Oswestry (UK Parliament constituency)

Oswestry was a United Kingdom Parliamentary constituency. It was a constituency of the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom from 1885 to 1983, when it was renamed North Shropshire. It elected one Member of Parliament by the first past the post method of election.

Oswestry
Former County constituency
for the House of Commons
Oswestry in Shropshire, 1918-50
1885–1983
Number of membersone
Replaced byNorth Shropshire
Created fromNorth Shropshire

Boundaries

1885–1918: The Borough of Oswestry, the Sessional Divisions of Chirbury, Condover, Ford, Oswestry, and Pimhill (except Myddle), and the parish of Fitz.

1918–1949: The Borough of Oswestry, the Urban Districts of Ellesmere, Market Drayton, Wem, and Whitchurch, and the Rural Districts of Drayton, Ellesmere, Oswestry, Wem, and Whitchurch.

1950–1966: The Borough of Oswestry, the Urban Districts of Ellesmere, Market Drayton, Wem, and Whitchurch, and the Rural Districts of Drayton, Ellesmere, Oswestry, and Wem.

1966–1967: The Borough of Oswestry, the Urban Districts of Ellesmere, Wem, and Whitchurch, and the Rural Districts of Ellesmere, Market Drayton, Oswestry, and Wem.

1967–1974: The Rural Districts of Market Drayton, North Shropshire and Oswestry.

1974–1983: The District of North Shropshire and the Borough of Oswestry.

Members of Parliament
ElectionMemberParty
1885 Stanley Leighton Conservative
1901 George Ormsby-Gore Conservative
1904 Allan Heywood Bright Liberal
1906 William Bridgeman Conservative
1929 Bertie Leighton Conservative
1945 Oliver Poole Conservative
1950 David Ormsby-Gore Conservative
1961 John Biffen Conservative
1983 Constituency abolished

Election results

Elections in the 1880s
Jephson
General election 1885: Oswestry [1][2][3]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Stanley Leighton 4,753 55.8
Liberal Henry Lorenzo Jephson 3,772 44.2
Majority 981 11.6
Turnout 8,525 84.5
Registered electors 10,083
Conservative win (new seat)
Leighton
General election 1886: Oswestry [3][1]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Stanley Leighton Unopposed
Conservative hold

Elections in the 1890s
General election 1892: Oswestry [1][3]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Stanley Leighton Unopposed
Conservative hold
General election 1895: Oswestry [1][4][3]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Stanley Leighton 4,605 56.1 N/A
Liberal Owen Thomas 3,598 43.9 New
Majority 1,007 12.2 N/A
Turnout 8,203 82.4 N/A
Registered electors 9,958
Conservative hold Swing N/A

Elections in the 1900s
General election 1900: Oswestry [3][1][4]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Stanley Leighton Unopposed
Conservative hold
1901 Oswestry by-election [3]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative George Ormsby-Gore 4,518 56.8 N/A
Liberal Allan Bright 3,430 43.2 New
Majority 1,088 13.6 N/A
Turnout 7,948 79.5 N/A
Registered electors 9,998
Conservative hold Swing N/A
1904 Oswestry by-election [3]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Allan Bright 4,542 52.2 N/A
Conservative William Bridgeman 4,157 47.8 N/A
Majority 385 4.4 N/A
Turnout 8,699 86.3 N/A
Registered electors 10,075
Liberal gain from Conservative Swing N/A
General election 1906: Oswestry [3][1]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative William Bridgeman 5,011 52.6 N/A
Liberal Allan Bright 4,508 47.4 N/A
Majority 503 5.2 N/A
Turnout 9,519 90.7 N/A
Registered electors 10,490
Conservative gain from Liberal Swing

Elections in the 1910s
General election January 1910: Oswestry [5][3]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative William Bridgeman 5,003 53.3 +0.7
Liberal Edward Powell 4,379 46.7 −0.7
Majority 624 6.6 +1.4
Turnout 9,382 92.4 +1.7
Registered electors 10,151
Conservative hold Swing +0.7
General election December 1910: Oswestry [5][3]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative William Bridgeman 4,867 43.1 +0.8
Liberal Edward Powell 4,121 45.9 −0.8
Majority 746 8.2 +1.6
Turnout 8,988 88.5 −3.9
Registered electors 10,151
Conservative hold Swing +0.8

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;

General election 1918: Oswestry [6]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
C Unionist William Bridgeman 12,276 59.2 +5.1
Labour Thomas Morris 8,467 40.8 New
Majority 3,809 18.4 +10.2
Turnout 20,743 64.9 −23.6
Unionist hold Swing N/A
C indicates candidate endorsed by the coalition government.

Elections in the 1920s
General election 1922: Oswestry[6]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Unionist William Bridgeman 12,837 50.2 -9.0
Liberal Russell Sidebottom 6,660 26.0 New
Labour Thomas Morris 6,105 23.8 -17.0
Majority 6,177 24.2 +5.8
Turnout 25,602 80.2 +15.3
Unionist hold Swing N/A
General election 1923: Oswestry [6]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Unionist William Bridgeman 11,528 46.6 -3.6
Liberal Russell Sidebottom 9,713 39.3 +13.3
Labour Sidney Ronald Campion 3,477 14.1 -9.7
Majority 1,815 7.3 -16.9
Turnout 24,718 75.8 -4.4
Unionist hold Swing -8.5
General election 1924: Oswestry [6]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Unionist William Bridgeman 14,316 55.1 +8.5
Liberal Russell Sidebottom 6,143 23.7 -15.6
Labour Thomas Morris 5,503 21.2 +7.1
Majority 8,173 31.4 +24.1
Turnout 25,962 78.9 +3.1
Unionist hold Swing +12.0
General election 1929: Oswestry [6]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Unionist Bertie Leighton 15,544 47.0 -8.1
Liberal John Share Jones 10,565 32.0 +8.3
Labour H S Evans 6,944 21.0 -0.2
Majority 4,989 15.0 -16.4
Turnout 33,053 78.8 -0.1
Unionist hold Swing -8.2

Elections in the 1930s
General election 1931: Oswestry [6]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Bertie Leighton 23,740 74.0 +27.0
Labour William Elim Warder 8,343 26.0 +5.0
Majority 15,397 48.0 +33.0
Turnout 32,083 74.7 -4.1
Conservative hold Swing
General election 1935: Oswestry [6]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Bertie Leighton Unopposed N/A N/A
Conservative hold Swing N/A

Elections in the 1940s

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;

General election 1945: Oswestry [6]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Oliver Poole 19,082 54.7 N/A
Labour Gilbert Boyd-Carpenter 10,777 30.9 New
Liberal Leslie Corbet Burcher 5,049 14.5 New
Majority 8,305 23.8 N/A
Turnout 34,908 71.7 N/A
Conservative hold Swing N/A

Elections in the 1950s
General election 1950: Oswestry [7]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative David Ormsby-Gore 23,562 61.81
Labour Arthur George Wait 14,556 38.19
Majority 9,006 23.62
Turnout 38,118 78.27
Conservative hold Swing
General election 1951: Oswestry[7]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative David Ormsby-Gore 23,843 62.23
Labour Arthur George Wait 14,471 37.77
Majority 9,372 24.46
Turnout 38,314 76.89
Conservative hold Swing
General election 1955: Oswestry [7]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative David Ormsby-Gore 22,859 64.77
Labour Mark E Boggin 12,434 35.23
Majority 10,425 29.54
Turnout 35,293 70.17
Conservative hold Swing
General election 1959: Oswestry [7]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative David Ormsby-Gore 21,055 55.9 -8.9
Labour Glyn Thomas 10,531 28.0 -7.2
Liberal David G. Rees 6,068 16.1 New
Majority 10,524 27.9 -1.6
Turnout 37,654 74.2 +4.0
Conservative hold Swing

Elections in the 1960s
1961 Oswestry by-election [7]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative John Biffen 12,428 40.8 -15.1
Liberal John Buchanan 8,647 28.4 +12.3
Labour Brian Walden 8,519 28.0 0.0
Patriotic Front John E. Dayton 839 2.8 New
Majority 3,781 12.4 -15.5
Turnout 30,433 60.8 -13.4
Conservative hold Swing -13.7
General election 1964: Oswestry [7]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative John Biffen 18,154 47.4 -8.5
Labour George J. Costley 11,407 29.8 +1.8
Liberal Thomas Rowland Crowther 8,745 22.8 +6.7
Majority 6,747 17.6 -10.3
Turnout 38,709
Conservative hold Swing +2.4
General election 1966: Oswestry [7]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative John Biffen 17,727 48.24
Labour George J. Costley 13,011 35.41
Liberal Thomas R. Crowther 6,010 16.35
Majority 4,716 12.83
Turnout 36,748 73.35
Conservative hold Swing

Elections in the 1970s
General election 1970: Oswestry [8]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative John Biffen 20,361 50.7 +2.5
Labour Neil Turner 10,801 26.9 -8.5
Liberal Edward Paul Cadbury 8,963 22.3 +6.0
Majority 9,560 23.8 +11.0
Turnout 40,125 72.0 -1.3
Conservative hold Swing +5.5
General election February 1974: Oswestry
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative John Biffen 20,438 46.93
Liberal DJ Evans 13,428 30.83
Labour J Bishton 9,685 22.24
Majority 7,010 16.10
Turnout 43,551 77.91
Conservative hold Swing
General election October 1974: Oswestry
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative John Biffen 19,165 47.28
Labour J Bishton 10,751 26.52
Liberal DJ Evans 10,623 26.20
Majority 8,414 20.76
Turnout 40,539 71.84
Conservative hold Swing
General election 1979: Oswestry
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative John Biffen 23,551 54.64
Labour Peter Ernest Sandland-Nielsen 10,150 23.55
Liberal DJ Evans 9,405 21.82
Majority 13,401 31.09
Turnout 43,106 73.90
Conservative hold Swing

References
  1. The Liberal Year Book, 1907
  2. Debrett's House of Commons & Judicial Bench, 1886
  3. Craig, FWS, ed. (1974). British Parliamentary Election Results: 1885-1918. London: Macmillan Press. ISBN 9781349022984.
  4. Debrett's House of Commons & Judicial Bench, 1901
  5. Debrett's House of Commons & Judicial Bench, 1916
  6. British Parliamentary Election Results 1918-1949, F W S Craig
  7. F W S Craig, British Parliamentary Election Results 1950-1973; Political Reference Publications, Glasgow 1973
  8. British parliamentary election results, 1950-1973 by FWS Craig

See also
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