# Ashburton (UK Parliament constituency)

Ashburton (also known as Mid Devon) was a borough constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament at Westminster, for the Parliaments of 1295 and 1407, and regularly from 1640 until it was abolished for the 1868 general election. It was one of three Devon borough constituencies newly enfranchised (or re-enfranchised after a gap of centuries) in the Long Parliament. It returned two Members of Parliament until the 1832 general election when the number was reduced to one MP.
From the 1885 general election Ashburton was revived as a county division of Devon. It returned one member until it was abolished from the 1918 general election.

## Boundaries
### 1885-1918

The Sessional Divisions of Crockernwell and Teignbridge.

## Members of Parliament
### Ashburton borough 1398–1868

* 1407 Richard Hurston, Walter Denys
Ashburton re-enfranchised by Parliament in Nov 1640

#### MPs 1640–1832

| Election | | First member | First party | | Second member | Second party |
| November 1640 | | Sir John Northcote | Parliamentarian | | Sir Edmund Fowell | Parliamentarian |
| December 1648 | Northcote and Fowell excluded in Pride's Purge – both seats vacant | Northcote and Fowell excluded in Pride's Purge – both seats vacant | Northcote and Fowell excluded in Pride's Purge – both seats vacant | Northcote and Fowell excluded in Pride's Purge – both seats vacant | Northcote and Fowell excluded in Pride's Purge – both seats vacant | Northcote and Fowell excluded in Pride's Purge – both seats vacant |
| 1653 | Ashburton was unrepresented in the Barebones Parliament and the First and Second Parliaments of the Protectorate | Ashburton was unrepresented in the Barebones Parliament and the First and Second Parliaments of the Protectorate | Ashburton was unrepresented in the Barebones Parliament and the First and Second Parliaments of the Protectorate | Ashburton was unrepresented in the Barebones Parliament and the First and Second Parliaments of the Protectorate | Ashburton was unrepresented in the Barebones Parliament and the First and Second Parliaments of the Protectorate | Ashburton was unrepresented in the Barebones Parliament and the First and Second Parliaments of the Protectorate |
| January 1659 | | Thomas Reynell | | | John Fowell | |
| May 1659 | Not represented in the restored Rump | Not represented in the restored Rump | Not represented in the restored Rump | Not represented in the restored Rump | Not represented in the restored Rump | Not represented in the restored Rump |
| April 1660 | | Sir William Courtenay | | | John Fowell | |
| 1661 | | Sir George Sondes | | | John Fowell | |
| 1677 | | William Stawell | | | Rawlin Mallock | |
| February 1679 | | William Stawell | | | Thomas Reynell | |
| September 1679 | | Richard Duke of Otterton | | | Thomas Reynell | |
| 1681 | | William Stawell | | | Thomas Reynell | |
| 1685 | | William Stawell | | | Edward Yarde | |
| 1689 | | Sir Walter Yonge | | | Thomas Reynell | |
| 1690 | | William Stawell | | | Sir Richard Reynell | |
| 1695 | | William Stawell | | | Richard Duke of Otterton | |
| 1701 | | William Stawell | | | Sir Thomas Lear | |
| 1702 | | Richard Reynell | | | Sir Thomas Lear | |
| 1705 | | Richard Reynell | | | Gilbert Yarde | |
| January 1708 | | Richard Reynell | | | Roger Tuckfield | Whig |
| May 1708 | | Robert Balle | | | Roger Tuckfield | Whig |
| 1710 | | Richard Lloyd | | | Roger Tuckfield | Whig |
| March 1711 | | Richard Reynell | | | George Courtenay | |
| March 1711 | | Richard Reynell | | | Andrew Quick | |
| 1713 | | Richard Reynell | | | Roger Tuckfield | Whig |
| 1734 | | Sir William Yonge | Whig | | Roger Tuckfield | Whig |
| 1735 | | Thomas Bladen | | | Roger Tuckfield | Whig |
| 1739 | | Thomas Bladen | | | Joseph Taylor | |
| 1741 | | John Harris | | | John Arscott | |
| 1754 | | John Harris | | | The Viscount Midleton | |
| 1761 | | John Harris | | | Hon. Thomas Walpole | |
| 1767 | | Robert Palk | Tory | | Hon. Thomas Walpole | |
| 1768 | | Laurence Sulivan | Tory | | Charles Boone | Tory |
| 1774 | | Robert Palk | Tory | | Charles Boone | Tory |
| 1784 | | Robert Palk | Tory | | Robert Mackreth | Tory |
| 1787 | | Lawrence Palk | Tory | | Robert Mackreth | Tory |
| 1796 | | Walter Palk | Tory | | Robert Mackreth | Tory |
| 1802 | | Walter Palk | Tory | | Sir Hugh Inglis | Tory |
| 1806 | | Walter Palk | Tory | | Hon. Gilbert Elliot | Tory |
| 1807 | | Walter Palk | Tory | | Lord Charles Bentinck | Tory |
| 1811 | | John Sullivan | Tory | | Lord Charles Bentinck | Tory |
| 1812 | | John Sullivan | Tory | | Richard Preston | Tory |
| 1818 | | Sir Lawrence Vaughan Palk | Tory | | Sir John Copley | Tory |
| 1826 | | Sir Lawrence Vaughan Palk | Tory | | William Sturges Bourne | Tory |
| 1830 | | Sir Lawrence Vaughan Palk | Tory | | Charles Arbuthnot | Tory |
| February 1831 | | Sir Lawrence Vaughan Palk | Tory | | William Stephen Poyntz | Whig |
| May 1831 | | Robert Torrens | Whig | | William Stephen Poyntz | Whig |
| 1832 | Representation reduced to one Member | Representation reduced to one Member | Representation reduced to one Member | Representation reduced to one Member | Representation reduced to one Member | Representation reduced to one Member |

#### MPs 1832–1868

| Election | | Member | Party |
| 1832 | | William Stephen Poyntz | Whig |
| 1835 | | Charles Lushington | Whig |
| 1841 | | William Jardine | Whig |
| 1843 by-election | | James Matheson | Whig |
| 1847 | | Thomas Matheson | Whig |
| 1852 | | George Moffatt | Radical |
| 1859 | | John Harvey Astell | Conservative |
| 1865 | | Robert Jardine | Liberal |
| 1868 | Constituency abolished | Constituency abolished | Constituency abolished |

### Mid or Ashburton division of Devon 1885–1918

| Election | | Member | Party |
| 1885 | | Charles Seale-Hayne | Liberal |
| 1904 by-election | | Harry Eve | Liberal |
| 1908 by-election | | Ernest Morrison-Bell | Liberal Unionist |
| January 1910 | | Charles Buxton | Liberal |
| December 1910 | | Ernest Morrison-Bell | Conservative |
| 1918 | Constituency abolished | Constituency abolished | Constituency abolished |

## Elections
### Elections in the 1830s

General election 1830: Ashburton :
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| Tory | Lawrence Vaughan Palk | Unopposed | Unopposed | Unopposed |
| Tory | Charles Arbuthnot | Unopposed | Unopposed | Unopposed |
| Tory hold | Tory hold | Tory hold | Tory hold | Tory hold |
| Tory hold | Tory hold | Tory hold | Tory hold | Tory hold |
Arbuthnot resigned by accepting the office of Steward of the Chiltern Hundreds, causing a by-election.
By-election, 25 February 1831: Ashburton :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Whig | William Stephen Poyntz | Unopposed | Unopposed | Unopposed |
| | Whig gain from Tory | Whig gain from Tory | Whig gain from Tory | Whig gain from Tory | Whig gain from Tory |
General election 1831: Ashburton :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Whig | William Stephen Poyntz | 74 | 45.7 | N/A |
| | Whig | Robert Torrens | 47 | 29.0 | N/A |
| | Tory | Lawrence Vaughan Palk | 41 | 25.3 | N/A |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 6 | 3.7 | N/A |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 81 (est) | 80.2 (est) | N/A |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 101 | | |
| | Whig gain from Tory | Whig gain from Tory | Swing | N/A | |
| | Whig gain from Tory | Whig gain from Tory | Swing | N/A | |
General election 1832: Ashburton :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Whig | William Stephen Poyntz | Unopposed | Unopposed | Unopposed |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 198 | | |
| | Whig hold | Whig hold | Whig hold | Whig hold | Whig hold |
General election 1835: Ashburton :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Whig | Charles Lushington | 89 | 55.6 | N/A |
| | Conservative | John Horsley Palmer | 71 | 44.4 | New |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 18 | 11.2 | N/A |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 160 | 84.2 | N/A |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 190 | | |
| | Whig hold | Whig hold | Swing | N/A | |
General election 1837: Ashburton :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Whig | Charles Lushington | 98 | 53.0 | −2.6 |
| | Conservative | William John Utten Browne | 87 | 47.0 | +2.6 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 11 | 6.0 | −5.2 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 185 | 81.9 | −2.3 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 226 | | |
| | Whig hold | Whig hold | Swing | −2.6 | |

### Elections in the 1840s

General election 1841: Ashburton :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Whig | William Jardine | Unopposed | Unopposed | Unopposed |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 280 | | |
| | Whig hold | Whig hold | Whig hold | Whig hold | Whig hold |
Jardine's death caused a by-election.
By-election, 8 March 1843: Ashburton :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Whig | James Matheson | 141 | 59.5 | N/A |
| | Conservative | John Horsley Palmer | 96 | 40.5 | New |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 45 | 19.0 | N/A |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 237 | 87.8 | N/A |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 270 | | |
| | Whig hold | Whig hold | Swing | N/A | |
General election 1847: Ashburton :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Whig | Thomas Matheson | Unopposed | Unopposed | Unopposed |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 262 | | |
| | Whig hold | Whig hold | Whig hold | Whig hold | Whig hold |

### Elections in the 1850s

General election 1852: Ashburton :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Radical | George Moffatt | Unopposed | Unopposed | Unopposed |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 236 | | |
| | Radical gain from Whig | Radical gain from Whig | Radical gain from Whig | Radical gain from Whig | Radical gain from Whig |
General election 1857: Ashburton :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Radical | George Moffatt | Unopposed | Unopposed | Unopposed |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 182 | | |
| | Radical hold | Radical hold | Radical hold | Radical hold | Radical hold |
General election 1859: Ashburton :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | John Harvey Astell | 91 | 50.3 | New |
| | Liberal | George Moffatt | 90 | 49.7 | N/A |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 1 | 0.6 | N/A |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 181 | 92.3 | N/A |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 196 | | |
| | Conservative gain from Liberal | Conservative gain from Liberal | Swing | N/A | |

### Elections in the 1860s

General election 1865: Ashburton :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal | Robert Jardine | Unopposed | Unopposed | Unopposed |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 350 | | |
| | Liberal gain from Conservative | Liberal gain from Conservative | Liberal gain from Conservative | Liberal gain from Conservative | Liberal gain from Conservative |

### Elections in the 1880s

General election 1885: Ashburton :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal | Charles Seale-Hayne | 4,433 | 58.2 | N/A |
| | Conservative | William James Harris | 3,182 | 41.8 | New |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 1,251 | 16.4 | N/A |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 7,615 | 81.9 | N/A |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 9,300 | | |
| | Liberal win (new seat) | Liberal win (new seat) | Liberal win (new seat) | Liberal win (new seat) | Liberal win (new seat) |
General election 1886: Ashburton :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal | Charles Seale-Hayne | 3,413 | 53.2 | −5.0 |
| | Liberal Unionist | Richard Martin | 3,007 | 46.8 | +5.0 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 406 | 6.4 | −10.0 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 6,420 | 69.0 | −12.9 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 9,300 | | |
| | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Swing | -5.0 | |

### Elections in the 1890s

General election 1892: Ashburton :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal | Charles Seale-Hayne | 4,361 | 54.4 | +1.2 |
| | Conservative | Charles Robert Collins | 3,650 | 45.6 | −1.2 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 711 | 8.8 | +2.4 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 8,011 | 85.3 | +16.3 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 9,392 | | |
| | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Swing | +1.2 | |
General election 1895: Ashburton :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal | Charles Seale-Hayne | 4,380 | 52.4 | −2.0 |
| | Conservative | John A Nix | 3,976 | 47.6 | +2.0 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 4.4 | 4.8 | −4.0 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 8,356 | 85.9 | +0.6 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 9,726 | | |
| | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Swing | -2.0 | |

### Elections in the 1900s

General election 1900: Ashburton :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal | Charles Seale-Hayne | 4,487 | 54.7 | +2.3 |
| | Conservative | John A Nix | 3,716 | 45.3 | −2.3 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 771 | 9.4 | +4.6 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 8,203 | 83.9 | −2.0 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 9,777 | | |
| | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Swing | +2.3 | |
1904 Ashburton by-election :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal | Harry Eve | 5,034 | 58.6 | +3.9 |
| | Conservative | Richard Harrison | 3,558 | 41.4 | −3.9 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 1,476 | 17.2 | +7.8 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 8,592 | 85.1 | +1.2 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 10,097 | | |
| | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Swing | +3.9 | |
General election 1906: Ashburton :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal | Harry Eve | 5,079 | 57.3 | +2.6 |
| | Conservative | Ernest Morrison-Bell | 3,790 | 42.7 | −2.6 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 1,289 | 14.6 | +5.2 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 8,869 | 85.0 | +1.1 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 10,429 | | |
| | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Swing | +2.6 | |
1908 Ashburton by-election :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Ernest Morrison-Bell | 5,191 | 52.8 | +10.1 |
| | Liberal | Charles Buxton | 4,632 | 47.2 | −10.1 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 559 | 5.6 | N/A |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 9,823 | 89.5 | +4.5 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 10,976 | | |
| | Conservative gain from Liberal | Conservative gain from Liberal | Swing | +10.1 | |

### Elections in the 1910s

General election January 1910: Ashburton :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal | Charles Buxton | 5,668 | 51.1 | +3.9 |
| | Conservative | Ernest Morrison-Bell | 5,421 | 48.9 | −3.9 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 247 | 2.2 | 7.8 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 11,089 | 92.6 | +3.1 |
| | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Swing | +3.9 | |
General election December 1910: Ashburton :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Ernest Morrison-Bell | 5,579 | 51.6 | +2.7 |
| | Liberal | Charles Buxton | 5,225 | 48.4 | −2.7 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 354 | 3.2 | N/A |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 10,804 | 90.2 | −2.4 |
| | Conservative gain from Liberal | Conservative gain from Liberal | Swing | +2.7 | |
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: Ernest Morrison-Bell
* Liberal: