Cambridge University (UK Parliament constituency)

Cambridge University was a university constituency electing two members to the British House of Commons, from 1603 to 1950.

Cambridge University
Former University constituency
for the House of Commons
1603–1950
Seats2
Replaced byCambridge

Franchise and method of election

This university constituency was created by a Royal Charter of 1603. It was abolished in 1950 by the Representation of the People Act 1948.

The constituency was not a geographical area. Its electorate consisted of the graduates of the University of Cambridge. Before 1918 the franchise was restricted to male graduates with a Doctorate or Master of Arts degree. Sedgwick records that there were 377 electors in 1727. For the 1754–1790 period, Namier and Brooke estimated the electorate at about 500.

The constituency returned two Members of Parliament. Before 1918 they were elected by plurality-at-large voting, but from 1918 onwards the two members were elected by the Single Transferable Vote method.

History

In the early 18th century, the electors of both English universities were mostly Tories, but the Whig ministers of King George I were able to persuade him to use his royal prerogative to confer Cambridge doctorates on a large number of Whigs, so that from 1727 the university largely returned Whig representatives. At Oxford, the King did not enjoy the same prerogative power, so that the University of Oxford constituency remained Tory, and indeed often Jacobite, in its preferences.

The leading 18th-century Whig politician Thomas Pelham-Holles, 1st Duke of Newcastle, was Chancellor of the University of Cambridge from 1748 to 1768 and recommended to the electors suitable candidates to represent them in Parliament. This practice continued under his successor, another Whig Duke and Prime Minister, Augustus FitzRoy, 3rd Duke of Grafton, Chancellor of the university from 1768 to 1811. However, Grafton was less influential as a politician than Newcastle had been and also less attentive towards the university, and as a result some of his nominations came in for criticism, notably that of his friend Richard Croftes.

Croftes was far from typical of a university member of parliament: he was neither the son of a peer, like the Hon. John Townshend, the Marquess of Granby, and Grafton's own son the Earl of Euston, nor a distinguished lawyer-politician, such as William de Grey, James Mansfield, and Sir Vicary Gibbs, nor a prominent political figure like William Pitt the Younger and Lord Henry Petty. In the late 18th and early 19th centuries, Pittite and Tory candidates began to be elected. At the appearance of this political development, some of the Pittite members, including the younger William Pitt himself, one of the members for the university from 1784 to 1806, described themselves as Whigs. As time passed, the division between the 19th century Tory and Whig parties became clearer.

The future Prime Minister, Viscount Palmerston, retained his university seat as a Whig after he left the Tory ranks, but in 1831 he was defeated. After Palmerston ceased to represent the university he was elected by a territorial constituency. From then until the 1920s, all of the university's members were Tories and/or Conservatives.

Even after the introduction of the single transferable vote in 1918, most of the members continued to be elected as Conservatives.

Members of Parliament

This is a list of people who have been elected to represent this university in the Parliament of the United Kingdom.

1603 to 1660
  • Constituency created 1603
YearFirst memberSecond member
1604Nicholas StewardHenry Mountlow
1614Sir Miles SandysSir Francis Bacon
1621Robert NauntonBarnaby Gough
1624Sir Robert NauntonBarnaby Gough
1625Sir Robert NauntonSir Albert Morton
1626Thomas EdenSir John Coke
1628–1629Thomas EdenSir John Coke
1629–1640No Parliaments summoned
Apr 1640Thomas EdenHenry Lucas
Nov 1640Thomas EdenHenry Lucas
Eden died 1644 replaced by Nathaniel Bacon
1648Lucas secluded in Pride's Purge
1654Henry Cromwell(one seat only)
1656Richard Cromwell(one seat only)
1659John ThurloeThomas Sclater

1660 to 1784
YearMemberPartyMemberParty
1660 AprGeorge MonckThomas Crouch
1660 JunWilliam Montagu
1661Sir Richard Fanshawe
1667Sir Charles Wheler, 2nd Baronet
1679Sir Thomas ExtonJames Vernon
1681Robert Brady
1689Sir Robert SawyerIsaac NewtonWhig
1690Edward Finch
1692Henry BoyleWhig
1695George Oxenden
1698Anthony Hammond
1701Isaac NewtonCourt Whig
1702Arthur AnnesleyTory
1705Dixie WindsorTory
1710Thomas PaskeTory
1720Thomas WilloughbyTory
1727Edward FinchWhigThomas TownshendWhig
1768Charles YorkeRockingham Whig
1770William de Grey
1771Richard Croftes
1774Charles Manners, Marquess of Granby
1779James Mansfield
1780Lord John TownshendWhig

1784 to 1950
YearMemberPartyMemberParty
1784 William Pitt the YoungerTory1[1] Earl of EustonWhig[1]
1806 Lord Henry PettyWhig[1]
1807 Sir Vicary GibbsTory[1]
1811 Henry TempleTory[1]
1812 John Henry SmythWhig[1]
1822 William John BankesTory[1]
1826 Sir John CopleyTory[1]
1827 Sir Nicholas Conyngham TindalTory[1]
1829 William Cavendish Whig[1]
1830 Whig[1]
1831 Henry GoulburnTory[1] William Yates PeelTory[1]
1832 Charles Manners-SuttonTory[1]
1834 Conservative[1] Conservative[1]
1835 Hon. Charles LawConservative[1]
1850 Loftus WigramConservative
1856 Spencer Horatio WalpoleConservative
1859 Charles Jasper SelwynConservative
1868 Alexander Beresford HopeConservative
1882 Henry Cecil RaikesConservative
1887 Sir George Stokes, BtConservative
1891 Sir Richard Claverhouse Jebb 2Conservative
1892 Sir John Eldon GorstConservative
1906 Samuel ButcherConservative John RawlinsonConservative
1911 Sir Joseph LarmorConservative
1918Co. Conservative 3Co. Conservative3
1922 J. R. M. ButlerInd. Liberal4Conservative
1923 Sir Geoffrey G. Butler 5Conservative
1926 Sir John WithersConservative
1929 Godfrey WilsonConservative
1935 Sir Kenneth PickthornConservative
1940 Dr. Archibald HillInd. Conservative4
1945 Wilson HarrisIndependent

Notes:-

  • 1 Pitt called himself a Whig, but is usually retrospectively regarded as a Tory since most of his followers (whether their background was in the Whig or Tory tradition) came to call themselves the Tory Party in the decade after Pitt's death.
  • 2 Jebb died on 10 December 1905 – seat vacant at dissolution.
  • 3 Co. is an abbreviation for Coalition.
  • 4 Ind. is an abbreviation for Independent.
  • 5 Sir Geoffrey G. Butler died on 2 May 1929 – seat vacant at dissolution.

Election by Block Vote 1715–1918

1710s – 1720s – 1730s – 1740s – 1750s – 1760s – 1770s – 1780s – 1790s – 1800s – 1810s – 1820s – 1830s – 1840s – 1850s – 1860s – 1870s – 1880s – 1890s – 1900s – 1910s

Elections in the 1710s
General election 26 January 1715: Cambridge University (2 seats)
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Tory Dixie Windsor Unopposed N/A N/A
Tory Thomas Paske Unopposed N/A N/A

Elections in the 1720s
  • Death of Paske
By-Election 19 December 1720: Cambridge University
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Tory Thomas Willoughby 176 55.17 N/A
Whig Henry Finch 143 44.83 N/A
Majority 33 10.34 N/A
Turnout 319 N/A N/A
Tory hold Swing N/A
  • Note (1722): Stooks Smith gives Willoughby 319 votes.
General election 22 March 1722: Cambridge University (2 seats)
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Tory Dixie Windsor Unopposed N/A N/A
Tory Thomas Willoughby Unopposed N/A N/A
General election 22 August 1727: Cambridge University (2 seats)
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Whig Edward Finch 221 37.14 N/A
Whig Thomas Townshend 198 33.28 N/A
Tory Dixie Windsor 176 29.58 N/A
Turnout 595 (377 voted) 79.70 N/A
Registered electors 473
  • Note (1727): Unusually, for a pre-1832 election, Stooks Smith records the total number of electors for the constituency as well as the number who voted; so a turnout figure can be calculated.

Elections in the 1730s
General election 29 April 1734: Cambridge University (2 seats)
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Whig Thomas Townshend 222 30.33 −2.95
Whig Edward Finch 209 28.55 −8.59
Whig -. Goodrick 174 23.77 N/A
Tory Dixie Windsor 137 17.35 −12.23
Turnout 732 N/A N/A
  • Note (1734): Goodrick was an Opposition Whig

Elections in the 1740s
General election 6 May 1741: Cambridge University (2 seats)
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Whig Edward Finch Unopposed N/A N/A
Whig Thomas Townshend Unopposed N/A N/A
By-Election 23 July 1742: Cambridge University
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Whig Edward Finch Unopposed N/A N/A
Whig hold Swing N/A
General election 26 June 1747: Cambridge University (2 seats)
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Whig Edward Finch Unopposed N/A N/A
Whig Thomas Townshend Unopposed N/A N/A

Elections in the 1750s
General election 17 April 1754: Cambridge University (2 seats)
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Whig Edward Finch Unopposed N/A N/A
Whig Thomas Townshend Unopposed N/A N/A
  • Seat vacated when Finch was appointed to an office
By-Election 14 June 1757: Cambridge University
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Whig Edward Finch Unopposed N/A N/A
Whig hold Swing N/A

Elections in the 1760s
  • Seat vacated when Finch was appointed to an office
By-Election 14 January 1761: Cambridge University
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Whig Edward Finch Unopposed N/A N/A
Whig hold Swing N/A
General election 27 March 1761: Cambridge University (2 seats)
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Whig Edward Finch Unopposed N/A N/A
Whig Thomas Townshend Unopposed N/A N/A
General election 19 March 1768: Cambridge University (2 seats)
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Non Partisan Charles Yorke Unopposed N/A N/A
Whig Thomas Townshend Unopposed N/A N/A

Elections in the 1770s
By-Election 1 February 1770: Cambridge University
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Non Partisan William de Grey Unopposed N/A N/A
Non Partisan hold Swing N/A
By-Election 4 February 1771: Cambridge University
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Non Partisan Richard Croftes 76 62.81 N/A
Non Partisan William Wynne 45 37.19 N/A
Majority 31 25.62 N/A
Turnout 121 N/A N/A
Non Partisan hold Swing N/A
General election 10 October 1774: Cambridge University (2 seats)
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Non Partisan Charles Manners Unopposed N/A N/A
Non Partisan Richard Croftes Unopposed N/A N/A
By-Election 10 June 1779: Cambridge University
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Non Partisan James Mansfield 157 35.68 N/A
Non Partisan John Townshend 145 32.95 N/A
Non Partisan Thomas Villiers 138 31.36 N/A
Majority 12 2.73 N/A
Turnout 440 N/A N/A
Non Partisan hold Swing N/A

Elections in the 1780s
General election 9 September 1780: Cambridge University (2 seats)
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Non Partisan James Mansfield 277 27.10 N/A
Non Partisan John Townshend 247 24.17 N/A
Non Partisan Thomas Villiers 206 20.16 N/A
Non Partisan Richard Croftes 150 14.68 N/A
Non Partisan William Pitt 142 13.89 N/A
Turnout 1,022 (546 voters) N/A N/A
  • Note (1780): Stooks Smith records Townshend as getting 237 votes.
  • Seat vacated on Townshend being appointed to an office
By-Election 3 April 1782: Cambridge University
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Non Partisan John Townshend Unopposed N/A N/A
Non Partisan hold Swing N/A
  • Seat vacated on Townshend being appointed to an office
By-Election 11 April 1783: Cambridge University
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Non Partisan John Townshend Unopposed N/A N/A
Non Partisan hold Swing N/A
By-Election 26 November 1783: Cambridge University
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Non Partisan James Mansfield Unopposed N/A N/A
Non Partisan hold Swing N/A
General election 3 April 1784: Cambridge University (2 seats)
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Non Partisan William Pitt 351 31.65 +17.76
Non Partisan George FitzRoy 299 26.96 N/A
Non Partisan John Townshend 278 25.07 +0.90
Non Partisan James Mansfield 181 16.32 −10.78
Turnout 1,109 (588 voters) N/A N/A
  • The 1784 election was broadly a contest between the new government of Pitt and the ousted Fox-North Coalition, in which both Townshend and Mansfield had held office.

Elections in the 1790s
General election 1790: Cambridge University (2 seats)
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Tory William Pitt 510 42.50 +10.85
Whig George FitzRoy 483 40.25 +13.29
Whig Lawrence Dundas 207 17.25 N/A
Turnout 1,200 (684 voters) N/A N/A
  • Note (1790): Party labels in the 1790–1832 period follow Stooks Smith, who classifies Pitt and his Pittite supporters as Tories without regard to what they would have actually called themselves.
  • Seat vacated on Pitt being appointed Lord Warden of the Cinque Ports
By-Election 1792: Cambridge University
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Tory William Pitt Unopposed N/A N/A
Tory hold Swing N/A
  • Seat vacated on Euston being appointed to an office
By-Election 1794: Cambridge University
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Whig George FitzRoy Unopposed N/A N/A
Whig hold Swing N/A
General election 1796: Cambridge University (2 seats)
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Tory William Pitt Unopposed N/A N/A
Whig George FitzRoy Unopposed N/A N/A

Elections in the 1800s
General election 1802: Cambridge University (2 seats)
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Tory William Pitt Unopposed N/A N/A
Whig George FitzRoy Unopposed N/A N/A
By-Election 1804: Cambridge University
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Tory William Pitt Unopposed N/A N/A
Tory hold Swing N/A
  • Death of Pitt
By-Election February 1806: Cambridge University
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Whig Henry Petty 331 54.80 N/A
Whig John Spencer 145 24.01 N/A
Tory Henry Temple 128 21.19 N/A
Majority 186 30.79 N/A
Turnout 604 N/A N/A
Whig gain from Tory Swing N/A
  • Palmerston was a Peer of Ireland
General election 1806: Cambridge University (2 seats)
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Whig Henry Petty Unopposed N/A N/A
Whig George FitzRoy Unopposed N/A N/A
General election 1807: Cambridge University (2 seats)
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Whig George FitzRoy 324 26.75 N/A
Tory Vicary Gibbs 312 25.76 New
Tory Henry Temple 310 25.60 New
Whig Henry Petty 265 21.88 N/A
Turnout 1,211 (631 voters) N/A N/A

Elections in the 1810s
By-Election March 1811: Cambridge University
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Tory Henry Temple 451 56.66 N/A
Whig John Henry Smyth 345 43.34 N/A
Majority 106 13.32 N/A
Turnout 796 N/A N/A
Tory gain from Whig Swing N/A
By-Election 1812: Cambridge University
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Whig John Henry Smyth Unopposed N/A N/A
Whig gain from Tory Swing N/A
General election 1812: Cambridge University (2 seats)
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Tory Henry Temple Unopposed N/A N/A
Whig John Henry Smyth Unopposed N/A N/A
General election 1818: Cambridge University (2 seats)
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Tory Henry Temple Unopposed N/A N/A
Whig John Henry Smyth Unopposed N/A N/A

Elections in the 1820s
General election 1820: Cambridge University (2 seats)
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Tory Henry Temple Unopposed N/A N/A
Whig John Henry Smyth Unopposed N/A N/A
  • Death of Smyth
By-Election 1822: Cambridge University
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Tory William John Bankes 419 45.59 N/A
Tory Lord Harvey 281 30.58 N/A
Whig James Scarlett 219 23.83 N/A
Majority 138 15.02 N/A
Turnout 919 N/A N/A
Tory gain from Whig Swing N/A
General election 1826: Cambridge University (2 seats)
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Tory John Copley 772 32.88 N/A
Whig Henry Temple 631 26.87 N/A
Tory William John Bankes 508 21.64 N/A
Tory Henry Goulburn 437 18.61 N/A
Majority 123 5.23 N/A
Turnout 2,348 (1,293 voters) N/A N/A
Tory hold Swing N/A
Whig hold Swing N/A
By-Election May 1827: Cambridge University
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Tory Nicholas Conyngham Tindal 479 55.89 N/A
Tory William John Bankes 378 44.11 N/A
Majority 101 11.78 N/A
Turnout 857 43.93 N/A
Registered electors 1,951
Tory hold Swing N/A
  • Note (1827): Unusually for a pre-1832 election Stooks Smith provides a total electorate figure, so a turnout percentage can be calculated. See the 1727 result above for another instance.
  • Seat vacated on the appointment of Tindal as Chief Justice of the Court of Common Pleas
By-Election June 1829: Cambridge University
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Whig William Cavendish 609 56.86 N/A
Tory George Bankes 462 43.14 −0.97
Majority 147 13.72 N/A
Turnout 1,071
Whig gain from Tory Swing

Elections in the 1830s
General election 1830: Cambridge University (2 seats)[1][2]
Party Candidate Votes %
Whig Henry Temple Unopposed
Whig William Cavendish Unopposed
Whig gain from Tory
Whig gain from Tory
By-election, 30 November 1830: Cambridge University[1][2]
Party Candidate Votes %
Whig Henry Temple Unopposed
Whig hold
General election 1831: Cambridge University (2 seats)[1][2]
Party Candidate Votes %
Tory Henry Goulburn 805 28.3
Tory William Yates Peel 804 28.2
Whig William Cavendish 630 22.1
Whig Henry Temple 610 21.4
Majority 174 6.1
Turnout 1,450 65.5
Registered electors 2,215
Tory gain from Whig
Tory gain from Whig
General election 12 December 1832: Cambridge University (2 seats)[1]
Party Candidate Votes %
Tory Henry Goulburn Unopposed
Speaker Charles Manners-Sutton Unopposed
Registered electors 2,319
Tory hold
Speaker gain from Tory
General election 12 December 1835: Cambridge University (2 seats)[1]
Party Candidate Votes %
Conservative Henry Goulburn Unopposed
Speaker Charles Manners-Sutton Unopposed
Registered electors 2,319
Conservative hold
Speaker hold
  • Manners-Sutton created 'The 1st Viscount Canterbury'.
By-election, 21 March 1835: Cambridge University[1]
Party Candidate Votes %
Conservative Charles Law Unopposed
Conservative gain from Speaker
General election 25 July 1837: Cambridge University (2 seats)[1]
Party Candidate Votes %
Conservative Henry Goulburn Unopposed
Conservative Charles Law Unopposed
Registered electors 2,613
Conservative hold
Conservative gain from Speaker
  • Note (1837): McCalmont's Parliamentary Poll Book classifies Law as a Peelite between this election and that of 1847.

Elections in the 1840s
General election 30 June 1841: Cambridge University (2 seats)
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Henry Goulburn Unopposed
Conservative Charles Law Unopposed
Registered electors 2,873
Conservative hold
Conservative hold
  • Note (1841): McCalmont's Parliamentary Poll Book classifies Goulburn as a Liberal Conservative and Law as a Peelite for this election.
  • Goulburn appointed Chancellor of the Exchequer.
By-election, 15 September 1841: Cambridge University
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Henry Goulburn Unopposed
Conservative hold
General election 3 August 1847: Cambridge University (2 seats)
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Charles Law 1,486 31.7 N/A
Conservative Henry Goulburn 1,189 25.4 N/A
Conservative Rudolph Feilding 1,147 24.5 N/A
Whig John Shaw-Lefevre 860 18.4 New
Majority 42 0.9 N/A
Turnout 2,341 (est) 61.6 N/A
Registered electors 3,800
Conservative hold Swing N/A
Conservative hold Swing N/A
  • Note 1 (1847): 3,800 registered electors; 4,682 votes cast; minimum possible turnout estimated by dividing votes by 2. To the extent that electors did not use both their votes, the figure will be an underestimate.
  • Note 2 (1847): McCalmont's Parliamentary Poll Book classifies Goulburn as a Liberal Conservative and Law as a Peelite for this election.

Elections in the 1850s
  • Death of Law.
By-election, 4 October 1850: Cambridge University[3]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Loftus Wigram Unopposed
Conservative hold
General election 10 July 1852: Cambridge University (2 seats)[3]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Henry Goulburn Unopposed
Conservative Loftus Wigram Unopposed
Registered electors 4,063
Conservative hold
Conservative hold
  • Note (1852): McCalmont's Parliamentary Poll Book classifies Goulburn as a Liberal Conservative for this election.
  • Death of Goulburn.
By-election, 11 February 1856: Cambridge University[3]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Spencer Horatio Walpole 886 67.9 N/A
Whig George Denman[4] 419 32.1 New
Majority 467 35.8 N/A
Turnout 1,305 28.7 N/A
Registered electors 4,552
Conservative hold Swing N/A
General election 28 March 1857: Cambridge University (2 seats)[3]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Spencer Horatio Walpole Unopposed
Conservative Loftus Wigram Unopposed
Registered electors 4,552
Conservative hold
Conservative hold
By-election, 4 March 1858: Cambridge University[3]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Spencer Horatio Walpole Unopposed
Conservative hold
General election 29 April 1859: Cambridge University (2 seats)[3]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Charles Jasper Selwyn Unopposed
Conservative Spencer Horatio Walpole Unopposed
Registered electors 4,566
Conservative hold
Conservative hold

Elections in the 1860s
General election 11 July 1865: Cambridge University (2 seats)[3]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Charles Jasper Selwyn Unopposed
Conservative Spencer Horatio Walpole Unopposed
Registered electors 5,184
Conservative hold
Conservative hold
By-Election 11 July 1866: Cambridge University[3]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Spencer Horatio Walpole Unopposed
Conservative hold
By-Election 22 July 1867: Cambridge University[3]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Charles Jasper Selwyn Unopposed
Conservative hold
By-Election 24 February 1868: Cambridge University[3]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Alexander Beresford Hope 1,931 58.0 N/A
Conservative Anthony Cleasby[5] 1,400 42.0 N/A
Majority 531 16.0 N/A
Turnout 3,331 64.3 N/A
Registered electors 5,184
Conservative hold
General election 16 November 1868: Cambridge University (2 seats)[3]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Alexander Beresford Hope Unopposed
Conservative Spencer Horatio Walpole Unopposed
Registered electors 5,435
Conservative hold
Conservative hold

Elections in the 1870s
General election 2 February 1874: Cambridge University (2 seats)
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Alexander Beresford Hope Unopposed
Conservative Spencer Horatio Walpole Unopposed
Registered electors 5,855
Conservative hold
Conservative hold

Elections in the 1880s
General election April 1880: Cambridge University (2 seats)[3]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Alexander Beresford Hope Unopposed
Conservative Spencer Horatio Walpole Unopposed
Registered electors 6,161
Conservative hold
Conservative hold

Walpole's resignation caused a by-election.

By-Election 23–28 Nov 1882: Cambridge University[3]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Henry Cecil Raikes 3,491 72.9 N/A
Liberal James Stuart 1,301 27.2 New
Majority 2,190 45.7 N/A
Turnout 4,792 75.2 N/A
Registered electors 6,371
Conservative hold Swing N/A
Hope
General election 1885: Cambridge University (2 seats)[6]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Alexander Beresford Hope Unopposed
Conservative Henry Cecil Raikes Unopposed
Conservative hold
Conservative hold
General election 1886: Cambridge University (2 seats)[6]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Alexander Beresford Hope Unopposed
Conservative Henry Cecil Raikes Unopposed
Conservative hold
Conservative hold

Raikes was appointed Postmaster General, requiring a by-election.

By-election, 13 Aug 1886: Cambridge University[6]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Henry Cecil Raikes Unopposed
Conservative hold
Stokes

Beresford-Hope's death caused a by-election.

By-election, 17 Nov 1887: Cambridge University[6]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative George Stokes Unopposed
Conservative hold

Elections in the 1890s
Jebb
1891 Cambridge University by-election[6]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Richard Claverhouse Jebb Unopposed
Conservative hold
General election 1892: Cambridge University (2 seats)[6]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative John Eldon Gorst Unopposed
Conservative Richard Claverhouse Jebb Unopposed
Conservative hold
Conservative hold
General election 1895: Cambridge University (2 seats)[6]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative John Eldon Gorst Unopposed
Conservative Richard Claverhouse Jebb Unopposed
Conservative hold
Conservative hold

Elections in the 1900s
General election 1900: Cambridge University (2 seats)[6]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative John Eldon Gorst Unopposed
Conservative Richard Claverhouse Jebb Unopposed
Conservative hold
Conservative hold
General election 1906: Cambridge University (2 seats)[6]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Samuel Butcher 3,050 39.72 N/A
Conservative John Rawlinson 2,976 38.76 N/A
Free Trader John Eldon Gorst 1,653 21.53 New
Majority 1,323 17.23 N/A
Turnout 4,063 65.8 N/A
Registered electors 6,972
Conservative hold Swing N/A
Conservative hold Swing N/A

Elections in the 1910s
General election January 1910: Cambridge University (2 seats)
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Samuel Butcher Unopposed
Conservative John Rawlinson Unopposed
Conservative hold
Conservative hold
General election December 1910: Cambridge University (2 seats)
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Samuel Butcher Unopposed
Conservative John Rawlinson Unopposed
Conservative hold
Conservative hold
Cox
1911 Cambridge University by-election
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Joseph Larmor 2,308 50.24 N/A
Free Trade Harold Cox 1,954 42.53 New
Ind. Conservative Thomas Ethelbert Page 332 7.23 New
Majority 354 7.71 N/A
Turnout 7,129 64.44 N/A
Conservative hold Swing N/A

Elections 1918–1950

General Elections, from 1918 when most constituencies polled on the same day, were on different polling days than for territorial constituencies. The polls for university constituencies were open for five days. The elections were also conducted by Single Transferable Vote.

Elections in the 1910s
General Election 1918: Cambridge University (2 seats)
PartyCandidateFPv%Count
12
C Coalition Unionist John Rawlinson 35.16 2,034  
C Coalition Unionist Joseph Larmor 32.69 1,891 1,986
Independent William Cecil Dampier 21.09 1,220 1,229
Labour J. C. Squire 11.06 640 641
Electorate: 9,282   Valid: 5,785   Quota: 1,929   Turnout: 62.32%  
C indicates candidate endorsed by the coalition government.

    Elections in the 1920s
    General election 1922: Cambridge University (2 seats)
    Party Candidate Votes % ±%
    Unionist John Rawlinson 4,192 49.39 +14.23
    Independent Liberal J. R. M. Butler 3,453 39.86 New
    Unionist William Ritchie Sorley 1,018 11.75 New
    Majority 2,435 28.11 N/A
    Quota 2,888
    Registered electors 13,592
    Turnout 8,663 63.74
    Independent Liberal gain from Unionist Swing N/A
    • As two candidates achieved the quota only one count was necessary
    General Election 1923: Cambridge University (2 seats)
    PartyCandidateFPv%Count
    12
    Unionist John Rawlinson 40.85 4,207  
    Unionist Geoffrey G. Butler 27.61 2,844 3,560
    Independent Liberal J. R. M. Butler 31.54 3,248 3,283
    Electorate: 14,974   Valid: 10,229   Quota: 3,434   Turnout: 68.78%  
      General election 1924: Cambridge University (2 seats)
      Party Candidate Votes % ±%
      Unionist John Rawlinson 4,569 38.60 −2.25
      Unionist Geoffrey G. Butler 4,026 34.01 +6.40
      Independent Liberal J. R. M. Butler 3,241 27.38 −4.16
      Majority 785 6.63
      Quota 3,946
      Registered electors 16,621
      Turnout 11,836 71.21 +2.43
      Unionist hold Swing
      • As two candidates achieved the quota only one count was necessary
      1926 Cambridge University by-election
      Party Candidate Votes % ±%
      Unionist John Withers Unopposed N/A N/A
      Unionist hold Swing N/A
      General Election 1929: Cambridge University (2 seats)
      PartyCandidateFPv%Count
      12
      Unionist John Withers 39.76 6,356  
      Unionist Godfrey Wilson 31.71 5,069 6,046
      Liberal Hubert Henderson 19.38 3,099 3,131
      Labour Alexander Wood 9.15 1,463 1,480
      Electorate: 23,978   Valid: 15,987   Quota: 5,330   Turnout: 66.67  

