# Louth, Lincolnshire (UK Parliament constituency)

Louth was a county constituency in Lincolnshire which returned one Member of Parliament (MP) to the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom from 1885 until it was abolished for the 1983 general election.
It should not be confused with the former Irish constituency of County Louth (UK Parliament constituency). Between 1885 and 1918, its formal name was The East Lindsey (or Louth) Division of Lincolnshire, and it was sometimes referred to simply as East Lindsey.

## Boundaries

1885–1918: The Sessional Divisions of Louth, Market Rasen, and Wragby, and parts of the Sessional Divisions of Alford, Grimsby, and Horncastle.
1918–1950: The Borough of Louth, the Urban Districts of Mablethorpe and Market Rasen, and the Rural Districts of Caistor, Grimsby, and Louth.
1950–1974: The Boroughs of Louth and Cleethorpes, and the Rural Districts of Grimsby and Louth.
1974–1983: As prior but with redrawn boundaries.

## Members of Parliament

| Election | Election | Member | Party |
| | 1885 | Francis Otter | Liberal |
| | 1886 | Arthur Raymond Heath | Conservative |
| | 1892 | Sir Robert Perks, 1st Baronet | Liberal |
| | January 1910 | Langton Brackenbury | Conservative |
| | December 1910 | Timothy Davies | Liberal |
| | 1918 | Langton Brackenbury | Coalition Conservative |
| | 1920 by-election | Thomas Wintringham | Liberal |
| | 1921 by-election | Margaret Wintringham | Liberal |
| | 1924 | Arthur Heneage | Conservative |
| | 1945 | Sir Cyril Osborne | Conservative |
| | 1969 by-election | Jeffrey Archer | Conservative |
| | Oct 1974 | Michael Brotherton | Conservative |
| 1983 | 1983 | constituency abolished | constituency abolished |

## Election results
### Elections in the 1880s

General election 1885: Louth :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal | Francis Otter | 4,801 | 57.2 | |
| | Conservative | James Lowther | 3,594 | 42.8 | |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 1,207 | 14.4 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 8,395 | 81.9 | |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 10,252 | | |
| | Liberal win (new seat) | Liberal win (new seat) | Liberal win (new seat) | Liberal win (new seat) | Liberal win (new seat) |
General election 1886: Louth :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Arthur Heath | Unopposed | Unopposed | Unopposed |
| | Conservative gain from Liberal | Conservative gain from Liberal | Conservative gain from Liberal | Conservative gain from Liberal | Conservative gain from Liberal |

### Elections in the 1890s

General election 1892: Louth :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal | Robert Perks | 4,284 | 55.4 | New |
| | Conservative | Arthur Heath | 3,445 | 44.6 | N/A |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 839 | 10.8 | N/A |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 7,729 | 78.6 | N/A |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 9,829 | | |
| | Liberal gain from Conservative | Liberal gain from Conservative | Swing | N/A | |
General election 1895: Louth :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal | Robert Perks | 4,191 | 52.6 | −2.8 |
| | Conservative | Francis Lucas | 3,779 | 47.4 | +2.8 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 412 | 5.2 | −5.6 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 7,970 | 73.4 | −5.2 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 10,863 | | |
| | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Swing | −2.8 | |

### Elections in the 1900s

General election 1900: Louth :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal | Robert Perks | 4,188 | 56.0 | +3.4 |
| | Conservative | Eyre Coote (born 1857) | 3,286 | 44.0 | −3.4 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 902 | 12.0 | +6.8 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 7,474 | 77.7 | +4.3 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 9,621 | | |
| | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Swing | +3.4 | |
General election 1906: Louth :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal | Robert Perks | 4,551 | 56.0 | 0.0 |
| | Conservative | Thomas Comyn-Platt | 3,572 | 44.0 | 0.0 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 979 | 12.0 | 0.0 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 8,123 | 80.6 | +2.9 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 10,075 | | |
| | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Swing | 0.0 | |

### Elections in the 1910s

General election January 1910: Louth :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Langton Brackenbury | 4,433 | 50.9 | +6.9 |
| | Liberal | Timothy Davies | 4,275 | 49.1 | −6.9 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 158 | 1.8 | N/A |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 8,708 | 84.4 | +3.8 |
| | Conservative gain from Liberal | Conservative gain from Liberal | Swing | +6.9 | |
General election December 1910: Louth :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal | Timothy Davies | 4,260 | 50.4 | +1.3 |
| | Conservative | Langton Brackenbury | 4,188 | 49.6 | −1.3 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 72 | 0.8 | N/A |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 8,448 | 81.9 | −2.5 |
| | Liberal gain from Conservative | Liberal gain from Conservative | Swing | +1.3 | |
General Election 1914–15
A General Election was due to take place by the end of 1915. By the autumn of 1914, the following candidates had been adopted to contest that election. Due to the outbreak of war, the election never took place.
* Liberal: Timothy Davies
* Unionist: Langton Brackenbury
General election 1918: Louth :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| C | Unionist | Langton Brackenbury | 9,055 | 54.5 | +4.9 |
| | Liberal | Timothy Davies | 7,559 | 45.5 | −4.9 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 1,496 | 9.0 | N/A |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 16,614 | 60.3 | −21.6 |
| | Unionist gain from Liberal | Unionist gain from Liberal | Swing | | |
| C indicates candidate endorsed by the coalition government. ||||||

### Elections in the 1920s

1920 Louth by-election :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal | Thomas Wintringham | 9,859 | 57.3 | +11.8 |
| | Unionist | Christopher Hatton Turnor | 7,354 | 42.7 | −11.8 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 2,505 | 14.6 | N/A |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 17,213 | 63.1 | +2.8 |
| | Liberal gain from Unionist | Liberal gain from Unionist | Swing | +11.8 | |
* endorsed by Coalition Government
1921 Louth by-election :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal | Margaret Wintringham | 8,386 | 42.2 | −15.1 |
| | Unionist | Alan Hutchings | 7,695 | 38.3 | −4.4 |
| | Labour | James L. George | 3,873 | 19.5 | New |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 791 | 3.9 | −10.7 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 19,954 | 72.1 | +9.0 |
| | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Swing | | |
General election 1922: Louth :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal | Margaret Wintringham | 11,609 | 52.0 | +6.5 |
| | Unionist | Alan Hutchings | 10,726 | 48.0 | −6.5 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 883 | 4.0 | −5.0 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 22,335 | 78.5 | +18.2 |
| | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Swing | | |
General election 1923: Louth :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal | Margaret Wintringham | 12,104 | 52.4 | +0.4 |
| | Unionist | Geoffrey Peto | 11,003 | 47.6 | −0.4 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 1,101 | 4.8 | +0.8 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 23,107 | 79.6 | +1.1 |
| | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Swing | +0.4 | |
General election, 1924: Louth :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Unionist | Arthur Heneage | 12,674 | 52.8 | +5.2 |
| | Liberal | Margaret Wintringham | 11,330 | 47.2 | −5.2 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 1,344 | 5.6 | N/A |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 24,004 | 80.9 | +1.3 |
| | Unionist gain from Liberal | Unionist gain from Liberal | Swing | | |
General election, 1929: Louth :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Unionist | Arthur Heneage | 13,999 | 44.4 | −8.4 |
| | Liberal | Margaret Wintringham | 13,560 | 42.9 | −4.3 |
| | Labour | T Holmes | 4,027 | 12.7 | New |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 439 | 1.5 | −4.1 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 31,586 | 81.8 | +0.9 |
| | Unionist hold | Unionist hold | Swing | −2.1 | |

### Elections in the 1930s

General election 1931: Louth :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Arthur Heneage | 18,434 | 56.1 | +11.7 |
| | Liberal | Ramsay Muir | 14,439 | 43.9 | +1.0 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 3,995 | 12.2 | +10.7 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 32,873 | 81.6 | −0.2 |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | | |
General election 1935: Louth :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Arthur Heneage | 19,705 | 61.64 | |
| | Labour | Jack H Franklin | 12,261 | 38.36 | New |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 7,444 | 23.28 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 31,966 | 71.85 | |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | | |

### Elections in the 1940s

General Election 1939–40
A General Election was due to take place by the spring of 1940. By the autumn of 1939, the following candidates had been adopted to contest that election. Due to the outbreak of war, the election never took place.
* Conservative: Arthur Heneage
* Liberal: Alan Pryce-Jones
* Labour: Jack H Franklin
General election 1945: Louth :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Cyril Osborne | 16,333 | 46.18 | |
| | Labour | Jack H Franklin | 11,628 | 32.88 | |
| | Liberal | Walter K Carter | 7,176 | 20.29 | New |
| | Independent Liberal | Samuel Randolph Charlesworth | 233 | 0.66 | New |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 4,705 | 13.30 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 35,370 | 71.91 | |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | | |

### Elections in the 1950s

General election 1950: Louth :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Conservative | Cyril Osborne | 19,647 | 48.48 |
| | Labour | Henry James Herbert Dyer | 15,063 | 37.17 |
| | Liberal | Albert William Cox | 5,817 | 14.35 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 4,584 | 11.31 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 40,527 | 82.36 |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | |
General election 1951: Louth :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Conservative | Cyril Osborne | 21,587 | 53.66 |
| | Labour | Henry James Herbert Dyer | 15,819 | 39.32 |
| | Liberal | Reginald Clifford Gaul | 2,822 | 7.02 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 5,768 | 14.34 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 40,228 | 80.46 |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | |
General election 1955: Louth :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Conservative | Cyril Osborne | 21,796 | 58.79 |
| | Labour | Douglas Rene Louis Maroel Poirier | 15,276 | 41.21 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 6,520 | 17.58 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 37,072 | 73.66 |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | |
General election 1959: Louth :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Conservative | Cyril Osborne | 24,211 | 61.11 |
| | Labour | Francis Robert Macdonald | 15,408 | 38.89 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 8,803 | 22.22 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 39,619 | 76.52 |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | |

### Elections in the 1960s

General election 1964: Louth :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Conservative | Cyril Osborne | 21,227 | 48.95 |
| | Labour | Francis Robert Macdonald | 14,188 | 32.72 |
| | Liberal | Edmund Marshall | 7,949 | 18.33 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 7,039 | 16.23 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 43,364 | 77.88 |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | |
General election 1966: Louth :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Conservative | Cyril Osborne | 19,977 | 46.37 |
| | Labour | Robin Brumby | 15,885 | 36.87 |
| | Liberal | Edmund Marshall | 7,222 | 16.76 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 4,092 | 9.50 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 43,084 | 74.35 |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | |
1969 Louth by-election :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Jeffrey Archer | 16,317 | 58.00 | +11.63 |
| | Labour | Bruce Briggs | 5,590 | 19.87 | −17.00 |
| | Liberal | John Adams | 5,003 | 17.78 | +1.02 |
| | Democratic Party | George FitzGerald | 1,225 | 4.35 | New |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 10,727 | 38.13 | +28.63 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 28,135 | | |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | +14.3 | |

### Elections in the 1970s

General election 1970: Louth :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Jeffrey Archer | 25,659 | 53.08 | +6.71 |
| | Labour | James Murray | 16,403 | 33.93 | −2.94 |
| | Liberal | John Adams | 6,279 | 12.99 | −3.77 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 9,256 | 19.15 | +9.65 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 48,341 | 71.57 | |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | | |
General election February 1974: Louth :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Conservative | Jeffrey Archer | 25,158 | 45.13 |
| | Liberal | John CL Sellick | 15,440 | 27.70 |
| | Labour | AG Dowson | 15,148 | 27.17 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 9,718 | 17.43 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 55,746 | 79.70 |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | |
General election October 1974: Louth :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Conservative | Michael Brotherton | 19,819 | 38.48 |
| | Liberal | John CL Sellick | 16,939 | 32.89 |
| | Labour | R Mitchell | 14,747 | 28.63 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 2,880 | 5.59 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 51,505 | 73.06 |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | |
General election 1979: Louth :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Michael Brotherton | 25,701 | 44.85 | |
| | Liberal | John CL Sellick | 19,026 | 33.20 | |
| | Labour | Clive Betts | 12,316 | 21.49 | |
| | National Front | CDB Stokes | 261 | 0.46 | New |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 6,675 | 11.65 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 57,304 | 78.22 | |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | | |