# Woodbridge (UK Parliament constituency)

Woodbridge was a county constituency centred on the town of Woodbridge in Suffolk. It returned one Member of Parliament (MP) to the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom.

## History

The South-Eastern or Woodbridge Division was one of five single-member county divisions of the Parliamentary County of Suffolk created by the Redistribution of Seats Act 1885 to replace the existing two 2-member divisions for the 1885 general election. It was formed from parts of the Eastern Division of Suffolk. It was abolished under the Representation of the People Act 1948 for the 1950 general election when it was largely replaced by the new Sudbury and Woodbridge constituency.

## Boundaries and boundary changes
### 1885–1918

* The Municipal Borough of Woodbridge;
* The Sessional Divisions of Bosmere and Claydon, Samford, and Woodbridge; and
* The Corporate Town of Aldeburgh.

### 1918–1950

* The Municipal Borough of Aldeburgh;
* The Urban Districts of Felixstowe and Woodbridge:
* The Rural Districts of Bosmere and Claydon, Samford, and Woodbridge; and
* Part of the Rural District of Plomesgate.
Lost areas which had been annexed by the County Borough of Ipswich to the Parliamentary Borough thereof.
On abolition, southern parts, which comprised the majority of the seat, including Felixstowe and Woodbridge, formed part of the new county constituency of Sudbury and Woodbridge. Northern parts, including Aldeburgh, were transferred to Eye.

## Members of Parliament

| Election | Election | Member | Party |
| | 1885 | Robert Lacey Everett | Liberal |
| | 1886 | Robert Hamilton Lloyd-Anstruther | Conservative |
| | 1892 | Robert Lacey Everett | Liberal |
| | 1895 | E. G. Pretyman | Conservative |
| | 1906 | Robert Lacey Everett | Liberal |
| | Jan. 1910 | Robert Francis Peel | Conservative |
| | 1920 | Sir Arthur Churchman, Bt | Conservative |
| | 1929 | Clavering Fison | Conservative |
| | 1931 | Walter Ross-Taylor | Conservative |
| | 1945 | Hon. John Hare | Conservative |
| 1950 | 1950 | constituency abolished: see Sudbury and Woodbridge | constituency abolished: see Sudbury and Woodbridge |

## Elections
### Elections in the 1880s

General election 1885: Woodbridge :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal | Robert Everett | 4,978 | 50.9 | |
| | Conservative | Frederick Thellusson | 4,810 | 49.1 | |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 168 | 1.8 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 9,788 | 80.7 | |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 12,126 | | |
| | Liberal win (new seat) | Liberal win (new seat) | Liberal win (new seat) | Liberal win (new seat) | Liberal win (new seat) |
General election 1886: Woodbridge :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Robert Lloyd-Anstruther | 4,854 | 51.7 | +2.6 |
| | Liberal | Robert Everett | 4,541 | 48.3 | −2.6 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 313 | 3.4 | N/A |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 9,395 | 77.5 | −3.2 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 12,126 | | |
| | Conservative gain from Liberal | Conservative gain from Liberal | Swing | +2.6 | |

### Elections in the 1890s

General election 1892: Woodbridge :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal | Robert Everett | 5,223 | 53.8 | +5.5 |
| | Conservative | Robert Lloyd-Anstruther | 4,485 | 46.2 | −5.5 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 738 | 7.6 | N/A |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 9,708 | 82.1 | +4.6 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 11,823 | | |
| | Liberal gain from Conservative | Liberal gain from Conservative | Swing | +5.5 | |
General election 1895: Woodbridge :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | E. G. Pretyman | 5,410 | 53.1 | +6.9 |
| | Liberal | Robert Everett | 4,778 | 46.9 | −6.9 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 632 | 6.2 | N/A |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 10,188 | 84.5 | +2.4 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 12,053 | | |
| | Conservative gain from Liberal | Conservative gain from Liberal | Swing | +6.9 | |

### Elections in the 1900s

General election 1900: Woodbridge :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | E. G. Pretyman | 5,089 | 53.4 | +0.3 |
| | Liberal | Robert Everett | 4,437 | 46.6 | −0.3 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 652 | 6.8 | +0.6 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 9,526 | 78.9 | −5.6 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 12,077 | | |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | +0.3 | |
By-election, 1900: Woodbridge :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | E. G. Pretyman | Unopposed | Unopposed | Unopposed |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Conservative hold |
General election 1906: Woodbridge :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal | Robert Everett | 5,527 | 50.8 | +4.2 |
| | Conservative | E. G. Pretyman | 5,348 | 49.2 | −4.2 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 179 | 1.6 | N/A |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 10,875 | 86.8 | +7.9 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 12,528 | | |
| | Liberal gain from Conservative | Liberal gain from Conservative | Swing | +4.2 | |

### Elections in the 1910s

General election January 1910: Woodbridge :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Robert Peel | 6,120 | 53.9 | +4.7 |
| | Liberal | Charles Sydney Buxton | 5,226 | 46.1 | −4.7 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 894 | 7.8 | N/A |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 11,346 | 88.6 | +1.8 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 12,808 | | |
| | Conservative gain from Liberal | Conservative gain from Liberal | Swing | +4.7 | |
General election December 1910: Woodbridge :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Robert Peel | 5,704 | 52.6 | −1.3 |
| | Liberal | William Elliston | 5,144 | 47.4 | +1.3 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 560 | 5.2 | −2.6 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 10,848 | 84.7 | −3.9 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 12,808 | | |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | −1.3 | |
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 the July 1914, the following candidates had been selected;
* Unionist: Robert Peel
* Liberal: William Elliston
General election 1918: Woodbridge :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| C | Unionist | Robert Peel | 8,654 | 55.8 | +3.2 |
| | Liberal | William Elliston | 6,842 | 44.2 | −3.2 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 1,812 | 11.6 | +6.4 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 15,496 | 51.0 | −33.7 |
| | Unionist hold | Unionist hold | Swing | +3.2 | |
| C indicates candidate endorsed by the coalition government. ||||||

### Elections in the 1920s

1920 Woodbridge by-election :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| C | Unionist | Arthur Churchman | 9,898 | 53.2 | −2.6 |
| | Labour | Henry Harben | 8,707 | 46.8 | New |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 1,191 | 6.4 | −5.2 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 18,605 | 61.4 | +10.4 |
| | Unionist hold | Unionist hold | Swing | | |
| C indicates candidate endorsed by the coalition government. ||||||
General election 1922: Woodbridge :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Unionist | Arthur Churchman | 12,396 | 56.7 | +3.5 |
| | Labour | E. J. C. Neep | 9,476 | 43.3 | −3.5 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 2,920 | 13.4 | +7.0 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 21,872 | 69.1 | +7.7 |
| | Unionist hold | Unionist hold | Swing | +3.4 | |
General election 1923: Woodbridge :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Unionist | Arthur Churchman | 10,606 | 46.7 | −10.0 |
| | Liberal | William Elliston | 7,328 | 32.2 | New |
| | Labour | E. J. C. Neep | 4,810 | 21.1 | −22.2 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 3,278 | 14.5 | +1.1 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 22,744 | 70.9 | +1.8 |
| | Unionist hold | Unionist hold | Swing | | |
General election 1924: Woodbridge :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Unionist | Arthur Churchman | 13,419 | 54.9 | +8.2 |
| | Liberal | William Elliston | 7,008 | 28.7 | −3.5 |
| | Labour | Sylvain Mayer | 3,998 | 16.4 | −4.7 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 6,411 | 26.2 | +11.7 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 24,425 | 74.3 | +3.4 |
| | Unionist hold | Unionist hold | Swing | +5.8 | |
General election 1929: Woodbridge :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Unionist | Clavering Fison | 15,231 | 48.1 | −6.8 |
| | Liberal | Roger Fulford | 10,904 | 34.5 | +5.8 |
| | Labour | Leonard Spero | 5,507 | 17.4 | +1.0 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 4,327 | 13.6 | −12.6 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 31,642 | 73.3 | −1.0 |
| | Unionist hold | Unionist hold | Swing | -6.3 | |

### Elections in the 1930s

General election 1931: Woodbridge :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Walter Ross-Taylor | 25,654 | 81.3 | +33.2 |
| | Labour | Ida Mary Nussey Keeble | 5,885 | 18.7 | +1.3 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 19,769 | 62.6 | +49.0 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 31,539 | 70.6 | −2.7 |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | | |
General election 1935: Woodbridge :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Walter Ross-Taylor | 22,715 | 72.1 | −9.2 |
| | Labour | A V Smith | 8,808 | 27.9 | +9.2 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 13,907 | 44.2 | −18.4 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 31,523 | 67.5 | +4.9 |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | -9.2 | |
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: John Hare
* Liberal: Douglas B Law
* Labour: J M Stewart

### Elections in the 1940s

General election 1945: Woodbridge :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | John Hare | 16,073 | 47.0 | −25.1 |
| | Labour | John M. Stewart | 11,380 | 33.3 | +5.4 |
| | Liberal | Douglas Burch Law | 6,740 | 19.7 | New |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 4,693 | 13.7 | −30.5 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 34,193 | 71.4 | +3.9 |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | | |

## Sources

* ↑ Great Britain, Incorporated Council of Law Reporting for England and Wales. The public general acts. unknown library. Proprietors of the Law Journal Reports, 1884.
* ↑ S., Craig, Fred W. (1972). Boundaries of parliamentary constituencies 1885-1972;. Chichester: Political Reference Publications. ISBN 0900178094. OCLC 539011.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
* 1 2 3 The Liberal Year Book, 1907
* 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 Craig, FWS, ed. (1974). British Parliamentary Election Results: 1885-1918. London: Macmillan Press. ISBN 9781349022984.
* 1 2 Debrett's House of Commons and the Judicial Bench, 1901
* 1 2 Debrett's House of Commons and the Judicial Bench, 1916
* 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 British Parliamentary Election Results 1918-1949, FWS Craig
* ↑ The Liberal Magazine, 1939
* ↑ Report of the Annual Conference of the Labour Party, 1939
* Leigh Rayment's Historical List of MPs – Constituencies beginning with "W" (part 5)
* Craig, F. W. S. (1989) [1974]. British parliamentary election results 1885–1918 (2nd ed.). Chichester: Parliamentary Research Services. p. 395. ISBN 0-900178-27-2.
* Craig, F. W. S. (1983) [1969]. British parliamentary election results 1918–1949 (3rd ed.). Chichester: Parliamentary Research Services. p. 469. ISBN 0-900178-06-X.