West Cornwall (UK Parliament constituency)

West Cornwall was a county constituency 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 two Members 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,...

(MPs) by the bloc vote

Plurality-at-large voting

Plurality-at-large voting is a non-proportional voting system for electing several representatives from a single multimember electoral district using a series of check boxes and tallying votes similar to a plurality election...

system of election.

Boundaries

In 1832 the county of Cornwall

Cornwall

Cornwall is a unitary authority and ceremonial county of England, within the United Kingdom. It is bordered to the north and west by the Celtic Sea, to the south by the English Channel, and to the east by the county of Devon, over the River Tamar. Cornwall has a population of , and covers an area of...

, in south west England, was split for parliamentary purposes into two county divisions. These were the West division (with a place of election at Truro

Truro

Truro is a city and civil parish in Cornwall, England, United Kingdom. The city is the centre for administration, leisure and retail in Cornwall, with a population recorded in the 2001 census of 17,431. Truro urban statistical area, which includes parts of surrounding parishes, has a 2001 census...

) and East Cornwall

East Cornwall (UK Parliament constituency)

East Cornwall was a county constituency in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. It elected two Members of Parliament by the bloc vote system of election.- Boundaries :...

(where voting took place at Bodmin

Bodmin

Bodmin is a civil parish and major town in Cornwall, England, United Kingdom. It is situated in the centre of the county southwest of Bodmin Moor.The extent of the civil parish corresponds fairly closely to that of the town so is mostly urban in character...

). Each division returned two members to Parliament.

The parliamentary boroughs included in the West division, between 1832-1885, (whose non-resident 40 shilling freeholders were eligible to vote in the county constituency) were Helston

Helston (UK Parliament constituency)

Helston, sometimes known as Helleston, was a parliamentary borough centred on the small town of Helston in Cornwall.Using the bloc vote system of election, it returned two Members of Parliament to the House of Commons of England until 1707, then to House of Commons of Great Britain until 1800, and...

, Penryn and Falmouth

Penryn and Falmouth (UK Parliament constituency)

Penryn and Falmouth was the name of a constituency in Cornwall represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom from 1832 until 1950. From 1832 to 1885 it was a parliamentary borough returning two Members of Parliament , elected by the bloc vote system...

, St Ives

St Ives (UK Parliament constituency)

St. Ives 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.-History:...

and Truro. (Source: Stooks Smith).

History

During the 53 year history of this division, there was never a contested election. Only once was a Conservative member returned, but he only represented the constituency for a few months before becoming the 2nd Earl of Falmouth

George Boscawen, 2nd Earl of Falmouth

George Henry Boscawen, 2nd Earl of Falmouth , styled Lord Boscawen-Rose between 1821 and 1841, was a British peer and politician.Falmouth was the son of Edward Boscawen, 1st Earl of Falmouth...

.

In 1885 this division was abolished, when the East and West Cornwall county divisions were replaced by six new single-member county constituencies. These were Bodmin

Bodmin (UK Parliament constituency)

Bodmin was the name of a parliamentary constituency in Cornwall from 1295 until 1983. Initially, it was a parliamentary borough, which returned two Members of Parliament to the House of Commons of England and later the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom until the 1868 general...

(the South-Eastern division), Camborne

Camborne (UK Parliament constituency)

Camborne was a county constituency in Cornwall which returned one Member of Parliament to the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom...

(North-Western division), Launceston

Launceston (UK Parliament constituency)

Launceston, also known at some periods as Dunheved, was a parliamentary constituency in Cornwall which returned two Members of Parliament to the British House of Commons from 1295 until 1832, and one member from 1832 until 1918...

(North-Eastern division), St Austell

St Austell (UK Parliament constituency)

St Austell was a parliamentary constituency centred on the town of St Austell in Cornwall. It returned one Member of Parliament to the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom....

(Mid division), St Ives

St Ives (UK Parliament constituency)

(the Western division) and Truro. In addition the last remaining Cornish borough constituency was Penryn and Falmouth

Penryn and Falmouth (UK Parliament constituency)

Members of Parliament

Constituency created (1832)

	First member	First party	Second member	Second 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....	Sir Charles Lemon, Bt	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...	Edward Wynne-Pendarves	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...
1841 United Kingdom general election, 1841 -Seats summary:-Whig MPs who lost their seats:Viscount Morpeth - Chief Secretary for IrelandSir George Strickland, BtSir Henry Barron, 1st Baronet-References:F. W. S. Craig, British Electoral Facts: 1832-1987...	Lord Boscawen-Rose George Boscawen, 2nd Earl of Falmouth George Henry Boscawen, 2nd Earl of Falmouth , styled Lord Boscawen-Rose between 1821 and 1841, was a British peer and politician.Falmouth was the son of Edward Boscawen, 1st Earl of Falmouth...	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...
1842 by-election	Sir Charles Lemon, Bt	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...
1853 by-election	Sir Charles Lemon, Bt		Michael Williams Michael Williams (MP) Michael Williams was MP for West Cornwall from 19 July 1853 until his death in June 1858.He was the second son of John Williams "the Third" , the Cornish industrialist, of the Williams family...	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...
1857 United Kingdom general election, 1857 -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 *...	Richard Davey Richard Davey (MP) Richard Davey was one of the two MPs for the West Cornwall Constituency for eleven years . He was a JP and a Deputy Lieutenant of the County of Cornwall .-His family:...	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...
1858 by-election			Sir John St Aubyn, Bt John St Aubyn, 1st Baron St Levan John St Aubyn, 1st Baron St Levan , known as Sir John St Aubyn, 2nd Baronet, from 1872 to 1887, was a British Liberal, and later Liberal Unionist, politician who sat in the House of Commons from 1858 until 1887 when he was raised to the peerage.-Early life:St Aubyn was the son of Sir Edward St...	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...
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...	Arthur Vivian Arthur Vivian Sir Arthur Pendarves Vivian KCB was a British industrialist, mine-owner and Liberal politician, who worked in south Wales and Cornwall, and sat in the House of Commons from 1868 to 1885.-Early life 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...
1885 United Kingdom general election, 1885 -Seats summary:-See also:List of MPs elected in the United Kingdom general election, 1885Parliamentary Franchise in the United Kingdom 1885–1918Representation of the People Act 1884Redistribution of Seats Act 1885-References:...	Constituency abolished

By-election, 1853

Michael Williams was the only nomination as MP for West Cornwall, at a by-election, following the death of Edward Wynne-Pendarves, on 26 June 1853. Michael Williams was elected as a Liberal on 19 July 1853 according to The Times, Monday, 11 July, 1853; pg. 3; Issue 21477; col D "Election Intelligence":(Election and its expected conclusion announced).

General Election, 1857

There was a General Election

United Kingdom general election, 1857

-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 *...

in 1857. Michael Williams and Richard Davey were elected without opposition on 2 April, John Tremayne having stood down. Sir Charles Lemon did not seek re-election. .

By-election, 1858

There was a by-election, following the death of Michael Williams on 15 June 1858. Sir John St Aubyn was the only candidate, George Williams, younger son of Michael, having withdrawn, to avoid "disturbing the County" .

General Election, 1859

In the General Election

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...

in May 1859 the sitting MPs, Davey and St Aubyn, were re-elected without opposition .

General Election, 1868

In the General Election

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...

in November 1868 the sitting MP, St. Aubyn was re-elected and the new candidate, Vivian, was elected unopposed. They both held their seats until the Constituency was abolished in 1885.