# Lewisham (UK Parliament constituency)

Lewisham was a borough constituency in the Lewisham district of London. It returned one Member of Parliament (MP) to the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom, elected by the first past the post system.

## History

The constituency was created by the Redistribution of Seats Act 1885 for the 1885 general election, and abolished for the 1918 general election. It was replaced by the new Lewisham East and Lewisham West constituencies.
During its existence Lewisham was a safe Conservative seat. In Lewisham, between 1885 and 1906, the electorate more than doubled and over this period the population of poorer people in the constituency grew. Over the six general elections of 1885, 1886, 1892, 1906 and January and December 1910 the average Conservative share of the vote in Lewisham was 63.0%.

## Boundaries

1885–1918: The parishes of Lewisham and Lee.

## Members of Parliament

| Election | Election | Member | Party |
| | 1885 | William Legge | Conservative |
| | 1891 | John Penn | Conservative |
| | 1903 | Sir Edward Coates | Conservative |
| 1918 | 1918 | constituency abolished: see Lewisham East and Lewisham West | constituency abolished: see Lewisham East and Lewisham West |

## Election results
### Elections in the 1880s

1885 general election: Lewisham :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | William Legge | 4,244 | 58.4 | |
| | Liberal | Benjamin Whitworth | 3,019 | 41.6 | |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 1,225 | 16.8 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 7,263 | 78.3 | |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 9,280 | | |
| | Conservative win (new seat) | Conservative win (new seat) | Conservative win (new seat) | Conservative win (new seat) | Conservative win (new seat) |
1886 general election: Lewisham :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | William Legge | 3,839 | 69.5 | +11.1 |
| | Liberal | George Offor | 1,688 | 30.5 | −11.1 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 2,151 | 39.0 | +22.2 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 5,527 | 59.6 | −18.7 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 9,280 | | |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | +11.1 | |
Legge was appointed Vice-Chamberlain of the Household, requiring a by-election.
By-election, 11 Aug 1886: Lewisham :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | William Legge | Unopposed | Unopposed | Unopposed |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Conservative hold |

### Elections in the 1890s

1891 Lewisham by-election :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | John Penn | 4,585 | 61.3 | −8.2 |
| | Liberal | George Septimus Warmington | 2,892 | 38.7 | +8.2 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 1,693 | 22.6 | −16.4 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 7,477 | 64.2 | +4.6 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 11,650 | | |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | −8.2 | |
* Caused by Legge's succession to the peerage, becoming Earl of Dartmouth.
1892 general election: Lewisham :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | John Penn | 5,309 | 64.7 | −4.8 |
| | Liberal | George Alfred Harvey | 2,895 | 35.3 | +4.8 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 2,414 | 29.4 | −9.6 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 8,204 | 69.3 | +9.7 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 11,834 | | |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | −4.8 | |
1895 general election: Lewisham :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | John Penn | Unopposed | Unopposed | Unopposed |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Conservative hold |

### Elections in the 1900s

1900 general election: Lewisham :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | John Penn | Unopposed | Unopposed | Unopposed |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Conservative hold |
1903 Lewisham by-election :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Edward Coates | 7,709 | 57.5 | N/A |
| | Liberal | James William Cleland | 5,697 | 42.5 | New |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 2,012 | 15.0 | N/A |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 13,406 | 71.7 | N/A |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 18,708 | | |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Conservative hold |
1906 general election: Lewisham :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Edward Coates | 9,689 | 54.8 | N/A |
| | Liberal | Frederick Wilkins Aveling | 8,006 | 45.2 | N/A |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 1,683 | 9.6 | N/A |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 17,695 | 79.6 | N/A |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 22,243 | | |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | N/A | |

### Elections in the 1910s

January 1910 general election: Lewisham :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Edward Coates | 12,690 | 58.6 | +3.8 |
| | Liberal | Felix Rosenheim | 8,960 | 41.4 | −3.8 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 3,730 | 17.2 | +7.6 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 25,021 | 86.5 | +6.9 |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | +3.8 | |
December 1910 general election: Lewisham :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Edward Coates | 11,179 | 62.2 | +3.6 |
| | Liberal | Edward Loughlin O'Malley | 6,792 | 37.8 | −3.6 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 4,387 | 24.4 | +7.2 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 25,021 | 71.8 | −14.7 |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | +3.6 | |