# Pontefract (UK Parliament constituency)

Pontefract was an English parliamentary constituency centred on the town of Pontefract in the West Riding of Yorkshire, which returned two Members of Parliament to the House of Commons briefly in the 13th century and again from 1621 until 1885, and one member from 1885 to 1974.

## History
### In the unreformed Parliaments (1295–1832)

Pontefract had representation in the Model Parliament of 1295, and in that which followed it in 1298, but gained a continuous franchise only from 1621. The constituency was a parliamentary borough, returning two members, consisting only of the town of Pontefract itself.
Until 1783, Pontefract was a burgage borough, where the right to vote was attached to the holders of about 325 specified properties in the borough. As in most burgage boroughs, the majority of the burgage tenements were concentrated in a small number of hands, giving their owners an effective stranglehold on the choice of representatives; but, since an individual could not vote more than once in person, however, many of the burgages he controlled, such a majority could only be exercised by conveying each of the properties to a reliable nominee at election time. In Pontefract the two chief landowners in the first half of the 18th century, George Morton Pitt and Lord Galway, owned between them a narrow majority of the burgages, but rather than putting in dummy voters to enforce their control they had preferred to reach an amicable settlement at each election with the remaining small burgage holders, who were mostly residents of the town. Consequently, the inhabitants generally had some voice in the choice of their MPs, as well as benefiting from the monetary outlay that the patrons expended to secure their goodwill.
However, in 1766 Pitt sold his burgages to John Walsh, who persuaded Galway to join him in abandoning canvassing and treating of the other voters, instead bringing in "faggot voters" to enforce their majority. At the next general election, in 1768, the indignant inhabitants put up their own candidates (Sir Rowland Winn and his brother), and a riot on polling day prevented the imported voters from reaching the polling booth. The election was declared void and Walsh's nominee duly returned at the by-election, but the townsmen refused to abandon their quest.
Defeated in 1774, when Charles James Fox stood as one of their candidates, they petitioned against the result, but the Commons upheld the burgage franchise. But in 1783, when they tried again, the Commons abandoned its usual practice of refusing to reconsider a decision on a constituency's franchise, and declared that the right to vote was properly vested in all the (male) resident householders; this remained the case for the final half-century of the unreformed Parliament.
By the time of the Great Reform Act 1832, roughly 800 householders qualified to vote, and 699 did so in the contested election of 1830; the borough at this period had a total population of just under 5,000. Nevertheless, Pontefract still classed as a pocket borough, where the Earl of Harewood had the effective power to choose one of its two MPs.

### After the Reform Act 1832

The Reform Act 1832 extended the boundaries of the constituency, bringing in the neighbouring townships of Tanshelf, Monkhill, Knottingley, Ferrybridge and Carleton, as well as Pontefract Castle and Pontefract Park, which had previously been excluded. This doubled the population to just over 10,000, in 4,832 houses.
In 1872 Pontefract became the first British constituency to hold a parliamentary election by secret ballot, at a by-election held shortly after the act of Parliament ending the old practice of open voting had come into effect. There was considerable interest in the outcome, many observers believing that support for the parties might be drastically different once voters were able to make their choice in secret; but in the event the shares of the vote were much as they had been at the previous general election. Hugh Childers was re-elected on 15 August 1872 following his appointment as Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster. The Pontefract museum holds the original ballot box, sealed in wax with a liquorice stamp.
The third Reform Act, which came into effect at the general election of 1885, reduced Pontefract's representation from two members to one, though the boundaries remained essentially unchanged. In 1918, Pontefract became a county constituency, with boundaries extended to cover a much wider area – Pontefract itself, the towns of Knottingley and Goole, and the Pontefract and Goole rural districts.
At the 1950 general election Pontefract regained its borough status, being redrawn as a wholly urban constituency consisting of Pontefract, Castleford and Featherstone. From February 1974, the constituency was renamed Pontefract and Castleford, although its composition remained unchanged.

