Jump to content

South Devon (UK Parliament constituency)

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

South Devon
County constituency
for the House of Commons
Map of constituency
Boundary of South Devon in South West England
CountyDevon
Electorate71,691 (2023)[1]
Major settlementsTotnes, Salcombe, Brixham and Dartmouth
Current constituency
Created2024
Member of ParliamentCaroline Voaden (Liberal Democrats)
SeatsOne
Created fromTotnes
1832–1885
SeatsTwo
Type of constituencyCounty constituency
Created fromDevon
Replaced byTotnes
Tavistock

South Devon, formerly known as the Southern Division of Devon, is a parliamentary constituency in the county of Devon in England. From 1832 to 1885 it returned two Knights of the Shire to the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom, elected by the bloc vote system.

Further to the completion of the 2023 Periodic Review of Westminster constituencies, the seat was re-established for the 2024 general election, where it effectively replaced the abolished Totnes constituency with minor boundary changes.[2]

Boundaries

[edit]
Context of 1832-1868. Extract from 1837 result: the largest blue area.

In 1832 the county of Devon, in south western England, was divided for Parliamentary purposes between this constituency and North Devon. In 1868 the Devon county constituencies were re-arranged into North, South and East Devon divisions. Each of these divisions returned two members of Parliament.

In 1885 the three constituencies were again redrawn, so that Devon was represented by eight single member County constituencies (there were also three borough constituencies, two of which returned two members and the third one member). The county was split between the new smaller constituencies of Ashburton (alternatively the Mid Division), Barnstaple (the North-Western Division), Honiton (the Eastern Division), South Molton (the Northern Division), Tavistock (the Western Division), Tiverton (the North-Eastern Division), Torquay and Totnes (the Southern Division). The constituencies in this redistribution are normally referred to by the distinctive place name rather than the alternative compass point designation, so the South Devon division is considered to have been abolished in 1885.

1832–1868: The Hundreds of Axminster, Clyston, Colyton, Ottery St. Mary, East Budleigh, Lifton, Exminster, Teignbridge, Haytor, Coleridge, Stanborough, Ermington, Plympton, Roborough, and Tavistock, and Exeter Castle, and the parts of the hundred of Wonford that are not included in the city of Exeter.[3]

1868–1885: The Hundreds of Black Torrington, Ermington, Lifton, Plympton, Roborough, Stanborough and Coleridge, and Tavistock.[4]

2024-present: The re-established constituency is composed of the following (as they existed on 1 December 2020):

  • The District of South Hams wards of: Allington & Strete; Blackawton & Stoke Fleming; Charterlands; Dartington & Staverton; Dartmouth & East Dart; Kingsbridge; Loddiswell & Aveton Gifford; Marldon & Littlehempston; Salcombe & Thurlestone; South Brent; Stokenham; Totnes; West Dart.
  • The Borough of Torbay wards of: Churston with Galmpton; Collaton St. Mary; Furzeham with Summercombe; King’s Ash; St. Peter’s with St. Mary’s.[5]

It is formed from the former seat of Totnes, with only minor changes to its boundaries.

Members of Parliament

[edit]

1832–1885

[edit]
Election First member First party Second member Second party
1832 Lord John Russell Whig[6][7] John Crocker Bulteel Whig[6][7]
1835 Sir John Yarde-Buller, Bt Conservative
May 1835 by-election Montague Parker Conservative
1841 Lord Courtenay Conservative
1849 by-election Sir Ralph Lopes, Bt Conservative
1854 by-election Sir Lawrence Palk, Bt Conservative
1858 by-election Samuel Trehawke Kekewich Conservative
1868 Sir Massey Lopes, Bt Conservative
1873 by-election John Carpenter Garnier Conservative
1884 by-election John Tremayne Conservative
1885 Constituency abolished

Since 2024

[edit]
Election Member Party
2024 Caroline Voaden Liberal Democrats

Elections

[edit]

Elections in the 2020s

[edit]
General election 2024: South Devon
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Democrats Caroline Voaden[8] 22,540 46.0 +17.8
Conservative Anthony Mangnall[9] 15,413 31.5 −22.1
Reform UK Michael Bagley[10] 6,363 13.0 N/A
Labour Daniel Steel[11] 3,066 6.3 −10.7
Green Robert Bagnall[12] 1,497 3.1 +2.9
Heritage Becca Collings[13] 125 0.3 N/A
Majority 7,127 10.7 N/A
Turnout 49,004 69.3 −6.3
Registered electors 70,755
Liberal Democrats gain from Conservative Swing +20.0

Elections in the 2010s

[edit]
2019 notional result[14]
Party Vote %
Conservative 29,027 53.6
Liberal Democrats 15,308 28.2
Labour 9,228 17.0
Independent 544 1.0
Green 82 0.2
Turnout 54,189 75.6
Electorate 71,691

Elections in the 1880s

[edit]
By-election, 14 Aug 1884: South Devon[15]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative John Tremayne Unopposed
Conservative hold
General election 1880: South Devon[15]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative John Carpenter Garnier Unopposed
Conservative Massey Lopes Unopposed
Registered electors 7,982
Conservative hold
Conservative hold

Garnier resigned, triggering a by-election.

Elections in the 1870s

[edit]
By-election, 19 Mar 1874: South Devon[15]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Massey Lopes Unopposed
Conservative hold
General election 1874: South Devon[15]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative John Carpenter Garnier Unopposed
Conservative Massey Lopes Unopposed
Registered electors 8,350
Conservative hold
Conservative hold

Lopes was appointed a Civil Lord of the Admiralty, triggering a by-election.

By-election, 17 Jun 1873: South Devon[15]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative John Carpenter Garnier Unopposed
Conservative hold

Elections in the 1860s

[edit]
General election 1868: South Devon[15]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Massey Lopes 3,234 35.3 N/A
Conservative Samuel Trehawke Kekewich 3,233 35.3 N/A
Liberal John Russell 2,694 29.4 New
Majority 539 5.9 N/A
Turnout 5,928 (est) 73.7 (est) N/A
Registered electors 8,047
Conservative hold
Conservative hold

Kekewich's death triggered a by-election.

General election 1865: South Devon[15]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Samuel Trehawke Kekewich Unopposed
Conservative Lawrence Palk Unopposed
Registered electors 9,592
Conservative hold
Conservative hold

Elections in the 1850s

[edit]
General election 1859: South Devon[15]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Samuel Trehawke Kekewich Unopposed
Conservative Lawrence Palk Unopposed
Registered electors 9,466
Conservative hold
Conservative hold
By-election, 6 August 1858: South Devon[15]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Samuel Trehawke Kekewich Unopposed
Conservative hold
General election 1857: South Devon[15]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative John Yarde-Buller Unopposed
Conservative Lawrence Palk Unopposed
Registered electors 9,625
Conservative hold
Conservative hold

Buller was elevated to the peerage, becoming 1st Baron Churston, triggering a by-election.

By-election, 14 February 1854: South Devon[15]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Lawrence Palk Unopposed
Conservative hold
General election 1852: South Devon[15]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative John Yarde-Buller Unopposed
Conservative Ralph Lopes Unopposed
Registered electors 9,569
Conservative hold
Conservative hold

Lopes' death triggered a by-election.

Elections in the 1840s

[edit]
By-election, 13 February 1849: South Devon[15]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Ralph Lopes Unopposed
Conservative hold
General election 1847: South Devon[15]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative John Yarde-Buller Unopposed
Conservative William Courtenay Unopposed
Registered electors 10,411
Conservative hold
Conservative hold

Courtenay resigned by accepting the office of Steward of the Chiltern Hundreds, triggering a by-election.

General election 1841: South Devon[15][6]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative John Yarde-Buller Unopposed
Conservative William Courtenay Unopposed
Registered electors 10,783
Conservative hold
Conservative hold

Elections in the 1830s

[edit]
General election 1837: South Devon[15][6]
Party Candidate Votes %
Conservative John Yarde-Buller 4,974 37.1
Conservative Montagu Parker 4,671 34.9
Whig John Crocker Bulteel 3,744 28.0
Majority 927 6.9
Turnout 8,449 78.4
Registered electors 10,775
Conservative hold
Conservative gain from Whig
By-election, 7 May 1835: South Devon[15][6]
Party Candidate Votes %
Conservative Montagu Parker 3,755 54.6
Whig John Russell 3,128 45.4
Majority 627 9.2
Turnout 6,883 84.4
Registered electors 8,160
Conservative gain from Whig
General election 1835: South Devon[15][6]
Party Candidate Votes %
Whig John Russell Unopposed
Conservative John Yarde-Buller Unopposed
Registered electors 8,160
Whig hold
Conservative gain from Whig

Russell was appointed Home Secretary, triggering a by-election.

General election 1832: South Devon[15][6]
Party Candidate Votes %
Whig John Russell 3,782 35.4
Whig John Crocker Bulteel 3,684 34.5
Tory John Yarde-Buller 3,217 30.1
Majority 467 4.4
Turnout 6,660 89.4
Registered electors 7,453
Whig win (new seat)
Whig win (new seat)


See also

[edit]

References

[edit]
  1. ^ "The 2023 Review of Parliamentary Constituency Boundaries in England – Volume two: Constituency names, designations and composition – South West". Boundary Commission for England. Retrieved 28 June 2024.
  2. ^ "South West | Boundary Commission for England". boundarycommissionforengland.independent.gov.uk. Retrieved 15 June 2023.
  3. ^ "The statutes of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland. 2 & 3 William IV. Cap. LXIV. An Act to settle and describe the Divisions of Counties, and the Limits of Cities and Boroughs, in England and Wales, in so far as respects the Election of Members to serve in Parliament". London: His Majesty's statute and law printers. 1832. pp. 300–383. Retrieved 22 May 2020.
  4. ^ "Representation of the People Act 1867" (PDF). London. 1867. pp. 1165–1198. Retrieved 22 May 2020.
  5. ^ "The Parliamentary Constituencies Order 2023". Schedule 1 Part 7 South West region.
  6. ^ a b c d e f g Stooks Smith, Henry. (1973) [1844-1850]. Craig, F. W. S. (ed.). The Parliaments of England (2nd ed.). Chichester: Parliamentary Research Services. p. 62. ISBN 0-900178-13-2.
  7. ^ a b Gash, Norman (2013). Politics in the Age of Peel: A Study in the Technique of Parliamentary Representation, 1830–1850. Faber & Faber. p. 247. ISBN 9780571302901. Retrieved 5 April 2019 – via Google Books.
  8. ^ "Liberal Democrat Prospective Parliamentary Candidates". Mark Pack. Retrieved 23 February 2024.
  9. ^ "x.com". X (formerly Twitter). Retrieved 27 May 2024.
  10. ^ "South Devon Constituency". Reform UK. Retrieved 23 February 2024.
  11. ^ Daniel Steel [@DSteel4Labour] (27 May 2024). "It's truly a privilege to be selected to stand as @UKLabour parliamentary candidate for South Devon at the General Election on 4 July. It's time for #change, and only Labour has a plan to deliver it" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
  12. ^ "Robert Bagnall, Green Party Candidate for Totnes". South Devon Green Party. Retrieved 27 February 2024.
  13. ^ "South Devon". BBC News. Retrieved 9 June 2024.
  14. ^ "Notional results for a UK general election on 12 December 2019". Rallings & Thrasher, Professor David Denver (Scotland), Nicholas Whyte (NI) for Sky News, PA, BBC News and ITV News. UK Parliament. Retrieved 11 July 2024.
  15. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s Craig, F. W. S., ed. (1977). British Parliamentary Election Results 1832-1885 (1st ed.). London: Macmillan Press. pp. 378–379. ISBN 978-1-349-02349-3.
[edit]
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=South_Devon_(UK_Parliament_constituency)&oldid=1245226751"