Bradford (UK Parliament constituency)

Bradford was a parliamentary constituency in Bradford, in the West Riding of Yorkshire.

Bradford
Former Borough constituency
for the House of Commons
CountyWest Riding of Yorkshire
Major settlementsBradford
18321885
SeatsTwo
Created fromYorkshire
Replaced byBradford Central
Bradford East
Bradford West

It returned two Members of Parliament (MPs) to the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom from 1832 until it was abolished for the 1885 general election.

It was then split into three new constituencies: Bradford Central, Bradford East, and Bradford West.

Boundaries edit

The constituency was based upon the town of Bradford, in the West Riding of Yorkshire. It was enfranchised as a two-member parliamentary borough from 1832. Before 1832 the area was only represented as part of the county constituency of Yorkshire. After 1832 the non-resident Forty Shilling Freeholders of the area continued to qualify for a county vote (initially in the West Riding of Yorkshire seat, and from 1865 in a division of the West Riding).

Bradford, as a new parliamentary borough, had no voters enfranchised under the ancient rights preserved by the Reform Act 1832. All voters qualified under the new uniform, borough householder franchise.

The area was incorporated as a municipal borough in 1847, covering the parishes of Bradford, Horton and Manningham. Bradford was expanded in 1882 to include Allerton, Bolton, Bowling, Heaton, Thornbury and Tyersall. However the parliamentary boundaries were not affected until the redistribution of 1885.

After the expanded borough was divided into three single member seats in 1885, Bradford became a county borough with the passing of the Local Government Act 1888. The county borough was granted city status by Letters Patent in 1897.

Members of Parliament edit

Two MPs were elected at each general election. The table below shows the election years in which one or both of the MPs changed.[1][2]

ElectionFirst memberFirst partySecond memberSecond party
1832Ellis Cunliffe ListerWhig[3][4][5][6]John HardyWhig[3][6]
1835Conservative[3]
1837William BusfieldWhig[7][8][9][3]
1841John HardyConservative[3]William Cunliffe ListerWhig[3][10][11]
1841 by-electionWilliam BusfieldWhig[7][8][9][3]
1847Thomas Perronet ThompsonRadical[9][12][13][14][15]
1851 by-electionRobert MilliganWhig[16][17][18]
1852Henry Wickham WickhamConservative[19][20]
1857Peelite[21][22]Thomas Perronet ThompsonRadical[9][12][13][14][15][23]
1859LiberalTitus SaltLiberal
1861 by-electionWilliam Edward ForsterLiberal
1867 by-electionMatthew William ThompsonLiberal
1868Henry RipleyLiberal
1869 by-electionEdward MiallLiberal
1874Henry RipleyConservative
1880Alfred IllingworthLiberal
1885constituency divided: see Bradford Central, Bradford East, and Bradford West

Elections edit

1830s1840s1850s1860s1870s1880sReferences

Elections in the 1830s edit

1837 general election: Bradford[1][24][3]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
WhigEllis Cunliffe Lister 635 30.5 −6.5
WhigWilliam Busfield 621 29.8 +5.2
ConservativeJohn Hardy44321.3+2.1
ConservativeWilliam Busfeild38318.4−0.8
Majority1788.5N/A
Turnout1,06078.7−4.0
Registered electors1,347
Whig holdSwing−3.6
Whig gain from ConservativeSwing+2.3
1835 general election: Bradford[1][24][3]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
ConservativeJohn Hardy 611 38.4 +12.0
WhigEllis Cunliffe Lister 589 37.0 −5.7
WhigGeorge Hadfield39224.6−6.3
Majority21913.8N/A
Turnout1,01382.7−2.2
Registered electors1,225
Conservative gain from WhigSwing+12.0
Whig holdSwing−5.9
1832 general election: Bradford[1][24][3]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
WhigEllis Cunliffe Lister 650 42.7 N/A
WhigJohn Hardy 471 30.9 N/A
ToryGeorge Banks (politician)40226.4N/A
Majority694.5N/A
Turnout96784.9N/A
Registered electors1,139
Whig win (new seat)
Whig win (new seat)

Back to Elections

Elections in the 1840s edit

1847 general election: Bradford[1][24]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
WhigWilliam Busfeild 937 26.5 −37.3
RadicalThomas Perronet Thompson 926 26.2 N/A
ConservativeHenry Wickham Wickham86024.3+6.1
ConservativeGathorne Hardy81223.0+4.8
Turnout1,768 (est)84.9 (est)+3.1
Registered electors2,083
Majority110.3
Whig holdSwing−24.1
Majority1163.2N/A
Radical gain from ConservativeSwingN/A
By-election, 16 September 1841: Bradford[1][24][3]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
WhigWilliam Busfeild 526 50.2 −13.6
ConservativeWilliam Wilberforce52249.8+13.5
Majority40.4N/A
Turnout1,04875.0−6.8
Registered electors1,398
Whig holdSwing−13.6
  • Caused by Lister's death
1841 general election: Bradford[1][24][3]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
ConservativeJohn Hardy 612 36.3 −3.4
WhigWilliam Cunliffe Lister 540 32.0 +1.5
WhigWilliam Busfeild53631.8+2.0
Majority764.5N/A
Turnout1,14481.8+3.1
Registered electors1,398
Conservative gain from WhigSwing−3.5
Whig holdSwing+1.6

Back to Elections

Elections in the 1850s edit

1859 general election: Bradford[24]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
LiberalHenry Wickham Wickham 2,076 41.3 N/A
LiberalTitus Salt 1,727 34.3 N/A
ConservativeAlfred Harris (banker)1,22924.4N/A
Majority4989.9N/A
Turnout3,131 (est)87.0 (est)N/A
Registered electors3,599
Liberal holdSwingN/A
Liberal holdSwingN/A
1857 general election: Bradford[24]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
PeeliteHenry Wickham WickhamUnopposed
RadicalThomas Perronet ThompsonUnopposed
Registered electors3,279
Peelite hold
Radical gain from Whig
1852 general election: Bradford[24]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
WhigRobert Milligan 1,266 35.4 +8.9
ConservativeHenry Wickham Wickham 1,159 32.4 −14.9
RadicalThomas Perronet Thompson1,15332.2+6.0
Turnout1,789 (est)66.7 (est)−18.2
Registered electors2,683
Majority1073.0+2.7
Whig holdSwing+8.2
Majority60.2N/A
Conservative gain from RadicalSwing−10.5
By-election, 21 October 1851: Bradford[24]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
WhigRobert MilliganUnopposed
Whig hold
  • Caused by the death of Busfield.

Back to Elections

Elections in the 1860s edit

By-election, 12 Mar 1869: Bradford[24]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
LiberalEdward Miall 9,243 54.2 +22.6
LiberalMatthew William Thompson7,80645.8N/A
Majority1,4378.4+6.3
Turnout17,04979.2+14.7
Registered electors21,518
Liberal holdSwingN/A
  • Caused by Ripley's election at the 1868 general election being declared void.
By-election, 21 Dec 1868: Bradford[24]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
LiberalWilliam Edward ForsterUnopposed
Liberal hold
1868 general election: Bradford[24]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
LiberalWilliam Edward Forster 9,646 34.7 N/A
LiberalHenry Ripley 9,347 33.7 N/A
LiberalEdward Miall8,76831.6N/A
Majority5792.1N/A
Turnout13,881 (est)64.5 (est)N/A
Registered electors21,518
Liberal holdSwingN/A
Liberal gain from ConservativeSwingN/A
By-election, 16 Oct 1867: Bradford[24]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
LiberalMatthew William Thompson 2,210 55.0 N/A
LiberalEdward Miall1,80745.0N/A
Majority40310.0N/A
Turnout4,01777.4N/A
Registered electors5,189
Liberal gain from ConservativeSwingN/A
  • Caused by Wickham's death.
1865 general election: Bradford[24]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
LiberalWilliam Edward ForsterUnopposed
ConservativeHenry Wickham WickhamUnopposed
Registered electors5,189
Liberal hold
Conservative gain from Liberal
By-election, 11 Feb 1861: Bradford[24]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
LiberalWilliam Edward ForsterUnopposed
Liberal hold
  • Caused by Salt's resignation.

Back to Elections

Elections in the 1870s edit

1874 general election: Bradford[24][25]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
LiberalWilliam Edward Forster 11,945 30.9 −3.8
ConservativeHenry Ripley 10,223 26.4 −7.3
LiberalJohn Venimore Godwin8,39821.7−9.9
Lib-LabJames Hardaker8,11521.0N/A
Turnout19,341 (est)79.5 (est)+15.0
Registered electors24,331
Majority1,7224.5+2.4
Liberal holdSwing−0.1
Majority1,8254.7N/A
Conservative gain from LiberalSwing+3.1

Back to Elections

Elections in the 1880s edit

By-election, 8 May 1880: Bradford[24]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
LiberalWilliam Edward ForsterUnopposed
Liberal hold
1880 general election: Bradford[24]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
LiberalWilliam Edward Forster 14,245 39.4 +8.5
LiberalAlfred Illingworth 12,922 35.7 +14.0
ConservativeHenry Ripley9,01824.9−1.5
Majority3,90410.8N/A
Turnout23,263 (est)86.0 (est)+6.5
Registered electors27,049
Liberal holdSwing+4.6
Liberal gain from ConservativeSwing+7.4

Back to Elections

References edit

  1. ^ a b c d e f g Craig, F. W. S. (1989). British electoral facts, 1832-1987. Dartmouth. ISBN 978-0-900178-30-6.
  2. ^ Leigh Rayment's Historical List of MPs – Constituencies beginning with "B" (part 4)
  3. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l 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. pp. 144–145. Retrieved 28 October 2018 – via Google Books.
  4. ^ "The Yorkshire Elections". Leeds Times. 15 July 1837. p. 4. Retrieved 28 October 2018 – via British Newspaper Archive.
  5. ^ Peacock, A. J. (1969). Bradford Chartism: 1838-1840. York: St. Anthony's Press. p. 9. ISBN 978-0900701030. Retrieved 28 October 2018 – via Google Books.
  6. ^ a b Peacock, A. J. (1969). Bradford Chartism: 1838–1840. York: St. Anthony's Press. p. 9. ISBN 090070103X. Retrieved 9 September 2019 – via Google Books.
  7. ^ a b Richard Bartholomew Mosse (1837). The parliamentary guide, a concise biography of the members of both houses of parliament. p. 142. Retrieved 13 March 2013.
  8. ^ a b Koditschek, Theodore (1990). "The challenge of Chartism". Class Formation and Urban Industrial Society: Bradford 1750-1850. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. p. 513. ISBN 978-0521327718. Retrieved 17 April 2018.
  9. ^ a b c d "Bradford Election". Leeds Intelligencer. 31 July 1847. p. 4. Retrieved 17 April 2018 – via British Newspaper Archive.
  10. ^ "Latest Election Intelligence". Morning Post. 1 July 1841. p. 3. Retrieved 28 October 2018 – via British Newspaper Archive.
  11. ^ "Elections Decided". Manchester Courier and Lancashire General Advertiser. 10 July 1841. p. 6. Retrieved 28 October 2018 – via British Newspaper Archive.
  12. ^ a b Robinson, Henry James (1898). "Thompson, Thomas Perronet" . In Lee, Sidney (ed.). Dictionary of National Biography. Vol. 56. London: Smith, Elder & Co.
  13. ^ a b Turner, Michael J. (January 2001). "Radical Opinion in an Age of Reform: Thomas Perronet Thompson and the "Westminster Review"". History. 86 (281): 18–40. doi:10.1111/1468-229X.00175. JSTOR 24425286.
  14. ^ a b Turner, Michael J. (2005). ""Raising up Dark Englishmen": Thomas Perronet Thompson, Colonies, Race, and the Indian Mutiny". Journal of Colonialism and Colonial History. 6 (1). doi:10.1353/cch.2005.0025. S2CID 162384082.
  15. ^ a b Turner, Michael J. (2005). "'Setting the captive free': Thomas Perronet Thompson, British Radicalism and the West Indies, 1820s–1860s". Slavery & Abolition. 26 (1): 115–132. doi:10.1080/01440390500058921. S2CID 143566796.
  16. ^ Cox, Sheila (1987). "The Travelling Scotchmen: The Milligans of Dumfriesshire and Yorkshire". The Bradford Antiquary. Third. 3: 27–38. Archived from the original on 15 October 2006. Retrieved 17 April 2018.
  17. ^ "Bradford Election". Leeds Times. 25 October 1851. p. 6. Retrieved 17 April 2018 – via British Newspaper Archive.
  18. ^ "Notices to Correspondents". Bradford Observer. 2 October 1851. p. 4. Retrieved 17 April 2018 – via British Newspaper Archive.
  19. ^ "Nominations and Re-Elections". Elgin Courant, and Morayshire Advertiser. 9 July 1852. p. 3. Retrieved 17 April 2018 – via British Newspaper Archive.
  20. ^ "Summary". Falkirk Herald. 8 July 1852. p. 2. Retrieved 17 April 2018 – via British Newspaper Archive.
  21. ^ "Bradford". Jersey Independent and Daily Telegraph. 21 March 1857. p. 2. Retrieved 17 April 2018 – via British Newspaper Archive.
  22. ^ "Election News". Lancaster Gazette. 4 April 1857. p. 3. Retrieved 17 April 2018 – via British Newspaper Archive.
  23. ^ Milgate, Murray (1999). "Thomas Perronet Thompson". Economists at Queens'. Queens' College, Cambridge. Archived from the original on 25 September 2006. Retrieved 17 April 2018.
  24. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s Craig, F. W. S., ed. (1977). British Parliamentary Election Results 1832-1885 (e-book) (1st ed.). London: Macmillan Press. pp. 57–58. ISBN 978-1-349-02349-3.
  25. ^ "Bradford Election". Bradford Observer. 5 February 1874. p. 8. Retrieved 28 December 2017 – via British Newspaper Archive.