# Brighton (UK Parliament constituency)

Brighton was a parliamentary constituency of the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom from 1832 until it was divided into single-member seats from the 1950 United Kingdom general election. Covering the seaside towns of Brighton and Hove in East Sussex, it elected two Members of Parliament (MP) by the block vote system of election.

## History

The constituency was created by the Reform Act 1832 for the 1832 general election. The constituency was based on the south coast seaside resort town of Brighton.
When it was proposed to enfranchise Brighton a Tory observed in Parliament that it would represent merely "toffy (sic), lemonade and jelly shops". Charles Seymour suggests he "obviously feared the Whig proclivities of the numerous tradespeople established there".
The first representatives of the constituency were of radical opinions. Isaac Newton Wigney (MP 1832–1839 and 1841–1842) was described as being of "Whig opinions inclining to radicalism, in favour of the ballot, and pledged himself to resign his seat whenever his constituents called upon him so to do". His colleague, the Nonconformist preacher and attorney George Faithfull (MP 1832–1835), went much further. He advocated "the immediate abolition of slavery, of all unmerited pensions and sinecures, the standing army, all useless expense, the Corn Laws, and every other monopoly. He said that if the extent of suffrage at that time was not found efficient he would vote for universal suffrage: and if triennial Parliaments did not succeed, would vote for having them annually; he was an advocate of the ballot".
Seymour provides figures for the voting qualification of Brighton electors, following the Reform Act 1867. The town was one of six boroughs in England where the £10 occupiers, enfranchised in 1832, were much more numerous than the householders who received the vote under the 1867 Act. There were 7,590 £10 occupiers and only 944 householders on the electoral register.
Members of Parliament for the constituency, after the first two, were of more conventional views; but most elections were won by the Liberal Party until 1884. In 1884 the Liberal MP, William Marriott, broke with his party as he disagreed with Prime Minister Gladstone's foreign and Egyptian policy. Marriott resigned his seat and was re-elected as a Conservative. From that time onwards the Liberal Party never won an election in the constituency, except for a by-election in 1905 and both seats in the landslide victory of 1906. Apart from those few years of liberal strength, Brighton became a safe Conservative constituency.
The 1931 election of Sir Cooper Rawson holds the record for the largest majority ever received at a general election (62,253), as well as the most votes received by an individual (75,205).

## Boundaries

The constituency was defined in the Parliamentary Boundaries Act 1832 as comprising the "respective Parishes of Brighthelmstone and Hove". The act named the parliamentary borough as "Brighthelmstone", but the name "Brighton" was invariably used.
The two parishes were adjacent coastal resorts in the historic county of Sussex in South East England. Brighton obtained a charter of incorporation to become a municipal borough in 1854, while Hove formed a local board of health in 1858, becoming a borough forty years later. These changes in local government made no changes to the boundaries of the constituency. Under the Representation of the People Act 1867 the constituency was enlarged to include the Preston area which fell inside Brighton's municipal boundaries.
These boundaries were used until the 1918 general election when seats were redefined in terms of the local government areas then in existence. The parliamentary borough was defined as consisting of the County Borough of Brighton and the Municipal Borough of Hove. The constituency was enlarged to include Aldrington which lay with Hove's borough boundaries.
Under the Representation of the People Act 1948 the remaining multi-member constituencies were abolished and replaced with single-member ones from the 1950 election. The County Borough of Brighton was divided into Brighton Kemptown and Brighton Pavilion. The Municipal Borough of Hove, which had also been included in the old Brighton seat was combined with Portslade by Sea Urban District to form the new Hove constituency.

## Members of Parliament

| Election | 1st Member | 1st Member | 1st Party | 2nd Member | 2nd Member | 2nd Party |
| 1832 | | Isaac Wigney | Radical | | George Faithfull | Radical |
| 1835 | | Isaac Wigney | Radical | | George Pechell (from 1849 Sir George Brook-Pechell, Bt) | Whig |
| 1837 | | Sir Adolphus Dalrymple | Conservative | | George Pechell (from 1849 Sir George Brook-Pechell, Bt) | Whig |
| 1841 | | Isaac Wigney | Radical | | George Pechell (from 1849 Sir George Brook-Pechell, Bt) | Whig |
| 1842 | | Lord Alfred Hervey | Conservative | | George Pechell (from 1849 Sir George Brook-Pechell, Bt) | Whig |
| 1857 | | William Coningham | Radical | | George Pechell (from 1849 Sir George Brook-Pechell, Bt) | Whig |
| 1860 | | William Coningham | Liberal | | James White | Liberal |
| 1864 | | Henry Moor | Conservative | | James White | Liberal |
| 1865 | | Henry Fawcett | Liberal | | James White | Liberal |
| 1874 | | James Lloyd Ashbury | Conservative | | Charles Cameron Shute | Conservative |
| 1880 | | John Robert Hollond | Liberal | | Rt Hon. Sir William Thackeray Marriott $^1$ | Liberal |
| 1884 | | John Robert Hollond | Liberal | | Rt Hon. Sir William Thackeray Marriott $^1$ | Conservative |
| 1885 | | David Smith | Conservative | | Rt Hon. Sir William Thackeray Marriott $^1$ | Conservative |
| 1886 | | Sir William Tindal Robertson | Conservative | | Rt Hon. Sir William Thackeray Marriott $^1$ | Conservative |
| 1889 | | Gerald Loder | Conservative | | Rt Hon. Sir William Thackeray Marriott $^1$ | Conservative |
| 1893 | | Gerald Loder | Conservative | | Bruce Vernon-Wentworth | Conservative |
| 1905 (5 April 1905) | | Ernest Villiers | Liberal | | Bruce Vernon-Wentworth | Conservative |
| 1906 | | Ernest Villiers | Liberal | | Aurelian Ridsdale | Liberal |
| 1910 | | Rt Hon. George Tryon | Conservative | | Hon. Walter Rice | Conservative |
| 1911 | | Rt Hon. George Tryon | Conservative | | John Gordon | Conservative |
| 1914 | | Rt Hon. George Tryon | Conservative | | Charles Thomas-Stanford | Conservative |
| 1918 | | Rt Hon. George Tryon | Coalition Conservative | | Charles Thomas-Stanford | Coalition Conservative |
| 1922 | | Rt Hon. George Tryon | Conservative | | Cooper Rawson | Conservative |
| 1940 | | Lord Erskine $^2$ | Conservative | | Cooper Rawson | Conservative |
| 1941 | | Anthony Marlowe | Conservative | | Cooper Rawson | Conservative |
| 1944 | | Anthony Marlowe | Conservative | | William Teeling | Conservative |
| 1950 | constituency divided – see Brighton Kemptown, Brighton Pavilion and Hove | constituency divided – see Brighton Kemptown, Brighton Pavilion and Hove | constituency divided – see Brighton Kemptown, Brighton Pavilion and Hove | constituency divided – see Brighton Kemptown, Brighton Pavilion and Hove | constituency divided – see Brighton Kemptown, Brighton Pavilion and Hove | constituency divided – see Brighton Kemptown, Brighton Pavilion and Hove |
Notes:-
* $^1$ Marriott resigned his seat as a Liberal MP in February 1884, because of dissatisfaction with the foreign and Egyptian policy of the Liberal government. He was re-elected in March 1884 as a Conservative candidate.
* $^2$ Lord Erskine was a courtesy title. He was the heir apparent of The 12th Earl of Mar and 14th Earl of Kellie, but as he died before his father he never inherited the hereditary titles of his family.

## Elections
### Elections in the 1940s

1945 general election: Brighton :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | William Teeling | 49,339 | 30.8 | −7.4 |
| | Conservative | Anthony Marlowe | 49,026 | 30.6 | −7.4 |
| | Labour | Joseph Taylor Huddart | 31,074 | 19.4 | +7.3 |
| | Labour | GH Barnard | 30,844 | 19.2 | +7.5 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 17,952 | 11.2 | −14.7 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 160,283 | 64.3 | +2.6 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 124,714 | | |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Conservative hold |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Conservative hold |
1944 Brighton by-election :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | William Teeling | 14,594 | 53.6 | −22.6 |
| | National Independent | Bruce Dutton Briant | 12,635 | 46.4 | New |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 1,959 | 7.2 | −18.7 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 27,229 | 22.1 | −39.6 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 123,310 | | |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Conservative hold |
1941 Brighton by-election :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Anthony Marlowe | Unopposed | Unopposed | Unopposed |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Conservative hold |
1940 Brighton by-election :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | John Erskine | Unopposed | Unopposed | Unopposed |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Conservative hold |
Back to Elections

### Elections in the 1930s

General election 1935: Brighton :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | George Tryon | 60,913 | 38.2 | −4.5 |
| | Conservative | Cooper Rawson | 60,724 | 38.0 | −4.6 |
| | Labour | Alban Gordon | 19,287 | 12.1 | +4.7 |
| | Labour | Lewis Cohen | 18,743 | 11.7 | +4.4 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 41,437 | 25.9 | −9.3 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 159,667 | 61.7 | −6.6 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 129,356 | | |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Conservative hold |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Conservative hold |
General election 1931: Brighton :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Cooper Rawson | 75,205 | 42.7 | +13.6 |
| | Conservative | George Tryon | 74,993 | 42.6 | +13.6 |
| | Labour | Lewis Cohen | 12,952 | 7.4 | −4.8 |
| | Labour Co-op | Rosalind Moore | 12,878 | 7.3 | −4.4 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 62,041 | 35.2 | +18.4 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 176,028 | 68.3 | +3.2 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 128,779 | | |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Conservative hold |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Conservative hold |
Back to Elections

### Elections in the 1920s

General election 1929: Brighton :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Unionist | Cooper Rawson | 46,515 | 29.1 | −13.2 |
| | Unionist | George Tryon | 46,287 | 29.0 | −13.5 |
| | Labour | Laurence S Cheshire | 19,494 | 12.2 | −3.0 |
| | Labour | William McLaine | 18,770 | 11.7 | N/A |
| | Liberal | Cyril Berkeley Dallow | 14,770 | 9.3 | New |
| | Liberal | John Brudenell-Bruce | 13,816 | 8.7 | New |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 26,793 | 16.8 | −10.3 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 159,652 | 65.1 | +9.9 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 122,641 | | |
| | Unionist hold | Unionist hold | Unionist hold | Unionist hold | Unionist hold |
| | Unionist hold | Unionist hold | Unionist hold | Unionist hold | Unionist hold |
General election 1924: Brighton :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Unionist | George Tryon | 39,387 | 42.5 | +15.7 |
| | Unionist | Cooper Rawson | 39,253 | 42.3 | +15.8 |
| | Labour | Alban Gordon | 14,072 | 15.2 | +6.7 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 25,181 | 27.1 | +16.1 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 92,712 | 55.2 | −13.0 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 83,980 | | |
| | Unionist hold | Unionist hold | Unionist hold | Unionist hold | Unionist hold |
| | Unionist hold | Unionist hold | Unionist hold | Unionist hold | Unionist hold |
General election 1923: Brighton :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Unionist | George Tryon | 30,137 | 26.8 | −5.2 |
| | Unionist | Cooper Rawson | 29,759 | 26.5 | −3.5 |
| | Liberal | Walter Runciman | 17,462 | 15.5 | −9.2 |
| | Liberal | Henry Lunn | 16,567 | 14.7 | N/A |
| | Labour | Alban Gordon | 9,545 | 8.5 | New |
| | Labour | Herbert Carden | 9,040 | 8.0 | New |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 12,297 | 11.0 | +5.7 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 112,510 | 68.2 | +12.8 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 82,475 | | |
| | Unionist hold | Unionist hold | Unionist hold | Unionist hold | Unionist hold |
| | Unionist hold | Unionist hold | Unionist hold | Unionist hold | Unionist hold |
General election 1922: Brighton :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Unionist | George Tryon | 28,549 | 32.0 | −7.7 |
| | Unionist | Cooper Rawson | 26,844 | 30.0 | −9.2 |
| | Liberal | C. B. Fry | 22,059 | 24.7 | N/A |
| | Ind. Unionist | Harry Wheater | 11,913 | 13.3 | New |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 4,785 | 5.3 | −23.1 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 89,365 | 55.4 | +5.1 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 80,674 | | |
| | Unionist hold | Unionist hold | Unionist hold | Unionist hold | Unionist hold |
| | Unionist hold | Unionist hold | Unionist hold | Unionist hold | Unionist hold |
Back to Elections

