# Stalybridge (UK Parliament constituency)

Stalybridge officially sometimes written in early years as Staleybridge was a constituency represented in the House of Commons of the UK Parliament from 1868 until 1918 by one MP. It comprised the borough of Stalybridge which lay in Lancashire and Cheshire and which is in the east of today's Greater Manchester. On abolition for the 1918 general election under the Representation of the People Act 1918 the seat's main replacement became Stalybridge and Hyde.

## Creation, boundaries and abolition

Parliament created this seat under the Reform Act 1867, the part of the second Reform Act that covered England and Wales, which defined its components as the:
* Municipal Borough of Stalybridge
* The remaining portion of the township of Dukinfield
* Township of Stalley
* The District of the Local Board of Health of Mossley
It was marginally expanded in line with a local government change under the Redistribution of Seats Act 1885, to be:
The seat was abolished by the Representation of the People Act 1918, with the majority of its electorate being included in the new constituency of Stalybridge and Hyde. A small area which was now part of the municipal borough of Mossley in Lancashire was added to the new constituency of Mossley.

## Members of Parliament

* 1868 Constituency created
Previously part of North Cheshire and South Lancashire
| Election | Election | Member | Party |
| | 1868 | James Sidebottom | Conservative |
| | 1871 by-election | Nathaniel Buckley | Liberal |
| | 1874 | Tom Harrop Sidebottom | Conservative |
| | 1880 | William Summers | Liberal |
| | 1885 | Tom Harrop Sidebottom | Conservative |
| | 1900 | Matthew White Ridley | Conservative |
| | 1905 by-election | John Frederick Cheetham | Liberal |
| | Jan. 1910 | John Wood | Conservative |
| 1918 Constituency abolished: see Stalybridge and Hyde ||||

## Elections
### Elections in the 1860s

General election 1868: Stalybridge :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | James Sidebottom | 2,405 | 53.6 | |
| | Liberal | Nathaniel Buckley | 2,078 | 46.4 | |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 327 | 7.2 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 4,483 | 84.0 | |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 5,338 | | |
| | Conservative win (new seat) | Conservative win (new seat) | Conservative win (new seat) | Conservative win (new seat) | Conservative win (new seat) |

### Elections in the 1870s

Sidebottom's death caused a by-election.
By-election, 1 Mar 1871: Stalybridge :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal | Nathaniel Buckley | 2,198 | 51.9 | +5.5 |
| | Conservative | Francis Powell | 2,033 | 48.1 | −5.5 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 165 | 3.8 | N/A |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 4,231 | 86.0 | +2.0 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 4,918 | | |
| | Liberal gain from Conservative | Liberal gain from Conservative | Swing | +5.5 | |
General election 1874: Stalybridge :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Thomas Harrop Sidebottom | 2,378 | 51.7 | −1.9 |
| | Liberal | Nathaniel Buckley | 2,220 | 48.3 | +1.9 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 158 | 3.4 | −3.8 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 4,598 | 89.6 | +5.6 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 5,129 | | |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | −1.9 | |

### Elections in the 1880s

General election 1880: Stalybridge :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal | William Summers | 2,706 | 51.6 | +3.3 |
| | Conservative | Thomas Harrop Sidebottom | 2,542 | 48.4 | −3.3 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 164 | 3.2 | N/A |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 5,248 | 93.6 | +4.0 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 5,606 | | |
| | Liberal gain from Conservative | Liberal gain from Conservative | Swing | +3.3 | |
General election 1885: Stalybridge :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Thomas Harrop Sidebottom | 3,169 | 51.8 | +3.4 |
| | Liberal | William Summers | 2,950 | 48.2 | −3.4 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 219 | 3.6 | N/A |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 6,119 | 95.3 | +1.7 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 6,424 | | |
| | Conservative gain from Liberal | Conservative gain from Liberal | Swing | +3.4 | |
General election 1886: Stalybridge :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Thomas Harrop Sidebottom | 3,220 | 55.0 | +3.2 |
| | Liberal | John Webb Probyn | 2,638 | 45.0 | −3.2 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 582 | 10.0 | +6.4 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 5,858 | 91.2 | −4.1 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 6,424 | | |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | +3.2 | |

### Elections in the 1890s

General election 1892: Stalybridge :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Thomas Harrop Sidebottom | 3,280 | 52.7 | −2.3 |
| | Liberal | Joshua Macer Wright | 2,943 | 47.3 | +2.3 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 337 | 5.4 | −4.6 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 6,223 | 92.8 | +1.6 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 6,703 | | |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | -2.3 | |
General election 1895: Stalybridge :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Thomas Harrop Sidebottom | 3,389 | 55.1 | +2.4 |
| | Liberal | Joshua Macer Wright | 2,757 | 44.9 | −2.4 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 632 | 10.2 | +4.8 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 6,146 | 88.1 | −4.7 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 6,980 | | |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | +2.4 | |

### Elections in the 1900s

General election 1900: Stalybridge :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Matthew White Ridley | 3,321 | 50.6 | −4.5 |
| | Liberal | John Frederick Cheetham | 3,241 | 49.4 | +4.5 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 80 | 1.2 | −9.0 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 6,562 | 88.0 | −0.1 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 7,461 | | |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | -4.5 | |
1905 Stalybridge by-election :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal | John Frederick Cheetham | 4,029 | 56.7 | +7.3 |
| | Conservative | James Travis-Clegg | 3,078 | 43.3 | −7.3 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 951 | 13.4 | N/A |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 7,107 | 93.5 | +5.5 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 7,601 | | |
| | Liberal gain from Conservative | Liberal gain from Conservative | Swing | +7.3 | |
General election 1906: Stalybridge :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal | John Frederick Cheetham | 3,836 | 53.1 | +3.7 |
| | Conservative | James Travis-Clegg | 3,382 | 46.9 | −3.7 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 454 | 6.2 | N/A |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 7,218 | 93.8 | +5.8 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 7,691 | | |
| | Liberal gain from Conservative | Liberal gain from Conservative | Swing | +3.7 | |

### Elections in the 1910s

General election January 1910: Stalybridge :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | John Wood | 3,736 | 50.4 | +3.5 |
| | Liberal | Allan Heywood Bright | 3,679 | 49.6 | −3.5 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 57 | 0.8 | N/A |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 7,415 | 94.3 | +0.5 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 7,860 | | |
| | Conservative gain from Liberal | Conservative gain from Liberal | Swing | +3.5 | |
General election December 1910: Stalybridge :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | John Wood | 3,807 | 52.7 | +2.3 |
| | Liberal | Allan Heywood Bright | 3,414 | 47.3 | −2.3 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 393 | 5.4 | +4.6 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 7,221 | 91.9 | −2.4 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 7,860 | | |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | +2.3 | |
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: John Wood
* Liberal: Walter Kenyon