# Prestwich (UK Parliament constituency)

Prestwich was a constituency in the county of Lancashire of the House of Commons for the Parliament of the United Kingdom. Created by the Redistribution of Seats Act 1885, it was represented by one Member of Parliament. The constituency was abolished in 1918.

## Boundaries

The constituency of South-East Lancashire, Prestwich Division was created by the Redistribution of Seats Act 1885, with the official title. It consisted of an area of the parliamentary county of Lancashire between the boroughs of Salford and Oldham. It consisted of the following civil parishes and townships:
* Blackley
* Chadderton
* Crompton
* Crumpsall
* Droylsden
* Failsworth
* Great Heaton
* Little Heaton
* Moston
* Prestwich
* Royton
* And the part of the parish of Ashton-under-Lyne not included in the municipal borough.
The electorate also consisted of the freeholders of the municipal boroughs of Ashton-under-Lyne and Oldham who were entitled to vote in the county.

## Abolition

The constituency was abolished by the Representation of the People Act 1918, with its area divided between four new constuencies:
* Blackley, Crumpsall, and Moston (which had been added to the City of Manchester in 1890) became the Parliamentary Borough of Manchester Blackley.
* Chadderton, Great Heaton, Little Heaton and Prestwich became part of Middleton and Prestwich Division
* Droylsden and Failsworth were included in Mossley Division
* Crompton and Royton, along with five other urban districts, formed Royton Division.

## Members of Parliament

| Election | Election | Member | Party |
| | 1885 | Abel Buckley | Liberal |
| | 1886 | Robert Mowbray | Conservative |
| | 1895 | Frederick Cawley | Liberal |
| | 1918 (January) | Oswald Cawley | Liberal |
| | 1918 (October) | Austin Hopkinson | Liberal |
| 1918 (December) | 1918 (December) | constituency abolished | constituency abolished |

## Elections
### Elections in the 1880s

General election 1885: Prestwich :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal | Abel Buckley | 5,414 | 53.6 | |
| | Conservative | Robert Mowbray | 4,686 | 46.4 | |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 728 | 7.2 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 10,100 | 90.5 | |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 11,156 | | |
| | Liberal win (new seat) | Liberal win (new seat) | Liberal win (new seat) | Liberal win (new seat) | Liberal win (new seat) |
General election 1886: Prestwich :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Robert Mowbray | 4,843 | 50.7 | +4.3 |
| | Liberal | Abel Buckley | 4,704 | 49.3 | −4.3 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 139 | 1.4 | N/A |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 9,547 | 85.6 | −4.9 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 11,156 | | |
| | Conservative gain from Liberal | Conservative gain from Liberal | Swing | +4.3 | |

### Elections in the 1890s

General election 1892: Prestwich :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Robert Mowbray | 5,718 | 50.7 | 0.0 |
| | Liberal | William Agnew | 5,563 | 49.3 | 0.0 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 155 | 1.4 | 0.0 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 11,281 | 87.9 | +2.1 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 12,827 | | |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | 0.0 | |
General election 1895: Prestwich :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal | Frederick Cawley | 6,039 | 50.4 | +1.1 |
| | Conservative | Robert Mowbray | 5,938 | 49.6 | −1.1 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 101 | 0.8 | N/A |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 11,977 | 86.7 | −1.2 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 13,812 | | |
| | Liberal gain from Conservative | Liberal gain from Conservative | Swing | +1.1 | |

### Elections in the 1900s

General election 1900: Prestwich :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal | Frederick Cawley | 7,127 | 52.7 | +2.3 |
| | Conservative | Sir Henry Houldsworth, 2nd Baronet | 6,406 | 47.3 | −2.3 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 721 | 5.4 | +4.6 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 13,533 | 86.0 | −0.7 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 15,732 | | |
| | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Swing | +2.3 | |
General election 1906: Prestwich :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal | Frederick Cawley | 10,187 | 62.8 | +10.1 |
| | Conservative | W T Hedges | 6,024 | 37.2 | −10.1 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 4,163 | 25.6 | +20.2 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 16,211 | 84.1 | −1.9 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 19,267 | | |
| | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Swing | +10.1 | |

### Elections in the 1910s

General election January 1910: Prestwich :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal | Frederick Cawley | 11,564 | 58.6 | −4.2 |
| | Conservative | Cyril Potter | 8,180 | 41.4 | +4.2 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 3,384 | 17.2 | −8.4 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 19,744 | 89.2 | +5.1 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 22,123 | | |
| | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Swing | -4.2 | |
General election December 1910: Prestwich :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal | Frederick Cawley | 10,355 | 59.0 | +0.4 |
| | Conservative | Frederick Brocklehurst | 7,189 | 41.0 | −0.4 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 3,166 | 18.0 | +0.8 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 17,544 | 79.3 | −9.9 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 22,123 | | |
| | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Swing | +0.4 | |
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 the July 1914, the following candidates had been selected;
* Liberal: Frederick Cawley
* Unionist: Frederick Brocklehurst
January 1918 Prestwich by-election :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal | Oswald Cawley | 8,520 | 75.1 | +16.1 |
| | Co-operative Party | Henry May | 2,832 | 24.9 | New |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 5,688 | 50.2 | +32.2 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 11,352 | 42.8 | −36.5 |
| | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Swing | | |
October 1918 Prestwich by-election :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal | Austin Hopkinson | Unopposed | Unopposed | Unopposed |
| | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Liberal hold |