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East Dorset (UK Parliament constituency)

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This article is about the former parliamentary constituency. For the former local government district of the same name that existed from 1974 to 2019, see East Dorset.

East Dorset
Former county constituency
for the House of Commons
1885–1950
SeatsOne
Created fromDorset, Wareham and Poole
Replaced byPoole and North Dorset

East Dorset is a former United Kingdom Parliamentary constituency. It was formally known as the Eastern Division of Dorset. It was a constituency of the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. It was represented by one Knight of the Shire.

History

Before 1885 the historic county of Dorset, in south-west England, was an undivided three-seat county constituency - see the article on the Dorset constituency. In 1885 the county was divided for Parliamentary purposes into four single-member county constituencies: this constituency, North Dorset, South Dorset and West Dorset (no borough constituencies were created in Dorset in the 1885 redistribution). Each of these divisions comprised roughly a quarter of the area of the county and returned one Member of Parliament.

In the 1918 redistribution, the four Dorset constituencies were retained, but their boundaries were redrawn. East Dorset was reduced in area to about half its former size, with the northern part of the pre-1918 seat being transferred to North Dorset and the southern part to South Dorset.

In the 1950 redistribution, this constituency disappeared. A new borough constituency of Poole was created. Wimborne Minster Urban District and the part of Wimborne and Cranborne Rural District previously in the abolished seat were transferred to the redrawn North Dorset.

Boundaries

1885–1918: The Municipal Borough of Poole, the Sessional Division of Wimborne, and part of the Sessional Division of Wareham.

1918–1950: The Municipal Borough of Poole, the Urban District of Wimborne Minster, the Rural District of Poole, and part of the Rural District of Wimborne and Cranborne.

Members of Parliament

Election Member Party Notes
1885 Pascoe Glyn Liberal Younger son of Lord Wolverton
1886 George Hawkesworth Bond Conservative Died in 1891
1891 by-election Hon. Humphrey Sturt Conservative Succeeded as 2nd Baron Alington in 1904
1900
1904 by-election Charles Henry Lyell Liberal MP for Edinburgh South from April 1910
January 1910 Hon. Frederick Guest Liberal Unseated on petition in May 1910
June 1910 by-election Henry Guest Liberal MP for Pembroke & Haverfordwest from Dec 1910
December 1910 Frederick Guest Liberal Liberal Chief Whip 1917–1921, Secretary of State for Air 1921–1922
1918 Coalition Liberal
1921 by-election
1922 Gordon Hall Caine Independent Conservative Took Conservative Whip January 1923
1923 Conservative
1929 Alec Ewart Glassey Liberal
1931 Gordon Hall Caine Conservative
1945 Mervyn Wheatley Conservative
1950 constituency abolished

Elections

Elections in the 1880s

General election 1885: East Dorset
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Pascoe Glyn 4,543 54.2
Conservative George Hawkesworth Bond 3,846 45.8
Majority 697 8.4
Turnout 8,389 86.0
Registered electors 9,758
Liberal win (new seat)
General election 1886: East Dorset
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative George Hawkesworth Bond 4,317 54.1 +8.3
Liberal Pascoe Glyn 3,662 45.9 −8.3
Majority 655 8.2 N/A
Turnout 7,979 81.8 −4.2
Registered electors 9,758
Conservative gain from Liberal Swing +8.3

Elections in the 1890s

Bond's death caused a by-election.

By-election, 27 Nov 1891: East Dorset
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Humphrey Sturt 4,421 52.0 −2.1
Liberal Pascoe Glyn 4,074 48.0 +2.1
Majority 347 4.0 −4.2
Turnout 8,495 83.5 +1.7
Registered electors 10,175
Conservative hold Swing −2.1
General election 1892: East Dorset
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Humphrey Sturt Unopposed
Conservative hold
General election 1895: East Dorset
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Humphrey Sturt Unopposed
Conservative hold

Elections in the 1900s

A.A. Allen
General election January 1900: East Dorset
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Humphrey Sturt 4,776 50.5 N/A
Liberal Arthur Acland Allen 4,680 49.5 New
Majority 96 1.0 N/A
Turnout 9,456 81.4 N/A
Registered electors 11,616
Conservative hold Swing N/A
Charles Lyell
1904 East Dorset by-election
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Charles Lyell 5,929 53.7 +4.2
Conservative Charles Van Raalte 5,109 46.3 −4.2
Majority 820 7.4 N/A
Turnout 11,038 87.0 +5.6
Registered electors 12,686
Liberal gain from Conservative Swing +4.2
General election January 1906: East Dorset
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Charles Lyell 6,104 50.1 +0.6
Conservative Charles Van Raalte 6,083 49.9 −0.6
Majority 21 0.2 N/A
Turnout 12,187 89.9 +8.5
Registered electors 13,557
Liberal gain from Conservative Swing

Elections in the 1910s

Frederick Guest
General election January 1910: East Dorset
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Frederick Guest 6,957 51.6 +1.5
Conservative John Nicholson 6,531 48.4 −1.5
Majority 426 3.2 +3.0
Turnout 13,488 91.2 +1.3
Liberal hold Swing +1.5
Henry Guest
1910 East Dorset by-election
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Henry Guest 6,967 52.2 +0.6
Conservative John Nicholson 6,375 47.8 −0.6
Majority 592 4.4 +1.2
Turnout 13,342 90.2 −1.0
Liberal hold Swing +0.6
General election December 1910: East Dorset
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Frederick Guest 6,811 52.1 +0.5
Conservative Maurice George Carr Glyn 6,266 47.9 −0.5
Majority 545 4.2 +1.0
Turnout 13,077 88.4 −1.8
Liberal hold Swing
By-election, 1911
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Frederick Guest Unopposed
Liberal hold

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 from 1914 and by the end of this year, the following candidates had been selected;

General election 1918: East Dorset
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
C Liberal Frederick Guest 11,944 73.4 +21.3
Labour Alfred Smith 4,321 26.6 New
Majority 7,623 46.8 +42.6
Turnout 16,265 54.2 −34.2
Registered electors 29,988
Liberal hold Swing
C indicates candidate endorsed by the coalition government.

Elections in the 1920s

By-election, 1921
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
C Liberal Frederick Guest Unopposed
Liberal hold
C indicates candidate endorsed by the coalition government.
General election 1922: East Dorset
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Ind. Unionist Gordon Hall Caine 12,513 49.1 New
Labour Frederick Jesse Hopkins 6,914 27.1 +0.5
National Liberal Frederick Guest 6,062 23.8 −49.6
Majority 5,599 22.0 N/A
Turnout 25,489 80.2 +26.0
Registered electors 31,797
Ind. Unionist gain from National Liberal Swing
General election 1923: East Dorset
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Unionist Gordon Hall Caine 12,480 48.5 −0.6
Liberal Richard Evan Williams Kirby 7,535 29.2 +5.4
Labour Frederick Jesse Hopkins 5,760 22.3 −4.8
Majority 4,945 19.3 −−2.7
Turnout 25,775 78.5 −1.7
Registered electors 32,828
Unionist hold Swing −3.0
General election 1924: East Dorset
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Unionist Gordon Hall Caine 14,479 52.6 +4.1
Liberal Alec Glassey 8,828 32.1 +2.9
Labour Edward Joseph Stocker 4,205 15.3 −7.0
Majority 5,651 20.5 +1.2
Turnout 27,512 80.3 +1.8
Registered electors 34,249
Unionist hold Swing +0.6
General election 1929: East Dorset
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Alec Glassey 17,810 42.2 +10.1
Unionist Gordon Hall Caine 17,533 41.6 −11.0
Labour Edward Joseph Stocker 6,819 16.2 +0.9
Majority 277 0.6 N/A
Turnout 42,162 81.5 +1.2
Registered electors 51,756
Liberal gain from Unionist Swing +10.6

Elections in the 1930s

General election 1931: East Dorset
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Gordon Hall Caine 20,711 44.5 +2.9
National Liberal Alec Glassey 18,801 40.4 −1.8
Labour Edward Joseph Stocker 7,009 15.1 −1.1
Majority 1,910 4.1 N/A
Turnout 46,521 82.6 +1.1
Conservative gain from National Liberal Swing
General election 1935: East Dorset
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Gordon Hall Caine 25,520 53.5 +9.0
Liberal Frank Raffety 11,349 23.8 N/A
Labour Edward Joseph Stocker 10,822 22.7 +7.6
Majority 14,171 29.7 +25.6
Turnout 47,691 74.4 −8.2
Conservative hold Swing

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;

General election 1945: East Dorset
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Mervyn Wheatley 26,561 43.8 −9.7
Labour Charles Fletcher-Cooke 25,093 41.4 +18.7
Liberal John Arthur Hugh Mander 8,975 14.8 −9.0
Majority 1,468 2.4 −27.3
Turnout 60,629 75.0 +0.6
Conservative hold Swing

See also

References

  1. British parliamentary election results 1885-1918 by Craig
  2. British parliamentary election results 1885-1918 by Craig
  3. British parliamentary election results 1885-1918 by Craig
  4. British parliamentary election results 1885-1918 by Craig
  5. British parliamentary election results 1885-1918 by Craig
  6. British parliamentary election results 1885-1918 by Craig
  7. British parliamentary election results 1885-1918 by Craig
  8. British parliamentary election results 1885-1918 by Craig
  9. Craig, F. W. S. (1974). British parliamentary election results 1885-1918 (1 ed.). London: Macmillan.
  10. Craig, F. W. S. (1974). British parliamentary election results 1885-1918 (1 ed.). London: Macmillan.
  11. Craig, F. W. S. (1974). British parliamentary election results 1885-1918 (1 ed.). London: Macmillan.
  12. Craig, F. W. S. (1974). British parliamentary election results 1885-1918 (1 ed.). London: Macmillan.
  • Leigh Rayment's Historical List of MPs – Constituencies beginning with "D" (part 2)
  • 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)
  • British Parliamentary Election Results 1885-1918, compiled and edited by F.W.S. Craig (Macmillan Press 1974)
  • British Parliamentary Election Results 1918-1949, compiled and edited by F.W.S. Craig (Macmillan Press, revised edition 1977)
  • Who's Who of British Members of Parliament, Volume II 1886-1918, edited by M. Stenton and S. Lees (Harvester Press 1978)
  • Who's Who of British Members of Parliament, Volume III 1919-1945, edited by M. Stenton and S. Lees (Harvester Press 1979)
  • Who's Who of British Members of Parliament, Volume IV 1945-1979, edited by M. Stenton and S. Lees (Harvester Press 1981)
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