Devizes (UK Parliament constituency)

Coordinates: 51°21′07″N 1°59′42″W / 51.352°N 1.995°W / 51.352; -1.995

Devizes
County constituency
for the House of Commons

Outline map

Boundary of Devizes in Wiltshire.

Outline map

Location of Wiltshire within England.
County Wiltshire
Electorate 68,846 (December 2010)[1]
Major settlements Devizes, Marlborough, Durrington, Pewsey
Current constituency
Created 1885
Member of parliament Claire Perry (Conservative)
Number of members One
1331–1885
Number of members Two until 1868, then One
Type of constituency Borough constituency
Overlaps
European Parliament constituency South West England

Devizes /dvzz/ is a constituency in Wiltshire, England, which is represented in the House of Commons of the U.K. Parliament and includes four towns and many villages in the middle and east of the county.[n 1] The area's representative has been a Conservative since 1924.

History

Until 1885 Devizes was a parliamentary borough, electing two Members of Parliament (MPs) by the bloc vote system until the 1868 election, when the Reform Act 1867 reduced its representation to one MP, elected by the first-past-the-post system of election. The Redistribution of Seats Act 1885 abolished the parliamentary borough, and created a new county constituency of the same name, covering a wider area and electing one member. It has returned a Conservative MP at every election since 1924.

Its most notable MP was Henry Addington, who held the seat during his term as Prime Minister, as well as when he was Speaker of the House of Commons.

Boundaries

1885-1918: The Municipal Borough of Devizes and Marlborough, and the Sessional Divisions of Devizes, Everley, Pewsey (except the civil parishes of Figheldean and Milston), Marlborough, and Ramsey.

1918-1950: The Municipal Boroughs of Devizes and Marlborough, the Rural Districts of Devizes, Marlborough, Pewsey, and Ramsbury, in the Rural District of Highworth the civil parishes of Bishopstone, Chisledon, Liddington, Little Hinton, Wanborough, and Wroughton, and the detached part of the civil parish of Lydiard Tregoze.

1950-1983: The Municipal Boroughs of Devizes and Marlborough, and the Rural Districts of Devizes, Highworth, Marlborough and Ramsbury, and Pewsey.

1983-1997: The District of Kennet, and the Borough of Thamesdown wards of Blunsdon, Chiseldon, Covingham, Highworth, Ridgeway, St Margaret, St Philip, and Wroughton.

1997-2010: The District of Kennet, the District of North Wiltshire wards of Calne Abberd, Calne Central, Calne North, Calne North East, Calne South, and Calne Without, and the District of West Wiltshire wards of Blackmore Forest, Melksham Forest, Melksham Lambourne, Melksham Roundpoint, Melksham Town, and Melksham Woodrow.

2010-present: The District of Kennet (the wards of Aldbourne, All Cannings, Bedwyn, Bishops Cannings, Bromham and Rowde, Burbage, Cheverell, Collingbourne, Devizes East, Devizes North, Devizes South, Lavingtons, Ludgershall, Marlborough East, Marlborough West, Milton Lilbourne, Netheravon, Ogbourne, Pewsey, Pewsey Vale, Potterne, Ramsbury, Roundway, Seend, Shalbourne, Tidworth, Perham Down and Ludgershall South, Upavon, Urchfont, and West Selkley), and the District of Salisbury wards of Bulford and Durrington.

The Devizes constituency covers Devizes in Wiltshire and the surrounding former Kennet district, which includes the towns of Marlborough, Durrington and Tidworth.

