Colchester (UK Parliament constituency)

Colchester
Borough constituency for the House of Commons
Boundary of Colchester in Essex.
Location of Essex within England.
County	Essex
Electorate	73,638 (December 2010)[1]
Current constituency
Created	1997
Member of parliament	Will Quince (Conservative)
Number of members	One
Created from	Colchester North, South Colchester and Maldon
1295–1983
Number of members	one (two 1295-1885)
Replaced by	Colchester North and Colchester South & Maldon
Overlaps
European Parliament constituency	East of England

Colchester is a constituency^{[n 1]} represented in the House of Commons of the UK Parliament since 2015 by Will Quince, a Conservative.^{[n 2]}

History

The borough has sent representatives to Parliament since the Model Parliament of 1295: two members were sent until 1885, when representation was reduced to one.

Boundaries

Colchester constituency in Essex, showing boundaries used from 1918 to 1950.

1997-2010: The Borough of Colchester wards of Berechurch, Castle, Harbour, Lexden, Mile End, New Town, Prettygate, St Andrew's, St Anne's, St John's, St Mary's, Shrub End, and Stanway.

2010-present: The Borough of Colchester wards of Berechurch, Castle, Christ Church, Harbour, Highwoods, Lexden, Mile End, New Town, Prettygate, St Andrew’s, St Anne’s, St John’s, and Shrub End.

The present Colchester constituency most closely resembles the old seat of Colchester North, which was held by the Conservative Bernard Jenkin from 1992 to 1997.

Constituency profile

Once the basis for one or two semi-rural seats, the modern-day Colchester constituency is a compact, urban core, containing the town centre and surrounding neighbourhoods.

The seat has one of Britain's largest residential military populations, but the non-military vote in Colchester has swung further in favour of the Liberal Democrats since 1997 when Bob Russell was elected for the party with a small majority. Russell has increased both his total vote and percentage share in each of the succeeding elections. In the 2010 election it was the only non-Conservative seat in Essex. He was defeated in the 2015 general election by the Conservative candidate Will Quince, winning with a 11.5% majority. This made Clacton the only seat in Essex held by a non-Conservative MP - with Douglas Carswell winning the constituency for UKIP.

Members of Parliament

MPs 1295–1640

This list is incomplete; you can help by expanding it.

Parliament	First member	Second member
1312	Joseph Elianore
1386	Thomas Francis	Ralph Algar[2]
1388 (Feb)	Thomas Francis	Simon Fordham[2]
1388 (Sep)	Ralph Algar	Simon Fordham[2]
1390 (Jan)	Thomas Francis	Simon Fordham[2]
1390 (Nov)
1391	Thomas Francis	John Christian[2]
1393	William Mate	John Christian[2]
1394
1395	Thomas Francis	John Christian[2]
1397 (Jan)	Henry Boss	John Seaburgh[2]
1397 (Sep)
1399	Thomas Francis	Thomas Godstone[2]
1401
1402	Henry Boss	Thomas Godstone[2]
1404 (Jan)
1404 (Oct)
1406	Henry Boss	William Mate[2]
1407	Thomas Godstone	William Mate[2]
1410
1411	Thomas Godstone	John Pod[2]
1413 (Feb)
1413 (May)	Thomas Godstone	Thomas Francis[2]
1414 (Apr)
1414 (Nov)	Thomas Godstone	Simon Mate[2]
1415
1416 (Mar)	John Ford	John Sumpter[2]
1416 (Oct)
1417	Thomas Godstone	John Ford[2]
1419	Thomas Godstone	John Sumpter[2]
1420	Thomas Godstone	John Kimberley[2]
1421 (May)	Thomas Godstone	John Kimberley[2]
1421 (Dec)	Thomas Godstone	William Nottingham[2]
1485	Thomas Christmas	John Vertue[3]
1510	No names known[4]
1512	?John Clere	?John Makin[4]
1515	?John Clere	?John Makin[4]
1523	Thomas Audley	Ambrose Lowth[4]
1529	Sir John Raynsford	Richard Rich[4]
1536	?
1539	?
1542	?
1545	John Lucas	Benjamin Clere[4]
1547	John Ryther	John Lucas[4]
1553 (Mar)	Sir Francis Jobson	?John Lucas[4]
1553 (Oct)	John Lucas	John Best[4]
1554 (Apr)	Sir Francis Jobson	William Cardinall[4]
1554 (Nov)	George Sayer	Robert Browne[4]
1555	Sir Francis Jobson	John Hering[4]
1558	George Christmas	Thomas Lucas [4]
1559	Sir Francis Jobson	William Cardinall[5]
1562/3	Sir Francis Jobson	William Cardinall[5]
1571	Henry Golding	Francis Harvey[5]
1572	Robert Christmas	Henry Golding, died and repl, 1576 by Nicholas Clere, who alao died and was repl. 1579 by Robert Middleton[5]
1584	James Morice	Francis Harvey[5]
1586	James Morice	Francis Harvey[5]
1588	James Morice	Arthur Throckmorton[5]
1593	James Morice	Martin Bessell[5]
1597	Richard Symnell	Robert Barker[5]
1601	Robert Barker	Richard Symnell[5]
1604–1611	Robert Barker	Edward Alford
1614	Robert Barker	Edward Alford
1621–1622	Edward Alford	William Towse
1624	Edward Alford	William Towse
1625	Sir Robert Quarles	William Towse
1626	Edward Alford	William Towse
1628	Sir Thomas Cheek	Edward Alford repl. on petition by Sir William Masham, 1st Baronet
1639–1640	No Parliaments summoned

MPs 1640–1885

Year		First member[6]	First party		Second member[6]	Second party
April 1640		(Sir) Harbottle Grimston[mpnotes 1]	Parliamentarian		Sir William Masham, 1st Baronet
November 1640					Sir Thomas Barrington	Parliamentarian
September 1644				Barrington died September 1644 - seat vacant
1645					John Sayer
December 1648	Grimston excluded in Pride's Purge - seat vacant			Sayer not recorded as sitting after Pride's Purge
1653	Colchester was unrepresented in the Barebones Parliament
1654		Colonel John Barkstead			John Maidstone
1656		Henry Lawrence
January 1659		Abraham Johnson			John Shaw
May 1659		Not represented in the restored Rump
April 1660		Sir Harbottle Grimston			John Shaw
1679					Sir Walter Clarges, Bt
1681					Samuel Reynolds
1685		Sir Walter Clarges			Nathaniel Lawrence
1689		Samuel Reynolds			Isaac Rebow
1690					Edward Cary
1692					Sir Isaac Rebow
1694		Sir Thomas Cooke
1695		Sir John Morden, Bt
1698		Sir Thomas Cooke
May 1705		Edward Bullock
December 1705		Sir Thomas Webster, Bt[mpnotes 2]
1711		William Gore
1713		Sir Thomas Webster, Bt
1714[mpnotes 3]		William Gore			Nicholas Corsellis
1715		Richard Du Cane	Whig		Sir Isaac Rebow	Whig
1722		Sir Thomas Webster	Whig		Matthew Martin	Whig
1727		Stamp Brooksbank	Whig		Samuel Tufnell	Whig
1734		Isaac Lemyng Rebow	Whig		Matthew Martin	Whig
1735		Jacob Houblon	Tory
1741		John Olmius
1742[mpnotes 4]		Samuel Savill			Charles Gray[mpnotes 5]	Tory
1747		Richard Savage Nassau
1754		John Olmius
1755					Isaac Martin Rebow	Whig
1761		Charles Gray	Tory
1780		Sir Robert Smyth, Bt	Radical Whig
1781					Christopher Potter[mpnotes 6]
1782 [mpnotes 6]					Sir Edmund Affleck, Bt[mpnotes 7]
April 1784		Christopher Potter[mpnotes 8]
July 1784		Sir Robert Smyth, Bt	Radical
1788					George Tierney	Radical
1790		Robert Thornton	Tory		George Jackson	Tory
1796					The Lord Muncaster	Tory
1802					John Denison	Tory
1806					William Tufnell	Whig
1807					Richard Hart Davis	Tory
1812					Hart Davis	Tory
1817		Sir William Burroughs, Bt	Tory
February 1818					James Beckford Wildman	Tory
June 1818		Daniel Whittle Harvey[mpnotes 9]	Radical
1820		Henry Baring	Tory
1826		Daniel Whittle Harvey	Radical		Sir George Smyth, Bt	Tory
1830					Andrew Spottiswoode[mpnotes 10]	Tory
1831					William Mayhew	Whig
1832					Richard Sanderson	Conservative
1835		Sir George Smyth, Bt	Conservative
1847					Joseph Alfred Hardcastle	Whig
1850		Lord John Manners	Conservative
1852					William Warwick Hawkins	Conservative
February 1857		John Gurdon Rebow	Whig
March 1857					Taverner John Miller	Conservative
1859		Philip Oxenden Papillon	Conservative
1865		John Gurdon Rebow	Liberal
1867					Edward Kent Karslake	Conservative
1868					William Brewer	Liberal
1870		Alexander Learmonth	Conservative
1874					Herbert Mackworth-Praed	Conservative
1880		Richard Causton	Liberal		William Willis	Liberal
1885	Representation reduced to one member

Notes

1. Succeeded to a baronetcy, April 1648
2. Webster and Rebow were re-elected in 1714, but on petition the result was reversed and Gore declared to have been duly elected instead, following a dispute over whether foreigners could be made freemen of the borough and thereby acquire voting rights
3. Webster was re-elected in 1710, but on petition the result was reversed and Gore and Corsellis declared to have been duly elected instead, following a further dispute over foreign freemen's voting rights
4. At the election of 1741, Olmius and Martin were returned as elected, but on petition their election was declared void and their opponents, Savill and Gray, declared elected in their place
5. At the election of 1754, Gray was re- elected, but on petition his election was declared void and his opponent, Rebow, declared elected in his place
6. On petition, Potter's election was declared void on the grounds of defective qualification and his opponent, Affleck, declared duly elected
7. Admiral from 1784
8. On petition, Potter was declared ineligible on the grounds of bankruptcy, and a writ for a new election was issued
9. Harvey was re-elected in 1820 but on petition his election was declared void on the grounds of defective qualification and a by-election was held
10. On petition, Spottiswoode's election was declared void and a by-election was held

MPs 1885–1983

Election		Member[6]	Party
	1885	Henry John Trotter	Conservative
	1888 by-election	Lord Brooke	Conservative
	1892	Herbert Naylor-Leyland	Conservative
	1895	Weetman Dickinson Pearson	Liberal
	1910 (January)	Laming Worthington-Evans	Conservative
	1929	Oswald Lewis	Conservative
	1945	Charles George Percy Smith	Labour
	1950	Cuthbert James McCall Alport	Conservative
	1961 by-election	Philip Antony Fyson Buck	Conservative
	1983	Constituency abolished: see Colchester North, Colchester South and Maldon

MPs since 1997

Election		Member[6]	Party
	1997	Robert Edward Russell	Liberal Democrat
	2015	Will Quince	Conservative

Elections

Elections in the 2010s

General Election 2015: Colchester[7]
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	Will Quince [8]	18,919	38.9	+6.1
	Liberal Democrat	Robert Edward Russell [9]	13,344	27.5	−20.5
	Labour	Jordan Newell [10]	7,852	16.2	+3.8
	UKIP	John Pitts[11]	5,870	12.1	+9.2
	Green	Mark Goacher [12]	2,499	5.1	+3.6
	Christian Peoples	Ken Scrimshaw[13]	109	0.2	+0.2
Majority			5,575	11.5
Turnout			48,593	65.5	+3.2
	Conservative gain from Liberal Democrat		Swing	7.2

General Election 2010: Colchester[14][15]
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Liberal Democrat	Robert Edward Russell	22,151	48.0	+0.3
	Conservative	Will Quince	15,169	32.9	+0.8
	Labour	Jordan Newell	5,680	12.3	−7.9
	UKIP	John Pitts	1,350	2.9	N/A
	BNP	Sidney Chaney	705	1.5	N/A
	Green	Peter Lynn	694	1.5	N/A
	English Democrats	Eddie Bone	335	0.7	N/A
	Peoples Party Essex	Garryck Noble	35	0.1	N/A
	Independent	Paul Shaw	20	0.0	N/A
Majority			6,982	15.1	−0.5
Turnout			46,139	62.3	+5.8
	Liberal Democrat hold		Swing	−0.2

Elections in the 2000s

General Election 2005: Colchester[16]
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Liberal Democrat	Robert Edward Russell	21,145	47.1	+4.5
	Conservative	Kevin Paul Bentley	14,868	33.1	+3.2
	Labour	Laura Bruni	8,886	19.8	−5.2
Majority			6,277	14.0
Turnout			44,899	56.8	+0.7
	Liberal Democrat hold		Swing	+0.6

General Election 2001: Colchester[17]
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Liberal Democrat	Robert Edward Russell	18,627	42.6	+8.2
	Conservative	Kevin Paul Bentley	13,074	29.9	−1.5
	Labour	Christopher Fegan	10,925	25.0	−5.6
	UKIP	Roger Gordon Lord	631	1.4	N/A
	Grey Party	Leonard Thomas Overy-Owen	479	1.1	N/A
Majority			5,553	12.7
Turnout			43,736	56.1	−13.5
	Liberal Democrat hold		Swing

Elections in the 1990s

General Election 1997: Colchester[18]
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Liberal Democrat	Robert Edward Russell	17,886	34.4	+1.7
	Conservative	Stephan Shakespeare	16,335	31.4	−10.6
	Labour	Rod Green	15,891	30.5	+6.4
	Referendum	John Hazell	1,776	3.4	N/A
	Natural Law	Loretta Basker	148	0.3	N/A
Majority			1,551	3.0
Turnout			52,036	69.2

Elections in the 1970s

General Election 1979: Colchester
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	Philip Antony Fyson Buck	36,740	52.93
	Labour	Bob Russell	22,877	32.96
	Liberal	M Gage	9,794	14.11
Majority			13,863	19.97
Turnout				76.62
	Conservative hold		Swing

General Election October 1974: Colchester
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	Philip Antony Fyson Buck	27,693	44.45
	Labour	D Whytock	22,193	35.62
	Liberal	D Christian	12,421	19.94
Majority			5,500	8.83
Turnout				76.14
	Conservative hold		Swing

General Election February 1974: Colchester
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	Philip Antony Fyson Buck	29,072	43.38
	Labour	D Whytock	22,210	33.14
	Liberal	DW Thomas	15,737	23.48
Majority			6,862	10.24
Turnout				82.60
	Conservative hold		Swing

General Election 1970: Colchester
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	Philip Antony Fyson Buck	30,562	52.57
	Labour	John G Bartlett	20,325	34.96
	Liberal	Peter S Watts	7,248	12.47
Majority			10,237	17.61
Turnout				77.57
	Conservative hold		Swing

Elections in the 1960s

General Election 1966: Colchester
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	Philip Antony Fyson Buck	24,320	45.60
	Labour	Michael Hugh Meacher	23,305	43.69
	Liberal	Peter S Watts	5,714	10.71
Majority			1,015	1.90
Turnout				82.26
	Conservative hold		Swing

General Election 1964: Colchester
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	Philip Antony Fyson Buck	23,319	46.03
	Labour	Charles CP Williams	19,780	39.04
	Liberal	Eric W Rodnight	7,566	14.93
Majority			3,539	6.99
Turnout				82.06
	Conservative hold		Swing

By Election 1961: Colchester
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	Philip Antony Fyson Buck	17,891
	Labour	John Wilson Fear	12,547
	Liberal	Howard L Fry	7,487
Majority			5,344
Turnout
	Conservative hold		Swing

Elections in the 1950s

General Election 1959: Colchester
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	Cuthbert James McCall Alport	24,592	51.63
	Labour	Mrs. Joan I. Edmonson	17,096	35.89
	Liberal	Peter M Linfoot	5,942	12.48
Majority			7,496	15.74
Turnout				82.44
	Conservative hold		Swing

General Election 1955: Colchester
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	Cuthbert James McCall Alport	24,796	55.48
	Labour	Norman R Thomas	19,898	44.52
Majority			4,898	10.96
Turnout				80.49
	Conservative hold		Swing

General Election 1951: Colchester
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	Cuthbert James McCall Alport	25,063	54.16
	Labour	Xenia Noelle Field	21,217	45.84
Majority			3,846	8.31
Turnout				84.84
	Conservative hold		Swing

