# Radcliffe-cum-Farnworth (UK Parliament constituency)

Radcliffe-cum-Farnworth was a parliamentary constituency centred on the towns of Radcliffe and Farnworth in Lancashire. It returned one Member of Parliament (MP) to the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom, elected by the first past the post system.

## History

This area had previously been represented as part of South East Lancashire division. Under the Redistribution of Seats Act 1885, the constituency was created for the 1885 general election and was abolished for the 1918 general election.

## Boundaries

The South East Lancashire, Radcliffe-cum-Farnworth Division was defined in the 1885 legislation as consisting of the parishes of Farnworth, Kearsley, Little Hulton and Pilkington (including Whitefield and Unsworth) and the parish of Radcliffe except the area in the Municipal Borough of Bury.
At the next redistribution of seats in 1918, the constituency was split between two new seats: Farnworth (which included Little Hulton and Kearsley) and Heywood and Radcliffe (which took in Unsworth and Whitefield).

## Members of Parliament

| Election | Election | Member | Party |
| | 1885 | Robert Leake | Liberal |
| | 1895 | John James Mellor | Conservative |
| | 1900 | Theodore Taylor | Liberal |
| 1918 | 1918 | constituency abolished: see Heywood and Radcliffe & Farnworth | constituency abolished: see Heywood and Radcliffe & Farnworth |

## Elections
### Elections in the 1880s

General election 1885: Radcliffe-cum-Farnworth :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal | Robert Leake | 5,092 | 52.7 | |
| | Conservative | William Hulton | 4,579 | 47.3 | |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 513 | 5.4 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 9,671 | 92.7 | |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 10,433 | | |
| | Liberal win (new seat) | Liberal win (new seat) | Liberal win (new seat) | Liberal win (new seat) | Liberal win (new seat) |
General election 1886: Radcliffe-cum-Farnworth :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal | Robert Leake | 4,695 | 50.7 | −2.0 |
| | Conservative | Frederick Milner | 4,559 | 49.3 | +2.0 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 136 | 1.4 | −4.0 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 9,254 | 88.7 | −4.0 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 10,433 | | |
| | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Swing | -2.0 | |

### Elections in the 1890s

General election 1892: Radcliffe-cum-Farnworth :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal | Robert Leake | 4,999 | 50.5 | −0.2 |
| | Conservative | John James Mellor | 4,904 | 49.5 | +0.2 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 95 | 1.0 | −0.4 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 9,903 | 92.7 | +4.0 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 10,686 | | |
| | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Swing | -0.2 | |
General election 1895: Radcliffe-cum-Farnworth :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | John James Mellor | 5,523 | 52.9 | +3.4 |
| | Liberal | George Pollard | 4,923 | 47.1 | −3.4 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 600 | 5.8 | N/A |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 10,446 | 92.8 | +0.1 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 11,259 | | |
| | Conservative gain from Liberal | Conservative gain from Liberal | Swing | +3.4 | |

### Elections in the 1900s

General election 1900: Radcliffe-cum-Farnworth :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal | Theodore Taylor | 5,497 | 50.3 | +3.2 |
| | Conservative | J.C. Cross | 5,437 | 49.7 | −3.2 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 60 | 0.6 | N/A |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 10,834 | 89.3 | −3.5 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 12,244 | | |
| | Liberal gain from Conservative | Liberal gain from Conservative | Swing | +3.2 | |
General election 1906: Radcliffe-cum-Farnworth :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal | Theodore Taylor | 6,719 | 56.8 | +6.5 |
| | Conservative | S. Musgrave | 5,117 | 43.2 | −6.5 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 1,602 | 13.6 | +13.0 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 11,836 | 90.0 | +0.7 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 13,151 | | |
| | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Swing | +6.5 | |

### Elections in the 1910s

General election January 1910: Radcliffe-cum-Farnworth :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal | Theodore Taylor | 7,367 | 55.8 | −1.0 |
| | Conservative | Edward White | 5,827 | 44.2 | +1.0 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 1,540 | 11.6 | −2.0 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 13,194 | 93.9 | +3.9 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 14,046 | | |
| | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Swing | -1.0 | |
General election December 1910: Radcliffe-cum-Farnworth :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal | Theodore Taylor | 6,721 | 53.1 | −2.7 |
| | Conservative | Edward Bagley | 5,937 | 46.9 | +2.7 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 784 | 6.2 | −5.4 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 12,658 | 90.1 | −3.8 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 14,046 | | |
| | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Swing | -2.7 | |
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 the July 1914, the following candidates had been selected;
* Liberal: Theodore Taylor
* Unionist: