# West Cumberland (UK Parliament constituency)

West Cumberland was a county constituency in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. It elected two Members of Parliament (MPs) by the bloc vote system of election.

## Boundaries

1832–1885: The Wards of Allerdale above Derwent and Allerdale below Derwent.
In 1832 the historic county of Cumberland, in north west England, was split for parliamentary purposes into two county divisions. These were the East Cumberland division (with a place of election at Carlisle) and the West division (where voting took place at Cockermouth). Each division returned two members to Parliament.
The parliamentary boroughs included in the West division, between 1832 and 1885, (whose non-resident 40 shilling freeholders voted in the county constituency) were Cockermouth and Whitehaven. (Source: Stooks Smith).

## History

For most of its existence this was an extremely Conservative division, in sharp contrast to the mostly Liberal inclined East division of the county. Only once, in the last election in 1880, was a Liberal MP elected.
The county began to industrialise from the 1860s. An Irish community developed in the west of Cumberland particularly at Cleator Moor, attracted by the opportunity to find work in the areas developing iron industry. It may be that these economic and demographic developments made the Liberals, critical of the remnant Anglican ascendancy, more competitive by 1880 than they had been earlier in the century.
In 1885 this division was abolished. The East and West Cumberland county divisions were replaced by four new single-member county constituencies. These were Cockermouth, Egremont (the Western division), Eskdale (Northern division) and Penrith (Mid division). In addition there were two remaining Cumberland borough constituencies; Carlisle and Whitehaven.

## Members of Parliament

| Election | First member | First party | Second member | Second party |
| 1832 | William Lowther | Tory | Edward Stanley | Tory |
| 1833 by-election | Samuel Irton | Tory | Edward Stanley | Tory |
| 1834 | Samuel Irton | Conservative | Edward Stanley | Conservative |
| 1847 | Henry Lowther | Conservative | Edward Stanley | Conservative |
| 1852 | Henry Lowther | Conservative | Samuel Irton | Conservative |
| 1857 | Henry Lowther | Conservative | Hon. Sir Henry Wyndham | Conservative |
| 1860 by-election | Henry Lowther | Conservative | Hon. Percy Wyndham | Conservative |
| 1872 by-election | Jocelyn Pennington $^a$ | Conservative | Hon. Percy Wyndham | Conservative |
| 1880 | David Ainsworth | Liberal | Hon. Percy Wyndham | Conservative |
| 1885 | Constituency abolished | Constituency abolished | Constituency abolished | Constituency abolished |
Note:-
* $^a$ Muncaster was a Peer of Ireland until 1898 and therefore eligible to serve in the House of Commons.

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

General election 1832: West Cumberland :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Tory | William Lowther | 1,875 | 36.9 |
| | Tory | Edward Stanley | 1,693 | 33.3 |
| | Whig | Henry Curwen | 1,510 | 29.7 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 183 | 3.6 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 3,266 | 84.9 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 3,848 | |
| | 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) |
Lowther was also elected for Westmorland and opted to sit there, causing a by-election.
By-election, 25 March 1833: West Cumberland :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Tory | Samuel Irton | 1,682 | 51.2 | −19.0 |
| | Radical | Francis Aglionby | 1,601 | 48.8 | N/A |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 81 | 2.4 | −1.2 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 3,283 | 85.3 | +0.4 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 3,848 | | |
| | Tory hold | Tory hold | Swing | −19.0 | |
General election 1835: West Cumberland :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Edward Stanley | 1,899 | 35.4 | +2.1 |
| | Conservative | Samuel Irton | 1,883 | 35.1 | −1.8 |
| | Radical | Francis Aglionby | 1,581 | 29.5 | N/A |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 302 | 5.6 | +2.0 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 3,469 | 83.6 | −1.3 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 4,149 | | |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | +2.1 | |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | −1.8 | |
General election 1837: West Cumberland :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Conservative | Samuel Irton | Unopposed | Unopposed |
| | Conservative | Edward Stanley | Unopposed | Unopposed |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 4,437 | |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Conservative hold |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Conservative hold |

### Elections in the 1840s

General election 1841: West Cumberland :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Samuel Irton | Unopposed | Unopposed | Unopposed |
| | Conservative | Edward Stanley | Unopposed | Unopposed | Unopposed |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 4,031 | | |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Conservative hold |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Conservative hold |
General election 1847: West Cumberland :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Edward Stanley | Unopposed | Unopposed | Unopposed |
| | Conservative | Henry Lowther | Unopposed | Unopposed | Unopposed |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 4,042 | | |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Conservative hold |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Conservative hold |

### Elections in the 1850s

General election 1852: West Cumberland :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Samuel Irton | Unopposed | Unopposed | Unopposed |
| | Conservative | Henry Lowther | Unopposed | Unopposed | Unopposed |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 4,144 | | |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Conservative hold |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Conservative hold |
General election 1857: West Cumberland :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Henry Wyndham | 1,848 | 35.4 | N/A |
| | Conservative | Henry Lowther | 1,825 | 34.9 | N/A |
| | Radical | Wilfrid Lawson | 1,554 | 29.7 | New |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 271 | 5.2 | N/A |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 3,391 (est) | 77.2 (est) | N/A |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 4,389 | | |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Conservative hold |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Conservative hold |
General election 1859: West Cumberland :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Henry Wyndham | Unopposed | Unopposed | Unopposed |
| | Conservative | Henry Lowther | Unopposed | Unopposed | Unopposed |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 4,780 | | |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Conservative hold |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Conservative hold |

### Elections in the 1860s

Wyndham's death caused a by-election.
By-election, 27 August 1860: West Cumberland :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Percy Wyndham | Unopposed | Unopposed | Unopposed |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Conservative hold |
General election 1865: West Cumberland :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Percy Wyndham | Unopposed | Unopposed | Unopposed |
| | Conservative | Henry Lowther | Unopposed | Unopposed | Unopposed |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 4,602 | | |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Conservative hold |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Conservative hold |
General election 1868: West Cumberland :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Percy Wyndham | Unopposed | Unopposed | Unopposed |
| | Conservative | Henry Lowther | Unopposed | Unopposed | Unopposed |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 5,676 | | |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Conservative hold |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Conservative hold |

### Elections in the 1870s

Lowther succeeded to the peerage, becoming Earl of Lonsdale and causing a by-election.
By-election, 26 March 1872: West Cumberland :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Josslyn Pennington | Unopposed | Unopposed | Unopposed |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Conservative hold |
General election 1874: West Cumberland :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Percy Wyndham | 2,532 | 29.4 | N/A |
| | Conservative | Josslyn Pennington | 2,520 | 29.3 | N/A |
| | Liberal | James William Ballantine Dykes | 1,786 | 20.7 | New |
| | Liberal | David Ainsworth | 1,771 | 20.6 | New |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 734 | 8.6 | N/A |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 4,305 (est) | 71.3 (est) | N/A |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 6,034 | | |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | N/A | |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | N/A | |

### Elections in the 1880s

General election 1880: West Cumberland :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal | David Ainsworth | 3,178 | 37.4 | −3.9 |
| | Conservative | Percy Wyndham | 2,686 | 31.6 | +2.2 |
| | Conservative | Josslyn Pennington | 2,624 | 30.9 | +1.6 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 554 | 6.5 | N/A |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 5,864 (est) | 78.2 (est) | +6.9 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 7,496 | | |
| | Liberal gain from Conservative | Liberal gain from Conservative | Swing | −3.9 | |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | | |