Woodstock_(UK_Parliament_constituency)
Woodstock (UK Parliament constituency)
Parliamentary constituency in the United Kingdom 1801-1918
Woodstock, sometimes called New Woodstock, was a parliamentary constituency in the United Kingdom named after the town of Woodstock in the county of Oxfordshire.
Quick Facts Oxfordshire, Mid or Woodstock Division, 1885–1918 ...
| Oxfordshire, Mid or Woodstock Division | |
|---|---|
| Former County constituency for the House of Commons | |
| 1885–1918 | |
| Seats | one |
Close
Quick Facts 1553–1885, Seats ...
| Woodstock | |
|---|---|
| Former Borough constituency for the House of Commons | |
| 1553–1885 | |
| Seats | two to 1832, then one |
| Replaced by | Banbury and Henley |
Close
The Parliamentary Borough comprised the town of Woodstock and (from 1832) the surrounding countryside and villages.[1] It elected two Members of Parliament to the House of Commons of the Parliament of England from its re-enfranchisement in 1553 until 1707, then of the Parliament of Great Britain from 1707 to 1800 and of the Parliament of the United Kingdom from 1801. Under the Great Reform Act 1832, the representation of the borough was reduced to one member.
Under the Redistribution of Seats Act 1885, the borough was abolished and was reconstituted as the Mid or Woodstock Division of Oxfordshire when the three-member Parliamentary County of Oxfordshire was divided into the three single-member constituencies of Banbury, Woodstock and Henley. It comprised the middle part of Oxfordshire, including Witney and Bicester as well as the abolished borough.
The constituency was abolished under the Representation of the People Act 1918. The western half, including Witney and Woodstock, was added to the Banbury Division and the eastern half, including Bicester, to the Henley Division.
1885–1918
- The Municipal Borough of Oxford;
- The Sessional Divisions of Bampton East, Bampton West, Ploughley, and Wooton South; and
- Part of the Sessional Division of Bullingdon.[2]
Only non-resident freeholders of the Parliamentary Borough of Oxford (which included the Municipal Borough thereof) were entitled to vote.
 |
1553–1640
More information Parliament, First member ...
| Parliament | First member | Second member |
|---|---|---|
| 1553 (Oct) | William Cooke | Sir Ralph Chamberlain[3] |
| 1554 (Apr) | Sir Ralph Chamberlain | William Johnson[3] |
| 1554 (Nov) | Anthony Restwold | George Chamberlain[3] |
| 1571 | Thomas Peniston | Martin Johnson[4] |
| 1572 | George Whiton | Martin Johnson[4] |
| 1584 | Lawrence Tanfield | Henry Unton[4] |
| 1586 | Lawrence Tanfield | Francis Stonor[4] |
| 1588 | Lawrence Tanfield | John Lee[4] |
| 1593 | Lawrence Tanfield | John Lee[4] |
| 1597 | Lawrence Tanfield | John Lee[4] |
| 1601 | Lawrence Tanfield | William Scott[4] |
| 1604 | Sir Richard Lee | Thomas Spencer |
| 1609 | Sir James Whitelocke | |
| 1614 | Sir James Whitelocke | Sir Philip Cary |
| 1621 | Sir James Whitelocke | Sir Philip Cary |
| 1624 | Sir Philip Cary | William Lenthall |
| 1625 | Sir Philip Cary | Sir Gerard Fleetwood |
| 1626 | Edward Tavernor | Sir Gerard Fleetwood |
| 1628 | Edward Tavernor | Sir Miles Fleetwood |
| 1629–1640 | No Parliaments summoned | |
Close
1640–1832
More information Year, First member ...
Close
1832–1918
More information Year, Member ...
| Year | Member | Party | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1832 | George Spencer-Churchill, Marquess of Blandford | Conservative[6] | |
| 1835 | Lord Charles Spencer-Churchill | Conservative | |
| 1837 | Henry Peyton | Conservative[6] | |
| 1838 | George Spencer-Churchill, Marquess of Blandford | Conservative[6] | |
| 1840 | Frederic Thesiger | Conservative[6] | |
| 1844 | John Spencer-Churchill, Marquess of Blandford | Conservative[6] | |
| May 1845 | John Loftus, Viscount Loftus | Conservative | |
| December 1845 | Lord Alfred Spencer-Churchill | Conservative | |
| 1847 | John Spencer-Churchill, Marquess of Blandford | Conservative | |
| 1857 | Lord Alfred Spencer-Churchill | Conservative | |
| 1865 | Henry Barnett | Conservative | |
| 1874 | Lord Randolph Churchill | Conservative | |
| 1885 | Francis William Maclean | Liberal | |
| 1886 | Liberal Unionist | ||
| 1891 | George Herbert Morrell | Conservative | |
| 1892 | Godfrey Benson | Liberal | |
| 1895 | George Herbert Morrell | Conservative | |
| 1906 | Ernest Bennett | Liberal | |
| January 1910 | Alfred Hamersley | Conservative | |
| 1918 | Constituency abolished | ||
Close
| Decades: |
Elections in the 1830s
More information Party, Candidate ...
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tory | Charles Spencer-Churchill | Unopposed | |||
| Tory | George Spencer-Churchill | Unopposed | |||
| Registered electors | c. 200 | ||||
| Tory hold | |||||
| Tory hold | |||||
Close
More information Party, Candidate ...
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tory | Charles Spencer-Churchill | 81 | 46.8 | ||
| Tory | William Murray | 74 | 42.8 | ||
| Whig | James Silk Buckingham | 12 | 6.9 | ||
| Whig | Charles Richardson | 6 | 3.5 | ||
| Majority | 62 | 35.9 | |||
| Turnout | c. 87 | c. 43.5 | |||
| Registered electors | c. 200 | ||||
| Tory hold | |||||
| Tory hold | |||||
Close
- Buckingham and Richardson each received 138 householder votes, but these were declared ineligible
More information Party, Candidate ...
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tory | George Spencer-Churchill | Unopposed | |||
| Registered electors | 317 | ||||
| Tory hold | |||||
Close
More information Party, Candidate ...
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Conservative | Charles Spencer-Churchill | Unopposed | |||
| Registered electors | 306 | ||||
| Conservative hold | |||||
Close
More information Party, Candidate ...
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Conservative | Henry Peyton | 126 | 51.9 | ||
| Whig | Charles Spencer-Churchill | 117 | 48.1 | ||
| Majority | 9 | 3.8 | |||
| Turnout | 243 | 73.6 | |||
| Registered electors | 330 | ||||
| Conservative hold | |||||
Close
Peyton resigned, causing a by-election.
More information Party, Candidate ...
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Conservative | George Spencer-Churchill | 160 | 50.8 | −1.1 | |
| Whig | Henry John Spencer-Churchill | 155 | 49.2 | +1.1 | |
| Majority | 5 | 1.6 | −2.2 | ||
| Turnout | 315 | 81.8 | +8.2 | ||
| Registered electors | 385 | ||||
| Conservative hold | Swing | −1.1 | |||
Close
Elections in the 1840s
Spencer-Churchill succeeded to the peerage, becoming 6th Duke of Marlborough and causing a by-election.
More information Party, Candidate ...
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Conservative | Frederic Thesiger | Unopposed | |||
| Conservative hold | |||||
Close
More information Party, Candidate ...
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Conservative | Frederic Thesiger | Unopposed | |||
| Registered electors | 356 | ||||
| Conservative hold | |||||
Close
Thesiger was appointed Solicitor-General for England and Wales and decided to contest Abingdon, causing a by-election.
More information Party, Candidate ...
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Conservative | John Spencer-Churchill | Unopposed | |||
| Conservative hold | |||||
Close
Spencer-Churchill resigned by accepting the office of Steward of the Chiltern Hundreds, causing a by-election.
More information Party, Candidate ...
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Conservative | John Loftus | Unopposed | |||
| Conservative hold | |||||
Close
Loftus succeeded to the peerage, becoming 3rd Marquess of Ely and causing a by-election.
More information Party, Candidate ...
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Conservative | Alfred Spencer-Churchill | Unopposed | |||
| Conservative hold | |||||
Close
More information Party, Candidate ...
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Conservative | John Spencer-Churchill | Unopposed | |||
| Registered electors | 404 | ||||
| Conservative hold | |||||
Close
Elections in the 1850s
More information Party, Candidate ...
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Conservative | John Spencer-Churchill | Unopposed | |||
| Registered electors | 347 | ||||
| Conservative hold | |||||
Close
More information Party, Candidate ...
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Conservative | John Spencer-Churchill | Unopposed | |||
| Registered electors | 336 | ||||
| Conservative hold | |||||
Close
Spencer-Churchill succeeded to the peerage, becoming 7th Duke of Marlborough and causing a by-election.
More information Party, Candidate ...
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Conservative | Alfred Spencer-Churchill | Unopposed | |||
| Conservative hold | |||||
Close
More information Party, Candidate ...
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Conservative | Alfred Spencer-Churchill | Unopposed | |||
| Registered electors | 310 | ||||
| Conservative hold | |||||
Close
Elections in the 1860s
More information Party, Candidate ...
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Conservative | Henry Barnett | 143 | 54.6 | N/A | |
| Liberal | Mitchell Henry | 119 | 45.4 | New | |
| Majority | 24 | 9.2 | N/A | ||
| Turnout | 262 | 91.6 | N/A | ||
| Registered electors | 286 | ||||
| Conservative hold | Swing | N/A | |||
Close
More information Party, Candidate ...
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Conservative | Henry Barnett | 502 | 51.1 | −3.5 | |
| Liberal | George Charles Brodrick | 481 | 48.9 | +3.5 | |
| Majority | 21 | 2.2 | −7.0 | ||
| Turnout | 983 | 87.2 | −4.4 | ||
| Registered electors | 1,127 | ||||
| Conservative hold | Swing | −3.5 | |||
Close
Elections in the 1870s
More information Party, Candidate ...
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Conservative | Randolph Churchill | 569 | 58.5 | +7.4 | |
| Liberal | George Charles Brodrick[9] | 404 | 41.5 | −7.4 | |
| Majority | 165 | 17.0 | +14.8 | ||
| Turnout | 973 | 90.8 | +3.6 | ||
| Registered electors | 1,071 | ||||
| Conservative hold | Swing | +7.4 | |||
Close
Elections in the 1880s
More information Party, Candidate ...
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Conservative | Randolph Churchill | 512 | 53.1 | −5.4 | |
| Liberal | William Hall[10] | 452 | 46.9 | +5.4 | |
| Majority | 60 | 6.2 | −10.8 | ||
| Turnout | 964 | 90.9 | +0.1 | ||
| Registered electors | 1,060 | ||||
| Conservative hold | Swing | −5.4 | |||
Close
Churchill was appointed Secretary of State for India, requiring a by-election.
More information Party, Candidate ...
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Conservative | Randolph Churchill | 532 | 56.8 | +3.7 | |
| Liberal | Corrie Grant | 405 | 43.2 | −3.7 | |
| Majority | 127 | 13.6 | +7.4 | ||
| Turnout | 937 | 86.4 | −4.5 | ||
| Registered electors | 1,084 | ||||
| Conservative hold | Swing | +3.7 | |||
Close
More information Party, Candidate ...
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Liberal | Francis William Maclean | 4,327 | 51.1 | +4.2 | |
| Conservative | Arthur Annesley | 4,138 | 48.9 | −4.2 | |
| Majority | 189 | 2.2 | N/A | ||
| Turnout | 8,465 | 84.5 | −6.4 | ||
| Registered electors | 10,012 | ||||
| Liberal gain from Conservative | Swing | +4.2 | |||
Close
More information Party, Candidate ...
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Liberal Unionist | Francis William Maclean | Unopposed | |||
| Liberal Unionist gain from Liberal | |||||
Close
Elections in the 1890s
Maclean resigned after being appointed a Master in Lunacy.
More information Party, Candidate ...
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Conservative | George Herbert Morrell | 4,448 | 54.2 | N/A | |
| Liberal | Godfrey Benson | 3,760 | 45.8 | New | |
| Majority | 688 | 8.4 | N/A | ||
| Turnout | 8,208 | 84.4 | N/A | ||
| Registered electors | 9,725 | ||||
| Conservative hold | |||||
Close
More information Party, Candidate ...
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Liberal | Godfrey Benson | 4,278 | 50.7 | N/A | |
| Conservative | George Herbert Morrell | 4,167 | 49.3 | N/A | |
| Majority | 111 | 1.4 | N/A | ||
| Turnout | 8,445 | 86.6 | N/A | ||
| Registered electors | 9,756 | ||||
| Liberal gain from Liberal Unionist | Swing | N/A | |||
Close
More information Party, Candidate ...
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Conservative | George Herbert Morrell | 4,669 | 55.5 | +6.2 | |
| Liberal | Godfrey Benson | 3,740 | 44.5 | -6.2 | |
| Majority | 929 | 11.0 | N/A | ||
| Turnout | 8,409 | 86.1 | -0.5 | ||
| Registered electors | 9,767 | ||||
| Conservative gain from Liberal | Swing | +6.2 | |||
Close
Elections in the 1900s
More information Party, Candidate ...
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Conservative | George Herbert Morrell | Unopposed | |||
| Conservative hold | |||||
Close
More information Party, Candidate ...
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Liberal | Ernest Bennett | 4,585 | 52.5 | New | |
| Conservative | George Herbert Morrell | 4,144 | 47.5 | N/A | |
| Majority | 441 | 5.0 | N/A | ||
| Turnout | 8,729 | 87.4 | N/A | ||
| Registered electors | 9,985 | ||||
| Liberal gain from Conservative | |||||
Close
Elections in the 1910s
More information Party, Candidate ...
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Conservative | Alfred Hamersley | 5,098 | 53.8 | +6.3 | |
| Liberal | Ernest Bennett | 4,378 | 46.2 | -6.3 | |
| Majority | 720 | 7.6 | 12.6 | ||
| Turnout | 9,476 | 90.0 | +2.6 | ||
| Registered electors | 10,525 | ||||
| Conservative gain from Liberal | Swing | +6.3 | |||
Close
More information Party, Candidate ...
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Conservative | Alfred Hamersley | 4,773 | 52.1 | -1.7 | |
| Liberal | Ernest Bennett | 4,381 | 47.9 | +1.7 | |
| Majority | 392 | 4.2 | -3.4 | ||
| Turnout | 9,154 | 87.0 | -3.0 | ||
| Registered electors | 10,525 | ||||
| Conservative hold | Swing | -1.7 | |||
Close
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;
- Unionist: Henderson
- Liberal:
- "H.M.S.O. Boundary Commission Report 1832, New Woodstock". www.visionofbritain.org.uk. Retrieved 12 February 2019.
- Great Britain, Incorporated Council of Law Reporting for England and Wales. The public general acts. unknown library. Proprietors of the Law Journal Reports, 1884.
- "History of Parliament". History of Parliament Trust. Retrieved 13 October 2011.
- "History of Parliament". History of Parliament Trust. Retrieved 13 October 2011.
- Herbert was also elected for Monmouthshire, which he chose to represent, and did not sit for Woodstock
- Stooks Smith, Henry (1845). The Parliaments of England, from 1st George I., to the Present Time. Vol II: Oxfordshire to Wales Inclusive. London: Simpkin, Marshall, & Co. pp. 9–12. Retrieved 10 February 2019 – via Google Books.
- Fisher, David R. "New Woodstock". The History of Parliament. Retrieved 30 April 2020.
- Craig, F. W. S., ed. (1977). British Parliamentary Election Results 1832-1885 (e-book) (1st ed.). London: Macmillan Press. pp. 340–341. ISBN 978-1-349-02349-3.
- "Advertisements & Notices". Oxford Journal. 7 February 1874. p. 3. Retrieved 23 January 2018 – via British Newspaper Archive.
- "Liberal Meeting at Kidlington". Oxford Journal. 20 March 1880. p. 7. Retrieved 15 December 2017 – via British Newspaper Archive.
- Craig, F. W. S., ed. (1974). British Parliamentary Election Results: 1885-1918. London: Macmillan Press. p. 371. ISBN 9781349022984.
- Robert Beatson, A Chronological Register of Both Houses of Parliament (London: Longman, Hurst, Res & Orme, 1807)
- D Brunton & D H Pennington, Members of the Long Parliament (London: George Allen & Unwin, 1954)
- Cobbett's Parliamentary history of England, from the Norman Conquest in 1066 to the year 1803 (London: Thomas Hansard, 1808)
- The Constitutional Year Book for 1913 (London: National Union of Conservative and Unionist Associations, 1913)
- F W S Craig, British Parliamentary Election Results 1832–1885 (2nd edition, Aldershot: Parliamentary Research Services, 1989)
- J Holladay Philbin, Parliamentary Representation 1832 – England and Wales (New Haven: Yale University Press, 1965)
- Leigh Rayment's Historical List of MPs – Constituencies beginning with "W" (part 5)