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

ElectionMemberPolitical partyOffices held
1868Ralph Ward JacksonConservative
1874Thomas RichardsonLiberal
1875 by-electionLowthian BellLiberal
1880Thomas RichardsonLiberal
1886Liberal Unionist
1891 by-electionChristopher FurnessLiberal
1895Sir Thomas RichardsonLiberal Unionist
1900Sir Christopher FurnessLiberal
1910 by-electionStephen FurnessLiberal
1914 by-electionSir Walter RuncimanLiberal
1918W. G. Howard GrittenUnionist
1922William JowittLiberal
1924Sir Wilfrid SugdenUnionist
1929W. G. Howard GrittenUnionist
1943 by-electionThomas George GreenwellConservative
1945D. T. JonesLabour
1959John KeransConservative
1964Ted LeadbitterLabour

Elections

Elections in the 1860s

General election 1868: The Hartlepools
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
ConservativeRalph Ward Jackson1,55050.0
LiberalThomas Richardson1,54750.0
Majority30.0
Turnout3,09779.0
Registered electors3,922
Conservative win (new seat)

Elections in the 1870s

General election 1874: The Hartlepools
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
LiberalThomas Richardson2,30862.4+12.4
ConservativeRalph Ward Jackson1,39037.6−12.4
Majority91824.8N/A
Turnout3,69881.7+2.7
Registered electors4,524
Liberal gain from ConservativeSwing+12.4

Richardson resigned, causing a by-election.

By-election, 29 Jul 1875: The Hartlepools
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
LiberalLowthian Bell1,98253.5−8.9
ConservativeWilliam Joseph Young1,46439.5+1.9
Magna ChartaAhmed John Kenealy2597.0New
Majority51814.0−10.8
Turnout3,70576.9−4.8
Registered electors4,820
Liberal holdSwing−5.4

Elections in the 1880s

General election 1880: The Hartlepools
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
LiberalThomas Richardson1,96537.2−25.2
LiberalLowthian Bell1,71732.5N/A
ConservativeThomas Hutchinson Tristram1,59730.3−7.3
Majority1204.7−20.1
Turnout5,27979.0−2.7
Registered electors6,681
Liberal holdSwing−9.0
General election 1885: The Hartlepools
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
LiberalThomas Richardson3,66958.3+21.1
ConservativeThomas Hutchinson Tristram2,62941.7+11.4
Majority1,04016.6+11.9
Turnout6,29874.1−4.9
Registered electors8,500
Liberal holdSwing+7.2
General election 1886: The Hartlepools
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Liberal UnionistThomas Richardson3,38157.8+16.1
LiberalMervyn Lanark Hawkes2,46942.2−16.1
Majority91215.6N/A
Turnout5,85068.8−5.3
Registered electors8,500
Liberal Unionist gain from LiberalSwing+16.1

Elections in the 1890s

1891 The Hartlepools by-election
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
LiberalChristopher Furness4,60351.7+9.5
Liberal UnionistWilliam Gray4,30548.3−9.5
Majority2983.4N/A
Turnout8,90885.8+17.0
Registered electors10,378
Liberal gain from Liberal UnionistSwing+9.5
General election 1892: The Hartlepools
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
LiberalChristopher Furness4,62650.4+8.2
Liberal UnionistThomas Richardson4,55049.6−8.2
Majority760.8N/A
Turnout9,17687.3+18.5
Registered electors10,513
Liberal gain from Liberal UnionistSwing+8.2
T. Richardson
General election 1895: The Hartlepools
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Liberal UnionistThomas Richardson4,85350.4+0.8
LiberalChristopher Furness4,77249.6−0.8
Majority810.8N/A
Turnout9,62587.5+0.2
Registered electors10,999
Liberal Unionist gain from LiberalSwing+0.8

Elections in the 1900s

C. Furness
General election 1900: The Hartlepools
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
LiberalChristopher Furness6,49158.5+8.9
Liberal UnionistThomas Richardson4,61241.5−8.9
Majority1,87917.0N/A
Turnout11,10386.4−1.1
Registered electors12,849
Liberal gain from Liberal UnionistSwing+8.9
General election 1906: The Hartlepools
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
LiberalChristopher FurnessUnopposed
Liberal hold

Elections in the 1910s

General election January 1910: The Hartlepools
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
LiberalChristopher Furness6,53153.2N/A
ConservativeWilliam Gritten5,75446.8New
Majority7776.4N/A
Turnout12,28589.6N/A
Liberal holdSwingN/A
S. Furness
1910 Hartlepool by-election
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
LiberalStephen Furness6,15950.7−2.5
ConservativeWilliam Gritten5,99349.3+2.5
Majority1661.4−5.0
Turnout12,15288.6−1.0
Liberal holdSwing-2.5
General election December 1910: The Hartlepools
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
LiberalStephen Furness6,01750.2−0.5
ConservativeWilliam Gritten5,96949.8+0.5
Majority480.4−1.0
Turnout11,93687.4−1.2
Liberal holdSwing-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:

W. Runciman
The Hartlepools by-election, 1914
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
LiberalWalter RuncimanUnopposed
Liberal hold
General election 1918: The Hartlepools
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
UnionistWilliam Gritten13,00351.3+1.5
CLiberalCharles Macfarlane7,64730.1−20.1
LabourWill Sherwood4,73318.6New
Majority5,35621.2N/A
Turnout25,38364.1−23.3
Unionist gain from LiberalSwing
C indicates candidate endorsed by the coalition government.

Elections in the 1920s

General election 1922: The Hartlepools
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
LiberalWilliam Jowitt18,25250.8+20.7
UnionistWilliam Gritten17,68549.2−2.1
Majority5671.6N/A
Turnout35,93787.2+23.1
Liberal gain from UnionistSwing+11.4
General election 1923: The Hartlepools
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
LiberalWilliam Jowitt17,10146.4−4.4
UnionistWilliam Gritten16,95646.1−3.1
LabourGeorge Belt2,7557.5New
Majority1450.3−1.3
Turnout36,81287.5+0.3
Liberal holdSwing-0.7
General election 1924: The Hartlepools
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
UnionistWilfrid Sugden19,07749.5+3.4
LiberalWilliam Jowitt15,72440.8−5.6
LabourCraigie Aitchison3,7179.7+2.2
Majority3,3538.7N/A
Turnout38,51890.3+2.8
Unionist gain from LiberalSwing+4.5
General election 1929: The Hartlepools
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
UnionistWilliam Gritten17,27138.0−11.5
LiberalStephen Furness17,13337.7−3.1
LabourGilbert Oliver11,05224.3+14.6
Majority1380.3−8.4
Turnout45,45685.9−4.4
Unionist holdSwing-4.2

Elections in the 1930s

General election 1931: The Hartlepools
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
ConservativeWilliam Gritten30,84268.1+30.1
LabourAlasdair MacGregor14,46231.9+7.6
Majority16,38036.2+35.9
Turnout45,30484.4−1.5
Conservative holdSwing+15.0
General election 1935: The Hartlepools
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
ConservativeWilliam Gritten21,82847.8−20.3
LabourCharles A. Goatcher16,93137.0+5.1
LiberalJoseph Scott-Cowell6,93915.2New
Majority4,89710.8−25.4
Turnout45,69883.0−1.4
Conservative holdSwing-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:

Hartlepool by-election, 1943
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
ConservativeThomas Greenwell13,33364.1+16.3
Common WealthElaine Burton3,63417.4New
Independent LabourOswald Lupton2,35111.3New
Independent ProgressiveReg Hipwell1,5107.2New
Majority9,69946.7+35.9
Turnout20,82839.5−43.5
Conservative holdSwing

*Lupton stood as a 'People's' candidate

General election 1945: The Hartlepools
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
LabourD. T. Jones16,50241.2+4.2
ConservativeThomas Greenwell16,22740.5−7.3
LiberalRussell Vick6,90317.3+2.1
NationalHarry Lane3901.0New
Majority2750.7N/A
Turnout40,02276.1−6.9
Labour gain from ConservativeSwing

Elections in the 1950s

General election 1950: The Hartlepools
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
LabourD. T. Jones25,60950.61
ConservativeThomas Greenwell20,37340.26
LiberalFrancis John Long4,6239.14
Majority5,23610.35
Turnout50,60587.15
Labour holdSwing
General election 1951: The Hartlepools
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
LabourD. T. Jones27,14752.63
ConservativePaul T Carter24,43747.37
Majority2,7105.26
Turnout51,58486.56
Labour holdSwing
General election 1955: The Hartlepools
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
LabourD. T. Jones25,14551.63
ConservativeFrancis Henry Gerard Heron Goodhart23,56048.37
Majority1,5853.26
Turnout48,70581.84
Labour holdSwing
General election 1959: The Hartlepools
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
ConservativeJohn Kerans25,46350.2+1.8
LabourD. T. Jones25,28149.8−1.8
Majority1820.4N/A
Turnout50,74483.3+1.5
Conservative gain from LabourSwing

Elections in the 1960s

General election 1964: The Hartlepools
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
LabourEdward Leadbitter25,88352.9+3.1
ConservativeGeoffrey Dodsworth23,01647.1−3.1
Majority2,8675.8N/A
Turnout48,89981.9−1.4
Labour gain from ConservativeSwing+3.1
General election 1966: The Hartlepools
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
LabourEdward Leadbitter27,50959.3+6.4
ConservativeH Ian Bransom18,85740.7−6.4
Majority8,65218.6+12.8
Turnout46,36678.5−3.4
Labour holdSwing+6.4

Elections in the 1970s

General election 1970: The Hartlepools
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
LabourEdward Leadbitter27,70457.8−1.5
ConservativeMichael Marshall20,18842.2+1.5
Majority7,51615.6−3.0
Turnout47,89274.4−4.1
Labour holdSwing-1.5

See also

Notes

Notes

References

54°39′N 1°16′W/54.650°N 1.267°W/ 54.650; -1.267