Crewe (UK Parliament constituency)

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Crewe
Former County constituency
for the House of Commons
Outline map
Boundary of Crewe in Cheshire, boundaries 1974-83
CountyCheshire
1885–1983
SeatsOne
Created fromMid Cheshire and West Cheshire
Replaced byCrewe & Nantwich and Congleton

Crewe was a constituency of the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom from 1885 to 1983. It elected one Member of Parliament (MP) by the first past the post system of election.

History[edit]

Crewe was first created as one of eight single-member divisions of Cheshire under the Redistribution of Seats Act 1885. As its name suggested, the constituency was centred on the town of Crewe in Cheshire. The town of Nantwich was also included in the constituency until 1955, when it gained its own eponymous seat.

It was abolished following the reorganisation of local authorities in 1974 by the Third Periodic Review of Westminster constituencies for the 1983 general election, when it was divided roughly equally between the new constituencies of Crewe and Nantwich, and Congleton.

Boundaries[edit]

1885–1918: The Municipal Borough of Crewe, and parts of the Sessional Divisions of Nantwich and Northwich.[1]

Included the parishes of Alsager, Haslington, Nantwich and Sandbach.

1918–1950: The Municipal Borough of Crewe, the Urban Districts of Alsager and Nantwich, and parts of the Rural Districts of Congleton and Nantwich.[2]

Sandbach transferred to Northwich.

1950–1955: The Municipal Borough of Crewe, the Urban District of Nantwich, and the Rural District of Nantwich.[3]

Gained the remainder of the Rural District of Nantwich, including Audlem, from the abolished constituency of Eddisbury. Sandbach and the part of the Rural District of Congleton transferred to Knutsford.

1955–1983: The Municipal Borough of Crewe, the Urban Districts of Alsager and Sandbach, and in the Rural District of Nantwich the civil parishes of Barthomley, Crewe, Haslington, and Weston.[3]

Gained Alsager and Sandbach back from Knutsford. The Urban District and the bulk of the Rural District of Nantwich transferred to the new constituency of Nantwich.

From 1 April 1974 until the constituency was abolished at the next boundary review which came into effect for the 1983 general election, the constituency comprised parts of the newly formed Boroughs of Congleton, and Crewe and Nantwich, but its boundaries were unchanged.

On abolition, the part comprising the former Municipal Borough of Crewe was included in the new constituency of Crewe and Nantwich, with Alsager, Haslington and Sandbach was added to the new constituency of Congleton.

Members of Parliament[edit]

Election Member Party
1885 George William Latham Liberal
1886 Walter McLaren Liberal
1895 Robert Ward Conservative
1900 James Tomkinson Liberal
1910 by-election Walter McLaren Liberal
1912 by-election Ernest Craig Conservative
1918 Sir Joseph Davies Coalition Liberal
1922 Edward Hemmerde Labour
1924 Sir Ernest Craig, Bt Conservative
1929 William Bowen Labour
1931 Sir Donald Somervell Conservative
1945 Scholefield Allen Labour
Feb 1974 Gwyneth Dunwoody Labour
1983 constituency abolished: see Crewe and Nantwich & Congleton

Elections[edit]

Elections in the 1880s[edit]

General election 1885: Crewe[4][5]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal George William Latham 5,089 54.3
Conservative Oscar Leslie Stephen 4,281 45.7
Majority 808 8.6
Turnout 9,370 86.6
Registered electors 10,815
Liberal win (new seat)
General election 1886: Crewe[4]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Walter McLaren 4,690 53.7 -0.6
Conservative Francis Randle Twemlow[6] 4,045 46.3 +0.6
Majority 645 7.4 -1.2
Turnout 8,735 80.8 −5.8
Registered electors 10,815
Liberal hold Swing -0.6

Elections in the 1890s[edit]

General election 1892: Crewe[4]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Walter McLaren 5,558 58.2 +4.5
Conservative Horace W Chatterton[7] 3,990 41.8 -4.5
Majority 1,568 16.4 +9.0
Turnout 9,548 83.7 +2.9
Registered electors 11,412
Liberal hold Swing +4.5
Robert Ward
General election 1895: Crewe[4]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Robert Ward 5,413 52.7 +10.9
Liberal Walter McLaren 4,863 47.3 -10.9
Majority 550 5.4 N/A
Turnout 10,276 85.5 +1.8
Registered electors 12,018
Conservative gain from Liberal Swing +10.9

Elections in the 1900s[edit]

J. Tomkinson
General election 1900: Crewe[4]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal James Tomkinson 6,120 55.4 +8.1
Conservative J E Reiss 4,921 44.6 -8.1
Majority 1,199 10.8 N/A
Turnout 11,041 82.1 −3.4
Registered electors 13,447
Liberal gain from Conservative Swing +8.1
General election 1906: Crewe[4]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal James Tomkinson 7,805 59.6 +4.2
Conservative James Hugh Welsford 5,297 40.4 -4.2
Majority 2,508 19.2 +8.4
Turnout 13,102 87.1 +5.0
Registered electors 15,051
Liberal hold Swing +4.2

Elections in the 1910s[edit]

General election January 1910: Crewe[4]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal James Tomkinson 7,761 53.3 -6.3
Conservative John Lane Harrington 5,419 37.2 -3.2
Labour Frank Rose 1,380 9.5 New
Majority 2,342 16.1 -3.1
Turnout 14,560 91.8 +4.7
Registered electors 15,866
Liberal hold Swing -1.6
Walter McLaren
1910 Crewe by-election[4]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Walter McLaren 7,639 55.8 +2.5
Conservative James Hugh Welsford 6,041 44.2 +7.0
Majority 1,598 11.6 -4.5
Turnout 13,680 86.2 −5.6
Registered electors 15,866
Liberal hold Swing -2.3
General election December 1910: Crewe[4]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Walter McLaren 7,629 56.3 +3.0
Conservative Ernest Craig 5,925 43.7 +6.5
Majority 1,704 12.6 −3.5
Turnout 13,554 85.4 −6.4
Liberal hold Swing −1.8
1912 Crewe by-election
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Unionist Ernest Craig 6,260 44.6 +0.9
Liberal Harold Lawson Murphy 5,294 37.7 −18.6
Labour James Holmes 2,485 17.7 New
Majority 966 6.9 N/A
Turnout 14,039 88.1 +2.7
Registered electors 15,927
Unionist gain from Liberal Swing +9.8

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;

Joseph Davies
General election 1918: Crewe[8]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
C Liberal Joseph Davies 13,392 56.2 −0.1
Labour James Brownlie 10,439 43.8 N/A
Majority 2,953 12.4 −0.2
Turnout 23,831 68.4 −17.0
Registered electors 34,818
Liberal hold Swing
C indicates candidate endorsed by the coalition government.

Elections in the 1920s[edit]

E.G. Hemmerde
General election 1922: Crewe[8]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Edward Hemmerde 15,311 50.9 +7.1
National Liberal Joseph Davies 14,756 49.1 −7.1
Majority 555 1.8 N/A
Turnout 30,067 80.9 +12.5
Registered electors 37,159
Labour gain from Liberal Swing +7.1
Thomas Strangman
General election 1923: Crewe [8]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Edward Hemmerde 14,628 46.5 −4.4
Unionist Thomas Strangman 8,734 27.8 New
Liberal Robert Mortimer Montgomery 8,068 25.7 −23.4
Majority 5,894 18.7 +16.9
Turnout 31,430 82.8 +1.9
Registered electors 37,959
Labour hold Swing +9.5
General election 1924: Crewe [8]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Unionist Ernest Craig 18,333 55.5 +27.7
Labour Edward Hemmerde 14,705 44.5 −2.0
Majority 3,628 11.0 N/A
Turnout 33,038 85.6 +2.8
Registered electors 38,583
Unionist gain from Labour Swing +14.9
General election 1929: Crewe[8]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour William Bowen 20,948 50.2 +5.7
Unionist Donald Somervell 11,732 28.1 −27.4
Liberal William Craven Llewelyn 9,076 21.7 New
Majority 9,216 22.1 N/A
Turnout 41,756 83.7 −1.9
Registered electors 49,863
Labour gain from Unionist Swing +16.6

Elections in the 1930s[edit]

General election 1931: Crewe[8]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Donald Somervell 25,141 57.8 +29.7
Labour William Bowen 18,351 42.2 -8.0
Majority 6,790 15.6 -6.5
Turnout 43,492 84.5 +0.8
Conservative gain from Labour Swing
General election 1935: Crewe[8]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Donald Somervell 21,729 51.3 -6.5
Labour William Bowen 20,620 48.7 +6.5
Majority 1,109 2.6 -13.0
Turnout 42,349 80.3 -4.2
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 and by the Autumn of 1939, the following candidates had been selected;

Elections in the 1940s[edit]

General election 1945: Crewe[10]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Scholefield Allen 28,416 60.6 +11.9
Conservative Donald Somervell 18,468 39.4 -11.9
Majority 9,948 21.2 N/A
Turnout 46,884 74.6 -5.7
Labour gain from Conservative Swing

Elections in the 1950s[edit]

General election 1950: Crewe[11]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Scholefield Allen 28,981 53.3 -7.3
Conservative John Richard T. Turner 25,355 46.7 +7.3
Majority 3,626 6.6 -14.4
Turnout 54,336 86.7 +12.1
Labour hold Swing
General election 1951: Crewe[12]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Scholefield Allen 28,488 52.2 -1.1
Conservative John Richard T. Turner 26,045 47.8 +1.1
Majority 2,443 4.6 -2.0
Turnout 54,533 86.6 -0.1
Labour hold Swing
General election 1955: Crewe[13]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Scholefield Allen 21,629 52.5 +0.3
Conservative Granger Farwell Boston 15,273 37.1 -10.7
Liberal Thomas Stuttard Rothwell 4,306 10.5 New
Majority 6,356 15.4 +10.8
Turnout 41,208 81.5 -5.1
Labour hold Swing
General election 1959: Crewe[14]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Scholefield Allen 22,811 54.5 +2.0
Conservative Geoffrey Leonard Beaman 19,030 45.5 +8.4
Majority 3,781 9.0 -6.4
Turnout 41,841 82.1 +0.6
Labour hold Swing

Elections in the 1960s[edit]

General election 1964: Crewe[15]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Scholefield Allen 23,579 57.2 +2.7
Conservative Anthony G. Barbour 17,657 42.8 -2.7
Majority 5,922 14.4 +5.4
Turnout 41,236 79.0 -3.1
Labour hold Swing
General election 1966: Crewe[16]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Scholefield Allen 24,141 61.0 +3.8
Conservative Anthony G. Barbour 15,430 39.0 -3.8
Majority 8,711 22.0 +7.6
Turnout 39,571 75.6 -3.4
Labour hold Swing

Elections in the 1970s[edit]

General election 1970: Crewe[17]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Scholefield Allen 22,160 54.3 -6.7
Conservative Alastair Goodlad 18,678 45.7 +6.7
Majority 3,482 8.6 -13.4
Turnout 40,838 71.0 -4.6
Labour hold Swing
General election February 1974: Crewe[18]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Gwyneth Dunwoody 21,259 46.5 -7.8
Conservative James Graham Park 16,136 35.3 -10.4
Liberal D. J. Hulland 8,313 18.2 New
Majority 5,123 11.2 +2.6
Turnout 45,708 77.8 +6.8
Labour hold Swing
General election October 1974: Crewe[19]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Gwyneth Dunwoody 21,534 49.7 +3.2
Conservative James Graham Park 14,279 32.9 -2.4
Liberal E.A. Richardson 7,559 17.4 -0.8
Majority 7,255 16.8 +5.6
Turnout 43,372 73.2 -4.6
Labour hold Swing
General election 1979: Crewe[20]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Gwyneth Dunwoody 22,288 48.3 -1.4
Conservative John V. Butcher 18,051 39.1 +6.2
Liberal C. Bithell 5,430 11.8 -5.6
National Front W. Tonks 352 0.8 New
Majority 4,237 9.2 -7.6
Turnout 46,121 77.5 +4.5
Labour hold Swing

See also[edit]

References[edit]

  1. ^ Great Britain, Incorporated Council of Law Reporting for England and Wales. The public general acts. unknown library. Proprietors of the Law Journal Reports, 1884.
  2. ^ Fraser, Hugh (1918). The Representation of the people act, 1918 : with explanatory notes. University of California Libraries. London : Sweet and Maxwell.
  3. ^ a b Craig, Fred W. S. (1972). Boundaries of parliamentary constituencies 1885-1972. Chichester: Political Reference Publications. ISBN 0-900178-09-4. OCLC 539011.
  4. ^ a b c d e f g h i British parliamentary election results, 1885–1918 (Craig)
  5. ^ Debrett's House of Commons & Judicial Bench, 1886
  6. ^ "Crewe". Cheshire Observer. 17 July 1886. p. 7. Retrieved 25 November 2017 – via British Newspaper Archive.
  7. ^ "Saffron Walden". Herts & Cambs Reporter, and Royston Crow. 4 April 1890. p. 8. Retrieved 21 November 2017.
  8. ^ a b c d e f g British Parliamentary Election Results 1918–1949, FWS Craig
  9. ^ Report of the Annual Conference of the Labour Party, 1939
  10. ^ UK General Election results July 1945
  11. ^ UK General Election results February 1950
  12. ^ UK General Election results October 1951
  13. ^ UK General Election results May 1955
  14. ^ UK General Election results October 1959
  15. ^ UK General Election results October 1964
  16. ^ UK General Election results March 1966
  17. ^ UK General Election results 1970
  18. ^ UK General Election results February 1974
  19. ^ UK General Election results October 1974
  20. ^ UK General Election results May 1979
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