South Devon (UK Parliament constituency)
South Devon | |
---|---|
County constituency for the House of Commons | |
![]() Boundary of South Devon in South West England | |
County | Devon |
Electorate | 71,691 (2023)[1] |
Major settlements | Totnes, Salcombe, Brixham and Dartmouth |
Current constituency | |
Created | 2024 |
Member of Parliament | Caroline Voaden (Liberal Democrats) |
Seats | One |
Created from | Totnes |
1832–1885 | |
Seats | Two |
Type of constituency | County constituency |
Created from | Devon |
Replaced by | Totnes Tavistock |
South Devon, formerly known as the Southern Division of Devon, is a parliamentary constituency in the county of Devon in England. From 1832 to 1885 it returned two Knights of the Shire to the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom, elected by the bloc vote system.
Further to the completion of the 2023 Periodic Review of Westminster constituencies, the seat was re-established for the 2024 general election, where it effectively replaced the abolished Totnes constituency with minor boundary changes.[2]
Boundaries
[edit]Historic
[edit]In 1832 the county of Devon, in south western England, was divided for Parliamentary purposes between this constituency and North Devon. In 1868 the Devon county constituencies were re-arranged into North, South and East Devon divisions. Each of these divisions returned two members of Parliament.
In 1885 the three constituencies were again redrawn, so that Devon was represented by eight single member County constituencies (there were also three borough constituencies, two of which returned two members and the third one member). The county was split between the new smaller constituencies of Ashburton (alternatively the Mid Division), Barnstaple (the North-Western Division), Honiton (the Eastern Division), South Molton (the Northern Division), Tavistock (the Western Division), Tiverton (the North-Eastern Division), Torquay and Totnes (the Southern Division). The constituencies in this redistribution are normally referred to by the distinctive place name rather than the alternative compass point designation, so the South Devon division is considered to have been abolished in 1885.
1832–1868: The Hundreds of Axminster, Clyston, Colyton, Ottery St. Mary, East Budleigh, Lifton, Exminster, Teignbridge, Haytor, Coleridge, Stanborough, Ermington, Plympton, Roborough, and Tavistock, and Exeter Castle, and the parts of the hundred of Wonford that are not included in the city of Exeter.[3]
1868–1885: The Hundreds of Black Torrington, Ermington, Lifton, Plympton, Roborough, Stanborough and Coleridge, and Tavistock.[4]
Current
[edit]The re-established constituency is composed of the following (as they existed on 1 December 2020):
- The District of South Hams wards of: Allington & Strete; Blackawton & Stoke Fleming; Charterlands; Dartington & Staverton; Dartmouth & East Dart; Kingsbridge; Loddiswell & Aveton Gifford; Marldon & Littlehempston; Salcombe & Thurlestone; South Brent; Stokenham; Totnes; West Dart.
- The Borough of Torbay wards of: Churston with Galmpton; Collaton St. Mary; Furzeham with Summercombe; King’s Ash; St. Peter’s with St. Mary’s.[5]
It is formed from the former seat of Totnes, with only minor changes to its boundaries.
Members of Parliament
[edit]1832–1885
[edit]Election | First member | First party | Second member | Second party | ||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1832 | Lord John Russell | Whig[6][7] | John Crocker Bulteel | Whig[6][7] | ||
1835 | Sir John Yarde-Buller, Bt | Conservative | ||||
May 1835 by-election | Montague Parker | Conservative | ||||
1841 | Lord Courtenay | Conservative | ||||
1849 by-election | Sir Ralph Lopes, Bt | Conservative | ||||
1854 by-election | Sir Lawrence Palk, Bt | Conservative | ||||
1858 by-election | Samuel Trehawke Kekewich | Conservative | ||||
1868 | Sir Massey Lopes, Bt | Conservative | ||||
1873 by-election | John Carpenter Garnier | Conservative | ||||
1884 by-election | John Tremayne | Conservative | ||||
1885 | Constituency abolished |
Since 2024
[edit]Election | Member | Party | |
---|---|---|---|
2024 | Caroline Voaden | Liberal Democrats |
Elections
[edit]Elections in the 2020s
[edit]Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Liberal Democrats | Caroline Voaden | 22,540 | 46.0 | +17.8 | |
Conservative | Anthony Mangnall | 15,413 | 31.5 | −22.1 | |
Reform UK | Michael Bagley | 6,363 | 13.0 | N/A | |
Labour | Daniel Steel | 3,066 | 6.3 | −10.7 | |
Green | Robert Bagnall | 1,497 | 3.1 | +2.9 | |
Heritage | Becca Collings | 125 | 0.3 | N/A | |
Majority | 7,127 | 14.5 | N/A | ||
Turnout | 49,004 | 69.3 | −6.3 | ||
Registered electors | 70,755 | ||||
Liberal Democrats gain from Conservative | Swing | +20.0 |
2019 notional result[9] | |||
---|---|---|---|
Party | Vote | % | |
Conservative | 29,027 | 53.6 | |
Liberal Democrats | 15,308 | 28.2 | |
Labour | 9,228 | 17.0 | |
Independent | 544 | 1.0 | |
Green | 82 | 0.2 | |
Turnout | 54,189 | 75.6 | |
Electorate | 71,691 |
Elections in the 1880s
[edit]Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Conservative | John Tremayne | Unopposed | |||
Conservative hold |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Conservative | John Carpenter Garnier | Unopposed | |||
Conservative | Massey Lopes | Unopposed | |||
Registered electors | 7,982 | ||||
Conservative hold | |||||
Conservative hold |
Garnier resigned, triggering a by-election.
