# South Wiltshire (UK Parliament constituency)

South Wiltshire, formally known as the Southern division of Wiltshire or Wiltshire Southern was a county constituency in the county of Wiltshire in South West England. It returned two Members of Parliament to the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom, elected by the bloc vote system.
The constituency was created under the Reform Act 1832 for the 1832 general election, and abolished under the Redistribution of Seats Act 1885 for the 1885 general election.

## Boundaries

1832–1885: The Hundreds of Kinwardstone, Heytesbury, Branch and Dole, Elstub and Everley, Amesbury, Warminster, Mere, South Damerham, Downton, Chalk, Dunworth, Cawden and Cadworth, Frustfield, Alderbury, Underditch, and Westbury.

## Members of Parliament

| Election | 1st Member | 1st Member | 1st Party | 2nd Member | 2nd Member | 2nd Party |
| 1832 | | John Benett | Whig | | Hon. Sidney Herbert | Tory |
| 1834 | | John Benett | Whig | | Hon. Sidney Herbert | Conservative |
| 1846 | | John Benett | Whig | | Hon. Sidney Herbert | Peelite |
| 1852 | | William Wyndham | Whig | | Hon. Sidney Herbert | Peelite |
| 1859 | | Lord Henry Thynne | Conservative | | Hon. Sidney Herbert | Liberal |
| 1861 by-election | | Lord Henry Thynne | Conservative | | Frederick Hervey-Bathurst | Conservative |
| 1865 | | Lord Henry Thynne | Conservative | | Thomas Grove | Liberal |
| 1874 | | Lord Henry Thynne | Conservative | | Viscount Folkestone | Conservative |
| 1885 | constituency abolished | constituency abolished | constituency abolished | constituency abolished | constituency abolished | constituency abolished |

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

General election 1832: South Wiltshire :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Tory | Sidney Herbert | Unopposed | Unopposed |
| | Whig | John Benett | Unopposed | Unopposed |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 2,540 | |
| | Tory win (new seat) | Tory win (new seat) | Tory win (new seat) | Tory win (new seat) |
| | Whig win (new seat) | Whig win (new seat) | Whig win (new seat) | Whig win (new seat) |
General election 1835: South Wiltshire :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Conservative | Sidney Herbert | Unopposed | Unopposed |
| | Whig | John Benett | Unopposed | Unopposed |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 2,448 | |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Conservative hold |
| | Whig hold | Whig hold | Whig hold | Whig hold |
General election 1837: South Wiltshire :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Conservative | Sidney Herbert | Unopposed | Unopposed |
| | Whig | John Benett | Unopposed | Unopposed |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 2,962 | |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Conservative hold |
| | Whig hold | Whig hold | Whig hold | Whig hold |

### Elections in the 1840s

General election 1841: South Wiltshire :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Sidney Herbert | Unopposed | Unopposed | Unopposed |
| | Whig | John Benett | Unopposed | Unopposed | Unopposed |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 2,280 | | |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Conservative hold |
| | Whig hold | Whig hold | Whig hold | Whig hold | Whig hold |
Herbert was appointed Secretary at War, requiring a by-election.
By-election, 15 February 1845: South Wiltshire :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Sidney Herbert | Unopposed | Unopposed | Unopposed |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Conservative hold |
General election 1847: South Wiltshire :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Peelite | Sidney Herbert | Unopposed | Unopposed | Unopposed |
| | Whig | John Benett | Unopposed | Unopposed | Unopposed |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 2,710 | | |
| | Peelite gain from Conservative | Peelite gain from Conservative | Peelite gain from Conservative | Peelite gain from Conservative | Peelite gain from Conservative |
| | Whig hold | Whig hold | Whig hold | Whig hold | Whig hold |

### Elections in the 1850s

General election 1852: South Wiltshire :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Peelite | Sidney Herbert | 1,550 | 39.5 | N/A |
| | Whig | William Wyndham | 1,304 | 33.2 | N/A |
| | Conservative | Richard Penruddocke Long | 1,074 | 27.3 | N/A |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 1,964 (est) | 60.3 (est) | N/A |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 3,256 | | |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 246 | 6.3 | N/A |
| | Peelite hold | Peelite hold | Swing | N/A | |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 230 | 5.9 | N/A |
| | Whig hold | Whig hold | Swing | N/A | |
Herbert was appointed Secretary at War, requiring a by-election.
By-election, 11 January 1853: South Wiltshire :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Peelite | Sidney Herbert | Unopposed | Unopposed | Unopposed |
| | Peelite hold | Peelite hold | Peelite hold | Peelite hold | Peelite hold |
Herbert was appointed Secretary of State for the Colonies, requiring a by-election.
By-election, 15 February 1855: South Wiltshire :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Peelite | Sidney Herbert | Unopposed | Unopposed | Unopposed |
| | Peelite hold | Peelite hold | Peelite hold | Peelite hold | Peelite hold |
General election 1857: South Wiltshire :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Peelite | Sidney Herbert | 1,517 | 35.9 | −3.6 |
| | Whig | William Wyndham | 1,445 | 34.2 | +1.0 |
| | Conservative | Henry Thynne | 1,269 | 30.0 | +2.7 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 2,116 (est) | 65.3 (est) | +5.0 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 3,239 | | |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 72 | 1.7 | −4.6 |
| | Peelite hold | Peelite hold | Swing | −2.3 | |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 176 | 4.2 | −1.7 |
| | Whig hold | Whig hold | Swing | +2.3 | |
General election 1859: South Wiltshire :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal | Sidney Herbert | Unopposed | Unopposed | Unopposed |
| | Conservative | Henry Thynne | Unopposed | Unopposed | Unopposed |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 3,437 | | |
| | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Liberal hold |
| | Conservative gain from Liberal | Conservative gain from Liberal | Conservative gain from Liberal | Conservative gain from Liberal | Conservative gain from Liberal |
Herbert was appointed Secretary of State for War, requiring a by-election.
By-election, 29 June 1859: South Wiltshire :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal | Sidney Herbert | Unopposed | Unopposed | Unopposed |
| | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Liberal hold |

### Elections in the 1860s

Herbert was elevated to the peerage, becoming Lord Herbert of Lea and causing a by-election.
By-election, 14 February 1861: South Wiltshire :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Frederick Hervey-Bathurst | Unopposed | Unopposed | Unopposed |
| | Conservative gain from Liberal | Conservative gain from Liberal | Conservative gain from Liberal | Conservative gain from Liberal | Conservative gain from Liberal |
General election 1865: South Wiltshire :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Henry Thynne | 1,576 | 36.9 | N/A |
| | Liberal | Thomas Grove | 1,427 | 33.4 | N/A |
| | Conservative | Frederick Hervey-Bathurst | 1,270 | 29.7 | N/A |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 2,850 (est) | 85.3 (est) | N/A |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 3,343 | | |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 149 | 3.5 | N/A |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | N/A | |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 157 | 3.7 | N/A |
| | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Swing | N/A | |
General election 1868: South Wiltshire :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Henry Thynne | Unopposed | Unopposed | Unopposed |
| | Liberal | Thomas Grove | Unopposed | Unopposed | Unopposed |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 3,810 | | |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Conservative hold |
| | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Liberal hold |

### Elections in the 1870s

General election 1874: South Wiltshire :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Henry Thynne | 2,115 | 41.1 | N/A |
| | Conservative | William Pleydell-Bouverie | 1,977 | 38.5 | N/A |
| | Liberal | Thomas Grove | 1,048 | 20.4 | N/A |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 929 | 18.1 | N/A |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 3,094 (est) | 78.6 (est) | N/A |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 3,938 | | |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | N/A | |
| | Conservative gain from Liberal | Conservative gain from Liberal | Swing | N/A | |
Thynne was appointed Treasurer of the Household, requiring a by-election.
By-election, 4 Jan 1876: South Wiltshire :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Henry Thynne | Unopposed | Unopposed | Unopposed |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Conservative hold |

### Elections in the 1880s

General election 1880: South Wiltshire :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | William Pleydell-Bouverie | Unopposed | Unopposed | Unopposed |
| | Conservative | Henry Thynne | Unopposed | Unopposed | Unopposed |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 3,789 | | |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Conservative hold |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Conservative hold |
Pleydell-Bouverie was appointed Treasurer of the Household, requiring a by-election.
By-election, 3 July 1885: South Wiltshire :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | William Pleydell-Bouverie | Unopposed | Unopposed | Unopposed |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Conservative hold |