General Election 1950: Colchester
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	Cuthbert James McCall Alport	21,403	46.50
	Labour	Charles George Percy Smith	20,472	44.47
	Liberal	David Goldblatt	4,157	9.03
Majority			931	2.02
Turnout				86.77
	Conservative gain from Labour		Swing

Election in the 1940s

General Election 1945: Colchester
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labour	Charles George Percy Smith	16,587	45.31
	Conservative	Oswald Lewis	14,123	38.58
	Liberal	George Alexander Routledge	5,899	16.11
Majority			2,464	6.73
Turnout				73.87
	Labour gain from Conservative		Swing

Elections in the 1930s

General Election 1935: Colchester
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	Oswald Lewis	19,915	58.65
	Labour	H Beaumont	14,039	41.35
Majority			5,876	17.31
Turnout				74.63
	Conservative hold		Swing

General Election 1931: Colchester
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	Oswald Lewis	22,285	67.51
	Labour	Edward Aylmer Digby	10,725	32.49
Majority			11,560	35.02
Turnout				76.38
	Conservative hold		Swing

Elections in the 1920s

General Election 1929: Colchester [19]
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Unionist	Oswald Lewis	13,411	40.3
	Labour	Richard Leopold Reiss	12,809	38.5
	Liberal	William Rowley Elliston	6,896	20.7	n/a
	Independent Unionist	C.C. Gray	172	0.5	n/a
Majority			602	1.8
Turnout
	Unionist hold		Swing

General Election 1923: Colchester [20]
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Unionist	Rt Hon. Sir Worthington Laming Worthington-Evans	10,535	43.4	-13.3
	Labour	Richard Leopold Reiss	8,316	34.2	-9.1
	Liberal	Sir Arthur Horne Goldfinch	5,430	22.4	n/a
Majority			2,219	9.2	-4.2
Turnout				78.2
	Unionist hold		Swing	-2.1

See also

• List of Parliamentary constituencies in Essex

Notes and references

Notes

1. A borough constituency (for the purposes of election expenses and type of returning officer)
2. As with all constituencies, the constituency elects one Member of Parliament (MP) by the first past the post system of election at least every five years.

References

1. "Electorate Figures - Boundary Commission for England". 2011 Electorate Figures. Boundary Commission for England. 4 March 2011. Retrieved 13 March 2011.
2. "History of Parliament". History of Parliament Trust. Retrieved 2011-10-16.
3. Cavill. The English Parliaments of Henry VII 1485-1504.
4. "History of Parliament". History of Parliament Trust. Retrieved 2011-10-17.
5. "History of Parliament". History of Parliament Trust. Retrieved 2011-10-17.
6. Leigh Rayment's Historical List of MPs – Constituencies beginning with "C" (part 5)
7. "Election Data 2015". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 17 October 2015. Retrieved 17 October 2015.
8. http://electionresults.blogspot.co.uk/2013/04/colchester-2015.html
9. http://electionresults.blogspot.co.uk/2013/04/colchester-2015.html
10. http://electionresults.blogspot.co.uk/2013/04/colchester-2015.html
11. "Colchester Hustings: John Pitts is Adopted as Westminster Candidate". UKIP Essex. Retrieved 1 March 2015.
12. https://twitter.com/ColcGreenParty/status/539164015713611778
13. "CPA Candidates for the General Election". Christian Peoples Alliance. Retrieved 1 March 2015.
14. "Election Data 2010". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 17 October 2015. Retrieved 17 October 2015.
15. BBC - Election 2010 - Colchester
16. "Election Data 2005". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 18 October 2015.
17. "Election Data 2001". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 18 October 2015.
18. "Election Data 1997". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 18 October 2015.
19. British Parliamentary Election Results 1918-1949, FWS Craig
20. British Parliamentary Election Results 1918-1949, FWS Craig

Sources

• Robert Beatson, "A Chronological Register of Both Houses of Parliament" (London: Longman, Hurst, Res & Orme, 1807)
• 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)
• J E Neale, The Elizabethan House of Commons (London: Jonathan Cape, 1949)
• Henry Stooks Smith, The Parliaments of England from 1715 to 1847 (2nd edition, edited by FWS Craig - Chichester: Parliamentary Reference Publications, 1973)
• Victoria County History of Essex online at www.british-history.ac.uk