# Deptford (UK Parliament constituency)

Deptford was a parliamentary constituency centred on the Deptford district of South London. It returned one Member of Parliament (MP) to the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom.
The constituency was created for the 1885 general election, and abolished for the February 1974 general election, when it was largely replaced by the new constituency of Lewisham Deptford.

## Boundaries

1885–1918: The parish of St Paul, Deptford, inclusive of Hatcham.
1918–1974: The Metropolitan Borough of Deptford.

## Members of Parliament

| Year | Year | Member | Party |
| | 1885 | William John Evelyn | Conservative |
| | 1888 | Charles Darling | Conservative |
| | 1897 | Arthur Henry Aylmer Morton | Conservative |
| | 1906 | C. W. Bowerman | Labour |
| | 1931 | Denis Hanley | Conservative |
| | 1935 | Walter Green | Labour |
| | 1945 | John Wilmot | Labour |
| | 1950 | Jack Cooper | Labour |
| | 1951 | Sir Leslie Plummer | Labour |
| | 1963 | John Silkin | Labour |
| 1974 | 1974 | constituency abolished | constituency abolished |

## Election results
### Election in the 1970s

General election 1970: Deptford :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Labour | John Silkin | 14,672 | 62.96 |
| | Conservative | Michael Brotherton | 7,355 | 31.56 |
| | National Front | Martin Vaux | 1,277 | 5.48 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 7,317 | 31.40 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 23,304 | 54.67 |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | |

### Elections in the 1960s

General election 1966: Deptford :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | John Silkin | 17,983 | 66.80 | |
| | Conservative | John R Giles | 7,033 | 26.12 | |
| | British National | Gerald Rowe | 1,906 | 7.08 | New |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 10,950 | 40.68 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 26,922 | 60.27 | |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | | |
General election 1964: Deptford :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | John Silkin | 17,676 | 62.44 | |
| | Conservative | Murray M Leask | 8,248 | 29.13 | |
| | Independent | Colin M H Atkins | 2,386 | 8.43 | New |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 9,428 | 33.31 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 28,310 | 60.08 | |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | | |
1963 Deptford by-election :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | John Silkin | 12,209 | 58.25 | −3.70 |
| | Liberal | David John Howard Penwarden | 4,726 | 22.55 | n/a |
| | Conservative | John D Brimacombe | 4,023 | 19.20 | −18.85 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 7,483 | 35.70 | +11.80 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 20,958 | | |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | | |

### Elections in the 1950s

General election 1959: Deptford :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Labour | Leslie Plummer | 21,226 | 61.95 |
| | Conservative | John D Brimacombe | 13,038 | 38.05 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 8,188 | 23.90 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 34,264 | 69.34 |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | |
General election 1955: Deptford :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Labour | Leslie Plummer | 23,925 | 65.73 |
| | Conservative | Irene Dowling | 12,472 | 34.27 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 11,453 | 31.46 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 36,397 | 69.62 |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | |
General election 1951: Deptford :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Labour | Leslie Plummer | 28,878 | 65.17 |
| | Conservative | Irene Dowling | 15,431 | 34.83 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 13,447 | 30.34 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 44,309 | 80.27 |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | |
General election 1950: Deptford :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Jack Cooper | 28,230 | 63.07 | |
| | Conservative | Geoffrey F. Sarjeant | 13,330 | 29.78 | |
| | Liberal | Edward Isaac Miller | 2,637 | 5.89 | new |
| | Communist | Leslie Francis Stannard | 562 | 1.26 | new |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 14,900 | 33.29 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 44,759 | 81.61 | |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | | |

### Election in the 1940s

General election 1945: Deptford :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Labour | John Wilmot | 22,313 | 73.47 |
| | Conservative | Eric Cuddon | 8,059 | 26.53 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 14,254 | 46.94 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 30,372 | |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | |

### Election in the 1930s

General election 1935: Deptford :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour Co-op | Walter Green | 27,021 | 57.31 | |
| | Conservative | Malcolm Campbell | 20,129 | 42.69 | |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 6,892 | 14.62 | N/A |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 47,150 | | |
| | Labour Co-op gain from Conservative | Labour Co-op gain from Conservative | Swing | | |
General election 1931: Deptford :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Denis Hanley | 26,558 | 54.42 | |
| | Labour | C. W. Bowerman | 22,244 | 45.58 | |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 4,314 | 8.84 | N/A |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 48,802 | | |
| | Conservative gain from Labour | Conservative gain from Labour | Swing | | |

### Election in the 1920s

General election 1929: Deptford :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | C. W. Bowerman | 26,848 | 55.2 | +0.7 |
| | Unionist | Ernest Gates | 14,832 | 30.5 | −15.0 |
| | Liberal | H. Charles Bevan | 6,935 | 14.3 | New |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 12,016 | 24.7 | +15.7 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 48,615 | 68.2 | −3.8 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 71,242 | | |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | +7.9 | |
General election 1924: Deptford :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | C. W. Bowerman | 21,903 | 54.5 | −8.5 |
| | Unionist | James Hargreaves | 18,279 | 45.5 | +8.5 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 3,624 | 9.0 | −17.0 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 40,182 | 72.0 | +8.7 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 55,797 | | |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | −8.5 | |
General election 1923: Deptford :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | C. W. Bowerman | 21,576 | 63.0 | +10.4 |
| | Unionist | Marshall James Pike | 12,666 | 37.0 | −10.4 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 8,910 | 26.0 | +20.8 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 34,242 | 63.3 | −2.9 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 54,135 | | |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | +10.4 | |
General election 1922: Deptford :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | C. W. Bowerman | 18,512 | 52.6 | −1.8 |
| | Unionist | Marshall James Pike | 16,687 | 47.4 | +9.9 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 1,825 | 5.2 | −11.7 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 35,199 | 66.2 | +16.0 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 53,195 | | |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | −5.9 | |

### Elections in the 1910s

General election 1918: Deptford :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | C. W. Bowerman | 14,073 | 54.4 | +3.0 |
| | Conservative | John Prestige | 9,711 | 37.5 | −11.1 |
| | NFDDSS | Frederick Alfred Rumsey | 2,106 | 8.1 | New |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 4,362 | 16.9 | +14.1 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 25,890 | 50.2 | −31.3 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 51,611 | | |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | +7.1 | |
General election December 1910: Deptford :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | C. W. Bowerman | 6,357 | 51.4 | −0.6 |
| | Conservative | Stuart Coats | 5,999 | 48.6 | +0.6 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 358 | 2.8 | −1.2 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 12,356 | 81.5 | −5.8 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 15,159 | | |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | −0.6 | |
General election January 1910: Deptford :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | C. W. Bowerman | 6,880 | 52.0 | −0.2 |
| | Conservative | Stuart Coats | 6,358 | 48.0 | +6.3 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 522 | 4.0 | −6.5 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 13,238 | 87.3 | +9.8 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 15,159 | | |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | −3.3 | |

### Elections in the 1900s

General election 1906: Deptford :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour Repr. Cmte. | C. W. Bowerman | 6,236 | 52.2 | New |
| | Conservative | Arthur Morton | 4,977 | 41.7 | −20.4 |
| | Liberal | Herbert Vivian | 726 | 6.1 | −31.8 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 1,259 | 10.5 | N/A |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 11,939 | 77.5 | +10.6 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 15,397 | | |
| | Labour Repr. Cmte. gain from Conservative | Labour Repr. Cmte. gain from Conservative | Swing | N/A | |
General election 1900: Deptford :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Arthur Morton | 6,236 | 62.1 | +6.0 |
| | Lib-Lab | Ben Jones | 3,806 | 37.9 | −6.0 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 2,430 | 24.2 | +12.0 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 10,042 | 66.9 | −6.1 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 15,000 | | |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | +6.0 | |

### Elections in the 1890s

1897 Deptford by-election :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Arthur Henry Aylmer Morton | 5,317 | 51.6 | −4.5 |
| | Liberal | John Benn | 4,993 | 48.4 | +4.5 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 324 | 3.2 | −9.0 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 10,310 | 74.3 | +1.3 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 13,868 | | |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | −4.5 | |
General election 1895: Deptford :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Charles Darling | 5,654 | 56.1 | +3.3 |
| | Liberal | Thomas Macnamara | 4,425 | 43.9 | −3.3 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 1,229 | 12.2 | +6.6 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 10,079 | 73.0 | −3.8 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 13,815 | | |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | +3.3 | |
General election 1892: Deptford :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Charles Darling | 5,298 | 52.8 | −1.9 |
| | Liberal | Edmond Fitzmaurice | 4,733 | 47.2 | +1.9 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 565 | 5.6 | −3.8 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 10,031 | 76.8 | +4.9 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 13,066 | | |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | −1.9 | |

### Elections in the 1880s

By-election, 29 Feb 1888: Deptford :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Charles Darling | 4,345 | 51.6 | −3.1 |
| | Liberal | Wilfrid Blunt | 4,070 | 48.4 | +3.1 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 275 | 3.2 | −6.2 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 8,415 | 80.3 | +8.4 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 10,473 | | |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | −3.1 | |
* Caused by Evelyn's resignation.
General election 1886: Deptford :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | William John Evelyn | 3,682 | 54.7 | +2.2 |
| | Liberal | Lalmohun Ghose | 3,055 | 45.3 | −2.2 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 627 | 9.4 | +4.4 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 6,737 | 71.9 | −8.0 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 9,371 | | |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | +2.2 | |
General election 1885: Deptford :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | William John Evelyn | 3,927 | 52.5 | |
| | Liberal | Lalmohun Ghose | 3,560 | 47.5 | |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 367 | 5.0 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 7,487 | 79.9 | |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 9,371 | | |
| | Conservative win (new seat) | Conservative win (new seat) | Conservative win (new seat) | Conservative win (new seat) | Conservative win (new seat) |