Plymouth, Devonport was, from 1832 until 2010, a borough constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. It covered part of the city of Plymouth in South West England, including the former borough of Devonport.
History
The constituency was created as Devonport in 1832, and elected two members until 1918, when the number was reduced to one. Following the amalgamation of Devonport into Plymouth, the constituency was renamed as Plymouth, Devonport.
Devonport has had a number of prominent MPs, including Leslie Hore-Belisha, Michael Foot (who began his Commons career in the seat), and the former SDP leader David Owen. One of its longest serving MPs was the National Liberal, later Conservative Dame Joan Vickers, who held the seat from 1955 until her defeat at the general election of February 1974.
Abolition
Following the Fifth Periodic Review of Westminster constituencies by the Boundary Commission for England, constituencies in Plymouth were reorganised, with both Plymouth Sutton and Plymouth Devonport being replaced by new constituencies of Plymouth Sutton and Devonport and Plymouth Moor View from 2010. The vast majority (nearly 90%) of the Plymouth Devonport constituency became part of the new Plymouth Moor View constituency; the exception was Devonport ward which became part of Plymouth Sutton and Devonport.
Boundaries
1918–1950: The County Borough of Plymouth wards of Ford, Keyham, Molesworth, Nelson, St Aubyn, and St Budeaux.
1950–1951: The County Borough of Plymouth wards of Ford, Keyham, Molesworth, Mount Edgecumbe, Nelson, Pennycross, St Aubyn, St Budeaux, St Peter, and Stoke; and the parish of Tamerton Foliot in the Rural District of Plympton St Mary.
1951–1955: The County Borough of Plymouth wards of Ernesettle, Ford, Molesworth, Nelson, Peverell, St Aubyn, St Budeaux, St Peter, Stoke, Tamerton, and Trelawney.
1955–1974: The County Borough of Plymouth wards of Drake, Ernesettle, Ford, Molesworth, Nelson, St Andrew, St Aubyn, St Budeaux, St Peter, and Stoke.
1974–1983: The County Borough of Plymouth wards of Ernesettle, Ford, St Andrew, St Aubyn, St Budeaux, St Peter, and Stoke.
1983–1997: The City of Plymouth wards of Budshead, Estover, Ham, Honicknowle, Keyham, St Budeaux, and Southway.
1997–2010: The City of Plymouth wards of Budshead, Eggbuckland, Estover, Ham, Honicknowle, Keyham, St Budeaux, and Southway.
From 1950 to 1983, the constituency included Plymouth city centre.
Members of Parliament
MPs 1832–1918
{| class="wikitable"
|-
!Election!!!!First member!!First party!!!!Second member
|rowspan="2" style="color:inherit;background-color: " |
|rowspan="2" |Sir George Grey ||rowspan="2" | Whig
|-
|1840 by-election
|rowspan="3" style="color:inherit;background-color: " |
|rowspan="3" |Henry Tufnell ||rowspan="3" | Whig
|-
|1857
|rowspan="1" style="color:inherit;background-color: " |
|rowspan="3" |James Wilson||rowspan="1" | Whig
|-
|1859
|style="color:inherit;background-color: " |
| Liberal
|rowspan="2" style="color:inherit;background-color: " |
|rowspan="2" | Liberal
|-
|1859 by-election
|rowspan="2" style="color:inherit;background-color: " |
|rowspan="2" |Sir Michael Seymour ||rowspan="2" | Liberal
|-
|1859 by-election
|rowspan="2" style="color:inherit;background-color: " |
|rowspan="2" |Sir Arthur William Buller ||rowspan="2" | Liberal
|-
|1863 by-election
|rowspan="3" style="color:inherit;background-color: " |
|rowspan="3" |William Ferrand <!-- elected in a by-election 12 February, --> ||rowspan="3" |Conservative
|-
|Jun 1865 by-election
|rowspan="1" style="color:inherit;background-color: " |
|rowspan="1" |Thomas Brassey ||rowspan="1" |Liberal
|-
|Jul 1865
| style="color:inherit;background-color: " |
|John Fleming || Conservative
|-
|1866 by-election
|style="color:inherit;background-color: " |
| Lord Eliot || Liberal
|rowspan="2" style="color:inherit;background-color: " |
|rowspan="2" | Montague Chambers ||rowspan="2" | Liberal
|-
|1868
|style="color:inherit;background-color: " |
| John Delaware Lewis || Liberal
|-
|1874
| style="color:inherit;background-color: " |
| Sir John Henry Puleston|| Conservative
|style="color:inherit;background-color: " |
| George Edward Price|| Conservative
|-
|1892
| style="color:inherit;background-color: " |
| E. J. C. Morton <!-- (died 3 October 1902), --> ||Liberal
|rowspan="3" style="color:inherit;background-color: " |
|rowspan="3" |Hudson Kearley ||rowspan="3" | Liberal
|-
|1902 by-election
| style="color:inherit;background-color: " |
| John Lockie <!-- elected in a by-election 22 October, -->|| Conservative
|-
|1904 by-election
| style="color:inherit;background-color: " |
|John Benn|| Liberal
|-|style="color:inherit;background-color: white" |
|-
|1910 (January)
| style="color:inherit;background-color: " |
|Sir John Jackson|| Conservative
|style="color:inherit;background-color: " |
|Sir Clement Kinloch-Cooke|| Conservative
|-
| 1918
|colspan="6"|reduced to one seat
|}
MPs 1918–2010
{|class="wikitable"
!colspan=2|Election!!Member
|votes = 750
|percentage = 43.5
Romilly was appointed Solicitor General for England and Wales, requiring a by-election.
Tufnell resigned, causing a by-election.
Wilson was appointed Vice-President of the Board of Trade, requiring a by-election.
Buller resigned in order to contest the 1865 Liskeard by-election.
The election was declared void on petition, on account of bribery and corrupt practices, causing a by-election.
Elections in the 1870s
Elections in the 1880s
Elections in the 1890s
thumb|120px|Kearley
thumb|120px|Morton
Elections in the 1900s
thumb|120px|John Benn
Elections in the 1910s
thumb|120px|Godfrey Baring
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: Clement Kinloch-Cooke, John Jackson
- Liberal: Samuel Lithgow
- Labour:
Elections in the 1920s
Elections in the 1930s
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: Leslie Hore-Belisha
- Labour: Michael Foot
Elections in the 1940s
Elections in the 1950s
Elections in the 1960s
Elections in the 1970s
Elections in the 1980s
See also
- List of parliamentary constituencies in Devon
Notes and references
Craig, F. W. S. (1983). British parliamentary election results 1918–1949 (3 ed.). Chichester: Parliamentary Research Services. .
External links
- Plymouth, Devonport UK Parliament constituency (boundaries April 1997 – April 2010) at MapIt UK