# The Hartlepools (UK Parliament constituency)

The Hartlepools /ˈhɑːrtlɪpuːlz/ HART-lih-poolz was a borough constituency represented in the House of Commons of the UK Parliament. The constituency became Hartlepool in 1974. The seat's name reflected the representation of both old Hartlepool and West Hartlepool.

## History

The Hartlepools was enfranchised as a borough constituency by the Reform Act 1867, being given one MP. It had previously been part of the two-MP county division of South Durham.
The constituency was renamed Hartlepool in 1974, following the administrative merger in 1967 of the local authorities covering the borough of Hartlepool and the county borough of West Hartlepool.

## Boundaries
### 1868–1918

The municipal borough of Hartlepool, and the townships of Throston, Stranton, and Seaton Carew.
See map on Vision of Britain website.

### 1918–1974

County borough of West Hartlepool and municipal borough of Hartlepool.
Boundaries redrawn in 1918, 1950 and 1955 to reflect changes to the boundaries of the two boroughs.

## Members of Parliament

| Election | Member | Political party |
| 1868 | Ralph Ward Jackson | Conservative |
| 1874 | Thomas Richardson | Liberal |
| 1875 by-election | Lowthian Bell | Liberal |
| 1880 | Thomas Richardson | Liberal |
| 1886 | Thomas Richardson | Liberal Unionist |
| 1891 by-election | Christopher Furness | Liberal |
| 1895 | Sir Thomas Richardson | Liberal Unionist |
| 1900 | Sir Christopher Furness | Liberal |
| 1910 by-election | Stephen Furness | Liberal |
| 1914 by-election | Sir Walter Runciman | Liberal |
| 1918 | W. G. Howard Gritten | Unionist |
| 1922 | William Jowitt | Liberal |
| 1924 | Sir Wilfrid Sugden | Unionist |
| 1929 | W. G. Howard Gritten | Unionist |
| 1943 by-election | Thomas George Greenwell | Conservative |
| 1945 | D. T. Jones | Labour |
| 1959 | John Kerans | Conservative |
| 1964 | Ted Leadbitter | Labour |

## Elections
### Elections in the 1860s

General election 1868: The Hartlepools :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Ralph Ward Jackson | 1,550 | 50.0 | |
| | Liberal | Thomas Richardson | 1,547 | 50.0 | |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 3 | 0.0 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 3,097 | 79.0 | |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 3,922 | | |
| | Conservative win (new seat) | Conservative win (new seat) | Conservative win (new seat) | Conservative win (new seat) | Conservative win (new seat) |

### Elections in the 1870s

General election 1874: The Hartlepools :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal | Thomas Richardson | 2,308 | 62.4 | +12.4 |
| | Conservative | Ralph Ward Jackson | 1,390 | 37.6 | −12.4 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 918 | 24.8 | N/A |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 3,698 | 81.7 | +2.7 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 4,524 | | |
| | Liberal gain from Conservative | Liberal gain from Conservative | Swing | +12.4 | |
Richardson resigned, causing a by-election.
By-election, 29 Jul 1875: The Hartlepools :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal | Lowthian Bell | 1,982 | 53.5 | −8.9 |
| | Conservative | William Joseph Young | 1,464 | 39.5 | +1.9 |
| | Magna Charta | Ahmed John Kenealy | 259 | 7.0 | New |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 518 | 14.0 | −10.8 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 3,705 | 76.9 | −4.8 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 4,820 | | |
| | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Swing | −5.4 | |

### Elections in the 1880s

General election 1880: The Hartlepools :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal | Thomas Richardson | 1,965 | 37.2 | −25.2 |
| | Liberal | Lowthian Bell | 1,717 | 32.5 | N/A |
| | Conservative | Thomas Hutchinson Tristram | 1,597 | 30.3 | −7.3 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 120 | 4.7 | −20.1 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 5,279 | 79.0 | −2.7 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 6,681 | | |
| | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Swing | −9.0 | |
General election 1885: The Hartlepools :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal | Thomas Richardson | 3,669 | 58.3 | +21.1 |
| | Conservative | Thomas Hutchinson Tristram | 2,629 | 41.7 | +11.4 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 1,040 | 16.6 | +11.9 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 6,298 | 74.1 | −4.9 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 8,500 | | |
| | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Swing | +7.2 | |
General election 1886: The Hartlepools :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal Unionist | Thomas Richardson | 3,381 | 57.8 | +16.1 |
| | Liberal | Mervyn Lanark Hawkes | 2,469 | 42.2 | −16.1 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 912 | 15.6 | N/A |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 5,850 | 68.8 | −5.3 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 8,500 | | |
| | Liberal Unionist gain from Liberal | Liberal Unionist gain from Liberal | Swing | +16.1 | |

### Elections in the 1890s

1891 The Hartlepools by-election :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal | Christopher Furness | 4,603 | 51.7 | +9.5 |
| | Liberal Unionist | William Gray | 4,305 | 48.3 | −9.5 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 298 | 3.4 | N/A |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 8,908 | 85.8 | +17.0 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 10,378 | | |
| | Liberal gain from Liberal Unionist | Liberal gain from Liberal Unionist | Swing | +9.5 | |
General election 1892: The Hartlepools :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal | Christopher Furness | 4,626 | 50.4 | +8.2 |
| | Liberal Unionist | Thomas Richardson | 4,550 | 49.6 | −8.2 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 76 | 0.8 | N/A |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 9,176 | 87.3 | +18.5 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 10,513 | | |
| | Liberal gain from Liberal Unionist | Liberal gain from Liberal Unionist | Swing | +8.2 | |
General election 1895: The Hartlepools :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal Unionist | Thomas Richardson | 4,853 | 50.4 | +0.8 |
| | Liberal | Christopher Furness | 4,772 | 49.6 | −0.8 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 81 | 0.8 | N/A |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 9,625 | 87.5 | +0.2 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 10,999 | | |
| | Liberal Unionist gain from Liberal | Liberal Unionist gain from Liberal | Swing | +0.8 | |

### Elections in the 1900s

General election 1900: The Hartlepools :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal | Christopher Furness | 6,491 | 58.5 | +8.9 |
| | Liberal Unionist | Thomas Richardson | 4,612 | 41.5 | −8.9 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 1,879 | 17.0 | N/A |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 11,103 | 86.4 | −1.1 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 12,849 | | |
| | Liberal gain from Liberal Unionist | Liberal gain from Liberal Unionist | Swing | +8.9 | |
General election 1906: The Hartlepools :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal | Christopher Furness | Unopposed | Unopposed | Unopposed |
| | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Liberal hold |

### Elections in the 1910s

General election January 1910: The Hartlepools :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal | Christopher Furness | 6,531 | 53.2 | N/A |
| | Conservative | William Gritten | 5,754 | 46.8 | New |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 777 | 6.4 | N/A |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 12,285 | 89.6 | N/A |
| | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Swing | N/A | |
1910 Hartlepool by-election :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal | Stephen Furness | 6,159 | 50.7 | −2.5 |
| | Conservative | William Gritten | 5,993 | 49.3 | +2.5 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 166 | 1.4 | −5.0 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 12,152 | 88.6 | −1.0 |
| | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Swing | -2.5 | |
General election December 1910: The Hartlepools :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal | Stephen Furness | 6,017 | 50.2 | −0.5 |
| | Conservative | William Gritten | 5,969 | 49.8 | +0.5 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 48 | 0.4 | −1.0 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 11,936 | 87.4 | −1.2 |
| | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Swing | -0.5 | |
General Election 1914–15:
Another General Election was scheduled to take place before the end of 1915. The political parties had been preparing for this election, and by July 1914, the following candidates had been selected:
* Liberal: Stephen Furness
* Unionist: William Gritten
The Hartlepools by-election, 1914 :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal | Walter Runciman | Unopposed | Unopposed | Unopposed |
| | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Liberal hold |
General election 1918: The Hartlepools :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Unionist | William Gritten | 13,003 | 51.3 | +1.5 |
| C | Liberal | Charles Macfarlane | 7,647 | 30.1 | −20.1 |
| | Labour | Will Sherwood | 4,733 | 18.6 | New |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 5,356 | 21.2 | N/A |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 25,383 | 64.1 | −23.3 |
| | Unionist gain from Liberal | Unionist gain from Liberal | Swing | | |
| C indicates candidate endorsed by the coalition government. ||||||

### Elections in the 1920s

General election 1922: The Hartlepools :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal | William Jowitt | 18,252 | 50.8 | +20.7 |
| | Unionist | William Gritten | 17,685 | 49.2 | −2.1 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 567 | 1.6 | N/A |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 35,937 | 87.2 | +23.1 |
| | Liberal gain from Unionist | Liberal gain from Unionist | Swing | +11.4 | |
General election 1923: The Hartlepools :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal | William Jowitt | 17,101 | 46.4 | −4.4 |
| | Unionist | William Gritten | 16,956 | 46.1 | −3.1 |
| | Labour | George Belt | 2,755 | 7.5 | New |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 145 | 0.3 | −1.3 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 36,812 | 87.5 | +0.3 |
| | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Swing | -0.7 | |
General election 1924: The Hartlepools :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Unionist | Wilfrid Sugden | 19,077 | 49.5 | +3.4 |
| | Liberal | William Jowitt | 15,724 | 40.8 | −5.6 |
| | Labour | Craigie Aitchison | 3,717 | 9.7 | +2.2 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 3,353 | 8.7 | N/A |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 38,518 | 90.3 | +2.8 |
| | Unionist gain from Liberal | Unionist gain from Liberal | Swing | +4.5 | |
General election 1929: The Hartlepools :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Unionist | William Gritten | 17,271 | 38.0 | −11.5 |
| | Liberal | Stephen Furness | 17,133 | 37.7 | −3.1 |
| | Labour | Gilbert Oliver | 11,052 | 24.3 | +14.6 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 138 | 0.3 | −8.4 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 45,456 | 85.9 | −4.4 |
| | Unionist hold | Unionist hold | Swing | -4.2 | |

### Elections in the 1930s

General election 1931: The Hartlepools :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | William Gritten | 30,842 | 68.1 | +30.1 |
| | Labour | Alasdair MacGregor | 14,462 | 31.9 | +7.6 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 16,380 | 36.2 | +35.9 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 45,304 | 84.4 | −1.5 |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | +15.0 | |
General election 1935: The Hartlepools :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | William Gritten | 21,828 | 47.8 | −20.3 |
| | Labour | Charles A. Goatcher | 16,931 | 37.0 | +5.1 |
| | Liberal | Joseph Scott-Cowell | 6,939 | 15.2 | New |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 4,897 | 10.8 | −25.4 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 45,698 | 83.0 | −1.4 |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | -12.7 | |

### Elections in the 1940s

General Election 1939–40
A General Election was scheduled to take place before the end of 1940. The parties had been preparing for this election, and by autumn 1939, the following candidates had been selected:
* Conservative: William Gritten
* Labour: D. T. Jones
* Liberal:
Hartlepool by-election, 1943 :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Thomas Greenwell | 13,333 | 64.1 | +16.3 |
| | Common Wealth | Elaine Burton | 3,634 | 17.4 | New |
| | Independent Labour | Oswald Lupton | 2,351 | 11.3 | New |
| | Independent Progressive | Reg Hipwell | 1,510 | 7.2 | New |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 9,699 | 46.7 | +35.9 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 20,828 | 39.5 | −43.5 |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | | |
*Lupton stood as a 'People's' candidate
General election 1945: The Hartlepools :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | D. T. Jones | 16,502 | 41.2 | +4.2 |
| | Conservative | Thomas Greenwell | 16,227 | 40.5 | −7.3 |
| | Liberal | Russell Vick | 6,903 | 17.3 | +2.1 |
| | Independent | Harry Lane | 390 | 1.0 | New |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 275 | 0.7 | N/A |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 40,022 | 76.1 | −6.9 |
| | Labour gain from Conservative | Labour gain from Conservative | Swing | | |

### Elections in the 1950s

General election 1950: The Hartlepools :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Labour | D. T. Jones | 25,609 | 50.61 |
| | Conservative | Thomas Greenwell | 20,373 | 40.26 |
| | Liberal | Francis John Long | 4,623 | 9.14 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 5,236 | 10.35 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 50,605 | 87.15 |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | |
General election 1951: The Hartlepools :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Labour | D. T. Jones | 27,147 | 52.63 |
| | Conservative | Paul T Carter | 24,437 | 47.37 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 2,710 | 5.26 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 51,584 | 86.56 |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | |
General election 1955: The Hartlepools :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Labour | D. T. Jones | 25,145 | 51.63 |
| | Conservative | Francis Henry Gerard Heron Goodhart | 23,560 | 48.37 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 1,585 | 3.26 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 48,705 | 81.84 |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | |
General election 1959: The Hartlepools :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | John Kerans | 25,463 | 50.2 | +1.8 |
| | Labour | D. T. Jones | 25,281 | 49.8 | −1.8 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 182 | 0.4 | N/A |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 50,744 | 83.3 | +1.5 |
| | Conservative gain from Labour | Conservative gain from Labour | Swing | | |

### Elections in the 1960s

General election 1964: The Hartlepools :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Edward Leadbitter | 25,883 | 52.9 | +3.1 |
| | Conservative | Geoffrey Dodsworth | 23,016 | 47.1 | −3.1 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 2,867 | 5.8 | N/A |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 48,899 | 81.9 | −1.4 |
| | Labour gain from Conservative | Labour gain from Conservative | Swing | +3.1 | |
General election 1966: The Hartlepools :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Edward Leadbitter | 27,509 | 59.3 | +6.4 |
| | Conservative | H Ian Bransom | 18,857 | 40.7 | −6.4 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 8,652 | 18.6 | +12.8 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 46,366 | 78.5 | −3.4 |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | +6.4 | |

### Elections in the 1970s

General election 1970: The Hartlepools :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Edward Leadbitter | 27,704 | 57.8 | −1.5 |
| | Conservative | Michael Marshall | 20,188 | 42.2 | +1.5 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 7,516 | 15.6 | −3.0 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 47,892 | 74.4 | −4.1 |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | -1.5 | |