Southwark (/ˈsʌðərk/ ⓘ SUDH-ərk)[1] was a constituency centred on the Southwark district of South London. It returned two Members of Parliament to the House of Commons of the English Parliament from 1295 to 1707, to the Parliament of Great Britain from 1707 to 1800, and to the UK Parliament until its first abolition for the 1885 general election. A seat of the same name, covering a smaller area than the last form of the earlier seat in the west of the original and beyond its boundaries to the southwest, was created in 1950 and abolished in 1974.
Southwark | |
---|---|
Former Borough constituency for the House of Commons | |
County | London |
1295–1885 | |
Seats | Two |
Created from | Surrey (part of) |
Replaced by | Bermondsey Rotherhithe Southwark West |
1950–1974 | |
Seats | One |
Created from | Southwark Central, Southwark North and Southwark South East |
Replaced by | Bermondsey (abolished 1983) Peckham (abolished 1997) Dulwich (absorbed small parts) (abolished 1997) |
In its last creation the seat's broad electorate heavily supported the three successive Labour candidates, who won Southwark with a majority of greater than 36% of the votes cast at its eight elections – an extremely safe seat.
The constituency was created in 1295 as a parliamentary borough (also known as burgh) when its electorate was restricted to the owners of certain properties in its main streets of its burgage, returning two 'burgesses' as they were sometimes called. Its electorate was expanded to a more standard franchise in 1832. In 1833 the electorate was 4,775 adult males and this had risen to 23,472 by 1880.[2]
The Redistribution of Seats Act 1885 replaced the two-member constituency with the seats West Southwark, Rotherhithe and Bermondsey.[3]
A seat taking the old constituency name was established for the 1950 general election. Its boundaries were unaltered in the 1955 corrective review and it was abolished for the February 1974 general election.
Parliament | First member | Second member |
---|---|---|
1386[4] | Henry Thymelby | William Beeche |
1388 (Feb)[4] | John Northampton | William Porter |
1388 (Sep)[4] | Roger Chandler | Richard atte Vine |
1390 (Jan)[4] | William Wintringham | John Mucking |
1390 (Nov) | ||
1391[4] | William Spalding | Walter Segrave |
1393[4] | John Solas | Thomas Solas |
1394 | ||
1395[4] | John Solas | John Mucking |
1397 (Jan)[4] | Thomas atte Gill | |
1397 (Sep)[4] | William Derby | |
1399[4] | Ralph Spalding | John Parker |
1401 | ||
1402[4] | John Gofaire | John Mucking |
1404 (Jan) | ||
1404 (Oct) | ||
1406[4] | John Baker | Thomas Spencer |
1407[4] | Thomas Colman | John Deken |
1410 | ||
1411 | ||
1413 (Feb) | ||
1413 (May)[4] | William Horton | Thomas Spencer |
1414 (Apr)[4] | John William | John Welles |
1414 (Nov)[4] | John Solas | William Kirton |
1415[4] | William Redstone | Thomas Spencer |
1416 (Mar)[4] | John Solas | John Mucking |
1416 (Oct) | ||
1417[4] | William Kirton | John Deken |
1419[4] | Robert William | John Welles |
1420[4] | William Kirton | John Deken |
1421 (May)[4] | William Redstone | |
1421 (Dec)[4] | Thomas Dewy | Thomas Lucas |
1510–1523[5] | No names known | |
1529 [5] | Sir John Shilston, died 1530 | Robert Acton |
1536[5] | Thomas Bulla | ? |
1539[5] | Sir Richard Long | Robert Acton |
1542[5] | Robert Acton | Thomas Bulla |
1545[5] | ? | William Gyllam |
1547[5] | Sir John Gates, repl. by Jan 1552 by John Sayer |
Richard Fulmerston |
1553 (Mar)[5] | John Eston | John Sayer |
1553 (Oct)[5] | Humphrey Colet | |
1554 (Apr)[5] | John Eston | |
1554 (Nov)[5] | ||
1555[5] | Humphrey Colet | |
1558[5] | Robert Freeman | |
1559 [6] | ||
1562–3 [6] | Thomas Cure | Oliffe Burr |
1571 [6] | William Wilson | |
1572 [6] | Oliffe Burr | Thomas Way |
1584 [6] | Thomas Way | Richard Hutton |
1586 [6] | Thomas Cure | |
1588–9 [6] | Richard Hutton | William Pratt |
1593 [6] | Hugh Browker | Richard Hutton |
1597 [6] | Edmund Bowyer | |
1601 [6] | Mathew Dale | Zachariah Locke |
1604–1611 | Sir George Rivers | William Counden |
1614 | Edward Coxe | Richard Yarward |
1621 | Richard Yarward | Robert Bromfield |
1624 | ||
1625 | William Coxe | |
1626 | ||
1628 | ||
1629–1640 | No Parliaments summoned |
This list is incomplete; you can help by adding missing items. (August 2008) |
Election | Member | Party | |
---|---|---|---|
1950 | George Isaacs | Labour | |
1959 | Ray Gunter | ||
1972 by-election | Harry Lamborn | ||
Feb 1974 | constituency abolished |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Whig | John Rawlinson Harris | 1,664 | 40.7 | ||
Radical | Robert Wilson | 1,434 | 35.0 | ||
Whig | Charles Calvert | 995 | 24.3 | ||
Majority | 230 | 5.7 | |||
Whig hold | Swing | ||||
Majority | 439 | 10.7 | |||
Turnout | 2,635 | ||||
Radical hold | Swing |
Harris' death caused a by-election.
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Whig | Charles Calvert | 1,066 | 62.4 | −2.6 | |
Tory | Thomas Farncomb | 643 | 37.6 | New | |
Majority | 423 | 24.8 | +19.1 | ||
Turnout | 1,709 | ||||
Whig hold | Swing |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Whig | Charles Calvert | Unopposed | |||
Whig | William Brougham | Unopposed | |||
Whig hold | |||||
Whig gain from Radical |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Whig | William Brougham | 2,264 | 45.2 | N/A | |
Whig | John Humphery | 1,708 | 34.1 | N/A | |
Whig | Lancelot Baugh Allen[38] | 1,040 | 20.8 | N/A | |
Radical | Thomas Lamie Murray[39] | 0 | 0.0 | New | |
Majority | 668 | 13.3 | N/A | ||
Turnout | 2,810 | 58.8 | N/A | ||
Registered electors | 4,775 | ||||
Whig hold | Swing | N/A | |||
Whig hold | Swing | N/A |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Whig | John Humphery | Unopposed | |||
Radical | Daniel Whittle Harvey | Unopposed | |||
Registered electors | 5,249 | ||||
Whig hold | |||||
Radical gain from Whig |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Whig | John Humphery | 1,941 | 41.1 | N/A | |
Radical | Daniel Whittle Harvey | 1,927 | 40.9 | N/A | |
Conservative | John Richards | 847 | 18.0 | New | |
Conservative | Benjamin Harrison | 2 | 0.0 | New | |
Turnout | 2,898 | 52.9 | N/A | ||
Registered electors | 5,477 | ||||
Majority | 14 | 0.2 | N/A | ||
Whig hold | Swing | N/A | |||
Majority | 1,080 | 22.9 | N/A | ||
Radical hold | Swing | N/A |
Harvey was appointed a registrar of Metropolitan Public Carriages, causing a by-election.
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Radical | Daniel Whittle Harvey | Unopposed | |||
Radical hold |
Harvey resigned after being appointed a Commissioner of Police for the City of London, causing a by-election.
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Whig | Benjamin Wood | 2,059 | 57.3 | +16.2 | |
Conservative | John Walter[40] | 1,535 | 42.7 | +24.7 | |
Majority | 524 | 14.6 | +14.3 | ||
Turnout | 3,594 | 71.2 | +18.3 | ||
Registered electors | 5,047 | ||||
Whig gain from Radical | Swing | −4.3 |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Whig | John Humphery | Unopposed | |||
Whig | Benjamin Wood | Unopposed | |||
Registered electors | 5,124 | ||||
Whig hold | |||||
Whig hold |
Wood's death caused a by-election.
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Radical | William Molesworth | 1,943 | 55.9 | N/A | |
Conservative | Jeremiah Pilcher[41] | 1,182 | 34.0 | New | |
Radical | Edward Miall[42] | 352 | 10.1 | N/A | |
Majority | 761 | 21.9 | N/A | ||
Turnout | 3,477 | 65.0 | N/A | ||
Registered electors | 5,353 | ||||
Radical gain from Whig | Swing | N/A |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Whig | John Humphery | Unopposed | |||
Radical | William Molesworth | Unopposed | |||
Registered electors | 7,989 | ||||
Whig hold | |||||
Radical gain from Whig |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Radical | William Molesworth | 3,941 | 36.7 | N/A | |
Radical | Apsley Pellatt | 3,887 | 36.2 | N/A | |
Radical | George Scovell[43] | 2,909 | 27.1 | N/A | |
Majority | 978 | 9.1 | N/A | ||
Turnout | 5,369 (est) | 56.8 (est) | N/A | ||
Registered electors | 9,458 | ||||
Radical hold | |||||
Radical gain from Whig |
Molesworth was appointed First Commissioner of Works and Public Buildings, requiring a by-election.
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Radical | William Molesworth | Unopposed | |||
Radical hold |
Molesworth was appointed Secretary of State for the Colonies, requiring a by-election.
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Radical | William Molesworth | Unopposed | |||
Radical hold |
Molesworth's death caused a by-election.
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Radical | Charles Napier | Unopposed | |||
Radical hold |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Radical | Charles Napier | 3,991 | 39.4 | +2.7 | |
Radical | John Locke | 3,647 | 36.0 | N/A | |
Radical | Apsley Pellatt | 2,499 | 24.7 | −11.5 | |
Majority | 1,148 | 11.3 | +2.2 | ||
Turnout | 5,069 (est) | 49.8 (est) | −7.0 | ||
Registered electors | 10,170 | ||||
Radical hold | |||||
Radical hold |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Liberal | Charles Napier | 4,446 | 38.9 | −0.5 | |
Liberal | John Locke | 4,255 | 37.2 | +1.2 | |
Liberal | Apsley Pellatt | 2,730 | 23.9 | −0.8 | |
Majority | 1,525 | 13.3 | +2.0 | ||
Turnout | 5,716 (est) | 53.9 (est) | +4.1 | ||
Registered electors | 10,606 | ||||
Liberal hold | |||||
Liberal hold |
Napier's death caused a by-election.
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Liberal | Austen Henry Layard | 4,572 | 57.5 | N/A | |
Liberal | George Scovell[44] | 3,377 | 42.5 | N/A | |
Majority | 1,195 | 15.0 | +1.7 | ||
Turnout | 7,949 | 70.5 | +16.6 | ||
Registered electors | 11,278 | ||||
Liberal hold | Swing | N/A |
Locke was appointed Recorder of Brighton, requiring a by-election.
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Liberal | John Locke | Unopposed | |||
Liberal hold |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Liberal | John Locke | Unopposed | |||
Liberal | Austen Henry Layard | Unopposed | |||
Registered electors | 11,631 | ||||
Liberal hold | |||||
Liberal hold |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Liberal | John Locke | 6,027 | 41.8 | N/A | |
Liberal | Austen Henry Layard | 5,908 | 40.9 | N/A | |
Conservative | William Cotton | 2,495 | 17.3 | New | |
Majority | 3,413 | 23.6 | N/A | ||
Turnout | 8,463 (est) | 47.8 (est) | N/A | ||
Registered electors | 17,703 | ||||
Liberal hold | Swing | N/A | |||
Liberal hold | Swing | N/A |
Layard was appointed First Commissioner of Works and Public Buildings, requiring a by-election.
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Liberal | Austen Henry Layard | Unopposed | |||
Liberal hold |
Layard resigned after being appointed British ambassador to Spain.
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Conservative | Marcus Beresford | 4,686 | 38.9 | +21.6 | |
Lib-Lab | George Odger | 4,382 | 36.4 | New | |
Liberal | Sydney Waterlow | 2,966 | 24.6 | −58.1 | |
Majority | 304 | 2.5 | N/A | ||
Turnout | 12,034 | 68.0 | +20.2 | ||
Registered electors | 17,703 | ||||
Conservative gain from Liberal | Swing | +39.9 |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Liberal | John Locke | 5,901 | 32.4 | −9.4 | |
Conservative | Marcus Beresford | 5,716 | 31.3 | +14.0 | |
Lib-Lab | George Odger | 3,496 | 19.2 | N/A | |
Liberal | Andrew Dunn[45] | 3,121 | 17.1 | −23.8 | |
Turnout | 11,975 (est) | 58.6 (est) | +10.8 | ||
Registered electors | 23,472 | ||||
Majority | 185 | 1.1 | −22.5 | ||
Liberal hold | Swing | −8.2 | |||
Majority | 2,595 | 14.2 | N/A | ||
Conservative gain from Liberal | Swing | +15.3 |
Locke's death caused a by-election.
