Taunton (UK Parliament constituency)

Taunton was a constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom and its predecessors from 1295 to 2010, taking its name from the town of Taunton in Somerset. Until 1918, it was a parliamentary borough, electing two Member of Parliaments (MPs) between 1295 and 1885 and one from 1885 to 1918; the name was then transferred to a county constituency, electing one MP.

Taunton
Former county constituency for the House of Commons
Boundary of Taunton in Somerset for the 1997-2010 general election
Location of Somerset within England
County	Somerset
Major settlements	Taunton
1918–2010
Seats	One
Replaced by	Taunton Deane
1295–1918
Seats	Two (1295-1885), One (1885-1918)
Type of constituency	Borough constituency

In the boundary changes that came into effect at the general election of 2010, the Boundary Commission for England replaced Taunton with a modified constituency called Taunton Deane, to reflect the district name. The new constituency's boundaries are coterminous with the local government district of the same name.

History

Famous MPs for the borough include Thomas Cromwell.

The 1754 by-election was so fiercely contested that rioting broke out in which two people died.

In the 2005 general election, the victorious Liberal Democrats candidate in Taunton required the smallest percentage swing from the Conservative MP for them to take the seat.

Boundaries

1918–1950: The Borough of Taunton, the Urban Districts of Wellington and Wiveliscombe, and the Rural Districts of Dulverton, Taunton, and Wellington.

1950–1974: As above less Wiveliscombe Urban District. This had been absorbed by Wellington Rural District in 1933. The constituency boundaries remained unchanged.

1974–1983: As 1950 but with redrawn boundaries.

1983–2010: The Borough of Taunton Deane, and the District of West Somerset wards of Dulverton and Brushford, Exmoor, Haddon, and Quarme.

Members of Parliament

MPs 1295–1640

• Constituency created (1295)

Parliament	First member	Second member
1362	William Portman	?
1363, 1365, 1366, 1368, 1369, 1371	Unknown
1372	William Portman	?
1373, 1376, 1377 (Jan), 1377 (Oct), 1378	Unknown
1379	William Portman	?
1380 (Jan)		?
1380 (Nov), 1381, 1382 (May), 1382 (Oct), 1383 (Feb), 1383 (Oct), 1384 (Apr)	Unknown
1384 (Nov)	William Portman	?
1385		?
1386		William Marchaunt
1388 (Feb)
1388 (Sep)	William Damarle
1390 (Jan)	John Porter
1390 (Nov)	Unknown
1391	William Portman	William Marchaunt
1393	John Porter
1394
1395	Walter Puryham
1397 (Jan)	Robert Coullyng	Robert Eysel
1397 (Sept)	Richard Marchaunt	John Northmore
1399	Walter Puryham	Edmund Rokes
1401	Unknown
1402	William Portman	Ralph Sargor
1404 (Jan), 1404 (Oct)	Unknown
1406	William Portman	Robert Bathe
1407	Richard Marchaunt	John Northmore
1410	Thomas Bacot	Thomas Edward
1411, 1413 (Feb)	Unknown
1413 (May)	John Rydon	Lewis John
1414 (Apr)	John Marchaunt	Edmund Dyer
1414 (Nov)
1415, 1416 (Mar), 1416 (Oct)	Unknown
1417	John Rydon	Walter Portman
1419	Walter Portman	Robert Croke
1420	Robert Croke	William Borde
1421 (May)	Walter Portman
1421 (Dec)		John Bowe
1422		?
1423	Unknown
1425	Walter Portman	?
1426		?
1427		?
1429	Unknown
1431	Walter Portman	?
1432, 1433	Unknown
1435	Walter Portman	?
1437, 1439, 1442, 1445, 1447, 1449 (Feb), 1449 (Nov), 1450, 1453	Unknown
1455	Ralph Legh	?
1459, 1460, 1461, 1463	Unknown
1467	Sir William Danvers	Robert Ashetill
1470	Sir William Danvers	Edward Aysshton
1472	Sir William Danvers	?
1478	Edward Aysshton	Robert Lovelord
1483–1523	Unknown
1529	Thomas Cromwell	William Portman
1536	?Richard Pollard	?William Portman
1547	Sir Nicholas Hare	John Caryll
1553 (Mar)	John Mason	?
1553 (Oct)	James Basset	Jacques Wingfield
1554 (Apr)	William Barne	Oliver Vachell
1554 (Nov)	Thomas Eden	John Norres
1555	Dr Valentine Dale	?
1558		Richard Myrfield
1559		?
1563–7	Miles Sandys	Anthony Leigh
1571	Robert Hill	Richard Blount
1572–81	Roger Hill	Richard Blount[1] Edmund Hodges
1584–5	Alexander Pym[2] Maurice Horner	William Goldwell
1586–7	Francis Bacon	John Goldwell
1588–9	Thomas Fisher
1593	William Aubrey, DCL	John Davidge
1597–8	Edward Barker	Edward Hext
1601	John Bond	Daniel Donne, DCL
1604–11		Edward Hext
Addled Parliament (1614)	James Clarke	John Donne
1621–2	Lewis Pope	Thomas Brereton
Happy Parliament (1624–5)	Roger Prowse
Useless Parliament (1625)	Hugh Portman	Thomas Brereton
1625–6	Sir Robert Gorges	George Browne
1628	Hugh Portman
1629–40	No Parliament summoned

MPs 1640–1885

Year		First member[3]	First party		Second member[4]	Second party
April 1640		Sir William Portman	Royalist		Roger Hill	Parliamentarian
November 1640					George Searle	Parliamentarian
February 1644	Portman disabled from sitting — seat vacant
1645		John Palmer, MD[5]
1653	Taunton was unrepresented in the Barebone's Parliament
1654		Colonel Thomas Gorges			John Gorges
1656					Admiral Robert Blake
January 1659					Sir William Wyndham
May 1659		John Palmer, MD		One seat vacant
March 1660		Thomas Gorges			Sir William Wyndham
1661		Sir William Portman
February 1679					John Trenchard	Whig
September 1679		Sir John Cutler Bt
1680		Edmund Prideaux
1685		Sir William Portman	Tory		John Sanford	Tory
March 1690					Edward Clarke	Whig
April 1690		John Speke	Whig
1698		Henry Seymour Portman	Tory
1701 by-election		Sir Francis Warre	Tory
1710					Henry Seymour Portman	Tory
1715 [6]		William Pynsent	Whig		James Smith	Whig
1722		John Trenchard	Whig
1724 by-election		Abraham Elton	Whig
1727		George Speke	Whig		Francis Fane	Whig
1734		Henry William Berkeley Portman	Tory
1741		Sir John Chapman	Whig		John Buck	Tory
1745					Percy Wyndham-O'Brien	Whig
1747		Sir Charles Wyndham[7]	Whig		Robert Webb	Whig
1750		Admiral William Rowley	Whig
1754		The Lord Carpenter[8]	Whig		John Halliday	Whig
1754 by-election					Robert Maxwell[9]	Whig
1762		Laurence Sulivan	Whig
1768		Alexander Popham			Nathaniel Webb
1774 [10]		Hon. Edward Stratford	Whig
1775		John Halliday			Alexander Popham
1780					Major-General John Roberts
1782 by-election					(Sir) Benjamin Hammet
1784		Alexander Popham
1796		William Morland
1800					John Hammet
1806		Alexander Baring	Whig[11]
1812					Henry Powell Collins	Tory[11]
1818					Sir William Burroughs, Bt	Whig[11]
1819					Henry Powell Collins	Tory[11]
1820					John Ashley Warre	Whig[11]
1826		Henry Seymour	Tory[11]		William Peachey	Tory[11]
1830		Henry Labouchere	Whig[11][12][13][14][15]		Edward Thomas Bainbridge	Whig[11][15]
1842 by-election					Sir Edward Colebrooke	Whig[11][16][17]
1852					Arthur Mills[18]	Conservative
1853 by-election					Sir John Ramsden	Whig
1857					Arthur Mills	Conservative
1859			Liberal
1859 by-election		George Cavendish-Bentinck	Conservative
1865		Alexander Charles Barclay	Liberal		Lord William Hay	Liberal
1868					Edward William Cox[19]	Conservative
1869					(Sir) Henry James	Liberal
1873 by-election
1880		Sir William Palliser	Conservative
1882 by-election		Samuel Allsopp	Conservative
1885	Representation reduced to one Member

MPs since 1885

Election		Member	Party
	1885	Samuel Allsopp	Conservative
	1887 by-election	Alfred Percy Allsopp	Conservative
	1895	Sir Alfred Welby	Conservative
	1906	Sir Edward Boyle	Conservative
	1909 by-election	William Peel	Conservative
	1912 by-election	Sir Gilbert Wills	Unionist
	1918	Dennis Boles	Unionist
	1921 by-election	Sir Arthur Griffith-Boscawen	Unionist
	1922	Sir John Hope Simpson	Liberal
	1924	Hamilton Gault	Unionist
	1935	Edward Wickham	Conservative
	1945	Victor Collins	Labour
	1950	Henry Hopkinson	Conservative
	1956 by-election	Sir Edward du Cann	Conservative
	1987	David Nicholson	Conservative
	1997	Jackie Ballard	Liberal Democrat
	2001	Adrian Flook	Conservative
	2005	Jeremy Browne	Liberal Democrat
	2010	Constituency abolished

Elections

Elections in the 1830s

General election 1830: Taunton (2 seats)^[11][20]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Whig	Henry Labouchere	430	46.1	N/A
	Whig	Edward Thomas Bainbridge	280	30.0	N/A
	Tory	William Peachey	223	23.9
Majority			57	6.1	N/A
Turnout			533	c. 66.6
Registered electors			c. 800
	Whig gain from Tory		Swing
	Whig gain from Tory		Swing

General election 1831: Taunton (2 seats)^[11][20]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Whig	Henry Labouchere	Unopposed
	Whig	Edward Thomas Bainbridge	Unopposed
Registered electors			c. 800
	Whig hold
	Whig hold

Labouchere was appointed as a Lord of the Admiralty, causing a by-election.

By-election, 12 June 1832: Taunton^[11][20]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Whig	Henry Labouchere	Unopposed
Registered electors			c. 800
	Whig hold

General election 1832: Taunton (2 seats)^[11][21]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Whig	Henry Labouchere	Unopposed
	Whig	Edward Thomas Bainbridge	Unopposed
Registered electors			949
	Whig hold
	Whig hold

General election 1835: Taunton (2 seats)^[11][21]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Whig	Henry Labouchere	Unopposed
	Whig	Edward Thomas Bainbridge	Unopposed
Registered electors			920
	Whig hold
	Whig hold

Labouchere was appointed as vice-president of the Board of Trade, and Master of the Mint, requiring a by-election.

By-election, 29 April 1835: Taunton^[11][21]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Whig	Henry Labouchere	452	61.6
	Conservative	Benjamin Disraeli	282	38.4
Majority			170	23.2
Turnout			734	79.8
Registered electors			920
	Whig hold

General election 1837: Taunton (2 seats)^[11][21]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Whig	Henry Labouchere	469	36.3
	Whig	Edward Thomas Bainbridge	414	32.0
	Conservative	Robert Newton Lee	409	31.7
Majority			5	0.3
Turnout			798	84.6
Registered electors			943
	Whig hold
	Whig hold

Elections in the 1840s

General election 1841: Taunton (2 seats)^[11][21]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Whig	Henry Labouchere	430	29.9	−6.4
	Whig	Edward Thomas Bainbridge	409	28.4	−3.6
	Conservative	William Wilberforce	381	26.5	+10.7
	Conservative	James Hall	218	15.2	−0.7
Majority			28	1.9	+1.6
Turnout			759	88.7	+4.1
Registered electors			856
	Whig hold		Swing	−5.7
	Whig hold		Swing	−4.3

Bainbridge resigned by accepting the office of Steward of the Chiltern Hundreds, causing a by-election.

By-election, 11 February 1842: Taunton^[11][21]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Whig	Edward Colebrooke	394	53.9	−4.4
	Conservative	James Hall	337	46.1	+4.4
Majority			57	7.8	+5.9
Turnout			731	72.4	−16.3
Registered electors			1,010
	Whig hold		Swing	−4.4

Labouchere was appointed Chief Secretary to the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland, requiring a by-election.

By-election, 10 July 1846: Taunton^[21]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Whig	Henry Labouchere	Unopposed
	Whig hold

General election 1847: Taunton (2 seats)^[21]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Whig	Henry Labouchere	543	41.5	+11.6
	Whig	Edward Colebrooke	388	29.7	+1.3
	Conservative	Arthur Mills	376	28.8	−12.9
Majority			12	0.9	−1.0
Turnout			654 (est)	71.7 (est)	−17.0
Registered electors			911
	Whig hold		Swing	+9.0
	Whig hold		Swing	+3.9

Elections in the 1850s

General election 1852: Taunton (2 seats)^[21]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Whig	Henry Labouchere	430	37.4	−4.1
	Conservative	Arthur Mills	361	31.4	+2.6
	Whig	Edward Colebrooke	358	31.2	+1.5
Turnout			575 (est)	72.7 (est)	+1.0
Registered electors			790
Majority			69	6.0	+5.1
	Whig hold		Swing	−2.7
Majority			3	0.2	N/A
	Conservative gain from Whig		Swing	+2.6

Mills' election was declared void on petition.

By-election, 4 May 1853: Taunton^[21]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Whig	John William Ramsden	372	50.3	−18.3
	Conservative	Henry Badcock[22]	367	49.7	+18.3
Majority			5	0.6	−5.4
Turnout			739	83.4	+10.7
Registered electors			886
	Whig gain from Conservative		Swing	−18.3

Labouchere was appointed Secretary of State for the Colonies, requiring a by-election.

By-election, 5 February 1856: Taunton^[21]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Whig	Henry Labouchere	Unopposed
	Whig hold

General election 1857: Taunton (2 seats)^[21]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Whig	Henry Labouchere	442	36.6	−0.8
	Conservative	Arthur Mills	401	33.2	+1.8
	Whig	William Campbell[23]	366	30.3	−0.9
Turnout			605 (est)	68.2 (est)	−4.5
Registered electors			887
Majority			41	3.4	−2.6
	Whig hold		Swing	−0.9
Majority			35	2.9	+2.7
	Conservative hold		Swing	+1.8

General election 1859: Taunton (2 seats)^[21]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	Arthur Mills	415	30.0	+13.4
	Liberal	Henry Labouchere	388	28.1	−8.5
	Conservative	George Cavendish-Bentinck	325	23.5	+6.9
	Liberal	William Beadon[24]	255	18.4	−11.9
Turnout			692 (est)	83.1 (est)	+14.9
Registered electors			832
Majority			27	1.9	−1.0
	Conservative hold		Swing	+11.8
Majority			63	4.6	+1.2
	Liberal hold		Swing	−9.3

Labouchere was elevated to the peerage, becoming Lord 1st Baron Taunton and causing a by-election.

By-election, 9 August 1859: Taunton^[21]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	George Cavendish-Bentinck	382	53.1	−0.4
	Liberal	Alexander Charles Barclay	337	46.9	+0.4
Majority			45	6.2	N/A
Turnout			719	86.4	+3.3
Registered electors			832
	Conservative gain from Liberal		Swing	−0.4

Elections in the 1860s

General election 1865: Taunton (2 seats)^[21]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Liberal	Alexander Charles Barclay	478	31.9	+3.8
	Liberal	William Hay	470	31.3	+12.9
	Conservative	Edward William Cox	292	19.5	−10.5
	Conservative	Alfred Austin[25]	260	17.3	−6.2
Majority			178	11.8	+7.2
Turnout			750 (est)	89.4 (est)	+6.3
Registered electors			839
	Liberal hold		Swing	+6.1
	Liberal gain from Conservative		Swing	+10.6

General election 1868: Taunton (2 seats)^[21]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Liberal	Alexander Charles Barclay	1,105	37.0	+5.1
	Conservative	Edward William Cox	988	33.1	−3.7
	Liberal	Henry James	890	29.8	−1.5
Turnout			1,492 (est)	75.4 (est)	−14.0
Registered electors			1,977
Majority			117	3.9	−8.1
	Liberal hold		Swing	+3.5
Majority			98	3.3	N/A
	Conservative gain from Liberal		Swing	−3.7

On petition, Cox's election was scrutinised, and some of his votes were found to have been acquired by bribery, and were then struck off. This caused him to be unseated on 8 March 1869 and James was declared elected.^[26] While a petition was then lodged against James, the court ruled a petitioner who had been seated on petition could not then be petitioned against.^[21]

Elections in the 1870s

James was appointed Solicitor-General for England and Wales, causing a by-election.

By-election, 14 Oct 1873: Taunton (1 seat)^[21]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Liberal	Henry James	899	52.5	−14.3
	Conservative	Sir Alfred Frederic Adolphus Slade, 3rd Baronet	812	47.5	+14.4
Majority			87	5.0	+1.1
Turnout			1,711	89.4	+14.0
Registered electors			1,913
	Liberal hold		Swing	−14.4

General election 1874: Taunton (2 seats)^[21]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Liberal	Henry James	Unopposed
	Liberal	Alexander Charles Barclay	Unopposed
Registered electors			1,999
	Liberal hold
	Liberal gain from Conservative

Elections in the 1880s

General election 1880: Taunton (2 seats)^[21]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	William Palliser	1,084	26.9	New
	Liberal	Henry James	1,000	24.9	N/A
	Conservative	William Cargill	971	24.1	New
	Liberal	Roger Eykyn[27]	968	24.1	N/A
Turnout			2,012 (est)	90.4 (est)	N/A
Registered electors			2,225
Majority			84	2.8	N/A
	Conservative gain from Liberal		Swing
Majority			29	0.8	N/A
	Liberal hold		Swing

James was appointed Attorney General for England and Wales, requiring a by-election.

By-election, 8 May 1880: Taunton (1 seat)^[21]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Liberal	Henry James	Unopposed
	Liberal hold

Palliser's death caused a by-election.

By-election, 17 Feb 1882: Taunton (1 seat)^[21]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	Samuel Allsopp	1,144	55.5	+4.5
	Liberal	Frederick Lambart	917	44.5	−4.5
Majority			227	11.0	+8.2
Turnout			2,061	87.3	−3.1 (est)
Registered electors			2,362
	Conservative hold		Swing	+4.5

Jessel

General election 1885: Taunton (1 seat) ^[28]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	Samuel Allsopp	1,361	58.2	+7.2
	Liberal	Charles Jessel	978	41.8	−7.2
Majority			383	16.4	+14.3
Turnout			2,339	92.1	+1.7 (est)
Registered electors			2,541
	Conservative hold		Swing	+7.2

General election 1886: Taunton^[29]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	Samuel Allsopp	Unopposed
	Conservative hold

Allsopp succeeded to the peerage, becoming Lord Hindlip, causing a by-election.

By-election, 23 Apr 1887: Taunton ^[29]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	Alfred Allsopp	1,426	61.6	N/A
	Liberal	James Harris Sanders	890	38.4	New
Majority			536	23.2	N/A
Turnout			2,316	89.4	N/A
Registered electors			2,825
	Conservative hold		Swing	N/A

Elections in the 1890s

General election 1892: Taunton^[29]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	Alfred Allsopp	1,402	60.4	N/A
	Liberal	Henry Hewitt Bridgman	921	39.6	N/A
Majority			481	20.8	N/A
Turnout			2,323	82.2	N/A
Registered electors			2,825
	Conservative hold		Swing

General election 1895: Taunton ^[29]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	Alfred Welby	Unopposed
	Conservative hold

Elections in the 1900s

General election 1900: Taunton ^[29]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	Alfred Welby	1,387	57.5	N/A
	Liberal	Walker King	1,024	42.5	New
Majority			363	15.0	N/A
Turnout			2,411	73.7	N/A
Registered electors			3,272
	Conservative hold		Swing	N/A

General election 1906: Taunton ^[29]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	Edward Boyle	1,842	55.1	−2.4
	Liberal	Arthur Ponsonby	1,503	44.9	+2.4
Majority			339	10.2	−4.8
Turnout			3,345	93.2	+18.5
Registered electors			3,590
	Conservative hold		Swing	-2.4

Smith

1909 Taunton by-election^[29]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	William Peel	1,976	64.6	+9.5
	Labour	Frank Smith	1,085	35.4	New
Majority			891	29.2	+19.0
Turnout			3,061	80.4	−12.8
Registered electors			3,808
	Conservative hold		Swing	N/A

Elections in the 1910s

Peel

General election January 1910: Taunton ^[29]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	William Peel	1,906	55.3	+0.2
	Liberal	William Arthur Addinsell	1,538	44.7	−0.2
Majority			368	10.6	+0.4
Turnout			3,444	90.3	−2.9
Registered electors			3,814
	Conservative hold		Swing	+0.2

General election December 1910: Taunton ^[29]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	William Peel	1,806	53.4	−1.9
	Liberal	John Edward Schunck	1,573	46.6	+1.9
Majority			233	6.8	−3.8
Turnout			3,379	88.6	−1.7
Registered electors			3,814
	Conservative hold		Swing	−1.9

Wills

1912 Taunton by-election

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Unionist	Gilbert Wills	1,882	54.1	+0.7
	Liberal	John Edward Schunk	1,597	45.9	−0.7
Majority			285	8.2	+1.4
Turnout			3,479	88.7	+0.1
Registered electors			3,921
	Unionist hold		Swing	+0.7

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 the July 1914, the following candidates had been selected;

• Unionist: Gilbert Wills
• Liberal: James Bromley Eames

General election 1918: Taunton

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
C	Unionist	Dennis Boles	12,619	72.4	+19.0
	Labour	George Woods	4,816	27.6	New
Majority			7,803	44.8	+38.0
Turnout			17,435	60.4	−28.2
	Unionist hold		Swing	N/A
C indicates candidate endorsed by the coalition government.

Elections in the 1920s

1921 Taunton by-election

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
C	Unionist	Arthur Griffith-Boscawen	12,994	61.1	−11.3
	Labour	James Lunnon	8,290	38.9	+11.3
Majority			4,704	22.2	−22.6
Turnout			21,284	73.5	+13.1
	Unionist hold		Swing	-11.3
C indicates candidate endorsed by the coalition government.

John Simpson

General election 1922: Taunton

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Liberal	John Hope Simpson	13,195	56.4	New
	Unionist	Arthur Griffith-Boscawen	10,182	43.6	−28.8
Majority			3,007	12.8	N/A
Turnout			23,377	79.1	+18.7
	Liberal gain from Unionist		Swing	N/A

Andrew Gault

General election 1923: Taunton

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Liberal	John Hope Simpson	13,053	52.5	−3.9
	Unionist	Hamilton Gault	11,798	47.5	+3.9
Majority			1,255	5.0	−7.8
Turnout			24,851	82.6	+3.5
	Liberal hold		Swing	-3.9

General election 1924: Taunton

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Unionist	Hamilton Gault	13,930	52.1	+4.6
	Liberal	John Hope Simpson	10,381	38.8	−13.7
	Labour	George Woods	2,441	9.1	New
Majority			3,549	13.3	N/A
Turnout			26,752	85.6	+3.0
	Unionist gain from Liberal		Swing	+9.1

General election 1929: Taunton

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Unionist	Hamilton Gault	15,083	45.9	−6.2
	Liberal	Walter Rea	11,121	33.9	−4.9
	Labour	Joseph Sparks	6,615	20.2	+11.1
Majority			3,962	12.0	−1.3
Turnout			32,819	82.2	−3.4
	Unionist hold		Swing	-0.6

Elections in the 1930s

General election 1931: Taunton

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	Hamilton Gault	22,564	72.95
	Labour	Frank George Bushnell	8,367	27.05
Majority			14,197	45.90
Turnout			30,931	75.43
	Conservative hold		Swing

General election 1935: Taunton^[30]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	Edward Wickham	19,443	63.41
	Labour	James Lunnon	11,219	36.59
Majority			8,224	26.82
Turnout			30,720	72.39
	Conservative hold		Swing

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 and by the Autumn of 1939, the following candidates had been selected;

• Conservative: Edward Wickham
• Labour: Charles W. Gott^[31]

General election 1945: Taunton

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labour	Victor Collins	19,976	52.80
	Conservative	Edward Wickham	17,858	47.20
Majority			2,118	5.60	N/A
Turnout			37,834	72.98
	Labour gain from Conservative		Swing

Elections in the 1950s

General election 1950: Taunton

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	Henry Hopkinson	20,724	46.43
	Labour	Victor Collins	19,352	43.35
	Liberal	John Robert Phillipson	4,561	10.22	New
Majority			1,372	3.08	N/A
Turnout			44,637	88.81
	Conservative gain from Labour		Swing

General election 1951: Taunton

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	Henry Hopkinson	24,826	54.36
	Labour	Victor Collins	20,845	45.64
Majority			3,981	8.72
Turnout			45,671	89.00
	Conservative hold		Swing

General election 1955: Taunton

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	Henry Hopkinson	22,962	52.11
	Labour	Reginald Wells-Pestell	17,420	39.53
	Liberal	Guy Barrington	3,684	8.36	New
Majority			5,542	12.58
Turnout			44,066	85.46
	Conservative hold		Swing

1956 Taunton by-election

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	Edward du Cann	19,820	50.84	−1.27
	Labour	Reginald Wells-Pestell	19,163	49.16	+9.63
Majority			657	1.68	−10.90
Turnout			38,983
	Conservative hold		Swing

General election 1959: Taunton

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	Edward du Cann	22,680	49.42
	Labour	Leonard V Pike	16,182	35.26
	Liberal	Charles Meddon Karslake Bruton	7,031	15.32
Majority			6,498	14.16
Turnout			45,893	87.12
	Conservative hold		Swing

Elections in the 1960s

General election 1964: Taunton

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	Edward du Cann	21,367	46.52
	Labour	Leonard V Pike	16,619	36.18
	Liberal	Margaret Irene Gaenor Heathcoat Amory	7,944	17.30
Majority			4,748	10.34
Turnout			45,930	84.74
	Conservative hold		Swing

General election 1966: Taunton

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	Edward du Cann	22,369	47.55
	Labour	Robin J Bradbury	19,216	40.85
	Liberal	Margaret Irene Gaenor Heathcoat Amory	5,460	11.61
Majority			3,153	6.70
Turnout			47,045	85.27
	Conservative hold		Swing

Elections in the 1970s

General election 1970: Taunton

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	Edward du Cann	26,158	53.55
	Labour	Steven Mama	17,823	36.48
	Liberal	Gerard O'Donnell	4,871	9.97
Majority			8,335	17.07
Turnout			48,852	78.96
	Conservative hold		Swing

General election February 1974: Taunton

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	Edward du Cann	23,841	45.11
	Labour	D.W. Keene	15,401	29.14
	Liberal	M.E. Mann	13,607	25.75
Majority			8,440	15.97
Turnout			52,849	83.88
	Conservative hold		Swing

General election October 1974: Taunton

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	Edward du Cann	22,542	44.61
	Labour	Barry Sheerman	15,721	31.11
	Liberal	M.E. Mann	11,984	23.72
	United Democratic Party	L.D. Bradford	283	0.56	New
Majority			6,821	13.50
Turnout			50,530	79.38
	Conservative hold		Swing

General election 1979: Taunton

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	Edward du Cann	28,483	53.17
	Labour	S. Horne	15,759	29.42
	Liberal	M. Lee	7,928	14.80
	Ecology	G. Garbett	1,403	2.62	New
Majority			12,724	23.75
Turnout			53,573	80.74
	Conservative hold		Swing

Elections in the 1980s

General election 1983: Taunton^[32]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	Edward du Cann	28,112	52.89
	SDP	Michael Cocks	15,545	29.24
	Labour	Jon Gray	9,498	17.87
Majority			12,567	23.65
Turnout			53,155	75.55
	Conservative hold		Swing

General election 1987: Taunton^[33]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	David Nicholson	30,248	51.38
	SDP	Michael Cocks	19,868	33.75
	Labour	Gary Reynolds	8,754	14.87
Majority			10,380	17.63
Turnout			58,870	79.40
	Conservative hold		Swing

Elections in the 1990s

General election 1992: Taunton^[34][35]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	David Nicholson	29,576	46.0	−5.4
	Liberal Democrats	Jackie Ballard	26,240	40.8	+7.1
	Labour	L. Jean Hole	8,151	12.7	−2.2
	Natural Law	Philip A. Leavey	279	0.4	New
Majority			3,336	5.2	−12.4
Turnout			64,246	82.3	+2.9
	Conservative hold		Swing	−6.2

General election 1997: Taunton^[36]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Liberal Democrats	Jackie Ballard	26,064	42.7	+1.9
	Conservative	David Nicholson	23,621	38.7	−7.3
	Labour	Elizabeth Lisgo	8,248	13.5	+0.8
	Referendum	Brian Ahern	2,760	4.5	New
	BNP	Leslie Andrews	318	0.5	New
Majority			2,443	4.0	N/A
Turnout			61,011	76.5	−5.8
	Liberal Democrats gain from Conservative		Swing

Elections in the 2000s

General election 2001: Taunton^[37]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	Adrian Flook	23,033	41.7	+3.0
	Liberal Democrats	Jackie Ballard	22,798	41.3	−1.4
	Labour	Andrew Govier	8,254	14.9	+1.4
	UKIP	Michael Canton	1,140	2.1	New
Majority			235	0.4	N/A
Turnout			55,225	67.6	−8.9
	Conservative gain from Liberal Democrats		Swing

Jeremy Browne

General election 2005: Taunton^[38]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Liberal Democrats	Jeremy Browne	25,764	43.3	+2.0
	Conservative	Adrian Flook	25,191	42.3	+0.6
	Labour	Andrew Govier	7,132	12.0	−2.9
	UKIP	Helen Miles	1,441	2.4	+0.3
Majority			573	1.0	N/A
Turnout			59,528	69.7	+2.1
	Liberal Democrats gain from Conservative		Swing	−0.7

See also

• List of parliamentary constituencies in Somerset

Notes and references

1. Blount died during the 1572 Parliament, and Hodges was elected in his place in 1575.
2. Pym died in January 1585.
3. "Taunton". The History of Parliament. The History of Parliament Trust. Retrieved 24 September 2012.
4. Cassidy, Irene. "Taunton 1660-1690". The History of Parliament. The History of Parliament Trust. Retrieved 24 September 2012.
5. Cobbett records Admiral Robert Blake as being elected for Taunton and Palmer for Bridgwater; but Brunton & Pennington agree with the Dictionary of National Biography that Blake was MP for Bridgwater and Palmer for Taunton.
6. At the general election of 1715, Warre and Portman were initially declared re-elected, but on petition (in a dispute over the franchise) they were adjudged not to have been duly elected and their opponents, Pynsent and Smith, were seated in their place
7. Styled Lord Cockermouth from October 1749
8. Created Earl of Tyrconnell (in the Peerage of Ireland), May 1761
9. Succeeded as The Lord Farnham , August 1759; created Viscount Farnham, September 1760 and Earl of Farnham, May 1763 (all these titles being in the Peerage of Ireland).
10. On petition, Stratford and Webb were adjudged not to have been duly elected, and their opponents, Halliday and Popham, were seated in their place
11. 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. 34–337. Retrieved 18 December 2018 – via Google Books.
12. Matthew, H. C. G.; Barker, G. F. R. (4 October 2008) [2004]. "Labouchere, Henry, Baron Taunton (1798–1869)". Oxford Dictionary of National Biography (online ed.). Oxford University Press. doi:10.1093/ref:odnb/15838. Retrieved 14 July 2018. (Subscription or UK public library membership required.)
13. Barker, George Fisher Russell (1892). "Labouchere, Henry" . In Lee, Sidney (ed.). Dictionary of National Biography. Vol. 31. London: Smith, Elder & Co.
14. Jenkins, Terry (2009). Fisher, D. R. (ed.). "Taunton". The History of Parliament. Retrieved 14 July 2018.
15. "Worcester Journal". 3 August 1837. p. 6. Retrieved 14 July 2018 – via British Newspaper Archive.
16. "The Scotsman". 12 February 1842. p. 2. Retrieved 14 July 2018 – via British Newspaper Archive.
17. "Taunton Election - Final Close of the Poll". Leeds Intelligencer. 19 February 1842. p. 4. Retrieved 14 July 2018 – via British Newspaper Archive.
18. On petition, Mills' election was declared void and a by-election was held
19. On petition, the election of Cox was declared void and after scrutiny of the votes his opponent, James, was declared to have been duly elected
20. Jenkins, Terry. "Taunton". The History of Parliament. Retrieved 26 April 2020.
21. Craig, F. W. S., ed. (1977). British Parliamentary Election Results 1832-1885 (e-book) (1st ed.). London: Macmillan Press. ISBN 978-1-349-02349-3.
22. "Taunton Election: Close of the Poll". Elgin Courier. 6 May 1853. p. 2. Retrieved 15 July 2018 – via British Newspaper Archive.
23. "Taunton". Cheltenham Mercury. 21 March 1857. pp. 2–3. Retrieved 15 July 2018 – via British Newspaper Archive.
24. "Taunton Election". Sherborne Mercury. 3 May 1859. p. 6. Retrieved 15 July 2018 – via British Newspaper Archive.
25. "Election Intelligence". Bristol Times and Mirror. p. 3. Retrieved 19 March 2018 – via British Newspaper Archive.
26. "Untitled". The Scotsman. 6 March 1869. p. 2. Retrieved 19 March 2018 – via British Newspaper Archive.
27. "Election Intelligence". The Globe. 6 February 1882. p. 5. Retrieved 12 December 2017 – via British Newspaper Archive.
28. Craig, F. W. S., ed. (1974). British Parliamentary Election Results: 1885-1918. London: Macmillan Press. p. 198. ISBN 9781349022984.
29. British parliamentary election results, 1885-1918 (Craig)
30. "Election of Lieut-Colonel E. T. R. Wickham". Taunton Courier. 20 November 1935. Retrieved 14 January 2015 – via British Newspaper Archive.
31. Report of the Annual Conference of the Labour Party, 1939
32. "Election Data 1983". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 18 October 2015.
33. "Election Data 1987". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 18 October 2015.
34. "Election Data 1992". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 18 October 2015.
35. "Politics Resources". Election 1992. Politics Resources. 9 April 1992. Retrieved 6 December 2010.
36. "Election Data 1997". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 18 October 2015.
37. "Election Data 2001". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 18 October 2015.
38. "Election Data 2005". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 18 October 2015.

Sources

• Robert Beatson, A Chronological Register of Both Houses of Parliament (London: Longman, Hurst, Res & Orme, 1807)
• D. Brunton & D. H. Pennington, Members of the Long Parliament (London: George Allen & Unwin, 1954)
• Cobbett's Parliamentary history of England, from the Norman Conquest in 1066 to the year 1803 (London: Thomas Hansard, 1808)
• Craig, F. W. S. (1983). British parliamentary election results 1918-1949 (3 ed.). Chichester: Parliamentary Research Services. ISBN 0-900178-06-X.
• F W S Craig, British Parliamentary Election Results 1832-1885 (2nd edition, Aldershot: Parliamentary Research Services, 1989)
• Maija Jansson (ed.), Proceedings in Parliament, 1614 (House of Commons) (Philadelphia: American Philosophical Society, 1988)
• J E Neale, The Elizabethan House of Commons (London: Jonathan Cape, 1949)
• Willis, Browne (1750). Notitia Parliamentaria, Part II: A Series or Lists of the Representatives in the several Parliaments held from the Reformation 1541, to the Restoration 1660 ... London. p. 1.
• Frederic A Youngs, jr, Guide to the Local Administrative Units of England, Vol I (London: Royal Historical Society, 1979)
• The BBC/ITN Guide to the New Parliamentary Constituencies (Chichester: Parliamentary Research Services, 1983)
• Concise Dictionary of National Biography
• List of speakers: Parliaments of 1656 and 1658-9, Diary of Thomas Burton esq, volume 4: March - April 1659 (1828) at British History Online

External links

• UK Constituency Maps
• BBC Vote 2001
• BBC Election 2005
• Taunton UK Parliament constituency (boundaries April 1997 – April 2010) at MapIt UK