# East Sussex (UK Parliament constituency)

East Sussex (formally the Eastern division of Sussex) was a parliamentary constituency in the county of Sussex, which returned two Members of Parliament to the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom, elected by the bloc vote system.
It was created under the Great Reform Act for the 1832 general election, when the existing Sussex constituency was divided into two. It consisted of the rapes of Lewes, Pevensey and Hastings, an area broadly similar to but not identical with the modern county of East Sussex. The "place of election", where nominations were taken and the result declared, was Lewes.
East Sussex was abolished for the 1885 general election, being divided between four new single-member county constituencies, Rye, Eastbourne, East Grinstead and Lewes. (Lewes and Rye also absorbed the voters from the abolished boroughs of the same names.)

## Boundaries

1832–1885: The Rapes of Lewes, Hastings and Pevensey.

## Members of Parliament

| Year | 1st Member | 1st Member | 1st Party | 2nd Member | 2nd Member | 2nd Party |
| 1832 | | Hon. Charles Cavendish | Whig | | Herbert Barrett Curteis | Whig |
| 1837 | | Hon. Charles Cavendish | Whig | | George Darby | Conservative |
| 1841 | | Augustus Fuller | Conservative | | George Darby | Conservative |
| 1846 by-election | | Augustus Fuller | Conservative | | Charles Frewen | Conservative |
| March 1857 by-election | | Augustus Fuller | Conservative | | Viscount Pevensey | Conservative |
| April 1857 | | John George Dodson | Whig | | Viscount Pevensey | Conservative |
| 1859 | | John George Dodson | Liberal | | Viscount Pevensey | Conservative |
| 1865 | | John George Dodson | Liberal | | Lord Edward Cavendish | Liberal |
| 1868 | | John George Dodson | Liberal | | George Gregory | Conservative |
| 1874 | | Montagu Scott | Conservative | | George Gregory | Conservative |
| 1885 | constituency abolished | constituency abolished | constituency abolished | constituency abolished | constituency abolished | constituency abolished |

## Election results
### Elections in the 1830s

General election 1832: East Sussex :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Whig | Charles Cavendish | 2,388 | 47.8 |
| | Whig | Herbert Barrett Curteis | 1,941 | 38.8 |
| | Tory | George Darby | 668 | 13.4 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 1,273 | 25.4 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 2,753 | 80.1 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 3,437 | |
| | Whig win (new seat) | Whig win (new seat) | Whig win (new seat) | Whig win (new seat) |
| | Whig win (new seat) | Whig win (new seat) | Whig win (new seat) | Whig win (new seat) |
General election 1835: East Sussex :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Whig | Charles Cavendish | Unopposed | Unopposed |
| | Whig | Herbert Barrett Curteis | Unopposed | Unopposed |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 3,811 | |
| | Whig hold | Whig hold | Whig hold | Whig hold |
| | Whig hold | Whig hold | Whig hold | Whig hold |
General election 1837: East Sussex :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Conservative | George Darby | 2,256 | 30.4 |
| | Whig | Charles Cavendish | 1,793 | 24.2 |
| | Conservative | Augustus Fuller | 1,749 | 23.6 |
| | Whig | Herbert Barrett Curteis | 1,619 | 21.8 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 3,869 | 80.6 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 4,799 | |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 637 | 8.6 |
| | Conservative gain from Whig | Conservative gain from Whig | Conservative gain from Whig | Conservative gain from Whig |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 44 | 0.6 |
| | Whig hold | Whig hold | Whig hold | Whig hold |

### Elections in the 1840s

General election 1841: East Sussex :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | George Darby | 2,398 | 41.6 | +11.2 |
| | Conservative | Augustus Fuller | 2,367 | 41.1 | +17.5 |
| | Whig | John Shelley | 995 | 17.3 | −28.7 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 1,372 | 23.8 | N/A |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | c. 3,378 | c. 63.1 | c. −17.5 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 5,298 | | |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | +12.8 | |
| | Conservative gain from Whig | Conservative gain from Whig | Swing | +15.9 | |
Darby resigned after being appointed a Commissioner of Inclosures, causing a by-election.
By-election, 3 February 1846: East Sussex :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Charles Frewen | Unopposed | Unopposed | Unopposed |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Conservative hold |
General election 1847: East Sussex :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Charles Frewen | Unopposed | Unopposed | Unopposed |
| | Conservative | Augustus Fuller | Unopposed | Unopposed | Unopposed |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 5,723 | | |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Conservative hold |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Conservative hold |

### Elections in the 1850s

General election 1852: East Sussex :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Augustus Fuller | 2,155 | 37.4 | N/A |
| | Conservative | Charles Frewen | 1,974 | 34.2 | N/A |
| | Whig | John Dodson | 1,637 | 28.4 | New |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 337 | 5.8 | N/A |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 3,702 (est) | 69.9 (est) | N/A |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 5,298 | | |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | N/A | |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | N/A | |
Frewen resigned by accepting the office of Steward of the Chiltern Hundreds, causing a by-election.
By-election, 7 March 1857: East Sussex :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Henry Holroyd | 2,302 | 50.7 | −20.9 |
| | Whig | John Dodson | 2,234 | 49.3 | +20.9 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 68 | 1.4 | −4.4 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 4,536 | 74.2 | +4.3 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 6,114 | | |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | −20.9 | |
General election 1857: East Sussex :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Whig | John Dodson | 2,524 | 26.6 | +12.4 |
| | Conservative | Henry Holroyd | 2,447 | 25.8 | −8.4 |
| | Whig | William Henry Frederick Cavendish | 2,286 | 24.1 | +9.9 |
| | Conservative | Augustus Fuller | 2,216 | 23.4 | −14.0 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 4,737 (est) | 77.5 (est) | +7.6 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 6,114 | | |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 308 | 3.2 | N/A |
| | Whig gain from Conservative | Whig gain from Conservative | Swing | +11.8 | |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 161 | 1.7 | −4.1 |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | −9.8 | |
General election 1859: East Sussex :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal | John Dodson | Unopposed | Unopposed | Unopposed |
| | Conservative | Henry Holroyd | Unopposed | Unopposed | Unopposed |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 6,401 | | |
| | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Liberal hold |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Conservative hold |

### Elections in the 1860s

General election 1865: East Sussex :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal | John Dodson | 2,821 | 27.5 | N/A |
| | Liberal | Edward Cavendish | 2,647 | 25.8 | N/A |
| | Conservative | Walter Burrell | 2,463 | 24.0 | N/A |
| | Conservative | Reginald Abbot, 3rd Baron Colchester | 2,316 | 22.6 | N/A |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 184 | 1.8 | N/A |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 5,124 (est) | 76.8 (est) | N/A |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 6,670 | | |
| | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Swing | N/A | |
| | Liberal gain from Conservative | Liberal gain from Conservative | Swing | N/A | |
General election 1868: East Sussex :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal | John Dodson | 3,611 | 25.4 | −2.1 |
| | Conservative | George Gregory | 3,581 | 25.2 | +1.2 |
| | Conservative | Montagu Scott | 3,560 | 25.0 | +2.4 |
| | Liberal | Edward Cavendish | 3,470 | 24.4 | −1.4 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 7,111 (est) | 75.8 (est) | −1.0 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 9,380 | | |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 30 | 0.2 | −1.6 |
| | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Swing | −2.0 | |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 111 | 0.8 | N/A |
| | Conservative gain from Liberal | Conservative gain from Liberal | Swing | +1.5 | |

### Elections in the 1870s

General election 1874: East Sussex :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | George Gregory | Unopposed | Unopposed | Unopposed |
| | Conservative | Montagu Scott | Unopposed | Unopposed | Unopposed |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 10,141 | | |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Conservative hold |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Conservative hold |

### Elections in the 1880s

General election 1880: East Sussex :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | George Gregory | 4,526 | 30.6 | N/A |
| | Conservative | Montagu Scott | 4,396 | 29.8 | N/A |
| | Liberal | Alexander Donovan | 2,982 | 20.2 | New |
| | Liberal | John Pearson | 2,863 | 19.4 | New |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 1,414 | 9.6 | N/A |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 7,384 (est) | 72.3 (est) | N/A |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 10,214 | | |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Conservative hold |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Conservative hold |