Chippenham (UK Parliament constituency)

Chippenham is a constituency^{[n 1]} represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom since 2024 by Sarah Gibson, a Liberal Democrat.^{[n 2]} The 2024 constituency includes the Wiltshire towns of Calne, Chippenham, Corsham and Royal Wootton Bassett.

Chippenham
[[{{{type}}} constituency]] for the House of Commons
Interactive map of boundaries from 2024
Boundary of Chippenham in South West England
County	Wiltshire
Population	96,336 (2011 census)[1]
Electorate	71,648 (2023)[2]
Major settlements	Chippenham, Calne, Royal Wootton Bassett, Corsham
Current constituency
Created	2010
Member of Parliament	Sarah Gibson (Liberal Democrats)
Seats	One
Created from	Westbury, North Wiltshire
1295–1983
Seats	One (two, 1295–1868)
Replaced by	North Wiltshire

In May 2023, the incumbent Chippenham MP, Michelle Donelan, announced she would be standing for the new Melksham and Devizes constituency.^[3] In July 2023, the local Conservative Association announced that their candidate for the new Chippenham constituency would be a local unitary councillor, Nic Puntis.^[4]

History

A parliamentary borough of Chippenham was enfranchised in 1295. It sent two burgesses to Parliament until 1868 and one thereafter until the borough constituency was abolished in 1885. There was a county division constituency named after the town of Chippenham from 1885 to 1983, when the name of that constituency was changed to North Wiltshire.

Following the 2003–2005 review into parliamentary representation in Wiltshire, the Boundary Commission created a new county constituency, reviving the name of Chippenham, effective from the 2010 general election. It was formed from parts of the previously existing Devizes, North Wiltshire and Westbury constituencies. Further boundary changes came into effect at the 2024 general election.

Boundaries

Historical boundaries

Chippenham is the largest town in rural North Wiltshire and in the new constituency.

1295–1832: The parliamentary borough of Chippenham in the unreformed Parliament consisted of only part of the parish of Chippenham in Wiltshire. However, as Chippenham was a burgage borough, in which the right to vote was confined to the resident occupiers of specific properties, the boundary had no practical function. The borough had a population of 1,620 in 1831, for 283 houses.

1832–1885: The Boundary Act which accompanied the Great Reform Act extended the boundaries of the parliamentary borough, to include the whole of Chippenham parish, the adjoining parishes of Hardenhuish and Langley Burrell, as well as the extra-parochial district of Pewsham. This more than trebled the borough's population, to 5,270 by the 1831 figures, for 883 houses.

1885–1918: During this period, Wiltshire was split into five county divisions and one borough, of which The North-Western (or Chippenham) Division of Wiltshire was one; it was often colloquially referred to simply as either Chippenham or as North-West Wiltshire. It was bordered by the Cricklade division to the east, Westbury to the south and Devizes to the southeast. Over the county boundary were the Thornbury division of Gloucestershire to the west, the Cirencester division of Gloucestershire to the north and the Frome division of Somerset to the southwest.

The Chippenham division included the towns of Calne and Malmesbury as well as Chippenham, both of which had also been parliamentary boroughs in their own right before 1885. By the outbreak of World War I, the population of the constituency was about 45,000.

1918–1950: In 1918 Wiltshire was split into five divisions, but there was no borough constituency in the county. The Wiltshire, Chippenham division was expanded, taking in the towns of Cricklade and Wootton Bassett, also former parliamentary boroughs, as well as the surrounding rural areas: in full, it was composed of the then Municipal Boroughs of Calne, Chippenham, and Malmesbury, and the Rural Districts of Calne, Chippenham, Malmesbury, Cricklade and Wootton Bassett (part), and Tetbury (excluding the part in the administrative county of Gloucestershire).

1950–1983: In the redistribution which took effect at the 1950 general election, Wiltshire was divided into one borough and four county constituencies. Chippenham County Constituency consisted of the same Municipal Boroughs as in 1918 and the Rural Districts of Calne and Chippenham, Cricklade and Wootton Bassett, and Malmesbury.

1983–2010: Constituency replaced by North Wiltshire.

Map of boundaries 2010–2024

2010–2024: The North Wiltshire wards of Cepen Park, Chippenham Allington, Chippenham Audley, Chippenham Avon, Chippenham Hill Rise, Chippenham London Road, Chippenham Monkton Park, Chippenham Park, Chippenham Pewsham, Chippenham Redland, Chippenham Westcroft/Queens, Corsham, Lacock with Neston and Gastard, and Pickwick, and the West Wiltshire wards of Atworth and Whitley, Bradford-on-Avon North, Bradford-on-Avon South, Holt, Manor Vale (i.e. Limpley Stoke, Monkton Farleigh, South Wraxall, Westwood and Winsley),^[5] Melksham North, Melksham Spa, Melksham Without, Melksham Woodrow, Paxcroft.

The constituency was re-established as a result of increasing the number of seats in Wiltshire from six to seven. Chippenham and Corsham were transferred from North Wiltshire; Melksham from Devizes; and Bradford-on-Avon from Westbury.

Current boundaries

Further to the 2023 Periodic Review of Westminster constituencies which came into effect for the 2024 general election, the constituency is composed of the following Wiltshire electoral divisions (as they existed on 4 May 2021):

Calne Central, Calne Chilvester & Abberd, Calne North, Calne Rural, Chippenham Cepen Park & Derriads, Chippenham Cepen Park & Hunters Moon, Chippenham Hardenhuish, Chippenham Hardens & Central, Chippenham Lowden & Rowden, Chippenham Monkton, Chippenham Pewsham, Chippenham Sheldon, Corsham Ladbrook, Corsham Pickwick, Corsham Without, Lyneham, Royal Wootton Bassett East, Royal Wootton Bassett North, and Royal Wootton Bassett South & West.^[6]

The constituency was realigned to retain Chippenham and Corsham, and gained most of Calne, Lyneham and Royal Wootton Bassett from the abolished North Wiltshire constituency. Bradford-on-Avon and Melksham became part of a new Melksham and Devizes constituency.^[7]

Members of Parliament

MPs 1295–1640

Parliament	First member	Second member
1386	Thomas Gay	Robert Chandler[8]
1388 (Feb)	Thomas Gay	John Suyput[8]
1388 (Sep)	Thomas Gay	Thomas Lote[8]
1390 (Jan)	Thomas Gay	Thomas Lote[8]
1390 (Nov)
1391
1393
1394	Nicholas Sambourn	Hugh de la Lynde[8]
1413 (May)	John Worth[8]
1510–1523	No names known[9]
1529	William Button	Thomas Wilkes[9]
1536
1539
1542
1545	Robert Warner	John Bonham[9]
1547	John Astley	Francis Goldsmith[9]
1553 (Mar)	?
1553 (Oct)	Robert Wrastley	Henry Goldney alias Fernell[9]
1554 (Apr)	William Smith	Thomas Smith[9]
1554 (Nov)	Cyriak Petyt	John Proctor[9]
1555	Nicholas Snell	John Pollard[9]
1558	Sir John Sulyard	William Neville[9]
1559	Edward Baynard	Nicholas Snell[10]
1562	Francis Newdigate	Nicholas Snell[10]
1571	John Scott	Robert Viser[10]
1572	William Bayly	John Scott[10]
1584	Robert Baynard	Robert Hyde[10]
1586	Lawrence Hyde	Robert Hyde[10]
1589	Henry Baynton	William Swayne[10]
1593	Edward Maria Wingfield	Francis Harvey[10]
1597	Thomas Edmondes, went abroad and was replaced 1597 by Edward Wymarke	Sharington Talbot[10]
1601	Robert Berkeley	Edward Wymarke[10]
1604	John Hungerford	General John Roberts
1614	William Maynard	Thomas Colepeper
1621–1622	Sir Edward Hungerford	John Bayly
1624	Sir John Maynard	Sir Francis Popham
1625	Sir John Maynard	Sir Francis Popham
1626	Sir Edward Bayntun	Sir Francis Popham
1628	Sir Francis Popham	Sir John Eyres
1629–1640	No Parliaments summoned

MPs 1640–1868

Year		First member[11]	First party		Second member[11]	Second party
April 1640		Sir Edward Hungerford[12]	Parliamentarian		Sir Edward Bayntun
November 1640					Sir Edward Bayntun	Parliamentarian
1648		William Eyre
1653	Chippenham was unrepresented in the Barebones Parliament and the First and Second Parliaments of the Protectorate
January 1659		Sir Edward Hungerford			James Stedman
May 1659	Chippenham was unrepresented in the restored Rump
April 1660		Edward Hungerford			Edward Poole
April 1661					Henry Bayntun
July 1661		Sir Hugh Speke
August 1661		Sir Edward Hungerford
1673					Francis Gwyn
February 1679					Sir John Talbot
August 1679					Samuel Ashe
1681					Sir George Speke
March 1685		Henry Bayntun			Sharington Talbot, killed in duel, 1685
August 1685					Richard Kent
1689					Nicholas Bayntun
February 1690		Richard Kent			Alexander Popham
December 1690		Sir Basil Firebrace[13]	Tory
1692		Thomas Tollemache
1694		Richard Long
1695		Walter White
1698					Edward Montagu
1701					Viscount Mordaunt
1702		James Montagu
May 1705		Walter White			Sir James Long
November 1705		Viscount Mordaunt
1708		James Montagu
1710		Joseph Ashe[14]
1711		Francis Popham
1713		Sir John Eyles[15]			John Norris
1715					Giles Earle
1722					Edward Rolt
1723					Thomas Boucher
1727		Rogers Holland			Gabriel Roberts
1734					Richard Long
1737		Sir Edward Bayntun-Rolt[16]
1741					Sir Edmond Thomas
1754					Sir Samuel Fludyer[17]
1768					Sir Thomas Fludyer
1769					Henry Dawkins
1774					Samuel Marsh
1780		Henry Dawkins			Giles Hudson
1783					George Fludyer
1784		James Dawkins	Tory[18]
1802					Charles Brooke[19]	Whig[18]
1803					John Maitland	Tory[18]
1806		Charles Brooke	Whig[18]
1807		James Dawkins	Tory[18]
1812		Charles Brooke	Whig[18]		Robert Peel	Tory[18]
1817					John Maitland	Tory[18]
1818		William Miles	Tory[18]		Marquess of Blandford	Tory[18]
1820		William Madocks	Whig		John Rock Grossett	Whig[18]
1826		Ebenezer Maitland	Tory[18]		Frederick Gye	Tory[18]
1830		Joseph Neeld	Tory[18]		Philip Pusey	Tory[18]
1831					Henry George Boldero	Tory[18]
1832					Henry Fox Talbot	Whig[18]
1834			Conservative[18]
1835					Henry George Boldero	Conservative[18]
1856		Robert Parry Nisbet	Conservative
1859		Richard Penruddocke Long	Conservative		William John Lysley	Liberal
1865		Sir John Neeld	Conservative		Gabriel Goldney	Conservative
1868	Representation reduced to one member

MPs 1868–1983

Election		Member[11][20]	Party
	1868	Gabriel Goldney	Conservative
	1885	Borough constituency abolished – county division created
	1885	Banister Fletcher	Liberal
	1886	Lord Henry Bruce	Conservative
	1892	Sir John Dickson-Poynder	Conservative
	1905[21]		Liberal
	1910	George Terrell	Conservative
	1922	Alfred Bonwick	Liberal
	1924	Victor Cazalet	Conservative
	1943 by-election	Sir David Eccles	Conservative
	1962 by-election	Daniel Awdry	Conservative
	1979	Richard Needham	Conservative
	1983	Constituency abolished

MPs since 2010

The Chippenham name was revived in 2010 for the new constituency that includes Bradford on Avon, Chippenham, Corsham and Melksham.

Election		Member[11]	Party
	2010	Duncan Hames	Liberal Democrat
	2015	Michelle Donelan	Conservative
	2024	Sarah Gibson	Liberal Democrat

Elections

Elections in the 2020s

General election 2024: Chippenham^[22]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Liberal Democrats	Sarah Gibson	22,552	45.5	+15.2
	Conservative	Nic Puntis	14,414	29.1	−27.3
	Reform UK	Benjamin Ginsburg	6,127	12.4	N/A
	Labour	Ravi Venkatesh	3,925	7.9	−3.8
	Green	Declan Baseley	1,954	3.9	+2.2
	Independent	Ed Deedigan	540	1.1	N/A
Majority			8,138	16.4	N/A
Turnout			49,557	68.4	−2.1
Registered electors			72,492
	Liberal Democrats gain from Conservative		Swing	+21.3

