West Surrey (UK Parliament constituency)

West Surrey (formally the Western division of Surrey) was a parliamentary constituency in the county of Surrey, which returned two Members of Parliament (MPs) to the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom, elected by the bloc vote system.

West Surrey
Former County constituency for the House of Commons
This two-member area shaded light green
County	Surrey
1832–1885
Number of members	Two
Replaced by	Epsom Chertsey Guildford Reigate also called Mid, N.W. S.W. and S.E. Surrey
Created from	Haslemere and Surrey
During its existence contributed to new seat(s) of:	none

It was created under the Great Reform Act for the 1832 general election, and abolished for the 1885 general election.

Boundaries

1832–1885: The Hundreds of Blackheath, Copthorne, Effingham, Elmbridge, Farnham, Godalming, Godley and Chertsey, Woking and Wotton.[1]

The constituency was therefore the more extensive and more rural of the two divisions of Surrey established in 1832. Its main existing towns were urbanising with railway stations built; Woking became a town towards the end of its existence. Elections were conducted at Guildford; other most populous towns were Leatherhead, Dorking, Epsom, Ewell, Farnham, Godalming, Haslemere, Chertsey, Egham, Walton-on-Thames, Weybridge and Woking. Guildford was a parliamentary borough represented in its own right, but those of its freeholders not qualifying for a vote as such could vote for the county division MPs.

Subdivision in 1885

On its abolition in 1885 its contents made up all or some of four single-member seats and the overlapping seat (1295-1867 a constituency returning two members), Guildford parliamentary borough, was abolished. The outcome was as follows:

• The North-Western division of Surrey or Chertsey (i.e. Bisley; Byfleet; Chertsey; Chobham; Egham; Horsell; Pyrford; Thorpe; Weybridge; Windlesham; Ash, East Clandon, West Clandon, East Horsley, West Horsley, Merrow, Ockham, Pirbright, Send and Ripley, Wanborough, Windlesham, Wisley, Woking and Worplesdon.)[2][3][4]
• Epsom (UK Parliament constituency) drew on Mid Surrey as to Tolworth, New Malden, Malden, Worcester Park, Surbiton, Hook, Coombe and Long Ditton in the Kingston Hundred and Sessional Division. Took: Ashtead; Banstead; Great Bookham; Little Bookham; Cheam; Chessington; Cuddington; Epsom; Ewell; Fetcham; Headley; Leatherhead; Sutton; Walton on the Hill; Cobham; Thames Ditton; Esher; East Molesey; West Molesey; Stoke D'Abernon; and Walton on Thames.[2][5][4]
• Reigate (UK Parliament constituency) drew, approximately equally, on Mid and East Surrey. Took: Abinger; Capel; Dorking; Dorking Rural (reached South Holmwood); Newdigate; Ockley; Wotton.[4]
• The South-Western division of Surrey or Guildford as to the rest[2][4]

Members of Parliament

Election	1st Member		1st Party	Main home	2nd Member		2nd Party	Main home
1832		William Joseph Denison	Whig[6][7]	Denbies, Dorking		John Leech or Leach (d. 16 April 1847)	Whig[6]	Lea, Witley,[8] Surrey[9]
1835						Charles Barclay[10]	Conservative	Bury Hill, Dorking[11][12]
1837						Hon. George Perceval	Conservative	Nork House, Banstead and Cowdray Park, Midhurst and 26 St James's Place, St James's
1840 by-election						John Trotter	Conservative	Horton Place (manor), Epsom
1847cha						Henry Drummond	Conservative	Albury Park, Albury
1849 by-election		William John Evelyn	Conservative	Wotton House, Wotton (west of Dorking)
1857		John Ivatt Briscoe	Whig[13][14][6][7]	Botleys, Chertsey then Foxhills, Chertsey
1859			Liberal
1860 by-election						George Cubitt	Conservative	Denbies, Dorking
1870 by-election		Lee Steere	Conservative	Jayes (Jayes Park), Wotton
1880		Hon. St John Brodrick	Conservative	Peper Harow House, Peper Harow, near Godalming
1885	constituency abolished

The Times obituary of Leech reads:

On the 16th, inst[ant (this month)], died, at the age of 86, after a short illness, John Leech, Esq. He lived and died at his parternal mansion at Lea, in the county of Surrey. He was elected member for the western division of that county in the year 1832. Mr Leech was the very type of an old English country gentleman: benevolent, active, intelligent, upright, honourable, and of a truly independent and manly mind. His memory will be long cherished by his friends, and his death deplored by a wide circle of intimate acquaintance.

