East Kent (UK Parliament constituency)

East Kent (formally known as "Kent, Eastern") was a county constituency in Kent in South East England. It returned two Members of Parliament (MPs) to the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom, elected by the first past the post system.

Not to be confused with Kent East (provincial electoral district).

East Kent
Former County constituency
for the House of Commons
Context of 1832-1868. Extract from 1837 result: the blue land forming the south-east corner.
CountyKent
1832–1885
Seats2
Created fromKent
Replaced byFaversham
Ashford
Isle of Thanet
St Augustine's

History

The constituency was created by the Reform Act 1832 for the 1832 general election, and abolished by the Redistribution of Seats Act 1885 for the 1885 general election.

All three two-member constituencies in Kent were abolished in 1885: East Kent, Mid Kent and West Kent. They were replaced by eight new single-member constituencies:

Boundaries

1832–1885: The Lathes of St. Augustine and Shepway (including the Liberty of Romney Marsh), and the Upper Division of the Lathe of Scray.[1]

Members of Parliament
Election1st Member1st Party2nd Member2nd Party
1832 John Pemberton Plumptre Whig[2][3] Sir Edward Knatchbull, Bt Tory[2]
1834 Conservative[2]
1835 Conservative[4][2]
1845 by-election William Deedes Conservative
February 1852 by-election Sir Brook Bridges, Bt[n 1] Conservative
July 1852 Sir Edward Dering, Bt Peelite[5][6][7]
March 1857 Sir Brook Bridges, Bt Conservative
December 1857 by-election William Deedes Conservative
1863 by-election Sir Edward Dering, Bt Liberal
May 1868 by-election Edward Leigh Pemberton Conservative
November 1868 Hon. George Milles[n 2] Conservative
1875 by-election Sir Wyndham Knatchbull, Bt Conservative
1876 by-election William Deedes Conservative
1880 Aretas Akers-Douglas[n 3] Conservative
1885 constituency abolished

Notes

  1. Later Baron FitzWalter
  2. Later Earl Sondes
  3. Later Viscount Chilston

Election results

Elections in the 1830s
General election 1832: East Kent[8][2]
Party Candidate Votes %
Whig John Pemberton Plumptre 3,476 36.8
Tory Edward Knatchbull 3,344 35.4
Tory William Richard Cosway 2,627 27.8
Whig William Percy Honeywood Courtenay[9] 4 0.0
Turnout 6,144 87.4
Registered electors 7,026
Majority 132 1.4
Whig win (new seat)
Majority 717 7.6
Tory win (new seat)
General election 1835: East Kent[8][2]
Party Candidate Votes %
Conservative John Pemberton Plumptre Unopposed
Conservative Edward Knatchbull Unopposed
Registered electors 7,087
Conservative gain from Whig
Conservative hold
General election 1837: East Kent[8][2]
Party Candidate Votes %
Conservative Edward Knatchbull 3,607 40.8
Conservative John Pemberton Plumptre 3,029 34.3
Whig Thomas Rider 2,205 24.9
Majority 824 9.4
Turnout 5,478 87.4
Registered electors 7,293
Conservative hold
Conservative hold

Elections in the 1840s
General election 1841: East Kent[8]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Edward Knatchbull Unopposed
Conservative John Pemberton Plumptre Unopposed
Registered electors 7,553
Conservative hold
Conservative hold

Knatchbull was appointed Paymaster General, causing a by-election.

By-election, 20 September 1841: East Kent[8]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Edward Knatchbull Unopposed
Conservative hold

Knatchbull resigned by accepting the office of Steward of the Chiltern Hundreds, causing a by-election.

By-election, 3 March 1845: East Kent[8]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative William Deedes Unopposed
Conservative hold
General election 1847: East Kent[8]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative William Deedes Unopposed
Conservative John Pemberton Plumptre Unopposed
Registered electors 7,323
Conservative hold
Conservative hold

Elections in the 1850s

Plumptre resigned, causing a by-election.

By-election, 16 February 1852: East Kent[8]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative William Deedes 2,480 52.0 N/A
Peelite Edward Dering 2,289 48.0 N/A
Majority 191 4.0 N/A
Turnout 4,769 67.0 N/A
Registered electors 7,119
Conservative hold Swing N/A
General election 1852: East Kent[8]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Peelite Edward Dering 3,063 36.9 N/A
Conservative William Deedes 2,879 34.7 N/A
Conservative Brook Bridges 2,356 28.4 N/A
Majority 184 2.2 N/A
Turnout 4,149 (est) 58.3 (est) N/A
Registered electors 7,119
Peelite gain from Conservative Swing N/A
Conservative hold Swing N/A
General election 1857: East Kent[8]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Brook Bridges 2,379 33.6 +5.2
Peelite Edward Dering 2,358 33.3 −3.6
Conservative William Deedes 2,216 31.3 −3.4
Radical E A Acheson[10][11] 127 1.8 New
Turnout 3,540 (est) 44.3 (est) −14.0
Registered electors 8,000
Majority 21 0.3 N/A
Conservative hold Swing +3.5
Majority 142 2.0 −0.2
Peelite hold Swing −2.3

Dering resigned due to ill health, causing a by-election.[12]

By-election, 10 December 1857: East Kent[8]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative William Deedes Unopposed
Conservative gain from Peelite
General election 1859: East Kent[8]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Brook Bridges Unopposed
Conservative William Deedes Unopposed
Registered electors 8,312
Conservative hold
Conservative gain from Peelite

Elections in the 1860s

Deedes' death caused a by-election.

By-election, 5 January 1863: East Kent[8]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Edward Dering 2,777 50.8 New
Conservative Sir Norton Knatchbull, 10th Baronet 2,690 49.2 N/A
Majority 87 1.6 N/A
Turnout 5,467 77.1 N/A
Registered electors 7,092
Liberal gain from Conservative Swing N/A
General election 1865: East Kent[8]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Brook Bridges 3,208 34.4 N/A
Liberal Edward Dering 3,195 34.3 N/A
Conservative Sir Norton Knatchbull, 10th Baronet 2,919 31.3 N/A
Turnout 6,259 (est) 75.9 (est) N/A
Registered electors 8,250
Majority 13 0.1 N/A
Conservative hold Swing N/A
Majority 276 3.0 N/A
Liberal gain from Conservative Swing N/A

Bridges was elevated to the peerage, becoming Lord FitzWalter and causing a by-election.

By-election, 2 May 1868: East Kent[8]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Edward Leigh Pemberton 3,606 53.7 −12.0
Liberal Henry Tufton 3,109 46.3 +12.0
Majority 497 7.4 +7.3
Turnout 6,715 81.4 +5.5
Registered electors 8,250
Conservative hold Swing −12.0
General election 1868: East Kent[8]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Edward Leigh Pemberton 5,231 26.7 −7.7
Conservative George Milles 5,104 26.0 −5.3
Liberal Henry Tufton 4,685 23.9 +6.7
Liberal Sir John Frederick Croft, 2nd Baronet 4,579 23.4 +6.2
Majority 419 2.1 +2.0
Turnout 9,800 (est) 74.8 (est) −1.1
Registered electors 13,107
Conservative hold Swing −7.0
Conservative gain from Liberal Swing −6.0

Elections in the 1870s
General election 1874: East Kent[8]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative George Milles 5,424 35.8 +9.8
Conservative Edward Leigh Pemberton 5,405 35.7 +9.0
Liberal Henry Tufton 4,308 28.5 −18.8
Majority 1,097 7.2 +5.1
Turnout 9,723 (est) 77.1 (est) +2.3
Registered electors 12,605
Conservative hold Swing +9.9
Conservative hold Swing +9.5

Milles succeeded to the peerage, becoming Lord Sondes.

By-election, 27 Jan 1875: East Kent[8]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Wyndham Knatchbull Unopposed
Conservative hold

Knatchbull resigned, causing a by-election.

By-election, 26 July 1876: East Kent[8]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative William Deedes Unopposed
Conservative hold

Elections in the 1880s
General election 1880: East Kent[8]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Aretas Akers-Douglas 5,541 34.7 −1.1
Conservative Edward Leigh Pemberton 5,473 34.3 −1.4
Liberal Edmund Francis Davis[13] 4,959 31.0 +2.5
Majority 514 3.3 −3.9
Turnout 10,500 (est) 79.7 (est) +2.6
Registered electors 13,169
Conservative hold Swing −1.2
Conservative hold Swing −1.3

References
  1. "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 27 July 2017.
  2. Stooks Smith, Henry. (1973) [1844-1850]. Craig, F. W. S. (ed.). The Parliaments of England (2nd ed.). Chichester: Parliamentary Research Services. pp. 157–158. ISBN 0-900178-13-2. Retrieved 4 August 2018.
  3. "Election Doings in East Kent". Morning Chronicle. 29 December 1832. p. 3. Retrieved 4 August 2018 – via British Newspaper Archive.
  4. Dod, Charles Roger; Dod, Robert Phipps (1847). Dod's Parliamentary Companion, Volume 15. Dod's Parliamentary Companion. p. 223. Retrieved 4 August 2018 – via Google Books.
  5. "Election Intelligence". The Atlas. 24 July 1852. pp. 5–6. Retrieved 4 August 2018 – via British Newspaper Archive.
  6. Fisher, David R. (2009). Fisher, D. R. (ed.). "DERING, Sir Edward Cholmeley, 8th bt. (1807–1896), of Surrenden Dering, nr. Ashford , Kent". The History of Parliament. Retrieved 4 August 2018.
  7. "State of the Disturbed Districts". Newry Telegraph. 26 February 1852. p. 3. Retrieved 4 August 2018 – via British Newspaper Archive.
  8. Craig, F. W. S., ed. (1977). British Parliamentary Election Results 1832-1885 (e-book) (1st ed.). London: Macmillan Press. pp. 403–404. ISBN 978-1-349-02349-3.
  9. "The Polling". South Eastern Gazette. 25 December 1832. p. 3. Retrieved 2 May 2020 – via British Newspaper Archive.
  10. "East Kent". Coventry Standard. 10 April 1857. p. 2 https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0000683/18570410/038/0002. Retrieved 4 August 2018.
  11. "Maidstone Journal and Kentish Advertiser". 4 April 1857. p. 6. Retrieved 4 August 2018 – via British Newspaper Archive.
  12. "Election Intelligence." Times [London, England] 3 October 1857: 8. The Times Digital Archive. Web. 29 September 2013.
  13. "Yesterday's Polling". London Evening Standard. 3 April 1880. p. 5. Retrieved 20 December 2017 – via British Newspaper Archive.
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