Cockermouth (UK Parliament constituency)

Cockermouth was the name of a constituency of the House of Commons of the Parliament of England in 1295, and again from 1641, then of the Parliament of Great Britain from 1707 to 1800 and of the Parliament of the United Kingdom from 1801 to 1918. It was a parliamentary borough represented by two Members of Parliament until 1868, and by one member from 1868 to 1885. The name was then transferred to a county constituency electing one MP from 1885 until 1918.

Cockermouth division of Cumberland
Former County constituency
for the House of Commons
1885–1918
Created fromWest Cumberland and Cockermouth
Replaced byWorkington and Penrith and Cockermouth
1641–1885
Created fromCumberland
Replaced byCockermouth
1295–1295
Created fromCumberland
Replaced byCumberland

Notable MPs have included the regicide, Francis Allen.

The borough constituency (until 1885)
Richard Bourke, 6th Earl of Mayo

Until the Great Reform Act of 1832, the constituency consisted solely of the market town of Cockermouth in Cumberland. It first returned members to the Model Parliament of 1295, but its franchise then seems to have lapsed until 1641, when the Long Parliament passed a resolution (15 February 1641) to restore its ancient privileges.

The right of election in Cockermouth was vested in the burgage tenants of the borough, of whom there were about 300 in 1832. Cockermouth was considered a pocket borough, with the vast majority of the voters being under the influence of the Lowther family.

At the time of the 1831 census, the borough included just over 1,000 houses and had a population of 4,536. The Reform Act expanded the boundaries to bring in the neighbouring parishes of Eaglesfield, Brigham, Papcastle and Bridekirk, and part of Dovenby, increasing the population to 6,022 and encompassing 1,325 houses. This made the borough big enough to retain both its members. However, in the next wave of reform, introduced at the 1868 general election, one of Cockermouth's two seats was withdrawn, and in 1885 the borough was abolished altogether, although the name was transferred to the surrounding county constituency.

The county constituency (1885-1918)

The Cockermouth constituency created in 1885, strictly speaking The Cockermouth Division of Cumberland, was a compact division stretching westwards from Cockermouth to the sea, and including the much larger town of Workington. There was a significant Irish vote, and the Conservative victory in 1885 and subsequent Liberal gain of the seat in 1886 have been attributed to Parnell's shift of support from the one party to the other.

The constituency was divided between the new Workington and Penrith and Cockermouth divisions of Cumberland from 1918.

Members of Parliament

Cockermouth re-enfranchised by Parliament in Nov 1640

MPs 1641–1868
YearFirst memberFirst partySecond memberSecond party
1641 Sir John Fenwick, Bt[1]Parliamentarian Sir John HippisleyParliamentarian
1642 Seat vacant through double return [2]
1645 Francis Allen
1653 Cockermouth was unrepresented in the Barebones Parliament and the First and Second Parliaments of the Protectorate
January 1659 John Stapleton Wilfrid Lawson
May 1659 Not represented in the restored Rump
1660 Richard Tolson Sir Wilfrid Lawson
1661 Hugh Potter
1662 Robert Scawen
1670 John Clarke
1675 Sir Richard Grahme
1679 Sir Orlando Gee
1685 Sir Daniel Fleming
1689 Sir Henry Capell Henry Fletcher
1690 Sir Orlando Gee Sir Wilfrid Lawson
1695 Sir Charles Gerard Goodwin WhartonWhig
1698 George FletcherWhig William Seymour
1701 Goodwin WhartonWhig
February 1702 Thomas Lamplugh
July 1702 James StanhopeWhig
1708 Albemarle Bertie
1710 Nicholas Lechmere
1713 Joseph Musgrave
1715 James StanhopeWhig
April 1717 Sir Thomas Pengelly
July 1717 Lord Percy Seymour[3]
1721 Anthony Lowther
1722 Sir Wilfrid Lawson
1727 William Finch
1734
1738 Eldred Curwen
1741 Sir John Mordaunt
July 1747 Sir Charles Wyndham[4]
December 1747 William Finch
1754 Percy Wyndham-O'Brien[5]
1761 Charles Jenkinson
1767 Captain John Elliot, RN
March 1768 Charles Jenkinson[6] Sir George Macartney
May 1768 Captain George Johnstone, RN[7]Independent
1769 Sir James Lowther
1774 Fletcher Norton[8]
1775 Ralph Gowland James Adair
1780 John Baynes GarforthTory[9] John LowtherTory[9]
1784 James Clarke SatterthwaiteTory[9]
1786 Humphrey SenhouseTory[9]
1790 John Baynes GarforthTory[9] Sir John Anstruther, 1st and 4th BaronetTory[9]
1796 Edward BurrowTory[9]
1800 Walter Spencer-StanhopeTory[9]
1802 James GrahamTory[9] Robert Plumer WardTory[9]
1805 Viscount GarliesTory[9]
1806 John LowtherTory[9] James GrahamTory[9]
January 1807 Lord BinningTory
May 1807 John LowtherTory[9]
July 1807 John OsbornTory[9]
1808 Viscount LowtherTory[9]
October 1812 John LowtherTory[9]
December 1812 Augustus FosterTory[9]
1813 Thomas WallaceTory[9]
1816 John LowtherTory[9]
1818 Sir John BeckettTory[9]
1821 William Wilson Carus WilsonTory[9]
1826 Viscount GarliesTory[9]
1827 Laurence PeelTory[9]
1830 Philip Pleydell-BouverieWhig[9]
1831 John LowtherTory[9] Sir James ScarlettTory[9]
1832 Henry Aglionby AglionbyRadical[10][11][12][13][14][15] Fretchville Lawson Ballantine DykesWhig[9]
1836 Edward HorsmanWhig[9][10][16][17][18]
1852 Henry WyndhamConservative
1854 John SteelRadical[19][20]
1857 Lord NaasConservative
1859 Liberal
April 1868 Andrew Green ThompsonConservative
1868 Representation reduced to one member

MPs 1868–1885
ElectionMemberParty
1868 Isaac FletcherLiberal
1879 by-election William FletcherLiberal
1880 Edward WaughLiberal
1885 Borough abolished; name transferred to county division

MPs 1885–1918

Cockermouth Division of Cumberland

ElectionMemberParty
1885 Charles James ValentineConservative
1886 Sir Wilfrid LawsonLiberal
1900 John RandlesConservative
1906 Sir Wilfrid LawsonLiberal
1906 Sir John RandlesConservative
1910 Sir Wilfrid Lawson jnr.Liberal
1916 Joseph BlissLiberal
1918 constituency abolished

Elections

Elections in the 1830s
General election 1830: Cockermouth [9][21]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Tory Randolph Stewart Unopposed
Whig Philip Pleydell-Bouverie Unopposed
Registered electors c. 235
Tory hold
Whig gain from Tory
General election 1831: Cockermouth [9][21]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Tory John Lowther Unopposed
Tory James Scarlett Unopposed
Registered electors c. 235
Tory hold
Tory gain from Whig
General election 1832: Cockermouth [9][22]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Whig Fretchville Lawson Ballantine Dykes 187 40.2 New
Radical Henry Aglionby Aglionby 153 32.9 New
Radical Andrew Green[23][21] 125 26.9 New
Majority 34 7.3 N/A
Turnout 255 83.6 N/A
Registered electors 305
Whig gain from Tory Swing N/A
Radical gain from Tory Swing N/A
General election 1835: Cockermouth [9][22]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Radical Henry Aglionby Aglionby 192 42.7 −17.1
Whig Fretchville Lawson Ballantine Dykes 145 32.2 +12.1
Whig Edward Horsman 113 25.1 +5.0
Majority 47 10.5 N/A
Turnout 258 78.7 −4.9
Registered electors 328
Radical hold Swing −17.1
Whig hold Swing +10.3

Dykes resigned, causing a by-election.

By-election, 15 February 1836: Cockermouth [9][22]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Whig Edward Horsman Unopposed
Whig hold
General election 1837: Cockermouth [9][22]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Radical Henry Aglionby Aglionby 169 42.0 −0.7
Whig Edward Horsman 122 30.3 +5.2
Whig Richard Benson 111 27.6 −4.6
Majority 47 11.7 +1.3
Turnout 229 77.1 −1.6
Registered electors 297
Radical hold Swing −0.7
Whig hold Swing +2.8

Elections in the 1840s

Horsman was appointed a Lord Commissioner of the Treasury, requiring a by-election.

By-election, 1 June 1840: Cockermouth [22]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Whig Edward Horsman 117 56.3 −1.6
Conservative Henry Wyndham 91 43.8 New
Majority 26 12.5 N/A
Turnout 208 72.2 −4.9
Registered electors 288
Whig hold Swing N/A
General election 1841: Cockermouth [9][22]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Radical Henry Aglionby Aglionby 129 36.2 +5.8
Whig Edward Horsman 127 35.7 −22.2
Conservative Henry Wyndham 100 28.1 N/A
Turnout 228 78.2 +1.1
Registered electors 293
Majority 2 0.5 −11.2
Radical hold Swing '+8.5
Majority 27 7.6 N/A
Whig hold Swing −8.5
General election 1847: Cockermouth [22]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Whig Edward Horsman Unopposed
Radical Henry Aglionby Aglionby Unopposed
Registered electors 319
Whig hold
Radical hold

Elections in the 1850s
General election 1852: Cockermouth [22]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Henry Wyndham 160 34.7 New
Radical Henry Aglionby Aglionby 154 33.4 N/A
Whig Edward Horsman 147 31.9 N/A
Turnout 311 (est) 87.5 (est) N/A
Registered electors 355
Majority 6 1.3 N/A
Conservative gain from Whig
Majority 7 1.5 N/A
Radical hold

Aglionby's death caused a by-election.

By-election, 9 August 1854: Cockermouth [22]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Radical John Steel Unopposed
Radical hold
General election 1857: Cockermouth [22]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Richard Bourke Unopposed
Radical John Steel Unopposed
Registered electors 408
Conservative hold
Radical hold

Bourke was appointed Chief Secretary to the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland, requiring a by-election.

By-election, 3 March 1858: Cockermouth [22]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Richard Bourke Unopposed
Conservative hold
General election 1859: Cockermouth [22]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Richard Bourke Unopposed
Liberal John Steel Unopposed
Registered electors 412
Conservative hold
Liberal hold

Elections in the 1860s
General election 1865: Cockermouth [22]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Richard Bourke Unopposed
Liberal John Steel Unopposed
Registered electors 336
Conservative hold
Liberal hold

Bourke was appointed Chief Secretary to the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland, requiring a by-election.

By-election, 11 Jul 1866: Cockermouth [22]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Richard Bourke Unopposed
Conservative hold

Steel's death caused a by-election.

By-election, 27 Apr 1868: Cockermouth [22]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Andrew Green Thompson 171 54.3 N/A
Liberal Isaac Fletcher 144 45.7 N/A
Majority 27 8.6 N/A
Turnout 315 93.8 N/A
Registered electors 336
Conservative gain from Liberal

Seat reduced to one member

General election 1868: Cockermouth [22]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Isaac Fletcher 620 61.5 N/A
Conservative Henry Lorton Bourke[24] 388 38.5 N/A
Majority 232 23.0 N/A
Turnout 1,008 93.9 N/A
Registered electors 1,074
Liberal hold

Elections in the 1870s
General election 1874: Cockermouth [22]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Isaac Fletcher 506 56.6 −4.9
Conservative John Henry Fawcett[25] 388 43.4 +4.9
Majority 118 13.2 −9.8
Turnout 894 83.0 −10.9
Registered electors 1,077
Liberal hold Swing −4.9

Fletcher's suicide caused a by-election.

By-election, 18 Apr 1879: Cockermouth[22][26]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal William Fletcher 557 60.3 +3.7
Conservative David Rapley[27] 366 39.7 −3.7
Majority 191 20.6 +7.4
Turnout 923 83.8 +0.8
Registered electors 1,102
Liberal hold Swing +3.7

Elections in the 1880s
General election 1880: Cockermouth [22]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Edward Waugh 582 60.5 +3.9
Conservative Robert Webster[28] 380 39.5 −3.9
Majority 202 21.0 +7.8
Turnout 962 87.9 +4.9
Registered electors 1,094
Liberal hold Swing +3.9
General election 1885: Cockermouth [29][30]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Charles James Valentine 3,845 50.1 +10.6
Liberal Wilfrid Lawson 3,835 49.9 −10.6
Majority 10 0.2 N/A
Turnout 7,680 80.5 −7.4
Registered electors 9,538
Conservative gain from Liberal Swing +10.6
Wilfrid Lawson
General election 1886: Cockermouth [29][30]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Wilfrid Lawson 4,130 56.9 +7.0
Liberal Unionist Henry Frazer Curwen[31] 3,126 43.1 −7.0
Majority 1,004 13.8 N/A
Turnout 7,256 76.1 −4.4
Registered electors 9,538
Liberal gain from Conservative Swing +7.0

Elections in the 1890s
General election 1892: Cockermouth [29][30]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Wilfrid Lawson 4,599 54.6 −2.3
Conservative John Scott Napier 3,829 45.4 +2.3
Majority 770 9.2 −4.6
Turnout 8,428 77.3 +1.2
Registered electors 10,906
Liberal hold Swing −2.3
General election 1895: Cockermouth [29][30][32]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Wilfrid Lawson 4,259 51.5 −3.1
Conservative Thomas Milvain 4,018 48.5 +3.1
Majority 241 3.0 −6.2
Turnout 8,277 80.8 +3.5
Registered electors 10,242
Liberal hold Swing −3.1

Elections in the 1900s
General election 1900: Cockermouth [29][30][32]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative John Randles 4,276 51.3 +2.8
Liberal Wilfrid Lawson 4,067 48.7 −2.8
Majority 209 2.6 N/A
Turnout 8,343 76.6 −4.2
Registered electors 10,897
Conservative gain from Liberal Swing +2.8
General election 1906: Cockermouth [29][30]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Wilfrid Lawson 5,349 52.8 +4.1
Conservative John Randles 4,786 47.2 −4.1
Majority 563 5.6 N/A
Turnout 10,135 86.6 +10.0
Registered electors 11,700
Liberal gain from Conservative Swing +4.1
Frederick Guest
1906 Cockermouth by-election[29]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative John Randles 4,593 46.2 −1.0
Liberal Frederick Guest 3,903 39.3 −13.5
Labour Robert Smillie 1,436 14.5 New
Majority 690 6.9 N/A
Turnout 9,932 84.9 −1.7
Registered electors 11,700
Conservative gain from Liberal Swing +6.2

Elections in the 1910s
General election January 1910: Cockermouth [29][33]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative John Randles 4,579 45.2 −1.0
Liberal Wilfrid Lawson 3,638 35.9 −3.4
Labour James Percy Whitehead 1,909 18.9 +4.4
Majority 941 9.3 +2.4
Turnout 10,126 89.4 +4.5
Conservative hold Swing +1.2
Lawson
General election December 1910: Cockermouth [29][33]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Wilfrid Lawson 5,003 52.7 +16.8
Conservative John Randles 4,492 47.3 +2.1
Majority 511 5.4 N/A
Turnout 9,495 83.8 −5.6
Liberal gain from Conservative Swing +7.4

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 the July 1914, the following candidates had been selected;

1916 Cockermouth by-election[29][34]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Joseph Bliss Unopposed N/A N/A
Liberal hold Swing N/A

References
  1. Fenwick was later elected for Northumberland, which he chose to represent, and ceased to sit for Cockermouth
  2. The election to replace Fenwick was disputed, and the Returning Officer made a double return, i.e. reported both candidates - Sir Thomas Sandford, Bt and Francis Allen - as elected, leaving Parliament to decide. The dispute was still unresolved when Sandford was declared disabled from sitting because of his Royalist sympathies in January 1644; Allen was admitted to sit in 1645.
  3. In a by-election in 1717, Seymour was defeated by Sir Wilfrid Lawson by 90 votes to 84, but Lawson was underage, and on petition Seymour was declared elected
  4. Wyndham was also elected for Taunton, which he chose to represent, and never sat for Cockermouth
  5. Created Earl of Thomond (in the peerage of Ireland), 1756
  6. Jenkinson was also elected for Appleby, which he chose to represent, and did not sit for Cockermouth in this parliament
  7. Johnstone was re-elected at the general election of 1774, but was also elected for Appleby, which he chose to represent, and did not sit for Cockermouth in this parliament
  8. Norton was also elected for Carlisle, which he chose to represent, and never sat for Cockermouth
  9. Stooks Smith, Henry. (1973) [1844-1850]. Craig, F. W. S. (ed.). The Parliaments of England (2nd ed.). Chichester: Parliamentary Research Services. pp. 54–57. ISBN 978-0-900178-13-9.
  10. Churton, Edward (1836). The Assembled Commons or Parliamentary Biographer: 1836. pp. vii, 3.
  11. Kingsley, Nick (14 July 2013). "(55) Aglionby of Nunnery and Drawdykes Castle". Landed families of Britain and Ireland. Retrieved 3 May 2018.
  12. Ward, J. T. (1967). "The Making of a Whig". Sir James Graham. London: Palgrave Macmillan. p. 26. ISBN 978-1-349-00079-1. Retrieved 3 May 2018.
  13. "Cockermouth". Morning Post. 14 December 1832. p. 2. Retrieved 3 May 2018 – via British Newspaper Archive.
  14. Hawkins, Angus (2015). "Notions of Representation". Victorian Political Culture: 'Habits of Heart & Mind'. Oxford: Oxford University Press. p. 172. ISBN 978-0-19-872848-1.
  15. The Illustrated London News, Volume 6. Elm House. 1845. p. 184. Retrieved 3 May 2018.
  16. Mosse, Richard Bartholomew (1838). The Parliamentary Guide: a concise history of the Members of both Houses, etc. pp. 134, 186. Retrieved 3 May 2018.
  17. Cragg, David (2016). "Chapter 8 — Joseph Cragg (1803–1878) and Hannah Grave (1803–1878)". Cragg Family Origins: Great Britain 1770–1859. David Cragg. p. 98. ISBN 9780994519207. Retrieved 3 May 2018.
  18. Coohill, Joseph, ed. (17 October 2011). "Free Trade Agendas: The Construction of an Article of Faith, 1837–50". Texts & Studies 5: Ideas of the Liberal Party: Perceptions, Agendas and Liberal Politics in the House of Commons, 1832–52. 30 (s2): 170–203. doi:10.1111/j.1750-0206.2011.00262.x.
  19. "Cockermouth". Carlisle Patriot. 12 August 1854. pp. 4–5. Retrieved 3 May 2018 – via British Newspaper Archive.
  20. Dod, Charles Roger; Dod, Robert Phipps (1855). Dod's Parliamentary Companion. Dod's Parliamentary Companion. p. 279.
  21. Escott, Margaret. "Cockermouth". The History of Parliament. Retrieved 10 April 2020.
  22. Craig, F. W. S., ed. (1977). British Parliamentary Election Results 1832-1885 (1st ed.). London: Macmillan Press. ISBN 978-1-349-02349-3.
  23. "Cockermouth". Morning Post. 14 December 1832. p. 2. Retrieved 10 April 2020 – via British Newspaper Archive.
  24. "Cockermouth". Carlisle Patriot. 18 September 1868. p. 8. Retrieved 4 February 2018 – via British Newspaper Archive.
  25. "The General Election". The Morning Post. 5 February 1874. p. 2. Retrieved 28 December 2017 – via British Newspaper Archive.
  26. "Cockermouth Election". South Wales Daily News. 17 April 1879. Retrieved 6 October 2016 – via British Newspaper Archive.
  27. "Cockermouth Election". Rhyl Record and Advertiser. 19 April 1879. p. 3. Retrieved 28 December 2017 – via British Newspaper Archive.
  28. "The General Election". Lloyd's Weekly Newspaper. 4 April 1880. p. 7. Retrieved 25 November 2017.
  29. British Parliamentary Election Results 1885-1918, FWS Craig
  30. The Liberal Year Book, 1907
  31. "Yesterday's Nominations". London Evening Standard. 8 July 1886. p. 3. Retrieved 25 November 2017.
  32. Debrett's House of Commons & Judicial Bench, 1901
  33. Debrett's House of Commons & Judicial Bench, 1916
  34. Debrett's House of Commons & Judicial Bench, 1918
  • D Brunton & D H Pennington, "Members of the Long Parliament" (London: George Allen & Unwin, 1954)
  • Cobbett's Parliamentary history of England, from the Norman Conquest in 1066 to the year 1803 (London: Thomas Hansard, 1808)
  • F W S Craig, "British Parliamentary Election Results 1832-1885" (2nd edition, Aldershot: Parliamentary Research Services, 1989)
  • Michael Kinnear, "The British Voter" (London: Batsford, 1968)
  • J Holladay Philbin, "Parliamentary Representation 1832 - England and Wales" (New Haven: Yale University Press, 1965)
  • Henry Stooks Smith, "The Parliaments of England from 1715 to 1847" (2nd edition, edited by FWS Craig - Chichester: Parliamentary Reference Publications, 1973)
  • Frederic A Youngs, jr, "Guide to the Local Administrative Units of England, Vol II" (London: Royal Historical Society, 1991)
  • "The Constitutional Yearbook, 1913" (London: National Unionist Association, 1913)
  • Leigh Rayment's Historical List of MPs – Constituencies beginning with "C" (part 5)
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