# Whitehaven (UK Parliament constituency)

Whitehaven was a constituency centred on the town of Whitehaven in Cumberland, which returned one Member of Parliament (MP) to the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom.
It was created in 1832 and renamed Copeland at the 1983 general election.

## Boundaries

The boundaries were unaffected in 1885, under the second Great Reform agreed the previous year, its key limb of The Redistribution of Seats Act 1885 not yet absorbing the bulk of the area of Egremont or 'the Western Division of Cumberland'. The latter mainly rural area, much larger than Whitehaven borough which formed the existing seat, was added to the seat under the Representation of the People Act 1918.

## Members of Parliament

| Election | Member | Party |
| 1832 | Matthias Attwood | Tory |
| 1834 | Matthias Attwood | Conservative |
| 1847 | Robert Hildyard | Conservative |
| 1857 by-election | George Lyall | Conservative |
| 1865 | George Cavendish-Bentinck | Conservative |
| 1891 | Sir James Bain | Conservative |
| 1892 | Thomas Shepherd Little | Liberal |
| 1895 | Augustus Helder | Conservative |
| 1906 | William Burnyeat | Liberal |
| Jan. 1910 | John Arthur Jackson | Conservative |
| Dec. 1910 | Thomas Richardson | Labour |
| 1918 | James Augustus Grant | Coalition Conservative |
| 1922 | Thomas Gavan Duffy | Labour |
| 1924 | Robert Hudson | Conservative |
| 1929 | M. Philips Price | Labour |
| 1931 | William Nunn | Conservative |
| 1935 | Frank Anderson | Labour |
| 1959 by-election | Joseph Symonds | Labour |
| 1970 | Jack Cunningham | Labour |
| 1983 | constituency renamed (with unchanged boundaries), see Copeland | constituency renamed (with unchanged boundaries), see Copeland |

## Elections
### Elections in the 1830s

General election 1832: Whitehaven :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Tory | Matthias Attwood | 210 | 54.7 |
| | Whig | Isaac Littledale | 174 | 45.3 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 36 | 9.4 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 384 | 83.8 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 458 | |
| | Tory win (new seat) | Tory win (new seat) | Tory win (new seat) | Tory win (new seat) |
General election 1835: Whitehaven :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Matthias Attwood | Unopposed | Unopposed | Unopposed |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 460 | | |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Conservative hold |
General election 1837: Whitehaven :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Matthias Attwood | Unopposed | Unopposed | Unopposed |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 476 | | |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Conservative hold |

### Elections in the 1840s

General election 1841: Whitehaven :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Matthias Attwood | Unopposed | Unopposed | Unopposed |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 558 | | |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Conservative hold |
General election 1847: Whitehaven :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Robert Hildyard | Unopposed | Unopposed | Unopposed |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 543 | | |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Conservative hold |

### Elections in the 1850s

General election 1852: Whitehaven :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Robert Hildyard | Unopposed | Unopposed | Unopposed |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 512 | | |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Conservative hold |
General election 1857: Whitehaven :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Robert Hildyard | Unopposed | Unopposed | Unopposed |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 555 | | |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Conservative hold |
Hildyard's death caused a by-election.
By-election, 17 December 1857: Whitehaven :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | George Lyall | Unopposed | Unopposed | Unopposed |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Conservative hold |
General election 1859: Whitehaven :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | George Lyall | Unopposed | Unopposed | Unopposed |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 571 | | |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Conservative hold |

### Elections in the 1860s

General election 1865: Whitehaven :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | George Cavendish-Bentinck | Unopposed | Unopposed | Unopposed |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 648 | | |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Conservative hold |
General election 1868: Whitehaven :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | George Cavendish-Bentinck | 1,125 | 59.3 | N/A |
| | Liberal | Anthony Benn Steward | 771 | 40.7 | New |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 354 | 18.6 | N/A |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 1,896 | 76.0 | N/A |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 2,495 | | |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Conservative hold |

### Elections in the 1870s

General election 1874: Whitehaven :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | George Cavendish-Bentinck | Unopposed | Unopposed | Unopposed |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 2,431 | | |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Conservative hold |
Cavendish-Bentinck was appointed Judge Advocate General of the Armed Forces, causing a by-election.
By-election, 18 Dec 1875: Whitehaven :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | George Cavendish-Bentinck | 1,503 | 82.8 | N/A |
| | Liberal | Charles Thompson | 313 | 17.2 | New |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 1,190 | 65.6 | N/A |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 1,816 | 69.9 | N/A |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 2,599 | | |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | N/A | |

### Elections in the 1880s

General election 1880: Whitehaven :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | George Cavendish-Bentinck | 1,204 | 52.9 | N/A |
| | Liberal | William Gully | 1,072 | 47.1 | N/A |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 132 | 5.8 | N/A |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 2,276 | 86.8 | N/A |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 2,622 | | |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | N/A | |
General election 1885: Whitehaven :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | George Cavendish-Bentinck | 1,336 | 54.3 | +1.4 |
| | Liberal | William Gully | 1,125 | 45.7 | −1.4 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 211 | 8.6 | +2.8 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 2,461 | 91.6 | +4.8 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 2,687 | | |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | +1.4 | |
General election 1886: Whitehaven :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | George Cavendish-Bentinck | 1,216 | 52.3 | −2.0 |
| | Liberal | Henry Gordon Shee | 1,110 | 47.7 | +2.0 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 106 | 4.6 | −4.0 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 2,326 | 86.6 | −5.0 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 2,687 | | |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | -2.0 | |

### Elections in the 1890s

Cavendish-Bentinck's death caused a by-election.
By-election, 24 Apr 1891: Whitehaven :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | James Bain | 1,338 | 54.8 | +2.5 |
| | Liberal | Henry Gordon Shee | 1,105 | 45.2 | −2.5 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 233 | 9.6 | +5.0 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 2,443 | 90.0 | +3.4 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 2,713 | | |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | +2.5 | |
General election 1892: Whitehaven :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal | Thomas Shepherd Little | 1,306 | 54.6 | +6.9 |
| | Conservative | James Bain | 1,088 | 45.4 | −6.9 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 218 | 9.2 | N/A |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 2,394 | 88.7 | +2.1 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 2,700 | | |
| | Liberal gain from Conservative | Liberal gain from Conservative | Swing | +6.9 | |
General election 1895: Whitehaven :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Augustus Helder | 1,380 | 55.3 | +9.9 |
| | Liberal | Thomas Shepherd Little | 1,114 | 44.7 | −9.9 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 266 | 10.6 | N/A |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 2,494 | 90.8 | +2.1 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 2,746 | | |
| | Conservative gain from Liberal | Conservative gain from Liberal | Swing | +9.9 | |

### Elections in the 1900s

General election 1900: Whitehaven :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Augustus Helder | 1,553 | 63.9 | +8.6 |
| | Liberal | W McGowan | 876 | 36.1 | −8.6 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 677 | 27.8 | +17.2 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 2,429 | 86.0 | −4.8 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 2,824 | | |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | +8.6 | |
General election 1906: Whitehaven :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal | William Burnyeat | 1,507 | 55.8 | +19.7 |
| | Conservative | J. Robertson-Walker | 1,194 | 44.2 | −19.7 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 313 | 11.6 | N/A |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 2,701 | 91.7 | +5.7 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 2,945 | | |
| | Liberal gain from Conservative | Liberal gain from Conservative | Swing | +19.7 | |

### Elections in the 1910s

General election January 1910: Whitehaven :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | John Jackson | 1,188 | 41.5 | −2.7 |
| | Liberal | William Hood Wandless | 852 | 29.7 | −26.1 |
| | Labour | Andrew Sharp | 825 | 28.8 | New |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 336 | 11.8 | N/A |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 2,865 | 83.9 | +2.2 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 3,050 | | |
| | Conservative gain from Liberal | Conservative gain from Liberal | Swing | +11.7 | |
General election December 1910: Whitehaven :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Thomas Richardson | 1,414 | 53.7 | +24.9 |
| | Conservative | John Jackson | 1,220 | 46.3 | +4.8 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 194 | 7.4 | N/A |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 2,634 | 86.4 | −7.5 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 3,050 | | |
| | Labour gain from Conservative | Labour gain from Conservative | Swing | +10.1 | |
General election 1918: Whitehaven :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| C | Unionist | James Grant | 10,736 | 54.4 | +8.1 |
| | Labour | Thomas Gavan-Duffy | 9,016 | 45.6 | −8.1 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 1,720 | 8.8 | N/A |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 19,752 | 72.0 | −14.4 |
| | Unionist gain from Labour | Unionist gain from Labour | Swing | +8.1 | |
| C indicates candidate endorsed by the coalition government. ||||||

### Elections in the 1920s

General election 1922: Whitehaven :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Thomas Gavan-Duffy | 10,935 | 45.3 | −0.3 |
| | Unionist | James Grant | 8,956 | 37.2 | −17.2 |
| | Liberal | Henry Kenyon Campbell | 4,209 | 17.5 | New |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 1,979 | 8.1 | N/A |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 24,100 | 87.0 | +15.0 |
| | Labour gain from Unionist | Labour gain from Unionist | Swing | +8.4 | |
General election 1923: Whitehaven :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Thomas Gavan-Duffy | 12,419 | 53.0 | +7.7 |
| | Unionist | Robert Hudson | 11,029 | 47.0 | +9.8 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 1,390 | 6.0 | −2.1 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 23,448 | 83.1 | −3.9 |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | -1.0 | |
General election 1924: Whitehaven :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Unionist | Robert Hudson | 13,149 | 52.8 | +5.8 |
| | Labour | Thomas Gavan-Duffy | 11,741 | 47.2 | −5.8 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 1,408 | 5.6 | N/A |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 24,890 | 88.2 | −0.9 |
| | Unionist gain from Labour | Unionist gain from Labour | Swing | | |
General election 1929: Whitehaven :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | M. Philips Price | 14,034 | 46.8 | −0.4 |
| | Unionist | Robert Hudson | 12,382 | 41.3 | −11.5 |
| | Liberal | Henry Naylor | 3,558 | 11.9 | New |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 1,652 | 5.5 | N/A |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 29,974 | 88.1 | −0.1 |
| | Labour gain from Unionist | Labour gain from Unionist | Swing | | |

### Elections in the 1930s

General election 1931: Whitehaven :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | William Nunn | 16,286 | 53.3 | +12.0 |
| | Labour | M. Philips Price | 14,255 | 46.7 | −0.1 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 2,031 | 6.6 | N/A |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 30,541 | 89.6 | +1.5 |
| | Conservative gain from Labour | Conservative gain from Labour | Swing | | |
General election 1935: Whitehaven :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Frank Anderson | 14,794 | 48.9 | +2.2 |
| | Conservative | William Nunn | 14,442 | 47.8 | −5.5 |
| | Ind. Labour Party | Tom Stephenson | 1,004 | 3.3 | New |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 352 | 1.1 | N/A |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 30,240 | 87.3 | −2.3 |
| | Labour gain from Conservative | Labour gain from Conservative | Swing | | |

### Election in the 1940s

General election 1945: Whitehaven :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Frank Anderson | 18,568 | 61.1 | +12.2 |
| | Conservative | W.O. Hill | 11,821 | 38.9 | −8.9 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 6,747 | 22.2 | +21.1 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 30,389 | 82.8 | −4.5 |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | | |

### Elections in the 1950s

General election 1950: Whitehaven :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Labour | Frank Anderson | 22,850 | 60.00 |
| | Conservative | William Nunn | 15,233 | 40.00 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 7,617 | 20.00 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 38,083 | 87.04 |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | |
General election 1951: Whitehaven :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Labour | Frank Anderson | 23,190 | 59.19 |
| | Conservative | Godfrey William Iredell | 15,990 | 40.81 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 7,200 | 18.38 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 39,180 | 85.24 |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | |
General election 1955: Whitehaven :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Labour | Frank Anderson | 22,348 | 58.04 |
| | Conservative | Godfrey William Iredell | 16,154 | 41.96 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 6,194 | 16.08 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 38,502 | 83.78 |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | |
1959 Whitehaven by-election :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Joseph Symonds | 21,457 | 58.61 | +0.57 |
| | Conservative | Godfrey William Iredell | 15,151 | 41.39 | −0.57 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 6,306 | 17.22 | +1.14 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 36,608 | | |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | | |
General election 1959: Whitehaven :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Labour | Joseph Symonds | 22,783 | 57.77 |
| | Conservative | Howard Jardine Pedraza | 16,653 | 42.23 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 6,130 | 15.54 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 39,436 | 84.54 |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | |

### Elections in the 1960s

General election 1964: Whitehaven :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Labour | Joseph Symonds | 23,267 | 60.11 |
| | Conservative | Edmund Brudenell | 15,440 | 39.89 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 7,827 | 20.22 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 38,707 | 82.02 |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | |
General election 1966: Whitehaven :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Labour | Joseph Symonds | 22,726 | 61.99 |
| | Conservative | John A Kevill | 13,935 | 38.01 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 8,791 | 23.98 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 36,661 | 78.79 |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | |

### Elections in the 1970s

General election 1970: Whitehaven :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Labour | Jack Cunningham | 22,974 | 58.32 |
| | Conservative | W Graham McKay | 16,418 | 41.68 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 6,556 | 16.64 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 39,392 | 78.27 |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | |
General election February 1974: Whitehaven :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Labour | Jack Cunningham | 23,229 | 59.42 |
| | Conservative | P.B. Vose | 15,867 | 40.58 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 7,362 | 18.84 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 39,096 | 77.50 |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | |
General election October 1974: Whitehaven :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Jack Cunningham | 21,832 | 55.56 | |
| | Conservative | P.B. Vose | 11,899 | 30.28 | |
| | Liberal | M. Gilbert | 5,563 | 14.16 | New |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 9,933 | 25.28 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 39,294 | 77.10 | |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | | |
General election 1979: Whitehaven :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Jack Cunningham | 22,626 | 52.44 | |
| | Conservative | John Somers | 17,171 | 39.80 | |
| | Liberal | E. Akister | 2,559 | 5.93 | |
| | Independent | W. Dixon | 790 | 1.83 | New |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 5,455 | 12.64 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 43,146 | 81.74 | |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | | |

## Sources

* Leigh Rayment's Historical List of MPs – Constituencies beginning with "W" (part 3)
* Craig, F. W. S. (1989) [1977]. British parliamentary election results 1832–1885 (2nd ed.). Chichester: Parliamentary Research Services. p. 330. ISBN 0-900178-26-4.
* Craig, F. W. S. (1989) [1974]. British parliamentary election results 1885–1918 (2nd ed.). Chichester: Parliamentary Research Services. p. 208. ISBN 0-900178-27-2.
* Craig, F. W. S. (1983) [1969]. British parliamentary election results 1918–1949 (3rd ed.). Chichester: Parliamentary Research Services. p. 317. ISBN 0-900178-06-X.