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Revision as of 08:17, 2 April 2011

Great Grimsby
Borough constituency
for the House of Commons
Outline map
Boundary of Great Grimsby in Humberside
Outline map
Location of Humberside within England
CountyLincolnshire
Electorate61,929 (December 2010)[1]
Current constituency
Created1295
Member of ParliamentAustin Mitchell (Labour)
SeatsOne
(Two until 1832)

Great Grimsby is a borough constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom, consisting of the town of Grimsby in North East Lincolnshire. It elects one Member of Parliament (MP) by the first past the post system of election. The constituency has been represented since 1295, and it elected two MPs until 1832; between 1918 and 1983 it was known simply as Grimsby.

Current and future boundaries

The present constituency follows the boundaries of the old Borough of Great Grimsby, which was abolished when the former county of Humberside was divided into four unitary authorities in 1996. From the 2010 general election new boundaries have applied, but the Boundary Commission made only minimal changes, aligning the constituency boundaries with those of North East Lincolnshire wards; the revised constituency will consist of eight wards - East Marsh, Freshney, Heneage, Park, Scartho, South, West Marsh and Yarborough. Great Grimsby remains a borough constituency.

History

Great Grimsby was established as a parliamentary borough in 1295, sending two burgesses to the Model Parliament, and has been continuously represented ever since. The original borough consisted of the town of Grimsby in Lincolnshire, a market town and seaport.

The right to vote was exercised by freemen of the town, provided they were resident and paying scot and lot; in 1831 this amounted to just under 400 voters. Freemen could be made by the town corporation and the freedom could be acquired through apprenticeship, but also by inheritance; in Great Grimsby, not only was the son of a freeman entitled to become a freeman himself, but the husband of a freeman's daughter or widow also acquired the freedom. In 1831, when the Reform Bill was being discussed in Parliament, the wives and daughters of the Great Grimsby freemen petitioned the House of Lords to retain their rights to pass on the vote to their future husbands and children.

However, their concern to retain these rights may not have been entirely rooted in their desire to help choose the borough's MPs; a vote in Great Grimsby was a valuable commodity in a more mercenary sense, and the contemporary polemicist Oldfield considered that "This borough stands second to none in the history of corruption." At the start of the 18th century it was noted that Grimsby's "freemen did enter into treaties with several gentlemen in London, for sale of the choice of burgess to such as would give the most money". In 1701, the House of Commons overturned the election of one of Great Grimsby's MPs, William Cotesworth, for bribery and sent him to the Tower of London, as well as temporarily suspending the borough's right to representation. Almost every election in Great Grimsby at this period was followed by a petition from the defeated candidates alleging bribery, although that of 1701 seems to have been the only one which was acted upon.

Great Grimsby, like most boroughs except for the very largest, recognised a "patron" who could generally exercise influence over the choice of its MPs; at the time of the Great Reform Act of 1832, this was Lord Yarborough. However, the extent of the patron's power was limited in Great Grimsby, and the voters were quite prepared (at a price) to defy his advice. The patron could strengthen his position by providing employment to the freemen, as could his rivals. Jupp quotes two letters, one of 1818 and one of 1819, in which local agents advise the Tennyson family how best to do this in Grimsby so as to encroach on Lord Yarborough's influence:

"Build upon every spot of vacant ground you are possessed of... Thus you would give employment to a great number of freemen... Let Mr Heneage's estates be divided into fields of four or six acres; and let these, together with your own estates be placed in the hands of freemen to whom they would be an object of importance. Provide, if possible, small farms for the sons of Lord Yarbro's tenants."
(George Oliver to George Tennyson, 24 November 1818, quoted in Jupp)

On a less extravagant level, it is recorded that after Charles Tennyson was first elected in 1818 he presented a bottle of wine to each of the fathers of 92 local children about to be christened.

The election of 1831 was especially notorious, the local Tories being accused of using a revenue cutter lying in the Humber to ply the Whig voters with drink and prevent them getting to the polls; the recriminations led to a famous action for libel.

In 1831, the population of the borough was 4,008, and contained 784 houses. The Boundary Act that accompanied the Reform Act enlarged the borough to include eight neighbouring parishes including Cleethorpes and Great Coates, bringing the population up to 6,413 with 1,365 houses, and increasing the electorate (once the franchise reforms were taken into account) to 656. Nevertheless, Great Grimsby lost one of its two seats. However, Grimsby's population continued to grow and, unlike most of the boroughs that lost one seat in 1832, there was never a need to deprive Grimsby of the other at a subsequent redistribution of seats.

The constituency underwent further significant boundary change in 1918 and 1950. In 1918, the outlying parishes (Bradley, Great Coates, Little Coates, Laceby, Scartho, Waltham and Weelsby) were detached to the adjoining Louth county constituency, and the parliamentary borough (which from this point was called Grimsby rather than Great Grimsby) consisted of the county borough of Grimsby and the urban district (later borough) of Cleethorpes. In 1950, Cleethorpes was moved into the Louth county division, leaving the borough once more consisting of Grimsby alone. More recent boundary changes have only been adjustments to conform to changes at local government level; the Great Grimsby name was restored in 1983.

Since the 1950 boundary changes that removed Conservative Cleethorpes from the constituency, this has usually been a safe Labour seat. The present MP, Austin Mitchell, won the seat in a 1977 by-election following the death of his predecessor, the Foreign Secretary Tony Crosland, by only 520 votes; but on the same day that Mitchell held Grimsby, Labour lost Ashfield, in the next county and apparently equally impregnable, on a 21% swing. However at the 2010 election Mitchell's majority was again reduced to three figures after a swing of over 10% to the Conservatives.

Members of Parliament

MPs 1295–1660

MPs 1660–1832

Year First member[2] First party Second member[2] Second party
1660 style="background-color: Template:/meta/color" | Edward King style="background-color: Template:/meta/color" | William Wray
1661 rowspan="5" style="background-color: Template:/meta/color" | Gervase Holles style="background-color: Template:/meta/color" | Adrian Scrope
1666 style="background-color: Template:/meta/color" | Sir Henry Belasyse
October 1667 style="background-color: Template:/meta/color" | Sir Philip Tyrwhitt
November 1667 style="background-color: Template:/meta/color" | Sir Frescheville Holles
1673 rowspan="3" style="background-color: Template:/meta/color" | William Broxholme
1675 style="background-color: Template:/meta/color" | Sir Christopher Wray
1679 style="background-color: Template:/meta/color" | George Pelham
1685 rowspan="3" style="background-color: Template:/meta/color" | Sir Edward Ayscough style="background-color: Template:/meta/color" | Sir Thomas Barnardiston
1690 style="background-color: Template:/meta/color" | John Chaplin
1695 rowspan="2" style="background-color: Template:/meta/color" | Arthur Moore M.P. (died 1730)
1699 rowspan="3" style="background-color: Template:/meta/color" | Thomas Vyner
January 1701 style="background-color: Template:/meta/color" | William Cotesworth
March 1701 Seat vacant [3]
December 1701 rowspan="5" style="background-color: Template:/meta/color" | Arthur Moore M.P. (died 1730)
1702 style="background-color: Template:/meta/color" | John Chaplin
1705 style="background-color: Template:/meta/color" | William Cotesworth
1710 style="background-color: Template:/meta/color" | Robert Vyner
1713 style="background-color: Template:/meta/color" | William Cotesworth
1715 style="background-color: Template:/meta/color" | Robert Chaplin [4] rowspan="2" style="background-color: Template:/meta/color" | Joseph Banks
1721 style="background-color: Template:/meta/color" | Arthur Moore M.P. (died 1730)
1722 style="background-color: Template:/meta/color" | Benjamin Collyer style="background-color: Template:/meta/color" | Charles Pelham
1727 style="background-color: Template:/meta/color" | John Page style="background-color: Template:/meta/color" | George Monson
1734 style="background-color: Template:/meta/color" | Sir Robert Sutton rowspan="2" style="background-color: Template:/meta/color" | Robert Knight
1741 rowspan="2" style="background-color: Template:/meta/color" | William Lock
1747 style="background-color: Template:/meta/color" | John Gore
1761 style="background-color: Template:/meta/color" | Hon. Henry Knight rowspan="4" style="background-color: Template:/meta/color" | Joseph Mellish
1762 style="background-color: Template:/meta/color" | Robert Knight, 1st Baron Luxborough [5]
1768 style="background-color: Template:/meta/color" | Colonel Anthony St Leger
1774 style="background-color: Template:/meta/color" | Francis Evelyn Anderson
1780 rowspan="2" style="background-color: Template:/meta/color" | John Harrison style="background-color: Template:/meta/color" | Francis Eyre
1784 style="background-color: Template:/meta/color" | Dudley Long [6]
1796 rowspan="3" style="background-color: Template:/meta/color" | Ayscoghe Boucherett style="background-color: Template:/meta/color" | William Mellish
1802 style="background-color: Template:/meta/color" | Colonel John Henry Loft [7]
March 1803 rowspan="2" style="background-color: Template:/meta/color" | William Mellish
July 1803 rowspan="3" style="background-color: Template:/meta/color" | Hon. Charles Anderson-Pelham
1806 style="background-color: Template:/meta/color" | Hon. George Anderson-Pelham
1807 rowspan="2" style="background-color: Template:/meta/color" | William Ellice
1808 style="background-color: Template:/meta/color" | Colonel John Henry Loft
1812 style="background-color: Template:/meta/color" | John Peter Grant style="background-color: Template:/meta/color" | Sir Robert Heron
1818 style="background-color: Template:/meta/color" | John Nicholas Fazakerley rowspan="2" style="background-color: Template:/meta/color" | Charles Tennyson
1820 style="background-color: Template:/meta/color" | William Duncombe
1826 rowspan="2" style="background-color: Template:/meta/color" | Charles Wood style="background-color: Template:/meta/color" | George Fieschi Heneage
1830 rowspan="2" style="background-color: Template:/meta/color" | George Harris
May 1831 style="background-color: Template:/meta/color" | John Villiers Shelley
August 1831 style="background-color: Template:/meta/color" | Henry Fitzroy style="background-color: Template:/meta/color" | Lord Loughborough
1832 Representation reduced to one member

MPs since 1832

Election Member[2] Party
style="background-color: Template:British Whig Party/meta/color"| 1832 William Maxfield Whig
style="background-color: Template:British Whig Party/meta/color" | 1835 Edward Heneage Whig
style="background-color: Template:Conservative Party (UK)/meta/color" | 1852 The Earl Annesley Conservative
style="background-color: Template:British Whig Party/meta/color" | 1857 Lord Worsley Whig
style="background-color: Template:Liberal Party (UK)/meta/color" | 1859 Liberal
style="background-color: Template:Conservative Party (UK)/meta/color" | 1862 by-election John Chapman Conservative
style="background-color: Template:Liberal Party (UK)/meta/color" | 1865 John Fildes Liberal
style="background-color: Template:Liberal Party (UK)/meta/color" | 1868 George Tomline Liberal
style="background-color: Template:Conservative Party (UK)/meta/color" | 1874 John Chapman Conservative
style="background-color: Template:Liberal Party (UK)/meta/color" | 1877 by-election Alfred Watkin Liberal
style="background-color: Template:Liberal Party (UK)/meta/color" | 1880 Edward Heneage Liberal
style="background-color: Template:Liberal Unionist Party/meta/color" | 1886 Liberal Unionist
style="background-color: Template:Liberal Party (UK)/meta/color" | 1892 Henri Josse Liberal
style="background-color: Template:Liberal Unionist Party/meta/color" | 1893 by-election Edward Heneage Liberal Unionist
style="background-color: Template:Liberal Party (UK)/meta/color" | 1895 Sir George Doughty Liberal
style="background-color: Template:Liberal Unionist Party (UK)/meta/color" | 1898 by-election Liberal Unionist
style="background-color: Template:Liberal Party (UK)/meta/color" | Jan 1910 Thomas Edward Wing Liberal
style="background-color: Template:Liberal Unionist Party (UK)/meta/color" | Dec 1910 Sir George Doughty Liberal Unionist
style="background-color: Template:Conservative Party (UK)/meta/color" | 1914 by-election Thomas George Tickler Conservative
style="background-color: Template:Conservative Party (UK)/meta/color" | 1922 Tom Sutcliffe Conservative
style="background-color: Template:Conservative Party (UK)/meta/color" | 1924 Sir Walter Womersley Conservative
style="background-color: Template:Labour Party (UK)/meta/color" | 1945 Kenneth Younger Labour
style="background-color: Template:Labour Party (UK)/meta/color" | 1959 Tony Crosland Labour
style="background-color: Template:Labour Party (UK)/meta/color" | 1977 by-election Austin Mitchell Labour

Elections

Elections in the 2010s

General Election 2010: Great Grimsby[8][9]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Austin Mitchell 10,777 32.7 −14.4
Conservative Victoria Ayling 10,063 30.5 +6.7
Liberal Democrats Andrew de Freitas 7,388 22.4 +3.1
UKIP Henry Hudson 2,043 6.2 +2.4
BNP Stephen Fyfe 1,517 4.6 +0.5
Independent Ernie Brown 835 2.5 N/A
People's National Democratic Party Adrian Howe 331 1.0 N/A
Majority 714 2.2 −21
Turnout 32,954 53.8 +2.1
Labour hold Swing -10.5

Elections in the 2000s

General Election 2005: Great Grimsby
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Austin Mitchell 15,512 47.1 −10.8
Conservative Giles Taylor 7,858 23.8 +0.7
Liberal Democrats Andrew de Freitas 6,356 19.3 +0.3
BNP Stephen Fyfe 1,338 4.1 N/A
UKIP Martin Grant 1,239 3.8 N/A
Green David Brooks 661 2.0 N/A
Majority 7,654 23.2
Turnout 32,964 51.7 −0.6
Labour hold Swing -5.7
General Election 2001: Great Grimsby
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Austin Mitchell 19,118 57.9 −1.9
Conservative James Cousins 7,634 23.1 +1.0
Liberal Democrats Andrew De Freitas 6,265 19.0 +0.9
Majority 11,484 34.8
Turnout 33,017 52.3 −13.8
Labour hold Swing -1.4

Elections in the 1990s

General Election 1997: Great Grimsby
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Austin Mitchell 25,765 59.8% +8.1
Conservative Dean Godson 9,521 22.1% −14.1
Liberal Democrats Andrew De Freitas 7,810 18.1% +5.3
Majority 16,244
Turnout 66.3% −9.0%
Labour hold Swing
General Election 1992: Great Grimsby[10]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Austin Mitchell 25,897 51.0 +5.5
Conservative Philip Jackson 18,391 36.2 +7.8
Liberal Democrats Mrs Pat Frankish 6,475 12.8 −13.3
Majority 7,506 14.8 −2.2
Turnout 50,763 75.3 −0.0
Labour hold Swing −1.1

Elections in the 1980s

General Election 1987: Great Grimsby
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Austin Mitchell 23,463 45.47%
Conservative C.F Robinson 14,679 28.45%
Alliance S.D Maxwell 8,387 17.12%
Majority 10,083 20.59%
Turnout 65,770 74.7%
Labour hold Swing
General Election 1983: Great Grimsby
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Austin Mitchell 18,330 36.31%
Conservative C.Hancock 17,599 34.86%
Alliance P Genney 14,552 28.83%
Majority 731 1.45%
Turnout 68,388 73.82%
Labour hold Swing

See also

Notes and references

  1. ^ "Electorate Figures - Boundary Commission for England". 2011 Electorate Figures. Boundary Commission for England. 4 March 2011. Retrieved 13 March 2011.
  2. ^ a b c Leigh Rayment's Historical List of MPs – Constituencies beginning with "G" (part 2)
  3. ^ On petition, the Commons resolved that William Cotesworth "has been notoriously guilty of bribery and other indirect practices", that he had not been duly elected and that his offences he should be committed as a prisoner to the Tower of London. They also resolved that no new writ for Great Grimsby should be issued for the remainder of the session, leaving the seat vacant
  4. ^ Expelled from the House of Commons in 1721 for his role in the South Sea Bubble
  5. ^ Created Earl of Catherlough (in the Peerage of Ireland), 1763
  6. ^ Long changed his name to North in 1789
  7. ^ On petition, which accused both Loft and Boucherett of bribery and treating, the result of the 1802 election was overturned. The committee amended the result of the voting, so that Loft who had been placed first was placed third, and declared Mellish duly elected in Loft's place.
  8. ^ Great Grimsby UKPolling
  9. ^ "UK > England > Yorkshire & the Humber > Great Grimsby". Election 2010. BBC. 7 May 2010. Retrieved 10 May 2010.
  10. ^ "Politics Resources". Election 1992. Politics Resources. 9 April 1992. Retrieved 2010-12-06.

Sources

  • Robert Beatson, A Chronological Register of Both Houses of Parliament (London: Longman, Hurst, Res & Orme, 1807) [1]
  • Cobbett's Parliamentary history of England, from the Norman Conquest in 1066 to the year 1803 (London: Thomas Hansard, 1808) [2]
  • F W S Craig, British Parliamentary Election Results 1832-1885 (2nd edition, Aldershot: Parliamentary Research Services, 1989)
  • Peter Jupp, British and Irish Elections 1784-1831 (Newton Abbott: David & Charles, 1973)
  • T H B Oldfield, The Representative History of Great Britain and Ireland (London: Baldwin, Cradock & Joy, 1816)
  • Edward Porritt and Annie G Porritt, The Unreformed House of Commons (Cambridge University Press, 1903)
  • J Holladay Philbin, Parliamentary Representation 1832 - England and Wales (New Haven: Yale University Press, 1965)
  • Robert Walcott, English Politics in the Early Eighteenth Century (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1956)
  • Frederic A Youngs, jr, Guide to the Local Administrative Units of England, Vol II (London: Royal Historical Society, 1991)

53°34′N 0°05′W / 53.56°N 0.08°W / 53.56; -0.08

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