Knutsford (UK Parliament constituency)

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Knutsford
Former County constituency
for the House of Commons
Outline map
Boundary of Knutsford in Cheshire, boundaries 1974–83
CountyCheshire
1885–1983
Seatsone
Created fromMid Cheshire
Replaced byTatton, Altrincham & Sale, Congleton and Davyhulme[1]

Knutsford was a county constituency in Cheshire which returned one Member of Parliament (MP) to the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom from 1885 until it was abolished for the 1983 general election.

History[edit]

Knutsford was first created as one of eight single-member divisions of Cheshire under the Redistribution of Seats Act 1885.

It was abolished following the reorganisation of local authorities in 1974 by the Third Periodic Review of Westminster constituencies for the 1983 general election, when it was divided primarily between Altrincham and Sale and the new constituencies of Congleton and Tatton.

Boundaries[edit]

1885–1918: The Sessional Division of Bucklow, parts of the Sessional Divisions of Daresbury, Prestbury, Leftwich, Northwich, and Stockport, and the part of the Borough of Warrington in the county of Cheshire.[2]

The seat was centred around the town of Knutsford and stretched from Daresbury to the west, Disley to the east, and Holmes Chapel to the south.

1918–1945: The Urban Districts of Alderley Edge, Bollington, Hazel Grove and Bramhall, Knutsford, and Wilmslow, and parts of the Rural Districts of Bucklow, Congleton, Macclesfield, Northwich, and Runcorn.[3]

Gained Hazel Grove from Hyde and Bramhall from Altrincham.  Lost eastern fringe, including Disley, to Macclesfield.

1945–1950: The County Boroughs of Stockport (part) and Warrington (part)1, the Urban Districts of Alderley Edge (part), Bollington, Hazel Grove and Bramhall, Knutsford, Marple (part)1 and Wilmslow, and parts of the Rural Districts of Bucklow, Congleton, Macclesfield, Northwich, Runcorn and Warrington1.[3]

1Trivial parts of electorate.

As part of an interim review of abnormally large constituencies (those exceeding an electorate of 100,000) in time for the 1945 election, the definition of the constituency's boundaries was altered to reflect changes in local authority boundaries. The only non-trivial adjustment to the electorate was to include the area comprising the former Urban District of Handforth, which had been absorbed into the Urban District of Wilmslow, transferred from the abolished Altrincham constituency.

1950–1955: The Urban Districts of Alderley Edge, Alsager, Bowdon, Hale, Knutsford, Sandbach and Wilmslow, and the Rural Districts of Bucklow and Congleton.[3]

Major realignment of boundaries, losing eastern and western parts, whilst being extended to the north and south:

  • Bollington and the part of the Rural District of Macclesfield, including Poynton, transferred to the constituency of Macclesfield;
  • Hazel Grove and Bramhall included in the new constituency of Cheadle;
  • Offerton (now part of the County Borough of Stockport) included in the new constituency of Stockport South;
  • the parts of the Rural Districts of Northwich and Runcorn transferred to the respective constituencies of the same name;
  • Alsager transferred from Crewe and Sandbach from Northwich, along with the parts of the Rural District of Congleton in both constituencies; and
  • Bowdon, Hale and remaining parts of the Rural District of Bucklow transferred from the abolished constituency of Bucklow.

1955–1974: The Urban Districts of Alderley Edge, Bowdon, Hale, Knutsford, and Wilmslow, and the Rural Districts of Bucklow and Congleton.[3]

Alsager and Sandbach transferred to Crewe.

1974–1983: The Urban Districts of Bowdon, Hale, and Knutsford, and the Rural Districts of Bucklow and Congleton.[3]

Alderley Edge transferred to Macclesfield and Wilmslow to Cheadle.

From 1 April 1974 until the constituency was abolished at the next boundary review which came into effect for the 1983 general election, the constituency comprised parts of the newly formed Boroughs of Congleton, Macclesfield and Vale Royal in Cheshire, the City of Manchester (parish of Ringway) and the Borough of Trafford in Greater Manchester (Bowdon, Hale and the parishes of Carrington, Dunham Massey, Partington and Warburton), but its boundaries were unchanged.

On abolition, the constituency was broken up as follows:

  • Bowdon and Hale, Dunham Massey and Warburton to Altrincham and Sale;
  • Carrington and Warburton to the new constituency of Davyhulme;
  • Ringway to Manchester Wythenshawe;
  • southern parts, comprising the former Rural District of Congleton to the new constituency of Congleton; and
  • remaining parts, including Knutsford and surrounding rural areas to the new constituency of Tatton.

Members of Parliament[edit]

Election Member[4] Party Notes
1885 Alan Egerton Conservative
1906 Alfred John King Liberal
Jan 1910 Alan Sykes Conservative
1922 Ernest Makins Conservative
1945 Walter Bromley-Davenport Conservative
1970 John Davies Conservative Resigned November 1978
1979 by-election Jock Bruce-Gardyne Conservative
1983 constituency abolished

Elections[edit]

Elections in the 1880s[edit]

Alan Egerton
General election 1885: Knutsford [5]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Alan Egerton 4,663 57.7
Liberal John Barlow 3,419 42.3
Majority 1,244 15.4
Turnout 8,082 86.8
Registered electors 9,314
Conservative win (new seat)
General election 1886: Knutsford [5]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Alan Egerton Unopposed
Conservative hold

Elections in the 1890s[edit]

General election 1892: Knutsford [5]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Alan Egerton 4,754 63.0 N/A
Liberal Alexander Mere Latham 2,792 37.0 New
Majority 1,962 26.0 N/A
Turnout 7,546 80.7 N/A
Registered electors 9,348
Conservative hold Swing N/A
General election 1895: Knutsford [5]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Alan Egerton Unopposed
Conservative hold

Elections in the 1900s[edit]

General election 1900: Knutsford [5]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Alan Egerton Unopposed
Conservative hold
Alfred John King
General election 1906: Knutsford [5]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Alfred King 5,296 53.5 New
Conservative Alan Egerton 4,596 46.5 N/A
Majority 700 7.0 N/A
Turnout 9,892 88.8 N/A
Registered electors 11,141
Liberal gain from Conservative Swing N/A

Elections in the 1910s[edit]

General election January 1910: Knutsford [5]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Alan Sykes 6,199 54.9 +8.4
Liberal Alfred King 5,084 45.1 -8.4
Majority 1,115 9.8 N/A
Turnout 11,283 92.9 +4.1
Conservative gain from Liberal Swing
General election December 1910: Knutsford [5]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Alan Sykes 6,127 56.8 +1.9
Liberal J.H. Whitworth 4,658 43.2 -1.9
Majority 1,469 13.6 +3.8
Turnout 10,785 88.8 -4.1
Conservative hold Swing +1.9

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;

General election 1918: Knutsford[6]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
C Unionist Alan Sykes Unopposed
Unionist hold
C indicates candidate endorsed by the coalition government.

Elections in the 1920s[edit]

General election 1922: Knutsford[6]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Unionist Ernest Makins 15,650 57.9 N/A
Liberal Percy Butlin 11,388 42.1 New
Majority 4,262 15.8 N/A
Turnout 27,038 77.2 N/A
Unionist hold Swing N/A
General election 1923: Knutsford[6]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Unionist Ernest Makins 13,838 50.1 -7.8
Liberal Arthur Stanley 13,758 49.9 +7.8
Majority 80 0.2 -15.6
Turnout 27,596 76.8 -1.4
Unionist hold Swing -7.8
General election 1924: Knutsford[6]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Unionist Ernest Makins 18,199 60.5 +10.4
Liberal John Paul McDougall 11,885 39.5 -10.4
Majority 6,314 21.0 +20.8
Turnout 30,084 80.9 +4.1
Unionist hold Swing +10.4
General election 1929: Knutsford[6]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Unionist Ernest Makins 22,605 53.5 -7.0
Liberal Arthur Jalland 19,629 46.5 +7.0
Majority 2,976 7.0 -14.0
Turnout 42,234 80.5 -0.4
Unionist hold Swing -7.0

Elections in the 1930s[edit]

General election 1931: Knutsford
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Ernest Makins Unopposed
Conservative hold
General election 1935: Knutsford
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Ernest Makins 30,252 63.7 N/A
Liberal Harold Heathcote-Williams 17,253 36.3 New
Majority 12,999 27.4 N/A
Turnout 47,505 76.3 N/A
Conservative hold Swing N/A

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 and by the Autumn of 1939, the following candidates had been selected;

Elections in the 1940s[edit]

General election 1945: Knutsford[6]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Walter Bromley-Davenport 33,056 56.2 -7.5
Labour Frederick Lockwood Tyler 14,416 24.5 New
Liberal Lawrence Lauderdale Maitland 10,703 18.2 -18.1
Common Wealth Frank William Young 628 1.1 New
Majority 18,640 31.7 +4.3
Turnout 58,175 77.1 +0.8
Conservative hold Swing

Elections in the 1950s[edit]

General election 1950: Knutsford[8]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Walter Bromley-Davenport 29,707 59.17
Labour Cyril Hamnett 12,794 25.48
Liberal Lawrence Lauderdale Maitland 7,703 15.34
Majority 16,913 33.69
Turnout 50,204
Conservative hold Swing
General election 1951: Knutsford[8]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Walter Bromley-Davenport 34,114 69.97
Labour Cyril Hamnett 14,640 30.03
Majority 19,474 39.94
Turnout
Conservative hold Swing
General election 1955: Knutsford[8]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Walter Bromley-Davenport 29,074 75.20
Labour Cyril Hamnett 9,588 24.80
Majority 19,486 50.40
Turnout 38,662
Conservative hold Swing
General election 1959: Knutsford[8]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Walter Bromley-Davenport 27,270 62.9 -12.3
Liberal Frank Tetlow 8,117 18.8 New
Labour Norman Selwyn 7,945 18.3 -6.5
Majority 19,153 44.1 -6.3
Turnout 43,332 81.8
Conservative hold Swing

Elections in the 1960s[edit]

General election 1964: Knutsford[8]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Walter Bromley-Davenport 26,826 53.4 -9.5
Liberal Michael J Hunkin 12,499 24.9 +6.1
Labour David Dollimore 10,882 21.7 +3.4
Majority 14,327 28.5 -15.6
Turnout 50,207 80.34 [9] -1.5
Conservative hold Swing -7.8
General election 1966: Knutsford[8]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Walter Bromley-Davenport 26,550 51.5 -1.9
Liberal Geoff Tordoff 12,839 24.9 0.0
Labour Keith J Hill 12,174 23.6 +1.9
Majority 13,711 26.6 -1.9
Turnout 51,563 79.1 -1.2
Conservative hold Swing -1.0

Elections in the 1970s[edit]

General election 1970: Knutsford[8]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative John Davies 33,194 59.82
Labour Andrew Bennett 11,612 20.93
Liberal Geoff Tordoff 10,684 19.25
Majority 21,582 38.89
Turnout 55,490 74.75
Conservative hold Swing
General election February 1974: Knutsford[10]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative John Davies 23,632 52.50
Liberal Brian M. Lomax 12,542 27.86
Labour Barry W. McColgan 8,840 19.64
Majority 11,090 24.64
Turnout 45,014
Conservative hold Swing
General election October 1974: Knutsford
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative John Davies 21,636 51.02
Liberal Brian M. Lomax 11,210 26.43
Labour D.L. Swain 9,565 22.55
Majority 10,426 24.59
Turnout 42,411 76.8
Conservative hold Swing
1979 Knutsford by-election
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Jock Bruce-Gardyne 22,086 67.13 +16.11
Liberal Robert Ingham 5,206 15.82 −10.61
Labour Alan G Barton 5,124 15.57 -6.98
Ind. Conservative Michael Byrne 486 1.48 New
Majority 16,880 51.31 +26.72
Turnout 32,902
Conservative hold Swing +13.4
General election 1979: Knutsford[10]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Jock Bruce-Gardyne 26,795 59.58 +8.56
Labour Alan G Barton 8,992 19.99 -2.56
Liberal Robert Ingham 8,499 18.90 -7.53
Ind. Conservative J Brown 690 1.53 N/A
Majority 17,803 39.59 +15.00
Turnout 44,976
Conservative hold Swing

See also[edit]

References[edit]

  1. ^ "'Knutsford', Feb 1974 – May 1983". ElectionWeb Project. Cognitive Computing Limited. Archived from the original on 3 April 2016. Retrieved 23 March 2016.
  2. ^ Great Britain, Incorporated Council of Law Reporting for England and Wales. The public general acts. unknown library. Proprietors of the Law Journal Reports, 1884.
  3. ^ a b c d e Craig, Fred W. S. (1972). Boundaries of parliamentary constituencies 1885–1972. Chichester: Political Reference Publications. ISBN 0-900178-09-4. OCLC 539011. Archived from the original on 3 April 2022. Retrieved 2 January 2021.
  4. ^ Leigh Rayment's Historical List of MPs – Constituencies beginning with "K" (part 2)
  5. ^ a b c d e f g h British parliamentary election results, 1885–1918 (Craig)
  6. ^ a b c d e f British Parliamentary Election Results 1918–1949, F W S Craig
  7. ^ The Liberal Magazine, 1939
  8. ^ a b c d e f g British parliamentary election results, 1950–1973 by FWS Craig
  9. ^ "UK General Election results October 1964, part 12". Richard Kimber's Politics Resources. Archived from the original on 11 November 2017. Retrieved 9 October 2017.
  10. ^ a b British parliamentary election results, 1974–1983 by FWS Craig
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