7 +26.5
Majority 48 8.6 −13.0
Turnout 558 92.7 +8.9
Registered electors 602
Conservative hold Swing −26.5
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Barnes' death caused a by-election.

More information Party, Candidate ...
By-election, 27 March 1838: Sudbury[16][25]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative John Walsh 293 52.4 −28.4
Whig John Bagshaw 266 47.6 +28.4
Majority 27 4.8 −16.8
Turnout 559 92.9 +9.1
Registered electors 602
Conservative hold Swing −28.4
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Elections in the 1840s

Walsh resigned by accepting the office of Steward of the Chiltern Hundreds in order to contest a by-election at Radnorshire, which caused a by-election in Sudbury.

More information Party, Candidate ...
By-election, 5 June 1840: Sudbury[25][16]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative George Tomline Unopposed
Conservative hold
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More information Party, Candidate ...
General election 1841: Sudbury[25][16]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Whig Frederick Villiers Meynell 284 25.5 +8.4
Whig David Ochterlony Dyce Sombre 281 25.2 +23.1
Conservative David Jones 274 24.6 −17.5
Conservative Charles Taylor 274 24.6 −14.1
Majority 7 0.6 N/A
Turnout 557 92.4 +8.6
Registered electors 603
Whig gain from Conservative Swing +12.1
Whig gain from Conservative Swing +19.5
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After an election petition was lodged, a Royal Commission found proof of extensive bribery and the writ was suspended in 1844. The constituency was absorbed into West Suffolk.

Elections in the 1880s

More information Party, Candidate ...
General election 1885: Sudbury[26]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Cuthbert Quilter 4,913 58.7
Conservative Thomas Weller Poley [27] 3,461 41.3
Majority 1,452 17.4
Turnout 8,374 79.6
Registered electors 10,522
Liberal win (new seat)
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More information Party, Candidate ...
General election 1886: Sudbury[26]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Unionist Cuthbert Quilter Unopposed
Liberal Unionist gain from Liberal
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Elections in the 1890s

More information Party, Candidate ...
General election 1892: Sudbury[26]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Unionist Cuthbert Quilter 5,111 63.8 N/A
Liberal Arthur Graeme Ogilvie 2,905 36.2 New
Majority 2,206 27.6 N/A
Turnout 8,016 75.4 N/A
Registered electors 10,638
Liberal Unionist hold Swing N/A
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More information Party, Candidate ...
General election 1895: Sudbury[26]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Unionist Cuthbert Quilter Unopposed
Liberal Unionist hold
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Elections in the 1900s

More information Party, Candidate ...
General election 1900: Sudbury[26]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Unionist Cuthbert Quilter Unopposed
Liberal Unionist hold
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Heaton-Armstrong
More information Party, Candidate ...
General election 1906: Sudbury[26]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal William Heaton-Armstrong 4,201 50.8 New
Liberal Unionist Cuthbert Quilter 4,065 49.2 N/A
Majority 136 1.6 N/A
Turnout 8,266 81.7 N/A
Registered electors 10,121
Liberal gain from Liberal Unionist Swing N/A
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Elections in the 1910s

Hirst
More information Party, Candidate ...
General election January 1910: Sudbury[26]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Cuthbert Quilter 5,026 55.9 +6.7
Liberal Francis Hirst 3,958 44.1 −6.7
Majority 1,068 11.8 N/A
Turnout 8,984 89.5 +7.8
Registered electors 10,036
Conservative gain from Liberal Swing +6.7
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More information Party, Candidate ...
General election December 1910: Sudbury[26]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Cuthbert Quilter Unopposed
Conservative hold
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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 July 1914, the following candidates had been selected;

Howard
More information Party, Candidate ...
General election 1918: Sudbury[29]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
National Liberal Stephen Howard 6,656 52.1 New
C Unionist Richard George Proby 5,746 44.9 N/A
Labour Joseph Rouse Hicks* 390 3.0 New
Majority 910 7.2 N/A
Turnout 12,792 48.4 N/A
National Liberal gain from Unionist Swing N/A
C indicates candidate endorsed by the coalition government.
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* some records describe Hicks as an 'Agriculture' candidate

Elections in the 1920s

More information Party, Candidate ...
General election 1922: Sudbury[29]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Unionist Herbert Mercer 7,298 47.0 +2.1
National Liberal Stephen Howard 5,410 34.9 −17.2
Liberal Ernest William Tanner 2,813 18.1 New
Majority 1,888 12.1 N/A
Turnout 15,521 59.3 +10.9
Unionist gain from National Liberal Swing
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More information Party, Candidate ...
General election 1923: Sudbury[29]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Frederick Loverseed 8,813 52.0 * −1.0
Unionist Herbert Mercer 8,148 48.0 +1.0
Majority 665 4.0 N/A
Turnout 16,961 63.8 +4.5
Liberal gain from Unionist Swing -1.0
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* compared to combined 1922 Liberal vote.

More information Party, Candidate ...
General election 1924: Sudbury[29]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Unionist Henry Burton 10,579 53.6 +5.6
Liberal Frederick Loverseed 9,168 46.4 −5.6
Majority 1,411 7.2 N/A
Turnout 19,747 73.3 +9.5
Unionist gain from Liberal Swing +5.6
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More information Party, Candidate ...
General election 1929: Sudbury[29]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Unionist Henry Burton 9,715 40.2 −13.4
Liberal Alan Sainsbury 8,309 34.4 −12.0
Labour W. Jack Shingfield 6,147 25.4 New
Majority 1,406 5.8 −1.4
Turnout 24,171 75.9 +2.6
Unionist hold Swing -0.7
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Elections in the 1930s

More information Party, Candidate ...
General election 1931: Sudbury[29]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Henry Burton 13,500 55.3 +15.1
Liberal Alan Sainsbury 10,929 44.7 +10.3
Majority 2,571 10.6 +4.8
Turnout 24,429 76.7 +0.8
Conservative hold Swing +2.4
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More information Party, Candidate ...
General election 1935: Sudbury[29]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Henry Burton 11,700 49.3 −6.0
Liberal Alan Sainsbury 8,344 35.2 −9.5
Labour Horace Denton 3,670 15.5 New
Majority 3,356 14.1 +3.5
Turnout 23,714 74.4 −2.3
Conservative hold Swing +1.7
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Elections in the 1940s

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 from 1939 and by the end of this year, the following candidates had been selected;

More information Party, Candidate ...
General election 1945: Sudbury[29]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Roland Hamilton 9,906 40.3 +24.8
Conservative Henry Burton 9,659 39.2 −10.1
Liberal Margaret Hitchcock 5,045 20.5 −14.7
Majority 247 1.1 N/A
Turnout 24,610 69.5 −4.9
Labour gain from Conservative Swing
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