### Elections in the 1910s

General election 1918: Brighton :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| C | Unionist | George Tryon | 32,958 | 39.7 | +8.9 |
| C | Unionist | Charles Thomas-Stanford | 32,561 | 39.2 | +8.4 |
| | Labour | Thomas Lewis | 8,971 | 10.8 | New |
| | Labour | George William Alfred Canter | 8,514 | 10.3 | New |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 23,590 | 28.4 | +16.8 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 83,004 | 50.3 | −31.6 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 82,449 | | |
| | Unionist hold | Unionist hold | Unionist hold | Unionist hold | Unionist hold |
| | Unionist hold | Unionist hold | Unionist hold | Unionist hold | Unionist hold |
| C indicates candidate endorsed by the coalition government. ||||||
1914 Brighton by-election :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Unionist | Charles Thomas-Stanford | Unopposed | Unopposed | Unopposed |
| | Unionist hold | Unionist hold | Unionist hold | Unionist hold | Unionist hold |
1911 Brighton by-election :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | John Gordon | Unopposed | Unopposed | Unopposed |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Conservative hold |
General election December 1910: Brighton :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | George Tryon | 10,780 | 30.8 | +0.4 |
| | Conservative | Walter Rice | 10,757 | 30.8 | +0.5 |
| | Liberal | Alfred Morris | 6,723 | 19.2 | −0.5 |
| | Liberal | Morres Nickalls | 6,699 | 19.2 | −0.4 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 4,034 | 11.6 | +1.0 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 4,034 | 81.9 | −7.4 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 21,427 | | |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Conservative hold |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Conservative hold |
General election January 1910: Brighton :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | George Tryon | 11,625 | 30.4 | +6.6 |
| | Conservative | Walter Rice | 11,567 | 30.3 | +6.5 |
| | Liberal | George Evatt | 7,506 | 19.7 | −6.7 |
| | Liberal | Morres Nickalls | 7,472 | 19.6 | −6.4 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 4,153 | 10.8 | N/A |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 4,061 | 10.6 | N/A |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 38,170 | 89.3 | +6.8 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 21,427 | | |
| | Conservative gain from Liberal | Conservative gain from Liberal | Conservative gain from Liberal | Conservative gain from Liberal | Conservative gain from Liberal |
| | Conservative gain from Liberal | Conservative gain from Liberal | Conservative gain from Liberal | Conservative gain from Liberal | Conservative gain from Liberal |
Back to Elections

### Elections in the 1900s

General election 1906: Brighton :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal | Ernest Villiers | 9,062 | 26.4 | N/A |
| | Liberal | Aurelian Ridsdale | 8,919 | 26.0 | N/A |
| | Conservative | George Tryon | 8,188 | 23.8 | −17.1 |
| | Conservative | John Gordon | 8,176 | 23.8 | −10.8 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 731 | 2.2 | N/A |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 886 | 2.6 | N/A |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 34,345 | 82.5 | +20.3 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 20,976 | | |
| | 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 |
1905 Brighton by-election :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal | Ernest Villiers | 8,209 | 52.6 | New |
| | Conservative | Gerald Loder | 7,392 | 47.4 | −28.1 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 817 | 5.2 | N/A |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 15,601 | 76.3 | +14.1 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 20,439 | | |
| | Liberal gain from Conservative | Liberal gain from Conservative | Liberal gain from Conservative | Liberal gain from Conservative | Liberal gain from Conservative |
General election 1900: Brighton :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Gerald Loder | 7,858 | 40.9 | +2.4 |
| | Conservative | Bruce Vernon-Wentworth | 6,626 | 34.6 | −2.0 |
| | Independent Protestant | John Kensit | 4,693 | 24.5 | New |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 1,933 | 10.1 | −1.6 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 19,177 | 62.2 | −12.2 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 18,634 | | |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Conservative hold |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Conservative hold |
Back to Elections

### Elections in the 1890s

General election 1895: Brighton :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Gerald Loder | 7,878 | 38.5 | +0.2 |
| | Conservative | Bruce Vernon-Wentworth | 7,490 | 36.6 | +1.6 |
| | Liberal | Joseph Ewart | 5,082 | 24.9 | −1.8 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 2,408 | 11.7 | +3.4 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 20,450 | 74.4 | −1.8 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 17,083 | | |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Conservative hold |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Conservative hold |
By-election, 14 December 1893 :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Bruce Vernon-Wentworth | Unopposed | Unopposed | Unopposed |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Conservative hold |
General election 1892: Brighton :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Gerald Loder | 7,807 | 38.3 | −2.9 |
| | Conservative | William Thackeray Marriott | 7,134 | 35.0 | −5.6 |
| | Liberal | Frederick William Maude | 5,448 | 26.7 | +8.5 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 1,686 | 8.3 | −14.1 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 20,389 | 76.2 | +18.4 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 16,883 | | |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Conservative hold |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Conservative hold |
Back to Elections

### Elections in the 1880s

1889 Brighton by-election :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Gerald Loder | 7,132 | 60.7 | −21.1 |
| | Liberal | Robert Peel | 4,625 | 39.3 | +21.1 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 2,507 | 21.4 | −1.0 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 11,757 | 76.8 | +19.0 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 15,307 | | |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | −21.1 | |
By-election, 29 November 1886 :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | William Tindal Robertson | Unopposed | Unopposed | Unopposed |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Conservative hold |
By-election, 11 August 1886 :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | William Thackeray Marriott | Unopposed | Unopposed | Unopposed |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Conservative hold |
General election 1886: Brighton :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | David Smith | 5,963 | 41.2 | +11.7 |
| | Conservative | William Thackeray Marriott | 5,875 | 40.6 | +11.1 |
| | Liberal | William Hall | 2,633 | 18.2 | −22.8 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 3,242 | 22.4 | +13.5 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 8,577 | 57.8 | −23.2 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 14,848 | | |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Conservative hold |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Conservative hold |
General election 1885: Brighton :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | William Thackeray Marriott | 7,047 | 29.5 | +4.8 |
| | Conservative | David Smith | 7,019 | 29.5 | +5.2 |
| | Liberal | John Webb Probyn | 4,899 | 20.6 | −4.9 |
| | Liberal | John Robert Hollond | 4,865 | 20.4 | −5.2 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 2,182 | 9.1 | N/A |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 2,120 | 8.9 | N/A |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 12,021 | 81.0 | +3.8 (est) |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 14,848 | | |
| | Conservative gain from Liberal | Conservative gain from Liberal | Swing | +4.9 | |
| | Conservative gain from Liberal | Conservative gain from Liberal | Swing | +5.2 | |
By-election, 10 Jul 1885: Brighton :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | William Thackeray Marriott | Unopposed | Unopposed | Unopposed |
| | Conservative gain from Liberal | Conservative gain from Liberal | Conservative gain from Liberal | Conservative gain from Liberal | Conservative gain from Liberal |
* Caused by Marriott's appointment as Judge Advocate General of the Armed Forces.
By-election, 3 Mar 1884: Brighton :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | William Thackeray Marriott | 5,478 | 57.7 | +8.7 |
| | Liberal | Robert Romer | 4,021 | 42.3 | −8.8 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 1,457 | 15.4 | N/A |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 9,499 | 71.2 | −6.0 (est) |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 13,340 | | |
| | Conservative gain from Liberal | Conservative gain from Liberal | Swing | +8.8 | |
* Caused by Marriott's decision to seek re-election as a Conservative.
General election 1880: Brighton :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal | John Robert Hollond | 4,913 | 25.6 | +3.1 |
| | Liberal | William Thackeray Marriott | 4,904 | 25.5 | +4.4 |
| | Conservative | James Lloyd Ashbury | 4,739 | 24.7 | −4.8 |
| | Conservative | Edward Field | 4,664 | 24.3 | −2.6 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 249 | 1.3 | N/A |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 165 | 0.8 | N/A |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 9,610 (est) | 77.2 (est) | +4.5 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 12,454 | | |
| | Liberal gain from Conservative | Liberal gain from Conservative | Swing | +4.0 | |
| | Liberal gain from Conservative | Liberal gain from Conservative | Swing | +3.5 | |
Back to Elections

### Elections in the 1870s

General election 1874: Brighton :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | James Lloyd Ashbury | 4,393 | 29.5 | +3.0 |
| | Conservative | Charles Cameron Shute | 3,995 | 26.9 | +15.7 |
| | Liberal | James White | 3,351 | 22.5 | −7.9 |
| | Liberal | Henry Fawcett | 3,130 | 21.1 | −6.9 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 1,263 | 9.4 | N/A |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 644 | 4.4 | N/A |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 7,435 (est) | 72.7 (est) | +9.2 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 10,228 | | |
| | Conservative gain from Liberal | Conservative gain from Liberal | Swing | +5.5 | |
| | Conservative gain from Liberal | Conservative gain from Liberal | Swing | +11.3 | |
Back to Elections

### Elections in the 1860s

General election 1868: Brighton :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal | James White | 3,342 | 30.4 | −8.6 |
| | Liberal | Henry Fawcett | 3,081 | 28.0 | −5.9 |
| | Conservative | James Lloyd Ashbury | 2,917 | 26.5 | +12.9 |
| | Conservative | Henry Moor | 1,232 | 11.2 | −2.4 |
| | Liberal | William Coningham | 432 | 3.9 | N/A |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 164 | 1.5 | −5.3 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 5,502 (est) | 63.5 (est) | −20.1 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 10,228 | | |
| | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Swing | −10.8 | |
| | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Swing | −1.8 | |
General election 1865: Brighton :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal | James White | 3,065 | 39.0 | −1.3 |
| | Liberal | Henry Fawcett | 2,665 | 33.9 | −2.7 |
| | Conservative | Henry Moor | 2,134 | 27.1 | +4.0 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 531 | 6.8 | −6.7 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 4,999 (est) | 83.6 (est) | +0.8 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 5,978 | | |
| | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Swing | −1.7 | |
| | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Swing | −2.4 | |
By-election, 16 Feb 1864: Brighton :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Henry Moor | 1,663 | 39.3 | +16.2 |
| | Liberal | Henry Fawcett | 1,468 | 34.7 | N/A |
| | Liberal | Julian Goldsmid | 775 | 18.3 | N/A |
| | Liberal | Francis Kuper Dumas | 246 | 5.8 | N/A |
| | Independent | Edward Harper | 82 | 1.9 | New |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 195 | 4.6 | N/A |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 4,234 | 77.9 | −4.9 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 5,434 | | |
| | Conservative gain from Liberal | Conservative gain from Liberal | Swing | | |
* Caused by Coningham's resignation.
By-election, 16 Jul 1860: Brighton :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal | James White | 1,588 | 47.0 | +6.7 |
| | Conservative | Henry Moor | 1,242 | 36.8 | +13.7 |
| | Liberal | Frederick Goldsmid | 548 | 16.2 | −20.4 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 346 | 10.2 | −3.3 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 3,378 | 70.6 | −12.2 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 4,786 | | |
| | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Swing | | |
* Caused by Pechell's death.
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### Elections in the 1850s

General election 1859: Brighton :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal | George Brooke-Pechell | 2,322 | 40.3 | −3.0 |
| | Liberal | William Coningham | 2,106 | 36.6 | +0.5 |
| | Conservative | Allan MacNab | 1,327 | 23.1 | +2.6 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 779 | 13.5 | −2.1 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 3,541 (est) | 82.8 (est) | +2.3 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 4,277 | | |
| | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Swing | −2.2 | |
| | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Swing | −0.4 | |
General election 1857: Brighton :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Whig | George Brooke-Pechell | 2,278 | 43.3 | +1.9 |
| | Radical | William Coningham | 1,900 | 36.1 | +8.3 |
| | Conservative | Alfred Hervey | 1,080 | 20.5 | −10.3 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 3,169 (est) | 80.5 (est) | −2.2 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 3,936 | | |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 378 | 7.2 | −3.4 |
| | Whig hold | Whig hold | Swing | +3.5 | |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 820 | 15.6 | N/A |
| | Radical gain from Conservative | Radical gain from Conservative | Swing | +6.7 | |
By-election, 4 January 1853: Brighton :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Alfred Hervey | Unopposed | Unopposed | Unopposed |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Conservative hold |
* Caused by Hervey's appointment as a Lord Commissioner of the Treasury
General election 1852: Brighton :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Whig | George Brooke-Pechell | 1,924 | 41.4 | −1.1 |
| | Conservative | Alfred Hervey | 1,431 | 30.8 | −2.7 |
| | Radical | John Salusbury-Trelawny | 1,173 | 25.2 | +13.2 |
| | Radical | John Ffooks | 119 | 2.6 | −9.4 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 3,039 (est) | 82.7 (est) | +16.1 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 3,675 | | |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 493 | 10.6 | +1.6 |
| | Whig hold | Whig hold | Swing | −1.5 | |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 258 | 5.6 | −3.9 |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | −2.3 | |
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### Elections in the 1840s

General election, 30 July 1847: Brighton (2 seats) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Whig | George Pechell | 1,571 | 42.5 | +2.1 |
| | Conservative | Alfred Hervey | 1,239 | 33.5 | +9.1 |
| | Radical | William Coningham | 886 | 24.0 | −12.6 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 1,848 (est) | 66.6 (est) | −18.7 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 2,776 | | |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 332 | 9.0 | +3.2 |
| | Whig hold | Whig hold | Swing | −1.2 | |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 353 | 9.5 | N/A |
| | Conservative gain from Radical | Conservative gain from Radical | Swing | +7.7 | |
By-election, 6 May 1842: Brighton :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Alfred Hervey | 1,277 | 66.1 | +41.7 |
| | Radical | Summers Harford | 640 | 33.1 | −1.5 |
| | Chartist | Charles Brooker | 16 | 0.8 | +0.3 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 637 | 33.0 | N/A |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 1,933 | 76.3 | −9.0 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 2,533 | | |
| | Conservative gain from Radical | Conservative gain from Radical | Swing | +21.6 | |
* Caused by Wigney's resignation by accepting the office of Steward of the Chiltern Hundreds after he was declared bankrupt
General election, 1 July 1841: Brighton (2 seats) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Whig | George Pechell | 1,443 | 40.4 | +2.9 |
| | Radical | Isaac Wigney | 1,235 | 34.6 | +0.5 |
| | Conservative | Adolphus Dalrymple | 872 | 24.4 | −4.0 |
| | Chartist | Charles Brooker | 19 | 0.5 | New |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 2,050 | 85.3 | +2.0 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 2,403 | | |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 208 | 5.8 | −3.3 |
| | Whig hold | Whig hold | Swing | +2.5 | |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 363 | 10.2 | N/A |
| | Radical gain from Conservative | Radical gain from Conservative | Swing | +1.3 | |
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### Elections in the 1830s

General election, 26 July 1837: Brighton (2 seats) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Whig | George Pechell | 1,083 | 37.5 | −2.0 |
| | Conservative | Adolphus Dalrymple | 819 | 28.4 | +8.6 |
| | Radical | Isaac Wigney | 801 | 27.8 | +6.3 |
| | Radical | George Faithfull | 183 | 6.3 | −12.9 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 1,640 | 83.3 | −6.7 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 1,968 | | |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 264 | 9.1 | −11.2 |
| | Whig hold | Whig hold | Swing | +0.7 | |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 18 | 0.6 | N/A |
| | Conservative gain from Radical | Conservative gain from Radical | Swing | +6.0 | |
General election, 8 & 9 January 1835: Brighton (2 seats) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Whig | George Pechell | 961 | 39.5 | +1.3 |
| | Radical | Isaac Wigney | 523 | 21.5 | −11.7 |
| | Conservative | Adolphus Dalrymple | 483 | 19.8 | +18.6 |
| | Radical | George Faithfull | 467 | 19.2 | −8.2 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 1,382 | 90.0 | +3.0 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 1,535 | | |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 494 | 20.3 | N/A |
| | Whig gain from Radical | Whig gain from Radical | Swing | +5.6 | |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 40 | 1.7 | −2.4 |
| | Radical hold | Radical hold | Swing | −10.5 | |
General election, 12 December 1832: Brighton (2 seats) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Radical | Isaac Wigney | 873 | 33.2 | |
| | Radical | George Faithfull | 722 | 27.4 | |
| | Whig | George Pechell | 613 | 23.3 | |
| | Whig | William Crawford | 391 | 14.9 | |
| | Tory | Adolphus Dalrymple | 32 | 1.2 | |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 109 | 4.1 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 1,434 | 87.0 | |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 1,649 | | |
| | Radical win (new seat) | Radical win (new seat) | Radical win (new seat) | Radical win (new seat) | Radical win (new seat) |
| | Radical win (new seat) | Radical win (new seat) | Radical win (new seat) | Radical win (new seat) | Radical win (new seat) |
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