Faversham (UK Parliament constituency)

Faversham was a parliamentary constituency centred on the town of Faversham in Kent which returned one Member of Parliament (MP) to the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom.

Faversham
Former County constituency
for the House of Commons
Outline map
Faversham in Kent, showing boundaries used from 1983-1997
18851997
Seatsone
Created fromEast Kent
Replaced bySittingbourne & Sheppey,
Faversham & Mid Kent

It was created for the 1885 general election, and abolished for the 1997 general election when it was replaced by the new constituencies of Sittingbourne and Sheppey, and Faversham and Mid Kent.

Boundaries

1885–1918:

  • The Borough of Faversham
  • the Sessional Division of Faversham
  • the corporate town of Queenborough

1918–1950:

  • the Boroughs of Faversham and Queenborough,
  • the Urban Districts of Milton Regis,
  • Sheerness, and Sittingbourne,
  • the Rural Districts of Milton and Sheppey,
  • the Rural District of Faversham (except the detached parts of the parishes of Dunkirk and Hernhill which were wholly surrounded by the Rural District of Blean)

1950–1983:

  • the Boroughs of Faversham and Queenborough
  • the Urban Districts of Sheerness, Sittingbourne and Milton
  • the Rural Districts of Sheppey and Swale

1983–1997:

  • the Borough of Swale wards of Abbey, Borden, Davington Priory, East Downs, Eastern, Grove, Iwade and Lower Halstow
  • Kemsley
  • Milton Regis
  • Minster Cliffs
  • Murston
  • Newington
  • Queenborough and Halfway
  • Roman
  • St Ann's
  • Sheerness East
  • Sheerness West
  • Sheppey Central
  • Teynham and Lynsted
  • Watling
  • West Downs
  • Woodstock

Members of Parliament

ElectionMember[1]Party
1885Herbert Knatchbull-HugessenConservative
1895Frederic BarnesConservative
1900John HowardConservative
1906Thomas NapierLiberal
Jan 1910Sir Granville Wheler, Bt.Conservative
1928 by-electionSir Adam MaitlandConservative
1945Percy WellsLabour
1964 by-electionTerry BostonLabour
1970Sir Roger MoateConservative
1997constituency abolished

Elections

Elections in the 1880s

General election 1885: Faversham [2]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
ConservativeHerbert Knatchbull-Hugessen 5,067 55.1
LiberalFrancis Flint Belsey4,12344.9
Majority94410.2
Turnout9,19080.8
Registered electors11,370
Conservative win (new seat)
General election 1886: Faversham [2]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
ConservativeHerbert Knatchbull-HugessenUnopposed
Conservative hold

Elections in the 1890s

General election 1892: Faversham [2]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
ConservativeHerbert Knatchbull-Hugessen 4,846 51.1 N/A
LiberalSydney Hallifax[3]4,64048.9New
Majority2062.2N/A
Turnout9,48666.7N/A
Registered electors14,219
Conservative holdSwingN/A
General election 1895: Faversham [2]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
ConservativeFrederic Gorell Barnes 5,738 55.7 +4.6
LiberalSamuel Barrow4,55744.3−4.6
Majority1,18111.4+9.2
Turnout10,29575.1+8.4
Registered electors13,701
Conservative holdSwing+4.6

Elections in the 1900s

General election 1900: Faversham [2]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
ConservativeJohn HowardUnopposed
Conservative hold
Thomas Napier
General election 1906: Faversham
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
LiberalThomas Napier 6,925 57.6 New
ConservativeJohn Howard5,09142.4N/A
Majority1,83415.2N/A
Turnout12,01680.9N/A
Registered electors14,860
Liberal gain from ConservativeSwingN/A

Elections in the 1910s

General election January 1910: Faversham
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
ConservativeGranville Wheler 7,438 58.0 +15.6
LiberalThomas Napier5,39442.0-15.6
Majority2,04416.0N/A
Turnout12,83287.6+6.7
Conservative gain from LiberalSwing+15.6
Nicholls
General election December 1910: Faversham
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
ConservativeGranville Wheler 6,897 57.4 -0.6
Lib-LabGeorge Nicholls5,11142.6+0.6
Majority1,78614.8-1.2
Turnout12,00882.0-5.6
Conservative holdSwing-0.6

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;

General election 1918: Faversham[4]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
CUnionistGranville Wheler12,82668.2+10.8
LabourStanley Morgan5,98131.8New
Majority6,84536.4+21.6
Turnout18,80750.2−31.8
Registered electors37,478
Unionist holdSwing
C indicates candidate endorsed by the coalition government.

Elections in the 1920s

General election 1922: Faversham[4]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
UnionistGranville Wheler 13,675 55.2 −13.0
LabourStanley Morgan11,09644.8+13.0
Majority2,57910.4−26.0
Turnout24,77161.7+11.5
Registered electors40,156
Unionist holdSwing−13.0
General election 1923: Faversham[4]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
UnionistGranville Wheler 13,422 52.1 −3.1
LabourStanley Morgan12,36147.9+3.1
Majority1,0614.2−6.2
Turnout25,78363.4+1.7
Registered electors40,676
Unionist holdSwing−3.1
General election 1924: Faversham[4]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
UnionistGranville Wheler 14,432 46.9 −5.2
LabourStanley Morgan9,18029.9−18.0
LiberalAlbert J Soloman7,13223.2New
Majority5,25217.0+12.8
Turnout30,74473.9+10.5
Registered electors41,589
Unionist holdSwing+6.4
1928 Faversham by-election[4]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
UnionistAdam Maitland 12,997 41.7 −5.2
LabourDudley Aman11,31336.2+6.3
LiberalJohn Dunn5,81318.6−4.6
Ind. UnionistE.A. Hailwood1,0903.5New
Majority1,6845.5−11.5
Turnout31,21372.4−1.5
Registered electors43,122
Unionist holdSwing−5.8
General election 1929: Faversham[4]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
UnionistAdam Maitland 16,219 41.3 −5.6
LabourDudley Aman15,27538.9+9.0
LiberalMaurice Gerothwohl7,78219.8−3.4
Majority9442.4−14.6
Turnout39,27675.5+1.6
Registered electors52,047
Unionist holdSwing−7.3

