Great Yarmouth (UK Parliament constituency)

History

The Parliamentary Borough of Great Yarmouth had been represented by two members of parliament (MPs) in the House of Commons of England from 1295 to 1707, in the House of Commons of Great Britain from 1707 to 1800, and in the House of Commons of the United Kingdom from 1801. The borough was unaffected by the Great Reform Act 1832, but it was disenfranchised for corruption by the Reform Act 1867, when its voters were absorbed into the North Division of the Parliamentary County of Norfolk.

The seat was re-established as a single-member Borough by the Redistribution of Seats Act 1885 and remained unchanged until the Representation of the People Act 1948, which came into effect for the 1950 general election. This abolished the Parliamentary Borough and replaced it with the County Constituency of Yarmouth, which incorporated the County Borough and surrounding rural areas.

Further to the local government reorganisation of 1974, which was reflected in the redistribution of seats which came into effect for the 1983 general election, the constituency was formally renamed Great Yarmouth and its boundaries coincided with those of the local authority of the Borough of Great Yarmouth. It has remained unchanged since then.

Boundaries

The constituency covers the area in and around Great Yarmouth in Norfolk. Despite its rural area, there is a substantial amount of industry in the constituency.

1885–1918:

• The Municipal Borough of Great Yarmouth, including the parish of Gorleston, and part of the parish of Runham.

1918–1950:

• The County Borough of Great Yarmouth.

1950–1974:

• The County Borough of Great Yarmouth; and
• The Rural District of Blofield and Flegg except the civil parishes of Great and Little Plumstead, Postwick, and Thorpe-next-Norwich (later renamed Thorpe St Andrew).

:The parts of the Rural District of Blofield and Flegg had previously been included in the abolished Eastern Division of Norfolk.

1974–1983:

• The County Borough of Great Yarmouth; and
• the Rural District of Blofield and Flegg. :The remaining parishes of the Rural District of Blofield and Flegg were transferred from the abolished constituency of Central Norfolk.

1983–present:

• The Borough of Great Yarmouth.

:Thorpe St Andrew was transferred to Norwich North and remaining western parts to the new constituency of Mid Norfolk. Gained a small area from the abolished Suffolk constituency of Lowestoft, including Bradwell, which had been transferred to Norfolk as a result of the local government reorganisation of 1974, as laid out in the Local Government Act 1972.

The boundaries were unchanged by the 2023 Periodic Review of Westminster constituencies.

Members of Parliament

Great Yarmouth borough

Great Yarmouth was a 2-seat constituency until 1868 when it was disenfranchised. It was recreated for the 1885 general election as a single-seat constituency.

MPs 1295–1640

MPs 1640–1868

MPs 1885–1950

• 1885: Constituency revived, electing only a single member

Yarmouth County Constituency

MPs 1950–1974

Great Yarmouth County Constituency

MPs since 1983

Elections

Elections in the 2020s

Elections in the 2010s

Elections in the 2000s

Elections in the 1990s

Elections in the 1980s

Elections in the 1970s

Elections in the 1960s

Election in the 1950s

Elections in the 1940s

Elections in the 1930s

Elections in the 1920s

|reg. electors = 36,170 |reg. electors = 28,447 |reg. electors = 27,844 |reg. electors = 26,985

Elections in the 1910s

|reg. electors = 24,585

• Wilson – who stood as a 'Patriotic Trade Unionist's and Seamen's' candidate – supported the Coalition Government and was supported by the National Sailors' and Firemen's Union. He claimed to have been adopted by both the Liberal Party and National Democratic and Labour Party, but only appeared on the former's official list. ** Dawson initially was endorsed by the National Federation of Discharged and Demobilized Sailors and Soldiers who then repudiated him.

Election results 1885–1918

Elections in the 1880s

|reg. electors = 6,949

|reg. electors = 6,949

Elections in the 1890s

|reg. electors = 7,947 |reg. electors = 8,139

Elections in the 1900s

|reg. electors = 9,169

Elections in the 1910s

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: Arthur Fell
• Liberal:

Election results 1832–1868

Elections in the 1830s

|reg. electors = 1,683

|reg. electors = 1,615

|reg. electors = 1,740

Wilshere resigned, causing a by-election.

|reg. electors = 1,719

Elections in the 1840s

|reg. electors = 1,930

|reg. electors = 1,877

The election of Lennox and Coope was declared void on petition on 14 February 1848 due to bribery, causing a by-election.

|reg. electors = 1,877

Elections in the 1850s

|reg. electors = 1,249

|reg. electors = 1,308

The election was declared void on petition due to bribery by McCullagh and Watkin's agents, causing a by-election.

|reg. electors = 1,326

Elections in the 1860s

|reg. electors = 1,645

Extensive bribery was found in the seat and its right to return a member was lost. It was then incorporated into East Suffolk and North Norfolk.

Elections before 1832

|reg. electors =

|reg. electors =

References

Sources

• Robert Beatson, A Chronological Register of Both Houses of Parliament (London: Longman, Hurst, Res & Orme, 1807) A Chronological Register of Both Houses of the British Parliament, from the Union in 1708, to the Third Parliament of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, in 1807
• D Brunton & D H Pennington, Members of the Long Parliament (London: George Allen & Unwin, 1954)
• Cobbett's Parliamentary history of England, from the Norman Conquest in 1066 to the year 1803 (London: Thomas Hansard, 1808) titles A-Z
• The Constitutional Year Book for 1913 (London: National Union of Conservative and Unionist Associations, 1913)
• F W S Craig, British Parliamentary Election Results 1832–1885 (2nd edition, Aldershot: Parliamentary Research Services, 1989)
• F W S Craig, British Parliamentary Election Results 1918–1949 (Glasgow: Political Reference Publications, 1969)
• Maija Jansson (ed.), Proceedings in Parliament, 1614 (House of Commons) (Philadelphia: American Philosophical Society, 1988) Proceedings in Parliament, 1614 (House of Commons)
• J E Neale, The Elizabethan House of Commons (London: Jonathan Cape, 1949)

References

1. Walker, Peter. (2025-03-07). "Divided Reform UK reports own MP to police amid bullying claims". The Guardian.
2. "The Representation of the People Act, 1867".
3. Great Britain, Incorporated Council of Law Reporting for England and Wales. "The public general acts". Proprietors of the Law Journal Reports, 1884.
4. . (1885). "The Public General Acts of the United Kingdom passed in the forty-eighth and forty-ninth years of the reign of Queen Victoria". *Eyre and Spottiswoode*.
5. "Representation of the People Act, 1948".
6. "The Parliamentary Constituencies (England) Order 1970".
7. "The Parliamentary Constituencies (England) Order 1983".
8. "The Parliamentary Constituencies Order 2023".
9. "History of Parliament".
10. Davis, Norman. "The Paston Letters: A Selection in Modern Spelling".
11. (2009-08-13). "The English Parliaments of Henry VII". OUP Oxford.
12. "History of Parliament".
13. "History of Parliament".
14. "History of Parliament".
15. {{Rayment-hc. g. 2. (March 2012)
16. Knighted ([[Order of the Bath. KB]]), 1753
17. Rear-Admiral from 1787
18. Rear-Admiral from 1804
19. The result of the 1847 election was declared void on petition, and a by-election was held
20. "RUMBOLD, Charles Edmund (1778–1857), of Woodhall Park, Watton, Hets.".
21. (1838). "The Parliamentary Guide: a concise history of the Members of both Houses, etc".
22. (1838). "The Assembled Commons or Parliamentary Biographer: 1838". Scott, Webster and Geary.
23. (14 July 1848). "Great Yarmouth". Carlisle Journal.
24. The result of the 1857 election was declared void on petition, and writ for a by-election was issued. No by-election was necessary as only two candidates were nominated, and they were returned unopposed.
25. (2007). "The Letters of Richard Cobden: Volume II ~ 1848–1853". Oxford University Press.
26. {{cite DNB. MacDonagh. Michael
27. (1973). "England's Mission: The Imperial Idea in the Age of Gladstone & Disraeli, 1868–1880". Palgrave Macmillan.
28. (Summer 2007). "Sir Edward Watkin and the Liberal Cause in the Nineteenth Century". Journal of Liberal History.
29. "Sir Edward Watkin".
30. (2002). "The Second Railway King: The Life and Times of Sir Edward Watkin, 1819–1901". Merton Priory Press.
31. (13 March 1857). "[Title not available]". Coventry Standard.
32. (27 March 1857). "[Title not available]". Coventry Standard.
33. [https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/election/2024/uk/constituencies/E14001256 Great Yarmouth]
34. "Great Yarmouth Parliamentary constituency". BBC.
35. (16 May 2017). "Full list of who is standing in the 2017 general election in Norfolk and Waveney".
36. "Election Data 2015". [[Electoral Calculus]].
37. (January 20, 2013). "Lara Norris selected in Great Yarmouth".
38. "Local man Alan Grey selected as UKIP prospective parliamentary candidate". UKIP – Great Yarmouth.
39. Lucy Clapham. (8 November 2014). "Caister councillor, 21, to stand for Green Party in Great Yarmouth". Great Yarmouth Mercury.
40. "Election Data 2010". [[Electoral Calculus]].
41. "Election Data 2005". [[Electoral Calculus]].
42. "Election Data 2001". [[Electoral Calculus]].
43. "Election Data 1997". [[Electoral Calculus]].
44. "Election Data 1992". [[Electoral Calculus]].
45. (9 April 1992). "UK General Election results April 1992". Politics Resources.
46. "Election Data 1987". [[Electoral Calculus]].
47. (9 April 1992). "UK General Election results April 1992". Politics Resources.
48. "Election Data 1983". [[Electoral Calculus]].
49. (9 April 1992). "UK General Election results April 1992". Politics Resources.
50. (9 April 1992). "UK General Election results April 1992". Politics Resources.
51. (9 April 1992). "UK General Election results April 1992". Politics Resources.
52. (9 April 1992). "UK General Election results April 1992". Politics Resources.
53. (9 April 1992). "UK General Election results April 1992". Politics Resources.
54. (9 April 1992). "UK General Election results April 1992". Politics Resources.
55. (9 April 1992). "UK General Election results April 1992". Politics Resources.
56. (9 April 1992). "UK General Election results April 1992". Politics Resources.
57. British Parliamentary Election Results 1885–1918, FWS Craig
58. The Liberal Year Book, 1907
59. Debrett's House of Commons & Judicial Bench, 1886
60. Debrett's House of Commons & Judicial Bench, 1901
61. Debrett's House of Commons & Judicial Bench, 1916
62. (4 August 1847). "Cambridge General Advertiser".
63. (24 July 1847). "The General Election". Morning Post.
64. (18 February 1848). "Dundee, Perth, and Cupar Advertiser".
65. (8 July 1848). "The Scotsman".
66. (14 July 1848). "Newcastle Courant".
67. (30 July 1852). "Great Yarmouth". Tralee Chronicle.
68. (3 July 1852). "The General Election". Hampshire Telegraph.
69. "London Electoral History — Steps Towards Democracy: 6.3 History of Elections in Marylebone, 1837–1841". Newcastle University.
70. (2007). "The Forgotten Prime Minister: The 14th Earl of Derby. Volume I: Ascent: 1799–1851". Oxford University Press.
71. (14 March 1857). "The Conservative Party". Norfolk Chronicle.
72. (1 August 1857). "The Yarmouth Committee". Norwich Mercury.
73. (1977). "British Parliamentary Election Results 1832–1885". Macmillan Press.
74. "Great Yarmouth".