# Chatham (UK Parliament constituency)

Chatham was a parliamentary constituency in Kent which returned one Member of Parliament (MP) to the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. It was created for the 1832 general election, when the borough of Chatham was enfranchised under the Reform Act 1832.
It was abolished for the 1950 general election, when it was largely replaced by the new Rochester and Chatham constituency. This then became Medway in 1983. When the boroughs of Rochester upon Medway and Gillingham merged to form the larger unitary Borough of Medway in 1998, the Parliamentary constituency of Medway only covered part of the new borough, so for the 2010 election it was renamed Rochester and Strood.

## Boundaries

1918–1950: The Borough of Rochester except part of St Peter's ward, and the Borough of Chatham wards of Luton and St John.

## Members of Parliament

| Election | Member | Party |
| 1832 | William Leader Maberly | Whig |
| 1834 by-election | George Byng | Whig |
| 1835 | Sir John Beresford, Bt. | Conservative |
| 1837 | George Byng | Whig |
| 1852 | Sir Frederick Smith | Conservative |
| 1853 by-election | Leicester Viney Vernon | Conservative |
| 1857 | Sir Frederick Smith | Conservative |
| 1865 | Arthur Otway | Liberal |
| 1874 | George Elliot | Conservative |
| 1875 by-election | Sir John Eldon Gorst | Conservative |
| 1892 | Lewis Vivian Loyd | Conservative |
| 1895 | Sir Horatio Davies | Conservative |
| 1906 | John Jenkins | Labour |
| 1910 | Gerald Hohler | Conservative |
| 1918 | John Moore-Brabazon | Conservative |
| 1929 | Frank Markham | Labour |
| 1931 | Frank Markham | National Labour |
| 1931 | Sir Park Goff | Conservative |
| 1935 | Leonard Plugge | Conservative |
| 1945 | Arthur Bottomley | Labour |
| 1950 | constituency abolished: see Rochester and Chatham | constituency abolished: see Rochester and Chatham |

## Elections
### Elections in the 1830s

General election 1832: Chatham :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Whig | William Leader Maberly | 363 | 59.4 | |
| | Radical | Thomas Erskine Perry | 248 | 40.6 | |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 115 | 18.8 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 611 | 90.3 | |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 677 | | |
| | Whig win (new seat) | Whig win (new seat) | Whig win (new seat) | Whig win (new seat) | Whig win (new seat) |
Maberly resigned on appointment as a Commissioner of Customs, causing a by-election.
By-election, 26 June 1834: Chatham :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Whig | George Byng | 262 | 57.7 | −1.7 |
| | Tory | William Ching | 192 | 42.3 | New |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 70 | 15.4 | −3.4 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 454 | 67.2 | −23.1 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 676 | | |
| | Whig hold | Whig hold | Swing | | |
General election 1835: Chatham :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | John Beresford | 323 | 52.0 | N/A |
| | Whig | George Byng | 298 | 48.0 | −11.4 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 25 | 4.0 | N/A |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 621 | 92.4 | +2.1 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 672 | | |
| | Conservative gain from Whig | Conservative gain from Whig | Swing | | |
General election 1837: Chatham :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Whig | George Byng | Unopposed | Unopposed | Unopposed |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 785 | | |
| | Whig gain from Conservative | Whig gain from Conservative | Whig gain from Conservative | Whig gain from Conservative | Whig gain from Conservative |

### Elections in the 1840s

General election 1841: Chatham :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Whig | George Byng | 457 | 66.1 | N/A |
| | Conservative | Price Blackwood | 234 | 33.9 | New |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 223 | 32.2 | N/A |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 691 | 80.2 | N/A |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 862 | | |
| | Whig hold | Whig hold | Swing | N/A | |
General election 1847: Chatham :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Whig | George Byng | Unopposed | Unopposed | Unopposed |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 1,145 | | |
| | Whig hold | Whig hold | Whig hold | Whig hold | Whig hold |

### Elections in the 1850s

General election 1852: Chatham :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Frederick Smith | 636 | 56.9 | New |
| | Whig | James Stirling | 482 | 43.1 | N/A |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 154 | 13.8 | N/A |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 1,118 | 81.5 | N/A |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 1,371 | | |
| | Conservative gain from Whig | Conservative gain from Whig | Swing | | |
The election was declared void on petition, due to bribery, causing a by-election.
By-election, 23 June 1853: Chatham :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Leicester Viney Vernon | 610 | 50.5 | −6.4 |
| | Whig | James Stirling | 598 | 49.5 | +6.4 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 12 | 1.0 | −12.8 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 1,208 | 90.2 | +8.7 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 1,339 | | |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | −6.4 | |
General election 1857: Chatham :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Frederick Smith | 672 | 51.1 | −5.8 |
| | Whig | William Govett Romaine | 643 | 48.9 | +5.8 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 29 | 2.2 | −11.6 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 1,315 | 89.9 | +8.4 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 1,463 | | |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | −5.8 | |
General election 1859: Chatham :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Frederick Smith | 713 | 52.2 | +1.1 |
| | Liberal | Arthur Otway | 652 | 47.8 | −1.1 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 61 | 4.4 | +2.2 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 1,365 | 88.4 | −1.5 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 1,544 | | |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | +1.1 | |

### Elections in the 1860s

General election 1865: Chatham :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal | Arthur Otway | 986 | 58.3 | +10.5 |
| | Conservative | George Elliot | 704 | 41.7 | −10.5 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 282 | 16.6 | N/A |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 1,690 | 80.3 | −8.1 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 2,104 | | |
| | Liberal gain from Conservative | Liberal gain from Conservative | Swing | +10.5 | |
General election 1868: Chatham :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal | Arthur Otway | 2,042 | 52.4 | −5.9 |
| | Conservative | George Elliot | 1,858 | 47.6 | +5.9 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 184 | 4.8 | −11.8 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 3,900 | 86.3 | +6.0 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 4,518 | | |
| | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Swing | −5.9 | |

### Elections in the 1870s

General election 1874: Chatham :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | George Elliot | 2,132 | 59.1 | +11.5 |
| | Liberal | Arthur Otway | 1,476 | 40.9 | −11.5 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 656 | 18.2 | N/A |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 3,608 | 80.8 | −5.5 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 4,468 | | |
| | Conservative gain from Liberal | Conservative gain from Liberal | Swing | +11.5 | |
Elliot resigned, causing a by-election.
By-election, 16 Feb 1875: Chatham :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | John Eldon Gorst | 2,173 | 52.6 | −6.5 |
| | Liberal | William Henry Stone | 1,958 | 47.4 | +6.5 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 215 | 5.2 | −13.0 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 4,131 | 83.7 | +2.9 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 4,935 | | |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | −6.5 | |

### Elections in the 1880s

General election 1880: Chatham :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | John Eldon Gorst | 2,499 | 51.0 | −8.1 |
| | Liberal | Henry Carr Glyn | 2,398 | 49.0 | +8.1 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 101 | 2.0 | −16.2 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 4,897 | 88.3 | +7.5 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 5,548 | | |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | −8.1 | |
Gorst was appointed Solicitor General for England and Wales, requiring a by-election.
By-election, 11 Jul 1885: Chatham :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | John Eldon Gorst | Unopposed | Unopposed | Unopposed |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Conservative hold |
General election 1885: Chatham :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | John Eldon Gorst | 3,396 | 56.5 | +5.5 |
| | Liberal | Robert Collier | 2,610 | 43.5 | −5.5 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 786 | 13.0 | +11.0 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 6,006 | 85.9 | +2.4 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 6,988 | | |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | +5.5 | |
General election 1886: Chatham :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | John Eldon Gorst | 3,187 | 56.8 | +0.3 |
| | Liberal | Andrew Clarke | 2,422 | 43.2 | −0.3 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 765 | 13.6 | +0.6 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 5,609 | 80.3 | −5.6 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 6,988 | | |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | +0.3 | |

### Elections in the 1890s

General election 1892: Chatham :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Lewis Vivian Loyd | 3,777 | 52.6 | −4.2 |
| | Liberal | Andrew Clarke | 3,400 | 47.4 | +4.2 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 377 | 5.2 | −8.4 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 7,177 | 83.2 | +2.9 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 8,629 | | |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | −4.2 | |
General election 1895: Chatham :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Horatio Davies | 4,082 | 53.8 | +1.2 |
| | Liberal | Robert Hippisley Cox | 3,499 | 46.2 | −1.2 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 583 | 7.6 | +2.4 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 7,581 | 82.4 | −0.8 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 9,199 | | |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | +1.2 | |

### Elections in the 1900s

General election 1900: Chatham :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Horatio Davies | Unopposed | Unopposed | Unopposed |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Conservative hold |
General election 1906: Chatham :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour Repr. Cmte. | John Jenkins | 6,692 | 62.5 | New |
| | Conservative | John Eustace Jameson | 4,020 | 37.5 | N/A |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 2,672 | 25.0 | N/A |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 10,712 | 79.7 | N/A |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 13,432 | | |
| | Labour Repr. Cmte. gain from Conservative | Labour Repr. Cmte. gain from Conservative | Labour Repr. Cmte. gain from Conservative | Labour Repr. Cmte. gain from Conservative | Labour Repr. Cmte. gain from Conservative |

### Elections in the 1910s

General election, January 1910: Chatham :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Gerald Hohler | 7,411 | 54.7 | +17.2 |
| | Labour | John Jenkins | 6,130 | 45.3 | −17.2 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 1,281 | 9.4 | N/A |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 13,541 | 85.7 | +6.0 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 15,799 | | |
| | Conservative gain from Labour | Conservative gain from Labour | Swing | +17.2 | |
General election, December 1910: Chatham :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Gerald Hohler | 6,989 | 56.4 | +1.7 |
| | Liberal | Louis Bernacchi | 4,302 | 34.7 | New |
| | Labour | Frank Smith | 1,103 | 8.9 | −36.4 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 2,687 | 21.7 | +12.3 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 12,394 | 78.4 | −7.3 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 15,799 | | |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Conservative hold |
General election 1918: Chatham :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Unionist | John Moore-Brabazon | 11,454 | 62.4 | +6.0 |
| | Labour | Dansy Hubbard | 4,134 | 22.5 | +13.6 |
| | Liberal | H. B. D. Woodcock | 2,778 | 15.1 | −19.6 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 7,320 | 39.9 | +18.2 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 18,366 | 59.2 | −19.2 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 31,000 | | |
| | Unionist hold | Unionist hold | Swing | -3.8 | |

### Elections in the 1920s

General election 1922: Chatham :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Unionist | John Moore-Brabazon | 11,335 | 51.5 | −10.9 |
| | Liberal | Alfred John Callaghan | 10,682 | 48.5 | +33.4 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 653 | 3.0 | −36.9 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 22,017 | 69.8 | +10.6 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 31,525 | | |
| | Unionist hold | Unionist hold | Swing | −22.1 | |
General election 1923: Chatham :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Unionist | John Moore-Brabazon | 9,994 | 41.6 | −9.9 |
| | Liberal | Alfred John Callaghan | 8,227 | 34.3 | −14.2 |
| | Labour | Mary Hamilton | 5,794 | 24.1 | New |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 1,767 | 7.3 | +4.3 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 24,015 | 74.6 | +4.8 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 32,212 | | |
| | Unionist hold | Unionist hold | Swing | +2.2 | |
General election 1924: Chatham :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Unionist | John Moore-Brabazon | 13,184 | 52.2 | +10.6 |
| | Labour | William Harvey Moore | 9,276 | 36.7 | +12.6 |
| | Liberal | Cyril Berkeley Dallow | 2,806 | 11.1 | −23.2 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 3,908 | 15.5 | +8.2 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 25,266 | 77.8 | +3.2 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 32,481 | | |
| | Unionist hold | Unionist hold | Swing | +10.6 | |
General election 1929: Chatham :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Frank Markham | 13,007 | 42.6 | +5.9 |
| | Unionist | John Moore-Brabazon | 12,231 | 40.1 | −12.1 |
| | Liberal | George H Bryans | 5,284 | 17.3 | +6.2 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 776 | 2.5 | N/A |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 30,522 | 74.5 | −3.3 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 40,980 | | |
| | Labour gain from Unionist | Labour gain from Unionist | Swing | +9.0 | |

### Elections in the 1930s

General election 1931: Chatham :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Park Goff | 19,991 | 62.5 | +22.4 |
| | Labour | Oliver Baldwin | 10,837 | 33.9 | −8.7 |
| | New Party | Martin Woodroffe | 1,135 | 3.6 | New |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 9,154 | 28.6 | New |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 31,963 | 75.5 | +1.0 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 42,356 | | |
| | Conservative gain from Labour | Conservative gain from Labour | Swing | +15.6 | |
The sitting MP Sydney Frank Markham sought re-election as a National Labour candidate. However, the Conservatives refused to withdraw in his favour. As a result, he was forced to withdraw. Communist candidate Walter Hannington was also adopted but subsequently withdrew.
General election 1935: Chatham :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Leonard Plugge | 19,212 | 59.1 | −3.4 |
| | Labour | Hugh Gaitskell | 13,315 | 40.9 | +7.0 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 5,897 | 18.2 | −10.4 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 32,527 | 74.6 | −0.9 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 43,573 | | |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | −5.3 | |

### Elections in the 1940s

General election 1945: Chatham :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Arthur Bottomley | 19,250 | 55.3 | +14.4 |
| | Conservative | Leonard Plugge | 15,534 | 44.7 | −14.4 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 3,716 | 10.6 | N/A |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 34,784 | 72.1 | −2.5 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 48,270 | | |
| | Labour gain from Conservative | Labour gain from Conservative | Swing | +14.4 | |