Elections in the 1930s

General election 1931: Faversham[4]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
ConservativeAdam Maitland 25,568 65.9 +24.6
LabourNorman Smith13,22634.1-4.8
Majority12,34231.8+29.4
Turnout38,79472.2-3.3
Conservative holdSwing
General election 1935: Faversham[4]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
ConservativeAdam Maitland 22,881 54.6 -11.3
LabourNorman Smith19,06045.4+11.3
Majority3,8219.2-22.6
Turnout41,94174.0+1.8
Conservative holdSwing

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;

Elections in the 1940s

General election 1945: Faversham[4]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
LabourPercy Wells 23,502 52.8 +7.4
ConservativeAdam Maitland21,03747.2-7.4
Majority2,4655.6N/A
Turnout44,53973.1-0.9
Labour gain from ConservativeSwing

Elections in the 1950s

General election 1950: Faversham[6]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
LabourPercy Wells 23,620 48.71
ConservativeJ. E. Brooks21,38144.10
LiberalElizabeth May Graham3,4867.19New
Majority2,2394.61
Turnout48,48786.33
Labour holdSwing
General election 1951: Faversham[6]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
LabourPercy Wells 24,884 50.57
ConservativeClive Bossom24,32249.43
Majority5621.14
Turnout49,20686.04
Labour holdSwing
General election 1955: Faversham[6]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
LabourPercy Wells 23,981 50.06
ConservativeClive Bossom23,92249.94
Majority590.12
Turnout47,90378.36
Labour holdSwing
General election 1959: Faversham[6]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
LabourPercy Wells 24,327 50.26
ConservativeElsie M. S. Olsen24,07449.74
Majority2530.52
Turnout48,40183.80
Labour holdSwing

Elections in the 1960s

1964 Faversham by-election[6]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
LabourTerence Boston 24,749 55.1 +4.8
ConservativeElsie M. S. Olsen19,80844.1-3.6
IndependentRussell Eckley3520.8New
Majority4,94111.0+10.5
Turnout44,90974.8-9.0
Labour holdSwing+10.5
General election 1964: Faversham[6]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
LabourTerence Boston 24,243 49.1 -1.2
ConservativeElsie M. S. Olsen20,27941.0-8.7
LiberalPaul Hayden4,8829.9New
Majority3,9648.1+7.6
Turnout49,40481.7-2.1
Labour holdSwing
General election 1966: Faversham[6]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
LabourTerence Boston 26,375 52.5 +3.4
ConservativeRoger Moate23,88647.5+6.5
Majority2,4895.0-3.1
Turnout50,26179.9-1.8
Labour holdSwing+1.5

Elections in the 1970s

General election 1970: Faversham[7]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
ConservativeRoger Moate 29,914 53.4 +5.9
LabourTerence Boston26,10346.6-5.9
Majority3,8116.8+1.8
Turnout56,01378.1-1.8
Conservative gain from LabourSwing
General election February 1974: Faversham[8]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
ConservativeRoger Moate 26,316 42.2 -11.2
LabourMike Freedman20,90933.6-13.0
LiberalPJ Morgan14,92724.0New
CommunityE Dignan1510.2New
Majority5,4078.6+1.8
Turnout62,30182.6
Conservative holdSwing
General election October 1974: Faversham[9]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
ConservativeRoger Moate 25,087 43.0 +0.8
LabourMike Freedman22,21038.1+4.5
LiberalPJ Morgan10,97918.8-5.2
Majority2,8774.9-3.7
Turnout58,27676.7-5.9
Conservative holdSwing
General election 1979: Faversham[10]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
ConservativeRoger Moate 33,513 54.4 +11.4
LabourT Sherwen21,35134.6-3.5
LiberalAC Aldous6,34910.3-8.5
National FrontA Webb4390.7New
Majority12,16219.8+14.9
Turnout61,65378.5+1.8
Conservative holdSwing

Elections in the 1980s

General election 1983: Faversham[11]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
ConservativeRoger Moate 29,849 53.1 -1.3
SDPEdward Goyder15,25227.1+16.8
LabourChristopher Bromley11,13019.8-14.8
Majority14,59726.0+6.2
Turnout56,23373.5-5.0
Conservative holdSwing
General election 1987: Faversham[12]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
ConservativeRoger Moate 31,074 51.1 -2.0
SDPEdward Goyder17,09628.1+1.0
LabourPhilip Dangerfield12,61620.8+1.0
Majority13,97823.0-3.0
Turnout60,78876.9+3.4
Conservative holdSwing

Elections in the 1990s

General election 1992: Faversham[13]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
ConservativeRoger Moate 32,755 50.1 −1.0
LabourHelen Brinton16,40425.1+4.3
Liberal DemocratsRoger Truelove15,89624.3−3.8
Natural LawRobin M. Bradshaw2940.5New
Majority16,35125.0+2.0
Turnout65,35279.7+2.8
Conservative holdSwing

References

  • British parliamentary election results, 1885-1918 by Fred W. S. Craig