Petersfield (UK Parliament constituency)

Petersfield was an English Parliamentary constituency centred on the town of Petersfield in Hampshire. It existed for several hundred years until its abolition for the 1983 general election.

Petersfield
Former Borough constituency
for the House of Commons
Outline map
Petersfield in Hampshire, showing boundaries used from 1974–1983
1547–1983
Seats1547–1832: two
1832–1983: one
Created fromHampshire
Replaced byEast Hampshire, Winchester and Fareham[1]

Until 1832, it returned two Members of Parliament to the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. Thereafter, its representation was reduced to one member until its abolition in 1983.

Boundaries

1885–1918: The Sessional Divisions of Alton, Droxford, and Petersfield, and part of the Sessional Division of Winchester.

1918–1950: The Urban Districts of Alton and Petersfield, and the Rural Districts of Alresford, Alton, Catherington, Droxford, and Petersfield.

1950–1955: The Urban Districts of Alton and Petersfield, the Rural Districts of Alton, Droxford, and Petersfield, and in the Rural District of Winchester the parishes of Botley, Burlesdon, Hamble, Hedge End, Hound, and West End.

1955–1983: The Urban Districts of Alton and Petersfield, and the Rural Districts of Alton, Droxford, and Petersfield.

Members of Parliament

MPs 1547–1660
ParliamentFirst memberSecond member
1547George TadloweLawrence Elveden alias Cattaneo[2]
1553 (Mar)Sir Anthony BrowneJohn Vaughan[2]
1553 (Oct)Sir Anthony BrowneGeorge Rithe[2]
1554 (Apr)John VaughanHenry Weston[2]
1554 (Nov)John VaughanHenry Weston[2]
1555Christopher RitheHenry Weston[2]
1558Henry WestonChristopher Rithe[2]
1559Sir Henry WestonGeorge Rithe[3]
1563Sir Henry WestonTomas Dering[3]
1571John CowperRobert Rithe[3]
1572Richard NortonRalph Bourchier, sat for Newcastle-under-Lyme
and repl. Apr 1572 by Thomas Chatterton[3]
1584Sir Henry WestonEdmund Marvyn[3]
1586Edward RadclyffeEdmund Marvyn[3]
1588Benjamin TichborneEdmund Marvyn[3]
1593Sir Walter CovertRichard Weston (MP for Petersfield)[3]
1597William KingswellThomas Hanbury[3]
1601William KingswellJohn Swynnerton[3]
1604Sir William HerveySir William Kingswell
1614Sir Walter TichborneWalter Savage
1621-1622Richard NortonJohn Hippisley
1624Sir John JephsonSir John Hippisley
1625Sir John JephsonWilliam Uvedale
1626Benjamin TichborneWilliam Uvedale
1628-1629Benjamin TichborneWilliam Uvedale
1629–1640No Parliaments summoned
1640 (Apr)William UvedaleSir William Lewis
1640 (Nov)William Uvedale, disabledSir William Lewis
1645Sir William Lewis,excluded 1648William Uvedale
1653Petersfield not represented in Barebones Parliament
1654Petersfield not represented in 1st Protectorate Parliament
1656Petersfield not represented in 2nd Protectorate Parliament
1659Josias ChildSir Henry Norton

MPs 1660–1832
YearFirst memberFirst partySecond memberSecond party
April 1660 Thomas Cole[4] Arthur Bold
1661 Sir Humphrey Bennet
1668 Thomas Neale
1677 Leonard Bilson
1679 Sir John Norton, Bt
1685 Thomas Bilson
1689 Robert Michell
1690 Richard Holt
1698 Peter Bettesworth
January 1701 Ralph Bucknall Richard Markes
November 1701 Robert Michell
1704 Leonard Bilson
1705 Norton Powlett Whig
1715 Samuel Pargiter-Fuller
1722 Edmund Miller
January 1727 Joseph Taylor[5] Tory
May 1727 Edmund Miller
August 1727 Joseph Taylor Tory
1734 Sir William Jolliffe Edward Gibbon
1741 John Jolliffe Francis Fane
1747 William Conolly Whig
February 1754 William Gerard Hamilton
April 1754 William Beckford[6]
December 1754 Sir John Philipps, Bt
1761 John Jolliffe Richard Pennant
1767 Richard Croftes
1768 William Jolliffe Welbore Ellis
1774 Sir Abraham Hume
1780 Tory[7] Thomas Samuel Jolliffe Tory[7]
1787 The Viscount Downe
June 1790 Hon. George North Whig[7]
December 1790 Marquess of Titchfield
1791 Welbore Ellis
1795 Hon. Charles Greville
1796 Hylton Jolliffe
1797 Sir John Sinclair, Bt
March 1802 Hylton Jolliffe
July 1802 Tory[7] William Best
1806 Hon. John Ward
1807 Booth Grey
October 1812 George Canning Tory[7]
December 1812 George Canning, junior Tory[7]
March 1820 The Lord Hotham[8] Tory[7]
June 1820 Sir Philip Musgrave, Bt Tory[7]
1825 James Lushington Tory[7]
1826 William Marshall Whig[7]
1830 Sir William Jolliffe, Bt Tory[7] Gilbert East Jolliffe Tory[7]
1831 Hylton Jolliffe Tory[7]
1832 Representation reduced to one member

MPs 1832–1885
ElectionMemberParty
1832[9] John Shaw-Lefevre Whig[7]
1833 [9] Hylton Jolliffe Tory[7]
1834 Conservative Party[7]
1835 Cornthwaite Hector Radical[7][10][11]
1837[12] Sir William Jolliffe, Bt Conservative Party[7]
1838 [12] Cornthwaite Hector Radical[7][10][11]
1841 Sir William Jolliffe Conservative Party[7]
1866 by-election William Nicholson Liberal Party
1874[13] William Sydney Hylton Jolliffe Conservative Party
1880 William Nicholson Liberal Party
1885 Borough abolished - name transferred to county division

MPs for Petersfield county constituency (1885–1983)
ElectionMemberParty
1885 Viscount Wolmer Liberal
1886 Liberal Unionist
1892 William Wickham Conservative
1897 William Graham Nicholson Conservative
1935 Sir Reginald Dorman-Smith Conservative
1941 Sir George Jeffreys Conservative
1951 Peter Legh Conservative
1960 Joan Quennell Conservative
1974 Michael Mates Conservative
1983 Constituency abolished

Elections

Elections in the 1830s
General election 1830: Petersfield [7][14]
Party Candidate Votes %
Tory William Jolliffe 28 41.2
Tory Gilbert East Jolliffe 28 41.2
Nonpartisan Henry Herbert 6 8.8
Nonpartisan John Ogle 6 8.8
Majority 22 32.4
Turnout c. 34
Tory hold
Tory hold
  • 201 householders voted for the Jolliffes and 148 for Herbert and Ogle, but these were all rejected[7]
General election 1831: Petersfield [7][14]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Tory William Jolliffe 29 41.4 +0.2
Tory Hylton Jolliffe 29 41.4 +0.2
Nonpartisan John Ogle 6 8.6 −0.2
Nonpartisan Charles Marsh 6 8.6 −0.2
Majority 23 32.8 +0.4
Turnout c. 35
Tory hold Swing +0.2
Tory hold Swing +0.2
General election 1832: Petersfield [7][15]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Whig John Shaw Lefevre 101 50.2 N/A
Tory William Jolliffe 100 49.8 −33.0
Majority 1 0.4 N/A
Turnout 201 85.9
Registered electors 234
Whig gain from Tory Swing N/A

On petition, Shaw Lefevre was declared unelected, and Jolliffe was elected.

General election 1835: Petersfield [7][15]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Radical Cornthwaite Hector 103 54.2 N/A
Conservative William Jolliffe 87 45.8 −4.0
Majority 16 8.4 N/A
Turnout 190 66.2 −19.7
Registered electors 287
Radical gain from Whig Swing N/A
General election 1837: Petersfield [7][15]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative William Jolliffe 125 50.2 +4.4
Radical Cornthwaite Hector 124 49.8 −4.4
Majority 1 0.4 N/A
Turnout 249 77.8 +11.6
Registered electors 320
Conservative gain from Radical Swing +4.4

On petition, Jolliffe was unseated and Hector declared elected.

Elections in the 1840s
General election 1841: Petersfield [15]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative William Jolliffe Unopposed
Registered electors 352
Conservative hold
General election 1847: Petersfield [15]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative William Jolliffe Unopposed
Registered electors 380
Conservative hold

Elections in the 1850s
General election 1852: Petersfield [15]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative William Jolliffe Unopposed
Registered electors 353
Conservative hold
General election 1857: Petersfield [15]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative William Jolliffe Unopposed
Registered electors 331
Conservative hold
General election 1859: Petersfield [15]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative William Jolliffe Unopposed
Registered electors 332
Conservative hold

Elections in the 1860s
General election 1865: Petersfield [15]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative William Jolliffe Unopposed
Registered electors 296
Conservative hold

Jolliffee was elevated to the peerage, becoming 1st Baron Hylton and causing a by-election.

By-election, 23 July 1866: Petersfield [15]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal William Nicholson Unopposed
Liberal gain from Conservative
General election 1868: Petersfield [15]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal William Nicholson 370 62.5 New
Conservative Frederic Du Pré Thornton 222 37.5 N/A
Majority 148 25.0 N/A
Turnout 592 76.5 N/A
Registered electors 774
Liberal gain from Conservative Swing N/A

Elections in the 1870s
General election 1874: Petersfield [15]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative William Sydney Hylton Jolliffe 372 50.8 +13.3
Liberal William Nicholson 361 49.2 −13.3
Majority 11 1.6 N/A
Turnout 733 84.3 +7.8
Registered electors 870
Conservative gain from Liberal Swing +13.3

Elections in the 1880s
General election 1880: Petersfield [15]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal William Nicholson 406 55.9 +6.7
Conservative William Sydney Hylton Jolliffe 320 44.1 −6.7
Majority 86 11.8 N/A
Turnout 726 90.6 +6.3
Registered electors 801
Liberal gain from Conservative Swing +6.7
General election 1885: Petersfield [16][17][18]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Viscount Wolmer 3,414 49.9 −6.0
Liberal-Conservative William Nicholson 3,253 47.5 +3.4
Ind. Conservative Douglas Henty 179 2.6 N/A
Majority 161 2.4 −9.4
Turnout 6,846 83.5 −7.1
Registered electors 8,202
Liberal hold Swing −4.7
General election 1886: Petersfield [16][18]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Unionist Viscount Wolmer 3,188 50.9 +1.0
Liberal-Conservative William Nicholson 3,077 49.1 +1.6
Majority 111 1.8 N/A
Turnout 6,265 76.4 −7.1
Registered electors 8,202
Liberal Unionist gain from Liberal Swing N/A

Elections in the 1890s
Wickham
General election 1892: Petersfield [16][18]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative William Wickham 3,912 56.5 +5.6
Liberal John Bonham-Carter 3,008 43.5 −5.6
Majority 904 13.0 +11.2
Turnout 6,920 82.1 +5.7
Registered electors 8,431
Conservative hold Swing +5.6
General election 1895: Petersfield [16][19][18]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative William Wickham Unopposed
Conservative hold
Nicholson
1897 Petersfield by-election[20][18]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative William Nicholson 3,748 53.0 N/A
Liberal John Bonham-Carter 3,328 47.0 New
Majority 420 6.0 N/A
Turnout 7,076 83.5 N/A
Registered electors 8,474
Conservative hold Swing N/A

Elections in the 1900s
General election 1900: Petersfield [16][19][18]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative William Nicholson Unopposed
Conservative hold
General election 1906: Petersfield [16][18]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative William Nicholson 4,349 50.6 N/A
Liberal Hugh Money-Coutts 4,253 49.4 New
Majority 96 1.2 N/A
Turnout 8,602 86.2 N/A
Registered electors 9,983
Conservative hold Swing N/A

Elections in the 1910s
General election January 1910: Petersfield [21][18]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative William Nicholson 6,279 63.6 +13.0
Liberal Herbert Arthur Baker 3,594 36.4 −13.0
Majority 2,685 27.2 +26.0
Turnout 9,873 88.9 +2.7
Registered electors 11,110
Conservative hold Swing +13.0
General election December 1910: Petersfield [21][18]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative William Nicholson Unopposed
Conservative hold
General election 1918: Petersfield[22]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
C Unionist William Nicholson 10,730 71.5 N/A
Labour John Pile 4,267 28.5 New
Majority 6,463 43.0 N/A
Turnout 14,997 52.7 N/A
Unionist hold Swing
C indicates candidate endorsed by the coalition government.

Elections in the 1920s
General election 1922: Petersfield [22]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Unionist William Nicholson 12,600 64.2 -7.3
Labour Dudley Aman 7,036 35.8 +7.3
Majority 5,564 28.4 -14.6
Turnout 19,636 65.7 +13.0
Unionist hold Swing -7.3
General election 1923: Petersfield [22]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Unionist William Nicholson 12,195 65.6 +1.4
Labour Dudley Aman 6,403 34.4 -1.4
Majority 5,792 31.2 +2.8
Turnout 18,598 60.6 -5.1
Unionist hold Swing +1.4
General election 1924: Petersfield [22]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Unionist William Nicholson 14,646 69.8 +4.2
Liberal George Spencer 3,755 17.9 New
Labour George Gilbert Desmond 2,582 12.3 -22.1
Majority 10,891 51.9 +20.7
Turnout 20,983 66.3 +5.7
Unionist hold Swing
General election 1929: Petersfield [23]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Unionist William Nicholson 15,605 55.0 -14.8
Liberal Gerald Bailey 9,334 32.9 +15.0
Labour Gertrude Speedwell Massingham 3,418 12.1 -0.2
Majority 6,271 22.1 -29.8
Turnout 28,357 68.2 +1.9
Unionist hold Swing -14.9

Elections in the 1930s
General election 1931: Petersfield[22]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative William Nicholson 26,081 88.0 +33.0
Labour AE Albery 3,559 12.0 -0.1
Majority 22,522 76.0 +53.9
Turnout 29,640 67.8 -0.4
Conservative hold Swing
General election 1935: Petersfield[22]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Reginald Dorman-Smith 22,877 79.1 -8.9
Labour John Ernest Lionel Birch 6,061 20.9 +8.9
Majority 16,816 58.1 -17.9
Turnout 28,938 63.4 -4.4
Conservative hold Swing -8.9

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;

Elections in the 1940s
1941 Petersfield by-election[22]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative George Jeffreys Unopposed N/A N/A
Conservative hold Swing N/A
General election 1945: Petersfield[22]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative George Jeffreys 20,838 58.4 -20.7
Liberal Basil Goldstone 8,269 23.2 New
Common Wealth Thomas Sargant 6,600 18.5 New
Majority 12,569 35.2 -22.9
Turnout 35,707 64.4 +1.0
Conservative hold Swing N/A

Elections in the 1950s
General election 1950: Petersfield
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative George Jeffreys 27,401 55.15
Labour I Candy 15,472 31.14 New
Liberal Harold Hugh Lindsay Dickson 6,813 13.71
Majority 11,929 24.01
Turnout 49,686 78.36
Conservative hold Swing
General election 1951: Petersfield
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Peter Legh 29,845 58.75
Labour Edward E Preidel 15,770 31.05
Liberal Harold Hugh Lindsay Dickson 5,182 10.20
Majority 14,075 27.70
Turnout 50,797 77.84
Conservative hold Swing
General election 1955: Petersfield
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Peter Legh 24,826 69.81
Labour Frederick R Mason 10,736 30.19
Majority 14,090 39.62
Turnout 35,562 69.74
Conservative hold Swing
General election 1959: Petersfield
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Peter Legh 23,687 60.93
Labour John Stuart Paul Davey 8,278 21.29
Liberal Richard Michael Digby 6,912 17.78 New
Majority 15,409 39.64
Turnout 38,877 73.64
Conservative hold Swing

Elections in the 1960s
1960 Petersfield by-election
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Joan Quennell 15,613 54.40 -6.53
Liberal Michael Digby 8,310 28.95 +11.17
Labour William Royle 4,777 16.64 -4.65
Majority 7,303 25.45 -14.19
Turnout 28,700
Conservative hold Swing
General election 1964: Petersfield
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Joan Quennell 23,603 54.00
Liberal Michael Digby 11,338 25.94
Labour M C Wilson 8,477 19.39
Independent Loyalist Rosine de Bounevialle 292 0.67 New
Majority 12,265 28.06
Turnout 43,710 75.50
Conservative hold Swing
General election 1966: Petersfield
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Joan Quennell 23,933 52.33
Liberal Michael Digby 10,931 23.90
Labour M C Wilson 10,874 23.77
Majority 13,002 28.43
Turnout 45,738 75.72
Conservative hold Swing

Elections in the 1970s
General election 1970: Petersfield
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Joan Quennell 30,414 60.50
Labour Kelvin Horrocks 10,307 20.50
Liberal Penelope Jessel 7,783 15.48
Independent Michael Digby 1,766 3.51 New
Majority 20,107 40.00
Turnout 50,270 72.12
Conservative hold Swing
General election February 1974: Petersfield
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Joan Quennell 30,732 51.49
Liberal Timothy Willatt Slack 21,152 35.44
Labour PF Whitely 7,703 12.91
Technical Consultant PHH Bishop 101 0.17 New
Majority 9,580 16.05
Turnout 59,688 81.13
Conservative hold Swing
General election October 1974: Petersfield
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Michael Mates 28,689 50.50
Liberal Timothy Willatt Slack 19,702 34.68
Labour JM Bloom 8,301 14.61
United Democratic Party PHH Bishop 117 0.21 New
Majority 8,987 15.82
Turnout 56,809 76.50
Conservative hold Swing
General election 1979: Petersfield
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Michael Mates 39,200 61.15
Liberal John Madeley 16,825 26.25
Labour BW Clough 8,082 12.61
Majority 22,375 34.90
Turnout 64,107 78.29
Conservative hold Swing

References
  1. "'Petersfield', Feb 1974 - May 1983". ElectionWeb Project. Cognitive Computing Limited. Archived from the original on 3 April 2016. Retrieved 23 March 2016.
  2. "History of Parliament". History of Parliament Trust. Retrieved 31 October 2011.
  3. "History of Parliament". History of Parliament Trust. Retrieved 31 October 2011.
  4. April 1660: Cole was also elected for Winchester, but appears never to have chosen which constituency he would sit for so as to allow a replacement to be elected for the other
  5. On petition (in a dispute over the franchise), Taylor's election was declared void and his opponent, Miller, was declared to have been duly elected
  6. Beckford was also elected for the City of London, which he chose to represent, and never sat for Petersfield
  7. Stooks Smith, Henry. (1973) [1844-1850]. Craig, F. W. S. (ed.). The Parliaments of England (2nd ed.). Chichester: Parliamentary Research Services. pp. 129–131. ISBN 0-900178-13-2.
  8. Hotham was also elected for Leominster, which he chose to represent, and never sat for Petersfield
  9. In 1832 a petition was lodged against the result, and the election of John Shaw-Lefevre was declared void. After scrutiny of the ballots, Hylton Jolliffe was declared elected in 1833.
    F.W.S. Craig's British parliamentary election results 1832–1885 and Henry Stooks Smith's The Parliaments of England from 1715 to 1847 record the member seated after the petition as William Jolliffe. However, The History of Parliament's article on Petersfield borough note in footnote 42 that both the official returns (PP (1878), lxii, pt. ii, 348) and the 1833 petition (CJ, lxxxviii. 13-14) confirm that the member seated was Hylton Jolliffe. This is as reported in the Times article on the petition committee's report: "Petersfield Election Committee", The Times, 7 March 1833, page 4.
  10. "Election Movements". Berkshire Chronicle. 22 July 1837. p. 4. Retrieved 27 November 2018 – via British Newspaper Archive.
  11. The Spectator, Volume 14. F. C. Westley. 1841. p. 514. Retrieved 27 November 2018 – via Google Books.
  12. In 1837 a petition was lodged against the result, and the election of Jolliffe was declared void. After scrutiny of the ballots, Hector was declared elected in 1838
  13. In 1874, a petition was lodged against the election of Jolliffe. Scrutiny of the results led to a referral to the Court of Common Pleas on the validity of 64 of Joliffe's votes and 11 of those for Nicholson. The votes were declared valid and the election upheld.
  14. Salmon, Philip; Spencer, Howard. "Petersfield". The History of Parliament. Retrieved 20 April 2020.
  15. 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.
  16. The Liberal Year Book, 1907
  17. Debrett's House of Commons & Judicial Bench, 1886
  18. Craig, FWS, ed. (1974). British Parliamentary Election Results: 1885-1918. London: Macmillan Press. ISBN 9781349022984.
  19. Debrett's House of Commons & Judicial Bench, 1901
  20. The Constitutional Year Book, 1904, published by Conservative Central Office, page 145 (169 in web page), Hampshire
  21. Debrett's House of Commons & Judicial Bench, 1916
  22. British Parliamentary Election Results 1918-1949, FWS Craig
  23. British parliamentary election results 1918-1949, Craig, F. W. S.
  24. The Liberal Magazine, 1939
  25. Report of the Annual Conference of the Labour Party, 1939

Sources
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