Truro (UK Parliament constituency)

Truro was the name of a parliamentary constituency in Cornwall represented in the House of Commons of England and later of Great Britain from 1295 until 1800, then in the Parliament of the United Kingdom from 1801 to 1918 and finally from 1950 to 1997. Until 1885 it was a parliamentary borough, electing two members of parliament (MPs) by the plurality-at-large system of election; the name was then transferred to the surrounding county constituency, which elected a single Member by the first past the post system. In 1997, although there had been no changes to its boundaries, it was renamed as Truro and St Austell, reflecting the fact that St Austell by then had a larger population than Truro.

Truro
Former county constituency for the House of Commons
Boundary of Truro in Cornwall for the 1992 general election
Location of Cornwall within England
County	Cornwall
Major settlements	Truro, St Austell
1950–1997
Seats	One
Created from	Penryn and Falmouth and Camborne
Replaced by	Truro & St Austell
1885–1918
Seats	One
Type of constituency	County constituency
Created from	Helston, Truro and West Cornwall
Replaced by	Penryn and Falmouth, St Ives and Camborne
1295–1885
Seats	Two
Type of constituency	Borough constituency
Replaced by	Truro

Boundaries

1950–1974: The Borough of Truro, the Urban District of St Austell, the Rural District of Truro except the parish of Gwennap, and in the Rural District of St Austell the parishes of Creed, Grampound, Roche, St Dennis, St Ewe, St Goran, St Mewan, St Michael Caerhays, and St Stephen-in-Brannel.

1974–1983: The Boroughs of Truro, and St Austell with Fowey, the Rural District of Truro except the parish of Gwennap, and in the Rural District of St Austell the parishes of Creed, Grampound, Roche, St Dennis, St Ewe, St Goran, St Mewan, St Michael Caerhays, and St Stephen-in-Brannel.

1983–1997: The District of Carrick wards of Boscawen, Chacewater, Feock, Kea, Kenwyn, Moresk, Newlyn, Perranzabuloe, Probus, Roseland, St Agnes, St Clement, Tregolls, and Trehaverne, and the Borough of Restormel wards of Crinnis, Mevagissey, Poltair, Rock, St Ewe, St Mewan, St Stephen-in-Brannel, Trevarna, and Treverbyn.

History

The constituency has existed in a number of different forms. The constituency of Truro, up until 1885 elected two members to parliament; this was reduced to one. In 1918 the constituency was abolished but it was recreated again in 1950.

The seat became a safe Lib Dem bet thanks to the popularity and eloquence of its former MP, David Penhaligon. His death in a car crash, aged only 42, robbed the House of Commons of one of its most independent-minded and pragmatic members. His successor, Matthew Taylor, held the seat comfortably from a by-election in 1987, and remained its MP after the name change in 1997.

Members of Parliament

Truro Parliamentary borough

MPs 1295–1629

• Constituency created (1295)

Parliament	First member	Second member
1358	John Hamely[1]
1386	John Tregoose	Robert Clerk[2]
1388 (Feb)	Henry Gourlyn	John Tremayne[2]
1388 (Sep)	John Tr...uran	John Trebernet[2]
1390 (Jan)	John Coke	Walter Bloyowe[2]
1390 (Nov)
1391	John Urban	Roger Juyl[2]
1393	Ralph Trenewith I	Walter Bloyowe[2]
1394
1395	Richard Respryn	Andrew Borlase[2]
1397 (Jan)	John Trereise	John Megre[2]
1397 (Sep)	Nicholas Trenewith	John Lawhire[2]
1399	Richard Carhorta	Pascoe Polruddan[2]
1401
1402	Ralph Kayl	John Trereise[2]
1404 (Jan)
1404 (Oct)
1406	Ralph Cardrewe	Thomas Brunsham[2]
1407
1410
1411	Thomas Paderda	William Colyn[2]
1413 (Feb)
1413 (May)	John Chinals	William Chamberlain[2]
1414 (Apr)
1414 (Nov)	John Trereise	William Trethake I[2]
1415
1416 (Mar)	Peter Hayme	William Moun[2]
1416 (Oct)
1417	John Megre	Andrew Hirnans[2]
1419	John Trewint	John Langedon[2]
1420	William Panter	Robert Trenerth[2]
1421 (May)	William Trethake II	William Richard[2]
1421 (Dec)	Robert Treage	William Richard[2]
1422	John But
1425	John But
1467	Edward Aysshton
1510–1523	No names known
1529	Roger Corbet	John Thomas
1536	?Roger Corbet	?
1539	?
1542	?
1545	Francis Smith	Robert Trencreke
1547	Robert Trencreke	Nicholas Randall
First Parliament of 1553	Nicholas Randall	Thomas Roydon
Second Parliament of 1553		John Methnes[3]
Parliament of 1554	William Iseham	Thomas Duppa
Parliament of 1554–1555	John Melhuish	Thomas Roydon
Parliament of 1555	Nicholas Randall	Thomas Randall[4]
Parliament of 1558		Thomas Roydon
Parliament of 1563–1567	John Carminow	John Mitchell[5]
Parliament of 1571	Henry Killigrew	Vincent Skinner
Parliament of 1572–1581		Oliver Carminow
Parliament of 1584–1585	Edward Darcy	Michael Hicks
Parliament of 1586–1587	John Stanhope	Roland Lytton
Parliament of 1588–1589	Hannibal Vyvyan	John Woolton
Parliament of 1593	John Parker	Nicholas Smyth
Parliament of 1597–1598	Maurice Berkeley	Reade Stafford
Parliament of 1601	William Daniel	Thomas Harris
Parliament of 1604–1611	Henry Cossen	Thomas Burgess
Addled Parliament (1614)	Thomas Russell	Thomas Burgess, junior
Parliament of 1621–1622	Barnaby Gough, sat for Cambridge Univ. and replaced by Sir John Catcher[6]	John Trefusis[7]
Happy Parliament (1624)	Richard Daniel	Thomas Burgess
Useless Parliament (1625)	William Rous	Henry Rolle
Parliament of 1626	Francis Rous
Parliament of 1628	Richard Daniel
No Parliament summoned 1629–1640

MPs 1640–1885

Election	First member[8]		First party	Second member[8]		Second party
April 1640		Francis Rous	Parliamentarian		John Rolle	Parliamentarian
November 1640
November 1648				Rolle died – seat left vacant
1653	Truro was unrepresented in the Barebones Parliament
1654		Francis Rous		Truro had only one seat in the First and Second Parliaments of the Protectorate
1656		Walter Vincent
January 1659					Charles Boscawen
May 1659	Not represented in the restored Rump
April 1660		Walter Vincent			Edward Boscawen
1661		Nicholas Arundell
1666		John Arundell
1679		William Boscawen
1681		Henry Ashurst
1685		John Arundell			Henry Vincent
1689		Sir Henry Ashurst, Bt
1690		John Cloberry
1695		Hugh Fortescue	Whig
March 1701		Sir John Hawles	Whig
December 1701		Sir William Scawen sat for Grampound
February 1702		Sir Robert Cotton	Tory
July 1702		Thomas Powys
November 1702		Sir Philip Meadowes
May 1705		Hugh Boscawen	Whig
November 1705		Peregrine Bertie	Whig
May 1708		James Brydges[9]
December 1708		Robert Furnese	Whig
1710		Hugh Boscawen	Whig
1713		Thomas Hare			William Collier
1715		John Selwyn			Spencer Cowper	Whig
1721		Thomas Wyndham
1727		Hugh Boscawen			Sidney Meadows
1734		Kelland Courtenay			Robert Trefusis
1741		Charles Hamilton			James Hammond
1742					Admiral the Hon. Edward Boscawen	Tory[10]
1747		Hon. John Boscawen[11]	Tory[10]
1761					Lt General the Hon. George Boscawen	Tory[10]
1767		Edward Hugh Boscawen	Tory[10]
1774		George Boscawen	Tory[10]		Bamber Gascoyne	Whig[10]
1780		Henry Rosewarne	Whig[10]
1783		John Pollexfen Bastard	Tory[10]
February 1784		Sir John St Aubyn, Bt	Whig[10]
April 1784		William Macarmick	Tory[10]		William Augustus Spencer Boscawen	Tory[10]
1787		John Hiley Addington	Tory[10]
1790		James Gordon	Tory[10]
1792					Charles Ingoldsby Paulet[12]	Tory[10]
1796		Lt Colonel John Leveson-Gower	Tory[10]		John Lemon	Whig[10]
1802		Captain Edward Leveson-Gower	Tory[10]
1807		Edward Boscawen	Tory[10]
1808		Charles Powlett Townshend	Tory[10]
1810		William John Bankes	Tory[10]
1812		Sir George Warrender, Bt	Tory[10]
1814					George Dashwood	Tory
1818		Lord FitzRoy Somerset	Tory[10]		William Edward Tomline	Tory[10]
1820		Sir Hussey Vivian	Whig[10]		William Gossett	Whig[10]
1826		Lord FitzRoy Somerset	Tory[10]		William Edward Tomline	Tory[10]
1829		Viscount Encombe	Tory[10]		Nathaniel William Peach	Tory[10]
1832		Sir Hussey Vivian	Whig[10]		William Tooke	Whig[10]
1835		John Ennis Vivian	Conservative[10]
1837					Edmund Turner	Whig[13][14][10]
1849					Humphrey Willyams	Whig[15][16]
1852					Sir Henry Vivian	Whig[17][18]
1857		Augustus Smith	Whig[17]		Edward Brydges Willyams	Whig
1859			Liberal		Montague Edward Smith	Conservative
February 1865					Sir Frederick Williams, Bt	Conservative
July 1865		Hon. John Vivian	Liberal
1871		Sir James McGarel-Hogg, Bt	Conservative
1878					Arthur Tremayne	Conservative
1880					Edward Brydges Willyams	Liberal
1885	Borough constituency abolished – name transferred to single-member county constituency

Truro County constituency

MPs 1885–1918

Election		Member[8]	Party
	1885	William Bickford-Smith	Liberal later Liberal Unionist
	1892	John Charles Williams	Liberal Unionist
	1895	Sir Edwin Durning-Lawrence	Liberal Unionist
	1906	George Hay Morgan	Liberal
	1918	constituency abolished

MPs 1950–1997

Election		Member[8]	Party
	1950	Geoffrey Wilson	Conservative
	1970	Piers Dixon	Conservative
	Oct 1974	David Penhaligon	Liberal
	1987 by-election	Matthew Taylor	Liberal
	1988		Liberal Democrats
	1997	name changed to Truro & St. Austell

Elections

St Austell area election results

Elections in the 1830s

General election 1830: Truro^[10][19]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Tory	John Scott	14	46.7
	Tory	Nathaniel William Peach	14	46.7
	Whig	John Lubbock	1	3.3
	Whig	William Tooke	1	3.3
Majority			13	43.4
Turnout			c. 15	c. 62.5
Registered electors			24
	Tory hold
	Tory hold

178 free burgesses polled for Lubbock and Tooke, and one for Scott and Peach, but their votes were rejected.

General election 1831: Truro^[10][19]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Tory	John Scott	10	45.5	−1.2
	Tory	Nathaniel William Peach	10	45.5	−1.2
	Whig	William Tooke	1	4.5	+1.2
	Whig	Humphrey Willyams	1	4.5	+1.2
Majority			9	41.0	−2.4
Turnout			c. 11	c. 45.8	c. −16.7
Registered electors			24
	Tory hold		Swing	−1.2
	Tory hold		Swing	−1.2

24 votes were tendered by inhabitant householders for Tooke and Willyams, but these were rejected.^[19]

General election 1832: Truro^[10][20]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Whig	Hussey Vivian	291	42.2	+37.7
	Whig	William Tooke	203	29.4	+24.9
	Tory	John Ennis Vivian	196	28.4	−62.6
Majority			7	1.0	N/A
Turnout			386	95.3	c. +49.5
Registered electors			406
	Whig gain from Tory		Swing	+34.5
	Whig gain from Tory		Swing	+28.1

General election 1835: Truro^[10][20]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	John Ennis Vivian	316	41.3	+12.9
	Whig	William Tooke	274	35.8	+6.4
	Whig	Hussey Vivian	176	23.0	−19.2
Turnout			456	89.4	−5.9
Registered electors			510
Majority			42	5.5	N/A
	Conservative gain from Whig		Swing	+12.9
Majority			98	12.8	+11.8
	Whig hold		Swing	±0.0

General election 1837: Truro^[10][20]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Whig	Edmund Turner	393	45.0	+22.0
	Conservative	John Ennis Vivian	254	29.1	−12.2
	Whig	William Tooke	226	25.9	−9.9
Turnout			488	84.3	−5.1
Registered electors			579
Majority			139	15.9	+3.1
	Whig hold		Swing	+14.1
Majority			28	3.2	−2.3
	Conservative hold		Swing	−12.2

Elections in the 1840s

General election 1841: Truro^[20]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Whig	Edmund Turner	Unopposed
	Conservative	John Ennis Vivian	Unopposed
Registered electors			622
	Whig hold
	Conservative hold

General election 1847: Truro^[20]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Whig	Edmund Turner	Unopposed
	Conservative	John Ennis Vivian	Unopposed
Registered electors			627
	Whig hold
	Conservative hold

Turner's death caused a by-election.

By-election, 11 January 1849: Truro^[20]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Whig	Humphrey Willyams	240	51.7	N/A
	Conservative	Montague Edward Smith	224	48.3	N/A
Majority			16	3.4	N/A
Turnout			464	79.2	N/A
Registered electors			586
	Whig hold		Swing	N/A

Elections in the 1850s

General election 1852: Truro^[20]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Whig	Henry Vivian	267	26.3	N/A
	Conservative	John Ennis Vivian	263	25.9	N/A
	Whig	Augustus Smith	255	25.1	N/A
	Conservative	Montague Edward Smith	229	22.6	N/A
Turnout			507 (est)	83.5 (est)	N/A
Registered electors			607
Majority			4	0.4	N/A
	Whig hold		Swing	N/A
Majority			8	0.8	N/A
	Conservative hold		Swing	N/A

General election 1857: Truro^[20]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Whig	Augustus Smith	Unopposed
	Whig	Edward Brydges Willyams	Unopposed
Registered electors			646
	Whig hold
	Whig gain from Conservative

General election 1859: Truro^[20]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	Montague Edward Smith	303	40.9	New
	Liberal	Augustus Smith	225	30.4	N/A
	Liberal	John Vivian	213	28.7	N/A
Majority			78	10.5	N/A
Turnout			522 (est)	80.7 (est)	N/A
Registered electors			647
	Conservative gain from Liberal		Swing	N/A
	Liberal hold		Swing	N/A

Elections in the 1860s

Montague Edward Smith resigned after being appointed a Judge of the Court of Common Pleas, causing a by-election.

By-election, 14 February 1865: Truro^[20]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	Frederick Williams	249	53.1	+12.2
	Liberal	John Vivian	220	46.9	−12.2
Majority			29	6.2	−4.3
Turnout			469	82.7	+2.0
Registered electors			567
	Conservative hold		Swing	+12.2

General election 1865: Truro^[20]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	Frederick Williams	Unopposed
	Liberal	John Vivian	Unopposed
Registered electors			567
	Conservative hold
	Liberal hold

General election 1868: Truro^[20]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	Frederick Williams	731	40.2	N/A
	Liberal	John Vivian	683	37.5	N/A
	Liberal	John Passmore Edwards	406	22.3	N/A
Majority			48	2.7	N/A
Turnout			1,276 (est)	88.9 (est)	N/A
Registered electors			1,435
	Conservative hold		Swing	N/A
	Liberal hold		Swing	N/A

Vivian was appointed a Lord Commissioner of the Treasury, causing a by-election.

By-election, 21 December 1868: Truro^[20]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Liberal	John Vivian	Unopposed
	Liberal hold

Elections in the 1870s

Vivian resigned after being appointed Under-Secretary of State for War.

By-election, 13 Sep 1871: Truro (1 seat)^[20]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	James Hogg	605	58.1	+17.9
	Liberal	Edward Jenkins	436	41.9	−17.9
Majority			169	16.2	N/A
Turnout			1,041	72.2	−16.7
Registered electors			1,442
	Conservative gain from Liberal		Swing

General election 1874: Truro (2 seats)^[20][21]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	Frederick Williams	798	31.4	−8.8
	Conservative	James Hogg	723	28.5	N/A
	Liberal	Henry Riversdale Grenfell	565	22.2	−15.3
	Liberal	Joseph Graham	455	17.9	−5.4
Majority			158	6.3	N/A
Turnout			1,271 (est)	80.3 (est)	−8.6
Registered electors			1,582
	Conservative hold		Swing
	Conservative gain from Liberal		Swing

Williams' death caused a by-election.

By-election, 26 Sep 1878: Truro (1 seat)^[20]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	Arthur Tremayne	656	51.8	−8.1
	Liberal	Edward Brydges Willyams	611	48.2	+8.1
Majority			45	3.6	−2.7
Turnout			1,267	80.3	0.0
Registered electors			1,578
	Conservative hold		Swing	−8.1

Elections in the 1880s

General election 1880: Truro (2 seats) ^[22][20]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	James McGarel-Hogg	781	45.5	+17.0
	Liberal	Brydges Willyams	754	43.9	−3.8
	Conservative	John Chester	181	10.5	−20.9
Turnout			1,158 (est)	75.1 (est)	−5.2
Registered electors			1,542
Majority			27	1.6	−4.7
	Conservative hold		Swing	+9.5
Majority			573	33.4	N/A
	Liberal gain from Conservative		Swing	+9.5

General election 1885: Truro ^[23]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Liberal	William Bickford-Smith	3,816	57.0	+13.1
	Conservative	William Molesworth-St Aubyn	2,883	43.0	−13.0
Majority			933	14.0	−19.4
Turnout			6,699	75.9	+0.8 (est)
Registered electors			8,825
	Liberal hold		Swing	+13.1

Thomas Lough

General election 1886: Truro ^[23]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Liberal Unionist	William Bickford-Smith	3,522	69.5	+26.5
	Liberal	Thomas Lough	1,546	30.5	−26.5
Majority			1,976	39.0	N/A
Turnout			5,068	57.4	−18.5
Registered electors			8,825
	Liberal Unionist gain from Liberal		Swing	+26.5

Elections in the 1890s

General election 1892: Truro ^[23][24]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Liberal Unionist	John Williams	4,029	61.5	−8.0
	Liberal	John Henry Lile	2,518	38.5	+8.0
Majority			1,511	23.0	−16.0
Turnout			6,547	76.5	+19.1
Registered electors			8,556
	Liberal Unionist hold		Swing	-8.0

General election 1895: Truro ^[23][25]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Liberal Unionist	Edwin Lawrence	3,282	52.1	−9.4
	Liberal	Henry Turner Waddy	3,012	47.9	+9.4
Majority			270	4.2	−18.8
Turnout			6,294	69.5	−7.0
Registered electors			9,057
	Liberal Unionist hold		Swing	-9.4

Elections in the 1900s

General election 1900: Truro ^[23][25]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Liberal Unionist	Edwin Durning-Lawrence	3,869	55.9	+3.8
	Liberal	Charles W. Thornton	3,051	44.1	−3.8
Majority			818	11.8	+7.6
Turnout			6,920	74.5	+5.0
Registered electors			9,290
	Liberal Unionist hold		Swing	+3.8

Hay Morgan

General election 1906: Truro ^[23]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Liberal	George Hay Morgan	4,187	53.2	+9.1
	Liberal Unionist	Edwin Durning-Lawrence	3,683	46.8	−9.1
Majority			504	6.4	N/A
Turnout			7,870	83.7	+9.2
Registered electors			9,403
	Liberal gain from Liberal Unionist		Swing	+9.1

Elections in the 1910s

General election January 1910: Truro ^[23]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Liberal	George Hay Morgan	4,874	53.4	+0.2
	Liberal Unionist	Edwin Durning-Lawrence	4,261	46.6	−0.2
Majority			613	6.8	+0.4
Turnout			9,135	89.9	+6.2
	Liberal hold		Swing	+0.2

General election December 1910: Truro ^[23][26]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Liberal	George Hay Morgan	4,573	52.3	−1.1
	Conservative	Charles Williams	4,176	47.7	+1.1
Majority			397	4.6	−2.2
Turnout			8,749	86.1	−3.8
	Liberal hold		Swing	-1.1

General Election 1914/15:

Another General Election was required to take place before the end of 1915. The political parties had been making preparations for an election to take place and by July 1914, the following candidates had been selected;

• Liberal: Walter Burt^[27]
• Unionist:

Elections in the 1950s

General election 1950: Truro ^[28]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	Geoffrey Wilson	18,910	41.8
	Labour	Henry Brinton	15,617	34.5
	Liberal	Gerald Edward Leaman Whitmarsh	10,746	23.7
Majority			3,293	7.3
Turnout			45,273	83.3
	Conservative win (new seat)

General election 1951: Truro ^[28]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	Geoffrey Wilson	24,883	55.7	+13.9
	Labour	John N. Newby	19,752	44.2	+9.7
Majority			5,131	11.5	+4.2
Turnout			44,635	81.2	−2.1
	Conservative hold		Swing	+2.1

General election 1955: Truro ^[28]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	Geoffrey Wilson	19,900	46.1	−9.6
	Labour	John N. Newby	15,183	35.2	−9.0
	Liberal	Nancy Seear	8,056	18.7	New
Majority			4,717	10.9	−0.6
Turnout			43,139	78.7	−2.5
	Conservative hold		Swing	-0.3

General election 1959: Truro ^[29]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	Geoffrey Wilson	19,544	44.2	−1.9
	Labour	Ronald James Rae Blindell	15,057	34.0	−1.2
	Liberal	Nancy Seear	9,637	21.8	+3.1
Majority			4,487	10.2	−0.7
Turnout			44,238	80.2	+1.5
	Conservative hold		Swing	-0.4

Elections in the 1960s

General election 1964: Truro ^[29]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	Geoffrey Wilson	18,328	40.6	−3.6
	Labour	Douglas W. J. Grazier	14,224	31.5	−2.5
	Liberal	William Rowse Hosking	12,575	27.9	+8.1
Majority			4,104	9.1	−1.1
Turnout			45,127	79.2	−1.0
	Conservative hold		Swing	-0.5

General election 1966: Truro ^[28]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	Geoffrey Wilson	18,701	40.4	−0.2
	Labour	Reginald Cyril J. Scott	17,093	37.0	+5.5
	Liberal	William Rowse Hosking	10,450	22.6	−5.3
Majority			1,608	3.4	−5.7
Turnout			46,244	79.2	0.0
	Conservative hold		Swing	-2.8

Elections in the 1970s

General election 1970: Truro ^[28]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	Piers Dixon	24,894	49.3	+8.9
	Labour	Raymond Charles Cuss	16,684	33.0	−4.0
	Liberal	Michael Steed	8,923	17.7	−4.9
Majority			8,210	16.3	+12.9
Turnout			50,501	76.0	−3.2
	Conservative hold		Swing	+6.4

General election February 1974: Truro ^[30]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	Piers Dixon	23,493	40.3	−9.0
	Liberal	David Penhaligon	20,932	35.9	+18.2
	Labour	M. W. White	12,945	22.2	−10.8
	Mebyon Kernow	James Whetter	850	1.5	New
Majority			2,561	4.4	−11.9
Turnout			58,220	81.5	+5.5
	Conservative hold		Swing	-13.6

General election October 1974: Truro ^[30]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Liberal	David Penhaligon	22,549	39.8	+3.9
	Conservative	Piers Dixon	22,085	39.0	−1.3
	Labour	A. F. Long	11,606	20.5	−1.7
	Mebyon Kernow	James Whetter	384	0.7	−0.8
Majority			464	0.8	New
Turnout			56,624	78.6	−2.9
	Liberal gain from Conservative		Swing	+2.6

General election 1979: Truro ^[30]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Liberal	David Penhaligon	33,571	52.8	+13.0
	Conservative	R. A. Brown	24,863	39.1	+0.1
	Labour	Bruce Malcolm Tidy	4,689	7.4	−13.1
	Cornish Nationalist	James Whetter	227	0.4	−0.3
	National Front	N. F. Hedger	182	0.3	New
Majority			8,708	13.7	+12.9
Turnout			63,532	82.9	+4.3
	Liberal hold		Swing	+6.4

Elections in the 1980s

General election 1983: Truro^[31]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Liberal	David Penhaligon	31,279	57.3	+4.5
	Conservative	Philip Darren Buddell	20,799	38.1	−1.0
	Labour	Janet Mary Beecroft	2,479	4.6	−2.8
Majority			10,480	19.2	+5.5
Turnout			54,447	79.6	−3.3
	Liberal hold		Swing	+2.8

By-election 1987: Truro

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Liberal	Matthew Owen John Taylor	30,599	60.4	+3.1
	Conservative	Nick St. Aubyn	15,982	31.5	−6.6
	Labour	John King	3,603	7.1	+2.5
	Green	Howard Hoptrough	403	0.8	New
	Death off Road: Freight on Rail	Helen Anscomb	75	0.1	New
Majority			14,617	28.9	+9.7
Turnout			50,662	70.2	−9.4
	Liberal hold		Swing	+4.8

General election 1987: Truro^[32]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Liberal	Matthew Owen John Taylor	28,368	49.0	−8.3
	Conservative	Nick St Aubyn	23,615	40.8	+2.7
	Labour	John King	5,882	10.2	+5.6
Majority			4,753	8.2	−11.0
Turnout			57,865	79.9	+0.3
	Liberal hold		Swing	-5.5

Elections in the 1990s

General election 1992: Truro^[33][34]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Liberal Democrats	Matthew Taylor	31,230	50.5	+1.5
	Conservative	Nick St Aubyn	23,660	38.3	−2.5
	Labour	James H. Geach	6,078	9.8	−0.4
	Green	Liam Keating	569	0.9	New
	Liberal	Christopher Tankard	208	0.3	New
	Natural Law	Margot Hartley	108	0.2	New
Majority			7,570	12.2	+4.0
Turnout			61,853	82.3	+2.4
	Liberal Democrats hold		Swing	+2.0

See also

• List of parliamentary constituencies in Cornwall

References

1. "HAMELY (HAMYLYN), Sir John (aft.1324–1399), of Wimborne St. Giles, Dorset". History of Parliament Online. Retrieved 30 May 2013.
2. "History of Parliament". History of Parliament Trust. Retrieved 2 November 2011.
3. Willis 1750, p. 25.
4. Willis 1750, p. 47.
5. Willis 1750, p. 71.
6. Gough sat for Cambridge University (^{[citation needed]}).
7. "John Trefuses" according to Cobbett: Browne Willis has "Samuel Trefusis (Willis 1750, p. 177)"
8. Leigh Rayment's Historical List of MPs – Constituencies beginning with "T" (part 2)
9. Brydges was also elected for Hereford, which he chose to represent, and never sat for Truro (^{[citation needed]}).
10. Stooks Smith, Henry. (1973) [1844-1850]. Craig, F. W. S. (ed.). The Parliaments of England (2nd ed.). Chichester: Parliamentary Research Services. pp. 48–50. ISBN 0-900178-13-2.
11. Lieutenant-Colonel from 1748, Colonel 1758, Major General 1761 (^{[citation needed]}).
12. Styled Earl of Wiltshire from December 1794 (^{[citation needed]}).
13. "Truro". Globe. 27 July 1837. p. 2. Retrieved 15 July 2018 – via British Newspaper Archive.
14. Mosse, Richard Bartholomew (1838). The Parliamentary Guide: a concise history of the Members of both Houses, etc. p. 232. Retrieved 15 July 2018.
15. "Aberdeen Press and Journal". 17 January 1849. p. 3. Retrieved 15 July 2018 – via British Newspaper Archive.
16. "Election Intelligence". Berkshire Chronicle. 13 January 1849. p. 2. Retrieved 15 July 2018 – via British Newspaper Archive.
17. "Royal Cornwall Gazette". 9 July 1852. p. 5. Retrieved 15 July 2018 – via British Newspaper Archive.
18. "Election Movements in Devonshire". Exeter and Plymouth Gazette. 14 March 1857. p. 8. Retrieved 15 July 2018 – via British Newspaper Archive.
19. Jenkins, Terry. "Truro". The History of Parliament. Retrieved 28 April 2020.
20. Craig, F. W. S., ed. (1977). British Parliamentary Election Results 1832-1885 (e-book) (1st ed.). London: Macmillan Press. pp. 312–313. ISBN 978-1-349-02349-3.
21. "Election for the Borough of Truro". West Briton and Cornwall Advertiser. 5 February 1874. p. 1. Retrieved 21 January 2018 – via British Newspaper Archive.
22. "Truro Election". The Cornishman. No. 90. 1 April 1880. p. 5.
23. Craig, F. W. S., ed. (1974). British Parliamentary Election Results: 1885-1918. London: Macmillan Press. p. 243. ISBN 9781349022984.
24. Whitaker's Almanack, 1894
25. Debrett's House of Commons & Judicial Bench, 1901
26. Debrett's House of Commons & Judicial Bench, 1916
27. Cornishman, 9 Apr 1914
28. British parliamentary election results, 1950-1973, by F. W. S. Craig.
29. F. W. S. Craig, British Parliamentary Election Results 1950-1973; Political Reference Publications, Glasgow 1973.
30. British parliamentary election results, 1974-1983, by F. W. S. Craig.
31. "Election Data 1983". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 28 June 2017.
32. "Election Data 1987". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 28 June 2017.
33. "Election Data 1992". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 28 June 2017.
34. "Politics Resources". Election 1992. Politics Resources. 9 April 1992. Retrieved 6 December 2010.

Sources

• 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. pp. 25, 47, 71, 177.

Further reading

• 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)
• 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)
• Lewis Namier & John Brooke, The History of Parliament: The House of Commons 1754–1790 (London: HMSO, 1964)
• J. E. Neale, The Elizabethan House of Commons (London: Jonathan Cape, 1949)
• Henry Stooks Smith, The Parliaments of England from 1715 to 1847 (2nd edition, edited by FWS Craig – Chichester: Parliamentary Reference Publications, 1973)
• Frederic A. Youngs jr, Guide to the Local Administrative Units of England, Vol II (London: Royal Historical Society, 1991)
• The History of Parliament Trust, Truro, Borough from 1386 to 1868