Walsall (UK Parliament constituency)

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Walsall
Former Borough constituency
for the House of Commons
1832–1955
Seatsone

Walsall was a borough constituency centred on the town of Walsall in the West Midlands of England. It returned one Member of Parliament (MP) to the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom, elected by the first past the post voting system.

Boundaries[edit]

Throughout its existence, the seat included the entirety of the County Borough of Walsall. In 1955, it was split into Walsall North and Walsall South[1]

Members of Parliament[edit]

Election Member Party
1832 Charles Smith Forster Tory[2]
1834 Conservative[2]
1837 Francis Finch Radical[2][3]
February 1841 John Neilson Gladstone Conservative[2]
June 1841 Robert Scott Whig[2][4]
1847 Edward Littleton Whig[5][6][7]
1852 Sir Charles Forster Radical[8][9][5][7]
1859 Liberal
1891 by-election Edward Thomas Holden Liberal
1892 Frank James Conservative
1893 by-election Sir Arthur Hayter Liberal
1895 Sydney Gedge Conservative
1900 Sir Arthur Hayter Liberal
1906 Edward Marten Dunne Liberal
January 1910 Sir Richard Cooper Conservative
1918 National
1922 Pat Collins Liberal
1924 William Preston Conservative
1925 by-election
1929 John James McShane Labour
1931 Joseph Leckie Liberal
1935 Liberal National
1938 by-election Sir George Schuster Liberal National
1945 William Wells Labour
1955 constituency abolished: see Walsall North and Walsall South

Elections[edit]

Elections in the 1830s[edit]

General election 1832: Walsall[10][2]
Party Candidate Votes %
Tory Charles Smith Forster 304 56.8
Radical George de Bosco Attwood 231 43.2
Majority 73 13.6
Turnout 535 89.6
Registered electors 597
Tory win (new seat)
General election 1835: Walsall[10][2]
Party Candidate Votes %
Conservative Charles Smith Forster Unopposed
Registered electors 578
Conservative hold
General election 1837: Walsall[10][2]
Party Candidate Votes %
Radical Francis Finch 316 51.6
Conservative Charles Smith Forster 296 48.4
Majority 20 3.2
Turnout 612 82.0
Registered electors 746
Radical gain from Conservative

Elections in the 1840s[edit]

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

By-election, 2 February 1841: Walsall[10][2]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative John Neilson Gladstone 362 51.9 +3.5
Radical John Benjamin Smith 335 48.1 −3.5
Majority 27 3.8 N/A
Turnout 697 86.3 +4.3
Registered electors 808
Conservative gain from Radical Swing +3.5
General election 1841: Walsall[10][2]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Whig Robert Wellbeloved Scott 334 51.7 +0.1
Conservative John Neilson Gladstone 312 48.3 −0.1
Majority 22 3.4 N/A
Turnout 646 80.0 −2.0
Registered electors 808
Whig gain from Radical Swing
General election 1847: Walsall[10]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Whig Edward Littleton 289 41.6 −10.1
Radical Charles Forster 282 40.6 N/A
Conservative William Henry Cooke[11] 124 17.8 −30.5
Majority 7 1.0 −2.4
Turnout 695 81.2 +1.2
Registered electors 856
Whig hold Swing +2.6

Elections in the 1850s[edit]

General election 1852: Walsall[10]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Radical Charles Forster Unopposed
Registered electors 1,026
Radical gain from Whig
General election 1857: Walsall[10]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Radical Charles Forster Unopposed
Registered electors 1,188
Radical hold
General election 1859: Walsall[10]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Charles Forster 495 56.4 N/A
Conservative Charles Bagnall[12] 383 43.6 New
Majority 112 12.8 N/A
Turnout 878 80.4 N/A
Registered electors 1,092
Liberal hold Swing N/A

Elections in the 1860s[edit]

General election 1865: Walsall[10]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Charles Forster Unopposed
Registered electors 1,296
Liberal hold
General election 1868: Walsall[10]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Charles Forster Unopposed
Registered electors 6,047
Liberal hold

Elections in the 1870s[edit]

General election 1874: Walsall[10]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Charles Forster 3,364 66.0 N/A
Conservative William Morrison Bell[13] 1,731 34.0 New
Majority 1,633 32.0 N/A
Turnout 5,095 58.7 N/A
Registered electors 8,684
Liberal hold

Elections in the 1880s[edit]

General election 1880: Walsall[10]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Charles Forster Unopposed
Registered electors 9,537
Liberal hold
General election 1885: Walsall[14]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Charles Forster 5,112 59.8 N/A
Conservative Frank James 3,435 40.2 New
Majority 1,677 19.6 N/A
Turnout 8,547 79.6 N/A
Registered electors 10,742
Liberal hold Swing N/A
General election 1886: Walsall[14]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Charles Forster Unopposed
Liberal hold

Elections in the 1890s[edit]

Forster's death caused a by-election.

By-election, 12 Aug 1891: Walsall[14]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Edward Holden 4,899 52.9 N/A
Conservative Frank James 4,360 47.1 New
Majority 539 5.8 N/A
Turnout 9,259 79.1 N/A
Registered electors 11,712
Liberal hold Swing N/A
General election 1892: Walsall[14]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Frank James 5,226 51.2 N/A
Liberal Edward Holden 4,989 48.8 N/A
Majority 237 2.4 N/A
Turnout 10,215 85.7 N/A
Registered electors 11,915
Conservative gain from Liberal Swing N/A

The election was declared void on petition.

Charles Ritchie
By-election, 9 Feb 1893: Walsall[14]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Arthur Hayter 5,235 50.4 +1.6
Conservative Charles Ritchie 5,156 49.6 −1.6
Majority 79 0.8 N/A
Turnout 10,391 87.8 +2.1
Registered electors 11,838
Liberal gain from Conservative Swing +1.6
Sydney Gedge
General election 1895: Walsall[14]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Sydney Gedge 5,145 51.6 +0.4
Liberal Arthur Hayter 4,828 48.4 −0.4
Majority 317 3.2 +0.8
Turnout 9,973 90.5 +4.8
Registered electors 11,015
Conservative hold Swing +0.4

Elections in the 1900s[edit]

Arthur Hayter
General election 1900: Walsall[14]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Arthur Hayter 5,610 51.5 +3.1
Conservative Sydney Gedge 5,285 48.5 −3.1
Majority 325 3.0 N/A
Turnout 10,895 84.8 −5.7
Registered electors 12,851
Liberal gain from Conservative Swing +3.1
General election 1906: Walsall[14]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Edward Dunne 7,092 54.6 +3.1
Conservative Bernall Bagshawe 5,893 45.4 -3.1
Majority 1,199 9.2 +6.2
Turnout 12,985 91.9 +7.1
Registered electors 14,127
Liberal hold Swing +3.1

Elections in the 1910s[edit]

General election January 1910: Walsall[14]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Richard Cooper 7,290 51.9 +6.5
Liberal Edward Dunne 6,745 48.1 −6.5
Majority 545 3.8 N/A
Turnout 14,035 95.4 +3.5
Registered electors 14,713
Conservative gain from Liberal Swing +6.5
General election December 1910: Walsall[14]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Richard Cooper 7,174 52.9 +1.0
Liberal John Morgan 6,385 47.1 -1.0
Majority 789 5.8 +2.0
Turnout 13,559 92.2 -3.2
Registered electors 14,713
Conservative hold Swing +1.0

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 July 1914, the following candidates had been selected;

W.H. Brown
General election 1918: Walsall[16]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
National Richard Cooper 14,491 52.3 −0.6
Labour Joseph Thickett 8,336 30.0 New
Liberal William Henry Brown 4,914 17.7 −29.4
Majority 6,155 22.3 N/A
Turnout 27,741 64.7 −27.5
National gain from Unionist Swing
  • Cooper founded the National Party and had the support of the local Unionist Association. However, his candidature was not supported by Unionist party HQ or the Coalition Government.

Elections in the 1920s[edit]

Pat Collins
General election 1922: Walsall [17]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Pat Collins 14,674 38.6 +20.9
Unionist Alice Cooper 14,349 37.8 -14.5
Labour Robert Dennison 8,946 23.6 -6.4
Majority 325 0.8 N/A
Turnout 37,969
Liberal gain from National Swing +17.7
General election 6 December 1923: Walsall [17]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Pat Collins 16,304 43.5 +4.9
Unionist Sydney Kersland Lewis 14,141 37.8 0.0
Labour Arthur Carr Osburn 7,007 18.7 -4.9
Majority 2,163 5.7 +4.9
Turnout 37,452 82.6
Liberal hold Swing -2.4
General election 1924: Walsall [17]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Unionist William Preston 15,168 37.9 +0.1
Liberal Pat Collins 12,734 31.8 -11.7
Labour Lothian Small 11,474 28.7 +10.0
Independent J J Lynch 622 1.6 New
Majority 2,434 6.1 N/A
Turnout 39,998 83.0 +0.4
Unionist gain from Liberal Swing
1925 Walsall by-election[17]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Unionist William Preston 14,793 38.2 +0.3
Liberal Thomas Macnamara 12,300 31.8 0.0
Labour Lothian Small 11,610 30.0 +1.3
Majority 2,493 6.4 +0.3
Turnout 38,703 83.4
Unionist hold Swing +0.1
General election 1929: Walsall [17]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour John McShane 20,524 39.6 +9.6
Unionist William Preston 15,818 30.6 -7.6
Liberal Thomas Macnamara 15,425 29.8 -2.0
Majority 4,706 9.0 N/A
Turnout 51,767 85.9 +2.9
Labour gain from Unionist Swing +8.6

Elections in the 1930s[edit]

General election 1931: Walsall[16]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Joseph Leckie 30,507 56.0 +26.2
Labour John McShane 23,952 44.0 +4.4
Majority 6,555 12.0 N/A
Turnout 54,459 86.3 +0.4
Liberal gain from Labour Swing +10.9
  • Conservative candidate, William J Talbot, withdrew.
General election 1935: Walsall[16]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
National Liberal Joseph Leckie 28,563 57.5 +1.5
Labour William Graham 19,594 39.5 -4.5
Christian Socialist J A Harper 1,480 3.0 New
Majority 8,959 18.0 +6.0
Turnout 49,637 75.3 -11.0
National Liberal hold Swing +3.0
1938 Walsall by-election[16]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
National Liberal George Schuster 28,720 57.1 -0.4
Labour George Jeger 21,562 42.9 +3.4
Majority 7,158 14.2 -3.8
Turnout 50,282 75.9 +0.6
National Liberal hold Swing -0.4

Elections in the 1940s[edit]

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 and by the end of the Autumn of 1939, the following candidates had been selected;

General election 1945: Walsall[16]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour William Wells 28,324 53.9 +14.4
National Liberal George Schuster 24,197 46.1 -11.4
Majority 4,127 7.8 N/A
Turnout 52,521 76.2 +0.9
Labour gain from National Liberal Swing

Elections in the 1950s[edit]

General election 1950: Walsall[19][20]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour William Wells 36,483 56.0 +2.1
National Liberal John Barlow 28,700 44.0 -2.1
Majority 7,783 12.0 +4.2
Turnout 65,183 86.2 +10.0
Labour hold Swing
General election 1951: Walsall[19]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour William Wells 33,556 52.3 -3.7
Conservative Frank Roper 23,083 36.0 -8.0
Liberal Barbara Lewis 7,517 11.7 New
Majority 10,473 16.3 +4.3
Turnout 64,156 83.1 -3.1
Labour hold Swing

References[edit]

  1. ^ Craig, F.W.S., ed. (1972). Boundaries of parliamentary constituencies 1985-1972. Chichester, Sussex: Political Reference Publications. ISBN 0-900178-09-4.
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j Stooks Smith, Henry (1845). The Parliaments of England, from 1st George I., to the Present Time. Vol II: Oxfordshire to Wales Inclusive. London: Simpkin, Marshall, & Co. p. 50. Retrieved 12 December 2018 – via Google Books.
  3. ^ "State of Polls, & Members Returned". Worcester Journal. 27 July 1837. p. 3. Retrieved 21 December 2018 – via British Newspaper Archive.
  4. ^ "Members Returned". Norfolk Chronicle. 3 July 1841. p. 2. Retrieved 21 December 2018 – via British Newspaper Archive.
  5. ^ a b "The General Election". Morning Post. 29 July 1847. pp. 2–4. Retrieved 15 July 2018 – via British Newspaper Archive.
  6. ^ Miller, Henry (2015). Politics Personified: Portraiture, Caricature and Visual Culture in Britain, c. 1830-80. Manchester: Manchester University Press. p. 145. ISBN 978-0-7190-9084-4. Retrieved 15 July 2018 – via Google Books.
  7. ^ a b "Walsall". Globe. 29 July 1847. pp. 1–2. Retrieved 15 July 2018 – via British Newspaper Archive.
  8. ^ "The Elections and their Results". Manchester Times. 10 July 1852. pp. 6–7. Retrieved 15 July 2018 – via British Newspaper Archive.
  9. ^ "The Elections". Morning Post. 30 July 1847. p. 4. Retrieved 15 July 2018 – via British Newspaper Archive.
  10. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m Craig, F. W. S., ed. (1977). British Parliamentary Election Results 1832-1885 (e-book) (1st ed.). London: Macmillan Press. p. 317. ISBN 978-1-349-02349-3.
  11. ^ "The Elections". Hereford Journal. 21 July 1847. p. 2. Retrieved 22 December 2018 – via British Newspaper Archive.
  12. ^ "Walsall Election". Walsall Free Press and General Advertiser. 21 May 1859. p. 1. Retrieved 15 July 2018 – via British Newspaper Archive.
  13. ^ "The General Election". The Morning Post. 31 January 1874. pp. 2–3. Retrieved 22 January 2018 – via British Newspaper Archive.
  14. ^ a b c d e f g h i j Craig, F. W. S., ed. (1974). British Parliamentary Election Results: 1885-1918. London: Macmillan Press. p. 201. ISBN 9781349022984.
  15. ^ Black Country History
  16. ^ a b c d e British parliamentary election results 1918-1949 by FWS Craig
  17. ^ a b c d e British Parliamentary Election Results 1918-1949, FWS Craig
  18. ^ Report of the Annual Conference, 1939
  19. ^ a b British parliamentary election results 1950-1973 by FWS Craig
  20. ^ The Times' Guide to the House of Commons. 1950.

Sources[edit]

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