# East Dorset (UK Parliament constituency)

East Dorset is a former United Kingdom Parliamentary constituency. It was formally known as the Eastern Division of Dorset. It was a constituency of the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. It was represented by one Knight of the Shire.

## History

Before 1885 the historic county of Dorset, in south-west England, was an undivided three-seat county constituency - see the article on the Dorset constituency. In 1885 the county was divided for Parliamentary purposes into four single-member county constituencies: this constituency, North Dorset, South Dorset and West Dorset (no borough constituencies were created in Dorset in the 1885 redistribution). Each of these divisions comprised roughly a quarter of the area of the county and returned one Member of Parliament.
In the 1918 redistribution, the four Dorset constituencies were retained, but their boundaries were redrawn. East Dorset was reduced in area to about half its former size, with the northern part of the pre-1918 seat being transferred to North Dorset and the southern part to South Dorset.
In the 1950 redistribution, this constituency disappeared. A new borough constituency of Poole was created. Wimborne Minster Urban District and the part of Wimborne and Cranborne Rural District previously in the abolished seat were transferred to the redrawn North Dorset.

## Boundaries

1885–1918: The Municipal Borough of Poole, the Sessional Division of Wimborne, and part of the Sessional Division of Wareham.
1918–1950: The Municipal Borough of Poole, the Urban District of Wimborne Minster, the Rural District of Poole, and part of the Rural District of Wimborne and Cranborne.

## Members of Parliament

| Election | Member | Party | Notes |
| 1885 | Pascoe Glyn | Liberal | Younger son of Lord Wolverton |
| 1886 | George Hawkesworth Bond | Conservative | Died in 1891 |
| 1891 by-election | Hon. Humphrey Sturt | Conservative | Succeeded as 2nd Baron Alington in 1904 |
| 1900 | Hon. Humphrey Sturt | Conservative | Succeeded as 2nd Baron Alington in 1904 |
| 1904 by-election | Charles Henry Lyell | Liberal | MP for Edinburgh South from April 1910 |
| January 1910 | Hon. Frederick Guest | Liberal | Unseated on petition in May 1910 |
| June 1910 by-election | Henry Guest | Liberal | MP for Pembroke & Haverfordwest from Dec 1910 |
| December 1910 | Frederick Guest | Liberal | Liberal Chief Whip 1917–1921, Secretary of State for Air 1921–1922 |
| 1918 | Frederick Guest | Coalition Liberal | Liberal Chief Whip 1917–1921, Secretary of State for Air 1921–1922 |
| 1921 by-election | Frederick Guest | Coalition Liberal | Liberal Chief Whip 1917–1921, Secretary of State for Air 1921–1922 |
| 1922 | Gordon Hall Caine | Independent Conservative | Took Conservative Whip January 1923 |
| 1923 | Gordon Hall Caine | Conservative | Took Conservative Whip January 1923 |
| 1929 | Alec Ewart Glassey | Liberal |
| 1931 | Gordon Hall Caine | Conservative |
| 1945 | Mervyn Wheatley | Conservative |
| 1950 | constituency abolished | constituency abolished |

## Elections
### Elections in the 1880s

General election 1885: East Dorset :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal | Pascoe Glyn | 4,543 | 54.2 | |
| | Conservative | George Hawkesworth Bond | 3,846 | 45.8 | |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 697 | 8.4 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 8,389 | 86.0 | |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 9,758 | | |
| | Liberal win (new seat) | Liberal win (new seat) | Liberal win (new seat) | Liberal win (new seat) | Liberal win (new seat) |
General election 1886: East Dorset :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | George Hawkesworth Bond | 4,317 | 54.1 | +8.3 |
| | Liberal | Pascoe Glyn | 3,662 | 45.9 | −8.3 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 655 | 8.2 | N/A |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 7,979 | 81.8 | −4.2 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 9,758 | | |
| | Conservative gain from Liberal | Conservative gain from Liberal | Swing | +8.3 | |

### Elections in the 1890s

Bond's death caused a by-election.
By-election, 27 Nov 1891: East Dorset :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Humphrey Sturt | 4,421 | 52.0 | −2.1 |
| | Liberal | Pascoe Glyn | 4,074 | 48.0 | +2.1 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 347 | 4.0 | −4.2 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 8,495 | 83.5 | +1.7 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 10,175 | | |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | −2.1 | |
General election 1892: East Dorset :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Humphrey Sturt | Unopposed | Unopposed | Unopposed |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Conservative hold |
General election 1895: East Dorset :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Humphrey Sturt | Unopposed | Unopposed | Unopposed |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Conservative hold |

### Elections in the 1900s

General election January 1900: East Dorset :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Humphrey Sturt | 4,776 | 50.5 | N/A |
| | Liberal | Arthur Acland Allen | 4,680 | 49.5 | New |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 96 | 1.0 | N/A |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 9,456 | 81.4 | N/A |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 11,616 | | |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | N/A | |
1904 East Dorset by-election :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal | Charles Lyell | 5,929 | 53.7 | +4.2 |
| | Conservative | Charles Van Raalte | 5,109 | 46.3 | −4.2 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 820 | 7.4 | N/A |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 11,038 | 87.0 | +5.6 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 12,686 | | |
| | Liberal gain from Conservative | Liberal gain from Conservative | Swing | +4.2 | |
General election January 1906: East Dorset :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal | Charles Lyell | 6,104 | 50.1 | +0.6 |
| | Conservative | Charles Van Raalte | 6,083 | 49.9 | −0.6 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 21 | 0.2 | N/A |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 12,187 | 89.9 | +8.5 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 13,557 | | |
| | Liberal gain from Conservative | Liberal gain from Conservative | Swing | | |

### Elections in the 1910s

General election January 1910: East Dorset :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal | Frederick Guest | 6,957 | 51.6 | +1.5 |
| | Conservative | John Nicholson | 6,531 | 48.4 | −1.5 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 426 | 3.2 | +3.0 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 13,488 | 91.2 | +1.3 |
| | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Swing | +1.5 | |
1910 East Dorset by-election :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal | Henry Guest | 6,967 | 52.2 | +0.6 |
| | Conservative | John Nicholson | 6,375 | 47.8 | −0.6 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 592 | 4.4 | +1.2 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 13,342 | 90.2 | −1.0 |
| | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Swing | +0.6 | |
General election December 1910: East Dorset :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal | Frederick Guest | 6,811 | 52.1 | +0.5 |
| | Conservative | Maurice George Carr Glyn | 6,266 | 47.9 | −0.5 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 545 | 4.2 | +1.0 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 13,077 | 88.4 | −1.8 |
| | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Swing | | |
By-election, 1911 :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal | Frederick Guest | Unopposed | Unopposed | Unopposed |
| | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Liberal hold |
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 from 1914 and by the end of this year, the following candidates had been selected;
* Liberal: Frederick Guest
* Unionist:
General election 1918: East Dorset :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| C | Liberal | Frederick Guest | 11,944 | 73.4 | +21.3 |
| | Labour | Alfred Smith | 4,321 | 26.6 | New |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 7,623 | 46.8 | +42.6 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 16,265 | 54.2 | −34.2 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 29,988 | | |
| | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Swing | | |
| C indicates candidate endorsed by the coalition government. ||||||

### Elections in the 1920s

By-election, 1921 :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| C | Liberal | Frederick Guest | Unopposed | Unopposed | Unopposed |
| | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Liberal hold |
| C indicates candidate endorsed by the coalition government. ||||||
General election 1922: East Dorset :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Ind. Unionist | Gordon Hall Caine | 12,513 | 49.1 | New |
| | Labour | Frederick Jesse Hopkins | 6,914 | 27.1 | +0.5 |
| | National Liberal | Frederick Guest | 6,062 | 23.8 | −49.6 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 5,599 | 22.0 | N/A |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 25,489 | 80.2 | +26.0 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 31,797 | | |
| | Ind. Unionist gain from National Liberal | Ind. Unionist gain from National Liberal | Swing | | |
General election 1923: East Dorset :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Unionist | Gordon Hall Caine | 12,480 | 48.5 | −0.6 |
| | Liberal | Richard Evan Williams Kirby | 7,535 | 29.2 | +5.4 |
| | Labour | Frederick Jesse Hopkins | 5,760 | 22.3 | −4.8 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 4,945 | 19.3 | −−2.7 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 25,775 | 78.5 | −1.7 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 32,828 | | |
| | Unionist hold | Unionist hold | Swing | −3.0 | |
General election 1924: East Dorset :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Unionist | Gordon Hall Caine | 14,479 | 52.6 | +4.1 |
| | Liberal | Alec Glassey | 8,828 | 32.1 | +2.9 |
| | Labour | Edward Joseph Stocker | 4,205 | 15.3 | −7.0 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 5,651 | 20.5 | +1.2 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 27,512 | 80.3 | +1.8 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 34,249 | | |
| | Unionist hold | Unionist hold | Swing | +0.6 | |
General election 1929: East Dorset :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal | Alec Glassey | 17,810 | 42.2 | +10.1 |
| | Unionist | Gordon Hall Caine | 17,533 | 41.6 | −11.0 |
| | Labour | Edward Joseph Stocker | 6,819 | 16.2 | +0.9 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 277 | 0.6 | N/A |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 42,162 | 81.5 | +1.2 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 51,756 | | |
| | Liberal gain from Unionist | Liberal gain from Unionist | Swing | +10.6 | |

### Elections in the 1930s

General election 1931: East Dorset :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Gordon Hall Caine | 20,711 | 44.5 | +2.9 |
| | National Liberal | Alec Glassey | 18,801 | 40.4 | −1.8 |
| | Labour | Edward Joseph Stocker | 7,009 | 15.1 | −1.1 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 1,910 | 4.1 | N/A |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 46,521 | 82.6 | +1.1 |
| | Conservative gain from National Liberal | Conservative gain from National Liberal | Swing | | |
General election 1935: East Dorset :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Gordon Hall Caine | 25,520 | 53.5 | +9.0 |
| | Liberal | Frank Raffety | 11,349 | 23.8 | N/A |
| | Labour | Edward Joseph Stocker | 10,822 | 22.7 | +7.6 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 14,171 | 29.7 | +25.6 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 47,691 | 74.4 | −8.2 |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | | |

### Elections in the 1940s

General Election 1939–40
Another General Election was required to take place before the end of 1940. The political parties had been making preparations for an election to take place from 1939 and by the end of this year, the following candidates had been selected;
* Conservative: Mervyn Wheatley
* Liberal: David Hutton
* Labour: Hugh Ross Williamson
General election 1945: East Dorset :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Mervyn Wheatley | 26,561 | 43.8 | −9.7 |
| | Labour | Charles Fletcher-Cooke | 25,093 | 41.4 | +18.7 |
| | Liberal | John Arthur Hugh Mander | 8,975 | 14.8 | −9.0 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 1,468 | 2.4 | −27.3 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 60,629 | 75.0 | +0.6 |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | | |