Whitechapel (UK Parliament constituency)

Whitechapel was a parliamentary constituency in the Whitechapel district of East London. In 1885 the seat was established as a division of the parliamentary borough of Tower Hamlets. It returned one Member of Parliament (MP) to the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom.

Whitechapel
Former Borough constituency
for the House of Commons
Whitechapel in London
18851918
Seatsone
Created fromTower Hamlets
Replaced byWhitechapel St George's

History and Boundaries

The constituency was created by the Redistribution of Seats Act 1885 for the 1885 general election, and abolished for the 1918 general election.

Whitechapel is part of the historic county of Middlesex, in the far east of the county. The constituency was on the north bank of the River Thames. It was bordered by the constituencies of: City of London to the west; Hoxton & Bethnal Green South West to the north; and Stepney & St George's in the East to the east.

From 1889 the district was included in the administrative County of London. In 1900 the constituency became part of the Metropolitan Borough of Stepney.

In the redistribution of 1918 Whitechapel was incorporated in a new Whitechapel and St George's constituency.

Members of Parliament

ElectionMember [1]Party
1885Sir Samuel Montagu, BtLiberal
1900Sir Stuart Samuel, BtLiberal
1916 by-electionJames KileyLiberal
1918constituency abolished: see Whitechapel and St George's

Elections

Decades:

Elections in the 1880s

Montagu
General election 1885: Whitechapel[2]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
LiberalSamuel Montagu 2,353 54.4
ConservativePhineas Cowan1,97245.6
Majority3818.8
Turnout4,32570.4
Registered electors6,140
Liberal win (new seat)
General election 1886: Whitechapel[2]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
LiberalSamuel Montagu 2,179 57.8 +3.4
ConservativeWilliam Le Poer Trench1,59242.2-3.4
Majority58715.6+6.8
Turnout3,77161.4-9.0
Registered electors6,140
Liberal holdSwing+3.4

Elections in the 1890s

General election 1892: Whitechapel[2]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
LiberalSamuel Montagu 2,327 56.4 -1.4
ConservativeWilliam Le Poer Trench1,80043.6+1.4
Majority52712.8-2.8
Turnout4,12771.0+9.6
Registered electors5,813
Liberal holdSwing-1.4
General election 1895: Whitechapel[2]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
LiberalSamuel Montagu 2,009 50.4 -6.0
ConservativeSir William Henry Porter, 2nd Baronet1,97749.6+6.0
Majority320.8-12.0
Turnout3,98668.0-3.0
Registered electors5,864
Liberal holdSwing-6.0

Elections in the 1900s

Samuel
General election 1900: Whitechapel[2]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
LiberalStuart Samuel 1,679 51.1 +0.7
ConservativeDavid Hope Kyd1,60848.9-0.7
Majority712.2+1.4
Turnout3,28765.7-2.3
Registered electors5,004
Liberal holdSwing+0.7
General election 1906: Whitechapel[2]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
LiberalStuart Samuel 1,925 55.1 +4.0
ConservativeDavid Hope Kyd1,56944.9-4.0
Majority35610.2+8.0
Turnout3,49481.7+16.0
Registered electors4,279
Liberal holdSwing+4.0

Elections in the 1910s

General election January 1910: Whitechapel[2]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
LiberalStuart Samuel 1,963 58.3 +3.2
ConservativeWeir Greenlees1,40241.7-3.2
Majority56116.6+6.4
Turnout3,365
Liberal holdSwing+3.2
General election December 1910: Whitechapel[2]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
LiberalStuart Samuel 1,731 59.2 +0.9
ConservativeEdgar Monteagle Browne1,19140.8-0.9
Majority54018.4+1.8
Turnout2,922
Liberal holdSwing+0.9
1913 Whitechapel by-election[2]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
LiberalStuart Samuel 1,722 52.5 -6.7
UnionistEdgar Monteagle Browne1,55647.5+6.7
Majority1665.0-13.4
Turnout3,278
Liberal holdSwing-6.7

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 the autumn of 1914, the following candidates had been selected;

1916 Whitechapel by-election
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
LiberalJames KileyUnopposed
Liberal hold

References

  • Boundaries of Parliamentary Constituencies 1885-1972, compiled and edited by F.W.S. Craig (Parliamentary Reference Publications 1972)
  • British Parliamentary Election Results 1885-1918, compiled and edited by F.W.S. Craig (Macmillan Press 1974)
  • Who's Who of British Members of Parliament, Volume II 1886-1918, edited by M. Stenton and S. Lees (Harvester Press 1978)
  • Who's Who of British Members of Parliament, Volume III 1919-1945, edited by M. Stenton and S. Lees (Harvester Press 1979)