# East Staffordshire (UK Parliament constituency)

East Staffordshire or Staffordshire East (formally the Eastern division of Staffordshire) was a county constituency in the county of Staffordshire. It returned two Members of Parliament (MPs) to the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom, elected by the bloc vote system.

## History

The constituency was first created by the Second Reform Act for the 1868 general election, and abolished by the Redistribution of Seats Act 1885 for the 1885 general election.

## Boundaries

1868–1885: The Hundreds of Offlow (North) and Offlow (South) (excluding the Townships of Willenhall and Wednesfield), and the parish of Rushall.

## Members of Parliament

| Election | 1st Member | 1st Member | 1st Party | 2nd Member | 2nd Member | 2nd Party |
| 1868 | | Michael Bass | Liberal | | John Robinson McClean | Liberal Party |
| 1873 by-election | | Michael Bass | Liberal | | Samuel Allsopp | Conservative |
| 1880 | | Michael Bass | Liberal | | Henry Wiggin | Liberal |
| 1885 | constituency abolished | constituency abolished | constituency abolished | constituency abolished | constituency abolished | constituency abolished |

## Election results
### Elections in the 1860s

General election 1868: East Staffordshire :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal | Michael Bass | 3,885 | 36.9 | |
| | Liberal | John Robinson McClean | 3,675 | 34.9 | |
| | Conservative | John Hartley | 2,972 | 28.2 | |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 703 | 6.7 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 6,752 (est) | 69.9 (est) | |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 9,658 | | |
| | Liberal win (new seat) | Liberal win (new seat) | Liberal win (new seat) | Liberal win (new seat) | Liberal win (new seat) |
| | Liberal win (new seat) | Liberal win (new seat) | Liberal win (new seat) | Liberal win (new seat) | Liberal win (new seat) |

### Elections in the 1870s

McClean's death caused a by-election.
By-election, 8 Aug 1873: East Staffordshire :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Samuel Allsopp | 3,630 | 57.4 | +29.2 |
| | Liberal | John Jaffray | 2,693 | 42.6 | −29.2 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 937 | 14.8 | N/A |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 6,323 | 67.3 | −2.6 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 9,402 | | |
| | Conservative gain from Liberal | Conservative gain from Liberal | Swing | +29.2 | |
General election 1874: East Staffordshire :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal | Michael Bass | Unopposed | Unopposed | Unopposed |
| | Conservative | Samuel Allsopp | Unopposed | Unopposed | Unopposed |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 9,484 | | |
| | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Liberal 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: East Staffordshire :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal | Michael Bass | 4,809 | 29.5 | N/A |
| | Liberal | Henry Wiggin | 4,617 | 28.4 | N/A |
| | Conservative | Samuel Allsopp | 3,552 | 21.8 | N/A |
| | Conservative | John Hardy | 3,306 | 20.3 | N/A |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 1,065 | 6.6 | N/A |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 8,142 (est) | 75.4 (est) | N/A |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 10,799 | | |
| | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Swing | N/A | |
| | Liberal gain from Conservative | Liberal gain from Conservative | Swing | N/A | |