# North Lancashire (UK Parliament constituency)

North Lancashire was a county constituency of the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. It was represented by two Members of Parliament. The constituency was created by the Great Reform Act 1832 by the splitting of Lancashire constituency into Northern and Southern divisions.

## Great Reform Act 1832

The Representation of the People Act 1832 reformed the distribution of seats in England and Wales. It introduced the principle of splitting the shire counties into divisions and returning two Members for each division rather than for the whole county and it also reformed the parliamentary boroughs that were entitled to send Members to Parliament. Schedule A listed boroughs that were to be abolished and it included Newton. Schedule B listed boroughs to return a single Member to subsequent parliaments and Clitheroe was listed.
Schedules C and D of the act listed the newly created parliamentary boroughs. Those in schedule C were to return two members and these included Manchester, Bolton, Blackburn and Oldham in Lancashire. Those in schedule D were to become single seat boroughs and included Ashton-under-Lyne, Bury, Rochdale, Salford, and Warrington.
Schedule F of the act listed the counties to be divided into two divisions, both of which would return two Members. Lancashire was one of those listed. The Boundary Commission proposals that followed the act, published in 1832, made recommendations on the boundaries of the parliamentary boroughs and divisions of counties that had been listed in schedule F.9 These were then implemented by the Parliamentary Boundaries Act 1832.
The divisions of the county were based on the hundreds of Lancashire. The hundreds of Amounderness, Blackburn, Leyland and Lonsdale were allocated to the Northern division, and the Salford and West Derby hundreds were allocated to the Southern division. The boundary of the two divisions extended approximately from Southport to Wigan, north to Chorley, and then east, passing south of Haslingden, to the Bacup area.
The result of these changes meant the total parliamentary representation for Lancashire in the reformed House of Commons was 26, an increase of 12. Lancashire benefited more than any other county as a result of these reforms.
The constituency was abolished by the Redistribution of Seats Act 1885, being divided into five single member divisions of Barrow-in-Furness, Blackpool, Chorley, Lancaster, and North Lonsdale.

## Boundaries

1832–1868: The Hundreds of Lonsdale, Amounderness, Leyland and Blackburn.
1868–1885: The Hundreds of Lonsdale, Amounderness and Leyland.

## Members of Parliament

* Constituency created (1832)
| Election | 1st Member | 1st Member | 1st Party | 2nd Member | 2nd Member | 2nd Party |
| 1832 | | John Wilson-Patten | Tory | | Hon. Edward Stanley | Whig |
| 1834 | | John Wilson-Patten | Conservative | | Hon. Edward Stanley | Whig |
| 1837 | | John Wilson-Patten | Conservative | | Hon. Edward Stanley | Conservative |
| 1844 by-election | | John Wilson-Patten | Conservative | | John Talbot Clifton | Conservative |
| 1846 | | John Wilson-Patten | Peelite | | John Talbot Clifton | Conservative |
| 1847 | | John Wilson-Patten | Peelite | | James Heywood | Whig |
| 1852 | | John Wilson-Patten | Conservative | | James Heywood | Whig |
| 1857 | | John Wilson-Patten | Conservative | | Lord Cavendish of Keighley | Whig |
| 1859 | | John Wilson-Patten | Conservative | | Lord Cavendish of Keighley | Liberal |
| 1868 | | John Wilson-Patten | Conservative | | Hon. Frederick Stanley | Conservative |
| 1874 by-election | | Thomas Henry Clifton | Conservative | | Hon. Frederick Stanley | Conservative |
| 1880 | | Joseph Feilden | Conservative | | Hon. Frederick Stanley | Conservative |
| 1885 | Constituency abolished (1885) | Constituency abolished (1885) | Constituency abolished (1885) | Constituency abolished (1885) | Constituency abolished (1885) | Constituency abolished (1885) |

## Elections
### Elections in the 1830s

General election 1832: North Lancashire :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Tory | John Wilson-Patten | Unopposed | Unopposed |
| | Whig | Edward Smith-Stanley | Unopposed | Unopposed |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 6,593 | |
| | Tory win (new seat) | Tory win (new seat) | Tory win (new seat) | Tory win (new seat) |
| | Whig win (new seat) | Whig win (new seat) | Whig win (new seat) | Whig win (new seat) |
Smith-Stanley was appointed as Secretary of State for War and the Colonies, requiring a by-election.
By-election, 12 April 1833: North Lancashire :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Whig | Edward Smith-Stanley | Unopposed | Unopposed |
| | Whig hold | Whig hold | Whig hold | Whig hold |
General election 1835: North Lancashire :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Conservative | John Wilson-Patten | Unopposed | Unopposed |
| | Whig | Edward Smith-Stanley | Unopposed | Unopposed |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 6,581 | |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Conservative hold |
| | Whig hold | Whig hold | Whig hold | Whig hold |
General election 1837: North Lancashire :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Conservative | John Wilson-Patten | Unopposed | Unopposed |
| | Conservative | Edward Smith-Stanley | Unopposed | Unopposed |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 9,691 | |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Conservative hold |
| | Conservative gain from Whig | Conservative gain from Whig | Conservative gain from Whig | Conservative gain from Whig |

### Elections in the 1840s

General election 1841: North Lancashire :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | John Wilson-Patten | Unopposed | Unopposed | Unopposed |
| | Conservative | Edward Smith-Stanley | Unopposed | Unopposed | Unopposed |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 10,031 | | |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Conservative hold |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Conservative hold |
Smith-Stanley was appointed Secretary of State for War and the Colonies, requiring a by-election.
By-election, 21 September 1841: North Lancashire :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Edward Smith-Stanley | Unopposed | Unopposed | Unopposed |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Conservative hold |
Smith-Stanley resigned, causing a by-election.
By-election, 20 September 1844: North Lancashire :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | John Talbot Clifton | Unopposed | Unopposed | Unopposed |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Conservative hold |
General election 1847: North Lancashire :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Peelite | John Wilson-Patten | Unopposed | Unopposed | Unopposed |
| | Whig | James Heywood | Unopposed | Unopposed | Unopposed |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 11,846 | | |
| | Peelite gain from Conservative | Peelite gain from Conservative | Peelite gain from Conservative | Peelite gain from Conservative | Peelite gain from Conservative |
| | Whig gain from Conservative | Whig gain from Conservative | Whig gain from Conservative | Whig gain from Conservative | Whig gain from Conservative |

### Elections in the 1850s

General election 1852: North Lancashire :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | John Wilson-Patten | Unopposed | Unopposed | Unopposed |
| | Whig | James Heywood | Unopposed | Unopposed | Unopposed |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 12,297 | | |
| | Conservative gain from Peelite | Conservative gain from Peelite | Conservative gain from Peelite | Conservative gain from Peelite | Conservative gain from Peelite |
| | Whig hold | Whig hold | Whig hold | Whig hold | Whig hold |
General election 1857: North Lancashire :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | John Wilson-Patten | Unopposed | Unopposed | Unopposed |
| | Whig | Spencer Cavendish | Unopposed | Unopposed | Unopposed |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 12,352 | | |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Conservative hold |
| | Whig hold | Whig hold | Whig hold | Whig hold | Whig hold |
General election 1859: North Lancashire :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | John Wilson-Patten | Unopposed | Unopposed | Unopposed |
| | Liberal | Spencer Cavendish | Unopposed | Unopposed | Unopposed |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 12,183 | | |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Conservative hold |
| | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Liberal hold |

### Elections in the 1860s

Cavendish was appointed a Civil Lord of the Admiralty, requiring a by-election.
By-election, 24 March 1863: North Lancashire :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal | Spencer Cavendish | Unopposed | Unopposed | Unopposed |
| | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Liberal hold |
General election 1865: North Lancashire :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | John Wilson-Patten | Unopposed | Unopposed | Unopposed |
| | Liberal | Spencer Cavendish | Unopposed | Unopposed | Unopposed |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 13,006 | | |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Conservative hold |
| | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Liberal hold |
Cavendish was appointed Secretary of State for War, requiring a by-election.
By-election, 28 February 1866: North Lancashire :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal | Spencer Cavendish | Unopposed | Unopposed | Unopposed |
| | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Liberal hold |
Wilson-Patten was appointed Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, requiring a by-election.
By-election, 1 July 1867: North Lancashire :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | John Wilson-Patten | Unopposed | Unopposed | Unopposed |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Conservative hold |
General election 1868: North Lancashire :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Frederick Stanley | 6,832 | 36.3 | N/A |
| | Conservative | John Wilson-Patten | 6,681 | 35.5 | N/A |
| | Liberal | Spencer Cavendish | 5,296 | 28.2 | N/A |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 1,536 | 8.1 | N/A |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 12,053 (est) | 83.7 (est) | N/A |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 14,399 | | |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Conservative hold |
| | Conservative gain from Liberal | Conservative gain from Liberal | Conservative gain from Liberal | Conservative gain from Liberal | Conservative gain from Liberal |

### Elections in the 1870s

General election 1874: North Lancashire :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | John Wilson-Patten | Unopposed | Unopposed | Unopposed |
| | Conservative | Frederick Stanley | Unopposed | Unopposed | Unopposed |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 14,690 | | |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Conservative hold |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Conservative hold |
Patten was elevated to the peerage, becoming Lord Winmarleigh, causing a by-election.
By-election, 26 Mar 1874: North Lancashire :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Thomas Henry Clifton | Unopposed | Unopposed | Unopposed |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Conservative hold |
Stanley was appointed Secretary of State for War, requiring a by-election.
By-election, 8 Apr 1878: North Lancashire :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Frederick Stanley | Unopposed | Unopposed | Unopposed |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Conservative hold |

### Elections in the 1880s

General election 1880: North Lancashire :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Frederick Stanley | 8,172 | 36.8 | N/A |
| | Conservative | Joseph Feilden | 7,505 | 33.8 | N/A |
| | Liberal | Thomas Storey | 6,500 | 29.3 | New |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 1,005 | 4.5 | N/A |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 14,672 (est) | 86.0 (est) | N/A |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 17,057 | | |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | N/A | |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | N/A | |
Stanley was appointed Secretary of State for the Colonies, requiring a by-election.
By-election, 2 Jul 1885: North Lancashire :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Frederick Stanley | Unopposed | Unopposed | Unopposed |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Conservative hold |