Harwich (UK Parliament constituency)

Harwich /ˈhærɪtʃ/ was a parliamentary constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom until its abolition for the 2010 general election.

Harwich
Former county constituency for the House of Commons
Boundary of Harwich in Essex in 2005.
Location of Essex within England.
County	Essex
1885–2010
Seats	one
Created from	Harwich (Parliamentary Borough), East Essex
Replaced by	Clacton, Harwich and North Essex
1604–1885
Seats	Two to 1868, one from 1868 to 1885
Type of constituency	Borough constituency
Replaced by	Harwich (County constituency)

History

The Parliamentary Borough of Harwich had sent two members to the Parliament of England since it was founded in 1604^[1] until 1707, then to the Parliament of Great Britain from 1707 to 1800 and to the Parliament of the United Kingdom from 1801. Under the Reform Act of 1867 its representation was reduced to one,^[2] and in 1885 the Parliamentary Borough was abolished and replaced with a Division of the County of Essex (later a County Constituency) under the Redistribution of Seats Act 1885.^[3] For a long period of time it was known as a "Treasury borough" due to the control the Treasury had over its elections.^[4]

The constituency was abolished for the 2010 general election by the Fifth Periodic Review of Westminster constituencies, being succeeded by the new constituency of Clacton and part of the new constituency of Harwich and North Essex.

Boundaries and boundary changes

1885–1918

• The Municipal Borough of Harwich; and
• Parts of the Sessional Divisions of Lexden and Winstree.

Non-resident freeholders of the Parliamentary Borough of Colchester, which constituted the Municipal Borough thereof, were also entitled to vote.^[3]

Formally known as the North Eastern or Harwich Division of Essex, incorporating the abolished Parliamentary Borough of Harwich and extending southwards and westwards to include the towns of Clacton and Brightlingsea and the rural areas surrounding Colchester.

Harwich in Essex, 1918-83

1918–1950

• The Municipal Borough of Harwich;
• The Urban Districts of Brightlingsea, Clacton, Frinton-on-Sea, Walton-on-the-Naze, and Wivenhoe; and
• The Rural District of Tendring.^[5]

Western, rural areas now included in the new Colchester Division of Essex.

1950–1983

• The Municipal Borough of Harwich;
• The Urban Districts of Brightlingsea, Clacton, Frinton and Walton, and Wivenhoe; and
• The Rural District of Tendring.^[5][6]

No changes. (The Urban Districts of Frinton-on-Sea and Walton-on-the-Naze had been merged).

1983–1997

• The District of Tendring wards of Beaumont and Thorpe, Bockings Elm, Bradfield Wrabness and Wix, Frinton, Golf Green, Great and Little Oakley, Harwich East, Harwich East Central, Harwich West, Harwich West Central, Haven, Holland and Kirby, Little Clacton, Ramsey, Rush Green, Southcliff, St Bartholomew's, St James, St John's, St Mary's, St Osyth, Tendring and Weeley, and Walton.^[7]

Western parts, including Brightlingsea and Wivenhoe, included in the new constituency of North Colchester.

1997–2010

• The District of Tendring wards of Beaumont and Thorpe, Bockings Elm, Frinton, Golf Green, Great and Little Oakley, Harwich East, Harwich East Central, Harwich West, Harwich West Central, Haven, Holland and Kirby, Little Clacton, Ramsey, Rush Green, St Bartholomew's, St James, St John's, St Mary's, Southcliff, and Walton.^[8]

A further western slice, including St Osyth, added to the new constituency of North Essex (which had largely succeeded North Colchester).

Following the Boundary Commission's Fifth Periodic Review of Westminster constituencies, Parliament radically altered some constituencies and created new ones to allow for changes in population. Consequently, the constituency of Harwich was abolished. The majority of the constituency, including Clacton, Frinton and Walton, formed the new constituency of Clacton, and Harwich and surrounding areas were included in the new constituency of Harwich and North Essex.

Members of Parliament

Constituency founded 1604

1604 to 1660

Parliament	First member	Second member
1604	Richard Browne	Thomas Trevor
1605	John Panton
1614	Sir Harbottle Grimston	Sir Robert Mansell
1614 (Apr)		Sir Charles Montagu
1620	Sir Thomas Cheek	Edward Grimston
1624	Sir Nathaniel Rich	Christopher Herrys
1625	Sir Edmund Sawyer	Christopher Herrys
1626	Sir Nathaniel Rich	Christopher Herrys
1628–1629	Sir Nathaniel Rich	Christopher Herrys
1629–1640	No Parliaments convened
1640 (Apr)	Sir Thomas Cheek	Sir John Jacob, 1st Baronet
1640 (Nov)	Sir Harbottle Grimston, 1st Baronet	Sir Thomas Cheek
1645	Sir Harbottle Grimston, 1st Baronet, died replaced 1647 by Harbottle Grimston, 2nd Baronet who was secluded Dec 1648 in Pride's Purge	Sir Thomas Cheek
1648	Sir Thomas Cheek	Capel Luckyn
1653	Harwich not represented in Barebone's Parliament
1654	Harwich not represented in First Protectorate Parliament
1656	Harwich not represented in Second Protectorate Parliament
1659	John Sicklemore	Thomas King

1660–1868

Year		First member[9]	First party		Second member[9]	Second party
1660		Sir Capel Luckyn, Bt			Sir Henry Wright, Bt
1661		Thomas King
1664					Sir Capel Luckyn, Bt
February 1679		Sir Anthony Dean			Samuel Pepys
August 1679		Sir Philip Parker, Bt			Sir Thomas Middleton
1685		Sir Anthony Dean			Samuel Pepys
1689		Sir Thomas Middleton			John Eldred
1690					The Viscount Newhaven
1695					Sir Thomas Davall
1698		Samuel Atkinson
1699		Sir Thomas Middleton
1701		Dennis Lydell
1702		John Ellis
May 1708		Sir John Leake			Thomas Frankland
December 1708		Kenrick Edisbury
1713		Carew Hervey Mildmay			Sir Thomas Davall
May 1714					Thomas Heath
June 1714					Benedict Calvert
1715		Sir Philip Parker-a-Morley-Long, Bt			Thomas Heath
1722					Humphrey Parsons
1727					John Perceval
1734		Carteret Leathes			Charles Stanhope
1741		John Phillipson			Hill Mussenden
1747					Edward Coke
1753					Wenman Coke
1756		William Ponsonby
1758		Thomas Sewell
1761		Charles Townshend			John Roberts
1767		Thomas Bradshaw
1768		Edward Harvey
1772					Charles Jenkinson
1774					John Robinson
1778		George North
1784		Thomas Orde	Tory
1796		Richard Hopkins
1799		Henry Dillon-Lee
1802		Thomas Myers
January 1803					John Hiley Addington	Tory[10]
April 1803		James Adams
1806		William Fremantle	Tory[10]
March 1807		James Adams
May 1807		William Huskisson	Tory[10]
1812		Nicholas Vansittart	Tory[10]
1818					Charles Bathurst	Tory[10]
1823		George Canning	Tory[10]		John Charles Herries	Tory[10]
1826		Nicholas Conyngham Tindal	Tory[10]
1827		Sir William Rae, Bt	Tory[10]
1830		George Robert Dawson	Tory[10]
1832		Christopher Thomas Tower	Whig[10]
1834						Conservative
1835		Francis Robert Bonham	Conservative
1837		Alexander Ellice	Whig[10][11][12][13]
1841		John Attwood	Conservative[10]		William Beresford	Conservative[10]
1847			Peelite[14][15]		John Bagshaw	Whig[16][17][18][19][20]
1848 by-election		Sir John Hobhouse, Bt	Radical[21][22][23][24][25]
March 1851 by-election		Henry Thoby Prinsep	Conservative
May 1851 by-election		Robert Wigram Crawford	Whig[26][27]
July 1851		Writ suspended[28]
April 1852 by-election		Sir Fitzroy Kelly	Conservative
May 1852 by-election		Isaac Butt	Conservative
July 1852		George Peacocke	Conservative		David Waddington	Conservative
1853 by-election		John Bagshaw	Whig[16][17][18][19][20]
March 1857					George Drought Warburton	Independent Whig[29][30]
December 1857 by-election					Robert John Bagshaw	Whig
March 1859 by-election		Henry Jervis-White-Jervis	Conservative
May 1859					Hon. William Campbell	Liberal
1860 by-election					Richard Rowley	Conservative
1865					John Kelk	Conservative
1868	Constituency reduced to one member

1868–2010

Election		Member[9]	Party
1868		Representation reduced to one member
	1868	Henry Jervis-White-Jervis	Conservative
	1880	Henry Tyler	Conservative
	1885	James Round	Conservative
	1906	Arthur Lever	Liberal
	1910	Harry Newton	Conservative
	1922	Albert Hillary	Liberal
	1924	Sir Frederick Rice	Conservative
	1929	Sir John Pybus	Liberal
	1931		Liberal National
	1935	Sir Stanley Holmes	Liberal National
	1954 by-election	Julian Ridsdale	National Liberal
	1968		Conservative
	1992	Iain Sproat	Conservative
	1997	Ivan Henderson	Labour
	2005	Douglas Carswell	Conservative
	2010	Constituency abolished: see Clacton and Harwich and North Essex

Elections

Elections in the 1830s

Herries was appointed Secretary at War, requiring a by-election.^[31]

By-election, 10 February 1830: Harwich^[10][32]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Tory	John Charles Herries	Unopposed
Registered electors			32
	Tory hold

1830 general election: Harwich^[10][32]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Tory	John Charles Herries	Unopposed
	Tory	George Robert Dawson	Unopposed
Registered electors			32
	Tory hold
	Tory hold

1831 general election: Harwich^[10][32]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Tory	John Charles Herries	Unopposed
	Tory	George Robert Dawson	Unopposed
Registered electors			32
	Tory hold
	Tory hold

1832 general election: Harwich^[10][33]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Tory	John Charles Herries	97	26.3
	Whig	Christopher Thomas Tower	93	25.2
	Tory	Nicholas Leader	90	24.4
	Whig	John Disney	89	24.1
Turnout			186	86.9
Registered electors			214
Majority			4	1.1
	Tory hold
Majority			3	0.8
	Whig gain from Tory

1835 general election: Harwich^[10][33]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	John Charles Herries	97	46.2	+19.9
	Conservative	Francis Robert Bonham	78	37.1	+12.7
	Whig	Robert Norris Verner	35	16.7	−32.6
Majority			43	20.4	+19.3
Turnout			123	78.8	−8.1
Registered electors			156
	Conservative hold		Swing	+18.1
	Conservative gain from Whig		Swing	+14.5

1837 general election: Harwich^[10][33]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	John Charles Herries	75	25.9	−20.3
	Whig	Alexander Ellice	75	25.9	+17.6
	Whig	Christopher Thomas Tower	74	25.5	+17.2
	Conservative	Francis Robert Bonham	66	22.8	−14.3
Turnout			146	90.1	+11.3
Registered electors			162
Majority			0	0.0	−20.4
	Conservative hold		Swing	−18.9
Majority			9	3.1	N/A
	Whig gain from Conservative		Swing	+17.5

Elections in the 1840s

1841 general election: Harwich^[10][33]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	John Attwood	94	27.2	+1.3
	Conservative	William Beresford	94	27.2	+4.4
	Whig	John Bagshaw	84	24.3	−1.6
	Whig	Denis Le Marchant	73	21.2	−4.3
Majority			10	2.9	+2.9
Turnout			174	93.5	+3.4
Registered electors			186
	Conservative hold		Swing	+2.1
	Conservative gain from Whig		Swing	+3.7

1847 general election: Harwich^[33]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Whig	John Bagshaw	213	45.9	+0.4
	Peelite	John Attwood	184	39.7	+12.5
	Conservative	William Knight[34]	65	14.0	−13.2
	Conservative	Dudley St Leger Hill[35]	2	0.4	−26.8
Turnout			232 (est)	78.6 (est)	−14.9
Registered electors			295
Majority			148	31.9	N/A
	Whig gain from Conservative		Swing	+10.2
Majority			182	39.3	N/A
	Peelite gain from Conservative		Swing	+16.3

Attwood's election was declared void on petition due to bribery by his agents, causing a by-election.^[36]

By-election, 1 April 1848: Harwich^[33]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Radical	John Hobhouse	131	50.8	N/A
	Conservative	John Manners-Sutton[37]	127	49.2	+34.8
Majority			4	1.6	N/A
Turnout			258	87.8	+10.2
Registered electors			294
	Radical gain from Peelite		Swing

Elections in the 1850s

Hobhouse was elevated to the peerage, becoming 1st Baron Broughton and causing a by-election.

By-election, 5 March 1851: Harwich^[33]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	Henry Thoby Prinsep	135	50.9	+36.5
	Whig	Robert Wigram Crawford	130	49.1	+3.2
Majority			5	1.8	N/A
Turnout			265	91.7	+13.1
Registered electors			289
	Conservative gain from Radical		Swing	+16.7

Prinsep's election was declared void on petition due to bribery, causing a by-election.^[38]

By-election, 28 May 1851: Harwich^[33]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Whig	Robert Wigram Crawford	133	51.2	+5.3
	Conservative	Henry Thoby Prinsep	127	48.8	+34.4
Majority			6	2.4	N/A
Turnout			260	90.0	+11.4
Registered electors			289
	Whig gain from Conservative		Swing	−14.6

Crawford's election was declared void, due to polling being closed prematurely, and the seat's writ was suspended in July 1851.^[28] A by-election was called the next year.

By-election, 10 April 1852: Harwich^[33]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	Fitzroy Kelly	Unopposed
	Conservative gain from Whig

Kelly resigned to contest a by-election in East Suffolk, causing a by-election.

By-election, 8 May 1852: Harwich^[33]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	Isaac Butt	Unopposed
	Conservative hold

1852 general election: Harwich^[33]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	George Peacocke	135	26.8	+12.8
	Conservative	David Waddington	134	26.6	+26.2
	Whig	John Bagshaw	125	24.8	−21.1
	Independent Whig	George Drought Warburton	110	21.8	New
Majority			9	1.8	N/A
Turnout			252 (est)	92.6 (est)	+14.0
Registered electors			272
	Conservative gain from Peelite		Swing	+11.7
	Conservative gain from Whig		Swing	+18.4

Peacocke's election was declared void on petition, due to corrupt practices, causing a by-election.^[39]

By-election, 21 June 1853: Harwich^[33]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Whig	John Bagshaw	140	54.9	+30.1
	Conservative	William Fraser	115	45.1	−8.3
Majority			25	9.8	N/A
Turnout			255	85.3	−7.3
Registered electors			299
	Whig gain from Conservative		Swing	+19.2

1857 general election: Harwich^[33]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Whig	John Bagshaw	173	32.6	+7.8
	Independent Whig	George Drought Warburton	147	27.7	+5.9
	Conservative	Henry Jervis-White-Jervis	113	21.3	−5.5
	Conservative	Benjamin Buck Greene[40]	98	18.5	−8.1
Turnout			266 (est)	84.8 (est)	−7.8
Registered electors			313
Majority			60	11.3	N/A
	Whig gain from Conservative		Swing	+7.3
Majority			49	9.2	N/A
	Ind. Whig gain from Conservative		Swing	+6.4

Warburton's death caused a by-election.

By-election, 9 December 1857: Harwich^[33]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Whig	Robert John Bagshaw	162	70.1	+37.5
	Independent Whig	Andrew Arcedeckne[41][42]	69	29.9	+2.2
Majority			93	40.2	N/A
Turnout			231	73.8	−11.0
Registered electors			313
	Whig gain from Ind. Whig

Bagshaw's resignation caused a by-election.

By-election, 18 March 1859: Harwich^[33]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	Henry Jervis-White-Jervis	145	52.0	+12.2
	Whig	William Campbell	134	48.0	+15.4
Majority			11	4.0	N/A
Turnout			279	83.5	−1.3
Registered electors			334
	Conservative gain from Whig		Swing	−1.6

1859 general election: Harwich^[33]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	Henry Jervis-White-Jervis	156	25.7	+4.4
	Liberal	William Campbell	155	25.5	−7.1
	Conservative	Richard Rowley	152	25.0	+6.5
	Liberal	John Clark Marshman	144	23.7	−4.0
Turnout			304 (est)	90.9 (est)	+6.1
Registered electors			334
Majority			12	2.0	N/A
	Conservative gain from Ind. Whig		Swing	N/A
Majority			3	0.5	−4.4
	Liberal hold		Swing	−6.3

Elections in the 1860s

Campbell succeeded to the peerage, becoming Lord Stratheden and Campbell, and causing a by-election.

By-election, 24 April 1860: Harwich^[33]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	Richard Rowley	146	55.7	+5.0
	Liberal	Stuart Donaldson[43]	116	44.3	−4.9
Majority			30	11.4	+9.2
Turnout			262	82.6	−8.3
Registered electors			317
	Conservative hold		Swing	+5.0

General election 1865: Harwich^[33]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	Henry Jervis-White-Jervis	209	35.0	+9.3
	Conservative	John Kelk	194	32.5	+7.5
	Liberal	Michael Wills[44]	117	19.6	−5.9
	Liberal	James Fitzjames Stephen[45]	77	12.9	−10.8
Majority			77	12.9	+10.9
Turnout			299 (est)	77.3 (est)	−13.6
Registered electors			386
	Conservative hold		Swing	+8.8
	Conservative gain from Liberal		Swing	+7.9

Seat reduced to one member

General election 1868: Harwich^[33]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	Henry Jervis-White-Jervis	328	69.9	−2.4
	Liberal	David James Jenkins	141	30.1	−2.4
Majority			187	39.8	+26.9
Turnout			469	75.4	−1.9
Registered electors			622
	Conservative hold		Swing	+2.4

Elections in the 1870s

General election 1874: Harwich^[33]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	Henry Jervis-White-Jervis	Unopposed
Registered electors			712
	Conservative hold

Elections in the 1880s

General election 1880: Harwich^[33]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	Henry Tyler	368	54.3	N/A
	Liberal	George Tomline[46]	310	45.7	New
Majority			58	8.6	N/A
Turnout			678	89.3	N/A
Registered electors			759
	Conservative hold		Swing

General election 1885: Harwich^[47][48][49]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	James Round	4,584	54.5	+0.2
	Liberal	James Jackson	3,824	45.5	−0.2
Majority			760	9.0	+0.4
Turnout			8,408	82.9	−6.4
Registered electors			10,141
	Conservative hold		Swing	+0.2

General election 1886: Harwich^[47][48]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	James Round	4,623	66.6	+12.1
	Liberal	James Wicks	2,322	33.4	−12.1
Majority			2,301	33.2	+24.2
Turnout			6,945	68.5	−14.4
Registered electors			10,141
	Conservative hold		Swing	+12.1

Elections in the 1890s

Round

General election 1892: Harwich^[47][48][50]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	James Round	4,113	51.9	−14.7
	Liberal	Robert Varty	3,808	48.1	+14.7
Majority			305	3.8	−29.4
Turnout			7,921	72.5	+4.0
Registered electors			10,924
	Conservative hold		Swing	−14.7

General election 1895: Harwich^[47][48][51]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	James Round	4,566	63.0	+11.1
	Liberal	Robert Varty	2,685	37.0	−11.1
Majority			1,881	26.0	+22.2
Turnout			7,251	64.2	−8.3
Registered electors			11,296
	Conservative hold		Swing	+11.1

Elections in the 1900s

General election 1900: Harwich^[47][48][51]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	James Round	Unopposed
	Conservative hold

Lever

General election 1906: Harwich^[47][48]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Liberal	Arthur Lever	5,650	51.6	New
	Conservative	Harry Newton	5,308	48.4	N/A
Majority			342	3.2	N/A
Turnout			10,958	83.4	N/A
Registered electors			13,144
	Liberal gain from Conservative		Swing	N/A

Elections in the 1910s

General election January 1910: Harwich^[47][52]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	Harry Newton	6,757	54.6	+3.0
	Liberal	Arthur Lever	5,608	45.4	−3.0
Majority			1,149	9.2	+6.0
Turnout			12,365	86.6	+3.2
	Conservative gain from Liberal		Swing	+3.0

General election December 1910: Harwich^[47][52]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	Harry Newton	6,470	56.4	+1.8
	Liberal	Frank Stapledon Hiley	5,008	43.6	−1.8
Majority			1,462	12.8	+3.6
Turnout			11,478	80.4	−6.2
	Conservative hold		Swing	+1.8

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;

• Unionist: Harry Newton
• Liberal: Edward Aylmer Digby

Aylmer Digby

General election 1918: Harwich^[53]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
C	Unionist	Harry Newton	8,261	53.9	−2.5
	Liberal	Edward Aylmer Digby	7,064	46.1	+2.5
Majority			1,197	7.8	−5.0
Turnout			15,325	55.9	−26.5
Registered electors			27,421
	Unionist hold		Swing	−2.5
C indicates candidate endorsed by the coalition government.

Elections in the 1920s

General election 1922: Harwich^[53]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Liberal	Albert Hillary	10,556	51.9	+5.8
	Unionist	Geoffrey St John Strutt	9,792	48.1	−5.8
Majority			764	3.8	N/A
Turnout			20,348	71.6	+15.7
Registered electors			28,432
	Liberal gain from Unionist		Swing	+5.8

General election 1923: Harwich^[53]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Liberal	Albert Hillary	12,059	54.3	+2.4
	Unionist	Frederick Rice	10,142	45.7	−2.4
Majority			1,917	8.6	+4.8
Turnout			22,201	76.2	+4.6
Registered electors			29,126
	Liberal hold		Swing	+2.4

General election 1924: Harwich^[53]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Unionist	Frederick Rice	12,219	51.5	+5.8
	Liberal	Albert Hillary	9,904	41.7	−12.6
	Labour	Alfred Barton	1,604	6.8	New
Majority			2,315	9.8	N/A
Turnout			23,727	79.0	+2.8
Registered electors			30,047
	Unionist gain from Liberal		Swing	+9.2

General election 1929: Harwich^[53]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Liberal	John Pybus	16,309	52.8	+11.1
	Unionist	John Mayhew	13,609	44.1	−7.4
	Ind. Unionist	J Elliott	948	3.1	New
Majority			2,700	8.7	N/A
Turnout			30,866	76.3	−2.7
Registered electors			40,478
	Liberal gain from Unionist		Swing	+9.3

Elections in the 1930s

General election 1931: Harwich^[53]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	National Liberal	John Pybus	26,818	86.4	+33.6
	Labour	E L McKeag	4,229	13.6	New
Majority			22,589	72.8	+64.1
Turnout			31,047	72.6	−3.7
	National Liberal hold		Swing

General election 1935: Harwich^[53]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	National Liberal	Stanley Holmes	21,716	70.3	−16.1
	Labour	Ambrose Appelbe	9,170	29.7	+16.1
Majority			12,546	40.6	−32.2
Turnout			30,886	63.9	−8.7
	National Liberal hold		Swing	−16.1

Elections in the 1940s

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 from 1939 and by the end of this year, the following candidates had been selected;

• Liberal National: Stanley Holmes
• Labour: Ald. Joseph Hewitt^[54]

General election 1945: Harwich^[53]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	National Liberal	Stanley Holmes	16,452	55.7	−14.6
	Labour	Joseph Hewitt	13,067	44.3	+14.6
Majority			3,385	11.4	−29.2
Turnout			29,519	68.8	+4.9
	National Liberal hold		Swing	−14.6

Elections in the 1950s

General election 1950: Harwich

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	National Liberal	Stanley Holmes	22,814	50.6	−5.1
	Labour	Morris Janis	16,756	37.1	−7.2
	Liberal	Leonard Train	5,536	12.3	New
Majority			6,058	13.5	+2.1
Turnout			45,106	81.9	+13.1
	National Liberal hold		Swing

General election 1951: Harwich^[55]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	National Liberal	Stanley Holmes	26,169	58.9	+8.3
	Labour	Morris Janis	18,244	41.1	+4.0
Majority			7,925	17.8	+4.3
Turnout			44,413	78.8	−3.1
	National Liberal hold		Swing

1954 Harwich by-election^[56]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	National Liberal	Julian Ridsdale	19,532	59.1	+0.2
	Labour	Shirley Catlin	13,535	40.9	−0.2
Majority			5,997	18.2	+0.4
Turnout			33,067
	National Liberal hold		Swing

General election 1955: Harwich^[57]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	National Liberal	Julian Ridsdale	23,889	56.4	−2.5
	Labour	Shirley Catlin	14,425	34.1	−7.0
	Liberal	Wolf Isaac Akst	4,010	9.5	New
Majority			9,464	22.3	+3.5
Turnout			42,234	75.6	−3.2
	National Liberal hold		Swing

General election 1959: Harwich^[58]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	National Liberal	Julian Ridsdale	23,653	53.2	−3.2
	Labour	William Robinson	11,588	26.0	−7.1
	Liberal	Thomas E Dale	5,507	12.4	+2.9
	Independent	Leonard F Rose	3,744	8.4	New
Majority			12,065	27.2	+4.9
Turnout			44,492	76.4	+0.8
	National Liberal hold		Swing

Elections in the 1960s

General election 1964: Harwich^[59]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	National Liberal	Julian Ridsdale	25,102	50.4	−2.8
	Labour	David Winnick	14,877	29.9	+3.9
	Liberal	Thomas E Dale	9,824	19.7	+7.3
Majority			10,225	20.5	−6.7
Turnout			49,803	75.1	−1.3
	National Liberal hold		Swing

General election 1966: Harwich^[60]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	National Liberal	Julian Ridsdale	24,975	47.6	−2.8
	Labour	Stephen R Hatch	18,335	34.9	+5.0
	Liberal	Thomas E Dale	9,219	17.6	−2.1
Majority			6,640	12.7	−7.8
Turnout			52,529	74.4	−0.7
	National Liberal hold		Swing	−3.9

Elections in the 1970s

General election 1970: Harwich^[61]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	Julian Ridsdale	32,754	53.5	+5.9
	Labour	Andrew Phillips	19,923	32.6	−2.3
	Liberal	Thomas E Dale	8,519	13.9	−3.7
Majority			12,831	20.9	+8.2
Turnout			61,196	74.5	+0.1
	Conservative hold		Swing	+4.0

General election February 1974: Harwich^[62]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	Julian Ridsdale	32,452	45.6	−7.9
	Liberal	D Cadman	19,989	28.1	+14.2
	Labour	JB Fryer	18,697	26.3	−6.3
Majority			12,463	17.5	−3.4
Turnout			71,138	80.7	+6.2
	Conservative hold		Swing	−11.1

General election October 1974: Harwich^[63]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	Julian Ridsdale	29,963	46.7	+1.1
	Labour	JB Fryer	19,135	29.8	+3.5
	Liberal	Thomas Kellock	15,048	23.5	−4.6
Majority			10,828	16.9	−0.6
Turnout			64,146	72.3	−8.4
	Conservative hold		Swing	−1.2

General election 1979: Harwich^[64]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	Julian Ridsdale	37,685	54.3	+7.6
	Labour	CW Brooks	16,998	24.5	−5.3
	Liberal	Robert Goodenough	14,094	20.3	−3.2
	National Front	A Pearson	597	0.9	New
Majority			20,687	29.8	+12.9
Turnout			69,374	74.7	+2.4
	Conservative hold		Swing	+6.5

Elections in the 1980s

General election 1983: Harwich^[65]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	Julian Ridsdale	27,422	54.1	−0.2
	Liberal	Robert Goodenough	14,920	29.5	+9.2
	Labour	Ralph Knight	8,302	16.4	−8.1
Majority			12,502	24.6	−5.2
Turnout			50,644	70.2	−4.5
	Conservative hold		Swing	−4.7

General election 1987: Harwich^[66]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	Julian Ridsdale	29,344	51.8	−2.7
	Liberal	Liz Lynne	17,262	30.4	+0.9
	Labour	Ralph Knight	9,920	17.5	+1.1
	Independent	Christopher Humphrey	161	0.3	New
Majority			12,082	21.4	−3.2
Turnout			56,687	73.5	+3.3
	Conservative hold		Swing	−1.9

Elections in the 1990s

General election 1992: Harwich^[67][68]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	Iain Sproat	32,369	51.9	+0.1
	Liberal Democrats	Pauline A. Bevan	15,210	24.4	−6.0
	Labour	Ralph Knight	14,511	23.3	+5.8
	Natural Law	Eileen P. McGrath	279	0.4	New
Majority			17,159	27.5	+6.1
Turnout			62,369	77.7	+4.2
	Conservative hold		Swing	+3.1

General election 1997: Harwich^[69]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labour	Ivan Henderson	20,740	38.8	+14.1
	Conservative	Iain Sproat	19,524	36.5	−15.2
	Liberal Democrats	Ann M. Elvin	7,037	13.1	−10.0
	Referendum	Jeffrey Titford	4,923	9.2	New
	Independent	Ralph Knight	1,290	2.4	New
Majority			1,216	2.3	N/A
Turnout			53,514	70.5	−3.3
	Labour gain from Conservative		Swing	−14.7

This was the Referendum Party's best result in the election.

Elections in the 2000s

General election 2001: Harwich^[70]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labour	Ivan Henderson	21,951	45.6	6.8
	Conservative	Iain Sproat	19,355	40.2	3.7
	Liberal Democrats	Peter Wilcock	4,099	8.5	4.6
	UKIP	Tony Finnegan-Butler	2,463	5.1	New
	Independent	Clive Lawrance	247	0.5	New
Majority			2,596	5.4	3.1
Turnout			48,115	62.1	8.4
	Labour hold		Swing	5.3

General election 2005: Harwich^[71]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	Douglas Carswell	21,235	42.1	1.9
	Labour	Ivan Henderson	20,315	40.3	5.3
	Liberal Democrats	Keith Tully	5,913	11.7	3.2
	UKIP	Jeffrey Titford	2,314	4.6	0.5
	Respect	John Tipple	477	0.9	New
	Independent	Christopher Humphrey	154	0.3	New
Majority			920	1.8	N/A
Turnout			50,408	62.6	0.5
	Conservative gain from Labour		Swing	3.6

See also

• List of parliamentary constituencies in Essex

References

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External links

• Harwich UK Parliament constituency (boundaries April 1997 – April 2010) at MapIt UK

51.86°N 1.24°E / 51.86; 1.24