Totnes (UK Parliament constituency)

Totnes
Totnes
	County constituency
	for the House of Commons
	; Boundary of Totnes in Devon.
	; Location of Devon within England.
County	Devon
Electorate	67,562 (December 2010)
Major settlements	Totnes, Dartmouth, Kingsbridge, Salcombe and Brixham
Current constituency
Created	1997
Member of Parliament	Sarah Wollaston (Conservative)
Number of members	One
Created from	South Hams constituency
1885–1983
Number of members	One
Type of constituency	County constituency
Replaced by	South Hams constituency
1295–1868
Number of members	Two
Type of constituency	Borough constituency
Replaced by	Devon Southern
Overlaps
European Parliament constituency	South West England

Totnes is a constituency^{n 1} represented in the House of Commons of the UK Parliament since 2010 by Sarah Wollaston, a Conservative.^{n 2}

History

The current constituency was formed for the 1997 general election, from parts of the former South Hams constituency. This had largely replaced the previous Totnes constituency, which had existed in a wide form since 1885, but in a much narrower form from the Model Parliament.

An original parliamentary borough of Totnes or Totness² had been created in 1295. It returned two MPs to the House of Commons of England until 1707, then to the House of Commons of Great Britain until 1800, and finally to the House of Commons of the United Kingdom from 1801 until it was abolished under the Representation of the People Act 1867 with effect from the 1868 election.

Political History

The modern constituency has been served by two Conservatives since its 1997 recreation, which suggests a safe seat. However during this period, while not marginal, the majority won has not been absolute and the next largest party has consistently been the Liberal Democrats.

Boundaries

The Totnes constituency covers the eastern part of the South Hams district of Devon, including the towns of Totnes, Dartmouth, Kingsbridge and Salcombe, as well as parts of the unitary authority of Torbay, including the town of Brixham.

Following a review of parliamentary representation in Devon by the Boundary Commission for England, there were minor alterations to the boundaries of this constituency taking effect at the 2010 general election. The constituency has electoral wards:³

Allington and Loddiswell, Avon and Harbourne, Dartington, Dartmouth and Kingswear, Dartmouth Townstal, East Dart, Eastmoor, Kingsbridge East, Kingsbridge North, Marldon, Salcombe and Malborough, Saltstone, Skerries, South Brent, Stokenham, Thurlestone, Totnes Bridgetown, Totnes Town, West Dart, Westville and Alvington in the District of South Hams:

Berry Head-with-Furzeham, Blatchcombe, Churston-with-Galmpton, St Mary's-with-Summercombe in the Borough of Torbay

Constituency Profile

The seat covering the undulating Totnes area in south Devon. Workless claimants, registered jobseekers, were in November 2012 significantly lower than the national average of 3.8%, at 2.4% of the population based on a statistical compilation by The Guardian.⁴

Members of Parliament

MPs 1295–1660

Constituency created 1295

This list is incomplete; you can help by expanding it.

Parliament	First member	Second member
1362	Richard Whitelegh ⁵
1366	John Prescott ⁶
1372	John Prescott ⁶
1373	John Prescott ⁶
1386	Robert French	John Pasford ⁷
1388 (Feb)	John Row	Walter Browning ⁷
1388 (Sep)	John Statham	Walter Browning ⁷
1390 (Jan)	John Poltimore	Walter Hotot ⁷
1390 (Nov)
1391	John Grey	Thomas Norris ⁷
1393	John Suell	Robert Barneburgh ⁷
1394	Richard Whitelegh	John Pasford ⁷
1395	Ellis Beare	John Marshall ⁷
1397 (Jan)	John Gunne	Ellis Beare ⁷
1397 (Sep)
1399	Simon Marsh	John Rose ⁷
1401
1402	Henry Spencer	John Hulle ⁷
1404 (Jan)
1404 (Oct)
1406	Robert Wastell	John Warwick ⁷
1407	Alfred Wonston	Sir John Pomeroy ⁷
1410	Henry Austin	Robert Wastell ⁷
1411	John Bosom	Henry Bremeler ⁷
1413 (Feb)
1413 (May)	John Sebright	Henry Austin ⁷
1414 (Apr)
1414 (Nov)	William Ryder	Henry Berkeley ⁷
1415
1416 (Mar)
1416 (Oct)
1417
1419
1420	John Ash	Walter Serle ⁷
1421 (May)	Henry Berkeley	Thomas Kirkby ⁷
1421 (Dec)	Henry Chesewell	William Cosyn⁷
1491	Lewis Pollard⁸
1510-1523	No names known ⁹
1529	John Giles	Adam Ralegh ⁹
1536	?
1539	?
1542	?
1545	Roger Prideaux	John Gale ⁹
1547	Roger Prideaux	Edmund Sture ⁹
1553 (Mar)	John Wotton	Christopher Savery ⁹
1553 (Oct)	John Wotton	Christopher Savery ⁹
1554 (Apr)	John Evelegh	Henry Gildon ⁹
1554 (Nov)	Richard Savery	Christopher Savery⁹
1555	Peter Edgecombe	Leonard Yeo ⁹
1558	Bernard Smith	Leonard Yeo ⁹
1558/9	Leonard Yeo	Sir Nicholas Poyntz ¹⁰
1562/3	Sir Arthur Champernowne	Richard Edgecombe I ¹⁰
1571	Richard Hurleston	John Stanhope ¹⁰
1572	Robert Monson, made judge and repl. 1576 by Robert Beale	Edward Buggin ¹⁰
1584	Christopher Savery	Nicholas Ball ¹⁰
1586	John Giles	Nicholas Hayman ¹⁰
1588	Richard Edgecombe	Simon Kelway ¹⁰
1593	Richard Sparry	Christopher Savery ¹⁰
1597	Edward Giles	Christopher Buggin ¹⁰
1601	Leonard Darr	Philip Holditch ¹⁰
1604	Christopher Brocking	Walter Dollings
1614	Nathaniel Rich	Lawrence Adams
1621–1622	Sir Edward Giles	Richard Rodd
1624	Arthur Champernoun	Sir Edward Giles
1625	Sir Edward Seymour, 2nd Baronet	Sir Edward Giles
1626	Arthur Champernoun	Philip Holditch
1628-1629	Sir Edward Giles	Thomas Prestwood
1629–1640	No Parliaments summoned
Apr 1640	Oliver St John	John Maynard
Nov 1640	Oliver St John	John Maynard
1645	Oliver St John	John Maynard
1648	Oliver St John	John Maynard
1553	Totnes not represented in Barebones Parliament
1654	Major-General Desborough	(one seat only)
1656	Christopher Maynard	(one seat only)
1659	Capt. John Pleydell	Gilbert Evelyn

MPs 1660–1868

Two members

Year	First member¹¹		First party		Second party
1660		Thomas Chafe		Thomas Clifford
1661		Sir Edward Seymour, 3rd Baronet	Tory	Thomas Clifford
1673				Sir Thomas Berry
Feb 1679				John Kelland
Aug 1679				Edward Seymour (later 4th Baronet)	Tory
1681		Charles Kelland		John Kelland
1685		Sir Edward Seymour, 3rd Baronet	Tory	John Kelland
1689		Rawlin Mallock		Sir John Fowell, Bt
1690		Henry Seymour Portman		Sir John Fowell, Bt
1692		Henry Seymour Portman		Thomas Coulson
1695		Sir Edward Seymour, 4th Baronet	Tory	Edward Yarde
1698		Sir Edward Seymour, 4th Baronet	Tory	Thomas Coulson
1699		Francis Gwyn
1701		Sir Christopher Musgrave, Bt
1702		William Seymour	Tory
1705		Sir Humphrey Mackworth	Tory
1708		Sir Edward Seymour, 5th Baronet	Tory	George Courtenay
1710		Thomas Coulson		Francis Gwyn
1713		Stephen Northleigh		Francis Gwyn
1715				Arthur Champernowne
1717				Sir John Germain, Bt
1718				Sir Charles Wills
1722		Joseph Banks
1727		Exton Sayer
1732		Sir Henry Gough, Bt
1734		Sir Joseph Danvers, Bt
1742		Sir Joseph Danvers, Bt		John Strange	Whig
1747		Charles Taylor
Apr 1754		Browse Trist
Dec 1754				Sir Richard Lloyd
1759				Richard Savage Lloyd
1763		Henry Seymour		Richard Savage Lloyd
1768		Sir Philip Jennings-Clerke, Bt		Peter Burrell
1774				James Amyatt
1780				Launcelot Brown
1784				The Hon. Henry Phipps	Tory
1788		Viscount Barnard	Whig	The Hon. Henry Phipps	Tory
1790		William Powlett Powlett		Sir Francis Buller Yarde, Bt
1796		The Lord Arden		Lord George Seymour
1801		The Lord Arden		William Adams
1802		John Berkeley Burland
1804		Vicary Gibbs
1806		Benjamin Hall
1811		Benjamin Hall		Thomas Courtenay
1812		Ayshford Wise
1818		William Holmes	Tory
1820		John Bent
1826		The Earl of Darlington
1830		Charles Barry Baldwin
1832		Jasper Parrott		James Cornish
1835		Jasper Parrott		Lord Seymour	Whig
1839		Charles Barry Baldwin
1852		Thomas Mills
1855		Thomas Mills		The Earl of Gifford
1862		John Pender	Liberal	The Earl of Gifford
1863		John Pender	Liberal	Alfred Seymour
1866	John Pender declared not duly elected and seat left vacant			Alfred Seymour
1868	Constituency disenfranchised by the Reform Act 1867

MPs 1885–1983

One member

	Member¹¹	Party
1885	Francis Bingham Mildmay	Liberal
1886		Liberal Unionist
1912		Conservative
1922	Samuel Emile Harvey	Conservative
1923	Henry Harvey Vivian	Liberal
1924	Samuel Emile Harvey	Conservative
1935	Ralph Herbert Rayner	Conservative
1955	Raymond Llewellyn Mawby	Conservative

MPs since 1997

Election		Member¹¹	Party
	1997	Anthony Steen	Conservative
	2010	Sarah Wollaston	Conservative

Elections

Elections in the 2010s

General Election 2010: Totnes¹²
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	Sarah Wollaston	21,940	45.9	+3.0
	Liberal Democrat	Julian Brazil	17,013	35.6	−1.5
	Labour	Carole Whitty	3,538	7.4	−4.7
	UKIP	Jeffrey Beer	2,890	6.0	−1.5
	Green	Lydia Somerville	1,181	2.5	+2.5
	BNP	Mike Turner	624	1.3	+1.3
	Independent	Simon Drew¹³	390	0.8	+0.8
	Independent	Stephen Hopwood	267	0.6	+0.6
Majority			4,927	10.3	+4.5
Turnout			47,843	70.4	+0.7
	Conservative hold		Swing	+2.3

Elections in the 2000s

General Election 2005: Totnes
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	Anthony Steen	21,112	41.7	-2.8
	Liberal Democrat	Mike Treleaven	19,165	37.9	+0.7
	Labour	Valerie Burns	6,185	12.2	0.0
	UKIP	Roger Knapman	3,914	7.7	+1.6
	Independent	Michael Thompson	199	0.4	+0.4
Majority			1,947	3.8
Turnout			50,575	67.7	-0.2
	Conservative hold		Swing	-1.7

General Election 2001: Totnes
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	Anthony Steen	21,914	44.5	+8.0
	Liberal Democrat	Rachel Oliver	18,317	37.2	+2.3
	Labour	Thomas Wildy	6,005	12.2	-4.2
	UKIP	Craig Mackinlay	3,010	6.1	+4.3
Majority			3,597	7.3
Turnout			49,246	67.9	-7.9
	Conservative hold		Swing

General Election 1997: Totnes
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	Anthony Steen	19,637	36.5
	Liberal Democrat	Rob Chave	18,760	34.9
	Labour	Victor Ellery	8,796	13.4
	Referendum Party	Pamela Cook	2,552	4.7
	Independent Conservative	Christopher Venmore	2,369	4.4
	UKIP	H.W. Thomas	999	0.9
	Green	Andy Pratt	548	1.0
	Independent	James Golding	108	0.2
Majority			877	1.6
Turnout			53,769	75.8
	Conservative hold		Swing	-1.7

Elections 1931-79

General Election 1979: Totnes
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	Raymond Llewellyn Mawby	35,010	52.16
	Liberal	A.H. Rodgers	24,445	36.42
	Labour	J. Duffin	7,668	11.42
Majority			10,565	15.74
Turnout				79.95
	Conservative hold		Swing

General Election October 1974: Totnes
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	Raymond Llewellyn Mawby	27,987	45.18
	Liberal	A.H. Rodgers	21,586	34.85
	Labour	S.M. Spence	12,366	19.96
Majority			6,401	10.33
Turnout				76.74
	Conservative hold		Swing

General Election February 1974: Totnes
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	Raymond Llewellyn Mawby	30,565	46.93
	Liberal	A.H. Rodgers	20,922	32.12
	Labour	H.M. Luscombe	13,249	20.34
	Independent	J. Lewis	394	0.60
Majority			9,643	14.81
Turnout				81.29
	Conservative hold		Swing

General Election 1970: Totnes
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	Raymond Llewellyn Mawby	31,519	54.85
	Labour	R. Blank	16,429	28.59
	Liberal	David Penhaligon	9,515	16.56
Majority			15,090	26.26
Turnout				76.67
	Conservative hold		Swing

General Election 1966: Totnes
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	Raymond Llewellyn Mawby	25,623	47.81
	Labour	B. Smethurst	16,900	31.54
	Liberal	P.A. Tyler	11,066	20.65
Majority			8,723	16.28
Turnout				79.43
	Conservative hold		Swing

General Election 1964: Totnes
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	Raymond Llewellyn Mawby	25,417	48.64
	Labour	R.C.J. Scott	14,542	27.83
	Liberal	E.B. Taylor	12,297	23.53
Majority			10,875	20.81
Turnout				78.83
	Conservative hold		Swing

General Election 1959: Totnes
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	Raymond Llewellyn Mawby	26,925	53.04
	Labour	T.J.B. Heelas	13,116	25.84
	Liberal	T.C. Jones	10,719	21.12
Majority			13,809	27.20
Turnout				80.48
	Conservative hold		Swing

General Election 1955: Totnes
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	Raymond Llewellyn Mawby	26,381	52.10
	Labour	D.J.P. Mann	14,787	29.20
	Liberal	A.C. Shobbrook	9,471	18.70
Majority			11,594	22.90
Turnout				80.75
	Conservative hold		Swing

General Election 1951: Totnes
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	Ralph Herbert Rayner	28,005	53.60
	Labour	C.A. O'Donnell	16,409	31.40
	Liberal	H.E. Desch	7,838	15.00
Majority			11,596	22.19
Turnout				82.85
	Conservative hold		Swing

General Election 1950: Totnes
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	Ralph Herbert Rayner	26,104	49.01
	Labour	D. Widdicombe	15,767	29.60
	Liberal	H. Desch	10,974	20.60
	Communist	E. Tapscott	423	0.79
Majority			10,337	19.41
Turnout				84.59
	Conservative hold		Swing

General Election 1945: Totnes
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	Ralph Herbert Rayner	24,638	51.04
	Labour	J.R. Warde	16,098	33.35
	Liberal	T.H. Aggett	7,536	15.61
Majority			8,540	17.69
Turnout				74.57
	Conservative hold		Swing

General Election 1935: Totnes
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	Ralph Herbert Rayner	24,815	53.59
	Liberal	Ernest Ronald Haylor	17,639	38.10
	Labour	W.R. Henwood	3,848	8.31
Majority			7,176	15.50
Turnout				79.24
	Conservative hold		Swing

General Election 1931: Totnes
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	Samuel Emile Harvey	26,765	56.99
	Liberal	Ernest Ronald Haylor	20,203	43.01
Majority			6,562	13.97
Turnout				83.41
	Conservative hold		Swing

Elections in the 1920s

General Election 1929 Electorate 54,471
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Unionist	Samuel Emile Harvey	21,673
	Liberal	Philip Foale Rowsell	17,790
	Labour	Kate Florence Spurrell	5,828
Majority
Turnout
	Unionist hold		Swing

General Election 1924 Electorate 42,757
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Unionist	Samuel Emile Harvey	19,771
	Liberal	Henry Harvey Vivian	14,786
	Labour	Kate Florence Spurrell	2,240
Majority
Turnout
	Unionist gain from Liberal		Swing

General Election 6 December 1923 Electorate 41,115
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Liberal	Henry Harvey Vivian	16,845
	Unionist	Samuel Emile Harvey	16,343
Majority			502
Turnout
	Liberal gain from Unionist		Swing

General Election 1922 Electorate 40,417
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Unionist	Samuel Emile Harvey	16,532
	Liberal	Thomas Henry J Underdown	15,032
Majority
Turnout
	Unionist hold		Swing

Elections in the 1910s

General Election 1918 Electorate 39,042
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Unionist	Francis Bingham Mildmay	14,680
	Liberal	John Arthur Robert Cairns	10,266
Majority
Turnout
	Unionist hold		Swing

Notes and references

Notes

^ A county constituency (for the purposes of election expenses and type of returning officer)
^ 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.

References

^ "Electorate Figures - Boundary Commission for England". 2011 Electorate Figures. Boundary Commission for England. 4 March 2011. Retrieved 13 March 2011.
^ The London Gazette: no. 19016. p. 170. 25 January 1833. Retrieved 16 July 2010.
^ "Final recommendations for Parliamentary constituencies in the counties of Devon, Plymouth and Torbay". Boundary Commission for England. 2004-11-24. Retrieved 2010-04-25. ^{dead link}
^ Unemployment claimants by constituency The Guardian
^ "WHITELEGH, Richard, of Osborn Newton in Churchstow, Devon.". History of Parliament Online. Retrieved 10 May 2013.
^ ^a ^b ^c "PRESCOTT, John (c.1327-1412), of Prescott, Rake and Exeter, Devon.". History of Parliament Online. Retrieved 11 May 2013.
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f ^g ^h ⁱ ^j ^k ^l ^m ⁿ ^o ^p ^q ^r ^s ^t "History of Parliament". History of Parliament Trust. Retrieved 2011-11-04.
^ Baker, J.H., Biography of Sir Lewis Pollard, published in History of Parliament: House of Commons 1439-1509, eds. Wedgwood, J.C., & Holt A.D.
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f ^g ^h ⁱ ^j "History of Parliament". History of Parliament Trust. Retrieved 2011-11-04.
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f ^g ^h ⁱ ^j "History of Parliament". History of Parliament Trust. Retrieved 2011-11-04.
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d Leigh Rayment's Historical List of MPs – Constituencies beginning with "T" (part 2)^{self-published source}^{better source needed}
^ BBC - Election 2010 - Totnes
^ "Artist joins political dogfight". Western Morning News. 2010-04-12. Retrieved 2010-04-25.

[2] A county constituency (for the purposes of election expenses and type of returning officer)

[3] 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.

[1] "Electorate Figures - Boundary Commission for England". 2011 Electorate Figures. Boundary Commission for England. 4 March 2011. Retrieved 13 March 2011.

[4] The London Gazette: no. 19016. p. 170. 25 January 1833. Retrieved 16 July 2010.

[BCEDevon-5] "Final recommendations for Parliamentary constituencies in the counties of Devon, Plymouth and Torbay". Boundary Commission for England. 2004-11-24. Retrieved 2010-04-25. ^{dead link}

[6] Unemployment claimants by constituency The Guardian

[7] "WHITELEGH, Richard, of Osborn Newton in Churchstow, Devon.". History of Parliament Online. Retrieved 10 May 2013.

[JP-8] "PRESCOTT, John (c.1327-1412), of Prescott, Rake and Exeter, Devon.". History of Parliament Online. Retrieved 11 May 2013.

[HoP1-9] ^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f ^g ^h ⁱ ^j ^k ^l ^m ⁿ ^o ^p ^q ^r ^s ^t "History of Parliament". History of Parliament Trust. Retrieved 2011-11-04.

[10] Baker, J.H., Biography of Sir Lewis Pollard, published in History of Parliament: House of Commons 1439-1509, eds. Wedgwood, J.C., & Holt A.D.

[HoP2-11] ^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f ^g ^h ⁱ ^j "History of Parliament". History of Parliament Trust. Retrieved 2011-11-04.

[HoP3-12] ^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f ^g ^h ⁱ ^j "History of Parliament". History of Parliament Trust. Retrieved 2011-11-04.

[rayment-13] Leigh Rayment's Historical List of MPs – Constituencies beginning with "T" (part 2)^{self-published source}^{better source needed}

[14] BBC - Election 2010 - Totnes

[15] "Artist joins political dogfight". Western Morning News. 2010-04-12. Retrieved 2010-04-25.

1

n 1

n 2

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

10

11

12

13

Totnes (UK Parliament constituency) Ultimate Study Guide