The Parliamentary Borough of Harwich had sent two members to the Parliament of England since it was founded in 1604[1] until 1707, then to the Parliament of Great Britain from 1707 to 1800 and to the Parliament of the United Kingdom from 1801. Under the Reform Act of 1867 its representation was reduced to one,[2] and in 1885 the Parliamentary Borough was abolished and replaced with a Division of the County of Essex (later a County Constituency) under the Redistribution of Seats Act 1885.[3] For a long period of time it was known as a "Treasury borough" due to the control the Treasury had over its elections.[4]
Parts of the Sessional Divisions of Lexden and Winstree.
Non-resident freeholders of the Parliamentary Borough of Colchester, which constituted the Municipal Borough thereof, were also entitled to vote.[3]
Formally known as the North Eastern or Harwich Division of Essex, incorporating the abolished Parliamentary Borough of Harwich and extending southwards and westwards to include the towns of Clacton and Brightlingsea and the rural areas surrounding Colchester.
Harwich in Essex, 1918-83
1918–1950
The Municipal Borough of Harwich;
The Urban Districts of Brightlingsea, Clacton, Frinton-on-Sea, Walton-on-the-Naze, and Wivenhoe; and
The Rural District of Tendring.[5]
Western, rural areas now included in the new Colchester Division of Essex.
1950–1983
The Municipal Borough of Harwich;
The Urban Districts of Brightlingsea, Clacton, Frinton and Walton, and Wivenhoe; and
The Rural District of Tendring.[5][6]
No changes. (The Urban Districts of Frinton-on-Sea and Walton-on-the-Naze had been merged).
1983–1997
The District of Tendring wards of Beaumont and Thorpe, Bockings Elm, Bradfield Wrabness and Wix, Frinton, Golf Green, Great and Little Oakley, Harwich East, Harwich East Central, Harwich West, Harwich West Central, Haven, Holland and Kirby, Little Clacton, Ramsey, Rush Green, Southcliff, St Bartholomew's, St James, St John's, St Mary's, St Osyth, Tendring and Weeley, and Walton.[7]
Western parts, including Brightlingsea and Wivenhoe, included in the new constituency of North Colchester.
1997–2010
The District of Tendring wards of Beaumont and Thorpe, Bockings Elm, Frinton, Golf Green, Great and Little Oakley, Harwich East, Harwich East Central, Harwich West, Harwich West Central, Haven, Holland and Kirby, Little Clacton, Ramsey, Rush Green, St Bartholomew's, St James, St John's, St Mary's, Southcliff, and Walton.[8]
A further western slice, including St Osyth, added to the new constituency of North Essex (which had largely succeeded North Colchester).
Herries was appointed Secretary at War, requiring a by-election.[31]
Elections in the 1840s
Attwood's election was declared void on petition due to bribery by his agents, causing a by-election.[36]
Elections in the 1850s
Hobhouse was elevated to the peerage, becoming 1st Baron Broughton and causing a by-election.
Prinsep's election was declared void on petition due to bribery, causing a by-election.[38]
Crawford's election was declared void, due to polling being closed prematurely, and the seat's writ was suspended in July 1851.[28] A by-election was called the next year.
Peacocke's election was declared void on petition, due to corrupt practices, causing a by-election.[39]
Warburton's death caused a by-election.
Bagshaw's resignation caused a by-election.
Elections in the 1860s
Campbell succeeded to the peerage, becoming Lord Stratheden and Campbell, and causing a by-election.
Seat reduced to one member
Elections in the 1870s
Elections in the 1880s
Elections in the 1890s
Round
Elections in the 1900s
Lever
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;
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 from 1939 and by the end of this year, the following candidates had been selected;
^"Harwich | History of Parliament Online". www.histparl.ac.uk. Retrieved 11 June 2023.
^"Representation of the People Act 1867" (PDF). Schedule A.
^ a bGreat Britain, Incorporated Council of Law Reporting for England and Wales. The public general acts. unknown library. Proprietors of the Law Journal Reports, 1884.
^ a bCraig, Fred W. S. (1972). Boundaries of parliamentary constituencies 1885-1972;. Chichester: Political Reference Publications. ISBN 0900178094. OCLC 539011.
^"The Parliamentary Constituencies (England) Order 1970". www.legislation.gov.uk. Retrieved 29 August 2019.
^"The Parliamentary Constituencies (England) Order 1983". www.legislation.gov.uk. Retrieved 29 August 2019.
^"The Parliamentary Constituencies (England) Order 1995". www.legislation.gov.uk. Retrieved 29 August 2019.
^ a b cLeigh Rayment's Historical List of MPs – Constituencies beginning with "H" (part 1)
^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t uStooks Smith, Henry. (1973) [1844-1850]. Craig, F. W. S. (ed.). The Parliaments of England (2nd ed.). Chichester: Parliamentary Research Services. pp. 108–110. ISBN 0-900178-13-2.
^Churton, Edward (1838). The Assembled Commons or Parliamentary Biographer: 1838. p. 83. Retrieved 6 November 2018 – via Google Books.
^Hall, Catherine; Draper, Nicholas; McClelland, Keith; Donington, Katie; Lang, Rachel (2014). Legacies of British Slave-ownership: Colonial Slavery and the Formation of Victorian Britain. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. p. 290. ISBN 978-1-107-04005-2. LCCN 2014012761. Retrieved 6 November 2018 – via Google Books.
^"Domestic Intelligence". Hereford Times. 5 August 1837. p. 4. Retrieved 6 November 2018 – via British Newspaper Archive.
^"The General Election". Morning Post. 24 July 1847. p. 3. Retrieved 6 November 2018 – via British Newspaper Archive.
^"Essex Elections". Chelmsford Chronicle. 6 August 1847. p. 4. Retrieved 6 November 2018 – via British Newspaper Archive.
^ a bThe Spectator, Volume 7. F. C. Westley. 1834. p. 702. Retrieved 13 May 2018.
^ a bThe Spectator, Volume 10. F. C. Westley. 1837. p. 651. Retrieved 13 May 2018.
^ a bSperling, Charles Frederick Denne (1896). A short history of the borough of Sudbury, in the county of Suffolk, compiled from materials collected by W.W. Hodson. Sudbury: Sudbury, Printed by B.R. Marten. pp. 162, 259. Retrieved 13 May 2018.
^ a b"General Intelligence". Coventry Standard. 24 June 1853. p. 2. Retrieved 13 May 2018 – via British Newspaper Archive.
^ a b"Harwich Election". Westmorland Gazette. 31 May 1851. p. 2. Retrieved 13 May 2018 – via British Newspaper Archive.
^Fisher, David R. "HERRIES, John Charles (1778–1855), of 11 Great George Street, Mdx". The History of Parliament. Retrieved 14 April 2020.
^ a b cFisher, David R. "Harwich". The History of Parliament. Retrieved 14 April 2020.
^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t uCraig, F. W. S., ed. (1977). British Parliamentary Election Results 1832-1885 (e-book) (1st ed.). London: Macmillan Press. ISBN 978-1-349-02349-3.
^"Harwich Election". Essex Standard. 6 August 1847. p. 5. Retrieved 6 November 2018 – via British Newspaper Archive.
^"Neighbouring Counties". Norfolk News. 7 August 1847. p. 3. Retrieved 6 November 2018 – via British Newspaper Archive.
^"Election Committees—Harwich". Berkshire Chronicle. 18 March 1848. p. 4. Retrieved 6 November 2018 – via British Newspaper Archive.
^"Harwich Election". Essex Herald. 4 April 1848. p. 3. Retrieved 6 November 2018 – via British Newspaper Archive.
^"Harwich Election". The Ipswich Journal. 31 May 1851. p. 4. Retrieved 13 May 2018 – via British Newspaper Archive.
^"Election Committees". Morning Chronicle. 2 May 1853. p. 3. Retrieved 13 May 2018 – via British Newspaper Archive.
^"South Essex Election". Chelmsford Chronicle. 3 April 1857. p. 4. Retrieved 13 May 2018 – via British Newspaper Archive.
^"Election Intelligence". Norfolk News. 12 December 1857. p. 5. Retrieved 13 May 2018 – via British Newspaper Archive.
^Eddowes's Journal, and General Advertiser for Shropshire, and the Principality of Wales. 23 December 1857. p. 3 https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0001466/18571223/030/0003. Retrieved 13 May 2018 – via British Newspaper Archive. {{cite news}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)