# South Essex (UK Parliament constituency)

South Essex (formally the Southern division of Essex) was a county constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom from 1832 to 1885. It elected two Members of Parliament (MPs) using the bloc vote system.

## History

The constituency was created by the Reform Act 1832, with effect from the general election in December 1832, when the former Essex constituency was divided into Northern and Southern divisions. From 1868, it was reduced in size when Essex was redivided into the Eastern, Southern and Western divisions. It was abolished under the Redistribution of Seats Act 1885 when the county was divided into eight single-member divisions.

## Boundaries
### 1832–1868

* The Hundreds of Barstable, Becontree, Chafford, Chelmsford, Dengie, Harlow, Ongar, Rochford, and Waltham; and
* The Liberty of Havering.
See map on Vision of Britain website.

### 1868–1885

* The Hundreds of Becontree, Chafford, Barstable, and Rochford; and
* The Liberty of Havering.
See map on Vision of Britain website.

## Areas covered

| Hundred/Liberty | 1832 | 1868 | After 1885 (post-abolition) |
| Becontree (West Ham, Plaistow etc.) | South Essex | South Essex | West Ham North and West Ham South |
| Becontree (Barking, Dagenham, East Ham, Wanstead etc.) | South Essex | South Essex | Romford |
| Becontree (Walthamstow, Low Leyton and Woodford) | South Essex | South Essex | Walthamstow |
| Chafford (Brentwood end) | South Essex | South Essex | Chelmsford |
| Chafford (Aveley, Grays and Thurrock end) | South Essex | South Essex | South East Essex |
| Barstable (Billericay and Shenfield etc.) | South Essex | South Essex | Chelmsford |
| Barstable (Orsett, Tilbury and Canvey Island) | South Essex | South Essex | South East Essex |
| Rochford | South Essex | South Essex | South East Essex |
| Liberty of Havering/Liberty of Havering-atte-Bower | South Essex | South Essex | Romford |
| Dengie (Maldon (burgage of town excluded) to Burnham and Tillingham) | South Essex | East Essex | South East Essex |
| Chelmsford | South Essex | West Essex | Chelmsford |
| Harlow | South Essex | West Essex | Epping |
| Ongar | South Essex | West Essex | Epping |
| Waltham (Nazeing to Chingford) | | West Essex | Epping |
The place for "holding of courts for election of members" from 1867 became Brentwood under the 1867 Act.

## Members of Parliament

| Election | 1st Member | 1st Member | 1st Party | 2nd Member | 2nd Member | 2nd Party |
| 1832 | | Robert Westley Hall-Dare | Tory | | Sir Thomas Barrett-Lennard, Bt | Whig |
| 1834 | | Robert Westley Hall-Dare | Conservative | | Sir Thomas Barrett-Lennard, Bt | Whig |
| 1835 | | Robert Westley Hall-Dare | Conservative | | Thomas William Bramston | Conservative |
| 1836 by-election | | George Palmer | Conservative | | Thomas William Bramston | Conservative |
| 1847 | | Sir Edward Buxton, Bt | Whig | | Thomas William Bramston | Conservative |
| 1852 | | Sir William Bowyer-Smijth, Bt | Conservative | | Thomas William Bramston | Conservative |
| 1857 | | Richard Wingfield-Baker | Whig | | Thomas William Bramston | Conservative |
| 1859 | | John Perry-Watlington | Conservative | | Thomas William Bramston | Conservative |
| 1865 | | Henry Selwin-Ibbetson | Conservative | | Lord Eustace Cecil | Conservative |
| 1868 | | Richard Wingfield-Baker | Liberal | | Andrew Johnston | Liberal |
| 1874 | | Thomas Charles Baring | Conservative | | William Makins | Conservative |
| 1885 | Constituency divided | Constituency divided | Constituency divided | Constituency divided | Constituency divided | Constituency divided |

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

General election 1832: South Essex :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Tory | Robert Westley Hall-Dare | 2,088 | 41.3 |
| | Whig | Thomas Barrett-Lennard | 1,538 | 30.4 |
| | Whig | William Pole-Tylney-Long-Wellesley | 1,432 | 28.3 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 3,592 | 80.0 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 4,488 | |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 550 | 10.9 |
| | Tory win (new seat) | Tory win (new seat) | Tory win (new seat) | Tory win (new seat) |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 106 | 2.1 |
| | Whig win (new seat) | Whig win (new seat) | Whig win (new seat) | Whig win (new seat) |
General election 1835: South Essex :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Robert Westley Hall-Dare | 2,212 | 41.4 | +20.8 |
| | Conservative | Thomas William Bramston | 2,118 | 39.7 | +19.1 |
| | Whig | Champion Edward Branfill | 1,010 | 18.9 | −39.8 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 1,108 | 20.8 | N/A |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 3,151 | 67.7 | −12.3 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 4,655 | | |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | +20.4 | |
| | Conservative gain from Whig | Conservative gain from Whig | Swing | +19.5 | |
Dare's death caused a by-election.
By-election, 9 June 1836: South Essex :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | George Palmer | 2,103 | 57.9 | −23.2 |
| | Whig | Champion Edward Branfill | 1,527 | 42.1 | +23.2 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 576 | 15.8 | −4.9 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 3,630 | 68.7 | +1.0 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 5,286 | | |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | −23.2 | |
General election 1837: South Essex :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Thomas William Bramston | 2,511 | 39.7 | ±0.0 |
| | Conservative | George Palmer | 2,260 | 35.8 | −5.6 |
| | Whig | Champion Edward Branfill | 1,550 | 24.5 | +5.6 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 710 | 11.3 | −9.5 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 3,933 | 70.9 | +3.2 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 5,547 | | |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | −1.4 | |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | −4.2 | |

### Elections in the 1840s

General election 1841: South Essex :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Thomas William Bramston | 2,310 | 45.1 | +5.4 |
| | Conservative | George Palmer | 2,230 | 43.5 | +7.7 |
| | Whig | Rowland Gardner Alston | 583 | 11.4 | −13.1 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 1,647 | 32.1 | +20.8 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | c. 2,853 | c. 50.7 | c. −20.2 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 5,632 | | |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | +6.0 | |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | +7.1 | |
General election 1847: South Essex :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Thomas William Bramston | 2,158 | 38.7 | −6.4 |
| | Whig | Edward Buxton | 1,729 | 31.0 | +19.6 |
| | Conservative | William Bowyer-Smijth | 1,694 | 30.4 | −13.1 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 2,791 (est) | 52.4 (est) | +1.7 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 5,326 | | |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 429 | 7.7 | −24.4 |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | −8.1 | |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 35 | 0.6 | N/A |
| | Whig gain from Conservative | Whig gain from Conservative | Swing | +19.6 | |

### Elections in the 1850s

General election 1852: South Essex :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Thomas William Bramston | 2,651 | 38.4 | −0.3 |
| | Conservative | William Bowyer-Smijth | 2,457 | 35.6 | +5.2 |
| | Whig | Edward Buxton | 1,803 | 26.1 | −4.9 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 654 | 9.5 | N/A |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 4,357 (est) | 74.9 (est) | +22.5 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 5,819 | | |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | +1.1 | |
| | Conservative gain from Whig | Conservative gain from Whig | Swing | +3.8 | |
General election 1857: South Essex :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Thomas William Bramston | 2,332 | 35.6 | −2.8 |
| | Whig | Richard Wingfield | 2,119 | 32.3 | +6.2 |
| | Conservative | William Bowyer-Smijth | 2,102 | 32.1 | −3.5 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 4,336 (est) | 70.3 (est) | −4.6 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 6,169 | | |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 213 | 3.3 | −6.2 |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | −3.0 | |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 17 | 0.2 | N/A |
| | Whig gain from Conservative | Whig gain from Conservative | Swing | +6.2 | |
General election 1859: South Essex :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Thomas William Bramston | 2,896 | 36.9 | +1.3 |
| | Conservative | John Perry-Watlington | 2,704 | 34.5 | +2.4 |
| | Liberal | Richard Wingfield-Baker | 2,245 | 28.6 | −3.7 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 459 | 5.9 | N/A |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 5,045 (est) | 75.6 (est) | +5.3 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 6,669 | | |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | +1.6 | |
| | Conservative gain from Liberal | Conservative gain from Liberal | Swing | +2.1 | |

### Elections in the 1860s

General election 1865: South Essex :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Henry Selwin | 2,817 | 35.6 | −1.3 |
| | Conservative | Eustace Cecil | 2,710 | 34.3 | −0.2 |
| | Liberal | Richard Wingfield-Baker | 2,382 | 30.1 | +1.5 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 328 | 4.2 | −1.7 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 5,146 (est) | 70.1 (est) | −5.5 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 7,338 | | |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | −1.0 | |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | −0.5 | |
General election 1868: South Essex :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal | Richard Wingfield-Baker | Unopposed | Unopposed | Unopposed |
| | Liberal | Andrew Johnston | Unopposed | Unopposed | Unopposed |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 7,127 | | |
| | Liberal gain from Conservative | Liberal gain from Conservative | Liberal gain from Conservative | Liberal gain from Conservative | Liberal gain from Conservative |
| | Liberal gain from Conservative | Liberal gain from Conservative | Liberal gain from Conservative | Liberal gain from Conservative | Liberal gain from Conservative |

### Elections in the 1870s

General election 1874: South Essex :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Thomas Charles Baring | 3,646 | 28.9 | New |
| | Conservative | William Makins | 3,528 | 27.9 | New |
| | Liberal | Richard Wingfield-Baker | 2,735 | 21.6 | N/A |
| | Liberal | Andrew Johnston | 2,728 | 21.6 | N/A |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 793 | 6.3 | N/A |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 6,319 (est) | 72.5 (est) | N/A |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 8,713 | | |
| | Conservative gain from Liberal | Conservative gain from Liberal | Swing | N/A | |
| | Conservative gain from Liberal | Conservative gain from Liberal | Swing | N/A | |

### Elections in the 1880s

General election 1880: South Essex :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Thomas Charles Baring | 4,841 | 26.8 | −2.1 |
| | Conservative | William Makins | 4,726 | 26.2 | −1.7 |
| | Liberal | Edward Buxton | 4,324 | 24.0 | +2.4 |
| | Liberal | Leonard Lyell | 4,147 | 23.0 | +1.4 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 402 | 2.2 | −4.1 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 9,019 (est) | 75.5 (est) | +3.0 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 11,950 | | |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | −2.3 | |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | −1.6 | |