# South West Lancashire (UK Parliament constituency)

South West Lancashire was a county constituency of the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. It was represented by two Members of Parliament. The constituency was created by the Reform Act 1867 by the splitting of the South Lancashire constituency into new South-East and South-West divisions.
The constituency was abolished by the Redistribution of Seats Act 1885, being divided into eight single member divisions of Bootle, Ince, Leigh, Newton, Ormskirk, St Helens, Southport and Widnes.

## Boundaries

This constituency comprised the Lancashire hundred of West Derby except for the boroughs of Liverpool, Warrington and Wigan.

## Members of Parliament

* Constituency created (1868)
| Election | 1st Member | 1st Member | 1st Party | 2nd Member | 2nd Member | 2nd Party |
| 1868 | | R. A. Cross | Conservative | | Charles Turner | Conservative |
| 1875 | | R. A. Cross | Conservative | | John Ireland Blackburne | Conservative |
| 1885 | Redistribution of Seats Act constituency abolished | Redistribution of Seats Act constituency abolished | Redistribution of Seats Act constituency abolished | Redistribution of Seats Act constituency abolished | Redistribution of Seats Act constituency abolished | Redistribution of Seats Act constituency abolished |

## Elections
### Elections in the 1860s

General election 1868: South West Lancashire :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | R. A. Cross | 7,729 | 26.0 | |
| | Conservative | Charles Turner | 7,676 | 25.8 | |
| | Liberal | William Ewart Gladstone | 7,415 | 24.9 | |
| | Liberal | Henry Grenfell | 6,939 | 23.3 | |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 261 | 0.9 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 14,880 (est) | 70.0 (est) | |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 21,261 | | |
| | Conservative win (new seat) | Conservative win (new seat) | Conservative win (new seat) | Conservative win (new seat) | Conservative win (new seat) |
| | Conservative win (new seat) | Conservative win (new seat) | Conservative win (new seat) | Conservative win (new seat) | Conservative win (new seat) |

### Elections in the 1870s

General election 1874: South West Lancashire :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | R. A. Cross | Unopposed | Unopposed | Unopposed |
| | Conservative | Charles Turner | Unopposed | Unopposed | Unopposed |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 22,729 | | |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Conservative hold |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Conservative hold |
R. A. Cross sought re-election after being appointed as Home Secretary.
By-election, 19 Mar 1874: South West Lancashire :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | R. A. Cross | Unopposed | Unopposed | Unopposed |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Conservative hold |
Charles Turner's death caused a by-election.
By-election, 6 Nov 1875: South West Lancashire :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | John Blackburne | Unopposed | Unopposed | Unopposed |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Conservative hold |

### Elections in the 1880s

General election 1880: South West Lancashire :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | R. A. Cross | 11,420 | 27.7 | N/A |
| | Conservative | John Blackburne | 10,905 | 26.5 | N/A |
| | Liberal | William Rathbone | 9,666 | 23.5 | New |
| | Liberal | Henry Molyneux | 9,207 | 22.3 | New |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 1,239 | 3.0 | N/A |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 20,599 (est) | 79.1 (est) | N/A |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 26,054 | | |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | N/A | |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | N/A | |
Cross was appointed Home Secretary, requiring a by-election.
By-election, 1 July 1885: South West Lancashire :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | R. A. Cross | Unopposed | Unopposed | Unopposed |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Conservative hold |