# Bolton (UK Parliament constituency)

Bolton was a borough constituency centred on the town of Bolton in the county of Lancashire. It returned two Members of Parliament (MPs) to the House of Commons for the Parliament of the United Kingdom, elected by the bloc vote system.
Created by the Reform Act 1832, it was represented by two Members of Parliament. The constituency was abolished in 1950, being split into single-member divisions of Bolton East and Bolton West.

## Members of Parliament

| Election | 1st member | 1st member | 1st party | 2nd member | 2nd member | 2nd party |
| 1832 | | Robert Torrens | Whig | | William Bolling | Tory |
| 1834 | | Robert Torrens | Whig | | William Bolling | Conservative |
| 1835 | | Peter Ainsworth | Whig | | William Bolling | Conservative |
| 1837 | | Peter Ainsworth | Whig | | William Bolling | Conservative |
| 1841 | | Peter Ainsworth | Whig | | John Bowring | Radical |
| 1847 | | William Bolling | Conservative | | John Bowring | Radical |
| 1848 | | Stephen Blair | Conservative | | John Bowring | Radical |
| 1849 | | Stephen Blair | Conservative | | Sir Joshua Walmsley | Radicals |
| 1852 | | Thomas Barnes | Radical | | Joseph Crook | Radical |
| 1857 | | William Gray | Conservative | | Joseph Crook | Radical |
| 1859 | | William Gray | Conservative | | Joseph Crook | Liberal |
| 1861 | | William Gray | Conservative | | Thomas Barnes | Liberal |
| 1865 | | William Gray | Conservative | | Thomas Barnes | Liberal |
| 1868 | | William Gray | Conservative | | John Hick | Conservative |
| 1874 | | John Kynaston Cross | Liberal | | John Hick | Conservative |
| 1880 | | John Kynaston Cross | Liberal | | John Pennington Thomasson | Liberal |
| 1885 | | Herbert Shepherd-Cross | Unionist | | Francis Bridgeman | Unionist |
| 1886 | | Herbert Shepherd-Cross | Unionist | | Francis Bridgeman | Unionist |
| 1892 | | Herbert Shepherd-Cross | Unionist | | Francis Bridgeman | Unionist |
| 1895 | | Herbert Shepherd-Cross | Conservative | | George Harwood | Liberal |
| 1900 | | Herbert Shepherd-Cross | Conservative | | George Harwood | Liberal |
| 1906 | | Alfred Henry Gill | Labour | | George Harwood | Liberal |
| Jan 1910 | | Alfred Henry Gill | Labour | | George Harwood | Liberal |
| Dec 1910 | | Alfred Henry Gill | Labour | | George Harwood | Liberal |
| 1912 | | Alfred Henry Gill | Labour | | Thomas Taylor | Liberal |
| 1914 | | Robert Tootill | Labour | | Thomas Taylor | Liberal |
| 1916 | | Robert Tootill | Labour | | William Edge | Liberal |
| 1918 | | Robert Tootill | Labour | | William Edge | Coalition Liberal |
| 1922 | | William Russell | Conservative | | William Edge | National Liberal |
| 1923 | | Sir Herbert Cunliffe | Conservative | | Albert Law | Labour |
| 1924 | | Sir Herbert Cunliffe | Conservative | | Cecil Hilton | Unionist |
| 1929 | | Michael Brothers | Labour | | Albert Law | Labour |
| 1931 | | Sir John Haslam | Conservative | | Sir Cyril Entwistle | Conservative |
| 1935 | | Sir John Haslam | Conservative | | Sir Cyril Entwistle | Conservative |
| 1940 | | Sir Edward Cadogan | Conservative | | Sir Cyril Entwistle | Conservative |
| 1945 | | John Henry Jones | Labour | | John Lewis | Labour |
| 1950 | constituency abolished: see Bolton East & Bolton West | constituency abolished: see Bolton East & Bolton West | constituency abolished: see Bolton East & Bolton West | constituency abolished: see Bolton East & Bolton West | constituency abolished: see Bolton East & Bolton West | constituency abolished: see Bolton East & Bolton West |

## Boundaries

1832–1885: The township of Great Bolton, Little Bolton, and Haulgh, except the detached part of the township of Little Bolton which was situate to the north of the town of Bolton.
1885–1918: The existing parliamentary borough, and so much of the municipal borough of Bolton as was not already included in the parliamentary borough.

## Elections

Winning candidates are highlighted in bold.

### Elections in the 1830s

General election 1832: Bolton (2 seats) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Whig | Robert Torrens | 627 | 36.7 | |
| | Tory | William Bolling | 492 | 28.8 | |
| | Whig | John Ashton Yates | 482 | 28.2 | |
| | Radical | William Eagle | 107 | 6.3 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 935 | 89.9 | |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 1,040 | | |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 135 | 7.9 | |
| | Whig win (new seat) | Whig win (new seat) | Whig win (new seat) | Whig win (new seat) | Whig win (new seat) |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 10 | 0.6 | |
| | Tory win (new seat) | Tory win (new seat) | Tory win (new seat) | Tory win (new seat) | Tory win (new seat) |
General election 1835: Bolton (2 seats) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | William Bolling | 633 | 40.4 | +11.6 |
| | Whig | Peter Ainsworth | 590 | 37.7 | +9.5 |
| | Whig | Robert Torrens | 343 | 21.9 | −14.8 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 43 | 2.7 | +2.1 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 927 | 92.6 | +2.7 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 1,001 | | |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | +7.1 | |
| | Whig hold | Whig hold | Swing | +6.2 | |
General election 1837: Bolton (2 seats) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Whig | Peter Ainsworth | 615 | 34.9 | −2.8 |
| | Conservative | William Bolling | 607 | 34.5 | −5.9 |
| | Whig | Andrew Knowles | 538 | 30.6 | +8.7 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 1,079 | 80.5 | −12.1 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 1,340 | | |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 8 | 0.4 | |
| | Whig hold | Whig hold | Swing | +0.1 | |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 69 | 3.9 | +1.2 |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | −5.9 | |

### Elections in the 1840s

General election 1841: Bolton (2 seats) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Whig | Peter Ainsworth | 669 | 29.6 | −35.9 |
| | Radical | John Bowring | 614 | 27.2 | N/A |
| | Conservative | Peter Rothwell | 536 | 23.7 | +6.5 |
| | Conservative | William Bolling | 441 | 19.5 | +2.3 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 1,164 | 79.1 | −1.4 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 1,471 | | |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 55 | 2.4 | +2.0 |
| | Whig hold | Whig hold | Swing | −19.7 | |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 173 | 7.7 | N/A |
| | Radical gain from Conservative | Radical gain from Conservative | Swing | | |
General election 1847: Bolton (2 seats) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | William Bolling | 714 | 35.5 | −7.7 |
| | Radical | John Bowring | 652 | 32.4 | +5.2 |
| | Radical | John Brooks | 645 | 32.1 | N/A |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 69 | 3.4 | N/A |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 1,363 (est) | 92.1 (est) | +13.0 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 1,479 | | |
| | Conservative gain from Whig | Conservative gain from Whig | Swing | −6.5 | |
| | Radical hold | Radical hold | Swing | +4.5 | |
Bolling's death caused a by-election.
By-election, 12 September 1848: Bolton :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Stephen Blair | Unopposed | Unopposed | Unopposed |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Conservative hold |
Bowring resigned after being appointed Consul-General at Canton, China, causing a by-election.
By-election, 9 February 1849: Bolton :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Radical | Joshua Walmsley | 621 | 52.2 | −12.3 |
| | Conservative | Thomas Ridgway Bridson | 568 | 47.8 | +12.3 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 53 | 4.4 | N/A |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 1,189 | 82.7 | −9.4 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 1,437 | | |
| | Radical hold | Radical hold | Swing | −12.3 | |
Back to Elections

### Elections in the 1850s

General election 1852: Bolton (2 seats) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Radical | Thomas Barnes | 745 | 29.4 | −3.0 |
| | Radical | Joseph Crook | 727 | 28.7 | −3.4 |
| | Conservative | Stephen Blair | 717 | 28.3 | −7.2 |
| | Whig | Peter Ainsworth | 346 | 13.6 | N/A |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 10 | 0.4 | N/A |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 1,268 (est) | 75.9 (est) | −16.2 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 1,671 | | |
| | Radical hold | Radical hold | Swing | +0.3 | |
| | Radical gain from Conservative | Radical gain from Conservative | Swing | +0.1 | |
General election 1857: Bolton (2 seats) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | William Gray | 930 | 35.0 | +6.7 |
| | Radical | Joseph Crook | 895 | 33.7 | +5.0 |
| | Radical | Thomas Barnes | 832 | 31.3 | +1.9 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 98 | 3.7 | N/A |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 1,794 (est) | 92.8 (est) | +16.9 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 1,933 | | |
| | Conservative gain from Radical | Conservative gain from Radical | Swing | +1.6 | |
| | Radical hold | Radical hold | Swing | +0.8 | |
General election 1859: Bolton (2 seats) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | William Gray | Unopposed | Unopposed | Unopposed |
| | Liberal | Joseph Crook | Unopposed | Unopposed | Unopposed |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 2,050 | | |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Conservative hold |
| | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Liberal hold |
Back to Elections

### Elections in the 1860s

Crook's resignation caused a by-election.
By-election, 11 Feb 1861: Bolton (1 seat) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal | Thomas Barnes | Unopposed | Unopposed | Unopposed |
| | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Liberal hold |
General election 1865: Bolton (2 seats) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | William Gray | 1,022 | 28.5 | N/A |
| | Liberal | Thomas Barnes | 979 | 27.3 | N/A |
| | Liberal | Samuel Pope | 864 | 24.1 | N/A |
| | Liberal-Conservative | William Gibb | 727 | 20.2 | New |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 1,796 (est) | 82.2 (est) | N/A |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 2,186 | | |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 43 | 1.2 | N/A |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | N/A | |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 252 | 7.1 | N/A |
| | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Swing | N/A | |
General election 1868: Bolton (2 seats) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | John Hick | 6,062 | 26.6 | +12.3 |
| | Conservative | William Gray | 5,848 | 25.7 | +11.4 |
| | Liberal | Thomas Barnes | 5,451 | 23.9 | −3.4 |
| | Liberal | Samuel Pope | 5,436 | 23.8 | −0.3 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 611 | 2.7 | N/A |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 11,399 (est) | 90.1 (est) | +7.9 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 12,650 | | |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | +6.3 | |
| | Conservative gain from Liberal | Conservative gain from Liberal | Swing | +7.4 | |
Back to Elections

### Elections in the 1870s

General election 1874: Bolton (2 seats) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | John Hick | 5,987 | 26.2 | −0.4 |
| | Liberal | John Kynaston Cross | 5,782 | 25.3 | +1.4 |
| | Conservative | William Gray | 5,650 | 24.7 | −1.0 |
| | Liberal | James Knowles | 5,440 | 23.8 | 0.0 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 11,430 (est) | 90.7 (est) | +0.6 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 12,595 | | |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 205 | 0.9 | −1.8 |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | −0.2 | |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 132 | 0.6 | N/A |
| | Liberal gain from Conservative | Liberal gain from Conservative | Swing | +1.2 | |
Back to Elections

### Elections in the 1880s

General election 1880: Bolton (2 seats) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal | John Kynaston Cross | 6,964 | 26.2 | +0.9 |
| | Liberal | John Pennington Thomasson | 6,673 | 25.1 | +1.3 |
| | Conservative | Thomas Lever Rushton | 6,540 | 24.6 | −1.6 |
| | Conservative | Francis Bridgeman | 6,415 | 24.1 | −0.6 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 133 | 0.5 | N/A |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 13,296 (est) | 95.3 (est) | +4.6 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 13,956 | | |
| | Liberal gain from Conservative | Liberal gain from Conservative | Swing | +1.3 | |
| | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Swing | +1.0 | |
General election 1885: Bolton (2 seats) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Herbert Shepherd-Cross | 7,933 | 26.6 | +2.0 |
| | Conservative | Francis Bridgeman | 7,655 | 25.8 | +1.7 |
| | Liberal | John Kynaston Cross | 6,725 | 22.6 | −3.6 |
| | Liberal | John Pennington Thomasson | 6,228 | 21.0 | −4.1 |
| | Ind. Conservative | Henry Marriott Richardson | 1,191 | 4.0 | New |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 1,705 | 5.6 | N/A |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 930 | 3.2 | N/A |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 15,069 | 93.8 | −1.5 (est) |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 16,063 | | |
| | Conservative gain from Liberal | Conservative gain from Liberal | Swing | +2.8 | |
| | Conservative gain from Liberal | Conservative gain from Liberal | Swing | +2.9 | |
General election 1886: Bolton (2 seats) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Herbert Shepherd-Cross | 7,780 | 27.5 | +0.9 |
| | Conservative | Francis Bridgeman | 7,668 | 27.2 | +1.4 |
| | Liberal | Joseph Crook Haslam | 6,452 | 22.9 | +0.3 |
| | Liberal | Roger Charnock Richards | 6,314 | 22.4 | +1.4 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 1,216 | 4.3 | +1.1 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 14,167 | 88.2 | −5.6 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 16,063 | | |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | +0.3 | |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | +0.0 | |
Back to Elections

### Elections in the 1890s

General election 1892: Bolton (2 seats) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Herbert Shepherd-Cross | 8,429 | 26.6 | −0.9 |
| | Conservative | Francis Bridgeman | 8,140 | 25.7 | −1.5 |
| | Liberal | Frank Taylor | 7,575 | 23.9 | +1.0 |
| | Liberal | John Harwood | 7,536 | 23.8 | +1.4 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 565 | 1.8 | −2.5 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 31,680 | 89.6 | +1.4 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 17,772 | | |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | -1.0 | |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | -1.3 | |
General election 1895: Bolton (2 seats) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Herbert Shepherd-Cross | 8,594 | 31.0 | +4.4 |
| | Liberal | George Harwood | 8,453 | 30.6 | +6.7 |
| | Conservative | Francis Bridgeman | 7,901 | 28.6 | +2.9 |
| | Ind. Labour Party | Frederick Brocklehurst | 2,694 | 9.8 | N/A |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 27,642 | 92.1 | +2.5 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 18,183 | | |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 5,900 | 21.2 | +19.4 |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | −1.2 | |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 552 | 2.0 | N/A |
| | Liberal gain from Conservative | Liberal gain from Conservative | Swing | +1.9 | |
Back to Elections

### Elections in the 1900s

General election 1900: Bolton (2 seats) :
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| Conservative | Herbert Shepherd-Cross | Unopposed | Unopposed | Unopposed |
| Liberal | George Harwood | Unopposed | Unopposed | Unopposed |
| Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Conservative hold |
| Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Liberal hold |
General election 1906: Bolton (2 seats) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal | George Harwood | 10,953 | 39.0 | N/A |
| | Labour Repr. Cmte. | Alfred Henry Gill | 10,416 | 37.1 | New |
| | Conservative | George Goschen | 6,693 | 23.9 | N/A |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 3,723 | 13.2 | N/A |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 28,062 | 91.5 | N/A |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 20,388 | | |
| | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Liberal hold |
| | Labour Repr. Cmte. gain from Conservative | Labour Repr. Cmte. gain from Conservative | Labour Repr. Cmte. gain from Conservative | Labour Repr. Cmte. gain from Conservative | Labour Repr. Cmte. gain from Conservative |
Back to Elections

### Elections in the 1910s

General election January 1910: Bolton (2 seats) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal | George Harwood | 12,275 | 31.5 | −7.5 |
| | Labour | Alfred Henry Gill | 11,864 | 30.5 | −6.6 |
| | Conservative | Miles Walker Mattinson | 7,479 | 19.2 | −4.7 |
| | Conservative | Percy Ashworth | 7,326 | 18.8 | N/A |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 38,944 | 93.8 | +2.3 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 21,341 | | |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 4,796 | 12.3 | −2.8 |
| | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Swing | −0.5 | |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 4,385 | 11.3 | −1.9 |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | −1.0 | |
General election December 1910: Bolton (2 seats) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal | George Harwood | 10,358 | 35.5 | +4.0 |
| | Labour | Alfred Henry Gill | 10,108 | 34.7 | +4.2 |
| | Conservative | George Hesketh (soldier) | 8,697 | 29.8 | −8.2 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 29,163 | 89.3 | −4.5 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 21,341 | | |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 1,661 | 5.7 | −6.6 |
| | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Swing | +6.1 | |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 1,411 | 4.9 | −6.4 |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | +6.2 | |
Harwood's death causes a by-election.
1912 Bolton by-election (1 seat) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal | Thomas Taylor | 10,011 | 53.1 | +17.6 |
| | Unionist | Arthur Brooks | 8,835 | 46.9 | +17.1 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 1,176 | 6.2 | N/A |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 18,846 | 88.9 | −0.4 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 21,195 | | |
| | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Swing | N/A | |
Gill's death caused a by-election.
1914 Bolton by-election (1 seat) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Robert Tootill | Unopposed | Unopposed | Unopposed |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Labour hold | Labour hold | Labour hold |
Taylor's resignation causes a by-election.
1916 Bolton by-election (1 seat) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal | William Edge | Unopposed | Unopposed | Unopposed |
| | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Liberal hold |
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;
* Liberal: Thomas Taylor
* Labour: Robert Tootill
* Unionist: Thomas Clarke Pilling Gibbons
General election 1918: Bolton (2 seats) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| C | Liberal | William Edge | Unopposed | Unopposed | Unopposed |
| | Labour | Robert Tootill | Unopposed | Unopposed | Unopposed |
| | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Liberal hold |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Labour hold | Labour hold | Labour hold |
| C indicates candidate endorsed by the coalition government. ||||||
Back to Elections

### Elections in the 1920s

General election 1922: Bolton (2 seats) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Unionist | William Russell | 37,491 | 29.3 | New |
| | National Liberal | William Edge | 31,015 | 24.3 | N/A |
| | Labour | Samuel Lomax | 20,559 | 16.1 | N/A |
| | Labour | William James Abraham | 20,156 | 15.8 | N/A |
| | Liberal | Isaac Edwards | 18,534 | 14.5 | N/A |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 127,755 | 75.7 | N/A |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 84,342 | | |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 16,932 | 13.2 | N/A |
| | Unionist gain from Labour | Unionist gain from Labour | Swing | N/A | |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 10,859 | 8.5 | N/A |
| | National Liberal hold | National Liberal hold | Swing | N/A | |
General election 1923: Bolton (2 seats) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Albert Law | 25,133 | 18.6 | +2.5 |
| | Unionist | Herbert Cunliffe | 22,833 | 16.9 | −12.4 |
| | Unionist | Cecil Hilton | 22,640 | 16.8 | N/A |
| | Liberal | William Edge | 22,173 | 16.5 | −7.8 |
| | Labour | Fleming Eccles | 21,045 | 15.6 | −0.2 |
| | Liberal | John Fletcher Steele | 21,040 | 15.6 | +1.1 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 134,864 | 78.8 | +3.1 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 85,613 | | |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 2,960 | 2.1 | N/A |
| | Labour gain from Liberal | Labour gain from Liberal | Swing | +5.2 | |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 660 | 0.4 | −12.8 |
| | Unionist hold | Unionist hold | Swing | | |
General election 1924: Bolton (2 seats) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Unionist | Herbert Cunliffe | 34,690 | 23.7 | +6.8 |
| | Unionist | Cecil Hilton | 33,405 | 22.8 | +6.0 |
| | Labour | Albert Law | 30,632 | 20.9 | +2.3 |
| | Labour | William Harold Hutchinson | 28,918 | 19.8 | +4.2 |
| | Liberal | J. Percy Taylor | 10,036 | 6.9 | −9.6 |
| | Liberal | Alfred Ernest Holt | 8,558 | 5.9 | −9.7 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 146,239 | 84.7 | +5.9 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 86,366 | | |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 2,773 | 1.9 | N/A |
| | Unionist gain from Labour | Unionist gain from Labour | Swing | +2.3 | |
| | Unionist hold | Unionist hold | Swing | +1.9 | |
General election 1929: Bolton (2 seats) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Albert Law | 43,520 | 24.0 | +3.1 |
| | Labour | Michael Brothers | 37,888 | 20.9 | +1.1 |
| | Unionist | Cyril Entwistle | 36,667 | 20.3 | −3.4 |
| | Unionist | Cecil Hilton | 35,850 | 19.8 | −3.0 |
| | Liberal | Patrick Redmond Barry | 27,074 | 15.0 | +2.2 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 180,999 | 75.1 | −9.6 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 120,463 | | |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 7,670 | 4.2 | N/A |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 1,221 | 0.6 | N/A |
| | Labour gain from Unionist | Labour gain from Unionist | Swing | +3.3 | |
| | Labour gain from Unionist | Labour gain from Unionist | Swing | +2.1 | |
Back to Elections

### Elections in the 1930s

General election 1931: Bolton (2 seats) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Cyril Entwistle | 66,385 | 33.94 | |
| | Conservative | John Haslam | 63,402 | 32.42 | |
| | Labour | Albert Law | 33,737 | 17.25 | |
| | Labour | Michael Brothers | 32,049 | 16.39 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 195,572 | 79.56 | |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 29,666 | 15.17 | N/A |
| | Conservative gain from Labour | Conservative gain from Labour | Swing | | |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 34,336 | 17.55 | N/A |
| | Conservative gain from Labour | Conservative gain from Labour | Swing | | |
General election 1935: Bolton (2 seats) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Conservative | Cyril Entwistle | 54,129 | 29.05 |
| | Conservative | John Haslam | 52,465 | 28.15 |
| | Labour | Albert Law | 39,890 | 21.41 |
| | Labour | John Lynch | 39,871 | 21.40 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 186,355 | 75.07 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 12,575 | 6.64 |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 14,258 | 7.65 |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | |
Back to Elections

### Elections in the 1940s

General Election 1939–40:
Another General Election was required to take place before the end of 1940. The political parties had been making preparations for an election to take place from 1939 and by the end of this year, the following candidates had been selected;
* Conservative: Cyril Entwistle, John Haslam
* Labour: E Mellor
However, in the by-election held in 1940 no other parties contested the seat due to the War-time electoral pact meaning that the Conservative candidate Edward Cadogan was elected unopposed.
General election 1945: Bolton (2 seats) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Jack Jones | 44,595 | 23.99 | |
| | Labour | John Lewis | 43,266 | 23.28 | |
| | Conservative | Sir John Reynolds, 2nd Baronet | 31,217 | 16.79 | |
| | Conservative | Cyril Entwistle | 30,911 | 16.63 | |
| | Liberal | Robert Kewley Spedding | 18,180 | 9.78 | New |
| | Liberal | Brian Reginald Connell | 17,710 | 9.53 | New |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 185,879 | 77.2 | |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 13,378 | 7.20 | N/A |
| | Labour gain from Conservative | Labour gain from Conservative | Swing | | |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 12,355 | 6.65 | N/A |
| | Labour gain from Conservative | Labour gain from Conservative | Swing | | |
Back to Elections