# West Cornwall (UK Parliament constituency)

West Cornwall 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

In 1832 the county of Cornwall, in south west England, was split for parliamentary purposes into two county divisions. These were the West division (with a place of election at Truro) and East Cornwall (where voting took place at Bodmin). 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 were eligible to vote in the county constituency) were Helston, Penryn and Falmouth, St Ives and Truro. (Source: Stooks Smith).
1832–1885: The Hundreds of Kerrier, and Penwith, and in the hundred of Powder, the western division, i.e. the parishes of St Allen, St Anthony in Roseland, St Clement, Cornelly, Creed-with-Grampound, Cuby-with-Tregony, St Erme, Feock, Gerrans, St Just in Roseland (with St Mawes), Kea, Kenwyn, Lamorran, Merther, St Michael Penkevil, Philleigh, Probus, Ruan Lanihorne, Truro St Mary, Veryan, and in the hundred of Pydar, the parishes of St Agnes, Crantock, Cubert, Newlyn, St Enoder, and Perranzabuloe, and the Isles of Scilly.

## History

During the 53-year history of this division, there was never a contested election. Only once was a Conservative member returned, but he only represented the constituency for a few months before becoming the 2nd Earl of Falmouth.
In 1885 this division was abolished, when the East and West Cornwall county divisions were replaced by six new single-member county constituencies. These were Bodmin (the South-Eastern division), Camborne (North-Western division), Launceston (North-Eastern division), St Austell (Mid division), St Ives (the Western division) and Truro. In addition the last remaining Cornish borough constituency was Penryn and Falmouth.

## Members of Parliament

* Constituency created (1832)
| Election | First member | First party | Second member | Second party |
| 1832 | Sir Charles Lemon, Bt | Whig | Edward Wynne-Pendarves | Whig |
| 1841 | Lord Boscawen-Rose | Conservative | Edward Wynne-Pendarves | Whig |
| 1842 by-election | Sir Charles Lemon, Bt | Whig | Edward Wynne-Pendarves | Whig |
| 1853 by-election | Sir Charles Lemon, Bt | Whig | Michael Williams | Whig |
| 1857 | Richard Davey | Whig | Michael Williams | Whig |
| 1858 by-election | Richard Davey | Whig | Sir John St Aubyn, Bt | Radical |
| 1859 | Richard Davey | Liberal | Sir John St Aubyn, Bt | Liberal |
| 1868 | Arthur Vivian | Liberal | Sir John St Aubyn, Bt | Liberal |
| 1885 | Constituency abolished | Constituency abolished | Constituency abolished | Constituency abolished |

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

General election 1832: Cornwall Western (2 seats) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Whig | Charles Lemon | Unopposed | Unopposed |
| | Whig | Edward Wynne-Pendarves | Unopposed | Unopposed |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 3,353 | |
| | Whig win (new seat) | Whig win (new seat) | Whig win (new seat) | Whig win (new seat) |
| | Whig win (new seat) | Whig win (new seat) | Whig win (new seat) | Whig win (new seat) |
Charles Lemon had been Whig Member of Parliament for Cornwall prior to the 1832 election. Edward Wynne-Pendarves had also been a Member of Parliament in the previous parliament.
General election 1835: Cornwall Western (2 seats) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Whig | Charles Lemon | Unopposed | Unopposed |
| | Whig | Edward Wynne-Pendarves | Unopposed | Unopposed |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 3,612 | |
| | Whig hold | Whig hold | Whig hold | Whig hold |
| | Whig hold | Whig hold | Whig hold | Whig hold |
General election 1837: Cornwall Western (2 seats) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Whig | Charles Lemon | Unopposed | Unopposed |
| | Whig | Edward Wynne-Pendarves | Unopposed | Unopposed |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 4,928 | |
| | Whig hold | Whig hold | Whig hold | Whig hold |
| | Whig hold | Whig hold | Whig hold | Whig hold |

### Elections in the 1840s

General election 1841: Cornwall Western (2 seats) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | George Boscawen | Unopposed | Unopposed | Unopposed |
| | Whig | Edward Wynne-Pendarves | Unopposed | Unopposed | Unopposed |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 5,040 | | |
| | Conservative gain from Whig | Conservative gain from Whig | Conservative gain from Whig | Conservative gain from Whig | Conservative gain from Whig |
| | Whig hold | Whig hold | Whig hold | Whig hold | Whig hold |
Boscawen-Rose succeeded to the peerage, becoming 2nd Earl of Falmouth and causing a by-election.
By-election, 16 February 1842: Cornwall Western (1 seat) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Whig | Charles Lemon | Unopposed | Unopposed | Unopposed |
| | Whig gain from Conservative | Whig gain from Conservative | Whig gain from Conservative | Whig gain from Conservative | Whig gain from Conservative |
General election 1847: Cornwall Western (2 seats) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Whig | Charles Lemon | Unopposed | Unopposed | Unopposed |
| | Whig | Edward Wynne-Pendarves | Unopposed | Unopposed | Unopposed |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 5,259 | | |
| | Whig hold | Whig hold | Whig hold | Whig hold | Whig hold |
| | Whig gain from Conservative | Whig gain from Conservative | Whig gain from Conservative | Whig gain from Conservative | Whig gain from Conservative |

### Elections in the 1850s

General election 1852: Cornwall Western (2 seats) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Whig | Charles Lemon | Unopposed | Unopposed | Unopposed |
| | Whig | Edward Wynne-Pendarves | Unopposed | Unopposed | Unopposed |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 4,649 | | |
| | Whig hold | Whig hold | Whig hold | Whig hold | Whig hold |
| | Whig hold | Whig hold | Whig hold | Whig hold | Whig hold |
Wynne-Pendarves' death caused a by-election.
By-election, 18 July 1853: Cornwall Western (1 seat) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Whig | Michael Williams | Unopposed | Unopposed | Unopposed |
| | Whig hold | Whig hold | Whig hold | Whig hold | Whig hold |
General election 1857: Cornwall Western (2 seats) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Whig | Richard Davey | Unopposed | Unopposed | Unopposed |
| | Whig | Michael Williams | Unopposed | Unopposed | Unopposed |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 4,542 | | |
| | Whig hold | Whig hold | Whig hold | Whig hold | Whig hold |
| | Whig hold | Whig hold | Whig hold | Whig hold | Whig hold |
John Tremayne had planned to stand for election, but withdrew.
Williams' death caused a by-election.
By-election, 5 July 1858: Cornwall Western (1 seat) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Radical | John St Aubyn | Unopposed | Unopposed | Unopposed |
| | Radical gain from Whig | Radical gain from Whig | Radical gain from Whig | Radical gain from Whig | Radical gain from Whig |
George Williams, younger son of Michael, had withdrawn to avoid "disturbing the County".
General election 1859: Cornwall Western (2 seats) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal | Richard Davey | Unopposed | Unopposed | Unopposed |
| | Liberal | John St Aubyn | Unopposed | Unopposed | Unopposed |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 4,897 | | |
| | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Liberal hold |
| | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Liberal hold |

### Elections in the 1860s

General election 1865: Cornwall Western (2 seats) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal | Richard Davey | Unopposed | Unopposed | Unopposed |
| | Liberal | John St Aubyn | Unopposed | Unopposed | Unopposed |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 4,615 | | |
| | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Liberal hold |
| | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Liberal hold |
General election 1868: Cornwall Western (2 seats) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal | Arthur Vivian | Unopposed | Unopposed | Unopposed |
| | Liberal | John St Aubyn | Unopposed | Unopposed | Unopposed |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 8,168 | | |
| | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Liberal hold |
| | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Liberal hold |

### Elections in the 1870s

General election 1874: Cornwall Western (2 seats) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal | Arthur Vivian | Unopposed | Unopposed | Unopposed |
| | Liberal | John St Aubyn | Unopposed | Unopposed | Unopposed |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 7,494 | | |
| | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Liberal hold |
| | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Liberal hold |

### Elections in the 1880s

General election 1880: Cornwall Western (2 seats) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal | Arthur Vivian | Unopposed | Unopposed | Unopposed |
| | Liberal | John St Aubyn | Unopposed | Unopposed | Unopposed |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 6,987 | | |
| | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Liberal hold |
| | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Liberal hold |