Flintshire (UK Parliament constituency)

Flintshire was a parliamentary constituency in North-East Wales which generally returned one Member of Parliament (MP) to the House of Commons, latterly that of the Parliament of the United Kingdom, from 1542 until it was abolished for the 1950 general election.

Flintshire
Former County constituency
for the House of Commons
Preserved countyFlintshire
1542–1950
SeatsOne
Replaced byEast Flintshire and West Flintshire

Boundaries

From its creation in 1542 until 1918, the constituency consisted of the historic county of Flintshire in north-east Wales. The seat should not be confused with the borough constituency of Flint or that of Flint Boroughs, which together existed from the 16th century until 1918.

In 1889 an administrative county of Flintshire was created. This formed the basis of the constituency which existed from 1918 until 1950, when the county was split between East and West divisions.

Members of Parliament

Before 1604

ParliamentMember
1545Peter Mostyn[1]
1547George Wood[1]
1553 (Mar)Sir Thomas Hanmer[1]
1553 (Oct)Robert Massey[1]
1554 (Apr)William Mostyn[1]
1554 (Nov)William Mostyn[1]
1555Robert Massey[1]
1558John Conway[1]
1559John Griffith[2]
1562–3George Ravenscroft[2]
1571John Griffith [2]
1572William Mostyn, died
and replaced Feb 1577 by
Thomas Mostyn [2]
1584John Hope[2]
1586William Ravenscroft[2]
1588Roger Puleston[2]
1593Thomas Hanmer[2]
1597William Ravenscroft[2]
1601William Ravenscroft[2]

1604–1950

YearMember
1604Roger Puleston
1614Robert Ravenscroft
1621Sir Roger Mostyn
1624Sir John Hanmer, 1st Baronet died
and replaced 1624 by
Sir John Trevor
1625Sir John Trevor
1626John Salusbury
1628Robert Jones
1629–1640No Parliaments summoned
1640John Mostyn
1640John Mostyn, disabled[clarification needed] 1643
1646John Trevor
1653Flintshire not represented in Barebones Parliament
YearFirst MemberSecond Member
Two members in first and second Protectorate Parliaments
1654John TrevorAndrew Ellice
1656John TrevorSir John Glynne
YearNameParty
1659John Trevor
1660Kenrick Eyton
1661Sir Henry Conway
1669Sir Thomas Hanmer
1678Mutton Davies
1681Sir John Hanmer, 3rd Baronet
1685Sir John Conway
1689Sir Roger PulestonWhig
1695Sir John ConwayTory
1701Sir Roger MostynTory
1702Sir Thomas HanmerTory
1705Sir John ConwayTory
1708Sir Roger MostynTory
1713Sir John ConwayTory
1715Sir Roger Mostyn
1734Sir Thomas Mostyn, 4th Baronet
1741Sir John Glynne
1747Sir Thomas Mostyn, 4th Baronet
1758Sir Roger Mostyn
1796Sir Thomas MostynWhig[3]
1797John LloydTory[3]
1799Sir Thomas MostynWhig[3]
1831Edward Lloyd-MostynWhig[3][4][5][6]
1837Sir Stephen GlynneConservative[3]
1841Edward Lloyd-MostynWhig[3][4][5][6]
1842Sir Stephen GlynneConservative[3]
1847Edward Lloyd-MostynWhig[3][4][5][6]
1854Thomas Lloyd-MostynWhig[7]
1859Liberal
1861Lord Richard GrosvenorLiberal
1886Samuel SmithLiberal
1906Herbert LewisLiberal
1918Tom ParryLiberal
1924Ernest RobertsConservative
1929Frederick Llewellyn-JonesLiberal
1931Liberal National
1932Liberal
1935Gwilym RowlandsConservative
1945Nigel BirchConservative
Constituency divided into East and West Flintshire in 1950

Elections

Elections in the 1830s

General election 1830: Flintshire[3][8]
PartyCandidateVotes%
WhigThomas MostynUnopposed
Registered electorsc. 1,200
Whig hold
General election 1831: Flintshire[3][8]
PartyCandidateVotes%
WhigEdward Lloyd-MostynUnopposed
Registered electorsc. 1,200
Whig hold
General election 1832: Flintshire[3][9]
PartyCandidateVotes%
WhigEdward Lloyd-MostynUnopposed
Registered electors1,271
Whig hold
General election 1835: Flintshire[3][9]
PartyCandidateVotes%
WhigEdward Lloyd-MostynUnopposed
Registered electors1,344
Whig hold
General election 1837: Flintshire[9][3]
PartyCandidateVotes%
ConservativeStephen Glynne 945 51.1
WhigEdward Lloyd-Mostyn90548.9
Majority402.2
Turnout1,85084.5
Registered electors2,189
Conservative gain from Whig

Elections in the 1840s

General election 1841: Flintshire[9]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
WhigEdward Lloyd-Mostyn 1,234 50.9 +2.0
ConservativeStephen Glynne1,19249.1−2.0
Majority421.8N/A
Turnout2,42681.9−2.6
Registered electors2,963
Whig gain from ConservativeSwing+2.0

Following the election, Lloyd-Mostyn's election was declared void and Glynne was elected after scrutiny on 23 May 1842.

General election 1847: Flintshire[9]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
WhigEdward Lloyd-MostynUnopposed
Registered electors3,141
Whig hold

Elections in the 1850s

General election 1852: Flintshire[9]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
WhigEdward Lloyd-Mostyn 1,276 58.4 N/A
ConservativeEdmund Peel[10]91041.6New
Majority36616.8N/A
Turnout2,18675.1N/A
Registered electors2,912
Whig holdSwingN/A

Lloyd-Mostyn succeeded to the peerage, becoming 2nd Baron Mostyn and causing a by-election.

By-election, 8 May 1854: Flintshire[9]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
WhigThomas Lloyd-MostynUnopposed
Whig hold
General election 1857: Flintshire[9]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
WhigThomas Lloyd-Mostyn 1,171 57.2 −1.2
ConservativeStephen Glynne87642.8+1.2
Majority29514.4−2.4
Turnout2,04772.1−3.0
Registered electors2,840
Whig holdSwing−1.2
General election 1859: Flintshire[9]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
LiberalThomas Lloyd-MostynUnopposed
Registered electors2,896
Liberal hold

Elections in the 1860s

Mostyn's death caused a by-election.

By-election, 30 May 1861: Flintshire[9]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
LiberalRichard Grosvenor 1,168 57.4 N/A
ConservativeHugh Robert Hughes[11]86842.6New
Majority30014.8N/A
Turnout2,03670.5N/A
Registered electors2,887
Liberal hold
General election 1865: Flintshire[9]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
LiberalRichard GrosvenorUnopposed
Registered electors2,998
Liberal hold
General election 1868: Flintshire[9]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
LiberalRichard GrosvenorUnopposed
Registered electors4,150
Liberal hold

Elections in the 1870s

Grosvenor was appointed Vice-Chamberlain of the Household, requiring a by-election.

By-election, 2 Mar 1872: Flintshire[9]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
LiberalRichard GrosvenorUnopposed
Liberal hold
General election 1874: Flintshire[9]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
LiberalRichard GrosvenorUnopposed
Registered electors3,907
Liberal hold

Elections in the 1880s

General election 1880: Flintshire[9]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
LiberalRichard GrosvenorUnopposed
Registered electors4,794
Liberal hold
General election 1885: Flintshire[12]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
LiberalRichard Grosvenor 4,758 60.3 N/A
ConservativeHenry Richard Howel Lloyd-Mostyn3,13239.7New
Majority1,62620.6N/A
Turnout7,89078.3N/A
Registered electors10,081
Liberal holdSwingN/A

Grosvenor's resignation caused a by-election.

Samuel Smith
By-election, 2 Mar 1886: Flintshire[12]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
LiberalSamuel Smith 4,248 60.8 +0.5
ConservativePhilip Pennant Pennant[13]2,73839.2-0.5
Majority1,51021.6+1.0
Turnout6,98669.3-9.0
Registered electors10,081
Liberal holdSwing+0.5
General election 1886: Flintshire[12]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
LiberalSamuel SmithUnopposed
Liberal hold