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Conservative | Edward Clarke | 7,683 | 50.2 | +18.9 | |
Liberal | Andrew Dunn | 6,830 | 44.6 | −4.9 | |
Lib-Lab | George Shipton | 799 | 5.2 | −14.0 | |
Majority | 853 | 5.6 | N/A | ||
Turnout | 15,312 | 65.2 | +6.6 | ||
Registered electors | 23,472 | ||||
Conservative gain from Liberal | Swing | +11.9 |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Liberal | Arthur Cohen | 9,693 | 27.7 | −4.7 | |
Liberal | Thorold Rogers | 9,521 | 27.2 | +10.1 | |
Conservative | Edward Clarke | 8,163 | 23.3 | +7.6 | |
Conservative | Mark Cattley[47] | 7,674 | 21.9 | +6.2 | |
Majority | 1,358 | 3.9 | +2.8 | ||
Turnout | 17,526 (est) | 74.7 (est) | +16.1 | ||
Registered electors | 23,472 | ||||
Liberal hold | Swing | −5.5 | |||
Liberal gain from Conservative | Swing | +1.3 |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Labour | George Isaacs | 35,049 | 68.27 | ||
Conservative | James Greenwood (MP) | 12,671 | 24.68 | ||
Liberal | Lionel Fowler | 2,950 | 5.75 | ||
Communist | Spencer John Bent | 668 | 1.30 | ||
Majority | 22,378 | 43.59 | |||
Turnout | 51,338 | 73.98 | |||
Labour win (new seat) |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Labour | George Isaacs | 36,586 | 72.28 | ||
Conservative | James Greenwood (MP) | 14,032 | 27.72 | ||
Majority | 22,554 | 44.56 | |||
Turnout | 50,618 | 72.32 | |||
Labour hold | Swing |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Labour | George Isaacs | 28,174 | 70.30 | ||
Conservative | James Greenwood (MP) | 10,944 | 27.31 | ||
Communist | Spencer John Bent | 959 | 2.39 | New | |
Majority | 17,230 | 42.99 | |||
Turnout | 40,077 | 60.18 | |||
Labour hold | Swing |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Labour | Ray Gunter | 25,036 | 63.99 | ||
Conservative | James Greenwood (MP) | 12,696 | 32.45 | ||
Communist | Spencer John Bent | 1,395 | 3.57 | ||
Majority | 12,340 | 31.54 | |||
Turnout | 39,127 | 63.37 | |||
Labour hold | Swing |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Labour | Ray Gunter | 22,426 | 68.82 | ||
Conservative | Anthony Paul R Noble | 8,563 | 26.28 | ||
Communist | Spencer John Bent | 1,599 | 4.91 | ||
Majority | 13,863 | 42.54 | |||
Turnout | 32,588 | 55.86 | |||
Labour hold | Swing |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Labour | Ray Gunter | 21,855 | 73.55 | ||
Conservative | Anthony Paul Noble | 6,454 | 21.72 | ||
Communist | Spencer John Bent | 1,404 | 4.73 | ||
Majority | 15,401 | 51.83 | |||
Turnout | 29,713 | 54.03 | |||
Labour hold | Swing |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Labour | Ray Gunter | 16,834 | 67.33 | ||
Conservative | Jeffrey Gordon | 7,040 | 28.16 | ||
Communist | Earle Hume | 1,128 | 4.51 | ||
Majority | 9,794 | 39.17 | |||
Turnout | 25,002 | 48.19 | |||
Labour hold | Swing |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Labour | Harry Lamborn | 12,108 | 79.33 | +12.00 | |
Conservative | Jeffrey Gordon | 2,756 | 18.06 | -10.10 | |
Independent | Brian McDermott | 398 | 2.61 | New | |
Majority | 9,352 | 61.27 | +22.10 | ||
Turnout | 15,262 | ||||
Labour hold | Swing |