# Ripon (UK Parliament constituency)

Ripon was a constituency sending members to the House of Commons of England, Great Britain and the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom until 1983, centred on the city of Ripon in North Yorkshire.

## History

Ripon was first represented in the Model Parliament of 1295, and also returned members in 1307 and 1337, but it was not permanently represented until 1553, after which it returned two Members of Parliament. It was a parliamentary borough consisting only of the town of Ripon itself until the Great Reform Act 1832; the right to vote was vested in the holders of the tightly controlled burgage tenements — count-of-head polls were accordingly rare — for, the last contested election in Ripon before the Reform Act 1832 was in 1715. By 1832 it was estimated that there were 43 men qualified to vote; the total of adult males over age 20 in the township in 1831 was recorded at 3,571.
Such a burgeoning middle class population when considered under the Reform Act 1832 made for Ripon a relatively major borough; its qualifying freehold-owning or more expensive house-leasing electorate were supplemented by such electors in neighbouring Aismunderby-cum-Bondgate. The sum of these male electors returned two members to each parliament. The Reform Act 1867 which came into force at the 1868 election reduced Ripon's representation from two MPs to one and enfranchised many of the under-represented high-growth areas of Britain.
The Redistribution of Seats Act 1885 abolished the borough of Ripon; instead the county constituency in which the town was placed as a result was named Ripon (strictly speaking, at first, "The Ripon Division of the West Riding of Yorkshire"), and this continued as a single member constituency, with intervening boundary changes until it was abolished before the 1983 general election. Until 1950 it included, as well as Ripon itself, the towns of Harrogate and Knaresborough; the post-1950 guise took in Ilkley and Otley.

## Boundaries

1885–1918: The Borough of Ripon, the Sessional Divisions of Claro and Kirkby Malzeard, and the Liberty of Ripon.
1918–1950: The Boroughs of Ripon and Harrogate, the Urban District of Knaresborough, the Rural Districts of Knaresborough, Pateley Bridge, and Ripon, and part of the Rural District of Great Ouseburn.
1950–1983: The Borough of Ripon, the Urban Districts of Ilkley and Otley, and the Rural Districts of Ripon and Pateley Bridge, and Wharfedale.

## Members of Parliament

* Constituency re-created (1553)

### MPs 1553–1640

| Parliament | First member | Second member |
| 1553 (Oct) | Marmaduke Wyvill | Edward Beseley |
| 1554 (Apr) | William Rastell | John Temple |
| 1554 (Nov) | Thomas More II | Thomas Seckford |
| 1555 | John Holmes | Thomas Poley |
| 1558 | William Heath | Thomas Lewknor |
| 1559 | Francis Kempe | John Sapcote |
| 1562–3 | George Leighe | Richard Pratt |
| 1571 | Martin Birkhead | Anthony Roane |
| 1572 | Martin Birkhead | John Scott |
| 1584 | William Spencer | Gervase Lee |
| 1586 | William Spencer | Samuel Sandys |
| 1588 | Peter York | William Smith |
| 1593 | Anthony Wingfield | William Bennet |
| 1597 | Sir John Bennet | Christopher Perkins |
| 1601 | John Thornborough | Christopher Perkins |
| 1604 | Sir John Mallory | Sir John Bennet |
| 1614 | Sir Thomas Posthumous Hoby | William Mallory |
| 1621 | Sir Thomas Posthumous Hoby | William Mallory |
| 1624 | Sir Thomas Posthumous Hoby | William Mallory |
| 1625 | Sir Thomas Posthumous Hoby | William Mallory |
| 1626 | Thomas Best | Sir Thomas Posthumous Hoby |
| 1628 | Sir Thomas Posthumous Hoby | William Mallory |
| 1629–1640 | No Parliaments summoned | No Parliaments summoned |

### MPs 1640–1867

| Year | First member | First party | Second member | Second party |
| November 1640 | William Mallory | Royalist | John Mallory | Royalist |
| September 1642 | William Mallory disabled to sit - seat vacant | William Mallory disabled to sit - seat vacant | | John Mallory | Royalist |
| January 1644 | William Mallory disabled to sit - seat vacant | William Mallory disabled to sit - seat vacant | John Mallory disabled to sit - seat vacant | John Mallory disabled to sit - seat vacant |
| 1645 | Sir Charles Egerton | | Miles Moody (d. March 1647) | |
| 1647 | Sir Charles Egerton | | Sir John Bourchier | |
| December 1648 | Egerton excluded in Pride's Purge - seat vacant | Egerton excluded in Pride's Purge - seat vacant | | Sir John Bourchier | |
| 1653 | Ripon was unrepresented in the Barebones Parliament and the First and Second Parliaments of the Protectorate | Ripon was unrepresented in the Barebones Parliament and the First and Second Parliaments of the Protectorate | Ripon was unrepresented in the Barebones Parliament and the First and Second Parliaments of the Protectorate | Ripon was unrepresented in the Barebones Parliament and the First and Second Parliaments of the Protectorate |
| January 1659 | Edmund Jennings | | Jonathan Jennings | |
| May 1659 | Not represented in the restored Rump | Not represented in the restored Rump | Not represented in the restored Rump | Not represented in the restored Rump |
| April 1660 | Henry Arthington | | Edmund Jennings | |
| 1661 | John Nicholas | | Thomas Burwell | |
| 1673 | John Nicholas | | Sir Edmund Jennings | |
| February 1679 | Richard Sterne | | Sir Edmund Jennings | |
| August 1679 | Richard Sterne | | Christopher Wandesford | |
| 1685 | Sir Gilbert Dolben, 1st Baronet | | Sir Edmund Jennings | |
| 1689 | Sir Jonathan Jennings | | Sir Edward Blackett, Bt | |
| 1690 | Sir Jonathan Jennings | | Sir Edmund Jennings | |
| 1691 | Sir Jonathan Jennings | | Jonathan Jennings | |
| 1695 | John Aislabie | Tory | Jonathan Jennings | |
| 1701 | John Aislabie | Tory | John Sharp | |
| 1702 | Sir William Hustler | | John Sharp | |
| 1705 | John Aislabie | Tory, later Country Whig | John Sharp | |
| 1715 | John Aislabie | Tory, later Country Whig | The Viscount Castlecomer | |
| 1719 | John Aislabie | Tory, later Country Whig | William Aislabie I | |
| 1721 | William Aislabie II | Tory | William Aislabie I | |
| 1722 | William Aislabie II | Tory | John Scrope | |
| 1727 | William Aislabie II | Tory | William Aislabie III | |
| 1734 | William Aislabie II | Tory | Thomas Duncombe | |
| 1741 | William Aislabie II | Tory | Hon. Henry Vane | Whig |
| 1747 | William Aislabie II | Tory | Sir Charles Vernon | |
| 1761 | William Aislabie II | Tory | William Lawrence | |
| 1768 | William Aislabie II | Tory | Charles Allanson | |
| 1775 | William Aislabie II | Tory | William Lawrence | Tory |
| 1780 | William Aislabie II | Tory | Frederick Robinson | Tory |
| 1781 | William Lawrence | Tory | Frederick Robinson | Tory |
| 1787 | William Lawrence | Tory | Sir John Goodricke, Bt | Tory |
| 1789 | William Lawrence | Tory | Sir George Allanson-Winn, Bt | Tory |
| April 1798 | William Lawrence | Tory | John Heathcote | Tory |
| October 1798 | Sir James Graham, Bt | Tory | John Heathcote | Tory |
| 1806 | Sir James Graham, Bt | Tory | The Lord Headley | Tory |
| 1807 | F. J. Robinson | Tory | George Gipps | Tory |
| 1826 | F. J. Robinson | Tory | Lancelot Shadwell | Tory |
| 1827 | Louis Hayes Petit | Tory | Lancelot Shadwell | Tory |
| 1828 | Louis Hayes Petit | Tory | Sir Robert Inglis | Tory |
| 1829 | Louis Hayes Petit | Tory | George Spence | Tory |
| 1831 | Louis Hayes Petit | Whig | George Spence | Whig |
| 1832 | Thomas Staveley | Whig | Joshua Crompton | Whig |
| 1835 | Sir Charles Dalbiac | Conservative | Thomas Pemberton | Conservative |
| 1837 | Sir Edward Sugden | Conservative | Thomas Pemberton | Conservative |
| 1841 | Sir George Cockburn | Conservative | Thomas Pemberton | Conservative |
| 1843 | Sir George Cockburn | Conservative | Thomas Cusack-Smith | Conservative |
| 1846 | Sir George Cockburn | Conservative | Hon. Edwin Lascelles | Conservative |
| 1847 | Sir James Graham, Bt | Peelite | Hon. Edwin Lascelles | Conservative |
| 1852 | William Beckett | Conservative | Hon. Edwin Lascelles | Conservative |
| 1857 | John Ashley Warre | Whig | John Greenwood | Whig |
| 1859 | John Ashley Warre | Liberal | John Greenwood | Liberal |
| 1860 | Reginald Vyner | Liberal | John Greenwood | Liberal |
| 1865 | Sir Charles Wood | Liberal | Robert Kearsley | Liberal |
| 1866 | Lord John Hay | Liberal | Robert Kearsley | Liberal |
| 1868 | Representation reduced to one member | Representation reduced to one member | Representation reduced to one member | Representation reduced to one member |

### MPs 1868–1983

| Election | Election | Member | Party |
| | 1868 | Lord John Hay | Liberal |
| | 1871 by-election | Sir Henry Knight Storks | Liberal |
| | 1874 | Earl de Grey | Liberal |
| | 1880 | George Goschen | Liberal |
| 1885 | 1885 | Ripon parliamentary borough abolished, replaced by Ripon Division of the West Riding (county constituency) | Ripon parliamentary borough abolished, replaced by Ripon Division of the West Riding (county constituency) |
| | 1885 | William Harker | Liberal |
| | 1886 | John Lloyd Wharton | Conservative |
| | 1906 | H. F. B. Lynch | Liberal |
| | Jan. 1910 | Hon. Edward Wood | Conservative |
| | 1925 by-election | John Hills | Conservative |
| | 1939 by-election | Christopher York | Conservative |
| | 1950 | Sir Malcolm Stoddart-Scott | Conservative |
| | 1973 by-election | David Austick | Liberal |
| | Feb 1974 | Dr Keith Hampson | Conservative |
| | 1983 | constituency abolished | constituency abolished |

## Election results
### Elections in the 1830s

General election 1830: Ripon :
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| Tory | Louis Hayes Petit | Unopposed | Unopposed |
| Tory | George Spence | Unopposed | Unopposed |
| Tory hold | Tory hold | Tory hold | Tory hold |
| Tory hold | Tory hold | Tory hold | Tory hold |
General election 1831: Ripon :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Whig | Louis Hayes Petit | Unopposed | Unopposed |
| | Whig | George Spence | Unopposed | Unopposed |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 43 | |
| | Whig gain from Tory | Whig gain from Tory | Whig gain from Tory | Whig gain from Tory |
| | Whig gain from Tory | Whig gain from Tory | Whig gain from Tory | Whig gain from Tory |
General election 1832: Ripon :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Whig | Thomas Kitchingman Staveley | 168 | 25.6 |
| | Whig | Joshua Samuel Crompton | 168 | 25.6 |
| | Tory | James Charles Dalbiac | 162 | 24.7 |
| | Tory | William Markham | 159 | 24.2 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 6 | 0.9 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 330 | 96.8 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 341 | |
| | Whig hold | Whig hold | Whig hold | Whig hold |
| | Whig hold | Whig hold | Whig hold | Whig hold |
General election 1835: Ripon :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | James Charles Dalbiac | 246 | 40.6 | +15.9 |
| | Conservative | Thomas Pemberton | 235 | 38.8 | +14.6 |
| | Whig | Thomas Kitchingman Staveley | 125 | 20.6 | −30.6 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 110 | 18.2 | N/A |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 360 | 94.0 | −2.8 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 383 | | |
| | Conservative gain from Whig | Conservative gain from Whig | Swing | +15.6 | |
| | Conservative gain from Whig | Conservative gain from Whig | Swing | +15.0 | |
General election 1837: Ripon :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Thomas Pemberton | Unopposed | Unopposed | Unopposed |
| | Conservative | Edward Sugden | Unopposed | Unopposed | Unopposed |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 424 | | |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Conservative hold |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Conservative hold |

### Elections in the 1840s

General election 1841: Ripon :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Thomas Pemberton | Unopposed | Unopposed | Unopposed |
| | Conservative | Edward Sugden | Unopposed | Unopposed | Unopposed |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 373 | | |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Conservative hold |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Conservative hold |
Sugden resigned after being appointed Lord Chancellor of Ireland, causing a by-election.
By-election, 27 September 1841: Ripon :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | George Cockburn | Unopposed | Unopposed | Unopposed |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Conservative hold |
Pemberton resigned by accepting the office of Steward of the Chiltern Hundreds, causing a by-election,
By-election, 18 March 1843: Ripon :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Thomas Cusack-Smith | Unopposed | Unopposed | Unopposed |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Conservative hold |
Cusack-Smith resigned after being appointed Master of the Rolls in Ireland, causing a by-election.
By-election, 2 February 1846: Ripon :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Edwin Lacelles | Unopposed | Unopposed | Unopposed |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Conservative hold |
General election 1847: Ripon :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Edwin Lacelles | Unopposed | Unopposed | Unopposed |
| | Peelite | James Graham | Unopposed | Unopposed | Unopposed |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 350 | | |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Conservative hold |
| | Peelite gain from Conservative | Peelite gain from Conservative | Peelite gain from Conservative | Peelite gain from Conservative | Peelite gain from Conservative |

### Elections in the 1850s

General election 1852: Ripon :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | William Beckett | 266 | 49.0 | N/A |
| | Conservative | Edwin Lascelles | 202 | 37.2 | N/A |
| | Radical | Augustus Newton | 75 | 13.8 | New |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 127 | 23.4 | N/A |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 309 (est) | 87.5 (est) | N/A |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 353 | | |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | N/A | |
| | Conservative gain from Peelite | Conservative gain from Peelite | Swing | N/A | |
General election 1857: Ripon :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Whig | John Ashley Warre | Unopposed | Unopposed | Unopposed |
| | Whig | John Greenwood | Unopposed | Unopposed | Unopposed |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 339 | | |
| | Whig gain from Conservative | Whig gain from Conservative | Whig gain from Conservative | Whig gain from Conservative | Whig gain from Conservative |
| | Whig gain from Conservative | Whig gain from Conservative | Whig gain from Conservative | Whig gain from Conservative | Whig gain from Conservative |
General election 1859: Ripon :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal | John Greenwood | 223 | 48.6 | N/A |
| | Liberal | John Ashley Warre | 205 | 44.7 | N/A |
| | Liberal | Alfred Bates Richards | 31 | 6.8 | N/A |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 174 | 37.9 | N/A |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 230 (est) | 68.1 (est) | N/A |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 337 | | |
| | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Swing | N/A | |
| | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Swing | N/A | |

### Elections in the 1860s

Warre's death caused a by-election.
By-election, 22 December 1860: Ripon :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal | Reginald Vyner | 187 | 100.0 | N/A |
| | Chartist | Frederick Richard Lees | 0 | 0 | New |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 187 | 100.0 | N/A |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 187 | 54.5 | −13.6 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 343 | | |
| | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Swing | N/A | |
Lees retired before polling day.
General election 1865: Ripon :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal | Charles Wood | 215 | 37.3 | N/A |
| | Liberal | Robert Kearsley | 189 | 32.8 | N/A |
| | Liberal | John Greenwood | 173 | 30.0 | −18.6 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 16 | 2.8 | −35.1 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 289 (est) | 82.9 (est) | +14.8 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 348 | | |
| | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Swing | N/A | |
| | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Swing | N/A | |
Wood was elevated to the peerage becoming 1st Viscount Halifax and causing a by-election.
By-election, 26 February 1866: Ripon :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal | John Hay | Unopposed | Unopposed | Unopposed |
| | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Liberal hold |
Hay was appointed a Lord Commissioner of the Admiralty, requiring a by-election.
By-election, 28 March 1866: Ripon :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal | John Hay | Unopposed | Unopposed | Unopposed |
| | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Liberal hold |
Seat reduced to one member
General election 1868: Ripon :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal | John Hay | 554 | 57.6 | N/A |
| | Conservative | George Cayley | 408 | 42.4 | New |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 146 | 15.2 | +12.4 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 962 | 85.0 | +2.1 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 1,132 | | |
| | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Swing | N/A | |
Hay was appointed a Lord Commissioner of the Admiralty, requiring a by-election.
By-election, 21 December 1868: Ripon :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal | John Hay | Unopposed | Unopposed | Unopposed |
| | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Liberal hold |

### Elections in the 1870s

Hay resigned, causing a by-election.
By-election, 15 Feb 1871: Ripon :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal | Henry Knight Storks | 522 | 63.3 | +5.7 |
| | Conservative | George Cayley | 302 | 36.7 | −5.7 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 220 | 26.6 | +11.4 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 824 | 79.6 | −5.4 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 1,035 | | |
| | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Swing | +5.7 | |
General election 1874: Ripon :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal | Frederick Robinson | Unopposed | Unopposed | Unopposed |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 1,025 | | |
| | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Liberal hold |

### Elections in the 1880s

General election 1880: Ripon :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal | George Goschen | 591 | 62.0 | N/A |
| | Conservative | Francis Darwin | 362 | 38.0 | New |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 229 | 24.0 | N/A |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 953 | 87.7 | N/A |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 1,087 | | |
| | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Swing | N/A | |
General election 1885: Ripon :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal | William Harker | 3,985 | 51.1 | −10.9 |
| | Conservative | John Lloyd Wharton | 3,820 | 48.9 | +10.9 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 165 | 2.2 | −21.8 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 7,805 | 86.3 | −1.4 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 9,049 | | |
| | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Swing | −10.9 | |
General election 1886: Ripon :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | John Lloyd Wharton | 4,113 | 56.8 | +7.9 |
| | Liberal | Claude Ashley Charles Ponsonby | 3,125 | 43.2 | −7.9 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 988 | 13.6 | N/A |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 7,238 | 80.0 | −6.3 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 9,049 | | |
| | Conservative gain from Liberal | Conservative gain from Liberal | Swing | +7.9 | |

### Elections in the 1890s

General election 1892: Ripon :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | John Lloyd Wharton | 4,268 | 53.9 | −2.9 |
| | Liberal | Henry Leetham | 3,657 | 46.1 | +2.9 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 611 | 7.8 | −5.8 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 7,925 | 77.7 | −2.3 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 10,199 | | |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | −2.9 | |
General election 1895: Ripon :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | John Lloyd Wharton | 4,435 | 54.3 | +0.4 |
| | Liberal | Robert Charles Phillimore | 3,733 | 45.7 | −0.4 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 702 | 8.6 | +0.8 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 8,168 | 79.9 | +2.2 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 10,219 | | |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | +0.4 | |

### Elections in the 1900s

General election 1900: Ripon :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | John Lloyd Wharton | Unopposed | Unopposed | Unopposed |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Conservative hold |
General election 1906: Ripon :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal | H. F. B. Lynch | 5,645 | 51.4 | New |
| | Conservative | John Lloyd Wharton | 5,332 | 48.6 | N/A |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 313 | 2.8 | N/A |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 10,977 | 86.9 | N/A |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 12,635 | | |
| | Liberal gain from Conservative | Liberal gain from Conservative | Swing | N/A | |

### Elections in the 1910s

General election January 1910: Ripon :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Edward Wood | 6,363 | 55.4 | +6.8 |
| | Liberal | H. F. B. Lynch | 5,119 | 44.6 | −6.8 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 1,244 | 10.8 | N/A |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 11,482 | 89.3 | +2.4 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 12,860 | | |
| | Conservative gain from Liberal | Conservative gain from Liberal | Swing | +6.8 | |
General election December 1910: Ripon :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Edward Wood | 5,894 | 54.0 | −1.4 |
| | Liberal | Norman Rae | 5,020 | 46.0 | +1.4 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 874 | 8.0 | −2.8 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 10,914 | 84.9 | −4.4 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 12,860 | | |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | −1.4 | |
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: Edward Wood
* Liberal:
General election 1918: Ripon :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| C | Unionist | Edward Wood | 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

General election 1922: Ripon :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Unionist | Edward Wood | Unopposed | Unopposed | Unopposed |
| | Unionist hold | Unionist hold | Unionist hold | Unionist hold | Unionist hold |
General election 1923: Ripon :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Unionist | Edward Wood | Unopposed | Unopposed | Unopposed |
| | Unionist hold | Unionist hold | Unionist hold | Unionist hold | Unionist hold |
General election 1924: Ripon :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Unionist | Edward Wood | Unopposed | Unopposed | Unopposed |
| | Unionist hold | Unionist hold | Unionist hold | Unionist hold | Unionist hold |
1925 Ripon by-election :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Unionist | John Hills | 16,433 | 59.0 | N/A |
| | Liberal | John Murray | 11,422 | 41.0 | New |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 5,011 | 18.0 | N/A |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 27,855 | 74.6 | N/A |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 37,338 | | |
| | Unionist hold | Unionist hold | Swing | N/A | |
General election 1929: Ripon :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Unionist | John Hills | 23,173 | 55.1 | N/A |
| | Liberal | Frederick L. Boult | 14,542 | 34.6 | N/A |
| | Labour | Arthur Godfrey | 4,339 | 10.3 | New |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 8,631 | 20.5 | N/A |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 42,054 | 76.2 | N/A |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 55,191 | | |
| | Unionist hold | Unionist hold | Swing | N/A | |

### Elections in the 1930s

General election 1931: Ripon :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | John Hills | 37,898 | 88.1 | +33.0 |
| | Labour | Robert Joseph Hall | 5,125 | 11.9 | +1.6 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 32,773 | 76.2 | +55.7 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 43,023 | 73.7 | −2.5 |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | | |
General election 1935: Ripon :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Conservative | John Hills | 30,804 | 77.16 |
| | Labour | Robert Joseph Hall | 9,116 | 22.84 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 21,688 | 54.32 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 39,920 | 68.64 |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | |
1939 Ripon by-election :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Conservative | Christopher York | 23,257 | 69.49 |
| | Labour | Robert Joseph Hall | 10,213 | 30.51 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 13,044 | 38.98 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 33,470 | |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | |

### Elections in the 1940s

General election 1945: Ripon :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Christopher York | 29,674 | 61.3 | −15.9 |
| | Labour | R. Hartley | 12,599 | 26.0 | +3.2 |
| | Liberal | Mabel Cowley | 6,122 | 12.6 | New |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 17,075 | 35.3 | −19.0 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 48,395 | 69.8 | +1.2 |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | | |

### Elections in the 1950s

General election 1950: Ripon :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Malcolm Stoddart-Scott | 22,292 | 66.3 | +5.0 |
| | Labour | W. S. Hill | 11,317 | 33.7 | +7.7 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 10,975 | 32.6 | −2.7 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 33,609 | 84.0 | +14.2 |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | | |
General election 1951: Ripon :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Malcolm Stoddart-Scott | 23,047 | 68.4 | +2.1 |
| | Labour | Sydney J. Andrews | 10,627 | 31.6 | −2.1 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 12,420 | 36.9 | +4.3 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 33,674 | 83.2 | −0.8 |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | | |
General election 1955: Ripon :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Malcolm Stoddart-Scott | 21,977 | 68.9 | +0.5 |
| | Labour | Eric Brierley | 9,912 | 31.1 | −0.5 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 12,065 | 37.8 | +0.9 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 34,042 | 78.8 | −4.4 |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | | |
General election 1959: Ripon :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Malcolm Stoddart-Scott | 22,757 | 69.9 | +1.0 |
| | Labour | Joseph H. Swann | 9,791 | 30.1 | −1.0 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 12,966 | 39.8 | +2.0 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 32,548 | 79.0 | +0.2 |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | | |

### Elections in the 1960s

General election 1964: Ripon :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Malcolm Stoddart-Scott | 18,503 | 54.9 | −15.0 |
| | Liberal | Ronald H. H. Duncan | 7,814 | 23.2 | New |
| | Labour | Peter A. O'Grady | 7,341 | 21.8 | −8.3 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 10,689 | 31.7 | −8.1 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 33,658 | 80.6 | +1.6 |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | | |
General election 1966: Ripon :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Malcolm Stoddart-Scott | 17,352 | 52.2 | −2.7 |
| | Labour | Michael McGowan | 8,607 | 25.9 | +4.1 |
| | Liberal | Ronald H. H. Duncan | 7,301 | 22.0 | −1.2 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 8,745 | 26.3 | −5.4 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 33,260 | 78.9 | −1.7 |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | | |

### Elections in the 1970s

General election 1970: Ripon :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Malcolm Stoddart-Scott | 21,211 | 60.7 | +8.5 |
| | Labour | David Daniel | 9,147 | 26.2 | +1.3 |
| | Liberal | Valerie S. Craven | 4,583 | 13.1 | −8.9 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 12,064 | 34.5 | +8.2 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 34,941 | 73.6 | −5.3 |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | | |
1973 Ripon by-election :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal | David Austick | 13,902 | 43.5 | +30.4 |
| | Conservative | Keith Hampson | 12,956 | 40.5 | −20.2 |
| | Labour | David Mark English | 4,435 | 13.9 | −12.3 |
| | Ind. Conservative | R. E. G. Simmerson | 690 | 2.1 | New |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 946 | 3.0 | N/A |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 31,983 | 64.3 | −9.3 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 49,761 | | |
| | Liberal gain from Conservative | Liberal gain from Conservative | Swing | | |
General election February 1974: Ripon :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Keith Hampson | 21,080 | 49.6 | −11.1 |
| | Liberal | David Austick | 16,745 | 39.4 | +26.3 |
| | Labour | David Mark English | 4,643 | 10.9 | −15.3 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 4,335 | 10.2 | −24.3 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 42,468 | 85.4 | +11.8 |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | | |
General election October 1974: Ripon :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Keith Hampson | 20,636 | 52.1 | +2.5 |
| | Liberal | David Austick | 13,632 | 34.3 | −5.1 |
| | Labour | Stephen Peter Meyer | 5,330 | 13.5 | +2.6 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 7,004 | 17.8 | +7.6 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 39,598 | 78.9 | −6.5 |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | | |
General election 1979: Ripon :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Keith Hampson | 25,292 | 60.3 | +8.2 |
| | Liberal | Robert Tennant | 9,089 | 21.7 | −12.6 |
| | Labour | William Neil Davies | 6,749 | 16.1 | +2.6 |
| | Ecology | Alistair Laurence | 781 | 1.9 | New |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 16,203 | 38.6 | +20.8 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 41,911 | 78.8 | −0.1 |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | | |