# Tower Hamlets (UK Parliament constituency)

Tower Hamlets was a parliamentary borough (constituency) in Middlesex, England from 1832 to 1885. It elected two Members of Parliament (MPs) to the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. It was one of the first five of its type in the metropolitan area of London. It was enfranchised by the Reform Act 1832.
In its early years the borough was coterminous with the ancient Tower Hamlets, an area which covered the area of the modern London Borough of Tower Hamlets as well as Shoreditch and Hackney (the parish rather than the larger modern borough), thus extending from the edge of the City of London to the Lea. In 1868, the borough was split in two, with the southern part retaining the name.

## Boundaries
### Boundaries 1832–1868

The boundaries of the parliamentary borough were defined by the Parliamentary Boundaries Act 1832 as "The several Divisions of the Liberty of the Tower, and the Tower Division of Ossulston Hundred".
It comprised the following civil parishes and places:

### Boundaries 1868–1885

The Representation of the People Act 1867 widened the parliamentary franchise and also effected a redistribution of seats. This, along with a rapidly increasing population in the East End, resulted in the existing entity being reduced, shedding the parishes of Bethnal Green, Hackney and Shoreditch forming a separate Hackney constituency. The reformed Tower Hamlets was defined as comprising:
* The Parish of St. George's-in-the-East
* The Hamlet of Mile End Old Town
* The Poplar Union (Bow, Bromley and Poplar)
* The Stepney Union (Limehouse, Ratcliffe, Shadwell and Wapping)
* The Whitechapel Union (Holy Trinity Minories, Mile End New Town, Norton Folgate, Old Artillery Ground, St Botolph Without Aldgate, St Katherine by the Tower, Spitalfields, Whitechapel.)
* The Tower of London.

### Redistribution

In 1885 the parliamentary borough was split into seven single-member divisions. These were Bow and Bromley, Limehouse, Mile End, Poplar, St George, Stepney and Whitechapel.

## Members of Parliament

| Election | First member | First party | Second member | Second party |
| 1832 | Stephen Lushington | Whig | Sir William Clay, Bt | Radical |
| 1841 | Charles Richard Fox | Whig | Sir William Clay, Bt | Radical |
| 1847 | George Thompson | Radical | Sir William Clay, Bt | Radical |
| 1852 | Charles Salisbury Butler | Radical | Sir William Clay, Bt | Radical |
| 1857 | Charles Salisbury Butler | Radical | Rt Hon. Acton Smee Ayrton | Radical |
| 1859 | Charles Salisbury Butler | Liberal | Rt Hon. Acton Smee Ayrton | Liberal |
| 1868 | Joseph d'Aguilar Samuda | Liberal | Rt Hon. Acton Smee Ayrton | Liberal |
| 1874 | Joseph d'Aguilar Samuda | Liberal | Charles Ritchie | Conservative |
| 1880 | James Bryce | Liberal | Charles Ritchie | Conservative |
| 1885 | Constituency abolished | Constituency abolished | Constituency abolished | Constituency abolished |

## Elections

Turnout, in multi-member elections, is estimated by dividing the number of votes by two. To the extent that electors did not use both their votes, the figure given will be an underestimate.
Change is calculated for individual candidates, when a party had more than one candidate in an election or the previous one. When a party had only one candidate in an election and the previous one change is calculated for the party vote.

### Elections in the 1830s

General election 1832: Tower Hamlets :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Whig | Stephen Lushington | 3,978 | 31.5 | N/A |
| | Radical | William Clay | 3,751 | 29.7 | N/A |
| | Whig | Leicester Stanhope | 2,952 | 23.4 | N/A |
| | Whig | Frederick Marryat | 1,934 | 15.3 | N/A |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 7,320 | 73.9 | N/A |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 9,906 | | |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 227 | 1.8 | N/A |
| | Whig win (new seat) | Whig win (new seat) | Whig win (new seat) | Whig win (new seat) | Whig win (new seat) |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 799 | 6.3 | N/A |
| | Radical win (new seat) | Radical win (new seat) | Radical win (new seat) | Radical win (new seat) | Radical win (new seat) |
General election 1835: Tower Hamlets :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Radical | William Clay | 2,779 | 47.7 | +18.0 |
| | Whig | Stephen Lushington | 2,580 | 44.3 | −25.9 |
| | Conservative | Ryder Burton | 465 | 8.0 | New |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 2,912 (est) | 30.8 (est) | −43.1 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 9,462 | | |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 199 | 3.4 | −2.9 |
| | Radical hold | Radical hold | Swing | +22.0 | |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 2,115 | 36.3 | +34.5 |
| | Whig hold | Whig hold | Swing | −22.0 | |
General election 1837: Tower Hamlets :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Radical | William Clay | Unopposed | Unopposed | Unopposed |
| | Whig | Stephen Lushington | Unopposed | Unopposed | Unopposed |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 13,318 | | |
| | Radical hold | Radical hold | Radical hold | Radical hold | Radical hold |
| | Whig hold | Whig hold | Whig hold | Whig hold | Whig hold |
Lushington was appointed a judge of the High Court of Admiralty, requiring a by-election.
By-election, 11 February 1839: Tower Hamlets :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Whig | Stephen Lushington | Unopposed | Unopposed | Unopposed |
| | Whig hold | Whig hold | Whig hold | Whig hold | Whig hold |

### Elections in the 1840s

General election 1841: Tower Hamlets :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Radical | William Clay | 4,706 | 34.6 | N/A |
| | Whig | Charles Richard Fox | 4,096 | 30.1 | N/A |
| | Conservative | George Richard Robinson | 2,183 | 16.1 | New |
| | Whig | Andrew Kennedy Hutchinson | 1,775 | 13.1 | N/A |
| | Radical | Thomas Edward Perronet Thompson | 831 | 6.1 | N/A |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 6,796 (est) | 49.1 (est) | N/A |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 13,842 | | |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 610 | 4.5 | N/A |
| | Radical hold | Radical hold | Swing | N/A | |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 1,913 | 14.0 | N/A |
| | Whig hold | Whig hold | Swing | N/A | |
Fox was appointed Surveyor-General of the Ordnance, requiring a by-election.
By-election, 11 July 1846: Tower Hamlets :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Whig | Charles Richard Fox | Unopposed | Unopposed | Unopposed |
| | Whig hold | Whig hold | Whig hold | Whig hold | Whig hold |
General election 1847: Tower Hamlets :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Radical | George Thompson | 6,268 | 49.2 | +43.1 |
| | Radical | William Clay | 3,839 | 30.2 | −4.4 |
| | Whig | Charles Richard Fox | 2,622 | 20.6 | −22.6 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 3,646 | 28.6 | N/A |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 6,365 (est) | 33.9 (est) | −15.2 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 18,748 | | |
| | Radical hold | Radical hold | Swing | +27.2 | |
| | Radical gain from Whig | Radical gain from Whig | Swing | +3.5 | |

### Elections in the 1850s

General election 1852: Tower Hamlets :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Radical | William Clay | 7,728 | 32.3 | +2.1 |
| | Radical | Charles Salisbury Butler | 7,718 | 32.3 | N/A |
| | Radical | George Thompson | 4,568 | 19.1 | −30.1 |
| | Radical | Acton Smee Ayrton | 2,792 | 11.7 | N/A |
| | Radical | William Newton | 1,095 | 4.6 | N/A |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 3,150 | 13.2 | +3.6 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 11,951 (est) | 50.8 (est) | +16.9 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 23,534 | | |
| | Radical hold | Radical hold | Swing | N/A | |
| | Radical hold | Radical hold | Swing | N/A | |
General election 1857: Tower Hamlets :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Radical | Acton Smee Ayrton | 7,813 | 35.9 | +24.2 |
| | Radical | Charles Salisbury Butler | 7,297 | 33.5 | +1.2 |
| | Radical | William Clay | 6,654 | 30.6 | −1.7 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 643 | 2.9 | −10.3 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 10,882 (est) | 38.9 (est) | −11.9 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 27,980 | | |
| | Radical hold | Radical hold | Swing | N/A | |
| | Radical hold | Radical hold | Swing | N/A | |
General election 1859: Tower Hamlets :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal | Charles Salisbury Butler | Unopposed | Unopposed | Unopposed |
| | Liberal | Acton Smee Ayrton | Unopposed | Unopposed | Unopposed |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 28,843 | | |
| | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Liberal hold |
| | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Liberal hold |

### Elections in the 1860s

General election 1865: Tower Hamlets :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal | Charles Salisbury Butler | Unopposed | Unopposed | Unopposed |
| | Liberal | Acton Smee Ayrton | Unopposed | Unopposed | Unopposed |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 34,115 | | |
| | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Liberal hold |
| | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Liberal hold |
General election 1868: Tower Hamlets :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal | Acton Smee Ayrton | 9,839 | 28.0 | N/A |
| | Liberal | Joseph d'Aguilar Samuda | 7,849 | 22.3 | N/A |
| | Conservative | Octavius Coope | 7,446 | 21.2 | New |
| | Liberal | Edmond Beales | 7,160 | 20.4 | N/A |
| | Lib-Lab | William Newton | 2,890 | 8.2 | N/A |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 403 | 1.1 | N/A |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 17,592 (est) | 54.1 (est) | N/A |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 32,546 | | |
| | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Swing | N/A | |
| | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Swing | N/A | |
Ayrton was appointed First Commissioner of Works and Public Buildings, requiring a by-election.
By-election, 8 November 1869: Tower Hamlets :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal | Acton Smee Ayrton | Unopposed | Unopposed | Unopposed |
| | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Liberal hold |

### Elections in the 1870s

General election 1874: Tower Hamlets :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Charles Ritchie | 7,228 | 29.7 | +9.5 |
| | Liberal | Joseph d'Aguilar Samuda | 5,900 | 24.2 | +1.9 |
| | Liberal | Edmund Hay Currie | 5,022 | 20.6 | N/A |
| | Liberal | Acton Smee Ayrton | 3,202 | 13.2 | −14.8 |
| | Liberal | Frederick Maxse | 2,992 | 12.3 | N/A |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 4,026 | 16.5 | N/A |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 15,786 (est) | 47.9 (est) | −6.2 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 32,937 | | |
| | Conservative gain from Liberal | Conservative gain from Liberal | Swing | +8.0 | |
| | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Swing | −1.4 | |

### Elections in the 1880s

General election 1880: Tower Hamlets :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal | James Bryce | 12,020 | 30.6 | N/A |
| | Conservative | Charles Ritchie | 11,720 | 29.9 | +0.2 |
| | Liberal | Joseph d'Aguilar Samuda | 10,384 | 26.5 | +2.3 |
| | Lib-Lab | Benjamin Lucraft | 5,103 | 13.0 | N/A |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 28,025 (est) | 68.3 (est) | +20.4 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 41,042 | | |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 300 | 0.7 | |
| | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Swing | N/A | |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 1,336 | 3.4 | −13.1 |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | −1.1 | |