# West Surrey (UK Parliament constituency)

West Surrey (formally the Western division of Surrey) was a parliamentary constituency in the county of Surrey, which returned two Members of Parliament (MPs) to the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom, elected by the bloc vote system.
It was created under the Great Reform Act for the 1832 general election, and abolished for the 1885 general election.

## Boundaries

1832–1885: The Hundreds of Blackheath, Copthorne, Effingham, Elmbridge, Farnham, Godalming, Godley and Chertsey, Woking and Wotton.
The constituency was therefore the more extensive and more rural of the two divisions of Surrey established in 1832. Its main existing towns were urbanising with railway stations built; Woking became a town towards the end of its existence. Elections were conducted at Guildford; other most populous towns were Leatherhead, Dorking, Epsom, Ewell, Farnham, Godalming, Haslemere, Chertsey, Egham, Walton-on-Thames, Weybridge and Woking. Guildford was a parliamentary borough represented in its own right, but those of its freeholders not qualifying for a vote as such could vote for the county division MPs.

### Subdivision in 1885

On its abolition in 1885 its contents made up all or some of four single-member seats and the overlapping seat (1295-1867 a constituency returning two members), Guildford parliamentary borough, was abolished. The outcome was as follows:
* The North-Western division of Surrey or Chertsey (i.e. Bisley; Byfleet; Chertsey; Chobham; Egham; Horsell; Pyrford; Thorpe; Weybridge; Windlesham; Ash, East Clandon, West Clandon, East Horsley, West Horsley, Merrow, Ockham, Pirbright, Send and Ripley, Wanborough, Windlesham, Wisley, Woking and Worplesdon.)
* Epsom (UK Parliament constituency) drew on Mid Surrey as to Tolworth, New Malden, Malden, Worcester Park, Surbiton, Hook, Coombe and Long Ditton in the Kingston Hundred and Sessional Division. Took: Ashtead; Banstead; Great Bookham; Little Bookham; Cheam; Chessington; Cuddington; Epsom; Ewell; Fetcham; Headley; Leatherhead; Sutton; Walton on the Hill; Cobham; Thames Ditton; Esher; East Molesey; West Molesey; Stoke D'Abernon; and Walton on Thames.
* Reigate (UK Parliament constituency) drew, approximately equally, on Mid and East Surrey. Took: Abinger; Capel; Dorking; Dorking Rural (reached South Holmwood); Newdigate; Ockley; Wotton.
* The South-Western division of Surrey or Guildford as to the rest

## Members of Parliament

| Election | 1st Member | 1st Member | 1st Party | Main home | 2nd Member | 2nd Member | 2nd Party | Main home |
| 1832 | | William Joseph Denison | Whig | Denbies, Dorking | | John Leach | Whig | Lea, Witley, Surrey |
| 1835 | | William Joseph Denison | Whig | Denbies, Dorking | | Charles Barclay | Conservative | Bury Hill, Dorking |
| 1837 | | William Joseph Denison | Whig | Denbies, Dorking | | Hon. George Perceval | Conservative | Nork House, Banstead and Cowdray Park, Midhurst and 26 St James's Place, St James's |
| 1840 by-election | | William Joseph Denison | Whig | Denbies, Dorking | | John Trotter | Conservative | Horton Place (manor), Epsom |
| 1847 | | William Joseph Denison | Whig | Denbies, Dorking | | Henry Drummond | Conservative | Albury Park, Albury |
| 1849 by-election | | William John Evelyn | Conservative | Wotton House, Wotton (west of Dorking) | | Henry Drummond | Conservative | Albury Park, Albury |
| 1857 | | John Ivatt Briscoe | Whig | Botleys, Chertsey then Foxhills, Chertsey | | Henry Drummond | Conservative | Albury Park, Albury |
| 1859 | | John Ivatt Briscoe | Liberal | Botleys, Chertsey then Foxhills, Chertsey | | Henry Drummond | Conservative | Albury Park, Albury |
| 1860 by-election | | John Ivatt Briscoe | Liberal | Botleys, Chertsey then Foxhills, Chertsey | | George Cubitt | Conservative | Denbies, Dorking |
| 1870 by-election | | Lee Steere | Conservative | Jayes (Jayes Park), Wotton | | George Cubitt | Conservative | Denbies, Dorking |
| 1880 | | Hon. St John Brodrick | Conservative | Peper Harow House, Peper Harow, near Godalming | | George Cubitt | Conservative | Denbies, Dorking |
| 1885 | constituency abolished | constituency abolished | constituency abolished | constituency abolished | constituency abolished | constituency abolished | constituency abolished | constituency abolished |
The Times obituary of Leech reads:
   On the 16th, inst[ant (this month)], died, at the age of 86, after a short illness, John Leech, Esq. He lived and died at his parternal mansion at Lea, in the county of Surrey. He was elected member for the western division of that county in the year 1832. Mr Leech was the very type of an old English country gentleman: benevolent, active, intelligent, upright, honourable, and of a truly independent and manly mind. His memory will be long cherished by his friends, and his death deplored by a wide circle of intimate acquaintance.

## Election results
### Elections in the 1830s

General election 1832: West Surrey :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Whig | William Joseph Denison | 1,517 | 36.6 |
| | Whig | John Leach | 1,427 | 34.5 |
| | Tory | George Holme Sumner | 1,198 | 28.9 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 229 | 5.6 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 2,527 | 86.8 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 2,912 | |
| | Whig win (new seat) | Whig win (new seat) | Whig win (new seat) | Whig win (new seat) |
| | Whig win (new seat) | Whig win (new seat) | Whig win (new seat) | Whig win (new seat) |
General election 1835: West Surrey :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Whig | William Joseph Denison | 1,488 | 36.5 | −0.1 |
| | Conservative | Charles Barclay (Surrey MP) | 1,316 | 32.2 | +3.3 |
| | Whig | Henry Lawes Long | 1,285 | 31.4 | −3.1 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 2,550 | 85.9 | −0.9 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 2,967 | | |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 172 | 4.2 | −1.4 |
| | Whig hold | Whig hold | Swing | −0.9 | |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 31 | 0.8 | N/A |
| | Conservative gain from Whig | Conservative gain from Whig | Swing | +3.3 | |
General election 1837: West Surrey :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Whig | William Joseph Denison | 1,586 | 33.7 | −2.8 |
| | Conservative | George Perceval | 1,578 | 33.5 | +1.3 |
| | Whig | Henry Lawes Long | 1,543 | 32.8 | +1.4 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 2,970 | 80.5 | −5.4 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 3,688 | | |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 8 | 0.2 | −4.0 |
| | Whig hold | Whig hold | Swing | −1.7 | |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 35 | 0.7 | −0.1 |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | +1.4 | |

### Elections in the 1840s

Perceval (of the with-heirs-male inheritee branch of the Earls of Egmont) was in 1802 given his peerage becoming Lord Arden which caused a by-election.
By-election, 31 July 1840: West Surrey :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | John Trotter | Unopposed | Unopposed | Unopposed |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Conservative hold |
General election 1841: West Surrey :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Whig | William Joseph Denison | Unopposed | Unopposed | Unopposed |
| | Conservative | John Trotter | Unopposed | Unopposed | Unopposed |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 3,993 | | |
| | Whig hold | Whig hold | Whig hold | Whig hold | Whig hold |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Conservative hold |
General election 1847: West Surrey :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Whig | William Joseph Denison | Unopposed | Unopposed | Unopposed |
| | Conservative | Henry Drummond | Unopposed | Unopposed | Unopposed |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 3,778 | | |
| | Whig hold | Whig hold | Whig hold | Whig hold | Whig hold |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Conservative hold |
Denison's death caused a by-election.
By-election, 27 September 1849: West Surrey :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | William John Evelyn | 1,144 | 53.7 | N/A |
| | Whig | Richard Wyatt Edgell | 988 | 46.3 | N/A |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 156 | 7.4 | N/A |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 2,132 | 58.4 | N/A |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 3,651 | | |
| | Conservative gain from Whig | Conservative gain from Whig | Swing | N/A | |
* ↑ later of Strawberry Hill, Lympstone, Devon died, 79, in 1875.

### Elections in the 1850s

General election 1852: West Surrey :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | William John Evelyn | 1,646 | 35.5 | N/A |
| | Conservative | Henry Drummond | 1,610 | 34.7 | N/A |
| | Whig | Thomas-Chaloner Bisse-Challoner | 1,385 | 29.8 | N/A |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 225 | 4.9 | N/A |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 3,013 (est) | 77.3 (est) | N/A |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 4,081 | | |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | N/A | |
| | Conservative gain from Whig | Conservative gain from Whig | Swing | N/A | |
General election 1857: West Surrey :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Whig | John Ivatt Briscoe | 1,439 | 35.7 | +5.9 |
| | Conservative | Henry Drummond | 1,386 | 34.4 | −0.3 |
| | Conservative | Henry Currie | 1,204 | 29.9 | −5.6 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 53 | 1.3 | N/A |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 2,734 (est) | 69.7 (est) | −7.6 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 3,920 | | |
| | Whig gain from Conservative | Whig gain from Conservative | Swing | +5.9 | |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | −1.6 | |
* ↑ of West Horsley Place, died 74, in 1873
General election 1859: West Surrey :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal | John Ivatt Briscoe | Unopposed | Unopposed | Unopposed |
| | Conservative | Henry Drummond | Unopposed | Unopposed | Unopposed |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 3,958 | | |
| | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Liberal hold |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Conservative hold |

### Elections in the 1860s

Drummond's death caused a by-election.
By-election, 10 March 1860: West Surrey :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | George Cubitt | Unopposed | Unopposed | Unopposed |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Conservative hold |
General election 1865: West Surrey :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal | John Ivatt Briscoe | Unopposed | Unopposed | Unopposed |
| | Conservative | George Cubitt | Unopposed | Unopposed | Unopposed |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 4,081 | | |
| | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Liberal hold |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Conservative hold |
General election 1868: West Surrey :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | George Cubitt | 3,000 | 39.6 | N/A |
| | Liberal | John Ivatt Briscoe | 2,826 | 37.3 | N/A |
| | Liberal | Frederick Pennington | 1,757 | 23.2 | N/A |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 174 | 2.3 | N/A |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 5,292 (est) | 78.9 (est) | N/A |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 6,708 | | |
| | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Liberal hold |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Conservative hold |
* ↑ Soon after, MP for Stockport until standing down for a seat lost by 12 votes, in 1885; the notable international merchant, socialite and speaker lived at Broome Hall, Holmwood in the county when not in town

### Elections in the 1870s

Briscoe's death caused a by-election.
By-election, 8 Sep 1870: West Surrey :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Lee Steere | Unopposed | Unopposed | Unopposed |
| | Conservative gain from Liberal | Conservative gain from Liberal | Conservative gain from Liberal | Conservative gain from Liberal | Conservative gain from Liberal |
General election 1874: West Surrey :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Lee Steere | Unopposed | Unopposed | Unopposed |
| | Conservative | George Cubitt | Unopposed | Unopposed | Unopposed |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 7,314 | | |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Conservative hold |
| | Conservative gain from Liberal | Conservative gain from Liberal | Conservative gain from Liberal | Conservative gain from Liberal | Conservative gain from Liberal |

### Elections in the 1880s

General election 1880: West Surrey :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | John Brodrick | Unopposed | Unopposed | Unopposed |
| | Conservative | George Cubitt | Unopposed | Unopposed | Unopposed |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 7,779 | | |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Conservative hold |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Conservative hold |