# Rossendale (UK Parliament constituency)

53°42′29″N 2°14′24″W﻿ / ﻿53.708°N 2.240°W﻿ / 53.708; -2.240
Rossendale was a parliamentary constituency in the Lancashire, England. Created in 1885, it elected one Member of Parliament (MP) to the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom, elected by the first-past-the-post voting system. When created it comprised the districts of Rawtenstall, Bacup, and Haslingden; Ramsbottom district was added to the constituency in 1950.
The constituency ceased to exist with the implementation of the 1983 boundary changes and was replaced by the Rossendale and Darwen constituency. The exact nature of the changes were as follows: 9,882 electors of the Rossendale seat were transferred to Bury North. 25,918 electors were added from the abolished Darwen constituency and 5,267 from Heywood and Royton.

## Boundaries

1885–1918: The Sessional Division of Rossendale, and part of the Borough of Bacup.
1918–1950: The Boroughs of Bacup, Haslingden, and Rawtenstall.
1950–1983: The Boroughs of Bacup, Haslingden, and Rawtenstall, and the Urban District of Ramsbottom.

## Members of Parliament

| Election | Member | Party |
| 1885 | Spencer Cavendish | Liberal |
| 1886 | Spencer Cavendish | Liberal Unionist |
| 1892 by-election | John Maden | Liberal |
| 1900 by-election | Sir William Mather | Liberal |
| 1904 by-election | Lewis Harcourt | Liberal |
| 1917 by-election | Sir John Maden | Liberal |
| 1918 | Robert Waddington | Coalition Conservative |
| 1922 | David Halstead | Conservative |
| 1923 | Robert Waddington | Conservative |
| 1929 | Arthur Law | Labour |
| 1931 | Ronald Cross | Conservative |
| 1945 | George Walker | Labour |
| 1950 | Tony Greenwood | Labour |
| 1970 | Ronald Bray | Conservative |
| Oct 1974 | Michael Noble | Labour |
| 1979 | David Trippier | Conservative |
| 1983 | constituency abolished: see Rossendale and Darwen | constituency abolished: see Rossendale and Darwen |

## Elections
### Elections in the 1880s

General election 1885: Rossendale :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal | Spencer Cavendish | 6,060 | 58.9 | |
| | Conservative | William Farrer Ecroyd | 4,228 | 41.1 | |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 1,832 | 17.8 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 10,288 | 89.9 | |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 11,450 | | |
| | Liberal win (new seat) | Liberal win (new seat) | Liberal win (new seat) | Liberal win (new seat) | Liberal win (new seat) |
General election 1886: Rossendale :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal Unionist | Spencer Cavendish | 5,399 | 57.8 | +16.7 |
| | Liberal | Thomas Newbigging | 3,949 | 42.2 | −16.7 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 1,450 | 15.6 | N/A |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 9,348 | 81.6 | −8.3 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 11,450 | | |
| | Liberal Unionist gain from Liberal | Liberal Unionist gain from Liberal | Swing | +16.7 | |

### Elections in the 1890s

Cavendish succeeded to the peerage, becoming Duke of Devonshire and causing a by-election.
1892 Rossendale by-election :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal | John Maden | 6,066 | 55.6 | +13.4 |
| | Liberal Unionist | Thomas Brooks | 4,841 | 44.4 | −13.4 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 1,225 | 11.2 | N/A |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 10,907 | 93.4 | +11.8 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 11,679 | | |
| | Liberal gain from Liberal Unionist | Liberal gain from Liberal Unionist | Swing | +13.4 | |
General election 1892: Rossendale :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal | John Maden | 6,058 | 58.3 | +16.1 |
| | Conservative | Arthur Goldsmith Sparrow | 4,334 | 41.7 | −16.1 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 1,724 | 16.6 | N/A |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 10,392 | 89.0 | +7.4 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 11,679 | | |
| | Liberal gain from Liberal Unionist | Liberal gain from Liberal Unionist | Swing | +16.1 | |
General election 1895: Rossendale :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal | John Maden | Unopposed | Unopposed | Unopposed |
| | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Liberal hold |

