# Droitwich (UK Parliament constituency)

Droitwich was the name of a constituency of the House of Commons of England in 1295, and again from 1554, then of the House of Commons of Great Britain from 1707 to 1800 and of the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom from 1801 to 1918. It was a parliamentary borough in Worcestershire, represented by two Members of Parliament until 1832, and by one member from 1832 to 1885. The name was then transferred to a county constituency electing one MP from 1885 until 1918.

## History

The borough consisted of three parishes and parts of two others in the town of Droitwich, a market town which for many centuries depended on the salt trade for its prosperity. When Droitwich's right to return MPs (which had been allowed to lapse) was restored in 1554, there was only one salt pit in the borough, and this became the basis of Droitwich's unique franchise: the right to vote was vested solely in those burgesses (members of the corporation) who owned shares in the pit giving them the right to draw brine. This was finally established by a resolution of the House of Commons in 1690; yet within a few years of this date that salt pit had dried up completely; by 1747 it was accepted that ownership of this property had no function except conferring the vote, and had to be proved by possession of the title deeds since there could be no evidence of an otherwise meaningless right which could not be exercised in practice.
Although these details of the franchise were unique to Droitwich, in practice it in many ways resembled a burgage borough, and like most of those came under the influence of a local magnate. The Foley family, Worcestershire industrialists, controlled Droitwich from the middle of the 17th century, although they seem to have allowed the townspeople to choose one of the two members at some periods. There was no contested election between 1747 and 1832, and by the time of the Reform Act it was estimated that only 28 men had the right to vote.
In 1831, the population of the borough was 2,487, and contained 533 houses. However, the boundaries were revised by the provisions of the Great Reform Act, taking in the rest of the town and some adjoining villages, so that the new constituency adjoined the borough of Worcester to the south. This increased the population to 5,992, which was enough for Droitwich to retain one of its two MPs, and there were 243 voters on the register for the first election under the reformed franchise, in 1832.
There was a further slight enlargement of the boundaries to the east in 1868. However, the constituency was not big enough to keep its MP under the Third Reform Act, which came into effect at the general election of 1885. The borough was abolished, but the town's name was applied to the new county division in which it was placed, formally called The Mid or Droitwich Division of Worcestershire. This was a constituency with a considerable industrial vote, including the heavy industrial town of Stourbridge and the carpet-weaving town of Stourport-on-Severn, but also contained a substantial middle-class residential population, boosted by the votes of the Kidderminster freeholders (who were entitled to a vote in the county division even if they lived within the Kidderminster borough boundaries), as well as agricultural interests. With a popular sitting Liberal MP turning Liberal Unionist in 1886, this was enough to keep Droitwich a relatively safe Unionist seat except in the Liberal landslide of 1906.
The constituency was abolished in 1918, being divided between the redrawn Kidderminster and Evesham constituencies.

## Members of Parliament
### Droitwich borough
#### MPs 1554–1660

The constituency was re-established during the reign of Queen Mary I. The following were members of Parliament during the succeeding period:
| Year | | First member | First party | | Second member | Second party |
| 1554 | | George Newport | | | Robert Wythe | |
| 1555 | | George Newport | | | Robert Wythe | |
| 1558 | | Walter Gower | | | Robert Wythe | |
| 1559 | | Francis Newport | | | Robert Wythe | |
| 1562 | | Walter Gower | | | Robert Wythe | |
| 1571 | | Francis Brace | | | Francis Kinwelmarsh | |
| 1572 | | John Russell | | | William Sebright | |
| 1584 | | George Wylde I | | | Jasper Cholmley | |
| 1586 | | Francis Brace | | | George Lyttelton | |
| 1588 | | Francis Brace | | | William Combe | |
| 1593 | | Robert Walter | | | George Wylde I | |
| 1597 | | John Acton | | | Thomas Baily | |
| 1601 | | John Buck | | | Humphrey Wheler | |
| 1604 | | George Wylde I | | | John Brace | |
| 1614 | | Edwin Sandys | | | Ralph Clare | |
| 1621 | | Sir Thomas Coventry replaced by Ralph Clare | | | John Wilde | |
| 1624 | | Walter Blount | | | John Wilde | |
| 1625 | | Thomas Coventry | | | John Wilde | |
| 1626 | | Thomas Coventry | | | John Wilde | |
| 1627 | | George Wylde II | | | John Wilde | |
| 1629–1640 | Personal Rule of Charles I: no Parliament | Personal Rule of Charles I: no Parliament | Personal Rule of Charles I: no Parliament | Personal Rule of Charles I: no Parliament | Personal Rule of Charles I: no Parliament | Personal Rule of Charles I: no Parliament |
| 1640 Short Parliament | | John Wilde | | | Samuel Sandys I | Royalist |
| 1640 Long Parliament | | Endymion Porter | Royalist | | Samuel Sandys I | Royalist |
| Aug. 1642 | | Endymion Porter | Royalist | disabled to sit – seat vacant | disabled to sit – seat vacant | disabled to sit – seat vacant |
| Mar. 1643 | disabled to sit – seat vacant | disabled to sit – seat vacant | disabled to sit – seat vacant | | | disabled to sit – seat vacant | disabled to sit – seat vacant | disabled to sit – seat vacant |
| 1647 | | Thomas Rainsborough | | | Edmund Wylde | |
| 1648 | | George Wylde II (died 1650) | | | Edmund Wylde | |
| 1653 | Droitwich was unrepresented in the Barebones Parliament and the First and Second Parliaments of the Protectorate | Droitwich was unrepresented in the Barebones Parliament and the First and Second Parliaments of the Protectorate | Droitwich was unrepresented in the Barebones Parliament and the First and Second Parliaments of the Protectorate | Droitwich was unrepresented in the Barebones Parliament and the First and Second Parliaments of the Protectorate | Droitwich was unrepresented in the Barebones Parliament and the First and Second Parliaments of the Protectorate | Droitwich was unrepresented in the Barebones Parliament and the First and Second Parliaments of the Protectorate |
| 1659 | | Edward Salway | | | John Wilde | |
| 1659 | Third Protectorate Parliament – unknown | Third Protectorate Parliament – unknown | Third Protectorate Parliament – unknown | Third Protectorate Parliament – unknown | Third Protectorate Parliament – unknown | Third Protectorate Parliament – unknown |

#### MPs 1660–1832

| Year | | First member | First party | | Second member | Second party |
| 1660 | | Samuel Sandys I | | | Thomas Coventry | |
| 1661 | | Samuel Sandys II | | | Henry Coventry | |
| 1681 | | Samuel Sandys I | | | Henry Coventry | |
| 1685 | | Samuel Sandys II | Whig | | Thomas Windsor | Tory |
| 1689 | | Samuel Sandys II | Whig | | The Earl of Bellomont | Whig |
| 1690 | | Philip Foley | Country Whig | | The Earl of Bellomont | Whig |
| 1695 | | Edward Harley | Tory | | Charles Cocks | Whig |
| 1698 | | Thomas Foley | Tory | | Charles Cocks | Whig |
| 1699 | | Thomas Foley | Tory | | Charles Cocks | Whig |
| February 1701 | | Philip Foley | Tory | | Charles Cocks | Whig |
| November 1701 | | Edward Foley | Tory | | Charles Cocks | Whig |
| 1708 | | Edward Foley | Tory | | Edward Winnington from 1709 Jeffreys | Tory |
| 1711 | | Richard Foley | Tory | | Edward Winnington from 1709 Jeffreys | Tory |
| 1726 | | Richard Foley | Tory | | Thomas Winnington | Whig |
| 1732 | | Edward Foley | Tory | | Thomas Winnington | Whig |
| 1741 | | Thomas Foley, later Lord Foley | Tory | | Thomas Winnington | Whig |
| 1742 | | Thomas Foley, later Lord Foley | Tory | | Lord George Bentinck | Whig |
| July 1747 | | Thomas Foley, later Lord Foley | Tory | | Francis Winnington | |
| December 1747 | | Edwin Sandys | Tory | | Francis Winnington | |
| 1754 | | Thomas Foley, later Lord Foley | Whig | | Robert Harley | Tory |
| May 1768 | | Edward Foley | | | Robert Harley | Tory |
| April 1774 | | Edward Foley | | | Andrew Foley | Whig |
| May 1774 | | Rowland Berkeley | | | Andrew Foley | Whig |
| October 1774 | | Thomas Foley, later 2nd Lord Foley | Whig | | Andrew Foley | Whig |
| 1777 | | Sir Edward Winnington, Bt | Whig | | Andrew Foley | Whig |
| 1805 | | Thomas Foley | Whig | | Andrew Foley | Whig |
| 1807 | | Sir Thomas Winnington, Bt | Whig | | Andrew Foley | Whig |
| 1816 | | The Earl of Sefton | Whig | | Andrew Foley | Whig |
| 1819 | | The Earl of Sefton | Whig | | Thomas Foley | Whig |
| 1822 | | The Earl of Sefton | Whig | | John Hodgetts-Foley | Whig |
| 1831 | | Sir Thomas Winnington | Whig | | John Hodgetts-Foley | Whig |
| 1832 | Representation reduced to one member | Representation reduced to one member | Representation reduced to one member | Representation reduced to one member | Representation reduced to one member | Representation reduced to one member |

#### MPs 1832–1885

| Election | | Member | Party |
| 1832 | | John Hodgetts-Foley | Whig |
| 1835 | | John Barneby | Conservative |
| 1837 | | Sir John Pakington | Conservative |
| 1874 | | John Corbett | Liberal |
| 1885 | Borough abolished – county division established | Borough abolished – county division established | Borough abolished – county division established |

### Mid or Droitwich Division of Worcestershire
#### MPs 1885–1918

| Election | Member | Member | Party |
| 1885 | | John Corbett | Liberal |
| 1886 | | John Corbett | Liberal Unionist |
| 1892 | | Richard Martin | Liberal Unionist |
| 1906 | | Cecil Harmsworth | Liberal |
| Jan. 1910 | | John Lyttelton | Liberal Unionist |
| 1916 b-e | | Herbert Whiteley | Unionist |
| 1918 | Constituency abolished | Constituency abolished | Constituency abolished |

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

General election 1830: Droitwich :
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| Whig | William Molyneux | Unopposed | Unopposed |
| Whig | John Hodgetts-Foley | Unopposed | Unopposed |
| Whig hold | Whig hold | Whig hold | Whig hold |
| Whig hold | Whig hold | Whig hold | Whig hold |
General election 1831: Droitwich :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Whig | John Hodgetts-Foley | Unopposed | Unopposed |
| | Whig | Thomas Winnington | Unopposed | Unopposed |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | c. 28 | |
| | Whig hold | Whig hold | Whig hold | Whig hold |
| | Whig hold | Whig hold | Whig hold | Whig hold |
General election 1832: Droitwich :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Whig | John Hodgetts-Foley | Unopposed | Unopposed |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 243 | |
| | Whig hold | Whig hold | Whig hold | Whig hold |
General election 1835: Droitwich :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Conservative | John Barneby | 128 | 50.6 |
| | Whig | John Hodgetts-Foley | 125 | 49.4 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 3 | 1.2 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 253 | 88.8 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 285 | |
| | Conservative gain from Whig | Conservative gain from Whig | Conservative gain from Whig | Conservative gain from Whig |
On petition, Barneby's tally was reduced to 125, and Foley's to 124.
General election 1837: Droitwich :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Conservative | John Pakington | Unopposed | Unopposed |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 341 | |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Conservative hold |

### Elections in the 1840s

General election 1841: Droitwich :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Conservative | John Pakington | Unopposed | Unopposed |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 347 | |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Conservative hold |
General election 1847: Droitwich :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | John Pakington | Unopposed | Unopposed | Unopposed |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 346 | | |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Conservative hold |

### Elections in the 1850s

Pakington was appointed Secretary of State for War and the Colonies, requiring a by-election.
By-election, 4 March 1852: Droitwich :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | John Pakington | Unopposed | Unopposed | Unopposed |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Conservative hold |
General election 1852: Droitwich :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | John Pakington | Unopposed | Unopposed | Unopposed |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 367 | | |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Conservative hold |
General election 1857: Droitwich :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | John Pakington | Unopposed | Unopposed | Unopposed |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 371 | | |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Conservative hold |
Pakington was appointed First Lord of the Admiralty, requiring a by-election.
By-election, 3 March 1858: Droitwich :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | John Pakington | Unopposed | Unopposed | Unopposed |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Conservative hold |
General election 1859: Droitwich :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | John Pakington | Unopposed | Unopposed | Unopposed |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 394 | | |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Conservative hold |

### Elections in the 1860s

General election 1865: Droitwich :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | John Pakington | Unopposed | Unopposed | Unopposed |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 400 | | |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Conservative hold |
Pakington was appointed First Lord of the Admiralty, requiring a by-election.
By-election, 11 July 1866: Droitwich :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | John Pakington | Unopposed | Unopposed | Unopposed |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Conservative hold |
Pakington was appointed Secretary of State for War, requiring a by-election.
By-election, 13 March 1867: Droitwich :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | John Pakington | Unopposed | Unopposed | Unopposed |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Conservative hold |
General election 1868: Droitwich :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | John Pakington | 790 | 56.7 | N/A |
| | Liberal | John Corbett | 603 | 43.3 | New |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 187 | 13.4 | N/A |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 1,393 | 90.9 | N/A |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 1,532 | | |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | N/A | |

### Elections in the 1870s

General election 1874: Droitwich :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal | John Corbett | 787 | 66.2 | +22.9 |
| | Conservative | John Pakington | 401 | 33.8 | −22.9 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 386 | 32.4 | N/A |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 1,188 | 86.3 | −4.6 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 1,377 | | |
| | Liberal gain from Conservative | Liberal gain from Conservative | Swing | +22.9 | |

### Elections in the 1880s

General election 1880: Droitwich :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal | John Corbett | 857 | 70.8 | +4.6 |
| | Conservative | George Allsopp | 348 | 28.8 | −5.0 |
| | Liberal | Ernest B. A. Jones | 5 | 0.4 | N/A |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 509 | 42.0 | +9.6 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 1,210 | 85.9 | −0.4 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 1,408 | | |
| | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Swing | +4.8 | |
General election 1885: Droitwich :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal | John Corbett | Unopposed | Unopposed | Unopposed |
| | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Liberal hold |
General election 1886: Droitwich :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal Unionist | John Corbett | 4,031 | 59.3 | New |
| | Liberal | Arthur James Dadson | 2,761 | 40.7 | N/A |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 1,270 | 18.6 | N/A |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 6,792 | 71.6 | N/A |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 9,484 | | |
| | Liberal Unionist gain from Liberal | Liberal Unionist gain from Liberal | Swing | N/A | |

### Elections in the 1890s

General election 1892: Droitwich :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal Unionist | Richard Martin | 3,980 | 53.9 | −5.4 |
| | Liberal | Thomas English Stephens | 3,410 | 46.1 | +5.4 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 570 | 7.8 | −10.8 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 7,390 | 75.5 | +3.9 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 9,786 | | |
| | Liberal Unionist hold | Liberal Unionist hold | Swing | −5.4 | |
General election 1895: Droitwich :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal Unionist | Richard Martin | Unopposed | Unopposed | Unopposed |
| | Liberal Unionist hold | Liberal Unionist hold | Liberal Unionist hold | Liberal Unionist hold | Liberal Unionist hold |

### Elections in the 1900s

General election 1900: Droitwich :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal Unionist | Richard Martin | 4,020 | 51.7 | N/A |
| | Liberal | Cecil Harmsworth | 3,752 | 48.3 | New |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 268 | 3.4 | N/A |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 7,772 | 76.4 | N/A |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 10,175 | | |
| | Liberal Unionist hold | Liberal Unionist hold | Swing | N/A | |
General election 1906: Droitwich :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal | Cecil Harmsworth | 5,165 | 52.8 | +4.5 |
| | Conservative | Eric Ayshford Knight | 4,611 | 47.2 | −4.5 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 554 | 5.6 | N/A |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 9,776 | 86.6 | +10.2 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 11,283 | | |
| | Liberal gain from Liberal Unionist | Liberal gain from Liberal Unionist | Swing | +4.5 | |

### Elections in the 1910s

General election January 1910: Droitwich :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal Unionist | John Lyttelton | 5,078 | 50.5 | +3.3 |
| | Liberal | Cecil Harmsworth | 4,973 | 49.5 | −3.3 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 105 | 1.0 | N/A |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 10,051 | 89.7 | +1.1 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 11,200 | | |
| | Liberal Unionist gain from Liberal | Liberal Unionist gain from Liberal | Swing | +3.3 | |
General election December 1910: Droitwich :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal Unionist | John Lyttelton | 4,880 | 50.4 | −0.1 |
| | Liberal | Clifford H Brookes | 4,808 | 49.6 | +0.1 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 72 | 0.8 | −0.2 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 9,688 | 86.5 | −3.2 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 11,200 | | |
| | Liberal Unionist hold | Liberal Unionist hold | Swing | −0.1 | |
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;
* Unionist: John Lyttelton
* Liberal: Clifford H Brookes
1916 Droitwich by-election :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Unionist | Herbert Whiteley | Unopposed | Unopposed | Unopposed |
| | Unionist hold | Unionist hold | Unionist hold | Unionist hold | Unionist hold |