# Leicester (UK Parliament constituency)

Leicester was a parliamentary borough in Leicestershire, which elected two members of parliament (MPs) to the House of Commons from 1295 until 1918, when it was split into three single-member divisions.

## History

Leicester sent burgesses to Parliament for the first time in 1295. Originally both Members were chosen by the whole 'commons' of the borough until at least 1407, when Thomas Denton and John Tonge were stated to have been chosen 'per totam communitatem tocius burgi'. At some unknown date before the middle of the 15th century, however, the 'commons', lost power within the borough and were restricted to the election of just one of the Members, the other being chosen by the mayor and 24 jurats (or aldermen). This situation was reversed by the middle of the sixteenth century.
Although most Members were citizens, usually officials, of the borough there was considerable influence and involvement by the two leading families, the Hastings and the Greys during the 16th and 17th centuries.
The constituency was abolished in 1918 and replaced by Leicester East, Leicester South and Leicester West.

## Members of Parliament
### 1295–1640

| Parliament | First member | Second member |
| 1294 | Ralph Norman | Robert de Scarnford |
| 1299 | Robert Knythtecote | Roger de Glenne |
| ?1299 | Richard Donnington | Roger de Glenne |
| 1301 | Ralph Tewe |
| 1304 | Richard Soning | Nicholas de Glenne |
| 1306 | Ralph Norman | Henry de Carleton |
| 1307 | William Lyndrych | William le Palmer |
| 1308 | Henry Erdington | Richard Eggbaston |
| 1310 | William Lyndrych | Peter de Kent |
| 1311 | William Lyndrych | Robert de Leicester |
| 1312 | William Clowne | Richard Leverych |
| ?1312 | Robert Hereward | Nicholas Mercer |
| 1313 | Roger de Glenne | John Stocton |
| 1314 | William de Benham | Simon de Lyndrych |
| ?1314 | Roger Pickering | William le Palmer |
| 1318 | Thomas Fox | William le Palmer, jnr |
| ?1318 | Henry Palmer | John Derby |
| 1321 | Geoffrey de Staunton | John Derby |
| 1322 | Ralph Burton | Walter Busseby |
| 1326 | William Reddington | William Jolly |
| 1327 | John FitzHenry of Leicester | John Geryn |
| 1328 | Richard Claver | John Leverich |
| 1328 | Richard Claver | John Geryn |
| 1328 | Rad de Seccheville | Robert de Waltham |
| 1329 | John de Glenne | Willim Petlyng |
| 1330 | Richard de Bonyngton | Robert de Gryndon or William Wareyn |
| 1330 | John de Leverych | Thomas Dawbenny |
| 1332 | Henry Merlins | Richard de Donnington |
| 1332 | William de Cloune | Richard Leverich |
| 1333 | John Leverych | John FitzHenry or John de Garthorp |
| 1334 | Richard Foxton | Richard Clerk |
| 1334 | John Leverich | Robert de Foston |
| 1336 | John Leverych | John Querndon |
| ?1336 | William Rodington | William le Palmer |
| 1337 | Richard de Donnington | Richard Leycester |
| 1337 | Richard de Donnington | John Martyn |
| 1338 | Richard de Donnington | John Querndon |
| 1338 | Richard de Donnington | John Turvey |
| ?1338 | William Palmer | Thomas Fox |
| ?1338 | John Harding | Robert Bonyng |
| 1339 | William Warryn | Thomas Fitz Robert |
| 1339 | William Leverich | Richard de Walcote |
| 1340 | Nicholas Radding | William Fitz Richard |
| ?1340 | Richard Walcote | William Brad |
| ?1340 | Ralph Burton | John Blake |
| 1341 | John le Clerk | William Donnington |
| 1343 | Walter Busseby | William Reddington |
| 1346 | Richard Walcot | William Dunstable |
| 1347 | Richard Beby | Allan Sutton |
| 1348 | John Recenour | William Wakefield |
| 1350 | William Dunstable | Thomas Beby |
| 1351 | William Dunstable | Thomas Beby |
| 1354 | John Martin | John de Hodynges |
| 1355 | Thomas Beby |
| 1357 | John de Petlyng | Thomas de Crom. |
| 1360 | Thomas Beby | Roger Belgrave |
| ?1360 | Roger Knyghton | Thomas Beby |
| 1362 | Richard Knyghton | William Burton |
| 1363 | John Peterburgh | Roger Kilby |
| 1365 | William Tabb | John Stafford |
| 1368 | Walter Lynd | Roger de Belgrave |
| 1369 | William Burton | William atte Greene |
| 1371 | William Taillard | Richard de Knyghton |
| 1372 | William atte Greene | Roger Beby |
| 1373 | John Stafford | John Peterburgh |
| 1375 | Henry de Petlyng | Henry de Clipstone |
| 1377 | William Huntedon | John Stafford |
| ?1377 | William Humberstone | William de Thornton |
| 1378 | John Chapman | Andrew Glasewright |
| 1379 | John de Stafford | William Ferrour |
| 1380 | John Sherote | Richard Boyes |
| 1381 | Stephen Chambre | Robert Norton |
| 1382 | John Stafford | Thomas Wakefield |
| ?1382 | Roger Belgrave | Richard Braunston |
| 1383 | Geoffrey Clerk | John Fode |
| 1386 | Geoffrey Clerk | William Morton |
| 1388 (Feb) | Geoffrey Clerk | William Morton |
| 1388 (Sep) | Geoffrey Clerk | John Cook |
| 1390 (Jan) | ?Geoffrey Clerk |
| 1390 (Nov) | |
| 1391 | Geoffrey Clerk | Henry Beeby |
| 1393 | Thomas Wakefield | John Houghton |
| 1394 | ?Geoffrey Clerk | Henry Beeby |
| 1395 | Robert Skillington | Henry Beeby |
| 1397 (Jan) | Thomas Wakefield | Roger Humberston |
| 1397 (Sep) | Thomas Bailly | Richard Falconer |
| 1399 | William Bispham | John Church |
| 1401 | John London | Peter Clerk |
| 1402 | |
| 1404 (Jan) | |
| 1404 (Oct) | |
| 1406 | John Donyngton | Roger Goldsmith |
| 1407 | Thomas Denton | John Tonge |
| 1410 | Robert Evington | John Church |
| 1411 | Robert Evington | Ralph Brasier |
| 1413 (Feb) | |
| 1413 (May) | John Hewet | John Church |
| 1414 (Apr) | Ralph Brasier | Thomas Denton |
| 1414 (Nov) | Henry Forster | Robert Evington |
| 1415 | |
| 1416 (Mar) | |
| 1416 (Oct) | |
| 1417 | |
| 1419 | Henry Forster | Ralph Brasier |
| 1420 | John Pykwell | John Church |
| 1421 (May) | Ralph Brasier | John Church |
| 1421 (Dec) | Henry Forster | John Nightingale |
| 1423 | Ralph Brasier | |
| 1426 | Ralph Brasier | |
| 1432 | Ralph Brasier | |
| 1455–1456 | Thomas Dalton |
| 1510–1515 | No names known |
| 1523 | William Bolt | Roger Wigston |
| 1529 | Thomas Brokesby | Robert Harward |
| 1536 | ? |
| 1539 | John Beaumont | William Wigston |
| 1542 | Robert Burdett | ?John Beaumont |
| 1545 | Edward Hastings | John Throckmorton |
| 1547 | George Swillington | Ralph Skinner |
| 1553 (Mar) | George Swillington | Robert Cotton |
| 1553 (Oct) | William Faunt | Thomas Farnham |
| 1554 (Apr) | Francis Farnham | Thomas Jenkinson |
| 1554 (Nov) | Francis Farnham | Hugh Aston |
| 1555 | Francis Farnham | ? |
| 1558 | Robert Breham | Maurice Tyttell |
| 1559 (Jan) | John Hastings | Robert Breham |
| 1562–1563 | Robert Breham | Rubert Brokesby |
| 1571 | Thomas Cave | Stephen Hales |
| 1572 (Apr) | Robert Breham | John Stanford I |
| 1584 (Nov) | Henry Skipwith | Thomas Johnson |
| 1586 (Oct) | Henry Skipwith | Thomas Johnson |
| 1588 (Oct) | John Chippendale | Robert Heyrick |
| 1593 | John Stanford I | James Clarke |
| 1597 (Sep) | George Parkins | John Stanford II |
| 1601 (Oct) | George Belgrave | William Herrick |
| 1604 | William Skipwith, died 1610 and replaced by Henry Rich) | Henry Beaumont |
| 1614 | Henry Rich | Sir Francis Leigh |
| 1621–1622 | Sir Richard Moryson | Sir William Herrick |
| 1624 | Sir Humphrey May | William Ive |
| 1625 | Thomas Jermyn | Sir Humphrey May, sat for Lancaster and repl. by Sir George Hastings) |
| 1626 | Sir Humphrey May | Sir George Hastings |
| 1628 | Sir Humphrey May | Sir John Stanhope |
| 1629–1640 | No parliaments summoned | No parliaments summoned |

### 1640–1918

| Year | | First member | First party | | Second member | Second party |
| April 1640 | | Thomas Coke | | | Simon Every | |
| November 1640 | | Thomas Coke | Royalist | | Lord Grey of Groby | Parliamentarian |
| January 1644 | Coke disabled from sitting – seat vacant | Coke disabled from sitting – seat vacant | Coke disabled from sitting – seat vacant | | | | Lord Grey of Groby | Parliamentarian |
| 1645 | | Peter Temple | | | Lord Grey of Groby | Parliamentarian |
| 1653 | Leicester was unrepresented in the Barebones Parliament | Leicester was unrepresented in the Barebones Parliament | Leicester was unrepresented in the Barebones Parliament | Leicester was unrepresented in the Barebones Parliament | Leicester was unrepresented in the Barebones Parliament | Leicester was unrepresented in the Barebones Parliament |
| 1654 | | Sir Arthur Hesilrige | | | William Stanley | |
| 1656 | | Sir Arthur Hesilrige | | | William Stanley | |
| January 1659 | | Sir Arthur Hesilrige | | | William Stanley | |
| May 1659 | | Peter Temple | | One seat vacant through the death of Lord Grey of Groby | One seat vacant through the death of Lord Grey of Groby | One seat vacant through the death of Lord Grey of Groby |
| 1660 | | Thomas Armeston | | | John Grey | |
| 1661 | | Sir William Hartopp | | | Sir John Pretyman | |
| 1677 | | Sir William Hartopp | | | John Grey | |
| 1679 | | Sir Henry Beaumont | | | John Grey | |
| 1685 | | Sir Henry Beaumont | | | Thomas Babington | |
| 1689 | | Lawrence Carter | | | Thomas Babington | |
| 1690 | | Lawrence Carter | | | Sir Edward Abney | |
| 1695 | | Archdale Palmer | | | Sir Edward Abney | |
| 1698 | | Sir William Villiers | | | Lawrence Carter | |
| 1701 | | James Winstanley | | | Lawrence Carter | |
| 1702 | | James Winstanley | | | Sir George Beaumont | |
| 1719 | | Thomas Noble | | | Sir George Beaumont | |
| 1722 | | (Sir) Lawrence Carter | | | Sir George Beaumont | |
| January 1727 | | Thomas Boothby-Skrymsher | | | Sir George Beaumont | |
| August 1727 | | George Wrighte | | | Sir George Beaumont | |
| 1737 | | George Wrighte | | | James Wigley | |
| 1765 | | George Wrighte | | | Anthony James Keck | |
| 1766 | | John Darker | | | Anthony James Keck | |
| 1768 | | Hon. Booth Grey | Whig | | Eyre Coote | Whig |
| 1774 | | Hon. Booth Grey | Whig | | John Darker | Tory |
| February 1784 | | Hon. Booth Grey | Whig | | Shukburgh Ashby | |
| April 1784 | | John Macnamara | | | Charles Loraine-Smith | |
| 1790 | | Thomas Parkyns | Whig | | Samuel Smith | Tory |
| 1800 | | Thomas Babington | Tory | | Samuel Smith | Tory |
| 1818 | | John Mansfield | Tory | | Thomas Pares | Whig |
| 1826 | | Sir Charles Abney-Hastings | Tory | | Robert Otway-Cave | Tory |
| 1830 | | Sir Charles Abney-Hastings | Tory | | William Evans | Whig |
| 1831 | | Wynne Ellis | Radical | | William Evans | Whig |
| 1835 | | Edward Goulburn | Conservative | | Thomas Gladstone | Conservative |
| 1837 | | Samuel Duckworth | Radical | | Sir John Easthope | Radical |
| 1839 | | Wynne Ellis | Radical | | Sir John Easthope | Radical |
| 1847 | | Sir Joshua Walmsley | Radical | | Richard Gardner | Radical |
| 1848 | | John Ellis | Radical | | Richard Harris | Radical |
| 1852 | | Sir Joshua Walmsley | Radical | | Richard Gardner | Radical |
| 1856 | | Sir Joshua Walmsley | Radical | | John Biggs | Radical |
| 1857 | | John Dove Harris | Whig | | John Biggs | Radical |
| 1859 | | Joseph William Noble | Liberal | | John Biggs | Liberal |
| 1861 | | William Unwin Heygate | Conservative | | John Biggs | Liberal |
| 1862 | | William Unwin Heygate | Conservative | | Peter Alfred Taylor | Liberal |
| 1865 | | John Dove Harris | Liberal | | Peter Alfred Taylor | Liberal |
| 1874 | | Alexander McArthur | Liberal | | Peter Alfred Taylor | Liberal |
| 1884 | | Alexander McArthur | Liberal | | James Allanson Picton | Liberal |
| 1892 | | Sir James Whitehead | Liberal | | James Allanson Picton | Liberal |
| 1894 | | Henry Broadhurst | Liberal | | Walter Hazell | Liberal |
| 1900 | | Henry Broadhurst | Liberal | | Sir John Rolleston | Conservative |
| January 1906 | | Henry Broadhurst | Liberal | | Ramsay MacDonald | Labour |
| March 1906 | | Franklin Thomasson | Liberal | | Ramsay MacDonald | Labour |
| 1910 | | Eliot Crawshay-Williams | Liberal | | Ramsay MacDonald | Labour |
| 1913 | | Sir Gordon Hewart | Liberal | | Ramsay MacDonald | Labour |
| 1918 | Constituency abolished: see Leicester East, Leicester South, Leicester West | Constituency abolished: see Leicester East, Leicester South, Leicester West | Constituency abolished: see Leicester East, Leicester South, Leicester West | Constituency abolished: see Leicester East, Leicester South, Leicester West | Constituency abolished: see Leicester East, Leicester South, Leicester West | Constituency abolished: see Leicester East, Leicester South, Leicester West |
Notes
* ↑ The election of 1847 was declared void on petition and a by-election was held

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

General election 1830: Leicester :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Tory | Charles Abney-Hastings | Unopposed | Unopposed |
| | Whig | William Evans | Unopposed | Unopposed |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | c. 5,000 | |
| | Tory hold | Tory hold | Tory hold | Tory hold |
| | Whig gain from Tory | Whig gain from Tory | Whig gain from Tory | Whig gain from Tory |
General election 1831: Leicester :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Whig | William Evans | Unopposed | Unopposed |
| | Radical | Wynne Ellis | Unopposed | Unopposed |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | c. 5,000 | |
| | Whig hold | Whig hold | Whig hold | Whig hold |
| | Radical gain from Tory | Radical gain from Tory | Radical gain from Tory | Radical gain from Tory |
General election 1832: Leicester :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Whig | William Evans | 1,663 | 37.3 |
| | Radical | Wynne Ellis | 1,527 | 34.3 |
| | Tory | John Ward-Boughton-Leigh | 1,266 | 28.4 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 2,795 | 91.3 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 3,063 | |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 136 | 3.0 |
| | Whig hold | Whig hold | Whig hold | Whig hold |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 261 | 5.9 |
| | Radical hold | Radical hold | Radical hold | Radical hold |
General election 1835: Leicester :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Edward Goulburn | 1,484 | 26.4 | +12.2 |
| | Conservative | Thomas Gladstone | 1,475 | 26.2 | +12.0 |
| | Whig | William Evans | 1,352 | 24.0 | −13.3 |
| | Radical | Wynne Ellis | 1,314 | 23.4 | −10.9 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 123 | 2.2 | N/A |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 2,820 | 92.5 | +1.2 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 3,049 | | |
| | Conservative gain from Whig | Conservative gain from Whig | Swing | +9.4 | |
| | Conservative gain from Radical | Conservative gain from Radical | Swing | +8.7 | |
General election 1837: Leicester :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Radical | Samuel Duckworth | 1,816 | 27.8 | +16.1 |
| | Radical | John Easthope | 1,816 | 27.8 | +16.1 |
| | Conservative | Edward Goulburn | 1,454 | 22.2 | −4.2 |
| | Conservative | Thomas Gladstone | 1,453 | 22.2 | −4.0 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 362 | 5.6 | N/A |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 3,270 | 91.6 | −0.9 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 3,569 | | |
| | Radical gain from Conservative | Radical gain from Conservative | Swing | +10.1 | |
| | Radical gain from Conservative | Radical gain from Conservative | Swing | +10.1 | |
Duckworth resigned after being appointed as Master of the Court of Chancery.
By-election, 22 March 1839: Leicester :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Radical | Wynne Ellis | 1,666 | 54.9 | −0.7 |
| | Conservative | Charles Frewen | 1,371 | 45.1 | +0.7 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 295 | 9.8 | +4.2 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 3,037 | 84.8 | −6.8 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 3,581 | | |
| | Radical hold | Radical hold | Swing | −0.7 | |

### Elections in the 1840s

General election 1841: Leicester :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Radical | John Easthope | Unopposed | Unopposed | Unopposed |
| | Radical | Wynne Ellis | Unopposed | Unopposed | Unopposed |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 4,280 | | |
| | Radical hold | Radical hold | Radical hold | Radical hold | Radical hold |
| | Radical hold | Radical hold | Radical hold | Radical hold | Radical hold |
General election 1847: Leicester :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Radical | Joshua Walmsley | 1,671 | 35.5 | N/A |
| | Radical | Richard Gardner | 1,621 | 34.4 | N/A |
| | Conservative | James Parker | 1,421 | 30.2 | New |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 200 | 4.2 | N/A |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 3,067 (est) | 72.3 (est) | N/A |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 4,241 | | |
| | Radical hold | Radical hold | Swing | N/A | |
| | Radical hold | Radical hold | Swing | N/A | |
The election was declared void on petition on 1 June 1848, due to bribery by Walmsley and Gardner's agents, causing a by-election.
By-election, 2 September 1848: Leicester :
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| Radical | John Ellis | Unopposed | Unopposed | Unopposed |
| Radical | Richard Harris | Unopposed | Unopposed | Unopposed |
| Radical hold | Radical hold | Radical hold | Radical hold | Radical hold |
| Radical hold | Radical hold | Radical hold | Radical hold | Radical hold |

### Elections in the 1850s

General election 1852: Leicester :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Radical | Joshua Walmsley | 1,673 | 30.0 | −5.5 |
| | Radical | Richard Gardner | 1,673 | 30.0 | −4.4 |
| | Whig | James Wilde | 1,116 | 20.0 | N/A |
| | Whig | Geoffrey Palmer | 1,114 | 20.0 | N/A |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 557 | 10.0 | +5.8 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 2,788 (est) | 72.4 (est) | +0.1 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 3,853 | | |
| | Radical hold | Radical hold | Swing | | |
| | Radical hold | Radical hold | Swing | | |
Gardner's death caused a by-election.
By-election, 18 June 1856: Leicester :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Radical | John Biggs | Unopposed | Unopposed | Unopposed |
| | Radical hold | Radical hold | Radical hold | Radical hold | Radical hold |
General election 1857: Leicester :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Whig | John Dove Harris | 1,618 | 34.7 | −5.3 |
| | Radical | John Biggs | 1,603 | 34.4 | +4.4 |
| | Radical | Joshua Walmsley | 1,440 | 30.9 | +0.9 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 178 | 3.8 | N/A |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 2,331 (est) | 56.0 (est) | −16.4 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 4,162 | | |
| | Whig gain from Radical | Whig gain from Radical | Swing | −5.3 | |
| | Radical hold | Radical hold | Swing | +3.5 | |
General election 1859: Leicester :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal | John Biggs | 1,584 | 26.6 | −7.8 |
| | Liberal | Joseph William Noble | 1,496 | 25.1 | N/A |
| | Conservative | William Unwin Heygate | 1,476 | 24.8 | New |
| | Liberal | John Dove Harris | 1,397 | 23.5 | −11.2 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 20 | 0.3 | −3.5 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 2,977 (est) | 70.8 (est) | +14.8 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 4,207 | | |
| | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Swing | | |
| | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Swing | | |

### Elections in the 1860s

Noble's death caused a by-election.
By-election, 7 February 1861: Leicester :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | William Unwin Heygate | 1,596 | 44.3 | +19.5 |
| | Liberal | John Dove Harris | 1,033 | 28.6 | +5.1 |
| | Liberal | Peter Alfred Taylor | 977 | 27.1 | N/A |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 563 | 15.7 | N/A |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 3,606 | 90.9 | +20.1 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 3,965 | | |
| | Conservative gain from Liberal | Conservative gain from Liberal | Swing | +7.2 | |
Biggs resigned, causing a by-election.
By-election, 17 February 1862: Leicester :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal | Peter Alfred Taylor | Unopposed | Unopposed | Unopposed |
| | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Liberal hold |
General election 1865: Leicester :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal | John Dove Harris | 2,295 | 35.6 | +12.1 |
| | Liberal | Peter Alfred Taylor | 2,199 | 34.2 | +7.6 |
| | Conservative | William Unwin Heygate | 1,945 | 30.2 | +5.4 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 254 | 4.0 | +3.7 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 4,192 (est) | 88.0 (est) | +17.2 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 4,762 | | |
| | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Swing | +4.7 | |
| | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Swing | +2.5 | |
General election 1868: Leicester :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal | Peter Alfred Taylor | 7,148 | 43.3 | +9.1 |
| | Liberal | John Dove Harris | 6,876 | 41.6 | +6.0 |
| | Independent Liberal | John Baker Greene | 2,494 | 15.1 | New |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 4,382 | 26.5 | +22.5 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 9,506 (est) | 62.7 (est) | −25.3 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 15,161 | | |
| | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Swing | | |
| | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Swing | | |

### Elections in the 1870s

General election 1874: Leicester :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal | Peter Alfred Taylor | 7,408 | 36.5 | −6.8 |
| | Liberal | Alexander McArthur | 7,283 | 35.9 | −5.7 |
| | Conservative | John Henry Boyer Warner | 5,615 | 27.7 | New |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 1,668 | 8.2 | −18.3 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 12,961 (est) | 75.9 (est) | +13.2 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 17,069 | | |
| | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Swing | | |
| | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Swing | | |

### Elections in the 1880s

General election 1880: Leicester :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal | Peter Alfred Taylor | 10,675 | 36.7 | +0.2 |
| | Liberal | Alexander McArthur | 10,438 | 35.8 | −0.1 |
| | Conservative | William Winterton | 4,186 | 14.4 | +0.5 |
| | Conservative | John Henry Boyer Warner | 3,820 | 13.1 | −0.8 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 6,252 | 21.4 | +13.2 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 14,560 (est) | 77.4 (est) | +1.5 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 18,808 | | |
| | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Swing | −0.2 | |
| | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Swing | +0.4 | |
Taylor resigned, causing a by-election.
By-election, 27 Jun 1884: Leicester :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal | James Allanson Picton | Unopposed | Unopposed | Unopposed |
| | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Liberal hold |
General election 1885: Leicester :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal | James Allanson Picton | 11,480 | 39.1 | +2.4 |
| | Liberal | Alexander McArthur | 11,121 | 37.9 | +2.1 |
| | Conservative | William Millican | 6,751 | 23.0 | −4.5 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 4,370 | 14.9 | −6.5 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 18,104 | 83.5 | +6.1 (est) |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 21,671 | | |
| | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Swing | +2.4 | |
| | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Swing | +2.2 | |
General election 1886: Leicester :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal | James Allanson Picton | 9,914 | 39.2 | +0.1 |
| | Liberal | Alexander McArthur | 9,681 | 38.3 | +0.4 |
| | Liberal Unionist | Robert Bickersteth | 5,686 | 22.5 | −0.5 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 3,995 | 15.8 | +0.9 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 15,456 | 71.3 | −12.2 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 21,671 | | |
| | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Swing | +0.2 | |
| | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Swing | +0.3 | |

### Elections in the 1890s

General election 1892: Leicester :
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| Liberal | James Allanson Picton | Unopposed | Unopposed | Unopposed |
| Liberal | James Whitehead | Unopposed | Unopposed | Unopposed |
| Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Liberal hold |
| Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Liberal hold |
Both Picton and Whitehead resigned. The House of Commons passed separate resolutions for two by-elections, and two separate election writs were issued to Leicester Corporation. However, Israel Hart, the mayor of Leicester, decided to economise by holding a single by-election for both vacancies. In 1895, a select committee of the Commons reported that this procedure was incorrect, but that since it was adopted in good faith and without objection from any of the candidates, the result would be allowed to stand.
1894 Leicester by-election :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Lib-Lab | Henry Broadhurst | 9,464 | 33.8 | N/A |
| | Liberal | Walter Hazell | 7,184 | 25.6 | N/A |
| | Conservative | John Rolleston | 6,967 | 24.9 | New |
| | Ind. Labour Party | Joseph Burgess | 4,402 | 15.7 | New |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 217 | 0.7 | N/A |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 17,853 (est) | 77.2 | N/A |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 23,125 | | |
| | Lib-Lab hold | Lib-Lab hold | Swing | N/A | |
| | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Swing | N/A | |
General election 1895: Leicester :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Lib-Lab | Henry Broadhurst | 9,792 | 33.6 | N/A |
| | Liberal | Walter Hazell | 7,753 | 26.5 | N/A |
| | Conservative | John Rolleston | 7,654 | 26.2 | N/A |
| | Ind. Labour Party | Joseph Burgess | 4,009 | 13.7 | N/A |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 99 | 0.3 | N/A |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 18,856 (est) | 77.2 | N/A |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 24,113 | | |
| | Lib-Lab hold | Lib-Lab hold | Swing | N/A | |
| | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Swing | N/A | |

### Elections in the 1900s

General election 1900: Leicester :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Lib-Lab | Henry Broadhurst | 10,385 | 32.3 | −1.3 |
| | Conservative | John Rolleston | 9,066 | 28.2 | +2.0 |
| | Liberal | Walter Hazell | 8,528 | 26.5 | 0.0 |
| | Labour Repr. Cmte. | Ramsay MacDonald | 4,164 | 13.0 | N/A |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 32,143 | 83.3 | +5.1 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 24,962 | | |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 6,221 | 19.3 | +19.0 |
| | Lib-Lab hold | Lib-Lab hold | Swing | −1.7 | |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 538 | 1.7 | N/A |
| | Conservative gain from Liberal | Conservative gain from Liberal | Swing | +1.0 | |
General election 1906: Leicester :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Lib-Lab | Henry Broadhurst | 14,745 | 39.9 | +7.6 |
| | Labour Repr. Cmte. | Ramsay MacDonald | 14,685 | 39.8 | +26.8 |
| | Conservative | John Rolleston | 7,504 | 20.3 | −7.9 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 36,934 | 88.9 | +5.6 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 25,129 | | |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 7,241 | 19.6 | +0.3 |
| | Lib-Lab hold | Lib-Lab hold | Swing | +7.8 | |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 7,181 | 19.5 | N/A |
| | Labour Repr. Cmte. gain from Conservative | Labour Repr. Cmte. gain from Conservative | Swing | +17.4 | |
1906 Leicester by-election :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal | Franklin Thomasson | 10,766 | 59.9 | +20.0 |
| | Conservative | John Rolleston | 7,206 | 40.1 | +19.8 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 3,560 | 19.8 | +0.2 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 17,972 | 71.5 | −17.4 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 25,129 | | |
| | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Swing | +0.1 | |

### Elections in the 1910s

General election January 1910: Leicester :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal | Eliot Crawshay-Williams | 14,643 | 32.0 | −7.9 |
| | Labour | Ramsay MacDonald | 14,337 | 31.4 | −8.4 |
| | Conservative | J. Foster Fraser | 8,548 | 18.7 | +8.5'"`UNIQ−−ref−000000E8−QINU`"' |
| | Conservative | Edward Bagley | 8,192 | 17.9 | +7.7'"`UNIQ−−ref−000000E9−QINU`"' |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 45,720 | 91.8 | +2.9 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 25,336 | | |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 6,095 | 13.3 | −6.3 |
| | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Swing | −8.2 | |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 5,789 | 12.7 | −6.8 |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | −8.0 | |
General election December 1910: Leicester :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal | Eliot Crawshay-Williams | 13,238 | 39.2 | +7.2 |
| | Labour | Ramsay MacDonald | 12,998 | 38.5 | +7.1 |
| | Conservative | Alured Myddelton Wilshere | 7,547 | 22.3 | −14.3 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 33,783 | 83.5 | −8.3 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 25,336 | | |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 5,691 | 16.9 | +3.6 |
| | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Swing | +11.0 | |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 5,451 | 16.2 | +3.5 |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | +10.7 | |
1913 Leicester by-election :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal | Gordon Hewart | 10,863 | 47.8 | +8.6 |
| | Unionist | Alured Myddelton Wilshere | 9,279 | 40.8 | +18.5 |
| | British Socialist Party | Edward Hartley | 2,580 | 11.4 | New |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 1,584 | 7.0 | −9.2 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 22,722 | 84.2 | +0.7 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 26,972 | | |
| | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Swing | −4.9 | |

## Notes and References

Notes
References
* 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 48 49 50 51 52 53 54 55 56 57 58 59 60 61 62 63 64 65 66 67 68 69 70 Curtis, John (1831). A Topographical History of the County of Leicester. p. 97.
* 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 Leicester (England); Bateson, Mary; Chinnery, Gilbert Allen; Stevenson, William Henry; Stocks, John Edward; Stocks, Helen (1899–1974). Records of the borough of Leicester; being a series of extracts from the archives of the Corporation of Leicester. University of California Libraries. London : C. J. Clay.
* 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 "History of Parliament". Retrieved 19 September 2011.
* 1 2 3 "BRASIER, alias HUMBERSTON, Ralph, of Leicester. | History of Parliament Online".
* 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 "History of Parliament". Retrieved 19 September 2011.
* 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 "History of Parliament". Retrieved 19 September 2011.
* 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 Stooks Smith, Henry. (1973) [1844–1850]. Craig, F. W. S. (ed.). The Parliaments of England (2nd ed.). Chichester: Parliamentary Research Services. pp. 192–194. ISBN 0-900178-13-2.
* 1 2 3 "General Election, 1841". Morning Post. 29 June 1841. pp. 2–4. Retrieved 15 November 2018 – via British Newspaper Archive.
* 1 2 3 "Election News". Northern Star and Leeds General Advertiser. 10 July 1841. p. 23. Retrieved 15 November 2018 – via British Newspaper Archive.
* 1 2 Churton, Edward (1838). The Assembled Commons or Parliamentary Biographer: 1838. pp. 74, 79.
* 1 2 "Nottingham Review and General Advertiser for the Midland Counties". 25 August 1837. p. 4. Retrieved 15 November 2018 – via British Newspaper Archive.
* 1 2 Zuch, Ronald K.; Ziegler, Paul R. (1985). "The Little Charter". Joseph Hume: The People's M.P. Ephrata: The American Philosophical Society. p. 147. ISBN 0871691639. Retrieved 15 April 2018.
* 1 2 Collins, Neil (1994). Politics and Elections in Nineteenth-Century Liverpool. Abingdon: Scolar Press. p. 40. ISBN 9781859280768. Retrieved 15 April 2018.
* 1 2 "Postscript". Coventry Herald. 9 February 1849. p. 4. Retrieved 15 April 2018 – via British Newspaper Archive.
* 1 2 3 Wigley, John (1980). The Rise and Fall of the Victorian Sunday. Manchester: Manchester University Press. p. 94. ISBN 0-7190-0794-1. Retrieved 15 May 2018.
* 1 2 "Leicester". Staffordshire Advertiser. 31 July 1847. p. 6. Retrieved 15 May 2018 – via British Newspaper Archive.
* 1 2 "The Elections". Daily News. 30 July 1847. pp. 3–6. Retrieved 15 May 2018 – via British Newspaper Archive.
* 1 2 3 McKinley, R A, ed. (1958). "The City of Leicester: Parliamentary history since 1835". A History of the County of Leicester. 4. British History Online: 210–250. Retrieved 15 May 2018.
* 1 2 Dod, Charles Roger; Dod, Robert Phipps (1847). Dod's Parliamentary Companion, Volume 15. Dod's Parliamentary Companion. p. 170. Retrieved 15 May 2018.
* 1 2 "The Leicester Election". Leicestershire Mercury. 9 September 1848. pp. 2–3. Retrieved 15 May 2018 – via British Newspaper Archive.
* 1 2 "Latest Intelligence". Exeter and Plymouth Gazette. 9 September 1848. p. 8. Retrieved 15 May 2018 – via British Newspaper Archive.
* 1 2 "Leicester Election". Berkshire Chronicle. 9 September 1848. p. 1. Retrieved 15 May 2018 – via British Newspaper Archive.
* ↑ Newitt, Ned. "John Biggs". The Who's Who of Radical Leicester. Retrieved 15 May 2018.
* ↑ "Art and sculpture". Friends of New Walk. Retrieved 15 May 2018.
* ↑ Moore, James R. (2017). "Leicester Liberalism: An Uneasy Alliance". The Transformation of Urban Liberalism: Party Politics and Urban Governance in Late Nineteenth-Century England. Routledge. p. 89. ISBN 9781351126038.
* ↑ Quinn, P L (2017). Felix Holt, the True Story: Resolving the 150-year mystery of George Eliot's classic novel. Lulu.com. p. 250. ISBN 978-0-244-61150-7.
* ↑ "Leicester Election". Nairnshire Telegraph and General Advertiser for the Northern Counties. 25 June 1856. p. 2. Retrieved 15 May 2018 – via British Newspaper Archive.
* ↑ "Electioneering Movements". Coventry Herald. 20 March 1857. p. 4. Retrieved 15 May 2018 – via British Newspaper Archive.
* ↑ "Election Intelligence". Morning Post. 25 March 1857. p. 3. Retrieved 15 May 2018 – via British Newspaper Archive.
* 1 2 Harratt, Simon. "Leicester". The History of Parliament. Retrieved 16 April 2020.
* 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 Craig, F. W. S., ed. (1977). British Parliamentary Election Results 1832-1885 (e-book) (1st ed.). London: Macmillan Press. ISBN 978-1-349-02349-3.
* ↑ "Borough Election". Leicester Journal. 14 December 1832. p. 3. Retrieved 16 April 2020 – via British Newspaper Archive.
* ↑ "Borough Election". Leicester Journal. 30 July 1847. pp. 1–2. Retrieved 15 November 2018 – via British Newspaper Archive.
* ↑ "Wolverhampton Chronicle and Staffordshire Advertiser". 7 June 1848. p. 1. Retrieved 15 November 2018 – via British Newspaper Archive.
* ↑ "The General Election". Manchester Courier and Lancashire General Advertiser. 10 July 1852. pp. 7–8. Retrieved 17 May 2018 – via British Newspaper Archive.
* ↑ "Nottingham Journal". 9 July 1852. p. 8. Retrieved 17 May 2018 – via British Newspaper Archive.
* ↑ "Borough Election". Leicester Journal. 13 November 1868. p. 6. Retrieved 21 February 2018 – via British Newspaper Archive.
* ↑ "Borough Election". Leicester Journal. 20 November 1868. p. 6. Retrieved 21 February 2018 – via British Newspaper Archive.
* ↑ "The Polling". Leicester Chronicle. 21 November 1868. p. 3. Retrieved 21 February 2018 – via British Newspaper Archive.
* ↑ "The General Election". London Evening Standard. 31 March 1880. pp. 2–3. Retrieved 3 December 2017 – via British Newspaper Archive.
* 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 Craig, FWS, ed. (1974). British Parliamentary Election Results: 1885-1918. London: Macmillan Press. ISBN 9781349022984.
* ↑ "The Elections". Daily News. 27 November 1885. pp. 5–6. Retrieved 3 December 2017 – via British Newspaper Archive.
* ↑ Select Committee on Leicester Writs (3 May 1895). Report, with Proceedings, Minutes of Evidence, and Appendix. Parliamentary papers. Vol. 1895 HC xi (247) 315. London: HMSO. p. vii.
* ↑ David Howell, British workers and the Independent Labour Party, 1888–1906, p.233
* ↑ David Howell, British workers and the Independent Labour Party, 1888–1906, p.237
* 1 2 3 Liberal Yearbook 1916, p.287
* 1 2 The New Hazell Annual (1917), p.191
* D. Brunton & D. H. Pennington, Members of the Long Parliament (London: George Allen & Unwin, 1954)
* Cobbett's Parliamentary history of England, from the Norman Conquest in 1066 to the year 1803. London: Thomas Hansard. 1808. Archived from the original on 4 September 2015.
* The Constitutional Year Book for 1913 (London: National Union of Conservative and Unionist Associations, 1913)
* F W S Craig, British Parliamentary Election Results 1832–1885 (2nd edition, Aldershot: Parliamentary Research Services, 1989)
* J E Neale, The Elizabethan House of Commons (London: Jonathan Cape, 1949)
* J Holladay Philbin, Parliamentary Representation 1832 – England and Wales (New Haven: Yale University Press, 1965)
* Leigh Rayment's Historical List of MPs – Constituencies beginning with "L" (part 2)