# Darwen (UK Parliament constituency)

Darwen was a county constituency in Lancashire, centred on the town of Darwen. It returned one Member of Parliament to the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom from 1885 until it was abolished for the 1983 general election.
During the 1920s, the constituency was a fiercely contested marginal between the Liberal and Conservative Parties, with the sitting MP defeated at each election. At the 1924 general election, it saw a 92.7% turnout, a record for an English constituency. Following the defeat of Liberal leader Sir Herbert Samuel in 1935, the seat became a safe Conservative seat for the remainder of its existence.
It was largely replaced by the new Rossendale & Darwen constituency.

## Boundaries

1885–1918: The Boroughs of Over Darwen and Blackburn, the Sessional Divisions of Darwen and Walton-le-Dale, and parts of the Sessional Divisions of Blackburn and Clitheroe.
1918–1950: The Borough of Darwen, the Urban District of Turton, and the Rural District of Blackburn.
1950–1955: The Borough of Darwen, the Urban Districts of Turton and Withnell, and the Rural District of Blackburn. Withnell Urban District was added from the pre-1950 Chorley constituency.
1955–1983: The St. Andrew's, St. Francis's and St. Mark's wards of the County Borough of Blackburn, the Borough of Darwen, the Urban District of Turton, and the Rural District of Blackburn.

## Members of Parliament

| Election | Election | Member | Party |
| | 1885 | James Gascoyne-Cecil | Conservative |
| | 1892 | Charles Philip Huntington | Liberal |
| | 1895 | Ald. John Rutherford | Conservative |
| | Jan 1910 | Frederick George Hindle | Liberal |
| | Dec 1910 | Ald. John Rutherford | Conservative |
| | 1922 | Sir Frank Bernard Sanderson | Conservative |
| | 1923 | Frederick Hindle | Liberal |
| | 1924 | Sir Frank Bernard Sanderson | Conservative |
| | 1929 | Sir Herbert Samuel | Liberal |
| | 1935 | Stuart Russell | Conservative |
| | 1943 by-election | Stanley Prescott | Conservative |
| | 1951 | Sir Charles Fletcher-Cooke | Conservative |
| 1983 | 1983 | constituency abolished | constituency abolished |

## Election results
### Elections in the 1880s

General election 1885: Darwen :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | James Gascoyne-Cecil | 5,878 | 50.0 | |
| | Liberal | John Gerald Potter | 5,873 | 50.0 | |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 5 | 0.0 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 11,751 | 93.0 | |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 12,629 | | |
| | Conservative win (new seat) | Conservative win (new seat) | Conservative win (new seat) | Conservative win (new seat) | Conservative win (new seat) |
General election 1886: Darwen :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | James Gascoyne-Cecil | 6,085 | 53.2 | +3.2 |
| | Liberal | John Slagg | 5,359 | 46.8 | −3.2 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 726 | 6.4 | +6.4 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 11,444 | 90.6 | −2.4 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 12,629 | | |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | +3.2 | |

### Elections in the 1890s

General election 1892: Darwen :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal | Charles Huntington | 6,637 | 50.8 | +4.0 |
| | Conservative | James Gascoyne-Cecil | 6,423 | 49.2 | −4.0 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 214 | 1.6 | N/A |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 13,060 | 94.3 | +3.7 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 13,844 | | |
| | Liberal gain from Conservative | Liberal gain from Conservative | Swing | +4.0 | |
General election 1895: Darwen :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | John Rutherford | 7,058 | 53.2 | +4.0 |
| | Liberal | Charles Huntington | 6,217 | 46.8 | −4.0 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 841 | 6.4 | N/A |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 13,275 | 93.4 | −0.9 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 14,220 | | |
| | Conservative gain from Liberal | Conservative gain from Liberal | Swing | +4.0 | |

### Elections in the 1900s

General election 1900: Darwen :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | John Rutherford | 7,228 | 51.7 | −1.5 |
| | Liberal | Charles Huntington | 6,758 | 48.3 | +1.5 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 470 | 3.4 | −3.0 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 13,986 | 91.4 | −2.0 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 15,308 | | |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | −1.5 | |
General election 1906: Darwen :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | John Rutherford | 7,792 | 50.1 | −1.6 |
| | Liberal | Frederick Hindle | 7,767 | 49.9 | +1.6 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 25 | 0.2 | −3.2 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 15,559 | 94.0 | +2.6 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 16,544 | | |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | -1.6 | |

### Elections in the 1910s

General election January 1910: Darwen :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal | Frederick Hindle | 8,639 | 50.6 | +0.7 |
| | Conservative | John Rutherford | 8,428 | 49.4 | −0.7 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 211 | 1.2 | N/A |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 17,067 | 96.2 | +2.2 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 17,734 | | |
| | Liberal gain from Conservative | Liberal gain from Conservative | Swing | +0.7 | |
General election December 1910:Darwen :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | John Rutherford | 8,384 | 50.6 | +1.2 |
| | Liberal | Frederick Hindle | 8,169 | 49.4 | −1.2 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 215 | 1.2 | N/A |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 16,553 | 93.3 | −2.9 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 17,734 | | |
| | Conservative gain from Liberal | Conservative gain from Liberal | Swing | +1.2 | |
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 the July 1914, the following candidates had been selected;
* Unionist: John Rutherford
* Liberal: Frederick Hindle
General election 1918: Darwen :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| C | Unionist | John Rutherford | 9,014 | 40.5 | −10.1 |
| | Liberal | Frederick Hindle | 8,031 | 36.1 | −13.3 |
| | Labour | John McGurk | 5,211 | 23.4 | New |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 983 | 4.4 | +3.2 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 22,256 | 71.3 | −22.0 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 31,203 | | |
| | Unionist hold | Unionist hold | Swing | +1.6 | |
| C indicates candidate endorsed by the coalition government. ||||||

### Elections in the 1920s

General election 1922: Darwen :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Unionist | Frank Sanderson | 12,218 | 42.6 | +2.1 |
| | Liberal | Frederick Hindle | 11,944 | 41.6 | +5.5 |
| | Labour | John McGurk | 4,528 | 15.8 | −7.6 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 274 | 1.0 | −3.4 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 28,690 | 91.4 | +20.1 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 31,379 | | |
| | Unionist hold | Unionist hold | Swing | −1.7 | |
General election 1923: Darwen :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal | Frederick Hindle | 14,242 | 48.8 | +7.2 |
| | Unionist | Frank Sanderson | 11,432 | 39.1 | −3.5 |
| | Labour | George Thompson | 3,527 | 12.1 | −3.7 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 2,810 | 9.7 | N/A |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 29,201 | 90.6 | −0.8 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 32,220 | | |
| | Liberal gain from Unionist | Liberal gain from Unionist | Swing | +5.4 | |
General election 1924: Darwen :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Unionist | Frank Sanderson | 13,017 | 43.0 | +3.9 |
| | Liberal | Frederick Hindle | 12,082 | 39.9 | −8.9 |
| | Labour | Thomas Ramsden | 5,188 | 17.1 | +5.0 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 935 | 3.1 | N/A |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 30,287 | 92.7 | +2.1 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 32,671 | | |
| | Unionist gain from Liberal | Unionist gain from Liberal | Swing | +6.4 | |
General election 1929: Darwen :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal | Herbert Samuel | 15,714 | 40.9 | +1.0 |
| | Unionist | Frank Sanderson | 15,252 | 39.6 | −3.4 |
| | Labour | Thomas Ramsden | 7,504 | 19.5 | +2.4 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 462 | 1.3 | N/A |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 38,470 | 92.3 | −0.4 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 41,664 | | |
| | Liberal gain from Unionist | Liberal gain from Unionist | Swing | +2.2 | |

### Elections in the 1930s

General election 1931: Darwen :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Liberal | Herbert Samuel | 18,923 | 48.85 |
| | Conservative | Alan Graham | 14,636 | 37.78 |
| | Labour | Charles Rothwell | 5,184 | 13.38 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 4,287 | 11.07 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 38,743 | 92.18 |
| | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Swing | |
General election 1935: Darwen :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Conservative | Stuart Russell | 15,292 | 41.11 |
| | Liberal | Herbert Samuel | 14,135 | 37.99 |
| | Labour | Frances Kerby | 7,778 | 20.90 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 1,157 | 3.13 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 37,212 | 89.91 |
| | Conservative gain from Liberal | Conservative gain from Liberal | Swing | |

### Elections in the 1940s

A General election was due to take place before the end of 1940, but was postponed due to the Second World War. By 1939, the following candidates had been selected to contest this constituency;
* Conservative: Stuart Russell
* Liberal: Phillip Rea
* Labour: Ronald Haines
1943 Darwen by-election :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Stanley Prescott | 8,869 | 50.2 | +9.1 |
| | Independent Liberal | Honor Balfour | 8,799 | 49.8 | New |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 70 | 0.4 | −2.7 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 17,668 | 45.0 | −43.9 |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | | |
General election 1945: Darwen :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Conservative | Stanley Prescott | 13,623 | 41.43 |
| | Labour | Ronald Haines | 11,282 | 34.31 |
| | Liberal | Honor Balfour | 7,979 | 24.26 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 2,341 | 7.12 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 32,884 | 82.68 |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | |

### Elections in the 1950s

General election 1950: Darwen :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Stanley Prescott | 17,903 | 48.5 | +7.1 |
| | Labour | Ronald Haines | 13,334 | 36.1 | +1.8 |
| | Liberal | James Booth | 5,656 | 15.3 | −9.0 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 4,569 | 12.4 | +5.3 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 36,893 | 89.6 | +6.9 |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | | |
General election 1951: Darwen :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Charles Fletcher-Cooke | 17,785 | 48.6 | +0.1 |
| | Labour | Ronald Haines | 14,605 | 39.9 | +3.8 |
| | Liberal | Roy Francis Leslie | 4,236 | 11.6 | −3.7 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 3,180 | 8.7 | −3.7 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 36,626 | 88.6 | −1.0 |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | | |
General election 1955: Darwen :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Charles Fletcher-Cooke | 26,729 | 58.7 | +10.1 |
| | Labour | Ronald Haines | 18,813 | 41.3 | +1.4 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 7,916 | 17.4 | +8.7 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 45,542 | 82.3 | −6.3 |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | | |
General election 1959: Darwen :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Charles Fletcher-Cooke | 27,483 | 59.0 | +0.3 |
| | Labour | Trevor Park | 19,141 | 41.0 | −1.3 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 8,342 | 18.0 | +0.6 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 46,624 | 84.1 | +1.8 |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | | |

### Elections in the 1960s

General election 1964: Darwen :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Charles Fletcher-Cooke | 20,343 | 41.9 | −17.1 |
| | Labour | Bob Cryer | 15,559 | 32.0 | −9.0 |
| | Liberal | Stephen C. Holt | 12,641 | 26.0 | New |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 4,784 | 9.9 | −8.0 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 48,543 | 83.7 | −0.4 |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | | |
General election 1966: Darwen :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Charles Fletcher-Cooke | 20,598 | 42.2 | +0.3 |
| | Labour | Brian Whittam | 18,863 | 38.6 | +6.6 |
| | Liberal | Stephen C. Holt | 9,339 | 19.1 | −6.9 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 1,735 | 3.6 | −6.3 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 48,800 | 82.6 | −1.1 |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | | |

### Elections in the 1970s

General election 1970: Darwen :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Charles Fletcher-Cooke | 26,728 | 52.4 | +10.2 |
| | Labour | Brian Whittam | 17,634 | 34.6 | −4.0 |
| | Liberal | Alan Cooper | 6,663 | 13.1 | −6.0 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 9,094 | 17.8 | +14.2 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 51,025 | 76.6 | −6.0 |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | | |
General election February 1974: Darwen :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Charles Fletcher-Cooke | 25,495 | 44.9 | −7.5 |
| | Labour | Dale Campbell-Savours | 16,185 | 28.5 | −6.1 |
| | Liberal | Alan Cooper | 15,060 | 26.5 | +13.4 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 9,310 | 16.4 | −1.4 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 56,740 | 81.0 | +4.4 |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | | |
General election October 1974: Darwen :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Charles Fletcher-Cooke | 23,577 | 43.6 | −1.3 |
| | Labour | Dale Campbell-Savours | 17,926 | 33.2 | +4.7 |
| | Liberal | Alan Cooper | 12,572 | 23.3 | −3.2 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 5,651 | 10.4 | −6.0 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 54,075 | 76.6 | −4.4 |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | | |
General election 1979: Darwen :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Charles Fletcher-Cooke | 30,789 | 52.6 | +9.0 |
| | Labour | Louise Ellman | 17,763 | 30.4 | −2.8 |
| | Liberal | Alan Cooper | 9,928 | 17.0 | −6.3 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 13,026 | 22.3 | +11.9 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 58,480 | 78.0 | +1.4 |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | | |