# North Essex (UK Parliament constituency)

North Essex was a parliamentary constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom between 1997 and 2010. It elected one Member of Parliament (MP) by the first past the post system of election.
The name was also used for the Northern Division of Essex, covering a much wider area and electing two members using the bloc vote system from 1832 until 1868.

## History

The Northern Division of Essex was one of two Divisions, along with the Southern Division, created from the undivided Parliamentary County of Essex by the Reform Act 1832. The constituency was abolished under the Reform Act 1867 (as amended by the Boundaries Act 1868) which divided Essex into three two-member Divisions (East, South and West).
The North Essex constituency was created for the 1997 general election following the Fourth Periodic Review of Westminster constituencies, mostly replacing the former seat of Colchester North. This was abolished for the 2010 general election by the Fifth Review, when it was largely replaced by the new constituency of Harwich and North Essex.

## Boundaries
### 1832–1868

* The Hundreds of Clavering, Dunmow, Freshwell, Hinckford, Lexden, Tendring, Thurstable, Uttlesford, Winstree and Witham.
See map on Vision of Britain website.
On abolition, the Hundreds of Hinckford, Lexden, Tendring, Thurstable, Winstree and Witham were included in the new East Division of Essex; the Hundreds of Clavering, Dunmow, Freshwell and Uttlesford were included in the new West Division.

### 1997–2010

* The Borough of Colchester wards of Birch Messing and Copford, Boxted and Langham, Dedham, East Donyland, Fordham, Great and Little Horkesley, Great Tey, Marks Tey, Pyefleet, Tiptree, West Bergholt and Eight Ash Green, West Mersea, Winstree, and Wivenhoe; and
* The District of Tendring wards of Alresford, Thorrington and Frating, Ardleigh, Bradfield, Wrabness and Wix, Brightlingsea East, Brightlingsea West, Elmstead, Great Bentley, Great Bromley, Little Bromley and Little Bentley, Lawford and Manningtree, Mistley, St Osyth, and Tendring and Weeley.
The new constituency comprised rural areas of the Borough of Colchester, including West Mersea and Wivenhoe, and western parts of the District of Tendring, including Brightlingsea. Formed primarily from parts of the abolished constituencies of North Colchester and South Colchester and Maldon, with a small slice of the western part of Harwich, including St Osyth.

### Abolition and the new Harwich and North Essex constituency

On abolition in 2010, the rural area to the south-west of Colchester was transferred to the new constituency of Witham. The remainder formed the new constituency of Harwich and North Essex, together with the town of Harwich and surrounding areas, previously part of the abolished Harwich constituency.

## Members of Parliament
### MPs 1832–1868

| Election | 1st Member | 1st Member | 1st Party | 2nd Member | 2nd Member | 2nd Party |
| 1832 | | Sir John Tyrell, Bt | Tory | | Alexander Baring | Tory |
| 1834 | | Sir John Tyrell, Bt | Conservative | | Alexander Baring | Conservative |
| 1835 by-election | | Sir John Tyrell, Bt | Conservative | | John Payne Elwes | Conservative |
| 1837 | | Sir John Tyrell, Bt | Conservative | | Charles Gray Round | Conservative |
| 1847 | | Sir John Tyrell, Bt | Conservative | | William Beresford | Conservative |
| 1857 | | Charles Du Cane | Conservative | | William Beresford | Conservative |
| 1865 | | Charles Du Cane | Conservative | | Sir Thomas Western | Liberal |
| 1868 | Reform Act 1867: constituency abolished | Reform Act 1867: constituency abolished | Reform Act 1867: constituency abolished | Reform Act 1867: constituency abolished | Reform Act 1867: constituency abolished | Reform Act 1867: constituency abolished |

### MPs 1997–2010

| Election | Election | Member | Party |
| | 1997 | Bernard Jenkin | Conservative |
| | 2010 | Constituency abolished: see Harwich and North Essex | Constituency abolished: see Harwich and North Essex |

## Elections
### Elections in the 2000s

General election 2005: North Essex :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Bernard Jenkin | 22,811 | 47.6 | +0.2 |
| | Labour | Elizabeth Hughes | 11,908 | 24.8 | −6.7 |
| | Liberal Democrats | James Raven | 9,831 | 20.5 | +3.0 |
| | Green | Chris Fox | 1,718 | 3.6 | New |
| | UKIP | George Curtis | 1,691 | 3.5 | −0.1 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 10,903 | 22.8 | +6.9 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 47,959 | 65.7 | +2.9 |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | +3.4 | |
General election 2001: North Essex :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Bernard Jenkin | 21,325 | 47.4 | +3.5 |
| | Labour | Philip Hawkins | 14,139 | 31.5 | −1.7 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Trevor Ellis | 7,867 | 17.5 | −2.5 |
| | UKIP | George Curtis | 1,613 | 3.6 | +1.3 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 7,186 | 15.9 | +5.2 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 44,944 | 62.8 | −12.5 |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | | |

### Elections in the 1990s

General election 1997: North Essex :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Bernard Jenkin | 22,480 | 43.9 | −13.8 |
| | Labour | Timothy Young | 17,004 | 33.2 | +12.8 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Andrew Phillips | 10,028 | 20.0 | −5.1 |
| | UKIP | Roger Lord | 1,202 | 2.3 | New |
| | Green | Susan Ransome | 495 | 1.0 | 0.0 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 5,476 | 10.7 | −17.3 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 51,209 | 75.3 | −4.0 |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | −14.0 | |
Notional result for the General Election 1992: North Essex :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Conservative | Bernard Jenkin | 36,381 | 53.1 |
| | Liberal Democrats | | 17,224 | 25.1 |
| | Labour | | 14,014 | 20.4 |
| | Green | | 700 | 1.0 |
| | Natural Law | | 238 | 0.3 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 19,157 | 28.0 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 68,557 | 79.3 |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | |

### Elections in the 1860s

By-election, 16 July 1866: North Essex :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Charles Du Cane | Unopposed | Unopposed | Unopposed |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Conservative hold |
* Caused by Du Cane's appointment as a Civil Lord of the Admiralty.
General election 1865: North Essex :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Charles Du Cane | 2,081 | 35.3 | N/A |
| | Liberal | Thomas Western | 1,931 | 32.8 | New |
| | Conservative | William Beresford | 1,881 | 31.9 | N/A |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 3,912 (est) | 78.8 (est) | N/A |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 4,904 | | |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 150 | 2.5 | N/A |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | N/A | |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 50 | 0.9 | N/A |
| | Liberal gain from Conservative | Liberal gain from Conservative | Swing | N/A | |

### Elections in the 1850s

General election 1859: North Essex :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Charles Du Cane | Unopposed | Unopposed | Unopposed |
| | Conservative | William Beresford | Unopposed | Unopposed | Unopposed |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 5,510 | | |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Conservative hold |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Conservative hold |
General election 1857: North Essex :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Charles Du Cane | Unopposed | Unopposed | Unopposed |
| | Conservative | William Beresford | Unopposed | Unopposed | Unopposed |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 5,553 | | |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Conservative hold |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Conservative hold |
General election 1852: North Essex :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | John Tyrell | 2,412 | 43.2 | +4.3 |
| | Conservative | William Beresford | 2,334 | 41.8 | +5.7 |
| | Whig | Thomas Barrett-Lennard | 833 | 14.9 | −10.2 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 1,501 | 26.9 | +15.3 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 3,206 (est) | 56.1 (est) | −2.1 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 5,715 | | |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | +4.7 | |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | +5.4 | |
By-election, 9 March 1852: North Essex :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | William Beresford | Unopposed | Unopposed | Unopposed |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Conservative hold |
* Caused by Beresford's appointment as Secretary at War.

### Elections in the 1840s

General election 1847: North Essex :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | John Tyrell | 2,472 | 38.9 | N/A |
| | Conservative | William Beresford | 2,292 | 36.1 | N/A |
| | Whig | John Gurdon Rebow | 1,555 | 24.5 | New |
| | Whig | Fiske Goodeve Fiske-Harrison | 36 | 0.6 | New |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 737 | 11.6 | N/A |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 3,178 (est) | 58.2 (est) | N/A |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 5,461 | | |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | N/A | |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | N/A | |
General election 1841: North Essex :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | John Tyrell | Unopposed | Unopposed | Unopposed |
| | Conservative | Charles Gray Round | Unopposed | Unopposed | Unopposed |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 5,771 | | |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Conservative hold |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Conservative hold |

### Elections in the 1830s

General election 1837: North Essex :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Conservative | John Tyrell | Unopposed | Unopposed |
| | Conservative | Charles Gray Round | Unopposed | Unopposed |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 5,899 | |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Conservative hold |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Conservative hold |
By-election, 4 May 1835: North Essex :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Conservative | John Payne Elwes | 2,406 | 63.9 |
| | Whig | John Disney | 1,357 | 36.1 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 1,049 | 27.8 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 3,763 | 70.3 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 5,351 | |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Conservative hold |
* Caused by Baring's elevation to the peerage, becoming 1st Baron Ashburton
General election 1835: North Essex :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Conservative | John Tyrell | Unopposed | Unopposed |
| | Conservative | Alexander Baring | Unopposed | Unopposed |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 5,351 | |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Conservative hold |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Conservative hold |
General election 1832: North Essex :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Tory | John Tyrell | 2,448 | 27.8 |
| | Tory | Alexander Baring | 2,280 | 25.9 |
| | Whig | Charles Western | 2,244 | 25.5 |
| | Whig | Thomas Brand | 1,840 | 20.8 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 36 | 0.4 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 4,513 | 87.4 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 5,163 | |
| | Tory win (new seat) | Tory win (new seat) | Tory win (new seat) | Tory win (new seat) |
| | Tory win (new seat) | Tory win (new seat) | Tory win (new seat) | Tory win (new seat) |