Penryn and Falmouth (UK Parliament constituency)

Penryn and Falmouth was the name of a constituency in Cornwall, England, UK, represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom from 1832 until 1950. From 1832 to 1918 it was a parliamentary borough, initially returning two Members of Parliament (MPs), elected by the bloc vote system.

Under the Redistribution of Seats Act 1885, its representation was reduced to one member, elected by the first past the post system. In 1918 the borough was abolished and the name was transferred to a county constituency electing one MP.

Boundaries

1918–1950: The Municipal Boroughs of Falmouth, Penryn, and Truro, the Urban District of St Austell, the Rural District of St Austell except the civil parishes of St Sampson and Tywardreath, the Rural District of East Kerrier except the civil parishes of Constantine, Mabe, and Perranarworthal, and the Rural District of Truro except the civil parishes of Kea, Kenwyn Rural, Perranzabuloe, St Agnes, St Allen, and Tregavethan.

History

The constituency was created by the Reform Act 1832 (the "Great Reform Act") as a replacement for the Penryn constituency, which had become a notoriously rotten borough. The new borough consisted of Penryn, Falmouth and parts of Budock and St Gluvias parishes, giving it a mostly urban population of nearly 12,000, of whom 875 were registered to vote at its first election in 1832.

Initially Penryn and Falmouth elected two MPs, but this was reduced to one in 1885. It was one of the smallest constituencies in England for the next thirty years. At this period its voters were politically unpredictable; though generally among the more Conservative Cornish constituencies, they were influenced by personal factors and often swung against the national tide of opinion. Falmouth, which had a stronger non-conformist presence, was the more Liberal part of the constituency in the late 19th century, but was thought to become more Conservative as it developed its economy as a destination seaside resort.

In 1918 the borough was abolished, but the Penryn and Falmouth name was applied to the county constituency in which the two towns were placed. This was a much more extensive constituency, covering the whole of south central Cornwall, including the towns of Truro and St Austell as well a long stretch of coastline. The constituency had a more industrial character (a sixth of the population were engaged in tin mining); the area suffered badly from unemployment in the 1930s, and in 1935 the Labour Party came within 3,031 votes of winning what would have been their first seat in Cornwall.

The constituency was abolished for the 1950 general election, most of its area being moved into the Truro constituency. Penryn and Falmouth were assigned to the new Falmouth and Camborne division.

Members of Parliament

Penryn & Falmouth borough 1832–1885

Election	1st Member		1st Party	2nd Member		2nd Party
1832	rowspan="3" style="color:inherit;background-color: Template:Party color" |	Sir Robert Rolfe	Whig	style="color:inherit;background-color: Template:Party color" |	Lord Tullamore	Tory
1834	style="color:inherit;background-color: Template:Party color" |			Conservative
1835	rowspan="2" style="color:inherit;background-color: Template:Party color" |			James William Freshfield	Conservative
1840	style="color:inherit;background-color: Template:Party color" |	Edward John Hutchins	Whig
1841	style="color:inherit;background-color: Template:Party color" |	John Vivian	Whig	style="color:inherit;background-color: Template:Party color" |	James Hanway Plumridge	Whig
1847	rowspan="2" style="color:inherit;background-color: Template:Party color" |	Howel Gwyn	Conservative	style="color:inherit;background-color: Template:Party color" |	Francis Mowatt	Radical
1852	style="color:inherit;background-color: Template:Party color" |			James William Freshfield	Conservative
1857	style="color:inherit;background-color: Template:Party color" |	Thomas Baring	Whig	style="color:inherit;background-color: Template:Party color" |	Samuel Gurney	Ind. Whig
1859	style="color:inherit;background-color: Template:Party color" |		Liberal	rowspan="2" style="color:inherit;background-color: Template:Party color" |		Ind. Liberal
1866	style="color:inherit;background-color: Template:Party color" |	Jervoise Smith	Liberal
1868	style="color:inherit;background-color: Template:Party color" |	Robert Fowler	Conservative	style="color:inherit;background-color: Template:Party color" |	Edward Eastwick	Conservative
1874	rowspan="2" style="color:inherit;background-color: Template:Party color" |	David James Jenkins	Liberal	style="color:inherit;background-color: Template:Party color" |	Henry Thomas Cole	Liberal
1880	style="color:inherit;background-color: Template:Party color" |			Reginald Brett	Liberal
1885	Representation reduced to one member

Penryn & Falmouth borough 1885–1918

Election		Member	Party
style="color:inherit;background-color: Template:Party color" |	1885	David James Jenkins	Liberal
style="color:inherit;background-color: Template:Party color" |	1886	William George Cavendish-Bentinck	Conservative
style="color:inherit;background-color: Template:Party color" |	1895	Frederick John Horniman	Liberal
style="color:inherit;background-color: Template:Party color" |	1906	Sir John Barker	Liberal
style="color:inherit;background-color: Template:Party color" |	1910	Charles Sydney Goldman	Unionist
	1918	Borough abolished; name transferred to county division

Penryn & Falmouth division of Cornwall 1918–1950

Election		Member	Party
style="color:inherit;background-color: Template:Party color" |	1918	Sir Edward Nicholl	Coalition Conservative
style="color:inherit;background-color: Template:Party color" |	1922	Capt Denis Shipwright	Conservative
style="color:inherit;background-color: Template:Party color" |	1923	Sir Courtenay Mansel	Liberal
style="color:inherit;background-color: Template:Party color" |	1924	George Pilcher	Conservative
style="color:inherit;background-color: Template:Party color" |	1929	Sir Tudor Walters	Liberal
style="color:inherit;background-color: Template:Party color" |	1931	Maurice Petherick	Conservative
style="color:inherit;background-color: Template:Party color" |	1945	Evelyn King	Labour
1950		constituency abolished

Elections

File:St Austell election results.png

St Austell area election results

Elections in the 1830s

Template:Election box registered electors no changeTemplate:Election box majority no changeTemplate:Election box majority no change

General election 1832: Penryn and Falmouth

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
		Green tickY Robert Rolfe		36.6
		Green tickY Charles Bury		32.0
		James William Freshfield		25.2
		Charles Stewart		6.2
Turnout			717	81.9
	win (new seat)
	win (new seat)

Template:Election box winning candidate with party linkTemplate:Election box winning candidate with party link

General election 1835: Penryn and Falmouth

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
		Charles Bury	397	30.9
Turnout			736	90.8
Registered electors			Template:Replace
Majority			40	3.1
	hold		Swing	+6.4
Majority			27	2.1
	hold		Swing	−4.3

Rolfe was appointed Solicitor General for England and Wales, requiring a by-election.

Template:Election box winning candidate with party link

By-election, 28 April 1835: Penryn and Falmouth

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
		Charles Bury	326	48.4
Majority			22	3.2
Turnout			674	83.1
Registered electors			Template:Replace
	hold		Swing	+18.6

Template:Election box winning candidate with party linkTemplate:Election box winning candidate with party link

General election 1837: Penryn and Falmouth

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
		James Hanway Plumridge	363	27.5
Turnout			761	85.7
Registered electors			Template:Replace
Majority			89	6.7
	hold		Swing	+20.1
Majority			71	5.4
	hold		Swing	−34.1

Elections in the 1840s

Rolfe resigned after being appointed a Judge of the Court of the Exchequer, causing a by-election.

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By-election, 23 January 1840: Penryn and Falmouth

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
		William Carne	238	34.0
Majority			224	32.0
Turnout			700	79.1
Registered electors			Template:Replace
	hold		Swing	−1.1

Template:Election box winning candidate with party linkTemplate:Election box winning candidate with party link

General election 1841: Penryn and Falmouth

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
		Howel Gwyn	381	25.1
		Edward John Sartoris	240	15.8
Majority			51	3.4
Turnout			768	86.9
Registered electors			Template:Replace
	hold		Swing	−6.6
	gain from Template:Yesno		Swing	−1.5

Template:Election box winning candidate with party linkTemplate:Election box winning candidate with party link

General election 1847: Penryn and Falmouth

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
		Peter Borthwick	87	8.6
Turnout			506 (est)	58.6 (est)
Registered electors			Template:Replace
Majority			171	16.9
	gain from Template:Yesno		Swing	+20.0
Majority			290	28.7
	gain from Template:Yesno		Swing	−21.8

Elections in the 1850s

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General election 1852: Penryn and Falmouth

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
		Thomas Baring	339	27.4
Majority			96	7.7
Turnout			789 (est)	87.0 (est)
Registered electors			Template:Replace
	hold		Swing	−5.9
	gain from Template:Yesno		Swing	+15.7

Template:Election box winning candidate unopposed with party linkTemplate:Election box winning candidate unopposed minor partyTemplate:Election box gain no swing

General election 1857: Penryn and Falmouth

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
Registered electors			Template:Replace
	gain from

Baring was appointed a Civil Lord of the Admiralty, requiring a by-election.

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By-election, 27 May 1857: Penryn and Falmouth

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	hold

Template:Election box winning candidate with party linkTemplate:Election box winning candidate with party link

General election 1859: Penryn and Falmouth

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
		Howel Gwyn	324	25.2
		John Fitzgerald Leslie Foster	200	15.6
Turnout			643 (est)	77.4 (est)
Registered electors			Template:Replace
Majority			16	1.2
	hold		Swing	N/A
Majority			49	3.8
	hold		Swing	N/A

Elections in the 1860s

Template:Election box winning candidate unopposed with party linkTemplate:Election box winning candidate unopposed with party link

General election 1865: Penryn and Falmouth

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
Registered electors			Template:Replace
	hold
	hold

Baring succeeded to the peerage, becoming Lord Northbrook and causing a by-election.

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By-election, 15 October 1866: Penryn and Falmouth

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
		Robert Fowler	313	45.4
Majority			63	9.2
Turnout			689	82.3
Registered electors			Template:Replace
	hold		Swing	N/A

Template:Election box winning candidate with party linkTemplate:Election box winning candidate with party link

General election 1868: Penryn and Falmouth (2 seats)

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
		Jervoise Smith	611	23.3
		Kirkman Hodgson	597	22.8
Majority			72	2.7
Turnout			1,312 (est)	72.5 (est)
Registered electors			1,808
	gain from Template:Yesno		Swing	N/A
	gain from Template:Yesno		Swing	N/A

Elections in the 1870s

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General election 1874: Penryn and Falmouth (2 seats)

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
		Robert Fowler	743	24.6
		Edward Eastwick	646	21.4
Majority			41	1.3
Turnout			1,512	81.3
Registered electors			1,860
	gain from Template:Yesno		Swing
	gain from Template:Yesno		Swing

Elections in the 1880s

Template:Election box winning candidate with party linkTemplate:Election box winning candidate with party link

General election 1880: Penryn and Falmouth (2 seats)

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
		Julius Vogel	882	22.7
		John D. Mayne	765	19.6
Majority			189	4.8
Turnout			1,947 (est)	88.4 (est)
Registered electors			2,202
	hold		Swing	+2.0
	hold		Swing	+1.7

Template:Election box winning candidate with party link

General election 1885: Penryn and Falmouth

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
		William Cavendish-Bentinck	1,069	47.7
Majority			101	4.6
Turnout			2,239	87.4
Registered electors			2,562
	hold		Swing	−5.4

Template:Election box winning candidate with party link

General election 1886: Penryn and Falmouth

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
		David James Jenkins	998	47.8
Majority			91	4.4
Turnout			2,087	81.5
Registered electors			2,562
	gain from Template:Yesno		Swing	+4.5

Elections in the 1890s

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General election 1892: Penryn and Falmouth

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
		Arthur Serena	880	41.9
Majority			338	16.2
Turnout			2,098	81.3
Registered electors			2,580
	hold		Swing	+5.9

File:Frederick John Horniman.jpg

F.J.Horniman

Template:Election box winning candidate with party link

General election 1895: Penryn and Falmouth

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
		William Cavendish-Bentinck	1,101	48.9
Majority			49	2.2
Turnout			2,251	86.0
Registered electors			2,616
	gain from Template:Yesno		Swing	+9.2

Elections in the 1900s

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General election 1900: Penryn and Falmouth

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
		Nathaniel Louis Cohen	1,164	49.6
Majority			20	0.8
Turnout			2,348	85.2
Registered electors			2,756
	hold		Swing	−0.7

File:Johnbarker.jpg

John Barker

Template:Election box winning candidate with party link

General election 1906: Penryn and Falmouth

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
		D B Hall	1,248	48.1
Majority			97	3.8
Turnout			2,593	88.6
Registered electors			2,926
	hold		Swing	+1.5

Elections in the 1910s

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General election January 1910: Penryn and Falmouth

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
		John Barker	1,412	47.0
Majority			181	6.0
Turnout			3,005	93.5
Registered electors			3,215
	gain from Template:Yesno		Swing	+4.9

Template:Election box winning candidate with party link

General election December 1910: Penryn and Falmouth

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
		Walter Burt	1,291	44.9
Majority			294	10.2
Turnout			2,876	89.5
Registered electors			3,215
	hold		Swing	+2.1

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;

• Unionist: Charles Sydney Goldman
• Liberal:

Template:Election box winning candidate with party link coalition 1918Template:Election box end 1918

Elections in the 1920s

General election 1918: Penryn and Falmouth,

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
		Arthur Carkeek (businessman)	9,815	49.4
Majority			235	1.2
Turnout			19,865	56.6
	hold		Swing	−4.5

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General election 1922: Penryn and Falmouth

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
		Courtenay Mansel	8,879	32.8
		Joseph Harris	4,482	16.6
		George Hay Morgan	2,129	7.9
Majority			2,687	9.9
Turnout			27,056	72.5
	hold		Swing	+4.3

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General election 1923: Penryn and Falmouth

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
		Denis Shipwright	10,429	38.0
Majority			6,586	24.0
Turnout			27,444	73.0
	gain from Template:Yesno		Swing	+17.0

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General election 1924: Penryn and Falmouth

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
		Courtenay Mansel	9,913	34.3
		Frederick Jesse Hopkins	6,462	22.4
Majority			2,572	9.0
Turnout			22,398	74.7
	gain from Template:Yesno		Swing	+16.5

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General election 1929: Penryn and Falmouth

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
		Maurice Petherick	13,136	34.1
		Frederick Jesse Hopkins	11,166	28.9
Majority			1,138	2.9
Turnout			38,576	78.4
	gain from Template:Yesno		Swing	+6.0

Elections in the 1930s

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General election 1931: Penryn and Falmouth

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
		Ernest Simon	14,006	34.6
		A.L.Rowse	10,098	24.9
Majority			2,382	5.9
Turnout			40,492	79.8
	gain from Template:Yesno		Swing	+4.4

Template:Election box winning candidate with party link

General election 1935: Penryn and Falmouth

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
		A.L.Rowse	13,105	32.1
		Ronald Wilberforce Allen	11,527	28.3
Majority			3,031	7.5
Turnout			40,778	77.6
	hold		Swing	-4.0

A General election was due to take place before the end of 1940, but was postponed due to the Second World War. By 1939, the following candidates had been selected to contest this constituency;

• Conservative: Maurice Petherick
• Labour: A.L.Rowse

Elections in the 1940s

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General election 1945: Penryn and Falmouth

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
		Maurice Petherick	15,169	36.9
		Percy Harris	7,917	19.3
Majority			2,793	6.9
Turnout			41,048	73.0
	gain from Template:Yesno		Swing

Sources

• Michael Kinnear, The British Voter (London: BH Batsford, Ltd, 1968)
• Henry Pelling, Social Geography of British Elections 1885-1910 (London: Macmillan, 1967)
• J Holladay Philbin, Parliamentary Representation 1832 - England and Wales (New Haven: Yale University Press, 1965)
• Frederic A Youngs, jr, Guide to the Local Administrative Units of England, Vol I (London: Royal Historical Society, 1979)