Elections in the 1890s

Robert Cunliffe
General election 1892: Flintshire[12]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
LiberalSamuel Smith 4,597 59.4 N/A
Liberal UnionistRobert Cunliffe3,14540.6New
Majority1,45218.8N/A
Turnout7,74276.8N/A
Registered electors10,075
Liberal holdSwingN/A
General election 1895: Flintshire[12]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
LiberalSamuel Smith 4,376 52.7 -6.7
ConservativeHenry Richard Lloyd Howard3,92547.3+6.7
Majority4515.4-13.4
Turnout8,30178.4+1.6
Registered electors10,592
Liberal holdSwing-6.7

Elections in the 1900s

Smith
General election 1900: Flintshire[12]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
LiberalSamuel Smith 4,528 53.6 +0.9
ConservativeHenry Howard3,92246.4−0.9
Majority6067.2+1.8
Turnout8,45078.40.0
Registered electors10,774
Liberal holdSwing+0.9
Herbert Lewis
General election 1906: Flintshire[12]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
LiberalHerbert Lewis 6,294 63.8 +10.2
ConservativeHarold Edwards3,57236.2−10.2
Majority2,72227.6+20.4
Turnout9,86683.0+4.6
Registered electors11,892
Liberal holdSwing+10.2

Elections in the 1910s

General election January 1910: Flintshire[12]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
LiberalHerbert Lewis 6,610 59.7 -4.1
ConservativeHenry Howard4,45440.3+4.1
Majority2,15619.4-8.2
Turnout11,06486.6+3.6
Registered electors12,774
Liberal holdSwing-4.1
General election December 1910: Flintshire[12]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
LiberalHerbert LewisUnopposed
Liberal hold

General Election 1914–15:Another General Election was due to take place before the end of 1915. From 1914, the parties had been making preparations for an election, and by the end of that year, the following candidates had been selected:

The constituency was then merged with Flint Boroughs.

Thomas Parry
General election 1918: Flintshire
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
CLiberalTom ParryUnopposed
Liberal hold
C indicates candidate endorsed by the coalition government.

Elections in the 1920s

General election 1922: Flintshire [15]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
National LiberalTom Parry 16,854 44.2 N/A
UnionistAustin Lloyd Jones15,08039.6New
LabourDavid Gwynfryn Jones6,16316.2New
Majority1,7744.6N/A
Turnout38,09779.4N/A
National Liberal holdSwingN/A
General election 1923: Flintshire
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
LiberalTom Parry 19,609 56.8 +12.6
UnionistErnest Roberts14,92643.2+3.6
Majority4,68313.6+9.0
Turnout34,53569.4-10.0
Liberal holdSwing+4.5
General election 1924: Flintshire
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
UnionistErnest Roberts 19,054 46.4 +3.2
LiberalTom Parry14,16934.5-22.3
LabourDavid Gwynfryn Jones7,82119.1New
Majority4,88511.9N/A
Turnout41,04480.2+10.8
Unionist gain from LiberalSwing+12.7
General election 1929: Flintshire
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
LiberalFrederick Llewellyn-Jones 24,012 43.0 +8.5
UnionistErnest Roberts19,53635.0-11.4
LabourCyril O Jones12,31022.0+2.9
Majority4,4768.0N/A
Turnout55,85881.3+1.1
Liberal gain from UnionistSwing+10.0

Elections in the 1930s

General election 1931: Flintshire
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
National LiberalFrederick Llewellyn-Jones 40,405 71.4 +36.4
LabourFrances Edwards16,15828.6+6.6
Majority24,24742.8+34.8
Turnout56,56377.9-3.4
National Liberal holdSwing
General election 1935: Flintshire
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
ConservativeGwilym Rowlands 26,644 44.9 -26.5
LiberalJohn Emlyn-Jones16,53627.9New
LabourCyril O Jones16,13127.2-1.6
Majority10,10817.0N/A
Turnout59,31176.3-1.6
Conservative holdSwing

Elections in the 1940s

General Election 1939–40:Another General Election was due to take place before the end of 1940. From 1939 the parties had been preparing for an election, and by the end of that year, the following candidates had been selected:

General election 1945: Flintshire [17]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
ConservativeNigel Birch 27,800 38.8 -6.1
LabourEirene Jones26,76137.4+10.2
LiberalJohn Williams Hughes17,00723.8-4.1
Majority1,0391.5-15.5
Turnout71,56876.7+0.4
Conservative holdSwing

Notes

References

Further reading