# Frome (UK Parliament constituency)

Frome was a constituency centred on the town of Frome in Somerset. It returned one Member of Parliament (MP) to the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom from 1832, until it was abolished for the 1950 general election. Between 1832 and 1885, it was a parliamentary borough; after 1885 it was a county constituency, a division of Somerset.

## History

Frome was one of the boroughs created by the Great Reform Act 1832, as the town was at that point one of the bigger towns in England which was not already represented, and its then-flourishing woollen manufacturing industry made it seem likely to grow further. The new borough consisted only of the town of Frome, and had a population (according to the 1831 census) of approximately 11,240. The registered electorate at the 1832 election was 322. Frome was near to Longleat, and the Marquess of Bath was influential in election outcomes throughout its life as a borough.
However, the town did not increase dramatically in size in the next few years, and the electorate was still only just over 400 by 1865, although the extension of the franchise at the 1868 election trebled this. By the time of the Third Reform Act, Frome was too small to continue as a constituency in itself and the borough was abolished with effect from the 1885 election.
The new county division into which the town was placed consisted of the whole north-eastern corner of Somerset, except for Bath, and was named after the town, as The Frome Division of Somerset. Nevertheless, Frome contributed only a minority of the voters in the constituency, which also included Weston (Bath), Radstock, Bathampton and Batheaston, to say nothing of the freeholders of Bath, who voted in this division under the arrangements that gave property owners in boroughs a vote in the adjoining county constituency; by the time of the First World War, the population was around 60,000. This constituency was a mixed one, with suburban voters at Weston and in the Bath suburbs, agricultural villages between Bath and Frome, growing mining interests round Radstock and some industry at Twerton. This made the constituency marginal between the Conservatives and Liberals, and the victor's majority was rarely more than a few hundred votes.
There were further boundary changes in 1918, when the number of constituencies in Somerset was reduced from nine to seven. Frome's boundaries were extended westwards to the fringes of Bristol, bringing in Midsomer Norton and the areas round Clutton, Chew Magna and Keynsham (previously in the Northern division): the revised constituency consisted of the urban districts of Frome, Midsomer Norton and Radstock, the Bath, Clutton and Keynsham rural districts and all but six parishes of Frome Rural District. This, too, was a marginal constituency, and except in 1923 was always won at general elections by the party which was successful nationally.
The Frome constituency was abolished in the boundary changes which came into effect at the 1950 election, Frome itself being transferred to the Wells division but most of the remainder of the constituency forming the bulk of the new Somerset North.

## Members of Parliament
### Frome parliamentary borough

| Election | Member | Party | Notes |
| 1832 | Thomas Sheppard | Whig | |
| 1835 | Thomas Sheppard | Conservative | |
| 1847 | Hon. Robert Boyle | Whig | 4th son of Edmund Boyle, 8th Earl of Cork |
| 1854 by-election | Richard Boyle, Viscount Dungarvan | Whig | later 9th Earl of Cork |
| 1856 by-election | Hon. William Boyle | Whig | younger brother of Richard Boyle, Viscount Dungarvan |
| 1857 | Donald Nicoll | Radical | |
| 1859 | Lord Edward Thynne | Conservative | previously MP for Weobley 1826–32 |
| 1865 | Sir Henry Rawlinson, Bt. | Liberal | noted orientalist, previously MP for Reigate |
| 1868 | Thomas Hughes | Liberal | author of Tom Brown's Schooldays |
| 1874 | Henry Lopes | Conservative | previously MP for Launceston, later a Lord Justice of Appeal |
| 1876 by-election | Henry Samuelson | Liberal | previously MP for Cheltenham |
| 1885 | parliamentary borough constituency abolished, name transferred to a new county division | parliamentary borough constituency abolished, name transferred to a new county division | parliamentary borough constituency abolished, name transferred to a new county division |

### Frome division of Somerset

| Election | Member | Party |
| 1885 | Lawrence James Baker | Liberal |
| 1886 | Thomas Thynne, Viscount Weymouth | Conservative |
| 1892 | John Barlow | Liberal |
| 1895 | Thomas Thynne, Viscount Weymouth | Conservative |
| 1896 | Sir John Barlow | Liberal |
| 1918 | Percy Hurd | Unionist |
| 1923 | Frederick Gould | Labour |
| 1924 | Geoffrey Peto | Unionist |
| 1929 | Frederick Gould | Labour |
| 1931 | Henry Thynne, Viscount Weymouth | Conservative |
| 1935 | Mavis Tate | Conservative |
| 1945 | Walter Farthing | Labour |
| 1950 | constituency abolished | constituency abolished |

## Elections
### Elections in the 1830s

General election 1832: Frome :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Whig | Thomas Sheppard | 163 | 62.0 |
| | Whig | Sir Thomas Swymmer Mostyn-Champneys, 2nd Baronet | 100 | 38.0 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 63 | 24.0 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 263 | 81.7 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 322 | |
| | Whig win (new seat) | Whig win (new seat) | Whig win (new seat) | Whig win (new seat) |
General election 1835: Frome :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Thomas Sheppard | 100 | 43.7 | New |
| | Radical | Matthew Bridges | 78 | 34.1 | N/A |
| | Whig | Courtenay Boyle | 51 | 22.3 | −15.7 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 22 | 9.6 | −14.4 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 229 | 80.4 | −1.3 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 285 | | |
| | Conservative gain from Whig | Conservative gain from Whig | Swing | −1.3 | |
General election 1837: Frome :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Thomas Sheppard | 124 | 50.8 | +7.1 |
| | Whig | Courtenay Boyle | 120 | 49.2 | +26.9 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 4 | 1.6 | −8.0 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 244 | 83.8 | +3.4 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 291 | | |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | −9.9 | |

### Elections in the 1840s

General election 1841: Frome :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Thomas Sheppard | 154 | 54.4 | +3.6 |
| | Whig | William Jesser Sturch | 129 | 45.6 | −3.6 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 25 | 8.8 | +7.2 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 283 | 83.2 | −0.6 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 340 | | |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | +3.6 | |
General election 1847: Frome :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Whig | Robert Edward Boyle | Unopposed | Unopposed | Unopposed |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 412 | | |
| | Whig gain from Conservative | Whig gain from Conservative | Whig gain from Conservative | Whig gain from Conservative | Whig gain from Conservative |

### Elections in the 1850s

General election 1852: Frome :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Whig | Robert Edward Boyle | Unopposed | Unopposed | Unopposed |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 383 | | |
| | Whig hold | Whig hold | Whig hold | Whig hold | Whig hold |
The election was declared void on petition after Boyle was declared ineligible due to his holding of the office of Secretary to the Order of St Patrick. Ahead of the ensuing by-election, Boyle resigned this position.
By-election, 7 March 1853: Frome :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Whig | Robert Edward Boyle | Unopposed | Unopposed | Unopposed |
| | Whig hold | Whig hold | Whig hold | Whig hold | Whig hold |
Boyle's death caused a by-election.
By-election, 24 October 1854: Frome :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Whig | Richard Boyle | 181 | 58.4 | N/A |
| | Radical | Donald Nicoll | 129 | 41.6 | N/A |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 52 | 16.8 | N/A |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 310 | 84.9 | N/A |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 365 | | |
| | Whig hold | Whig hold | Swing | N/A | |
Boyle succeeded to the peerage, becoming 9th Earl of Cork and Orrery, causing a by-election.
By-election, 23 July 1856: Frome :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Whig | William George Boyle | 158 | 50.2 | N/A |
| | Radical | Donald Nicoll | 157 | 49.8 | N/A |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 1 | 0.4 | N/A |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 315 | 86.1 | N/A |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 366 | | |
| | Whig hold | Whig hold | Swing | N/A | |
General election 1857: Frome :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Radical | Donald Nicoll | 162 | 49.7 | N/A |
| | Whig | William George Boyle | 92 | 28.2 | N/A |
| | Conservative | Edward Thynne | 72 | 22.1 | New |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 70 | 21.5 | N/A |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 326 | 89.8 | N/A |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 363 | | |
| | Radical gain from Whig | Radical gain from Whig | Swing | N/A | |
General election 1859: Frome :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Edward Thynne | 194 | 56.9 | +34.8 |
| | Liberal | Donald Nicoll | 147 | 43.1 | −34.8 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 47 | 13.8 | N/A |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 341 | 88.6 | −1.2 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 385 | | |
| | Conservative gain from Liberal | Conservative gain from Liberal | Swing | +34.8 | |

### Elections in the 1860s

General election 1865: Frome :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal | Henry Rawlinson | 206 | 53.0 | +9.9 |
| | Conservative | James Whalley Dawe Thomas Wickham | 183 | 47.0 | −9.9 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 23 | 6.0 | N/A |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 389 | 94.0 | +5.4 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 414 | | |
| | Liberal gain from Conservative | Liberal gain from Conservative | Swing | +9.9 | |
General election 1868: Frome :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal | Thomas Hughes | 571 | 54.5 | +1.5 |
| | Conservative | William Campbell Sleigh | 476 | 45.5 | −1.5 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 95 | 9.0 | +3.0 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 1,047 | 82.6 | −11.4 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 1,267 | | |
| | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Swing | +1.5 | |

### Elections in the 1870s

General election 1874: Frome :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Henry Lopes | 642 | 53.5 | +8.0 |
| | Liberal | William Henry Willans | 557 | 46.5 | −8.0 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 85 | 7.0 | N/A |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 1,199 | 90.4 | +7.8 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 1,327 | | |
| | Conservative gain from Liberal | Conservative gain from Liberal | Swing | +8.0 | |
Lopes resigned after being appointed a judge of the Common Pleas Division of the High Court of Justice.
By-election, 24 Nov 1876: Frome :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal | Henry Samuelson | 661 | 53.8 | +7.3 |
| | Conservative | James Fergusson | 568 | 46.2 | −7.3 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 93 | 7.6 | N/A |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 1,229 | 91.0 | +0.6 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 1,351 | | |
| | Liberal gain from Conservative | Liberal gain from Conservative | Swing | +7.3 | |

### Elections in the 1880s

General election 1880: Frome :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal | Henry Samuelson | Unopposed | Unopposed | Unopposed |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 1,383 | | |
| | Liberal gain from Conservative | Liberal gain from Conservative | Liberal gain from Conservative | Liberal gain from Conservative | Liberal gain from Conservative |
General election 1885: Frome :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal | Lawrence James Baker | 4,735 | 54.4 | N/A |
| | Conservative | Thomas Thynne | 3,972 | 45.6 | New |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 763 | 8.8 | N/A |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 8,707 | 82.9 | N/A |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 10,498 | | |
| | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Swing | N/A | |
General election 1886: Frome :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Thomas Thynne | 4,348 | 54.4 | +8.8 |
| | Liberal | Godfrey Samuelson | 3,645 | 45.6 | −8.8 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 703 | 8.8 | N/A |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 7,993 | 76.1 | −6.8 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 10,498 | | |
| | Conservative gain from Liberal | Conservative gain from Liberal | Swing | +8.8 | |

### Elections in the 1890s

General election 1892: Frome :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal | John Barlow | 4,747 | 52.7 | +7.1 |
| | Conservative | Thomas Thynne | 4,260 | 47.3 | −7.1 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 487 | 5.4 | N/A |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 9,007 | 81.7 | +5.6 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 11,031 | | |
| | Liberal gain from Conservative | Liberal gain from Conservative | Swing | +7.1 | |
General election 1895: Frome :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Thomas Thynne | 5,043 | 52.0 | +4.7 |
| | Liberal | John Barlow | 4,660 | 48.0 | −4.7 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 383 | 4.0 | N/A |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 9,703 | 83.4 | +1.7 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 11,633 | | |
| | Conservative gain from Liberal | Conservative gain from Liberal | Swing | +4.7 | |
1896 Frome by-election :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal | John Barlow | 5,062 | 51.5 | +3.5 |
| | Conservative | Alexander Thynne | 4,763 | 48.5 | −3.5 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 299 | 3.0 | N/A |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 9,825 | 83.7 | +0.3 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 11,736 | | |
| | Liberal gain from Conservative | Liberal gain from Conservative | Swing | +3.5 | |

### Elections in the 1900s

General election 1900: Frome :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal | John Barlow | 5,066 | 51.8 | +3.8 |
| | Conservative | Ellis Hume-Williams | 4,708 | 48.2 | −3.8 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 358 | 3.6 | N/A |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 9,774 | 79.4 | −4.0 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 12,317 | | |
| | Liberal gain from Conservative | Liberal gain from Conservative | Swing | +3.8 | |
General election 1906: Frome :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal | John Barlow | 6,297 | 58.0 | +6.2 |
| | Conservative | Charles Foxcroft | 4,552 | 42.0 | −6.2 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 1,745 | 16.0 | +12.4 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 10,849 | 86.0 | +6.6 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 12,612 | | |
| | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Swing | +6.2 | |

### Elections in the 1910s

General election January 1910: Frome :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal | John Barlow | 6,248 | 53.3 | −4.7 |
| | Conservative | Charles Foxcroft | 5,469 | 46.7 | +4.7 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 779 | 6.6 | −9.4 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 11,717 | 89.0 | +3.0 |
| | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Swing | -4.7 | |
General election December 1910: Frome :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal | John Barlow | 5,944 | 52.6 | −0.7 |
| | Conservative | Charles Foxcroft | 5,366 | 47.4 | +0.7 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 578 | 5.2 | −1.4 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 11,310 | 85.9 | −3.1 |
| | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Swing | -0.7 | |
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: John Barlow
* Unionist: H. Barker-Hahlo
General election December 1918: Frome :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| C | Unionist | Percy Hurd | 11,118 | 46.6 | −0.8 |
| | Labour | Edward Gill | 10,454 | 43.9 | New |
| | Liberal | John Barlow | 2,004 | 8.4 | −44.2 |
| | National | Thomas Kincaid-Smith | 258 | 1.1 | New |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 664 | 2.7 | N/A |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 23,834 | 67.7 | −18.2 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 35,222 | | |
| | Unionist gain from Liberal | Unionist gain from Liberal | Swing | +21.7 | |
| C indicates candidate endorsed by the coalition government. ||||||

### Elections in the 1920s

General election 1922: Frome :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Unionist | Percy Hurd | 15,017 | 51.2 | +4.6 |
| | Labour | Edward Gill | 14,311 | 48.8 | +4.9 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 706 | 2.4 | −0.3 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 29,328 | 82.2 | +14.5 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 35,698 | | |
| | Unionist hold | Unionist hold | Swing | −0.2 | |
General election 1923: Frome :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Frederick Gould | 15,902 | 54.4 | +5.6 |
| | Unionist | Percy Hurd | 13,306 | 45.6 | −5.6 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 2,596 | 8.8 | N/A |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 29,208 | 79.7 | −2.5 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 36,628 | | |
| | Labour gain from Unionist | Labour gain from Unionist | Swing | +5.6 | |
General election 1924: Frome :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Unionist | Geoffrey Peto | 16,397 | 52.8 | +7.2 |
| | Labour | Frederick Gould | 14,652 | 47.2 | −7.2 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 1,745 | 5.6 | N/A |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 31,049 | 82.9 | +3.2 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 37,438 | | |
| | Unionist gain from Labour | Unionist gain from Labour | Swing | +7.2 | |
General election 1929: Frome :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Frederick Gould | 18,524 | 45.5 | −1.7 |
| | Unionist | Geoffrey Peto | 16,378 | 40.3 | −12.5 |
| | Liberal | Colin Stratton-Hallett | 5,774 | 14.2 | New |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 2,146 | 5.2 | N/A |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 40,676 | 86.5 | +3.6 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 47,039 | | |
| | Labour gain from Unionist | Labour gain from Unionist | Swing | +5.4 | |

### Elections in the 1930s

General election 1931: Frome :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Henry Thynne | 24,858 | 58.3 | +18.0 |
| | Labour | Frederick Gould | 17,748 | 41.7 | −3.8 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 7,110 | 16.6 | N/A |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 42,606 | 87.3 | +0.8 |
| | Conservative gain from Labour | Conservative gain from Labour | Swing | +10.9 | |
General election 1935: Frome :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Mavis Tate | 19,684 | 46.3 | −12.0 |
| | Labour | Kim Mackay | 18,690 | 43.9 | +2.2 |
| | Liberal | Philip William Hopkins | 4,177 | 9.8 | New |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 994 | 2.4 | −14.2 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 42,551 | 82.5 | −4.8 |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | -7.1 | |
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 and by the Autumn of 1939, the following candidates had been selected;
* Conservative: Guy Dalrymple Fanshawe
* Labour: Kim Mackay
* British Union: Charles Hewitt

### Elections in the 1940s

General election 1945: Frome :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Walter Farthing | 29,735 | 55.1 | +11.2 |
| | Conservative | Mavis Tate | 24,228 | 44.9 | −1.4 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 5,507 | 10.2 | N/A |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 53,963 | 78.4 | −4.1 |
| | Labour gain from Conservative | Labour gain from Conservative | Swing | +6.8 | |