— The Times[9]

Election results

Elections in the 1830s

General election 1832: West Surrey[15][6]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Whig	William Joseph Denison	1,517	36.6
	Whig	John Leech (Surrey MP)	1,427	34.5
	Tory	George Holme Sumner[16]	1,198	28.9
Majority			229	5.6
Turnout			2,527	86.8
Registered electors			2,912
	Whig win (new seat)
	Whig win (new seat)

General election 1835: West Surrey[15][6]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Whig	William Joseph Denison	1,488	36.5	−0.1
	Conservative	Charles Barclay (Surrey MP)	1,316	32.2	+3.3
	Whig	Henry Lawes Long	1,285	31.4	−3.1
Turnout			2,550	85.9	−0.9
Registered electors			2,967
Majority			172	4.2	−1.4
	Whig hold		Swing	−0.9
Majority			31	0.8	N/A
	Conservative gain from Whig		Swing	+3.3

General election 1837: West Surrey[15][6]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Whig	William Joseph Denison	1,586	33.7	−2.8
	Conservative	George Perceval	1,578	33.5	+1.3
	Whig	Henry Lawes Long[17]	1,543	32.8	+1.4
Turnout			2,970	80.5	−5.4
Registered electors			3,688
Majority			8	0.2	−4.0
	Whig hold		Swing	−1.7
Majority			35	0.7	−0.1
	Conservative hold		Swing	+1.4

Elections in the 1840s

Perceval (of the with-heirs-male inheritee branch of the Earls of Egmont) was in 1802 given his peerage becoming Lord Arden which caused a by-election.

By-election, 31 July 1840: West Surrey[15][6]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	John Trotter	Unopposed
	Conservative hold

General election 1841: West Surrey[15][6]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Whig	William Joseph Denison	Unopposed
	Conservative	John Trotter	Unopposed
Registered electors			3,993
	Whig hold
	Conservative hold

General election 1847: West Surrey[15]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Whig	William Joseph Denison	Unopposed
	Conservative	Henry Drummond	Unopposed
Registered electors			3,778
	Whig hold
	Conservative hold

Denison's death caused a by-election.

By-election, 27 September 1849: West Surrey[15]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	William John Evelyn	1,144	53.7	N/A
	Whig	Richard Wyatt Edgell[lower-alpha 1][18][19]	988	46.3	N/A
Majority			156	7.4	N/A
Turnout			2,132	58.4	N/A
Registered electors			3,651
	Conservative gain from Whig		Swing	N/A

1. later of Strawberry Hill, Lympstone, Devon died, 79, in 1875.

Elections in the 1850s

General election 1852: West Surrey[15]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	William John Evelyn	1,646	35.5	N/A
	Conservative	Henry Drummond	1,610	34.7	N/A
	Whig	Thomas-Chaloner Bisse-Challoner[20]	1,385	29.8	N/A
Majority			225	4.9	N/A
Turnout			3,013 (est)	77.3 (est)	N/A
Registered electors			4,081
	Conservative hold		Swing	N/A
	Conservative gain from Whig		Swing	N/A

General election 1857: West Surrey[15]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Whig	John Ivatt Briscoe	1,439	35.7	+5.9
	Conservative	Henry Drummond	1,386	34.4	−0.3
	Conservative	Henry Currie[21][lower-alpha 1]	1,204	29.9	−5.6
Majority			53	1.3	N/A
Turnout			2,734 (est)	69.7 (est)	−7.6
Registered electors			3,920
	Whig gain from Conservative		Swing	+5.9
	Conservative hold		Swing	−1.6

1. of West Horsley Place, died 74, in 1873

General election 1859: West Surrey[15]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Liberal	John Ivatt Briscoe	Unopposed
	Conservative	Henry Drummond	Unopposed
Registered electors			3,958
	Liberal hold
	Conservative hold

Elections in the 1860s

Drummond's death caused a by-election.

By-election, 10 March 1860: West Surrey[15]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	George Cubitt	Unopposed
	Conservative hold

General election 1865: West Surrey[15]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Liberal	John Ivatt Briscoe	Unopposed
	Conservative	George Cubitt	Unopposed
Registered electors			4,081
	Liberal hold
	Conservative hold

General election 1868: West Surrey[15]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	George Cubitt	3,000	39.6	N/A
	Liberal	John Ivatt Briscoe	2,826	37.3	N/A
	Liberal	Frederick Pennington[lower-alpha 1]	1,757	23.2	N/A
Majority			174	2.3	N/A
Turnout			5,292 (est)	78.9 (est)	N/A
Registered electors			6,708
	Liberal hold
	Conservative hold

1. Soon after, MP for Stockport until standing down for a seat lost by 12 votes, in 1885; the notable international merchant, socialite and speaker lived at Broome Hall, Holmwood in the county when not in town

Elections in the 1870s

Briscoe's death caused a by-election.

By-election, 8 Sep 1870: West Surrey[15]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	Lee Steere	Unopposed
	Conservative gain from Liberal

General election 1874: West Surrey[15]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	Lee Steere	Unopposed
	Conservative	George Cubitt	Unopposed
Registered electors			7,314
	Conservative hold
	Conservative gain from Liberal

Elections in the 1880s

General election 1880: West Surrey[15]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	John Brodrick	Unopposed
	Conservative	George Cubitt	Unopposed
Registered electors			7,779
	Conservative hold
	Conservative hold

References

1. "The statutes of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland. 2 & 3 William IV. Cap. LXIV. An Act to settle and describe the Divisions of Counties, and the Limits of Cities and Boroughs, in England and Wales, in so far as respects the Election of Members to serve in Parliament". London: His Majesty's statute and law printers. 1832. pp. 300–383. Retrieved 2017-07-27.
2. CHERTSEY PETTY SESSIONAL DIVISION: RECORDS (summary of PS1-PS7 of Surrey History Centre, 7 Petty Sessional Divisions scope The National Archives: Browse records of other archives: 176 Surrey History Centre. Accessed 2019-12-04
3. H.E. Malden (editor) (1911). "The hundred of Woking: Introduction and map". A History of the County of Surrey: Volume 3. Institute of Historical Research. Retrieved 9 January 2014.CS1 maint: extra text: authors list (link)
4. Redistribution of Seats Act 1885 Appendix D - county constituencies
5. Combined petty sessional division: Kingston and Elmbridge as dealt with under heading Kingston sessional division in the 1885 Act Dickens's Dictionary of London, Charles Dickens, Jr., 1879 - "Petty Sessional Divisions"
6. 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. 65. Retrieved 18 August 2018 – via Google Books.
7. A Member of the Middle Temple (1838). The Assembled Commons or Parliamentary Biographer: With An Abstract of the Law of Election, and the Usages of Parliament. London: Scott, Webster, and Geary. pp. 38, 70 – via Google Books.
8. 'Parishes: Witley', in A History of the County of Surrey: Volume 3, ed. H E Malden (London, 1911), pp. 61-69. British History Online http://www.british-history.ac.uk/vch/surrey/vol3/pp61-69 [accessed 5 December 2019].
9. The Times (London, England), Wednesday, April 21, 1847, Issue 19529, p.7.
10. Charles Barclay historic Hansard index, UK Parliament, earlier for Dundalk and Southwark.
11. The Times (London, England), Friday, December 7, 1855, Issue 22231, p.1.
12. https://www.exploringsurreyspast.org.uk/themes/places/surrey/mole_valley/dorking/dorking_bury_hill_and_the_barclays/
13. "John Ivatt Briscoe". Legacies of British Slave-ownership. University College London. Retrieved 18 August 2018.
14. "Pamphlet: A Letter on the Nature and Effects of the Tread-Wheel". British Library. Retrieved 18 August 2018.
15. Craig, F. W. S., ed. (1977). British Parliamentary Election Results 1832-1885 (1st ed.). London: Macmillan Press. pp. 468–469. ISBN 978-1-349-02349-3.
16. Spencer, Howard. "HOLME SUMNER (formerly SUMNER), George (1760-1838), of Hatchlands Park, East Clandon, nr. Guildford, Surr". The History of Parliament. Retrieved 3 May 2020.
17. "Election Intelligence". Morning Advertiser. 5 August 1837. p. 1. Retrieved 3 May 2020 – via British Newspaper Archive.
18. "West Surrey Election". Dublin Evening Mail. 26 September 1849. p. 2. Retrieved 3 June 2019 – via British Newspaper Archive.
19. "The Scotsman". 26 September 1849. p. 2. Retrieved 3 June 2019 – via British Newspaper Archive.
20. "Staffordshire Advertiser". 24 July 1852. p. 4. Retrieved 18 August 2018 – via British Newspaper Archive.
21. "Mr. Currie at Guildford". Sussex Agricultural Express. 21 March 1857. p. 7. Retrieved 18 August 2018 – via British Newspaper Archive.

• Leigh Rayment's Historical List of MPs – Constituencies beginning with "S" (part 6)
• F W S Craig, British Parliamentary Election Results 1832-1885 (2nd edition, Aldershot: Parliamentary Research Services, 1989)
• Frederic A Youngs, jr, Guide to the Local Administrative Units of England, Vol II (London: Royal Historical Society, 1991)