Members of Parliament

1295-1640

ParliamentFirst memberSecond member
1386 Richard Gobet William Salter[2]
1388 (Feb) Richard Cardmaker William Salter[2]
1388 (Sep) Richard Cardmaker William Spicer[2]
1390 (Jan) Richard Gobet William Spicer[2]
1390 (Nov)
1391
1393 William Coventre I William Spicer[2]
1394 John Tapener Richard Brunker [2]
1395 Richard Cardmaker William Spicer[2]
1397 (Jan) William Salter Henry Webbe[2]
1397 (Sep) William Salter John Peyntour[2]
1399 Richard Cardmaker William Salter[2]
1401
1402 Simon Skinner Richard Smith[2]
1404 (Jan)
1404 (Oct)
1406 John Huwet John Kingston[2]
1407 John Peyntour Simon Skinner[2]
1410
1411
1413 (Feb)
1413 (May) John Coventre Simon Skinner[2]
1414 (Apr) Thomas Coventre Robert Smith[2]
1414 (Nov) William Coventre III Thomas Coventre[2]
1415 William Coventre III Roger Barbour[2]
1416 (Mar) Richard Litelcote John Peyntour[2]
1416 (Oct)
1417 William Coventre III Robert Tyndale[2]
1419 Robert Tyndale William Hendelove[2]
1420 John Coventre I Robert Chandler[2]
1421 (May) William Coventre III Robert Smith[2]
1421 (Dec) John Baker John Fauconer[2]
1425 Robert Chandler[3]
1429 Robert Chandler[3]
1442 Henry Long
1492 Richard Pudsey[4]
1510-1523No names known[5]
1529 John Poyntz Richard Mytton[5]
1536 ?
1539 ?
1542 ?
1545 Clement Throckmorton Geoffrey Danielle[5]
1547 Sir George Howard Nicholas Throckmorton[5]
1553 (Mar) ?
1553 (Oct) William Rede Thomas Hull[5]
1554 (Apr) Thomas Highgate Henry Leke[5]
1554 (Nov) Thomas Hull Edward Heynes[5]
1555 Thomas Hull James Webbe[5]
1558 Thomas Hull Henry Morris[5]
1558 John Young Edward Heynes[6]
1562/3 Hugh Powell Edward Heynes[6]
1571 Edward Baynton William Clerke[6]
1572 George Reynolds, died
and replaced 1580 by
John Snell
Henry Grube[6]
1584 Edward Baynton I Henry Brounker[6]
1586 Edward Baynton I Henry Brounker[6]
1588 Henry Brounker John Delabere[6]
1593 Henry Baynton I or Henry Baynton II Richard Mompesson[6]
1597 John Kent Robert Drew[6]
1601 Giles Fettiplace Robert Drew[6]
1604 Sir Henry Baynton Robert Drew
1614 Sir Edward Baynton William Kent
1621 Sir Henry Ley John Kent
1624 Edward Bayntun John Kent
1625 Edward Bayntun Robert Drew
1626 Robert Long Sir Henry Ley
1628 Robert Long Thomas Kent
1629–1640 No Parliaments summoned

1640–1832

Election1st Member[7] 1st Party2nd Member[7] 2nd Party
March 1640 Edward Bayntun Henry Danvers
November 1640 Edward Bayntun Robert Nicholas
1653 Devizes not represented in Barebones Parliament
September 1654 Edward Bayntun One seat only
September 1656 Edward Scotton One seat only
January 1659 Chaloner Chute jnr Edward Scotton
March 1660 William Lewis Robert Aldworth
April 1661 William Yorke John Kent
December 1666 John Norden
October 1669 Edward Lewis George Johnson
April 1675 Sir Edward Bayntun
February 1679 Sir Walter Ernle
September 1679 Sir Giles Hungerford John Eyles
February 1681 Sir Walter Ernle George Johnson
March 1685 Sir John Talbot Walter Grubbe
January 1689 Sir William Pynsent
March 1690 Sir Thomas Fowle
December 1690 John Methuen
November 1695 Sir Edward Ernle
July 1698 Sir Francis Child
January 1701 Francis Merewether
November 1701 John Methuen
November 1702 John Child
March 1703 Francis Merewether
May 1705 Sir Francis Child
December 1706 Josiah Diston
May 1708 Paul Methuen
October 1710 Sir Francis Child Thomas Richmond Webb
August 1713 Robert Child John Nicholas
January 1715 Josiah Diston Francis Eyles (expelled)
February 1721 Benjamin Haskins-Stiles
March 1722 Sir Joseph Eyles
August 1727 Francis Eyles
April 1734 Sir Joseph Eyles
February 1740 John Garth
July 1742 George Lee
July 1747 William Willy
January 1765 Charles Garth
June 1765 James Sutton
September 1780 Sir James Tylney Long, 7th Bt.
November 1780 Henry Jones
April 1784 Henry Addington Tory
December 1788 Joshua Smith
January 1805 Thomas Grimston Estcourt
June 1818 John Pearse
March 1826 George Watson-Taylor

