Westhoughton (UK Parliament constituency)

History and boundaries

1885–1918

The Redistribution of Seats Act 1885 divided the existing constituency of South East Lancashire into eight single-member seats. The new seat of South-East Lancashire, Westhoughton Division comprised an area surrounding, but not including, the County Borough of Bolton. It consisted of the towns of Aspull, Blackrod, Horwich, Little Lever, and Westhoughton, and the surrounding townships of Anglezarke, Bradshaw, Breightmet, Darcy Lever, Edgworth, Entwistle, Great Lever, Harwood, Heaton, Longworth, Lostock, Middle Hulton, Over Hulton, Quarlton and Rivington, plus Turton Urban District, and the parts of Rumworth, Sharples and Tonge with Haulgh outside the Parliamentary Borough of Bolton.

1918–1950

The Representation of the People Act 1918 reorganised parliamentary seats throughout Great Britain and Ireland. Constituencies were redefined in terms of the urban and rural districts created by the Local Government Act 1894. Lancashire, Westhoughton Division consisted of five adjoining urban districts: Aspull, Blackrod, Hindley, Horwich and Westhoughton.

1950–1983

The next redrawing of English constituencies was effected by the Representation of the People Act 1948. The Act introduced the term "county constituency". Westhoughton County Constituency was enlarged by the addition of Standish with Langtree Urban District and Wigan Rural District. The revised boundaries were first used at the 1950 general election, and were unchanged until abolition.

Abolition

The 1983 redistribution of seats reflected local government reforms made in 1974. The bulk of the seat became part of the parliamentary county of Greater Manchester: Blackrod, Horwich and Westhoughton formed part of the new Bolton West county constituency, Aspull and Standish part of Wigan borough constituency and Hindley was included in Leigh borough constituency. Some parishes in the north of the old constituency remained in Lancashire, and were included in Chorley county constituency.

Members of Parliament

Election results

Elections in the 1880s

|reg. electors = 10,625

Elections in the 1890s

|reg. electors = 12,979

Elections in the 1900s

|reg. electors = 15,827

|reg. electors = 17,984

Elections in the 1910s

|reg. electors = 19,751

|reg. electors = 19,751

|reg. electors = 30,108

Elections in the 1920s

|reg. electors=30,409

• Endorsed by the Coalition Government

|reg. electors=31,351

|reg. electors=32,081

|reg. electors=32,587

|reg. electors=41,648

Elections in the 1930s

Elections in the 1940s

Elections in the 1950s

Elections in the 1960s

Elections in the 1970s

References

References

1. Boundary Commissioners for England and Wales. (1885). "South East Lancashire, New Divisions of County (Map)". londonancestor.com.
2. Seventh Schedule, ''Counties At Large, Number Of Members And Names And Contents Of Divisions'', Redistribution of Seats Act 1885 (C.23)
3. F A Youngs Jr., ''Guide to the Local Administrative Units of England'', Vol.II: Northern England, London 1991
4. Great Britain Historical GIS Project. "Boundary Map of South East Lancashire Westhoughton PDivCon". University of Portsmouth.
5. ''Ninth Schedule: Redistribution of Seats'', Representation of the People Act 1918 (C.5)
6. Great Britain Historical GIS Project. "Boundary Map of Lancashire Westhoughton PDivCon". University of Portsmouth.
7. Great Britain Historical GIS Project. "Boundary Map of Westhoughton CCon". University of Portsmouth.
8. ''The Parliamentary Constituencies (England) Order 1983'' (S.I. 1983 No.417)
9. {{Rayment-hc. w. 2. (March 2012)
10. (20 November 1885). "The General Election". [[Manchester Courier.
11. (1974). "British Parliamentary Election Results: 1885-1918". Macmillan Press.
12. British Parliamentary Election Results 1918-1949, FWS Craig
13. Debrett's House of Commons & Judicial Bench, 1922
14. [http://www.politicsresources.net/area/uk/ge31/i20.htm General Election, 27 October 1931: Westhoughton]. ''Political Science Resources''. Retrieved 17 June 2016.
15. [http://www.politicsresources.net/area/uk/ge35/i20.htm General Election, 14 November 1935: Westhoughton]. ''Political Science Resources''. Retrieved 17 June 2016.
16. [http://www.politicsresources.net/area/uk/ge45/i20.htm General Election, 5 July 1945: Westhoughton]. ''Political Science Resources''. Retrieved 14 May 2010.
17. [http://www.politicsresources.net/area/uk/ge50/i21.htm General Election, 23 February 1950: Westhougton]. ''Political Science Resources''. Retrieved 14 May 2010.
18. [http://www.by-elections.co.uk/51.html#westhoughton By-election 1951: Westhoughton]. ''British Election Ephemera Archive''. Retrieved 14 May 2010.
19. [http://www.politicsresources.net/area/uk/ge51/i21.htm General Election 25 October 1951: Westhoughton]. ''Political Science Resources''. Retrieved 14 May 2010.
20. [http://www.politicsresources.net/area/uk/ge55/i21.htm General Election, 26 May 1955: Westhoughton]. ''Political Science Resources''. Retrieved 14 May 2010.
21. [http://www.politicsresources.net/area/uk/ge59/i21.htm General Election, 8 October 1959: Westhoughton]. ''Political Science Resources''. Retrieved 14 May 2010.
22. [http://www.politicsresources.net/area/uk/ge64/i21.htm General Election, 15 October 1964: Westhoughton]. ''Political Science Resources''. Retrieved 14 May 2010.
23. [http://www.politicsresources.net/area/uk/ge66/i21.htm General Election, 31 March 1966: Westhoughton]. ''Political Science Resources''. Retrieved 14 May 2010.
24. [http://www.politicsresources.net/area/uk/ge70/i21.htm General Election, 18 June 1970: Westhoughton]. ''Political Science Resources''. Retrieved 14 May 2010.
25. [http://www.by-elections.co.uk/73.html#westhoughton By-election 1960: Westhoughton]. ''British Election Ephemera Archive''. Retrieved 14 May 2010.
26. [http://www.politicsresources.net/area/uk/ge74a/i21.htm General Election, 28 February 1974: Westhoughton]. ''Political Science Resources''. Retrieved 14 May 2010.
27. [http://www.politicsresources.net/area/uk/ge74b/i21.htm General Election, 10 October 1974: Westhoughton]. ''Political Science Resources''. Retrieved 14 May 2010.
28. [http://www.politicsresources.net/area/uk/ge79/i21.htm General Election, 3 May 1979: Westhoughton]. ''Political Science Resources''. Retrieved 14 May 2010.