Kidderminster (UK Parliament constituency)
Encyclopedia
Kidderminster was a parliamentary constituency in Worcestershire
, represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom
. It elected one Member of Parliament
(MP) by the first past the post voting system.
returned two members to Parliament
in 1295
, Walter Caldrigan and William Lihtfot, but not to any subsequent one. From 1295 to 1832 Kidderminster had no separate representation from Worcestershire
.
The constituency was created by the Reform Act 1832
for the 1832 general election
and was abolished for the 1983 general election
, when it was largely replaced by the new Wyre Forest
constituency.
enfranchised Kidderminster as a parliamentary borough
. The constituency comprised the township of Kidderminster Borough and part of the township of Kidderminster Foreign. The Parliamentary Boundaries Act
of the same year set out the boundaries in detail:
were added.
. The parliamentary borough was abolished and a new Kidderminster constituency was created as a division of the parliamentary county of Worcestershire. It consisted of a wide area of northern Worcestershire, comprising the following local government districts:
redrew constituencies throughout Great Britain
: the revised boundaries were first used at the 1950 general election
. The 1948 legislation also introduced the terms "borough constituency" and "county constituency". The Bromsgrove and Redditch areas were formed into a separate Bromsgrove constituency
, while the new Kidderminster County Constituency, now took much of north west Worcestershire. It was defined as follows:
The boundaries were not altered at the next redistribution in 1970 and the seat remained unchanged until the 1983 general election
, when constituencies were realigned to the administrative geography introduced in 1974
. A new seat of Wyre Forest
was formed centred on Kidderminster.
Note A: Grant was granted the title of baron in the Italian nobility by Victor Emmanuel II
in 1868, and styled himself "Baron Albert Grant" thereafter. His election in 1874 was overturned on petition.
Worcestershire
Worcestershire is a non-metropolitan county, established in antiquity, located in the West Midlands region of England. For Eurostat purposes it is a NUTS 3 region and is one of three counties that comprise the "Herefordshire, Worcestershire and Warwickshire" NUTS 2 region...
, represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom
Parliament of the United Kingdom
The Parliament of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is the supreme legislative body in the United Kingdom, British Crown dependencies and British overseas territories, located in London...
. It elected one Member of Parliament
Member of Parliament
A Member of Parliament is a representative of the voters to a :parliament. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, the term applies specifically to members of the lower house, as upper houses often have a different title, such as senate, and thus also have different titles for its members,...
(MP) by the first past the post voting system.
History
The borough of KidderminsterKidderminster
Kidderminster is a town, in the Wyre Forest district of Worcestershire, England. It is located approximately seventeen miles south-west of Birmingham city centre and approximately fifteen miles north of Worcester city centre. The 2001 census recorded a population of 55,182 in the town...
returned two members to Parliament
Parliament of England
The Parliament of England was the legislature of the Kingdom of England. In 1066, William of Normandy introduced a feudal system, by which he sought the advice of a council of tenants-in-chief and ecclesiastics before making laws...
in 1295
Model Parliament
The Model Parliament is the term, attributed to Frederic William Maitland, used for the 1295 Parliament of England of King Edward I. This assembly included members of the clergy and the aristocracy, as well as representatives from the various counties and boroughs. Each county returned two knights,...
, Walter Caldrigan and William Lihtfot, but not to any subsequent one. From 1295 to 1832 Kidderminster had no separate representation from Worcestershire
Worcestershire (UK Parliament constituency)
Worcestershire was a county constituency of the House of Commons of the Parliament of England then of the Parliament of Great Britain from 1707 to 1800 and of the Parliament of the United Kingdom from 1801 to 1832. It was represented until 1832 by two Members of Parliament, traditionally referred...
.
The constituency was created by the Reform Act 1832
Reform Act 1832
The Representation of the People Act 1832 was an Act of Parliament that introduced wide-ranging changes to the electoral system of England and Wales...
for the 1832 general election
United Kingdom general election, 1832
-Seats summary:-Parties and leaders at the general election:The Earl Grey had been Prime Minister since 22 November 1830. His was the first predominantly Whig administration since the Ministry of all the Talents in 1806-1807....
and was abolished for the 1983 general election
United Kingdom general election, 1983
The 1983 United Kingdom general election was held on 9 June 1983. It gave the Conservative Party under Margaret Thatcher the most decisive election victory since that of Labour in 1945...
, when it was largely replaced by the new Wyre Forest
Wyre Forest (UK Parliament constituency)
Wyre Forest is a county constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. It elects one Member of Parliament by the first past the post system of election...
constituency.
1832–1868
The Reform Act 1832Reform Act 1832
The Representation of the People Act 1832 was an Act of Parliament that introduced wide-ranging changes to the electoral system of England and Wales...
enfranchised Kidderminster as a parliamentary borough
Parliamentary borough
Parliamentary boroughs are a type of administrative division, usually covering urban areas, that are entitled to representation in a Parliament...
. The constituency comprised the township of Kidderminster Borough and part of the township of Kidderminster Foreign. The Parliamentary Boundaries Act
Parliamentary Boundaries Act 1832
The Parliamentary Boundaries Act 1832 was an Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom which defined the parliamentary divisions in England and Wales required by the Reform Act 1832....
of the same year set out the boundaries in detail:
From the Point at or near Proud Cross at which the Boundary of the old Borough meets the Broomfield Road, along the Boundary of the old Borough, to the Point at which the Abberley Road meets the Black Brook; thence, Westward, along the Abberley Road to the first Point at which the same is met by a Hedge running due South therefrom; thence along the said Hedge to its Southern Extremity near a Stone Quarry; thence in a straight Line to the said Stone Quarry; thence in a straight Line to the First Mile Stone on the Bewdley Road; thence, Westward, along the Bewdley Road to the Point at which the same is joined by a Footpath leading to the Stourport Road; thence along the said Footpath to the Point at which the same meets the Boundary of the old Borough; thence, Southward, along the Boundary of the old Borough to the Point at which the same meets the South-eastern Fence of a Wood called "The Copse," situated on the Eastern Bank of the River Stour; thence along the said Fence to the Point at which the same meets Hoo Lane; thence across Hoo Lane, over a Stile called "Gallows Stile," along a Footpath leading from the said Stile to the Lane from Hoo Brook to Comberton Hill, to the Point at which the last-mentioned Footpath meets the Lane from Hoo-Brook to Comberton Hill; thence, Northward, along the Lane from Hoo-Brook to Comberton Hill to the Point at which the same meets the Boundary of the old Borough; thence, Northward, along the Boundary of the old Borough to the Point first described.
1868–1918
The Representation of the People Act 1867 (also known as the Second Reform Act) redrew parliamentary constituencies. The consequential Boundary Act of the following year extended the boundaries of the parliamentary borough. Three areas of the parish of Kidderminster and part of the parish of WolverleyWolverley
Wolverley is a village, and with Cookley together, a civil parish in the Wyre Forest District of Worcestershire, England. It is located a few miles to the north west of Kidderminster, near the town of Bewdley, and the villages of Kinver and Cookley...
were added.
1918–1950
The next change in constituency boundaries was carried out under the Representation of the People Act 1918Representation of the People Act 1918
The Representation of the People Act 1918 was an Act of Parliament passed to reform the electoral system in the United Kingdom. It is sometimes known as the Fourth Reform Act...
. The parliamentary borough was abolished and a new Kidderminster constituency was created as a division of the parliamentary county of Worcestershire. It consisted of a wide area of northern Worcestershire, comprising the following local government districts:
- Bromsgrove Rural District
- Kidderminster Rural DistrictKidderminster Rural DistrictKidderminster Rural District was a Rural District in Worcestershire, England until 1974 when it was abolished under the Local Government Act 1972, becoming part of the new Wyre Forest District, together with the boroughs of Kidderminster and Bewdley and Stourport-on-Severn urban district.-External...
- The municipal boroughMunicipal boroughMunicipal boroughs were a type of local government district which existed in England and Wales between 1835 and 1974, in Northern Ireland from 1840 to 1973 and in the Republic of Ireland from 1840 to 2002...
of Kidderminster - BromsgroveBromsgroveBromsgrove is a town in Worcestershire, England. The town is about north east of Worcester and south west of Birmingham city centre. It had a population of 29,237 in 2001 with a small ethnic minority and is in Bromsgrove District.- History :Bromsgrove is first documented in the early 9th century...
Urban District - North Bromsgrove Urban District
- RedditchRedditchRedditch is a town and local government district in north-east Worcestershire, England, approximately south of Birmingham. The district had a population of 79,216 in 2005. In the 19th century it became the international centre for the needle and fishing tackle industry...
Urban District
1950–1983
The Representation of the People Act 1948Representation of the People Act 1948
The Representation of the People Act 1948 was an Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom that altered the law relating to parliamentary and local elections...
redrew constituencies throughout Great Britain
Great Britain
Great Britain or Britain is an island situated to the northwest of Continental Europe. It is the ninth largest island in the world, and the largest European island, as well as the largest of the British Isles...
: the revised boundaries were first used at the 1950 general election
United Kingdom general election, 1950
The 1950 United Kingdom general election was the first general election ever after a full term of a Labour government. Despite polling over one and a half million votes more than the Conservatives, the election, held on 23 February 1950 resulted in Labour receiving a slim majority of just five...
. The 1948 legislation also introduced the terms "borough constituency" and "county constituency". The Bromsgrove and Redditch areas were formed into a separate Bromsgrove constituency
Bromsgrove (UK Parliament constituency)
Bromsgrove is a parliamentary constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. It elects one Member of Parliament by the first-past-the-post voting system...
, while the new Kidderminster County Constituency, now took much of north west Worcestershire. It was defined as follows:
- The boroughs of BewdleyBewdleyBewdley is a town and civil parish in the Wyre Forest District of Worcestershire, England, along the Severn Valley a few miles to the west of Kidderminster...
and Kidderminster - The urban district of Stourport on Severn
- The rural districts of Kidderminster, Martley and Tenbury
The boundaries were not altered at the next redistribution in 1970 and the seat remained unchanged until the 1983 general election
United Kingdom general election, 1983
The 1983 United Kingdom general election was held on 9 June 1983. It gave the Conservative Party under Margaret Thatcher the most decisive election victory since that of Labour in 1945...
, when constituencies were realigned to the administrative geography introduced in 1974
Local Government Act 1972
The Local Government Act 1972 is an Act of Parliament in the United Kingdom that reformed local government in England and Wales on 1 April 1974....
. A new seat of Wyre Forest
Wyre Forest (UK Parliament constituency)
Wyre Forest is a county constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. It elects one Member of Parliament by the first past the post system of election...
was formed centred on Kidderminster.
Members of Parliament
| Election | Member | Party | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1832 United Kingdom general election, 1832 -Seats summary:-Parties and leaders at the general election:The Earl Grey had been Prime Minister since 22 November 1830. His was the first predominantly Whig administration since the Ministry of all the Talents in 1806-1807.... |
Richard Godson | Whig | |
| 1835 United Kingdom general election, 1835 The 1835 United Kingdom general election was called when Parliament was dissolved on 29 December 1834. Polling took place between 6 January and 6 February 1835, and the results saw Robert Peel's Conservatives make large gains from their low of the 1832 election, but the Whigs maintained a large... |
George Richard Philips Sir George Philips, 2nd Baronet Sir George Philips, 2nd Baronet was a British Whig politician.He was Member of Parliament for Horsham from 1818 to 1820, for Steyning from 1820 to 1824, for Kidderminster from 1835 to 1837, and for Poole from 1841 to 1852.He was the son of Sir George Philips, 1st Baronet.- External links :... |
Whig | |
| 1837 United Kingdom general election, 1837 The 1837 United Kingdom general election saw Robert Peel's Conservatives close further on the position of the Whigs, who won their fourth election of the decade.... |
Richard Godson | Tory Tory Toryism is a traditionalist and conservative political philosophy which grew out of the Cavalier faction in the Wars of the Three Kingdoms. It is a prominent ideology in the politics of the United Kingdom, but also features in parts of The Commonwealth, particularly in Canada... |
|
| 1847 United Kingdom general election, 1847 -Seats summary:-References:* F. W. S. Craig, British Electoral Facts: 1832-1987* British Electoral Facts 1832-1999, compiled and edited by Colin Rallings and Michael Thrasher *... |
Liberal-Conservative Liberal Party (UK) The Liberal Party was one of the two major political parties of the United Kingdom during the 19th and early 20th centuries. It was a third party of negligible importance throughout the latter half of the 20th Century, before merging with the Social Democratic Party in 1988 to form the present day... |
||
| 5 Sep 1849 | John Best John Best (politician) John Best was a British barrister and Peelite politician.Best was the son of W B Best, and was born in Kidderminster, Worcestershire. He was educated at Shrewsbury School before graduating from Peterhouse, Cambridge in 1844. He was called to the bar at the Inner Temple in 1846, and practised on... |
Peelite Peelite The Peelites were a breakaway faction of the British Conservative Party, and existed from 1846 to 1859. They were called "Peelites" because they were initially led by Sir Robert Peel, who was the British Prime Minister and Conservative Party leader in 1846.... |
|
| 1852 United Kingdom general election, 1852 The July 1852 United Kingdom general election was a watershed election in the formation of the modern political parties of Britain. Following 1852, the Tory/Conservative party became, more completely, the party of the rural aristocracy, while the Whig/Liberal party became the party of the rising... |
Robert Lowe Robert Lowe, 1st Viscount Sherbrooke Robert Lowe, 1st Viscount Sherbrooke PC , British and Australian statesman, was a pivotal but often forgotten figure who shaped British politics in the latter half of the 19th century. He held office under William Ewart Gladstone as Chancellor of the Exchequer between 1868 and 1873 and as Home... |
Liberal Liberal Party (UK) The Liberal Party was one of the two major political parties of the United Kingdom during the 19th and early 20th centuries. It was a third party of negligible importance throughout the latter half of the 20th Century, before merging with the Social Democratic Party in 1988 to form the present day... |
|
| 1859 United Kingdom general election, 1859 In the 1859 United Kingdom general election, the Whigs, led by Lord Palmerston, held their majority in the House of Commons over the Earl of Derby's Conservatives... |
Alfred Rhodes Bristow | Liberal Liberal Party (UK) The Liberal Party was one of the two major political parties of the United Kingdom during the 19th and early 20th centuries. It was a third party of negligible importance throughout the latter half of the 20th Century, before merging with the Social Democratic Party in 1988 to form the present day... |
|
| 27 May 1862 | Luke White Luke White, 2nd Baron Annaly Luke White, 2nd Baron Annaly KP was an Anglo-Irish Liberal politician.Annaly was the son of Henry White, 1st Baron Annaly, and his wife Ellen , and was educated at Eton. He served in the British Army and achieved the rank of Captain in the 13th Light Dragoons and Lieutenant-Colonel in the Longford... |
Liberal Liberal Party (UK) The Liberal Party was one of the two major political parties of the United Kingdom during the 19th and early 20th centuries. It was a third party of negligible importance throughout the latter half of the 20th Century, before merging with the Social Democratic Party in 1988 to form the present day... |
|
| 1865 United Kingdom general election, 1865 The 1865 United Kingdom general election saw the Liberals, led by Lord Palmerston, increase their large majority over the Earl of Derby's Conservatives to more than 80. The Whig Party changed its name to the Liberal Party between the previous election and this one.Palmerston died later in the same... |
Albert Grant Albert Grant (company promoter) Albert Grant ; Baron Grant in the nobility of Italy, was an Irish born British company promoter.-Early life:... |
Conservative Conservative Party (UK) The Conservative Party, formally the Conservative and Unionist Party, is a centre-right political party in the United Kingdom that adheres to the philosophies of conservatism and British unionism. It is the largest political party in the UK, and is currently the largest single party in the House... |
|
| 1868 United Kingdom general election, 1868 The 1868 United Kingdom general election was the first after passage of the Reform Act 1867, which enfranchised many male householders, thus greatly increasing the number of men who could vote in elections in the United Kingdom... |
Thomas Lea Sir Thomas Lea, 1st Baronet Sir Thomas Lea, 1st Baronet , was an English carpet manufacturer from Kidderminster, and a Liberal Party politician.-Carpets:... |
Liberal Liberal Party (UK) The Liberal Party was one of the two major political parties of the United Kingdom during the 19th and early 20th centuries. It was a third party of negligible importance throughout the latter half of the 20th Century, before merging with the Social Democratic Party in 1988 to form the present day... |
|
| 1874 United Kingdom general election, 1874 -Seats summary:-References:* F. W. S. Craig, British Electoral Facts: 1832-1987* British Electoral Facts 1832-1999, compiled and edited by Colin Rallings and Michael Thrasher *... |
Albert Grant Albert Grant (company promoter) Albert Grant ; Baron Grant in the nobility of Italy, was an Irish born British company promoter.-Early life:... |
Conservative Conservative Party (UK) The Conservative Party, formally the Conservative and Unionist Party, is a centre-right political party in the United Kingdom that adheres to the philosophies of conservatism and British unionism. It is the largest political party in the UK, and is currently the largest single party in the House... |
|
| 2 Aug 1874 | Sir William Augustus Fraser Sir William Fraser, 4th Baronet Sir William Augustus Fraser, 4th Baronet of Leadclune , English politician, author and collector, was born the son of Sir James Fraser, a colonel of the 7th Hussars, who had served on Wellington's staff at Waterloo.... , Bt. |
Conservative Conservative Party (UK) The Conservative Party, formally the Conservative and Unionist Party, is a centre-right political party in the United Kingdom that adheres to the philosophies of conservatism and British unionism. It is the largest political party in the UK, and is currently the largest single party in the House... |
|
| 1880 United Kingdom general election, 1880 -Seats summary:-References:*F. W. S. Craig, British Electoral Facts: 1832-1987* British Electoral Facts 1832-1999, compiled and edited by Colin Rallings and Michael Thrasher *... |
John Brinton John Brinton John Brinton was an English carpet manufacturer and a Liberal politician.Brinton was born at Kidderminster, the son of Henry Brinton a carpet manufacturer. He joined the family carpet manufacturing firm John Brinton & Co as a partner in 1848. Brintons had a large factory at Stourport a town noted... |
Liberal Liberal Party (UK) The Liberal Party was one of the two major political parties of the United Kingdom during the 19th and early 20th centuries. It was a third party of negligible importance throughout the latter half of the 20th Century, before merging with the Social Democratic Party in 1988 to form the present day... |
|
| 1886 United Kingdom general election, 1886 -Seats summary:-See also:*MPs elected in the UK general election, 1886*The Parliamentary Franchise in the United Kingdom 1885-1918-References:*F. W. S. Craig, British Electoral Facts: 1832-1987**... |
Sir Augustus Frederick Godson | Conservative Conservative Party (UK) The Conservative Party, formally the Conservative and Unionist Party, is a centre-right political party in the United Kingdom that adheres to the philosophies of conservatism and British unionism. It is the largest political party in the UK, and is currently the largest single party in the House... |
|
| 1906 United Kingdom general election, 1906 -Seats summary:-See also:*MPs elected in the United Kingdom general election, 1906*The Parliamentary Franchise in the United Kingdom 1885-1918-External links:***-References:*F. W. S. Craig, British Electoral Facts: 1832-1987**... |
Edmund Broughton Barnard Edmund Broughton Barnard Edmund Broughton Barnard was a British Liberal politician, landowner and sportsman.-Family and education:... |
Liberal Liberal Party (UK) The Liberal Party was one of the two major political parties of the United Kingdom during the 19th and early 20th centuries. It was a third party of negligible importance throughout the latter half of the 20th Century, before merging with the Social Democratic Party in 1988 to form the present day... |
|
| Jan. 1910 | Major Eric Ayshford Knight | Conservative Conservative Party (UK) The Conservative Party, formally the Conservative and Unionist Party, is a centre-right political party in the United Kingdom that adheres to the philosophies of conservatism and British unionism. It is the largest political party in the UK, and is currently the largest single party in the House... |
|
| 1922 United Kingdom general election, 1922 The United Kingdom general election of 1922 was held on 15 November 1922. It was the first election held after most of the Irish counties left the United Kingdom to form the Irish Free State, and was won by Andrew Bonar Law's Conservatives, who gained an overall majority over Labour, led by John... |
Sir John Wardlaw-Milne | Conservative Conservative Party (UK) The Conservative Party, formally the Conservative and Unionist Party, is a centre-right political party in the United Kingdom that adheres to the philosophies of conservatism and British unionism. It is the largest political party in the UK, and is currently the largest single party in the House... |
|
| 1945 United Kingdom general election, 1945 The United Kingdom general election of 1945 was a general election held on 5 July 1945, with polls in some constituencies delayed until 12 July and in Nelson and Colne until 19 July, due to local wakes weeks. The results were counted and declared on 26 July, due in part to the time it took to... |
Louis Tolley Louis Tolley Louis Byron Tolley was a British Labour Party politician.Tolley was first elected to Kidderminster Town Council in 1919. In 1923 he was president of the town's Trades and Labour Council, and was the Labour Party's parliamentary candidate at the general election... |
Labour Labour Party (UK) The Labour Party is a centre-left democratic socialist party in the United Kingdom. It surpassed the Liberal Party in general elections during the early 1920s, forming minority governments under Ramsay MacDonald in 1924 and 1929-1931. The party was in a wartime coalition from 1940 to 1945, after... |
|
| 1950 United Kingdom general election, 1950 The 1950 United Kingdom general election was the first general election ever after a full term of a Labour government. Despite polling over one and a half million votes more than the Conservatives, the election, held on 23 February 1950 resulted in Labour receiving a slim majority of just five... |
Sir Gerald Nabarro Gerald Nabarro Sir Gerald David Nunes Nabarro was a Conservative Party politician of the 1950s and 1960s. Nabarro had a flamboyant public profile and a reputation for taking maverick political stances.-Early life:... |
Conservative Conservative Party (UK) The Conservative Party, formally the Conservative and Unionist Party, is a centre-right political party in the United Kingdom that adheres to the philosophies of conservatism and British unionism. It is the largest political party in the UK, and is currently the largest single party in the House... |
|
| 1964 United Kingdom general election, 1964 The United Kingdom general election of 1964 was held on 15 October 1964, more than five years after the preceding election, and thirteen years after the Conservative Party had retaken power... |
Sir Tatton Brinton Tatton Brinton Sir Esme Tatton Cecil Brinton, known as Tatton Brinton, was a British Conservative Party politician.At the 1964 general election, Brinton was elected as Member of Parliament for Kidderminster... |
Conservative Conservative Party (UK) The Conservative Party, formally the Conservative and Unionist Party, is a centre-right political party in the United Kingdom that adheres to the philosophies of conservatism and British unionism. It is the largest political party in the UK, and is currently the largest single party in the House... |
|
| Feb 1974 United Kingdom general election, February 1974 The United Kingdom's general election of February 1974 was held on the 28th of that month. It was the first of two United Kingdom general elections held that year, and the first election since the Second World War not to produce an overall majority in the House of Commons for the winning party,... |
Esmond Bulmer Esmond Bulmer James Esmond Bulmer is a British Conservative Party politician.Bulmer was educated at Rugby School and King's College, Cambridge. He was commissioned in the Scots Guards during his National Service. He then worked for the family firm, H.P.Bulmer Holdings Ltd... |
Conservative Conservative Party (UK) The Conservative Party, formally the Conservative and Unionist Party, is a centre-right political party in the United Kingdom that adheres to the philosophies of conservatism and British unionism. It is the largest political party in the UK, and is currently the largest single party in the House... |
|
| 1983 United Kingdom general election, 1983 The 1983 United Kingdom general election was held on 9 June 1983. It gave the Conservative Party under Margaret Thatcher the most decisive election victory since that of Labour in 1945... |
constituency abolished: see Wyre Forest Wyre Forest (UK Parliament constituency) Wyre Forest is a county constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. It elects one Member of Parliament by the first past the post system of election... |
||
Note A: Grant was granted the title of baron in the Italian nobility by Victor Emmanuel II
Victor Emmanuel II of Italy
Victor Emanuel II was king of Sardinia from 1849 and, on 17 March 1861, he assumed the title King of Italy to become the first king of a united Italy since the 6th century, a title he held until his death in 1878...
in 1868, and styled himself "Baron Albert Grant" thereafter. His election in 1874 was overturned on petition.