### Elections in the 1900s

1900 Rossendale by-election :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal | William Mather | 5,936 | 56.5 | N/A |
| | Conservative | George Kingsbury | 4,564 | 43.5 | New |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 1,372 | 13.0 | N/A |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 10,500 | 86.4 | N/A |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 12,148 | | |
| | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Swing | N/A | |
General election 1900: Rossendale Electorate 12,148 :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal | William Mather | Unopposed | Unopposed | Unopposed |
| | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Liberal hold |
1904 Rossendale by-election :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal | Lewis Harcourt | Unopposed | Unopposed | Unopposed |
| | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Liberal hold |
General election 1906: Rossendale :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal | Lewis Harcourt | 6,881 | 59.6 | N/A |
| | Conservative | John Kebty-Fletcher | 4,662 | 40.4 | New |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 2,219 | 19.2 | N/A |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 11,543 | 90.4 | N/A |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 12,765 | | |
| | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Swing | N/A | |

### Elections in the 1910s

General election January 1910: Rossendale Electorate 12,765 :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal | Lewis Harcourt | 7,185 | 57.4 | −2.2 |
| | Conservative | John Kebty-Fletcher | 4,695 | 37.5 | −2.9 |
| | Women's Suffrage | Arthur Bulley | 639 | 5.1 | New |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 2,490 | 19.9 | +0.7 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 12,519 | 94.7 | +4.3 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 13,217 | | |
| | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Swing | +0.4 | |
General election December 1910: Rossendale Electorate 12,765 :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal | Lewis Harcourt | 6,619 | 56.0 | −1.4 |
| | Conservative | Joshua Craven Hoyle | 5,206 | 44.0 | +6.5 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 1,413 | 12.0 | −7.9 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 11,825 | 89.5 | −5.2 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 13,217 | | |
| | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Swing | −4.0 | |
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: Lewis Harcourt
* Unionist:
1917 Rossendale by-election :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal | John Maden | 6,019 | 76.9 | +20.9 |
| | Independent Labour and Peace by Negotiation | Albert Taylor | 1,804 | 23.1 | New |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 4,215 | 53.8 | +41.8 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 7,823 | 57.2 | −32.3 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 13,682 | | |
| | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Swing | N/A | |
General election 1918: Rossendale :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| C | Unionist | Robert Waddington | 8,907 | 39.2 | −4.8 |
| | Labour | Gilbert Wright Jones | 7,984 | 35.1 | New |
| | Liberal | John Maden | 5,837 | 25.7 | −30.3 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 923 | 4.1 | N/A |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 22,728 | 63.6 | −25.9 |
| | Unionist gain from Liberal | Unionist gain from Liberal | Swing | +12.8 | |
| C indicates candidate endorsed by the coalition government. ||||||

### Elections in the 1920s

General election 1922: Rossendale :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Unionist | David Halstead | 12,881 | 42.6 | +3.4 |
| | Labour | Gilbert Wright Jones | 11,029 | 36.5 | +1.4 |
| | Liberal | Richard Durning Holt | 6,327 | 20.9 | −4.8 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 1,852 | 6.1 | +2.0 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 30,237 | 85.0 | +21.4 |
| | Unionist hold | Unionist hold | Swing | | |
General election 1923: Rossendale :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Unionist | Robert Waddington | 11,362 | 37.6 | −5.0 |
| | Liberal | Ernest Young | 9,592 | 31.8 | +10.9 |
| | Labour | Norman Angell | 9,230 | 30.6 | −5.9 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 1,770 | 5.8 | −0.3 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 30,184 | 83.8 | −1.2 |
| | Unionist hold | Unionist hold | Swing | -8.0 | |
General election 1924: Rossendale :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Unionist | Robert Waddington | 12,836 | 41.7 | +4.1 |
| | Labour | James Bell | 9,951 | 32.4 | +1.8 |
| | Liberal | Ernest Young | 7,958 | 25.9 | −5.9 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 2,885 | 9.3 | +3.5 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 30,745 | | |
| | Unionist hold | Unionist hold | Swing | | |
General election 1929: Rossendale :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Arthur Law | 14,624 | 36.0 | +3.6 |
| | Liberal | Edwin Bayliss | 13,747 | 33.9 | +8.0 |
| | Unionist | Wilfrid Sugden | 12,225 | 30.1 | −11.6 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 877 | 2.1 | N/A |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 40,596 | 87.7 | |
| | Labour gain from Unionist | Labour gain from Unionist | Swing | -2.2 | |
* Furness Dean was Liberal candidate but withdrew at the last minute for health reasons.

### Elections in the 1930s

General election 1931: Rossendale :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Ronald Cross | 16,206 | 40.1 | +10.0 |
| | Liberal | William Furness Dean | 13,089 | 32.4 | −1.5 |
| | Labour | Arthur Law | 11,135 | 27.5 | −8.5 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 3,117 | 7.7 | N/A |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 40,430 | 87.6 | −0.1 |
| | Conservative gain from Labour | Conservative gain from Labour | Swing | | |
General election 1935: Rossendale :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Ronald Cross | 15,650 | 39.4 | −0.7 |
| | Labour | Evelyn Walkden | 14,769 | 37.1 | +9.6 |
| | Liberal | Arthur Holgate | 9,343 | 23.5 | −8.9 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 881 | 2.3 | −5.4 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 39,762 | 86.1 | −1.5 |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | | |
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 and by the Autumn of 1939, the following candidates had been selected;
* Conservative: Ronald Cross
* Labour: George Walker

### Election in the 1940s

General election 1945: Rossendale :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | George Walker | 15,741 | 43.6 | +6.5 |
| | Conservative | Ronald Cross | 10,153 | 28.1 | −11.3 |
| | Liberal | Arthur Ward Jones | 8,542 | 23.7 | +0.2 |
| | Communist | William Whittaker | 1,663 | 4.6 | New |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 5,588 | 15.5 | N/A |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 36,099 | 83.2 | −2.9 |
| | Labour gain from Conservative | Labour gain from Conservative | Swing | | |

### Elections in the 1950s

General election 1950: Rossendale :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Labour | Tony Greenwood | 21,596 | 45.15 |
| | Conservative | Thomas Mercer Backhouse | 19,483 | 40.73 |
| | Liberal | Lillian May Tomlinson | 6,757 | 14.13 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 2,113 | 4.42 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 47,836 | 88.94 |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | |
General election 1951: Rossendale :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Labour | Tony Greenwood | 24,814 | 51.74 |
| | Conservative | Thomas Mercer Backhouse | 23,144 | 48.26 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 1,670 | 3.48 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 47,958 | 88.59 |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | |
General election 1955: Rossendale :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Labour | Tony Greenwood | 23,472 | 53.31 |
| | Conservative | John E Parkinson | 20,561 | 46.69 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 2,911 | 6.62 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 44,033 | 84.21 |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | |
General election 1959: Rossendale :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Tony Greenwood | 20,743 | 47.52 | |
| | Conservative | James Richard Trist Holt | 18,152 | 41.59 | |
| | Liberal | Alan Cooper | 4,752 | 10.89 | New |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 2,591 | 5.93 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 43,647 | 86.30 | |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | | |

### Elections in the 1960s

General election 1964: Rossendale :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Labour | Tony Greenwood | 21,371 | 53.97 |
| | Conservative | Colin Clive Baillieu | 18,230 | 46.03 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 3,141 | 7.94 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 39,601 | 81.83 |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | |
General election 1966: Rossendale :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Labour | Tony Greenwood | 21,093 | 55.40 |
| | Conservative | Colin Clive Baillieu | 16,984 | 44.60 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 4,109 | 10.80 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 38,077 | 80.40 |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | |

### Elections in the 1970s

General election 1970: Rossendale :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Ronald Bray | 20,448 | 52.4 | +7.8 |
| | Labour | Betty Boothroyd | 18,568 | 47.6 | −7.8 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 1,880 | 4.8 | N/A |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 39,016 | 78.2 | −2.2 |
| | Conservative gain from Labour | Conservative gain from Labour | Swing | | |
General election February 1974: Rossendale :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Ronald Bray | 16,040 | 38.4 | −14.0 |
| | Labour | Michael Noble | 15,243 | 36.5 | −11.1 |
| | Liberal | JA Hamilton | 10,478 | 25.09 | New |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 797 | 1.91 | −2.9 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 41,761 | 83.50 | +5.3 |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | | |
General election October 1974: Rossendale :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Michael Noble | 16,156 | 39.6 | +3.1 |
| | Conservative | Ronald Bray | 15,953 | 39.1 | +0.7 |
| | Liberal | J.A. Hamilton | 8,693 | 21.3 | −3.8 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 203 | 0.5 | N/A |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 40,802 | 80.9 | −2.6 |
| | Labour gain from Conservative | Labour gain from Conservative | Swing | 1.2 | |
General election 1979: Rossendale :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | David Trippier | 20,370 | 48.0 | +8.9 |
| | Labour | Michael Noble | 18,497 | 43.6 | +4.0 |
| | Liberal | P. Arnold | 3,534 | 8.3 | −13.0 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 1,873 | 4.4 | N/A |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 42,401 | 83.8 | +2.9 |
| | Conservative gain from Labour | Conservative gain from Labour | Swing | | |