# Epsom (UK Parliament constituency)

Epsom was a borough constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. It elected one Member of Parliament (MP) by the first past the post system of election. From its creation in 1885 until its abolition in 1974, it was won by eight Conservatives. The winner took less than 50% of the votes in its contested elections once, in 1945, receiving 49.9% of the vote in a three-party contest. Six elections, the last being a by-election in 1912, were uncontested.

## History
### Geographical history
#### Creation and abolition

The seat was established under the Redistribution of Seats Act 1885 as the Mid or Epsom division of Surrey for the 1885 general election. The Mid designation was lesser used, since it could be misleading, as its extent until 1885 was a long strip to the east bounded by among other parishes: Lambeth, Streatham, Croydon, Burstow, Capel and Sutton.

#### Scope

The Act of 1885 set up the seat so as to comprise:
* Epsom sessional division
* all parts of Kingston (& Elmbridge) sessional division not within Kingston parish, nor municipal borough; which meant outlying parishes to the south-west, south and south-east
* Effingham (parish)
* Mickleham (parish)
Thus the seat 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. It drew on West Surrey as to: 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.
The Representation of the People Act 1918 cut the area down to its south-eastern third namely:
* the borough of Epsom and Ewell
* Leatherhead Urban District
* Sutton Urban District
The Representation of the People Act 1948 confirmed a 1945-implemented split-up of all seats of more than 100,000 electors, of Sutton and Cheam Urban District to create Sutton and Cheam (UK Parliament constituency) to the north-east. Removal of a broad western area to form Esher ensued in 1950. As such it remained in the 1970 review-implementing Order. The 1983 reforms saw more than its renaming and technical abolition, the seat shed in the south the former Leatherhead Urban District to Mole Valley created that year.
The seat was abolished for the February 1974 general election, replaced by Epsom and Ewell except for its south which contributed to the new seat of Mole Valley.

## Boundaries

1885–1918: The Sessional Divisions of Epsom and Kingston (comprising most of Elmbridge) as excluding "the part of the civil parish of Kingston [and] the Municipal Borough of Kingston-on-Thames", and the (mainly rural) civil parishes of Effingham and Mickleham to the south-west and south respectively.
1918–1945: The Urban Districts of Epsom, Leatherhead, and Sutton, and the Rural District of Epsom.
1945–1974: The Municipal Borough of Epsom and Ewell, and the Urban District of Leatherhead.

## Members of Parliament

| Election | Member | Party |
| 1885 | Constituency created. | Constituency created. |
| 1885 | George Cubitt | Conservative |
| 1892 | Thomas Bucknill | Conservative |
| 1899 by-election | William Keswick | Conservative |
| 1912 by-election | Henry Keswick | Conservative |
| 1918 | George Blades | Conservative |
| 1928 by-election | Sir Archibald Southby | Conservative |
| 1947 by-election | Malcolm McCorquodale | Conservative |
| 1955 | Peter Rawlinson | Conservative |
| Feb 1974 | Constituency abolished. See Epsom and Ewell. | Constituency abolished. See Epsom and Ewell. |

## Elections
### Elections in the 1880s

General election 1885: Epsom :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | George Cubitt | 4,621 | 66.1 | |
| | Liberal | Richard Harris | 2,368 | 33.9 | |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 2,253 | 32.2 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 6,989 | 77.6 | |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 9,009 | | |
| | Conservative win (new seat) | Conservative win (new seat) | Conservative win (new seat) | Conservative win (new seat) | Conservative win (new seat) |
General election 1886: Epsom :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | George Cubitt | Unopposed | Unopposed | Unopposed |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Conservative hold |

### Elections in the 1890s

General election 1892: Epsom :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Thomas Bucknill | 5,123 | 65.3 | N/A |
| | Liberal | Thomas Brassey | 2,720 | 34.7 | New |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 2,403 | 30.6 | N/A |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 7,843 | 75.7 | N/A |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 10,354 | | |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | N/A | |
General election 1895: Epsom :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Thomas Bucknill | Unopposed | Unopposed | Unopposed |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Conservative hold |
1899 Epsom by-election :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | William Keswick | Unopposed | Unopposed | Unopposed |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Conservative hold |

### Elections in the 1900s

General election 1900: Epsom :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | William Keswick | Unopposed | Unopposed | Unopposed |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Conservative hold |
General election 1906: Epsom :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | William Keswick | 7,313 | 54.0 | N/A |
| | Liberal | Alfred Withall Aston | 6,221 | 46.0 | New |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 1,092 | 8.0 | N/A |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 13,534 | 84.9 | N/A |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 15,933 | | |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | N/A | |

### Elections in the 1910s

General election January 1910: Epsom :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | William Keswick | 10,919 | 67.6 | +13.6 |
| | Liberal | Albert Rollit | 5,232 | 32.4 | −13.6 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 5,687 | 35.2 | +27.2 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 16,151 | 85.8 | +0.9 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 18,821 | | |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | +13.6 | |
General election December 1910: Epsom :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | William Keswick | Unopposed | Unopposed | Unopposed |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Conservative hold |
1912 Epsom by-election :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Unionist | Henry Keswick | Unopposed | Unopposed | Unopposed |
| | Unionist hold | Unionist hold | Unionist hold | Unionist hold | Unionist hold |
General election 1914–15:
Another general election was required to take place before the end of 1915. The political parties had been making preparations for an election to take place and by July 1914, the following candidates had been selected;
* Unionist: Henry Keswick
General election 1918: Epsom :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| C | Unionist | Rowland Blades | 13,556 | 73.9 | N/A |
| | Labour | James Chuter Ede | 4,796 | 26.1 | New |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 8,760 | 47.8 | N/A |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 18,352 | 56.3 | N/A |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 32,590 | | |
| | Unionist hold | Unionist hold | Swing | N/A | |
| C indicates candidate endorsed by the coalition government. ||||||

### Elections in the 1920s

General election 1922: Epsom :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Unionist | Rowland Blades | 16,249 | 71.2 | −2.7 |
| | Labour | Somerville Hastings | 6,571 | 28.8 | +2.7 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 9,678 | 42.4 | −5.4 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 22,820 | 65.3 | +9.0 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 34,945 | | |
| | Unionist hold | Unionist hold | Swing | −2.7 | |
General election 1923: Epsom :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Unionist | Rowland Blades | 14,230 | 71.0 | −0.2 |
| | Labour | John Langdon-Davies | 5,807 | 29.0 | +0.2 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 8,423 | 42.0 | −0.4 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 20,037 | 55.6 | −9.7 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 36,055 | | |
| | Unionist hold | Unionist hold | Swing | −0.2 | |
General election 1924: Epsom :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Unionist | Rowland Blades | 20,017 | 79.5 | +8.5 |
| | Labour | Philip Butler | 5,149 | 20.5 | −8.5 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 14,868 | 59.0 | +17.0 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 25,166 | 67.1 | +11.5 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 37,515 | | |
| | Unionist hold | Unionist hold | Swing | +8.5 | |
1928 Epsom by-election :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Unionist | Archibald Southby | 13,364 | 60.3 | −19.2 |
| | Liberal | Samuel Parnell Kerr | 5,095 | 23.0 | New |
| | Labour | Helen Mary Keynes | 3,719 | 16.8 | −3.7 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 8,269 | 37.2 | −21.8 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 22,178 | 51.2 | −15.9 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 43,292 | | |
| | Unionist hold | Unionist hold | Swing | −7.8 | |
General election 1929: Epsom :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Unionist | Archibald Southby | 24,720 | 57.8 | −21.7 |
| | Liberal | Samuel Parnell Kerr | 10,422 | 24.3 | N/A |
| | Labour | Stanley Morgan | 7,662 | 17.9 | −2.6 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 14,298 | 33.5 | −25.5 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 42,804 | 67.7 | +0.6 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 63,268 | | |
| | Unionist hold | Unionist hold | Swing | −9.6 | |

### Elections in the 1930s

General election 1931: Epsom :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Conservative | Archibald Southby | 44,076 | 85.34 |
| | Labour | Stanley Morgan | 7,571 | 14.66 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 36,505 | 70.68 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 51,647 | |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | |
General election 1935: Epsom :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Conservative | Archibald Southby | 49,948 | 72.14 |
| | Labour | Stanley Morgan | 19,286 | 27.86 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 30,662 | 44.28 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 69,234 | |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | |
General election 1939–40:
Another general election was required to take place before the end of 1940. The political parties had been making preparations for an election to take place and by the Autumn of 1939, the following candidates had been selected;
* Conservative: Archibald Southby
* Labour: C Hackforth-Jones
* Liberal: John Pickering Hughes

### Elections in the 1940s

General election 1945: Epsom :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Archibald Southby | 27,081 | 49.91 | |
| | Labour | Edward Shackleton | 20,533 | 37.84 | |
| | Liberal | James Morgan Fowler | 6,643 | 12.24 | New |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 6,548 | 12.07 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 54,257 | 74.87 | |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | | |
1947 Epsom by-election :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Malcolm McCorquodale | 33,633 | 61.0 | +11.1 |
| | Labour | R. Bishop | 17,339 | 31.5 | −6.3 |
| | Liberal | David Cairns | 4,121 | 7.5 | −4.7 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 16,447 | 29.5 | +17.4 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 16,294 | | |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | | |

### Elections in the 1950s

General election 1950: Epsom :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Conservative | Malcolm McCorquodale | 33,103 | 60.73 |
| | Labour | Frank Martin Hardie | 15,256 | 27.99 |
| | Liberal | N. Geoffrey Hudson | 6,153 | 11.29 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 17,847 | 32.74 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 54,512 | |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | |
General election 1951: Epsom :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Conservative | Malcolm McCorquodale | 36,333 | 68.66 |
| | Labour | Frank Martin Hardie | 16,584 | 31.34 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 19,749 | 37.32 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 52,917 | |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | |
General election 1955: Epsom :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Conservative | Peter Rawlinson | 36,779 | 71.44 |
| | Labour | Arthur Bertram Spencer Soper | 14,706 | 28.56 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 22,073 | 42.88 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 51,485 | 77.56 |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | |
General election 1959: Epsom :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Peter Rawlinson | 35,484 | 62.88 | |
| | Labour | D. Eric Heather | 11,039 | 19.56 | |
| | Liberal | Robert William M. Walsh | 9,910 | 17.56 | New |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 24,445 | 43.32 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 56,433 | | |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | | |

### Elections in the 1960s

General election 1964: Epsom :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Conservative | Peter Rawlinson | 31,959 | 55.05 |
| | Liberal | Robert William M. Walsh | 13,968 | 24.06 |
| | Labour | Alan Lee Williams | 12,131 | 20.89 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 17,991 | 30.99 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 58,058 | |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | |
General election 1966: Epsom :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Conservative | Peter Rawlinson | 31,434 | 54.59 |
| | Labour | Cyril Carter | 13,841 | 24.04 |
| | Liberal | Robert William M. Walsh | 12,305 | 21.37 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 17,593 | 30.55 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 57,580 | |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | |

### Elections in the 1970s

General election 1970: Epsom :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Conservative | Peter Rawlinson | 35,541 | 61.41 |
| | Labour | E. Guy Wilson | 12,767 | 22.06 |
| | Liberal | Peter Hasler Billenness | 9,563 | 16.52 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 22,774 | 39.35 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 57,871 | |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | |