# South Somerset (UK Parliament constituency)

South Somerset was a single-member (MP) county constituency in Somerset for the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. As all single-member seats, its elections were by first past the post voting.
It was created under the Redistribution of Seats Act 1885 for the general election that year. The Act changed the county's representation to seven county and four borough seats, and abolished for the 1918 general election.
It's elections returned one Liberal, then another, covering its first 26 years; then returned a Conservative for its final seven years.

## Boundaries

The Municipal Borough of Yeovil, the Sessional Divisions of Crewkerne and Yeovil, and part of the Sessional Division of Ilminster.

## Members of Parliament

| Election | Member | Party |
| 1885 | Frederick Lambart, later 9th Earl of Cavan | Liberal |
| 1892 | Edward Strachey, later ennobled | Liberal |
| 1911 by-election | Aubrey Herbert | Conservative |
| 1918 | constituency abolished | constituency abolished |

## Elections
### Elections in the 1880s

General election 1885: South Somerset :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal | Frederick Lambart | 4,534 | 58.1 | |
| | Conservative | John Wingfield-Digby | 3,268 | 41.9 | |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 1,266 | 16.2 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 7,802 | 83.5 | |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 9,349 | | |
| | Liberal win (new seat) | Liberal win (new seat) | Liberal win (new seat) | Liberal win (new seat) | Liberal win (new seat) |
Lambart was appointed Vice-Chamberlain of the Household, requiring a by-election.
By-election, 24 Feb 1886: South Somerset :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal | Frederick Lambart | Unopposed | Unopposed | Unopposed |
| | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Liberal hold |
General election 1886: South Somerset :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal | Frederick Lambart | 3,739 | 51.6 | −6.5 |
| | Conservative | Sir Henry Machu Imbert-Terry, 1st Baronet | 3,512 | 48.4 | +6.5 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 227 | 3.2 | −13.0 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 7,251 | 77.6 | −5.9 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 9,349 | | |
| | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Swing | −6.5 | |

### Elections in the 1890s

General election 1892: South Somerset :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal | Edward Strachey | 4,330 | 52.5 | +0.9 |
| | Conservative | Sir Henry Machu Imbert-Terry, 1st Baronet | 3,925 | 47.5 | −0.9 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 405 | 5.0 | +1.8 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 8,255 | 85.2 | +7.6 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 9,693 | | |
| | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Swing | +0.9 | |
General election 1895: South Somerset :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal | Edward Strachey | 4,167 | 52.1 | −0.4 |
| | Conservative | Henry Gribble Turner | 3,827 | 47.9 | +0.4 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 340 | 4.2 | −0.8 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 7,994 | 82.5 | −2.7 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 9,692 | | |
| | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Swing | −0.4 | |

### Elections in the 1900s

General election 1900: South Somerset :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal | Edward Strachey | 4,349 | 54.2 | +2.1 |
| | Conservative | William Mason | 3,671 | 45.8 | −2.1 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 678 | 8.4 | +4.2 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 8,020 | 84.8 | +2.3 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 9,462 | | |
| | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Swing | +2.1 | |
General election 1906: South Somerset :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal | Edward Strachey | 5,164 | 61.4 | +7.2 |
| | Liberal Unionist | B Portman | 3,247 | 38.6 | −7.2 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 1,917 | 22.8 | +14.4 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 8,411 | 86.0 | +1.2 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 9,778 | | |
| | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Swing | +7.2 | |

### Elections in the 1910s

General election January 1910: South Somerset :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal | Edward Strachey | 4,955 | 52.7 | −8.7 |
| | Conservative | Aubrey Herbert | 4,444 | 47.3 | +8.7 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 511 | 5.4 | −17.4 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 9,399 | 92.5 | +6.5 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 10,164 | | |
| | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Swing | -8.7 | |
General election December 1910: South Somerset :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal | Edward Strachey | 4,784 | 52.6 | −0.1 |
| | Conservative | Aubrey Herbert | 4,317 | 47.4 | +0.1 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 467 | 5.2 | −0.2 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 9,101 | 89.5 | −3.0 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 10,164 | | |
| | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Swing | −0.1 | |
1911 South Somerset by-election :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Aubrey Herbert | 4,878 | 50.8 | +3.4 |
| | Lib-Lab | Henry Harvey Vivian | 4,730 | 49.2 | −3.4 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 148 | 1.6 | N/A |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 9,608 | 91.1 | +1.6 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 10,546 | | |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | +3.4 | |
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 July 1914, the following candidates had been selected;
* Unionist: Aubrey Herbert
* Liberal: Henry Harvey Vivian