East Grinstead was a parliamentary constituency in the Kingdom of England, the Kingdom of Great Britain, and the United Kingdom. It first existed as a Parliamentary borough from 1307, returning two Members of Parliament to the House of Commons elected by the bloc vote system. The borough was disfranchised under the Reform Act 1832, but the name was revived at the 1885 election when the Redistribution of Seats Act created a new single-member county division of the same name.
East Grinstead | |
---|---|
Former County constituency for the House of Commons | |
County | East Sussex |
Major settlements | East Grinstead |
1885–1983 | |
Seats | One |
Created from | East Sussex |
Replaced by | Mid Sussex and Wealden |
1307–1832 | |
Seats | Two |
Type of constituency | Borough constituency |
Upon its abolition for the 1983 election, its territory was divided between Mid Sussex and Wealden.
1885–1918: The Sessional Divisions of Cuckfield (except the parish of Crawley), East Grinstead, and Uckfield (except the parishes of East Heathley and Waldron).
1918–1950: The Urban Districts of Burgess Hill, Cuckfield, East Grinstead, Hayward's Heath, and Uckfield, and the Rural Districts of Cuckfield, East Grinstead, and Uckfield.
1950–1955: The Urban Districts of Cuckfield and East Grinstead, the Rural District of Uckfield, in the Rural District of Cuckfield the parishes of Ardingly, Balcombe, Bolney, Cuckfield Rural, Horsted Keynes, Lindfield Rural, Slaugham, West Hoathly, and Worth, and in the Rural District of Battle the parishes of Burwash, Etchingham, and Ticehurst.
1955–1974: As 1950 less the Battle RD parishes.
1974–1983: The Urban District of East Grinstead, and the Rural District of Uckfield.
Year | First member | Second member | |
---|---|---|---|
1388 (Feb) | John Dyne | John Heldele[1] | |
1388 (Sep) | William Nelond | Richard Woghere[1] | |
1390 (Jan) | |||
1390 (Nov) | |||
1391 | John Alfray I | John Dyne[1] | |
1393 | Thomas Alleyn | Thomas Rasse[1] | |
1394 | |||
1395 | Thomas Farlegh | William atte Hull[1] | |
1397 (Jan) | John Dyne | John Punget[1] | |
1397 (Sep) | John Dyne | John Punget[1] | |
1399 | John Dyne | Richard Woghere[1] | |
1401 | |||
1402 | John Dyne | Richard Woghere[1] | |
1404 (Jan) | |||
1404 (Oct) | |||
1406 | |||
1407 | John Dyne | Richard Woghere[1] | |
1410 | |||
1411 | |||
1413 (Feb) | |||
1413 (May) | Thomas Alleyn | John Hoke[1] | |
1414 (Apr) | |||
1414 (Nov) | John Dyne | John Woghere[1] | |
1415 | |||
1416 (Mar) | John Ermyte | John Mason[1] | |
1416 (Oct) | |||
1417 | |||
1419 | William Fenningham | John Hamme[1] | |
1420 | |||
1421 (May) | Richard Fowell | John Woghere[1] | |
1421 (Dec) | John Alfray II | John Woghere[1] | |
1433 | Thomas Russell[2] | ||
1447 John Alfray[3] | 1457 | Ralph Legh | |
1459 John Alfray[3] | 1510-1523 | No names known [4] | |
1529 | William Rutter | Edward Goodwin[4] | |
1536 | ? | ||
1539 | ? | ||
1542 | ? | John Sackville[4] | |
1545 | ? | ||
1547 | Jasper Culpeper | John Sackville II, died and replaced by Jan 1552 by George Darrell [4] | |
1553 (Mar) | Sir Robert Oxenbridge | George Darrell[4] | |
1553 (Oct) | Sir Thomas Stradling | John Story[4] | |
1554 (Apr) | Richard Whalley | Anthony Stapleton[4] | |
1554 (Nov) | Thomas Duffield | ||
1555 | ?William Barnes | John Wiseman[4] | |
1558 | Thomas Farnham | Thomas Parker[4] | |
1559 | Thomas Sackville | Humphrey Llwyd[5] | |
1562–3 | John Sackville | Lawrence Banester[5] | |
1571 | John Jeffrey | Henry Berkeley[5] | |
1572 | Thomas Cure | Michael Heneage[5] | |
1584 | Thomas Cure | Francis Alford[5] | |
1586 | John Covert | Drew Pickesse[5] | |
1589 | Francis Alford | Thomas Frere[5] | |
1593 | Reade Stafford | John Shurley[5] | |
1597 | George Rivers | Richard Baker[5] | |
1601 | Sir Henry Compton | George Rivers[5] | |
1604 | Sir Henry Compton | Sir John Swynnerton | |
1614 | Sir Henry Compton | George Rivers | |
1621 | Sir Henry Compton | Thomas Pelham | |
1624 | Robert Heath | Thomas Caldicot | |
1625 | Robert Heath | Sir Henry Compton | |
1626 | Robert Goodwin | Sir Henry Compton | |
1628-1629 | Robert Goodwin | Sir Henry Compton | |
1629–1640 | No Parliaments summoned | ||
1640 (Apr) | Sir Henry Compton | Robert Goodwin | |
1640 (Nov) | Lord Buckhurst, disabled 1644 | Robert Goodwin | |
1648 | Robert Goodwin | John Baker | |
1653 | Not represented in Barebones Parliament | ||
1654 | John Goodwin | (one seat only) | |
1656 | John Goodwin | (one seat only) | |
1659 | Robert Goodwin | George Courthope |
Election | Name | Party | Notes | |
---|---|---|---|---|
1885 | George Gregory | Conservative | MP for East Sussex 1868–1885 | |
1886 | Alfred Gathorne-Hardy | Conservative | MP for Canterbury 1878–1880. Son of 1st Earl of Cranbrook | |
1895 | George Goschen | Conservative | Governor of Madras 1924–1929; 2nd Viscount Goschen 1907–1952 | |
1906 | Charles Corbett | Liberal | ||
1910 (Jan) | Henry Cautley | Conservative | ennobled in 1936 as Baron Cautley, triggering a by-election | |
1936 by-election | Ralph Clarke | Conservative | ||
1955 | Evelyn Emmet | Conservative | Made a life peer in 1965 as Baroness Emmet of Amberley, triggering a by-election | |
1965 by-election | Geoffrey Johnson-Smith | Conservative | Former broadcaster. MP for Wealden 1983–2001 | |
1983 | Constituency abolished. See Wealden and Mid Sussex |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Conservative | George Gregory | 3,530 | 57.8 | ||
Liberal | Charles John Heald | 2,579 | 42.2 | ||
Majority | 951 | 15.6 | |||
Turnout | 6,109 | 79.8 | |||
Registered electors | 7,660 | ||||
Conservative win (new seat) |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Conservative | Alfred Gathorne-Hardy | 3,289 | 63.7 | +5.9 | |
Liberal | Charles John Heald | 1,877 | 36.3 | -5.9 | |
Majority | 1,412 | 27.4 | +11.8 | ||
Turnout | 5,166 | 67.4 | −12.4 | ||
Registered electors | 7,660 | ||||
Conservative hold | Swing | +5.9 |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Conservative | Alfred Gathorne-Hardy | 3,987 | 62.9 | −0.8 | |
Liberal | Edward George Jenkinson | 2,349 | 37.1 | +0.8 | |
Majority | 1,638 | 25.8 | −1.6 | ||
Turnout | 6,336 | 72.4 | +5.0 | ||
Registered electors | 8,754 | ||||
Conservative hold | Swing | −0.8 |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Conservative | George Goschen | 3,731 | 56.5 | -6.4 | |
Liberal | Charles Corbett | 2,874 | 43.5 | +6.4 | |
Majority | 857 | 13.0 | -12.8 | ||
Turnout | 6,605 | 71.3 | −1.1 | ||
Registered electors | 9,262 | ||||
Conservative hold | Swing | -6.4 |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Conservative | George Goschen | 3,890 | 56.4 | −0.1 | |
Liberal | Charles Corbett | 3,003 | 43.6 | +0.1 | |
Majority | 887 | 12.8 | −0.2 | ||
Turnout | 6,893 | 71.8 | +0.5 | ||
Registered electors | 9,596 | ||||
Conservative hold | Swing | −0.1 |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Liberal | Charles Corbett | 4,793 | 51.4 | +7.8 | |
Conservative | Edgar Crookshank | 4,531 | 48.6 | -7.8 | |
Majority | 262 | 2.8 | N/A | ||
Turnout | 9,324 | 86.9 | +15.1 | ||
Registered electors | 10,726 | ||||
Liberal gain from Conservative | Swing | +7.8 |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Conservative | Henry Cautley | 6,563 | 64.2 | +15.6 | |
Liberal | Charles Corbett | 3,660 | 35.8 | −15.6 | |
Majority | 2,903 | 28.4 | N/A | ||
Turnout | 10,223 | 88.4 | +1.5 | ||
Registered electors | 11,562 | ||||
Conservative gain from Liberal | Swing | +15.6 |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Conservative | Henry Cautley | 5,926 | 62.7 | -1.5 | |
Liberal | Henry Norman Spalding | 3,531 | 37.3 | +1.5 | |
Majority | 2,395 | 25.4 | -3.0 | ||
Turnout | 9,457 | 81.8 | -6.6 | ||
Registered electors | 11,562 | ||||
Conservative hold | Swing | -1.5 |
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;
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Unionist | Henry Cautley | Unopposed | |||
Unionist hold |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
C | Unionist | Henry Cautley | 12,584 | 67.0 | +4.3 |
Labour | David Pole | 6,208 | 33.0 | New | |
Majority | 6,376 | 34.0 | +8.6 | ||
Turnout | 18,792 | 52.3 | −29.5 | ||
Registered electors | 35,955 | ||||
Unionist hold | Swing | +4.3 | |||
C indicates candidate endorsed by the coalition government. |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Unionist | Henry Cautley | 15,981 | 71.0 | +4.0 | |
Labour | Thomas Crawford | 6,527 | 29.0 | −4.0 | |
Majority | 9,454 | 42.0 | +8.0 | ||
Turnout | 22,508 | 58.2 | +5.9 | ||
Registered electors | 38,664 | ||||
Unionist hold | Swing | +4.0 |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Unionist | Henry Cautley | 14,215 | 68.8 | −2.2 | |
Labour | Thomas Crawford | 6,451 | 31.2 | +2.2 | |
Majority | 7,764 | 37.6 | −4.4 | ||
Turnout | 20,666 | 52.4 | −5.8 | ||
Registered electors | 39,405 | ||||
Unionist hold | Swing | −2.2 |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Unionist | Henry Cautley | 18,365 | 64.6 | −4.2 | |
Liberal | Godfrey Frerichs Mowatt | 5,604 | 19.7 | New | |
Labour | John Morgan | 4,479 | 15.7 | −15.5 | |
Majority | 12,761 | 44.9 | +7.3 | ||
Turnout | 28,448 | 70.2 | +17.8 | ||
Registered electors | 40,500 | ||||
Unionist hold | Swing | +5.7 |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Unionist | Henry Cautley | 21,940 | 57.9 | −6.7 | |
Liberal | Barbara Bliss | 9,718 | 25.6 | +5.9 | |
Labour | Thomas Crawford | 6,265 | 16.5 | +0.8 | |
Majority | 12,222 | 32.3 | −12.6 | ||
Turnout | 37,923 | 68.5 | −1.7 | ||
Registered electors | 55,352 | ||||
Unionist hold | Swing | −6.3 |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Conservative | Henry Cautley | 34,826 | 87.2 | +29.3 | |
Labour | Evan Durbin | 5,121 | 12.8 | -3.7 | |
Majority | 29,705 | 74.4 | +42.1 | ||
Turnout | 39,947 | 69.2 | +0.7 | ||
Conservative hold | Swing |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Conservative | Henry Cautley | 29,440 | 78.4 | -8.8 | |
Labour | Stanislaus Seuffert | 8,097 | 21.6 | +8.8 | |
Majority | 21,343 | 56.8 | -17.6 | ||
Turnout | 37,537 | 61.2 | -8.0 | ||
Conservative hold | Swing |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Conservative | Ralph Clarke | 22,207 | 79.6 | +1.2 | |
Labour | Albert Edward Millett | 5,708 | 20.4 | -1.2 | |
Majority | 16,499 | 59.2 | +2.4 | ||
Turnout | 27,915 | 45.5 | -15.7 | ||
Conservative hold | Swing | +1.2 |
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;
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Conservative | Ralph Clarke | 28,273 | 57.1 | -21.3 | |
Labour | David George Packham | 12,519 | 25.3 | +3.7 | |
Liberal | John Charles McLaughlin | 8,711 | 17.6 | New | |
Majority | 15,754 | 31.8 | -25.0 | ||
Turnout | 49,503 | 70.9 | +9.7 | ||
Conservative hold | Swing |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Conservative | Ralph Clarke | 29,786 | 55.1 | -2.0 | |
Labour | Catherine Williamson | 12,983 | 24.0 | -1.3 | |
Liberal | John Charles McLaughlin | 11,329 | 20.9 | +3.3 | |
Majority | 16,803 | 31.1 | -0.7 | ||
Turnout | 54,098 | 81.7 | +11.8 | ||
Conservative hold | Swing |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Conservative | Ralph Clarke | 32,803 | 60.3 | +5.2 | |
Labour | Herbert Atkinson | 14,271 | 26.2 | +2.2 | |
Liberal | John Charles McLaughlin | 7,375 | 13.5 | -7.4 | |
Majority | 18,532 | 34.1 | +3.0 | ||
Turnout | 54,449 | 80.3 | -1.4 | ||
Conservative hold | Swing |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Conservative | Evelyn Emmet | 28,450 | 61.5 | +1.2 | |
Labour | Martin Mason | 11,750 | 25.4 | -0.8 | |
Liberal | Judith St John Thornton | 6,034 | 13.1 | -0.4 | |
Majority | 16,700 | 36.1 | +2.0 | ||
Turnout | 46,234 | 75.1 | -5.2 | ||
Conservative hold | Swing |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Conservative | Evelyn Emmet | 31,759 | 62.3 | +0.8 | |
Labour | Robert William G Humphreys | 10,104 | 19.8 | -5.6 | |
Liberal | Patrick Furnell | 9,100 | 17.9 | +4.8 | |
Majority | 21,655 | 42.5 | +6.4 | ||
Turnout | 50,963 | 77.9 | +2.8 | ||
Conservative hold | Swing |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Conservative | Evelyn Emmet | 29,094 | 53.2 | -10.1 | |
Liberal | Richard Holme | 14,753 | 26.7 | +8.8 | |
Labour | William H Hill | 10,859 | 19.8 | 0.0 | |
Majority | 14,341 | 26.5 | -16.0 | ||
Turnout | 54,706 | 78.0 | +0.1 | ||
Conservative hold | Swing |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Conservative | Geoffrey Johnson-Smith | 24,896 | 55.0 | +1.8 | |
Liberal | Richard Holme | 14,279 | 31.5 | +4.8 | |
Labour | Jon Antony A Evans | 6,101 | 13.5 | -6.4 | |
Majority | 10,617 | 23.5 | -3.0 | ||
Turnout | 45,276 | 64.5 | -13.5 | ||
Conservative hold | Swing | -1.4 |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Conservative | Geoffrey Johnson-Smith | 31,595 | 53.2 | 0.0 | |
Liberal | James H Downie | 13,611 | 27.0 | +0.3 | |
Labour | Arthur Harris Roberts | 11,938 | 19.8 | 0.0 | |
Majority | 17,984 | 26.2 | -0.3 | ||
Turnout | 57,144 | 76.8 | -1.2 | ||
Conservative hold | Swing |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Conservative | Geoffrey Johnson-Smith | 38,359 | 61.2 | +8.0 | |
Liberal | David Carleton Bruce Smithers | 12,343 | 19.7 | -7.3 | |
Labour | Tony Banks | 12,014 | 19.2 | -0.6 | |
Majority | 26,016 | 41.5 | +15.3 | ||
Turnout | 62,716 | 72.5 | -4.3 | ||
Conservative hold | Swing |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Conservative | Geoffrey Johnson-Smith | 23,928 | 53.3 | -7.9 | |
Liberal | Peter Hasler Billenness | 15,351 | 34.2 | +14.5 | |
Labour | William J Short | 5,629 | 12.5 | -6.7 | |
Majority | 8,577 | 19.1 | -22.4 | ||
Turnout | 44,908 | 81.5 | +9.0 | ||
Conservative hold | Swing |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Conservative | Geoffrey Johnson-Smith | 22,035 | 53.2 | -0.1 | |
Liberal | Paul Hayden | 12,755 | 30.8 | -3.4 | |
Labour | David William John Blake | 6,648 | 16.0 | +3.5 | |
Majority | 9,280 | 22.4 | +3.3 | ||
Turnout | 41,438 | 74.5 | -7.0 | ||
Conservative hold | Swing |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Conservative | Geoffrey Johnson-Smith | 28,279 | 62.0 | +8.8 | |
Liberal | Jeremy Nieboer | 11,102 | 24.4 | -6.4 | |
Labour | RJ Taylor | 6,196 | 13.6 | -2.4 | |
Majority | 17,177 | 37.6 | +15.2 | ||
Turnout | 45,577 | 77.1 | +2.6 | ||
Conservative hold | Swing |