## Members of Parliament
### 1621–1640

| Parliament | First member | Second member |
| Right to return members restored, 1621 |||
| 1621 | George Shilleto | Sir Edwin Sandys, jnr |
| 1623 | Sir Henry Holcroft | Sir Thomas Wentworth |
| 1623 | Sir John Jackson | Sir Thomas Wentworth |
| 1625 | Sir John Jackson | Richard Beaumont |
| 1626 | Sir John Jackson | Sir Francis Foljambe, 1st Baronet |
| 1628 | Sir John Ramsden | Sir John Jackson |
| 1629–1640 | No Parliaments summoned | No Parliaments summoned |

### 1640–1885

| Year | Year | Year | First member | First party | Second member | Second party |
| | | April 1640 | John Ramsden | Royalist | Sir George Wentworth (1) | Royalist |
| | | November 1640 | Sir George Wentworth (1) | Royalist | Sir George Wentworth (2) | Royalist |
| | | September 1642 | Wentworth disabled to sit – seat vacant | Wentworth disabled to sit – seat vacant | | Sir George Wentworth (2) | Royalist |
| | | January 1644 | Wentworth disabled to sit – seat vacant | Wentworth disabled to sit – seat vacant | Wentworth disabled to sit – seat vacant | Wentworth disabled to sit – seat vacant |
| | | 1645 | Henry Arthington | | Wentworth disabled to sit – seat vacant | Wentworth disabled to sit – seat vacant |
| | | 1646 | Henry Arthington | | William White | |
| | | 1653 | Pontefract was unrepresented in the Barebones Parliament and the First and Second Parliaments of the Protectorate | Pontefract was unrepresented in the Barebones Parliament and the First and Second Parliaments of the Protectorate | Pontefract was unrepresented in the Barebones Parliament and the First and Second Parliaments of the Protectorate | Pontefract was unrepresented in the Barebones Parliament and the First and Second Parliaments of the Protectorate |
| | | January 1659 | John Hewley | | John Lambert | |
| | | May 1659 | William White | | One seat vacant | One seat vacant |
| | | 1660 | William Lowther | | Sir George Savile, Bt. | |
| | | 1661 | William Lowther | | Sir John Dawnay | |
| | | 1679 | Sir Patience Ward | | Sir John Dawnay | |
| | | 1685 | Sir Thomas Yarburgh | | Sir John Dawnay | |
| | | 1690 | Henry Dawnay | | Sir John Bland, Bt. | |
| | | 1695 | Sir William Lowther | | Robert Monckton | |
| | | 1698 | Sir John Bland, Bt. | | John Bright | |
| | | 1701 | Sir John Bland, Bt. | | William Lowther | |
| | | 1710 | Sir John Bland, Bt. | | Robert Frank | |
| | | 1713 | John Dawnay | | Robert Frank | |
| | | 1716 | Sir William Lowther, 1st Baronet | | Hugh Bethell | |
| | | 1722 | Sir William Lowther, 1st Baronet | | John Lowther | |
| | | 1729 | Sir William Lowther, 2nd Baronet | | John Lowther | |
| | | 1730 | Sir William Lowther, 2nd Baronet | | John Mordaunt | |
| | | 1734 | Sir William Lowther, 2nd Baronet | | John Monckton | |
| | | 1741 | George Morton Pitt | | John Monckton | |
| | | 1747 | George Morton Pitt | | William Monckton | |
| | | 1749 | George Morton Pitt | | John Monckton | |
| | | 1751 | George Morton Pitt | | Robert Monckton | |
| | | 1754 | William Monckton-Arundell | | Sambrooke Freeman | |
| | | 1761 | William Monckton-Arundell | | William Gerard Hamilton | |
| | | March 1768 | William Monckton-Arundell | | Sir Rowland Winn | |
| | | December 1768 | William Monckton-Arundell | | Henry Strachey | |
| | | 1772 | Henry Monckton-Arundell | | Henry Strachey | |
| | | March 1774 | Robert Monckton | | Henry Strachey | |
| | | October 1774 | Sir John Goodricke, Bt. | | Charles Mellish | |
| | | 1780 | William Nedham | | Robert Monckton-Arundell | |
| | | February 1783 | William Nedham | | Nathaniel Smith | |
| | | April 1783 | William Nedham | | John Smyth | Whig |
| | | 1784 | William Sotheron | | John Smyth | Whig |
| | | 1796 | Robert Monckton-Arundell | | John Smyth | Whig |
| | | 1802 | Richard Benyon | | John Smyth | Whig |
| | | 1806 | Robert Pemberton Milnes | Tory | John Smyth | Whig |
| | | 1807 | Robert Pemberton Milnes | Tory | John Savile | Tory |
| | | October 1812 | Robert Pemberton Milnes | Tory | Henry Lascelles | Tory |
| | | December 1812 | Robert Pemberton Milnes | Tory | John Savile | Tory |
| | | 1818 | Thomas Houldsworth | Tory | John Savile | Tory |
| | | 1826 | Thomas Houldsworth | Tory | Le Gendre Starkie | Tory |
| | | 1830 | Hon. Henry Stafford-Jerningham | Whig | Sir Culling Eardley, Bt. | Tory |
| | | 1831 | Hon. Henry Stafford-Jerningham | Whig | John Savile | Tory |
| | | 1832 | Hon. Henry Stafford-Jerningham | Whig | John Gully | Whig |
| | | 1835 | John Savile | Conservative | John Gully | Whig |
| | | 1837 | Richard Monckton Milnes | Conservative | William Stanley-Massey-Stanley | Whig |
| | | 1841 | Richard Monckton Milnes | Conservative | John Savile | Conservative |
| | | 1847 | Richard Monckton Milnes | Conservative | Samuel Martin | Whig |
| | | 1851 | Richard Monckton Milnes | Conservative | Hon. Beilby Lawley | Whig |
| | | 1852 | Richard Monckton Milnes | Conservative | Benjamin Oliveira | Whig |
| | | 1857 | Richard Monckton Milnes | Whig | William Wood | Whig |
| | | 1859 | Richard Monckton Milnes | Liberal | William Overend | Conservative |
| | | 1860 | Richard Monckton Milnes | Liberal | Hugh Childers | Liberal |
| | | 1863 | Samuel Waterhouse | Conservative | Hugh Childers | Liberal |
| | | 1880 | Sidney Woolf | Liberal | Hugh Childers | Liberal |
| 1885 | 1885 | 1885 | Representation reduced to one member | Representation reduced to one member | Representation reduced to one member | Representation reduced to one member |

### 1885–1974

| Election | Election | Member | Party | Notes |
| 1885 | 1885 | reduced to one member | reduced to one member |
| | 1885 | Rowland Winn | Conservative |
| | February 1893 | Sir Harold Reckitt | Liberal |
| | June 1893 | Thomas Nussey | Liberal |
| | 1910 | Frederick Handel Booth | Liberal |
| | 1918 | Sir Joseph Compton-Rickett | Coalition Liberal |
| | 1919 | Walter Forrest | Coalition Liberal |
| | 1922 | Tom Smith | Labour |
| | 1924 | Christopher Brooke | Unionist |
| | 1929 | Tom Smith | Labour |
| | 1931 | Thomas E. Sotheron-Estcourt | Conservative |
| | 1935 | Adam Hills | Labour |
| | 1941 by-election | Percy Barstow | Labour |
| | 1950 | George Sylvester | Labour | Died October 1961 |
| | 1962 by-election | Joe Harper | Labour |
| Feb 1974 | Feb 1974 | constituency abolished: see Pontefract & Castleford | constituency abolished: see Pontefract & Castleford |
Notes
* ↑ Holcroft also stood for Stockbridge, winning both but chose to represent Stockbridge so a writ was issued to elect another MP for Pontefract.
* ↑ Wentworth was disabled from sitting in the House of Commons for "disserting the service of the House and being in the King's quarters".
* ↑ Lambert was also elected for Aldborough but chose to sit for Pontefract.
* ↑ Dawnay had also been elected for Aldborough, but a petition against the result there had not been resolved by the time the Parliament was dissolved. Not being required to choose which constituency he would represent while there was an outstanding petition against one of the elections, he sat for both boroughs throughout the Parliament
* ↑ At the general election of 1715, Dawnay and Frank were declared re-elected, but on petition the result was overturned and their opponents, Bethell and Lowther, seated in their place
* ↑ After an election petition, Mellish was declared elected in Pontefract as well as in Boroughbridge but chose to sit for Pontefract.
* ↑ Lascelles was also elected for Yorkshire, which he chose to represent, and never sat for Pontefract
* ↑ Lawley was ennobled as Baron Wenlock in May 1852 but no new writ was ordered.

## Elections
### Elections in the 1830s

General election 1830: Pontefract (2 seats) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Tory | Culling Eardley Smith | 529 | 41.4 | |
| | Whig | Henry Stafford-Jerningham | 413 | 32.3 | |
| | Whig | Robert Torrens | 337 | 26.3 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 699 | c. 85.2 | |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | c. 820 | | |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 116 | 9.1 | |
| | Tory hold | Tory hold | Swing | | |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 76 | 6.0 | N/A |
| | Whig gain from Tory | Whig gain from Tory | Swing | | |
General election 1831: Pontefract (2 seats) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Tory | John Savile | Unopposed | Unopposed |
| | Whig | Henry Stafford-Jerningham | Unopposed | Unopposed |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | c. 820 | |
| | Tory hold | Tory hold | Tory hold | Tory hold |
| | Whig hold | Whig hold | Whig hold | Whig hold |
General election 1832: Pontefract (2 seats) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Whig | Henry Stafford-Jerningham | Unopposed | Unopposed |
| | Whig | John Gully | Unopposed | Unopposed |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 956 | |
| | Whig hold | Whig hold | Whig hold | Whig hold |
| | Whig gain from Tory | Whig gain from Tory | Whig gain from Tory | Whig gain from Tory |
General election 1835: Pontefract (2 seats) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Whig | John Gully | 509 | 34.3 |
| | Conservative | John Savile | 498 | 33.5 |
| | Whig | Alexander Raphael | 478 | 32.2 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | c. 743 | c. 86.1 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 862 | |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 11 | 0.8 |
| | Whig hold | Whig hold | Whig hold | Whig hold |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 20 | 1.3 |
| | Conservative gain from Whig | Conservative gain from Whig | Conservative gain from Whig | Conservative gain from Whig |
General election 1837: Pontefract (2 seats) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Richard Monckton Milnes | 507 | 49.1 | +15.6 |
| | Whig | Sir William Stanley-Massey-Stanley, 10th Baronet | 403 | 39.0 | +4.7 |
| | Whig | Culling Eardley Smith | 123 | 11.9 | −20.3 |
| | Conservative | Henry Gompertz | 0 | 0.0 | N/A |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 679 | 85.4 | c. −0.7 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 795 | | |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 104 | 10.1 | +8.8 |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | +15.6 | |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 280 | 27.1 | +26.3 |
| | Whig hold | Whig hold | Swing | −1.6 | |

### Elections in the 1840s

General election 1841: Pontefract (2 seats) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | John Savile | 464 | 40.3 | −8.8 |
| | Conservative | Richard Monckton Milnes | 433 | 37.7 | +37.7 |
| | Whig | John Gully | 253 | 22.0 | −28.9 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 180 | 15.7 | +5.6 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 632 | 88.8 | +3.4 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 712 | | |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | +2.8 | |
| | Conservative gain from Whig | Conservative gain from Whig | Swing | +26.1 | |
General election 1847: Pontefract (2 seats) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Whig | Samuel Martin | 415 | 36.9 | +14.9 |
| | Conservative | Richard Monckton Milnes | 365 | 32.4 | −5.3 |
| | Conservative | Thomas Henry Preston | 346 | 30.7 | −9.6 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 69 | 6.2 | N/A |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 563 (est) | 82.2 (est) | −6.6 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 685 | | |
| | Whig gain from Conservative | Whig gain from Conservative | Swing | +14.9 | |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | −6.4 | |

### Elections in the 1850s

Martin resigned after being appointed a judge of the Court of the Exchequer, causing a by-election.
By-election, 13 February 1851: Pontefract :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Whig | Beilby Lawley | 427 | 78.8 | +41.9 |
| | Conservative | John Savile | 115 | 21.2 | −41.9 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 312 | 57.6 | +51.4 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 542 | 80.3 | −1.9 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 675 | | |
| | Whig hold | Whig hold | Swing | +41.9 | |
General election 1852: Pontefract (2 seats) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Richard Monckton Milnes | 433 | 39.9 | +7.5 |
| | Whig | Benjamin Oliveira | 338 | 31.2 | −5.7 |
| | Conservative | William David Lewis | 313 | 28.9 | −1.8 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 542 (est) | 79.2 (est) | −3.0 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 684 | | |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 95 | 8.7 | N/A |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | +5.2 | |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 25 | 2.3 | −3.9 |
| | Whig hold | Whig hold | Swing | −5.7 | |
General election 1857: Pontefract (2 seats) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Whig | Richard Monckton Milnes | 439 | 38.8 | −1.1 |
| | Whig | William Wood | 374 | 33.0 | N/A |
| | Whig | Benjamin Oliveira | 319 | 28.2 | −0.7 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 65 | 5.8 | +3.5 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 566 (est) | 80.3 (est) | +1.1 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 705 | | |
| | Whig hold | Whig hold | Swing | N/A | |
| | Whig gain from Conservative | Whig gain from Conservative | Swing | N/A | |
General election 1859: Pontefract (2 seats) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal | Richard Monckton Milnes | 497 | 45.2 | +6.4 |
| | Conservative | William Overend | 306 | 27.8 | New |
| | Liberal | Hugh Childers | 296 | 26.9 | N/A |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 550 (est) | 78.4 (est) | −1.9 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 701 | | |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 191 | 17.4 | +11.6 |
| | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Swing | N/A | |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 10 | 0.9 | N/A |
| | Conservative gain from Liberal | Conservative gain from Liberal | Swing | N/A | |

### Elections in the 1860s

Overend resigned, causing a by-election.
By-election, 31 January 1860: Pontefract :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal | Hugh Childers | 320 | 55.5 | −16.6 |
| | Conservative | Samuel Waterhouse | 257 | 44.5 | +16.7 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 63 | 11.0 | N/A |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 577 | 83.7 | +5.3 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 689 | | |
| | Liberal gain from Conservative | Liberal gain from Conservative | Swing | −16.7 | |
Milnes was elevated to the peerage, becoming Lord Houghton and causing a by-election.
By-election, 3 August 1863: Pontefract :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Samuel Waterhouse | Unopposed | Unopposed | Unopposed |
| | Conservative gain from Liberal | Conservative gain from Liberal | Conservative gain from Liberal | Conservative gain from Liberal | Conservative gain from Liberal |
Childers was appointed a Civil Lord of the Admiralty, causing a by-election.
By-election, 20 April 1864: Pontefract :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal | Hugh Childers | Unopposed | Unopposed | Unopposed |
| | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Liberal hold |
General election 1865: Pontefract (2 seats) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal | Hugh Childers | 359 | 36.7 | +9.8 |
| | Conservative | Samuel Waterhouse | 330 | 33.8 | +6.0 |
| | Liberal | William McArthur | 288 | 29.5 | −15.7 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 654 (est) | 93.5 (est) | +15.1 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 699 | | |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 29 | 2.9 | −14.5 |
| | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Swing | +3.4 | |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 42 | 4.3 | +4.4 |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | +3.0 | |
General election 1868: Pontefract (2 seats) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal | Hugh Childers | 913 | 36.6 | −0.1 |
| | Conservative | Samuel Waterhouse | 900 | 36.1 | +2.3 |
| | Liberal | Charles Milnes Gaskell | 680 | 27.3 | −2.2 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 1,697 (est) | 88.8 (est) | −4.7 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 1,910 | | |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 13 | 0.5 | −2.6 |
| | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Swing | −0.6 | |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 220 | 8.8 | +4.5 |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | +2.3 | |
Childers was appointed First Lord of the Admiralty, causing a by-election.
By-election, 21 December 1868: Pontefract :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal | Hugh Childers | Unopposed | Unopposed | Unopposed |
| | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Liberal hold |

### Elections in the 1870s

Childers was appointed Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, causing a by-election.
By-election, 17 Aug 1872: Pontefract (1 seat) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal | Hugh Childers | 658 | 53.2 | −10.7 |
| | Conservative | John Horace Savile, 5th Earl of Mexborough | 578 | 46.8 | +10.7 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 80 | 6.4 | +5.9 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 1,236 | 63.7 | −25.1 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 1,941 | | |
| | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Swing | −13.0 | |
General election 1874: Pontefract (2 seats) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal | Hugh Childers | 934 | 37.3 | +0.6 |
| | Conservative | Samuel Waterhouse | 861 | 34.4 | +0.6 |
| | Conservative | John Horace Savile, 5th Earl of Mexborough | 709 | 28.3 | −1.2 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 1,719 (est) | 84.3 (est) | −4.5 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 2,038 | | |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 73 | 2.9 | +2.4 |
| | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Swing | +0.5 | |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 152 | 6.1 | −2.7 |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | 0.0 | |

### Elections in the 1880s

General election 1880: Pontefract (2 seats) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal | Hugh Childers | 1,154 | 31.1 | +12.4 |
| | Liberal | Sidney Woolf | 1,029 | 27.7 | +9.0 |
| | Conservative | Edward Green | 904 | 24.3 | −10.1 |
| | Conservative | John Shaw | 627 | 16.9 | −11.4 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 125 | 3.4 | +0.5 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 1,857 (est) | 76.5 (est) | −7.8 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 2,429 | | |
| | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Swing | +11.9 | |
| | Liberal gain from Conservative | Liberal gain from Conservative | Swing | +9.6 | |
Childers was appointed Secretary of State for War, requiring a by-election.
By-election, 8 May 1880: Pontefract (1 seat) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal | Hugh Childers | Unopposed | Unopposed | Unopposed |
| | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Liberal hold |
General election 1885: Pontefract :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Rowland Winn | 1,111 | 50.8 | +9.6 |
| | Liberal | Hugh Childers | 1,075 | 49.2 | −9.6 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 36 | 1.6 | N/A |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 2,186 | 88.7 | +12.2 (est) |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 2,465 | | |
| | Conservative gain from Liberal | Conservative gain from Liberal | Swing | +9.6 | |
General election 1886: Pontefract :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Rowland Winn | 1,156 | 55.0 | +4.2 |
| | Liberal | Charles James Fleming | 947 | 45.0 | −4.2 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 209 | 10.0 | +8.4 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 2,103 | 85.3 | −3.4 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 2,465 | | |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | +4.2 | |

### Elections in the 1890s

General election 1892: Pontefract :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Rowland Winn | 1,132 | 50.9 | −4.1 |
| | Liberal | Henry Smithson Lee Wilson | 1,092 | 49.1 | +4.1 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 40 | 1.8 | −8.2 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 2,224 | 88.3 | +3.0 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 2,518 | | |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | −4.1 | |
Winn succeeded to the peerage, becoming Lord St Oswald.
February 1893 Pontefract by-election :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal | Harold Reckitt | 1,228 | 51.3 | +2.2 |
| | Conservative | John Reginald Shaw | 1,165 | 48.7 | −2.2 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 63 | 2.6 | N/A |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 2,393 | 92.9 | +4.6 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 2,575 | | |
| | Liberal gain from Conservative | Liberal gain from Conservative | Swing | +2.2 | |
The by-election was declared void on petition, requiring a by-election.
June 1893 Pontefract by-election :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal | Thomas Nussey | 1,191 | 50.7 | +1.6 |
| | Conservative | Elliott Lees | 1,159 | 49.3 | −1.6 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 32 | 1.4 | N/A |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 2,350 | 91.3 | +3.0 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 2,575 | | |
| | Liberal gain from Conservative | Liberal gain from Conservative | Swing | +1.6 | |
General election 1895: Pontefract :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal | Thomas Nussey | 1,245 | 51.2 | +2.1 |
| | Conservative | James Hope | 1,188 | 48.8 | −2.1 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 57 | 2.4 | N/A |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 2,433 | 89.4 | +1.1 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 2,721 | | |
| | Liberal gain from Conservative | Liberal gain from Conservative | Swing | +2.1 | |

### Elections in the 1900s

General election 1900: Pontefract :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal | Thomas Nussey | 1,385 | 52.2 | +1.0 |
| | Conservative | Frederick Ripley | 1,269 | 47.8 | −1.0 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 116 | 4.4 | +2.0 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 2,654 | 88.3 | −1.1 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 3,004 | | |
| | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Swing | +1.0 | |
General election 1906: Pontefract :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal | Thomas Nussey | 1,837 | 64.1 | +11.9 |
| | Conservative | Charles Yate | 1,030 | 35.9 | −11.9 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 807 | 28.2 | +23.8 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 2,867 | 87.2 | −1.1 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 3,288 | | |
| | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Swing | +11.9 | |

### Elections in the 1910s

General election January 1910: Pontefract :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal | Thomas Nussey | 1,924 | 55.9 | −8.2 |
| | Conservative | John Reginald Shaw | 1,515 | 44.1 | +8.2 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 409 | 11.8 | −16.4 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 3,439 | 93.9 | +6.7 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 3,661 | | |
| | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Swing | −8.2 | |
General election December 1910: Pontefract :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal | Handel Booth | 1,679 | 50.8 | −5.1 |
| | Conservative | John Reginald Shaw | 1,627 | 49.2 | +5.1 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 52 | 1.6 | −10.2 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 3,306 | 90.3 | −3.6 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 3,661 | | |
| | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Swing | −5.1 | |
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: Handel Booth
* Unionist:
* Labour:
General election 1918: Pontefract :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| C | Liberal | Joseph Compton-Rickett | 8,561 | 62.9 | +12.1 |
| | Labour | Isaac Burns | 5,047 | 37.1 | New |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 3514 | 25.8 | +24.2 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 13,608 | 45.6 | −44.7 |
| | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Swing | | |
| C indicates candidate endorsed by the coalition government. ||||||
1919 Pontefract by-election :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| C | Liberal | Walter Forrest | 9,920 | 54.0 | −8.9 |
| | Labour | Isaac Burns | 8,445 | 46.0 | +8.9 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 1,475 | 8.0 | −17.8 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 18,365 | 61.5 | +15.9 |
| | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Swing | −8.9 | |
| C indicates candidate endorsed by the coalition government. ||||||

### Elections in the 1920s

General election 1922: Pontefract :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Tom Smith | 9,111 | 38.9 | +1.8 |
| | Unionist | Joshua Scholefield | 8,495 | 36.1 | New |
| | National Liberal | Walter Forrest | 5,879 | 25.0 | −29.0 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 626 | 2.8 | N/A |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 23,485 | 73.9 | +12.4 |
| | Labour gain from National Liberal | Labour gain from National Liberal | Swing | | |
General election 1923: Pontefract :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Tom Smith | 11,134 | 45.3 | +6.4 |
| | Unionist | Albert Braithwaite | 8,872 | 36.1 | 0.0 |
| | Liberal | Mary Pollock Grant | 4,567 | 18.6 | −6.4 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 2,262 | 9.2 | +6.4 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 24,573 | 73.5 | −0.4 |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | +3.2 | |
General election 1924: Pontefract :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Unionist | Christopher Brooke | 13,745 | 51.3 | +15.2 |
| | Labour | Tom Smith | 13,044 | 48.7 | +3.4 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 701 | 2.6 | N/A |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 26,789 | 76.2 | +2.7 |
| | Unionist gain from Labour | Unionist gain from Labour | Swing | | |
General election 1929: Pontefract :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Tom Smith | 17,335 | 47.8 | −0.9 |
| | Unionist | Christopher Brooke | 10,040 | 27.7 | −23.6 |
| | Liberal | Harold Powis | 8,892 | 24.5 | New |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 7,185 | 20.1 | N/A |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 27,375 | 80.1 | +3.9 |
| | Labour gain from Unionist | Labour gain from Unionist | Swing | +11.3 | |

### Elections in the 1930s

General election 1931: Pontefract :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Thomas Sotheron-Estcourt | 20,941 | 55.38 | |
| | Labour | Tom Smith | 16,870 | 44.62 | |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 4,071 | 10.76 | N/A |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 37,811 | 80.89 | |
| | Conservative gain from Labour | Conservative gain from Labour | Swing | | |
General election 1935: Pontefract :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Adam Hills | 19,783 | 53.41 | |
| | National Liberal | Victor Seely | 17,257 | 46.59 | |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 2,526 | 6.82 | N/A |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 37,040 | 75.75 | |
| | Labour gain from Conservative | Labour gain from Conservative | Swing | | |

### Elections in the 1940s

1941 Pontefract by-election :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Percy Barstow | Unopposed | N/A | N/A |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Labour hold | Labour hold | Labour hold |
General election 1945: Pontefract :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Labour | Percy Barstow | 24,690 | 60.61 |
| | Conservative | K Hargreaves | 16,048 | 39.39 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 8,642 | 21.22 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 40,738 | 75.09 |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | |

### Elections in the 1950s

General election 1950: Pontefract :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Labour | George Sylvester | 35,432 | 75.61 |
| | National Liberal | Maurice Grant | 11,431 | 24.39 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 24,001 | 51.22 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 46,863 | 87.30 |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | |
General election 1951: Pontefract :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Labour | George Sylvester | 35,280 | 76.16 |
| | National Liberal | Mervyn Pike | 11,043 | 23.84 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 24,237 | 52.32 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 46,323 | 86.01 |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | |
General election 1955: Pontefract :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Labour | George Sylvester | 32,646 | 76.22 |
| | National Liberal | Alan Geoffrey Blake | 10,183 | 23.78 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 22,463 | 52.44 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 42,829 | 79.49 |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | |
General election 1959: Pontefract :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Labour | George Sylvester | 35,194 | 76.38 |
| | National Liberal | Edward Bowman | 10,884 | 23.62 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 24,310 | 52.76 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 46,078 | 84.27 |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | |

### Elections in the 1960s

1962 Pontefract by-election :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Joseph Harper | 26,461 | 77.28 | +0.90 |
| | Conservative | Paul Dean | 6,633 | 19.37 | −4.25 |
| | Independent | Russell Ernest Eckley | 1,146 | 3.35 | New |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 19,828 | 57.91 | +5.15 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 34,240 | 63.26 | −21.01 |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | | |
General election 1964: Pontefract :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Labour | Joseph Harper | 32,357 | 76.16 |
| | Conservative | John Flett Whitfield | 10,128 | 23.84 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 22,229 | 52.32 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 42,485 | 77.56 |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | |
General election 1966: Pontefract :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Labour | Joseph Harper | 32,328 | 78.36 |
| | Conservative | Anthony F Wigram | 8,927 | 21.64 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 23,401 | 56.72 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 41,255 | 75.63 |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | |

### Election in the 1970s

General election 1970: Pontefract :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Labour | Joseph Harper | 31,774 | 74.83 |
| | Conservative | Ian Deslandes | 10,687 | 25.17 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 21,087 | 49.66 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 42,461 | 70.61 |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | |