# East Norfolk (UK Parliament constituency)

East Norfolk was a constituency in the county of Norfolk that returned two members of parliament to the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom from 1832 until 1868. It was re-established in 1885 with representation of one member. That seat was abolished in 1950.

## History

The constituency was first created by the Great Reform Act for the 1832 general election, and abolished for the 1868 general election. In that period the Parliamentary County of Norfolk was split into two divisions – Eastern Norfolk and Western Norfolk, each returning two members.
Further to the Reform Act 1867, Norfolk was reorganised into the North, South and West divisions, with each of the three divisions again returning two members. The Eastern division was replaced by the bulk of the North and South Divisions.
Under the Redistribution of Seats Act 1885, the three two-member county divisions were replaced with six single-member divisions. The second version of this constituency was one of the single-member seats. It was abolished under the Representation of the People Act 1948, which came into effect for the 1950 general election.

## Boundaries and boundary changes
### 1832–1868

* The Hundreds of Blofield, Clavering, Depwade, Diss, Earsham, North Erpingham, South Erpingham, Eynesford, East Flegg, West Flegg, Forehoe, Happing, Henstead, Humbleyard, Loddon, Taversham, Tunstead and Walsham.

### 1885–1918

* The Sessional Divisions of Blofield and Walsham, East and West Flegg, Taversham, and Tunstead and Happing;
* Part of the Sessional Division of South Erpingham; and
* The part of the Borough of Great Yarmouth in the county of Norfolk.
As Great Yarmouth formed a separate Parliamentary Borough, only non-resident freeholders of the Borough were entitled to vote in this constituency.

### 1918–1950

* The Urban District of North Walsham; and
* The Rural Districts of Blofield, East and West Flegg, Loddon and Clavering, St Faith's, and Smallburgh.
The division was expanded to the south, with the addition of eastern parts of the Southern Division (Loddon and Clavering Rural District). Also gained small area to the west from the Northern Division.
On its abolition, the contents of the seat were distributed as follows:
* North Walsham and the Rural District of Smallburgh to North Norfolk;
* area to the north and east of Norwich, mostly comprising the (former) Rural District of St Faiths, to the new constituency of Central Norfolk;
* most of the (combined) Rural District of Blofield and Flegg to the new county constituency of Yarmouth; and
* the Rural District of Loddon and Clavering (renamed Loddon) back to South Norfolk.

## Members of Parliament
### 1832–1868

| Election | 1st member | 1st member | 1st party | 2nd member | 2nd member | 2nd party |
| 1832 | | William Windham | Whig | | Hon. George Keppel | Whig |
| 1835 | | Edmond Wodehouse | Conservative | | Horatio Walpole | Conservative |
| 1837 | | Edmond Wodehouse | Conservative | | Henry Negus Burroughes | Conservative |
| 1855 | | Sir Henry Stracey, Bt | Conservative | | Henry Negus Burroughes | Conservative |
| 1857 | | Charles Ash Windham | Whig | | Sir Edward Buxton, Bt | Whig |
| 1858 | | Charles Ash Windham | Whig | | Hon. Wenman Coke | Whig |
| 1859 | | Edward Howes | Conservative | | Hon. Wenman Coke | Liberal |
| 1865 | | Edward Howes | Conservative | | Clare Sewell Read | Conservative |
| 1868 | constituency abolished | constituency abolished | constituency abolished | constituency abolished | constituency abolished | constituency abolished |

### 1885–1950

| Year | Year | Member | Party |
| 1885 | 1885 | re-created but reduced to one member | re-created but reduced to one member |
| | 1885 | Sir Edward Birkbeck | Conservative |
| | 1892 | Sir Robert Price | Liberal |
| | 1918 | Michael Falcon | Unionist |
| | 1923 | Hugh Seely | Liberal |
| | 1924 | Reginald Neville | Unionist |
| | 1929 | William Lygon | Liberal |
| | 1931 | William Lygon | Liberal National |
| | 1939 | Frank Medlicott | Liberal National |
| | 1950 | constituency abolished | constituency abolished |

## Elections
### Elections in the 1830s

General election 1832: East Norfolk :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Whig | William Windham | 3,304 | 26.7 |
| | Whig | George Keppel | 3,261 | 26.3 |
| | Tory | Nathaniel Peach | 2,960 | 23.9 |
| | Tory | William Cholmondeley | 2,852 | 23.0 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 301 | 2.4 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 6,229 | 88.5 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 7,041 | |
| | 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) |
General election 1835: East Norfolk :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Edmond Wodehouse | 3,482 | 27.6 | +3.7 |
| | Conservative | Horatio Walpole | 3,196 | 25.3 | +2.3 |
| | Whig | William Windham | 3,076 | 24.4 | −2.3 |
| | Whig | Richard Hanbury Gurney | 2,866 | 22.7 | −3.6 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 616 | 4.9 | N/A |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 120 | 0.9 | N/A |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 6,385 | 87.7 | −0.8 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 7,281 | | |
| | Conservative gain from Whig | Conservative gain from Whig | Swing | +3.3 | |
| | Conservative gain from Whig | Conservative gain from Whig | Swing | +2.6 | |
General election 1837: East Norfolk :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Edmond Wodehouse | 3,654 | 27.3 | −0.3 |
| | Conservative | Henry Negus Burroughes | 3,523 | 26.3 | +1.0 |
| | Whig | William Windham | 3,237 | 24.2 | −0.2 |
| | Whig | Richard Hanbury Gurney | 2,978 | 22.2 | −0.5 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 286 | 2.1 | +1.2 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 6,759 | 81.0 | −6.7 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 8,343 | | |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | ±0.0 | |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | +0.7 | |

### Elections in the 1840s

General election 1841: East Norfolk :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Edmond Wodehouse | 3,495 | 42.1 | +14.8 |
| | Conservative | Henry Negus Burroughes | 3,434 | 41.3 | +15.0 |
| | Whig | William ffolkes | 1,378 | 16.6 | −29.8 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 2,056 | 24.8 | +22.7 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | c. 4,843 | c. 56.6 | c. −24.4 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 8,556 | | |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | +14.9 | |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | +15.0 | |
General election 1847: East Norfolk :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Edmond Wodehouse | Unopposed | Unopposed | Unopposed |
| | Conservative | Henry Negus Burroughes | Unopposed | Unopposed | Unopposed |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 8,638 | | |
| | 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: East Norfolk :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Edmond Wodehouse | Unopposed | Unopposed | Unopposed |
| | Conservative | Henry Negus Burroughes | Unopposed | Unopposed | Unopposed |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 8,216 | | |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Conservative hold |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Conservative hold |
Wodehouse resigned via accepting the office of Steward of the Manor of Hempholme, causing a by-election.
By-election, 17 July 1855: East Norfolk :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Henry Stracey | Unopposed | Unopposed | Unopposed |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Conservative hold |
General election 1857: East Norfolk :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Whig | Charles Ash Windham | Unopposed | Unopposed | Unopposed |
| | Whig | Edward Buxton | Unopposed | Unopposed | Unopposed |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 7,755 | | |
| | Whig gain from Conservative | Whig gain from Conservative | Whig gain from Conservative | Whig gain from Conservative | Whig gain from Conservative |
| | Whig gain from Conservative | Whig gain from Conservative | Whig gain from Conservative | Whig gain from Conservative | Whig gain from Conservative |
Buxton's death caused a by-election.
By-election, 1 July 1858: East Norfolk :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Whig | Wenman Coke | 2,933 | 51.9 | N/A |
| | Conservative | Henry Stracey | 2,720 | 48.1 | New |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 213 | 3.8 | N/A |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 5,653 | 72.9 | N/A |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 7,755 | | |
| | Whig hold | Whig hold | Swing | N/A | |
General election 1859: East Norfolk :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal | Wenman Coke | Unopposed | Unopposed | Unopposed |
| | Conservative | Edward Howes | Unopposed | Unopposed | Unopposed |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 7,776 | | |
| | 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 |

### Elections in the 1860s

General election 1865: East Norfolk :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Edward Howes | 3,100 | 30.3 | N/A |
| | Conservative | Clare Sewell Read | 2,985 | 29.2 | N/A |
| | Liberal | Sir Thomas Proctor-Beauchamp, 4th Baronet | 2,150 | 21.0 | N/A |
| | Liberal | Wenman Coke | 1,994 | 19.5 | N/A |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 991 | 10.7 | N/A |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 5,115 (est) | 64.4 (est) | N/A |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 7,939 | | |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | N/A | |
| | Conservative gain from Liberal | Conservative gain from Liberal | Swing | N/A | |

### Elections in the 1880s

General election 1885: East Norfolk :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Edward Birkbeck | 4,682 | 51.3 | |
| | Liberal | Philip Falk | 4,440 | 48.7 | |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 242 | 2.6 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 9,122 | 81.7 | |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 11,161 | | |
| | Conservative win (new seat) | Conservative win (new seat) | Conservative win (new seat) | Conservative win (new seat) | Conservative win (new seat) |
General election 1886: East Norfolk :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Edward Birkbeck | 4,578 | 53.4 | +2.1 |
| | Liberal | Henry Lee-Warner | 4,000 | 46.6 | −2.1 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 578 | 6.8 | +4.2 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 8,578 | 76.9 | −4.8 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 11,161 | | |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | −2.1 | |

### Elections in the 1890s

General election 1892: East Norfolk :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal | Robert Price | 4,743 | 52.4 | +5.8 |
| | Conservative | Edward Birkbeck | 4,303 | 47.6 | −5.8 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 440 | 4.8 | N/A |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 9,046 | 92.2 | +15.3 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 9,812 | | |
| | Liberal gain from Conservative | Liberal gain from Conservative | Swing | +5.8 | |
General election 1895: East Norfolk :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal | Robert Price | 4,606 | 51.1 | −1.3 |
| | Conservative | H. Rider Haggard | 4,408 | 48.9 | +1.3 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 198 | 2.2 | −2.6 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 9,014 | 83.2 | −9.0 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 10,839 | | |
| | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Swing | −1.3 | |

### Elections in the 1900s

General election 1900: East Norfolk :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal | Robert Price | 4,563 | 55.0 | +3.9 |
| | Conservative | William Louis St. John Prioleau | 3,733 | 45.0 | −3.9 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 830 | 10.0 | +7.8 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 8,296 | 76.9 | −6.3 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 10,791 | | |
| | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Swing | +3.9 | |
General election 1906: East Norfolk :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal | Robert Price | 5,631 | 62.1 | +7.1 |
| | Conservative | Sir Raymond Boileau, 4th Baronet | 3,435 | 37.9 | −7.1 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 2,196 | 24.2 | +14.2 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 9,066 | 80.7 | +3.8 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 11,237 | | |
| | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Swing | +7.1 | |

### Elections in the 1910s

General election January 1910: East Norfolk :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal | Robert Price | 5,592 | 56.3 | −5.8 |
| | Conservative | Cecil Fitch | 4,348 | 43.7 | +5.8 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 1,244 | 12.6 | −11.6 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 9,940 | 86.0 | +5.3 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 11,560 | | |
| | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Swing | −5.8 | |
General election December 1910: East Norfolk :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal | Robert Price | 5,265 | 57.7 | +1.4 |
| | Conservative | Frank Meyer | 3,865 | 42.3 | −1.4 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 1,400 | 15.4 | +2.8 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 9,130 | 79.0 | −7.0 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 11,560 | | |
| | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Swing | +1.4 | |
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 July 1914, the following candidates had been selected;
* Liberal: Robert Price
* Unionist:
General election 1918: Norfolk East :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| C | Unionist | Michael Falcon | 7,030 | 44.9 | +2.6 |
| | Liberal | Fred Henderson | 6,691 | 42.8 | −14.9 |
| | National Farmers Union | W. B. Taylor | 1,926 | 12.3 | New |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 339 | 2.1 | N/A |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 15,647 | 49.6 | −29.4 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 31,578 | | |
| | Unionist gain from Liberal | Unionist gain from Liberal | Swing | +8.8 | |
| C indicates candidate endorsed by the coalition government. ||||||

### Elections in the 1920s

General election 1922: Norfolk East :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Unionist | Michael Falcon | 9,270 | 41.0 | −3.9 |
| | Liberal | Hugh Seely | 8,962 | 39.7 | −3.1 |
| | Labour | George Edward Hewitt | 4,361 | 19.3 | New |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 308 | 1.3 | −0.8 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 22,593 | 70.2 | +20.6 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 32,204 | | |
| | Unionist hold | Unionist hold | Swing | −0.4 | |
General election 1923: Norfolk East :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal | Hugh Seely | 11,807 | 49.6 | +9.9 |
| | Unionist | Michael Falcon | 8,472 | 35.6 | −5.4 |
| | Labour | George Edward Hewitt | 3,530 | 14.8 | −4.5 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 3,335 | 14.0 | N/A |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 23,809 | 72.5 | +2.3 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 32,845 | | |
| | Liberal gain from Unionist | Liberal gain from Unionist | Swing | +7.7 | |
General election 1924: Norfolk East :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Unionist | Reginald Neville | 11,283 | 44.6 | +9.0 |
| | Liberal | Hugh Seely | 9,114 | 36.0 | −13.6 |
| | Labour | Reginald Barrington Bates | 4,907 | 19.4 | +4.6 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 2,169 | 8.6 | N/A |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 25,304 | 75.6 | +3.1 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 33,470 | | |
| | Unionist gain from Liberal | Unionist gain from Liberal | Swing | +11.3 | |
General election 1929: Norfolk East :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal | William Lygon | 13,349 | 39.6 | +3.6 |
| | Unionist | Reginald Neville | 12,434 | 37.0 | −7.6 |
| | Labour | Bill Holmes | 7,856 | 23.4 | +4.0 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 915 | 2.6 | N/A |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 33,639 | 77.6 | +2.0 |
| | Liberal gain from Unionist | Liberal gain from Unionist | Swing | +5.6 | |

### Elections in the 1930s

General election 1931: Norfolk East :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | National Liberal | William Lygon | 25,945 | 79.8 | +42.8 |
| | Labour | Bill Holmes | 6,562 | 20.2 | −3.2 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 19,383 | 59.6 | +57.0 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 32,507 | 71.7 | −5.9 |
| | National Liberal hold | National Liberal hold | Swing | | |
General election 1935: Norfolk East :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | National Liberal | William Lygon | 23,108 | 68.8 | −11.0 |
| | Labour | Norman Reeve Tillett | 10,461 | 31.2 | +11.0 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 12,647 | 37.6 | −22.0 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 33,569 | 66.8 | −4.9 |
| | National Liberal hold | National Liberal hold | Swing | −11.0 | |
1939 East Norfolk by-election :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | National Liberal | Frank Medlicott | 18,257 | 62.9 | −5.9 |
| | Labour | Norman Reeve Tillett | 10,785 | 37.1 | +5.9 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 7,472 | 25.8 | −11.8 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 29,042 | 53.1 | −13.7 |
| | National Liberal hold | National Liberal hold | Swing | −5.9 | |
General election 1939–40
Until the parliament elected in 1935 was extended, another general election was required to take place before the end of 1940. The political parties made preparations for an election to take place, and by the autumn of 1939, the following candidates had been selected;
* Liberal National: Frank Medlicott
* Labour: Norman Reeve Tillett
* Independent Conservative: James F. Wright (Secretary, Norfolk Farmers Union)

### Elections in the 1940s

General election 1945: Norfolk East :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | National Liberal | Frank Medlicott | 23,307 | 55.8 | −13.0 |
| | Labour | Norman Reeve Tillett | 18,467 | 44.2 | +13.0 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 4,840 | 11.6 | −26.0 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 41,774 | 68.9 | +2.1 |
| | National Liberal hold | National Liberal hold | Swing | −7.1 | |