# Osgoldcross (UK Parliament constituency)

Osgoldcross was a parliamentary constituency in the Osgoldcross Rural District of West Yorkshire. It returned one Member of Parliament (MP) to the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom, elected by the first past the post system.

## History

The constituency was created when the two-member Eastern West Riding of Yorkshire was divided by the Redistribution of Seats Act 1885 for the 1885 general election. It was abolished for the 1918 general election.

## Boundaries

The Redistribution of Seats Act 1885 provided that the constituency should consist of
* the municipal borough of Pontefract,
* the wapentake of Osgoldcross,
* the Parishes in the Sessional Division of Upper Barkston Ash of Brotherton, Fairburn, Ledsham and Ledstone, and
* the Parishes in the Sessional Division of Skyrack of Allerton Bywater and Kippax.

## Members of Parliament

| Election | Election | Member | Party |
| | 1885 | Sir John Ramsden, Bt | Independent Liberal |
| | 1886 | Sir John Ramsden, Bt | Liberal Unionist |
| | 1886 | Sir John Austin, Bt | Liberal |
| | 1899 | Sir John Austin, Bt | Independent Liberal |
| | 1906 | Sir Joseph Compton-Rickett | Liberal |
| 1918 | 1918 | constituency abolished | constituency abolished |

## Elections
### Elections in the 1880s

General election 1885: Osgoldcross :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal | John Ramsden | 5,153 | 62.8 | |
| | Conservative | Reginald Hardy | 3,053 | 37.2 | |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 2,100 | 25.6 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 8,206 | 79.5 | |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 10,322 | | |
| | Liberal win (new seat) | Liberal win (new seat) | Liberal win (new seat) | Liberal win (new seat) | Liberal win (new seat) |
General election 1886: Osgoldcross :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal | John Austin | 4,008 | 57.1 | −5.7 |
| | Liberal Unionist | John Ramsden | 3,010 | 42.9 | +5.7 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 998 | 14.2 | −11.4 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 7,018 | 68.0 | −11.5 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 10,322 | | |
| | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Swing | −5.7 | |

### Elections in the 1890s

General election 1892: Osgoldcross :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal | John Austin | 5,160 | 61.1 | +4.0 |
| | Conservative | Charles Brook Dobson | 3,284 | 38.9 | −4.0 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 1,876 | 22.2 | +8.0 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 8,444 | 66.9 | −1.1 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 12,615 | | |
| | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Swing | +4.0 | |
General election 1895: Osgoldcross :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal | John Austin | 5,119 | 55.8 | −5.3 |
| | Conservative | John Harling | 4,054 | 44.2 | +5.3 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 1,065 | 11.6 | −10.6 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 9,173 | 70.1 | +3.2 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 13,083 | | |
| | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Swing | -5.3 | |
Austin left the Liberal Party and sought re-election as an independent candidate.
1899 Osgoldcross by-election :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Independent Liberal | John Austin | 5,818 | 66.8 | +11.0 |
| | Liberal | Charles Henry Roberts | 2,893 | 33.2 | −22.6 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 2,925 | 33.6 | N/A |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 8,711 | 62.2 | −7.9 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 14,009 | | |
| | Independent Liberal gain from Liberal | Independent Liberal gain from Liberal | Swing | | |

### Elections in the 1900s

General election 1900: Osgoldcross :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Independent Liberal | John Austin | 5,609 | 65.0 | +9.2 |
| | Liberal | Vickerman Rutherford | 3,025 | 35.0 | −20.8 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 2,584 | 30.0 | N/A |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 8,634 | 58.8 | −11.3 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 14,689 | | |
| | Independent Liberal gain from Liberal | Independent Liberal gain from Liberal | Swing | | |
General election 1906: Osgoldcross :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal | Joseph Compton-Rickett | 8,482 | 66.1 | +31.1 |
| | Conservative | Granville Wheler | 4,358 | 33.9 | New |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 4,124 | 32.2 | N/A |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 12,840 | 75.8 | +17.0 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 16,935 | | |
| | Liberal gain from Independent Liberal | Liberal gain from Independent Liberal | Swing | | |

### Elections in the 1910s

General election January 1910: Osgoldcross :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal | Joseph Compton-Rickett | 9,517 | 66.3 | +0.2 |
| | Conservative | Gerald Hargreaves | 4,840 | 33.7 | −0.2 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 4,677 | 32.6 | +0.4 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 14,357 | 78.5 | +2.7 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 18,286 | | |
| | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Swing | +0.2 | |
General election December 1910: Osgoldcross :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal | Joseph Compton-Rickett | 8,518 | 66.2 | −0.1 |
| | Conservative | Malcolm Campbell-Johnston | 4,347 | 33.8 | +0.1 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 4,171 | 32.4 | −0.2 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 12,865 | 70.4 | −8.1 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 18,286 | | |
| | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Swing | -0.1 | |
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: Joseph Compton-Rickett
* Unionist:
* Labour: John Potts