# Hornsey (UK Parliament constituency)

Hornsey /ˈhɔːrnˌziː/ was a constituency that returned one Member of Parliament (MP) to the House of Commons of the UK Parliament, 1885 — 1983. It was then largely replaced by Hornsey & Wood Green. Its voters using the first-past-the-post system elected the Conservative Party candidate at each election. Its closest result was a 1.29% majority at the 1966 election which saw the start of the Second Wilson Ministry. From 1945 onwards the runners-up in the seat were the Labour Party candidates.

## History

From 1885 to 1918, the constituency was a county division of Middlesex, and in 1918 it became a parliamentary borough. From 1950 it was a borough constituency.

## Boundaries

1885–1918: The Parishes of Hornsey (including South Hornsey) and Finchley (and the area included in the Parliamentary Boroughs of the City of London, Finsbury, and Islington for many wealthy voters this sub-provision gave a choice of which seat to vote for).
1918–1974: The Municipal Borough of Hornsey.
1974–1983: The London Borough of Haringey wards of Central Hornsey, Crouch End, Fortis Green, Highgate, Muswell Hill, South Hornsey, Stroud Green, and Turnpike.

## Members of Parliament

| Year | Member | Party |
| 1885 | Sir James McGarel-Hogg | Conservative |
| 1887 | Henry 'Inky' Stephens | Conservative |
| 1900 | Charles Balfour | Conservative |
| 1907 | Lawrence Dundas | Conservative |
| 1916 | Kennedy Jones | Unionist |
| 1921 | William Ward | Unionist |
| 1924 | Euan Wallace | Unionist |
| 1941 | Sir David Gammans | Conservative |
| 1957 | Muriel Gammans | Conservative |
| 1966 | Sir Hugh Rossi | Conservative |
| 1983 | constituency abolished | constituency abolished |

## Election results
### Elections in the 1880s

General election 1885: Hornsey :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | James McGarel-Hogg | 4,619 | 58.3 | |
| | Liberal | William Edwardes | 3,299 | 41.7 | |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 1,320 | 16.6 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 7,918 | 74.4 | |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 10,648 | | |
| | Conservative win (new seat) | Conservative win (new seat) | Conservative win (new seat) | Conservative win (new seat) | Conservative win (new seat) |
General election 1886: Hornsey :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | James McGarel-Hogg | Unopposed | Unopposed | Unopposed |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Conservative hold |
McGarel-Hogg was elevated to the peerage, becoming Lord Magheramorne, causing a by-election.
By-election, 19 Jul 1887: Hornsey :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Henry Stephens | 4,476 | 64.3 | N/A |
| | Liberal | Horatio Bottomley | 2,488 | 35.7 | New |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 1,988 | 28.6 | N/A |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 6,964 | 64.4 | N/A |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 10,814 | | |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | N/A | |

### Elections in the 1890s

General election 1892: Hornsey :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Henry Stephens | 6,192 | 68.0 | N/A |
| | Liberal | Thomas Rees Sydenham-Jones | 2,913 | 32.0 | N/A |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 3,279 | 36.0 | N/A |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 9,105 | 67.7 | N/A |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 13,451 | | |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | N/A | |
General election 1895: Hornsey :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Henry Stephens | Unopposed | Unopposed | Unopposed |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Conservative hold |

### Elections in the 1900s

General election 1900: Hornsey :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Charles Balfour | Unopposed | Unopposed | Unopposed |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Conservative hold |
General election 1906: Hornsey :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Charles Balfour | 8,859 | 54.9 | N/A |
| | Liberal | C W Tomkinson | 7,289 | 45.1 | New |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 1,570 | 9.8 | N/A |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 16,148 | 82.2 | N/A |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 19,651 | | |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | N/A | |
1907 Hornsey by-election :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Lawrence Dundas | Unopposed | Unopposed | Unopposed |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Conservative hold |

### Elections in the 1910s

General election January 1910: Hornsey :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Lawrence Dundas | 12,014 | 58.2 | +3.3 |
| | Liberal | Robert Dummett | 8,633 | 41.8 | −3.3 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 3,381 | 16.4 | N/A |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 20,647 | 87.7 | N/A |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | N/A | |
General election December 1910: Hornsey :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Lawrence Dundas | 11,066 | 59.2 | +1.0 |
| | Liberal | Robert Dummett | 7,613 | 40.8 | −1.0 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 3,453 | 18.4 | +2.0 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 18,679 | 79.4 | −8.3 |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | +1.0 | |
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;
* Unionist: Lawrence Dundas
* Liberal:
1916 Hornsey by-election :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Unionist | Kennedy Jones | Unopposed | Unopposed | Unopposed |
| | Unionist hold | Unionist hold | Unionist hold | Unionist hold | Unionist hold |
General election 1918: Hornsey :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| C | Unionist | Kennedy Jones | Unopposed | Unopposed | Unopposed |
| | Unionist hold | Unionist hold | Unionist hold | Unionist hold | Unionist hold |
| C indicates candidate endorsed by the coalition government. ||||||

### Elections in the 1920s

1921 Hornsey by-election :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Unionist | William Ward | 15,959 | 53.4 | N/A |
| | Liberal | Leslie Burgin | 13,943 | 46.6 | New |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 2,016 | 6.8 | N/A |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 29,902 | 65.7 | N/A |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 45,510 | | |
| | Unionist hold | Unionist hold | Swing | N/A | |
General election 1922: Hornsey :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Unionist | William Ward | 18,462 | 53.2 | N/A |
| | Liberal | Leslie Burgin | 16,239 | 46.8 | N/A |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 2,223 | 6.4 | N/A |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 34,701 | 77.2 | N/A |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 44,964 | | |
| | Unionist hold | Unionist hold | Swing | N/A | |
General election 1923: Hornsey :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Unionist | William Ward | 16,812 | 47.4 | −5.8 |
| | Liberal | Leslie Burgin | 15,197 | 42.8 | −4.0 |
| | Labour | Christopher Francis Healy | 3,487 | 9.8 | New |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 1,615 | 4.6 | −1.8 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 35,496 | 76.6 | −0.6 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 46,312 | | |
| | Unionist hold | Unionist hold | Swing | −0.9 | |
General election 1924: Hornsey :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Unionist | Euan Wallace | 21,017 | 54.6 | +7.2 |
| | Liberal | Leslie Burgin | 13,217 | 34.3 | −8.5 |
| | Labour | Christopher Francis Healy | 4,277 | 11.1 | +1.3 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 7,800 | 20.3 | +15.7 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 38,511 | 81.6 | +5.0 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 47,174 | | |
| | Unionist hold | Unionist hold | Swing | +7.9 | |
General election 1929: Hornsey :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Unionist | Euan Wallace | 25,540 | 51.0 | −3.6 |
| | Liberal | William Thomson | 16,029 | 32.0 | −2.3 |
| | Labour | Francis Henry Wiltshire | 8,529 | 17.0 | +5.9 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 9,511 | 19.0 | −1.3 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 50,098 | 75.2 | −6.4 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 66,620 | | |
| | Unionist hold | Unionist hold | Swing | −0.7 | |

### Elections in the 1930s

General election 1931: Hornsey :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Euan Wallace | 41,194 | 84.5 | +33.5 |
| | Labour | Hugh Franklin | 7,585 | 15.5 | −1.5 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 33,609 | 69.0 | +50.0 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 48,779 | 70.3 | −4.9 |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | | |
General election 1935: Hornsey :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Euan Wallace | 30,494 | 64.9 | −19.6 |
| | Labour | Mari Power | 10,320 | 21.9 | +6.4 |
| | Liberal | Herbert Baxter | 6,206 | 13.2 | New |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 20,174 | 43.0 | −26.0 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 47,020 | 67.0 | −3.3 |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | | |
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: Euan Wallace
* Labour: JT Murphy

### Elections in the 1940s

1941 Hornsey by-election :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | David Gammans | 11,077 | 72.8 | +7.9 |
| | National | Noel Pemberton Billing | 4,146 | 27.2 | New |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 6,931 | 45.6 | +2.6 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 15,223 | 21.1 | −45.9 |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | | |
General election 1945: Hornsey :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | David Gammans | 24,684 | 52.8 | −12.1 |
| | Labour | Bill Fiske | 12,015 | 25.7 | +3.8 |
| | Communist | George John Jones | 10,058 | 21.5 | New |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 12,669 | 27.1 | −15.9 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 46,757 | 73.1 | +6.1 |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | | |

### Elections in the 1950s

General election 1950: Hornsey :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | David Gammans | 33,927 | 53.8 | +1.0 |
| | Labour | Reginald Pestell | 22,832 | 36.2 | +10.5 |
| | Liberal | Adrienne Leevers | 5,122 | 8.1 | New |
| | Communist | George John Jones | 1,191 | 1.9 | −19.6 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 11,095 | 17.6 | −9.5 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 63,072 | | |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | | |
* Archive footage of the result and speeches from 3:57: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yTmt5Rz-DTA
General election 1951: Hornsey :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | David Gammans | 36,417 | 58.7 | +4.9 |
| | Labour | Reginald Pestell | 25,643 | 41.3 | +5.1 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 10,774 | 17.4 | −0.2 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 62,060 | | |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | | |
General election 1955: Hornsey :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | David Gammans | 33,294 | 60.2 | +1.5 |
| | Labour | Frederick Evelyn Mostyn | 20,568 | 37.2 | −4.1 |
| | Communist | George John Jones | 1,442 | 2.6 | New |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 12,726 | 23.0 | +5.6 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 55,304 | | |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | | |
1957 Hornsey by-election :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Muriel Gammans | 24,169 | 53.5 | −6.7 |
| | Labour | Frederick Evelyn Mostyn | 21,038 | 46.5 | +9.3 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 3,131 | 7.0 | −16.0 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 45,207 | | |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | -8.0 | |
General election 1959: Hornsey :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Muriel Gammans | 30,048 | 55.06 | |
| | Labour | Frederick Evelyn Mostyn | 17,710 | 32.45 | |
| | Liberal | Samuel Solomon | 5,706 | 10.46 | New |
| | Communist | George John Jones | 1,107 | 2.03 | |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 12,338 | 22.61 | – |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 54,571 | | |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | | |

### Elections in the 1960s

General election 1964: Hornsey :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Muriel Gammans | 22,590 | 46.68 | −8.38 |
| | Labour | C Stephen Yeo | 18,528 | 38.29 | +5.84 |
| | Liberal | Samuel Solomon | 6,015 | 12.43 | +1.97 |
| | Communist | Max Morris | 1,258 | 2.60 | +0.57 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 4,062 | 8.39 | −14.22 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 48,391 | 70.45 | −6.25 |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | -7.11 | |
General election 1966: Hornsey :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Hugh Rossi | 21,116 | 44.15 | −2.53 |
| | Labour | C Stephen Yeo | 20,501 | 42.86 | +4.57 |
| | Liberal | Percy W Meyer | 5,026 | 10.51 | −1.92 |
| | Communist | Max Morris | 1,184 | 2.48 | −0.12 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 615 | 1.29 | −7.10 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 47,827 | 72.75 | +2.30 |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | -3.55 | |

### Elections in the 1970s

General election 1970: Hornsey :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Hugh Rossi | 21,434 | 49.14 | +4.99 |
| | Labour | Philip Wells-Pestell | 17,645 | 40.46 | −2.40 |
| | Liberal | Laurence S Brass | 3,755 | 8.61 | −1.90 |
| | Communist | Margaret Morris | 624 | 1.43 | −1.05 |
| | Socialist (GB) | Edmund Grant | 156 | 0.36 | New |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 3,789 | 8.68 | +7.39 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 43,614 | 67.37 | −5.38 |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | +3.70 | |
General election February 1974: Hornsey :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Hugh Rossi | 18,792 | 42.66 | −6.48 |
| | Labour | Irving Howard Kuczynski | 16,584 | 37.65 | −2.81 |
| | Liberal | Patrick William O'Brien | 8,676 | 19.69 | +11.09 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 2,208 | 5.01 | −3.68 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 44,052 | 75.96 | +8.59 |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | –1.84 | |
General election October 1974: Hornsey :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Hugh Rossi | 17,226 | 43.14 | +0.49 |
| | Labour | Irving Howard Kuczynski | 16,444 | 41.19 | +3.54 |
| | Liberal | Philip Laurence Smulian | 5,283 | 13.23 | −6.46 |
| | National Front | Jennifer Stubbs | 973 | 2.44 | New |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 782 | 1.95 | −3.06 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 39,926 | 68.52 | −7.44 |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | -1.53 | |
General election 1979: Hornsey :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Hugh Rossi | 20,225 | 49.37 | +6.23 |
| | Labour | Edward Robert Knight (Ted Knight) | 16,188 | 39.52 | −1.67 |
| | Liberal | Patrick William O'Brien | 4,058 | 9.91 | −3.32 |
| | National Front | Bruce William Pell | 337 | 0.82 | −1.61 |
| | Ind. Conservative | Derek Walter Berry | 156 | 0.38 | New |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 4,037 | 9.85 | +7.90 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 40,964 | 70.13 | +1.61 |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | +3.95 | |