Westhoughton (UK Parliament constituency)

Westhoughton was a parliamentary constituency in Lancashire, England. Centred on the former mining and cotton town of Westhoughton, it returned one Member of Parliament (MP) to the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom.

Westhoughton
Former County constituency
for the House of Commons
CountyLancashire (until 1974)
Greater Manchester (from 1974)
1885–1983
Number of membersOne
Replaced byBolton West
Wigan
Leigh
Chorley
Created fromSouth East Lancashire

The constituency was created for the 1885 general election, and abolished for the 1983 general election.

History and boundaries
Westhoughton in Lancashire, boundaries used 1950-83

1885–1918

The Redistribution of Seats Act 1885 divided the existing constituency of South East Lancashire into eight single-member seats. The new seat of South-East Lancashire, Westhoughton Division comprised an area surrounding, but not including, the County Borough of Bolton.[1] It consisted of the towns of Aspull, Blackrod, Horwich, Little Lever, and Westhoughton, and the surrounding townships of Anglezarke, Bradshaw, Breightmet, Darcy Lever, Edgworth, Entwistle, Great Lever, Harwood, Heaton, Longworth, Lostock, Middle Hulton, Over Hulton, Quarlton and Rivington, plus Turton Urban District, and the parts of Rumworth, Sharples and Tonge with Haulgh outside the Parliamentary Borough of Bolton.[2][3][4]

1918–1950

The Representation of the People Act 1918 reorganised parliamentary seats throughout Great Britain and Ireland. Constituencies were redefined in terms of the urban and rural districts created by the Local Government Act 1894. Lancashire, Westhoughton Division consisted of five adjoining urban districts: Aspull, Blackrod, Hindley, Horwich and Westhoughton.[3][5][6]

1950–1983

The next redrawing of English constituencies was effected by the Representation of the People Act 1948. The Act introduced the term "county constituency". Westhoughton County Constituency was enlarged by the addition of Standish with Langtree Urban District and Wigan Rural District.[3][7] The revised boundaries were first used at the 1950 general election, and were unchanged until abolition.[8]

Abolition

The 1983 redistribution of seats reflected local government reforms made in 1974. The bulk of the seat became part of the parliamentary county of Greater Manchester: Blackrod, Horwich and Westhoughton formed part of the new Bolton West county constituency, Aspull and Standish part of Wigan borough constituency and Hindley was included in Leigh borough constituency. Some parishes in the north of the old constituency remained in Lancashire, and were included in Chorley county constituency.[9]

Members of Parliament
ElectionMember[10]Party
1885Frank HardcastleConservative
1892Edward StanleyConservative
1906William WilsonLabour
1921 by-electionRhys DaviesLabour
1951 by-electionTom PriceLabour
1973 by-electionRoger StottLabour
1983 constituency abolished

Election results

Elections in the 1880s
General election 1885: Westhoughton[11]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Frank Hardcastle 6,011 61.6
Liberal Edward Cross[12] 3,741 38.4
Majority 2,270 23.2
Turnout 9,752 91.8
Registered electors 10,625
Conservative win (new seat)
General election 1886: Westhoughton[11]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Frank Hardcastle Unopposed
Conservative hold

Elections in the 1890s
General election 1892: Westhoughton[11]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Edward Stanley 6,711 57.9 N/A
Liberal Lewis Haslam 4,871 42.1 New
Majority 1,840 15.8 N/A
Turnout 11,582 89.2 N/A
Registered electors 12,979
Conservative hold Swing N/A
General election 1895: Westhoughton[11]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Edward Stanley Unopposed
Conservative hold

Elections in the 1900s
General election 1900: Westhoughton[11]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Edward Stanley 7,989 61.7 N/A
Liberal Franklin Thomasson 4,949 38.3 New
Majority 3,040 23.4 N/A
Turnout 12,938 81.7 N/A
Registered electors 15,827
Conservative hold Swing N/A
By-election, 1903: Westhoughton[11]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Edward Stanley Unopposed
Conservative hold
General election 1906: Westhoughton[11]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Repr. Cmte. William Wilson 9,262 60.2 New
Conservative Edward Stanley 6,134 39.8 −21.9
Majority 3,128 20.4 N/A
Turnout 15,396 85.6 +3.9
Registered electors 17,984
Labour Repr. Cmte. gain from Conservative Swing N/A

Elections in the 1910s
General election January 1910: Westhoughton[11]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour William Wilson 10,141 56.8 −3.4
Conservative H. M. Byrne 7,709 43.2 +3.4
Majority 2,432 13.6 −6.8
Turnout 17,850 90.4 +4.8
Registered electors 19,751
Labour hold Swing −3.4
General election December 1910: Westhoughton[11]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour William Wilson 9,064 53.2 −3.6
Conservative G. F. Clarke 7,974 46.8 +3.6
Majority 1,090 6.4 −7.2
Turnout 17,038 86.3 −4.1
Registered electors 19,751
Labour hold Swing −3.6
General election 1918: Westhoughton[13]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour William Wilson 11,849 63.9 +10.7
Independent Liberal James Tonge 6,697 36.1 New
Majority 5,152 27.8 +21.4
Turnout 18,546 61.6 −24.7
Registered electors 30,108
Labour hold Swing N/A

Elections in the 1920s
1921 Westhoughton by-election[14]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Rhys Davies 14,876 57.8 −6.1
Liberal
  • James Tonge
 10,867 42.2 +6.1
Majority 4,009 15.6 −12.2
Turnout 25,743 84.7 +23.1
Registered electors 30,409
Labour hold Swing −6.1
General election 1922: Westhoughton[13]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Rhys Davies 14,846 55.4 −8.5
National Liberal James Tonge 11,937 44.6 +8.5
Majority 2,909 10.8 −17.0
Turnout 26,783 85.4 +23.8
Registered electors 31,351
Labour hold Swing −8.5
General election 1923: Westhoughton[13]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Rhys Davies 15,347 60.3 +4.9
Unionist John Haslam 10,103 39.7 New
Majority 5,244 20.6 +9.8
Turnout 25,450 79.3 −6.1
Registered electors 32,081
Labour hold Swing +4.9
General election 1924: Westhoughton[13]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Rhys Davies 16,033 55.8 −4.5
Unionist John Haslam 12,684 44.2 +4.5
Majority 3,349 11.6 −9.0
Turnout 28,717 88.8 +8.8
Registered electors 32,587
Labour hold Swing −4.5
General election 1929: Westhoughton[13]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Rhys Davies 22,305 61.5 +5.7
Unionist James Wain Lomax 9,855 27.2 −17.0
Liberal Ernest Everett Canney 4,132 11.4 New
Majority 12,450 34.3 +22.7
Turnout 36,292 87.1 −1.7
Registered electors 41,648
Labour hold Swing +11.3

Elections in the 1930s
General election 1931: Westhoughton [15]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Rhys Davies 19,301 53.46
Conservative P. Higson 16,801 46.54
Majority 2,500 6.92
Turnout 36,102 85.49
Labour hold Swing
General election 1935: Westhoughton [16]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Rhys Davies 21,093 60.36
Conservative H. O. Dixon 13,851 39.64
Majority 7,242 20.72
Turnout 34,944 83.24
Labour hold Swing

Elections in the 1940s
General election 1945: Westhoughton [17]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Rhys Davies 20,990 64.91
Conservative Stanley Bell 11,346 35.09
Majority 9,644 29.82
Turnout 32,336 77.44
Labour hold Swing

Elections in the 1950s
General election 1950: Westhougton [18]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Rhys Davies 30,117 62.26
Conservative F. Joan Crowther 18,259 37.74
Majority 11,858 24.52
Turnout 48,376 88.30
Labour hold Swing
1951 Westhoughton by-election [19]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Tom Price 25,368 60.4 -1.9
Conservative Frank J. Land 16,614 39.6 +1.9
Majority 8,754 20.8 -3.7
Turnout 41,982
Labour hold Swing
General election 1951: Westhoughton [20]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Tom Price 29,319 61.13
Conservative Frank J. Land 18,644 38.87
Majority 10,675 22.26
Turnout 47,963 86.6
Labour hold Swing
General election 1955: Westhoughton [21]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Tom Price 27,900 60.99
Conservative Eric Dunnett 17,848 39.01
Majority 10,052 21.98
Turnout 45,748 82.95
Labour hold Swing
General election 1959: Westhoughton [22]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Tom Price 29,359 61.17
Conservative John Edward Gouldbourn 18,634 38.83
Majority 10,725 22.34
Turnout 47,993 84.28
Labour hold Swing

Elections in the 1960s
General election 1964: Westhoughton [23]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Tom Price 30,249 61.75
Conservative John I. Hanrahan 18,738 38.25
Majority 11,511 23.50
Turnout 48,987 81.92
Labour hold Swing
General election 1966: Westhoughton [24]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Tom Price 31,387 64.96
Conservative John I. Hanrahan 16,927 35.04
Majority 14,460 29.92
Turnout 48,314 78.75
Labour hold Swing

Elections in the 1970s
General election 1970: Westhoughton [25]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Tom Price 29,674 55.4 -9.6
Conservative Cyril A. Unsworth 23,847 44.6 +9.6
Majority 5,827 10.9 -19.0
Turnout 53,521 76.9 -1.8
Labour hold Swing
1973 Westhoughton by-election [26]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Roger Stott 26,294 57.0 +1.6
Conservative Cyril A. Unsworth 19,511 42.3 -2.3
Democratic Socialist Brian O'Hara 335 0.7 New
Majority 6,783 14.7 +3.8
Turnout 46,140
Labour hold Swing
General election February 1974: Westhoughton [27]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Roger Stott 30,574 51.5 -5.5
Conservative Brian H. Tetlow 17,909 30.1 -12.2
Liberal R. S. Hale 10,939 18.4 New
Majority 12,665 21.3 +6.6
Turnout 59,422 83.2
Labour hold Swing
General election October 1974: Westhoughton [28]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Roger Stott 30,373 54.1 +2.6
Conservative Brian H. Tetlow 16,798 29.9 -0.2
Liberal R. S. Hale 8,926 15.9 -2.5
Majority 13,575 24.2 +2.9
Turnout 56,097 77.9 -5.3
Labour hold Swing
General election 1979: Westhoughton [29]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Roger Stott 29,685 48.2 -5.9
Conservative Carolyn Johnson 24,398 39.6 +9.7
Liberal J. Pigott 7,544 12.2 -3.7
Majority 5,287 8.6 -15.6
Turnout 61,627 80.1 +2.2
Labour hold Swing

References
  1. Boundary Commissioners for England and Wales (1885). "South East Lancashire, New Divisions of County (Map)". Report of the Boundary Commissioners for England and Wales. londonancestor.com. Retrieved 28 September 2008.
  2. Seventh Schedule, Counties At Large, Number Of Members And Names And Contents Of Divisions, Redistribution of Seats Act 1885 (C.23)
  3. F A Youngs Jr., Guide to the Local Administrative Units of England, Vol.II: Northern England, London 1991
  4. Great Britain Historical GIS Project. "Boundary Map of South East Lancashire Westhoughton PDivCon". A Vision of Britain through Time. University of Portsmouth. Retrieved 31 July 2016.
  5. Ninth Schedule: Redistribution of Seats, Representation of the People Act 1918 (C.5)
  6. Great Britain Historical GIS Project. "Boundary Map of Lancashire Westhoughton PDivCon". A Vision of Britain through Time. University of Portsmouth. Retrieved 31 July 2016.
  7. First Schedule, Parliamentary Constituencies, Representation of the People Act 1948 (C.65)
  8. Great Britain Historical GIS Project. "Boundary Map of Westhoughton CCon". A Vision of Britain through Time. University of Portsmouth. Retrieved 31 July 2016.
  9. The Parliamentary Constituencies (England) Order 1983 (S.I. 1983 No.417)
  10. Leigh Rayment's Historical List of MPs – Constituencies beginning with "W" (part 2)
  11. Craig, FWS, ed. (1974). British Parliamentary Election Results: 1885-1918. London: Macmillan Press. ISBN 9781349022984.
  12. "The General Election". Manchester Courier and Lancashire General Advertiser. 20 November 1885. pp. 5–6. Retrieved 14 December 2017 – via British Newspaper Archive.
  13. British Parliamentary Election Results 1918-1949, FWS Craig
  14. Debrett's House of Commons & Judicial Bench, 1922
  15. General Election, 27 October 1931: Westhoughton. Political Science Resources. Retrieved 17 June 2016.
  16. General Election, 14 November 1935: Westhoughton. Political Science Resources. Retrieved 17 June 2016.
  17. General Election, 5 July 1945: Westhoughton. Political Science Resources. Retrieved 14 May 2010.
  18. General Election, 23 February 1950: Westhougton. Political Science Resources. Retrieved 14 May 2010.
  19. By-election 1951: Westhoughton. British Election Ephemera Archive. Retrieved 14 May 2010.
  20. General Election 25 October 1951: Westhoughton. Political Science Resources. Retrieved 14 May 2010.
  21. General Election, 26 May 1955: Westhoughton. Political Science Resources. Retrieved 14 May 2010.
  22. General Election, 8 October 1959: Westhoughton. Political Science Resources. Retrieved 14 May 2010.
  23. General Election, 15 October 1964: Westhoughton. Political Science Resources. Retrieved 14 May 2010.
  24. General Election, 31 March 1966: Westhoughton. Political Science Resources. Retrieved 14 May 2010.
  25. General Election, 18 June 1970: Westhoughton. Political Science Resources. Retrieved 14 May 2010.
  26. By-election 1960: Westhoughton. British Election Ephemera Archive. Retrieved 14 May 2010.
  27. General Election, 28 February 1974: Westhoughton. Political Science Resources. Retrieved 14 May 2010.
  28. General Election, 10 October 1974: Westhoughton. Political Science Resources. Retrieved 14 May 2010.
  29. General Election, 3 May 1979: Westhoughton. Political Science Resources. Retrieved 14 May 2010.

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