Middleton (UK Parliament constituency)

Middleton was a county constituency in the county of Lancashire of the House of Commons for the Parliament of the United Kingdom. Created by the Redistribution of Seats Act 1885, it was represented by one Member of Parliament. The constituency was abolished in 1918.

Middleton
Former County constituency for the House of Commons
1885–1918
Number of members	one
Replaced by	Middleton and Prestwich
Created from	South East Lancashire

Members of Parliament

Election		Member	Party
	1885	George Salis-Schwabe	Liberal
	1886		Liberal Unionist
	1886	Thomas Fielden	Conservative
	1892	Charles Henry Hopwood	Liberal
	1895	Thomas Fielden	Conservative
	1897 b-e	James Duckworth	Liberal
	1900	Edward Fielden	Conservative
	1906	Ryland Adkins	Liberal
	1918	Constituency abolished

Boundaries

The Redistribution of Seats Act 1885 provided that the constituency was to consist of "The Sessional Division of Middleton (except so much of the Parish of Spotland as is included in Division No. 10 as herein described, or in the Municipal Borough of Bacup), the Municipal Borough of Rochdale, and the Parishes of Alkrington and Tonge, and in the Sessional Division of Bury so much of the Parish of Hopwood as is not included in the Municipal Borough of Heywood." [1]

Elections

Elections in the 1880s

General election 1885: Middleton[2]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Liberal	George Salis-Schwabe	5,882	54.6
	Conservative	Thomas Fielden	4,885	45.4
Majority			997	9.2
Turnout			10,767	91.6
Registered electors			11,748
	Liberal win (new seat)

Thomas Fielden

General election 1886: Middleton[3]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	Thomas Fielden	5,126	51.6	+6.2
	Liberal	Charles Henry Hopwood	4,808	48.4	−6.2
Majority			318	3.2	N/A
Turnout			9,934	84.6	−7.0
Registered electors			11,748
	Conservative gain from Liberal		Swing	+6.2

Elections in the 1890s

General election 1892: Middleton[4]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Liberal	Charles Henry Hopwood	5,389	50.5	+2.1
	Conservative	Thomas Fielden	5,273	49.5	−2.1
Majority			116	1.0	N/A
Turnout			10,662	89.2	+4.6
Registered electors			11,951
	Liberal gain from Conservative		Swing	+2.1

General election 1895: Middleton[5]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	Thomas Fielden	5,926	53.9	+4.4
	Liberal	Charles Henry Hopwood	5,061	46.1	−4.4
Majority			865	7.8	N/A
Turnout			10,987	88.3	−0.9
Registered electors			12,446
	Conservative gain from Liberal		Swing	+4.4

Fielden's death caused a by-election.

J. Duckworth

1897 Middleton by-election[6][7]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Liberal	James Duckworth	5,964	51.3	+5.2
	Conservative	William Mitchell	5,664	48.7	−5.2
Majority			300	2.6	N/A
Turnout			11,628	89.8	+1.5
Registered electors			12,945
	Liberal gain from Conservative		Swing	+5.2

Elections in the 1900s

General election 1900: Middleton[8]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	Edward Fielden	6,147	50.6	−3.3
	Liberal	James Duckworth	6,011	49.4	+3.3
Majority			136	1.2	−6.6
Turnout			12,158	88.7	+0.4
Registered electors			13,707
	Conservative hold		Swing	−3.3

Potter

General election January 1906: Middleton[9]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Liberal	Ryland Adkins	7,018	56.1	+6.7
	Conservative	Cyril Potter	5,485	43.9	−6.7
Majority			1,533	12.2	N/A
Turnout			12,503	87.3	−1.4
Registered electors			14,314
	Liberal gain from Conservative		Swing	+6.7

Elections in the 1910s

Ryland Adkins

General election January 1910: Middleton[10]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Liberal	Ryland Adkins	7,669	55.0	-1.1
	Conservative	Patrick Rose-Innes	6,266	45.0	+1.1
Majority			1,403	10.0	-2.2
Turnout			13,935	90.5	+3.2
	Liberal hold		Swing	-1.1

William Hewins

General election December 1910: Middleton[11]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Liberal	Ryland Adkins	7,071	52.9	-2.1
	Liberal Unionist	William Hewins	6,284	47.1	+2.1
Majority			787	5.8	-4.2
Turnout			13,355	86.8	-3.7
	Liberal hold		Swing	-2.1

Adkins was appointed Recorder of Nottingham and required to seek re-election.

1911 Middleton by-election[12]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Liberal	Ryland Adkins	6,863	51.5	-1.4
	Liberal Unionist	William Hewins	6,452	48.5	+1.4
Majority			411	3.0	-2.8
Turnout			13,315	86.2	-0.6
	Liberal hold		Swing	-1.4

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 the July 1914, the following candidates had been selected;

• Liberal: Ryland Adkins
• Unionist: Bernard Townroe[13]

References

1. Redistribution of Seats Act 1885, Seventh Schedule.
2. British parliamentary election results, 1885-1918 (Craig)
3. British parliamentary election results, 1885-1918 (Craig)
4. British parliamentary election results, 1885-1918 (Craig)
5. British parliamentary election results, 1885-1918 (Craig)
6. British parliamentary election results, 1885-1918 (Craig)
7. The Constitutional Year Book, 1904, published by Conservative Central Office, page 147 (171 in web page), Lancashire North East
8. British parliamentary election results, 1885-1918 (Craig)
9. British parliamentary election results, 1885-1918 (Craig)
10. British parliamentary election results, 1885-1918 (Craig)
11. British parliamentary election results, 1885-1918 (Craig)
12. British parliamentary election results, 1885-1918 (Craig)
13. Manchester Courier and Lancashire General Advertiser 11 Mar 1914