Elections in the 2010s

2019 notional result[23]
Party		Vote	%
	Conservative	28,485	56.4
	Liberal Democrats	15,285	30.3
	Labour	5,896	11.7
	Green	853	1.7
Turnout		50,519	70.5
Electorate		71,648

General election 2019: Chippenham^[24]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	Michelle Donelan	30,994	54.3	−0.4
	Liberal Democrats	Helen Belcher	19,706	34.5	+8.9
	Labour	Martha Anachury	6,399	11.2	−8.5
Majority			11,288	19.8	−9.3
Turnout			57,099	73.9	−0.9
	Conservative hold		Swing	-4.6

General election 2017: Chippenham^[25]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	Michelle Donelan	31,267	54.7	+7.1
	Liberal Democrats	Helen Belcher	14,637	25.6	−3.8
	Labour	Andy Newman	11,236	19.7	+11.5
Majority			16,630	29.1	+10.9
Turnout			57,140	74.8	+0.1
	Conservative hold		Swing	+5.5

General election 2015: Chippenham^[26][27]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	Michelle Donelan[28]	26,354	47.6	+6.6
	Liberal Democrats	Duncan Hames[28]	16,278	29.4	−16.4
	UKIP	Julia Reid[29]	5,884	10.6	+7.2
	Labour	Andy Newman[30]	4,561	8.2	+1.3
	Green	Tina Johnston[31]	2,330	4.2	+3.3
Majority			10,076	18.2	N/A
Turnout			55,407	74.7	+2.0
	Conservative gain from Liberal Democrats		Swing	+11.5

General election 2010: Chippenham^[32][33]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Liberal Democrats	Duncan Hames	23,970	45.8	+3.3
	Conservative	Wilfred Emmanuel-Jones	21,500	41.0	+3.3
	Labour	Greg Lovell	3,620	6.9	−9.9
	UKIP	Julia Reid	1,783	3.4	+0.3
	BNP	Michael Simpkins	641	1.2	New
	Green	Samantha Fletcher	446	0.9	New
	English Democrat	John Maguire	307	0.6	New
	Christian	Richard Sexton	118	0.2	New
Majority			2,470	4.8
Turnout			52,385	72.7
	Liberal Democrats win (new seat)

Elections in the 1970s

General election 1979: Chippenham

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	Richard Needham	29,308	49.19	+6.62
	Liberal	Ronald EJ Banks	24,611	41.30	+2.00
	Labour	Catherine LB Inchley	5,146	8.64	−9.03
	Ecology	Bert Pettit	521	0.87	New
Majority			4,697	7.89	+4.62
Turnout			59,586	79.96	+1.36
	Conservative hold		Swing

General election October 1974: Chippenham

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	Daniel Awdry	22,721	42.57
	Liberal	Ronald EJ Banks	20,972	39.30
	Labour Co-op	John Whiles	9,396	17.61
	United Democrat	EJ John	278	0.52	New
Majority			1,749	3.27
Turnout			53,089	78.65
	Conservative hold		Swing

General election February 1974: Chippenham

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	Daniel Awdry	24,645	44.33
	Liberal	Ronald EJ Banks	21,553	38.77
	Labour	John Whiles	9,395	16.90
Majority			3,092	5.56
Turnout			55,593	82.64
	Conservative hold		Swing

General election 1970: Chippenham^[34]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	Daniel Awdry	24,371	49.73
	Liberal	Margaret Wingfield	13,833	28.22
	Labour	John Eddie	10,807	22.05
Majority			10,538	21.51
Turnout			49,010	77.42
	Conservative hold		Swing

Elections in the 1960s

General election 1966: Chippenham^[35]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	Daniel Awdry	18,275	39.63	−0.82
	Liberal	Christopher Walter Layton	17,581	38.13	+1.13
	Labour	Giles Radice	10,257	22.24	−0.31
Majority			694	1.50	−1.95
Turnout			46,113	84.28	+3.13
	Conservative hold		Swing	−0.98

General election 1964: Chippenham

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	Daniel Awdry	18,089	40.45	+3.64
	Liberal	Christopher Walter Layton	16,546	37.00	+4.54
	Labour	Giles Radice	10,086	22.55	−6.58
Majority			1,543	3.45	−0.90
Turnout			44,721	81.15
	Conservative hold		Swing	−0.45

1962 Chippenham by-election

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	Daniel Awdry	13,439	36.81	−15.26
	Liberal	Christopher Walter Layton	11,851	32.46	+15.52
	Labour	Robert W Portus	10,633	29.13	−1.86
	Independent	K Jerrome	260	0.71	New
	Independent	J Naylor	237	0.65	New
	Independent	M Smith	88	0.24	New
Majority			1,588	4.35	−16.73
Turnout			36,508
	Conservative hold		Swing	−15.39

Elections in the 1950s

General election 1959: Chippenham

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	David Eccles	21,696	52.07
	Labour	Robert W Portus	12,911	30.99
	Liberal	John Hall	7,059	16.94
Majority			8,785	21.08
Turnout			41,666	80.25
	Conservative hold		Swing

General election 1955: Chippenham

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	David Eccles	20,847	51.73
	Labour	William J Smith	14,152	35.12
	Liberal	Arthur Rossi Braybrooke	5,298	13.15	New
Majority			6,695	16.61
Turnout			40,297	80.15
	Conservative hold		Swing

General election 1951: Chippenham

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	David Eccles	22,601	56.05
	Labour	Dengar R Evans	17,723	43.95
Majority			4,878	12.10
Turnout			40,324	81.43
	Conservative hold		Swing

General election 1950: Chippenham

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	David Eccles	17,845	44.33
	Labour	Geoffrey Drain	13,748	34.15
	Liberal	Wilfred Greville Collins	8,661	21.52
Majority			4,097	10.18
Turnout			40,254	83.00
	Conservative hold		Swing

Elections in the 1940s

General election 1945: Chippenham

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	David Eccles	15,889	42.6	−10.7
	Labour	Andrew Tomlinson	11,866	31.8	+19.6
	Liberal	Donald Johnson	9,547	25.6	−8.9
Majority			4,023	10.8	−8.0
Turnout			37,302	69.8	−7.7
	Conservative hold		Swing	N/A

1943 Chippenham by-election

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	David Eccles	8,310	50.6	−2.7
	Independent Liberal	Donald Johnson	8,115	49.4	New
Majority			195	1.2	−17.6
Turnout			16,425	41.4	−36.1
	Conservative hold		Swing

Elections in the 1930s

General election 1935: Chippenham

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	Victor Cazalet	15,370	53.3	−3.5
	Liberal	Arthur Stanton	9,949	34.5	−1.5
	Labour	William Robert Robins	3,527	12.2	+5.0
Majority			5,421	18.8	−2.0
Turnout			28,846	77.5	−6.2
	Conservative hold		Swing	+0.5

General election 1931: Chippenham

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	Victor Cazalet	17,232	56.8	+10.2
	Liberal	Seymour Howard	10,928	36.0	−4.6
	Labour	William Robert Robins	2,194	7.2	−5.6
Majority			6,304	20.8	+14.8
Turnout			30,354	83.7
	Conservative hold		Swing	+7.4

Elections in the 1920s

General election 1929: Chippenham^[36]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Unionist	Victor Cazalet	13,550	46.6	−8.0
	Liberal	Felix Brunner	11,819	40.6	+4.8
	Labour	William Robert Robins	3,717	12.8	New
Majority			1,731	6.0	−3.2
Turnout			29,086
	Unionist hold		Swing	−6.2

General election 1924: Chippenham^[36]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Unionist	Victor Cazalet	13,227	54.6	+6.3
	Liberal	Alfred Bonwick	11,015	45.4	−6.3
Majority			2,212	9.2	N/A
Turnout			24,242	83.2	+1.6
	Unionist gain from Liberal		Swing	+6.3

General election 1923: Chippenham^[36]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Liberal	Alfred Bonwick	11,953	51.7	+3.1
	Unionist	Victor Cazalet	11,156	48.3	+2.0
Majority			797	3.4	+1.1
Turnout			23,109	81.6	+3.6
	Liberal hold		Swing	+0.6

General election 1922: Chippenham^[36]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Liberal	Alfred Bonwick	10,494	48.6	+19.4
	Unionist	George Terrell	10,006	46.3	−6.8
	Labour	William Robert Roberts	1,098	5.1	−12.6
Majority			488	2.3	N/A
Turnout			21,598	78.0	+16.7
	Liberal gain from Unionist		Swing	+13.1

Elections in the 1910s

General election 1918: Chippenham

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
C	Unionist	George Terrell	8,786	53.1	+3.0
	Liberal	Albert Bennett	4,839	29.2	−20.7
	Labour	Reuben George	2,939	17.7	New
Majority			3,947	23.9	+23.7
Turnout			16,564	61.3	−28.7
	Unionist hold		Swing	+11.9
C indicates candidate endorsed by the coalition government.

A general election was expected to take place in 1914/15. The following were to be candidates;

• George Terrell (Unionist)
• Harold Gorst (Liberal)

General election December 1910: Chippenham^[37]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	George Terrell	4,141	50.1	−1.6
	Liberal	Bryan Freeman	4,117	49.9	+1.6
Majority			24	0.2	−3.2
Turnout			8,258	90.0	−2.9
Registered electors			9,175
	Conservative hold		Swing	−1.6

A petition was lodged in relation to the December 1910 election, but this was later withdrawn after a recount, resulting in the above numbers. The original count had placed the Conservatives with 4,139 votes and the Liberals with 4,113 votes.

General election January 1910: Chippenham^[37]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	George Terrell	4,408	51.7	+14.1
	Liberal	Cecil Beck	4,120	48.3	−14.1
Majority			288	3.4	N/A
Turnout			8,528	92.9	+3.4
Registered electors			9,175
	Conservative gain from Liberal		Swing	+14.1

Elections in the 1900s

General election 1906: Chippenham^[37]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Liberal	John Dickson-Poynder	4,937	62.4	+16.5
	Conservative	J. R. Randolph	2,971	37.6	−16.5
Majority			1,966	24.8	N/A
Turnout			7,908	89.5	+5.0
Registered electors			8,838
	Liberal gain from Conservative		Swing	+16.5

General election 1900: Chippenham^[37]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	John Dickson-Poynder	3,863	54.1	+0.6
	Liberal	J. Thornton	3,278	45.9	−0.6
Majority			585	8.2	+1.2
Turnout			7,141	84.5	−3.4
Registered electors			8,446
	Conservative hold		Swing	+0.6

Elections in the 1890s

General election 1895: Chippenham^[37]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	John Dickson-Poynder	3,898	53.5	+1.9
	Liberal	J. Thornton	3,390	46.5	−1.9
Majority			508	7.0	+3.8
Turnout			7,288	87.9	+9.4
Registered electors			8,291
	Conservative hold		Swing	+1.9

General election 1892: Chippenham^[37]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	John Dickson-Poynder	3,684	51.6	−2.4
	Liberal	John Fuller	3,455	48.4	+2.4
Majority			229	3.2	−4.8
Turnout			7,139	78.5	+1.9
Registered electors			9,089
	Conservative hold		Swing	−2.4

Elections in the 1880s

General election 1886: Chippenham^[37]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	Henry Brudenell-Bruce	3,657	54.0	+6.1
	Liberal	Banister Fletcher	3,120	46.0	−6.1
Majority			537	8.0	N/A
Turnout			6,777	76.6	−7.6
Registered electors			8,853
	Conservative gain from Liberal		Swing	+6.1

General election 1885: Chippenham^[37]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Liberal	Banister Fletcher	3,880	52.1	+3.3
	Conservative	Arthur Somerset	3,574	47.9	−3.3
Majority			306	4.2	N/A
Turnout			7,454	84.2	−6.3
Registered electors			8,853
	Liberal gain from Conservative		Swing	+3.3

General election 1880: Chippenham^[38]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	Gabriel Goldney	478	51.2	−12.3
	Liberal	Samuel Butler[39]	455	48.8	+12.3
Majority			23	2.4	−24.6
Turnout			933	90.5	+5.3
Registered electors			1,031
	Conservative hold		Swing	−12.3

Elections in the 1870s

General election 1874: Chippenham^[38]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	Gabriel Goldney	530	63.5	+9.7
	Liberal	Handel Cossham[40]	304	36.5	−9.7
Majority			226	27.0	+19.4
Turnout			834	85.2	+5.3
Registered electors			979
	Conservative hold		Swing	+9.7

Elections in the 1860s

General election 1868: Chippenham^[38]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	Gabriel Goldney	418	53.8	−16.6
	Liberal	George Young	359	46.2	+16.6
Majority			59	7.6	+2.6
Turnout			777	79.9	−16.1
Registered electors			972
	Conservative hold		Swing	−16.6

Seat reduced to one member

General election 1865: Chippenham^[38]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	John Neeld	208	35.8	N/A
	Conservative	Gabriel Goldney	201	34.6	N/A
	Liberal	William John Lysley	172	29.6	N/A
Majority			29	5.0	N/A
Turnout			377 (est)	96.0 (est)	N/A
Registered electors			392
	Conservative hold		Swing	N/A
	Conservative gain from Liberal		Swing	N/A

Elections in the 1850s

General election 1859: Chippenham^[38]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	Richard Penruddocke Long	Unopposed
	Liberal	William John Lysley	Unopposed
Registered electors			387
	Conservative hold
	Liberal gain from Conservative

General election 1857: Chippenham^[38]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	Henry George Boldero	174	38.2	N/A
	Conservative	Robert Parry Nisbet	150	32.9	N/A
	Whig	William John Lysley	132	28.9	New
Majority			18	4.0	N/A
Turnout			294 (est)	88.0 (est)	N/A
Registered electors			334
	Conservative hold		Swing	N/A
	Conservative hold		Swing	N/A

By-election, 9 April 1856: Chippenham^[38]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	Robert Parry Nisbet	Unopposed
	Conservative hold

• Caused by Neeld's death.

General election 1852: Chippenham^[38]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	Henry George Boldero	Unopposed
	Conservative	Joseph Neeld	Unopposed
Registered electors			300
	Conservative hold
	Conservative hold

Elections in the 1840s

General election 1847: Chippenham^[38]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	Henry George Boldero	Unopposed
	Conservative	Joseph Neeld	Unopposed
Registered electors			303
	Conservative hold
	Conservative hold

By-election, 14 September 1841: Chippenham^[38]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	Henry George Boldero	Unopposed
	Conservative hold

• Caused by Boldero's appointment as Clerk of the Ordnance

General election 1841: Chippenham^[18][38]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	Joseph Neeld	165	42.4	N/A
	Conservative	Henry George Boldero	128	32.9	N/A
	Whig	William John Lysley	96	24.7	New
Majority			32	8.2	N/A
Turnout			228	85.4	N/A
Registered electors			267
	Conservative hold		Swing	N/A
	Conservative hold		Swing	N/A

Elections in the 1830s

General election 1837: Chippenham^[18][38]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	Joseph Neeld	Unopposed
	Conservative	Henry George Boldero	Unopposed
Registered electors			239
	Conservative hold
	Conservative hold

General election 1835: Chippenham^[18][38]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	Joseph Neeld	Unopposed
	Conservative	Henry George Boldero	Unopposed
Registered electors			217
	Conservative hold
	Conservative gain from Whig

General election 1832: Chippenham^[18][38]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Tory	Joseph Neeld	139	44.7	−35.3
	Whig	Henry Fox Talbot	132	42.4	+32.4
	Whig	John Thomas Mayne	40	12.9	+2.9
Majority			7	2.3	−8.5
Turnout			183	88.0	c. +8.2
Registered electors			208
	Tory hold		Swing	−35.3
	Whig gain from Tory		Swing	+25.0

General election 1831: Chippenham^[18][41]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Tory	Joseph Neeld	96	49.2	−0.8
	Tory	Henry George Boldero	60	30.8	−7.4
	Whig	Henry Fox Talbot	39	20.0	New
Majority			21	10.8	−15.6
Turnout			103	c. 79.8	c. +20.1
Registered electors			c. 129
	Tory hold		Swing	N/A
	Tory hold		Swing	N/A

General election 1830: Chippenham^[18][41]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Tory	Joseph Neeld	76	50.0
	Tory	Philip Pusey	58	38.2
	No label	John George Henry Pownall	18	11.8
Majority			40	26.4
Turnout			77	c. 59.7
Registered electors			c. 129
	Tory hold		Swing
	Tory hold		Swing

See also

• List of parliamentary constituencies in Wiltshire

Notes

1. A borough constituency (for the purposes of election expenses and type of returning officer)
2. As with all constituencies, the constituency elects one Member of Parliament (MP) by the first past the post system of election at least every five years.