1832–1868

Election1st Member[7] 1st Party2nd Member[7] 2nd Party
1832 Wadham Locke Montague Gore Whig
February 1834 Admiral Sir Philip Charles Durham
November 1835 Thomas Henry Sutton Sotheron-Estcourt Conservative
February 1836 James Whitley Deans Dundas
May 1838 George Heneage Walker Heneage
February 1844 William Heald Ludlow Bruges
February 1848 James Bucknall Bucknall-Estcourt
1852 John Neilson Gladstone
1857 Simon Watson Taylor Christopher Darby Griffith
1859 John Neilson Gladstone
Feb 1863 William Wells Addington
Apr 1864 Sir Thomas Bateson, Bt. Conservative
1868 Second Reform Act: representation reduced to one member

Since 1868

Devizes has been a safe Conservative seat since 1945. The current Member of Parliament is Claire Perry who was first elected at the 2010 general election, succeeding Michael Ancram, who had stood down at that election on health grounds.[8]

Charles Hobhouse
ElectionMember[7] Party
1868 Sir Thomas Bateson, Bt. Conservative
1885 Walter Hume Long Conservative
1892 Charles Hobhouse Liberal
1895 Edward Goulding Unionist
1906 Francis Rogers Liberal
January 1910 Basil Peto Unionist
1918 Cory Bell Coalition Conservative
1922 Conservative
1923 Eric Macfadyen Liberal
1924 Percy Hurd Conservative
1945 Christopher Hollis Conservative
1955 H. Percivall Pott Conservative
1964 by-election Charles Morrison Conservative
1992 Michael Ancram Conservative
2010 Claire Perry Conservative

Fictional Member of Parliament

Devizes was the stated constituency of fictional Conservative MP The Honourable Sir Piers Fletcher-Dervish, Baronet, later Junior Minister for Housing, in the TV sitcom The New Statesman, which was produced and set during the same decade (1980s) that Charles Andrew Morrison was MP for the real-life seat. He was portrayed by actor Michael Troughton.

Elections

Elections in the 2010s

General Election 2015: Devizes[9]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Claire Perry 28,295 57.7 +2.7
UKIP David Pollitt 7,544 15.4 +10.9
Labour Chris Watts 6,360 13 +2.8
Liberal Democrat Manda Rigby 3,954 8.1 -18.9
Green Emma Dawnay[10] 2,853 5.8 +4.1
Majority 20,751 42.3 +14.2
Turnout 49,006 70.8 +2
Conservative hold Swing
General Election 2010: Devizes[11][12]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Claire Perry 25,519 55.1 +4.0
Liberal Democrat Fiona Hornby 12,514 27.0 +4.7
Labour Junab Ali 4,711 10.2 -12.2
UKIP Patricia Bryant 2,076 4.5 +0.2
Green Mark Fletcher 813 1.8 N/A
Independent Martin Houlden 566 1.2 N/A
Libertarian Nic Coome 141 0.3 N/A
Majority 13,005 28.1
Turnout 46,340 68.8 +3.5
Conservative hold Swing −0.3

Elections in the 2000s

General Election 2005: Devizes[13]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Michael Ancram 27,253 48.5 +1.3
Liberal Democrat Fiona Hornby 14,059 25.0 +2.9
Labour Sharon Charity 12,519 22.3 −2.6
UKIP Alan Wood 2,315 4.1 +1.2
Majority 13,194 23.5
Turnout 56,146 65.2 +1.0
Conservative hold Swing −0.8
General Election 2001: Devizes[14]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Michael Ancram 25,159 47.2 +4.4
Labour Jim Thorpe 13,263 24.9 +0.7
Liberal Democrat Helen Frances 11,756 22.1 -4.5
UKIP Alan Wood 1,521 2.9 +1.8
Independent Sir Ludovic Kennedy 1,078 2.0 N/A
Monster Raving Loony Long Tall Sally Potter 472 0.9 N/A
Majority 11,896 22.3
Turnout 53,249 64.2 -10.5
Conservative hold Swing

Elections in the 1990s

General Election 1997: Devizes[15]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Michael Ancram 25,710 42.82
Liberal Democrat Antony Vickers 15,928 26.53
Labour Frank Jeffrey 14,551 24.24
Referendum John Goldsmith 3,021 5.03
UKIP S. Oram 622 1.04
Natural Law Stephen Haysom 204 0.34
Majority 9,782 16.29
Turnout 60,036 74.69
Conservative hold Swing
General Election 1992: Devizes[16][17]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Michael Ancram 39,090 53.3 −1.4
Liberal Democrat Ms. Jane L. Mactaggart 19,378 26.4 −1.5
Labour Ms. Rosemary J. Berry 13,060 17.8 +0.5
Liberal S.C. Coles 962 1.3 −26.6
Green David Ripley 808 1.1 +1.1
Majority 19,712 26.9 +0.0
Turnout 73,298 81.7 +4.5
Conservative hold Swing +0.0

Elections in the 1980s

General Election 1987: Devizes[18]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Hon. Charles Andrew Morrison 36,372 54.78
Liberal Linda E Siegle 18,542 27.92
Labour RW Buxton 11,487 17.30
Majority 17,830 26.85
Turnout 77.17
Conservative hold Swing
General Election 1983: Devizes[19]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Hon. Charles Andrew Morrison 33,644 53.95
Social Democratic E Palmer 18,020 28.89
Labour D Hulme 10,468 16.78
Wessex Regionalist G Ewen 234 0.38
Majority 15,624 25.05
Turnout 74.95
Conservative hold Swing

Elections in the 1970s

General Election 1979: Devizes
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Hon. Charles Andrew Morrison 32,439 50.92
Labour VE Finlayson 16,351 25.67
Liberal John Bernard Ainslie 14,059 22.07
Ecology R Burcham 713 1.12
Wessex Regionalist AB Mockler 142 0.22
Majority 16,088 25.25
Turnout 79.60
Conservative hold Swing
General Election October 1974: Devizes
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Hon. Charles Andrew Morrison 24,842 42.45
Labour VE Finlayson 17,821 30.46
Liberal John Bernard Ainslie 15,851 27.09
Majority 7,021 12.00
Turnout 75.22
Conservative hold Swing
General Election February 1974: Devizes
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Hon. Charles Andrew Morrison 27,878 44.53
Labour Richard Oliver Faulkner 17,980 28.72
Liberal J Crawford 16,753 26.76
Majority 9,898 15.81
Turnout 81.29
Conservative hold Swing
General Election 1970: Devizes
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Hon. Charles Andrew Morrison 28,475 51.65
Labour Richard Oliver Faulkner 20,442 37.08
Liberal John Jones 6,210 11.26
Majority 8,033 14.57
Turnout 76.15
Conservative hold Swing

Elections in the 1960s

General Election 1966: Devizes
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Hon. Charles Andrew Morrison 21,429 44.65
Labour Ian Hamilton 18,832 39.24
Liberal Prof. Michael Patrick Fogarty 7,730 16.11
Majority 2,597 5.41
Turnout 81.02
Conservative hold Swing
General Election 1964: Devizes
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Hon. Charles Andrew Morrison 21,118 46.75
Labour Irving HH Rogers 17,170 38.01
Liberal Prof. Michael Patrick Fogarty 6,881 15.23
Majority 3,948 8.74
Turnout 81.37
Conservative hold Swing
Devizes By-Election, 1964
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Hon. Charles Andrew Morrison 19,554
Labour Irving HH Rogers 17,884
Liberal Prof. Michael Patrick Fogarty 4,281
Majority 1,670
Turnout
Conservative hold Swing

Elections in the 1950s

General Election 1959: Devizes
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Henry Percivall Pott 20,682 51.41
Labour Wilfrid Edward Cave 16,844 41.87
Independent Liberal Jack Norton 2,707 6.73
Majority 3,838 9.54
Turnout 79.23
Conservative hold Swing
General Election 1955: Devizes
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Henry Percivall Pott 20,317 52.69
Labour Wilfrid Edward Cave 18,242 47.31
Majority 2,075 5.38
Turnout 78.62
Conservative hold Swing
General Election 1951: Devizes
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Maurice Christopher Hollis 20,319 52.02
Labour Wilfrid Edward Cave 18,742 47.98
Majority 1,577 4.04
Turnout 81.41
Conservative hold Swing
General Election 1950: Devizes
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Maurice Christopher Hollis 17,401 45.26
Labour Wilfrid Edward Cave 16,216 42.18
Liberal Richard William Thomas Aston 4,832 12.57
Majority 1,185 3.08
Turnout 82.11
Conservative hold Swing

Elections in the 1940s

General Election 1945: Devizes
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Maurice Christopher Hollis 12,796 47.0
Labour Wilfrid Edward Cave 8,120 29.9
Liberal Frances Louise Josephy 6,278 23.1
Majority 4,676 17.2
Turnout 67.6
Conservative hold Swing

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 from 1939 and by the end of this year, the following candidates had been selected;

Elections in the 1930s

General Election 1935: Devizes
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Sir Percy Angier Hurd 14,438 59.32
Liberal Frances Louise Josephy 9,903 40.68
Majority 4,535 18.63
Turnout 72.20
Conservative hold Swing
General Election 1931: Devizes
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Percy Angier Hurd 16,702 66.27
Liberal Joseph William Molden 8,501 33.73
Majority 8,201 32.54
Turnout 76.20
Conservative hold Swing

Elections in the 1920s

General Election 1929: Devizes
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Unionist Percy Angier Hurd 11,979 47.8 -13.1
Liberal Eric Macfadyen 10,728 42.7 +3.6
Labour R.P. Sheppard 2,391 9.5 n/a
Majority 1,251 5.1 -16.7
Turnout 77.5 +1.3
Unionist hold Swing -8.4
General Election 1924: Devizes
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Unionist Percy Angier Hurd 12,157 60.9
Liberal Eric Macfadyen 7,807 39.1
Majority 4,350 21.8
Turnout 76.2
Unionist gain from Liberal Swing
General Election 1923: Devizes [20]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Eric Macfadyen 9,202 51.8 +11.1
Unionist William Cory Heward Bell 8,574 48.2 -11.1
Majority 628 3.6 22.2
Turnout 69.5 +4.6
Liberal gain from Unionist Swing +11.1
Hilda Currie
General Election 1922: Devizes
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Unionist William Cory Heward Bell 9,598
Liberal Hilda Beatrice Currie 6,576
Majority
Turnout
Unionist hold Swing

Elections in the 1910s

General Election 1918: Devizes
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Unionist
  • William Cory Heward Bell
8,512
Liberal James Currie 4,823
Majority
Turnout
Unionist hold Swing

Elections in the 1900s

General Election 1906 Devizes[21]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Francis Edward Newman Rogers 4,247 53.9 +8.5
Conservative Godfrey Dalrymple Dalrymple-White 3,633 46.1 -8.5
Majority 614 7.8 17.0
Turnout 87.7
Liberal gain from Conservative Swing +8.5

Neighbouring constituencies

See also

References

Craig, F. W. S. (1983). British parliamentary election results 1918-1949 (3 ed.). Chichester: Parliamentary Research Services. ISBN 0-900178-06-X.

Notes and references

Notes
  1. As with all constituencies, Devizes 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. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 "History of Parliament". History of Parliament Trust. Retrieved 2011-10-24.
  3. 1 2 http://www.historyofparliamentonline.org/volume/1386-1421/member/chandler-robert-ii
  4. Cavill. The English Parliaments of Henry VII 1485-1504.
  5. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 "History of Parliament". History of Parliament Trust. Retrieved 2011-10-24.
  6. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 "History of Parliament". History of Parliament Trust. Retrieved 2011-10-24.
  7. 1 2 3 4 5 Leigh Rayment's Historical List of MPs – Constituencies beginning with "D" (part 2)
  8. "Tories select successor to Ancram". BBC News. 2 November 2009. Retrieved 3 September 2010.
  9. "Election Data 2015". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 17 October 2015. Retrieved 17 October 2015.
  10. "Press release: Green Party announces new candidates for Chippenham and Devizes constituencies". Kennet and North Wiltshire Green Party. 8 February 2015. Retrieved 11 February 2015.
  11. "Election Data 2010". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 17 October 2015. Retrieved 17 October 2015.
  12. Kerr, Andrew (20 April 2010). "Statement of Persons Nominated and Notice of Poll" (PDF). Electoral Services. Wiltshire County Council. Retrieved 21 April 2010.
  13. "Election Data 2005". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 18 October 2015.
  14. "Election Data 2001". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 18 October 2015.
  15. "Election Data 1997". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 18 October 2015.
  16. "Election Data 1992". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 18 October 2015.
  17. "Politics Resources". Election 1992. Politics Resources. 9 April 1992. Retrieved 6 December 2010.
  18. "Election Data 1987". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 18 October 2015.
  19. "Election Data 1983". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 18 October 2015.
  20. British parliamentary election results, 1918-1949 by FWS Craig
  21. British parliamentary election results, 1885-1918 (Craig)
Parliament of the United Kingdom
Preceded by
Buckinghamshire
Constituency represented by the Speaker
1789–1801
Succeeded by
East Looe
Preceded by
Cambridge University
Constituency represented by the Prime Minister
1801–1804
Succeeded by
Cambridge University
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