        Elections in the 1930s
        General election 1931: Cambridge University (2 seats)
        Party Candidate Votes % ±%
        Conservative Godfrey Wilson Unopposed N/A N/A
        Conservative John Withers Unopposed N/A N/A
        Conservative hold Swing
        1935 Cambridge University by-election
        Party Candidate Votes % ±%
        Conservative Kenneth Pickthorn Unopposed N/A N/A
        Conservative hold Swing N/A
        General election 1935: Cambridge University (2 seats)
        Party Candidate Votes % ±%
        Conservative John Withers 7,602 42.30 N/A
        Conservative Kenneth Pickthorn 6,917 38.49 N/A
        Labour Lionel Elvin 3,453 19.21 New
        Majority 3,464 19.28 N/A
        Quota 5,991
        Registered electors 33,617
        Turnout 17,972 53.46 N/A
        Conservative hold Swing
        • As two candidates achieved the quota only one count was necessary

        Elections in the 1940s
        1940 Cambridge University by-election
        Party Candidate Votes % ±%
        Ind. Conservative Archibald Hill 9,840 64.62 New
        Independent Progressive John Ryle 5,387 35.38 New
        Majority 4,453 29.24 N/A
        Turnout 39,171 38.87 N/A
        Ind. Conservative gain from Conservative Swing N/A
        General Election 1945: Cambridge University (2 seats)
        PartyCandidateFPv%Count
        1234
        Conservative Kenneth Pickthorn 46.18 10,202      
        Independent Wilson Harris 16.18 3,574 4,709 5,185 6,556
        Independent Progressive J. B. Priestley 22.82 5,041 5,128 5,238 5,745
        Independent Charles Hill 10.13 2,238 3,092 3,595 eliminated
        National Ernest Leslie Howard-Williams 4.69 1,036 1,798 eliminated –
        Electorate: 42,012   Valid: 22,091   Quota: 7,364   Turnout: 52.58  

          See also

          References
          • Boundaries of Parliamentary Constituencies 1885–1972, compiled and edited by F.W.S. Craig (Parliamentary Reference Publications 1972)
          • British Parliamentary Election Results 1832–1885, compiled and edited by F.W.S. Craig (Macmillan Press 1977)
          • British Parliamentary Election Results 1885–1918, compiled and edited by F.W.S. Craig (Macmillan Press 1974)
          • British Parliamentary Election Results 1918–1949, compiled and edited by F.W.S. Craig (Macmillan Press, revised edition 1977)
          • McCalmont's Parliamentary Poll Book: British Election Results 1832–1918 (8th edition, The Harvester Press 1971)
          • The House of Commons 1715–1754, by Romney Sedgwick (HMSO 1970)
          • The House of Commons 1754–1790, by Sir Lewis Namier and John Brooke (HMSO 1964)
          • The Parliaments of England by Henry Stooks Smith (1st edition published in three volumes 1844–50), second edition edited (in one volume) by F.W.S. Craig (Political Reference Publications 1973)
          • Who's Who of British Members of Parliament: Volume I 1832–1885, edited by M. Stenton (The Harvester Press 1976)
          • Who's Who of British Members of Parliament, Volume II 1886–1918, edited by M. Stenton and S. Lees (Harvester Press 1978)
          • Who's Who of British Members of Parliament, Volume III 1919–1945, edited by M. Stenton and S. Lees (Harvester Press 1979)
          • Who's Who of British Members of Parliament, Volume IV 1945–1979, edited by M. Stenton and S. Lees (Harvester Press 1981)
          • Leigh Rayment's Historical List of MPs – Constituencies beginning with "C" (part 1)
          Specific
          1. Stooks Smith, Henry. (1973) [1844-1850]. Craig, F. W. S. (ed.). The Parliaments of England (2nd ed.). Chichester: Parliamentary Research Services. pp. 28–31. ISBN 0-900178-13-2.
          2. Fisher, David R. "Cambridge University". The History of Parliament. Retrieved 9 May 2020.
          3. Craig, F. W. S., ed. (1977). British Parliamentary Election Results 1832-1885 (e-book) (1st ed.). London: Macmillan Press. ISBN 978-1-349-02349-3.
          4. "Cambridge University Election". Yorkshire Gazette. 9 February 1856. p. 3. Retrieved 14 September 2018 – via British Newspaper Archive.
          5. "Cambridge University Election". Cambridge Independent Press. 29 February 1868. p. 5. Retrieved 1 February 2018 – via British Newspaper Archive.
          6. Craig, FWS, ed. (1974). British Parliamentary Election Results: 1885-1918. London: Macmillan Press. ISBN 9781349022984.
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