Elections in the 1870s
[edit]Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Conservative | Massey Lopes | Unopposed | |||
Conservative hold |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Conservative | John Carpenter Garnier | Unopposed | |||
Conservative | Massey Lopes | Unopposed | |||
Registered electors | 8,350 | ||||
Conservative hold | |||||
Conservative hold |
Lopes was appointed a Civil Lord of the Admiralty, triggering a by-election.
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Conservative | John Carpenter Garnier | Unopposed | |||
Conservative hold |
Elections in the 1860s
[edit]Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Conservative | Massey Lopes | 3,234 | 35.3 | N/A | |
Conservative | Samuel Trehawke Kekewich | 3,233 | 35.3 | N/A | |
Liberal | John Russell | 2,694 | 29.4 | New | |
Majority | 539 | 5.9 | N/A | ||
Turnout | 5,928 (est) | 73.7 (est) | N/A | ||
Registered electors | 8,047 | ||||
Conservative hold | |||||
Conservative hold |
Kekewich's death triggered a by-election.
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Conservative | Samuel Trehawke Kekewich | Unopposed | |||
Conservative | Lawrence Palk | Unopposed | |||
Registered electors | 9,592 | ||||
Conservative hold | |||||
Conservative hold |
Elections in the 1850s
[edit]Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Conservative | Samuel Trehawke Kekewich | Unopposed | |||
Conservative | Lawrence Palk | Unopposed | |||
Registered electors | 9,466 | ||||
Conservative hold | |||||
Conservative hold |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Conservative | Samuel Trehawke Kekewich | Unopposed | |||
Conservative hold |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Conservative | John Yarde-Buller | Unopposed | |||
Conservative | Lawrence Palk | Unopposed | |||
Registered electors | 9,625 | ||||
Conservative hold | |||||
Conservative hold |
Buller was elevated to the peerage, becoming 1st Baron Churston, triggering a by-election.
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Conservative | Lawrence Palk | Unopposed | |||
Conservative hold |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Conservative | John Yarde-Buller | Unopposed | |||
Conservative | Ralph Lopes | Unopposed | |||
Registered electors | 9,569 | ||||
Conservative hold | |||||
Conservative hold |
Lopes' death triggered a by-election.
Elections in the 1840s
[edit]Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Conservative | Ralph Lopes | Unopposed | |||
Conservative hold |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Conservative | John Yarde-Buller | Unopposed | |||
Conservative | William Courtenay | Unopposed | |||
Registered electors | 10,411 | ||||
Conservative hold | |||||
Conservative hold |
Courtenay resigned by accepting the office of Steward of the Chiltern Hundreds, triggering a by-election.
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Conservative | John Yarde-Buller | Unopposed | |||
Conservative | William Courtenay | Unopposed | |||
Registered electors | 10,783 | ||||
Conservative hold | |||||
Conservative hold |
Elections in the 1830s
[edit]Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Conservative | John Yarde-Buller | 4,974 | 37.1 | ||
Conservative | Montagu Parker | 4,671 | 34.9 | ||
Whig | John Crocker Bulteel | 3,744 | 28.0 | ||
Majority | 927 | 6.9 | |||
Turnout | 8,449 | 78.4 | |||
Registered electors | 10,775 | ||||
Conservative hold | |||||
Conservative gain from Whig |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Conservative | Montagu Parker | 3,755 | 54.6 | ||
Whig | John Russell | 3,128 | 45.4 | ||
Majority | 627 | 9.2 | |||
Turnout | 6,883 | 84.4 | |||
Registered electors | 8,160 | ||||
Conservative gain from Whig |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Whig | John Russell | Unopposed | |||
Conservative | John Yarde-Buller | Unopposed | |||
Registered electors | 8,160 | ||||
Whig hold | |||||
Conservative gain from Whig |
Russell was appointed Home Secretary, triggering a by-election.
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Whig | John Russell | 3,782 | 35.4 | ||
Whig | John Crocker Bulteel | 3,684 | 34.5 | ||
Tory | John Yarde-Buller | 3,217 | 30.1 | ||
Majority | 467 | 4.4 | |||
Turnout | 6,660 | 89.4 | |||
Registered electors | 7,453 | ||||
Whig win (new seat) | |||||
Whig win (new seat) |
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See also
[edit]References
[edit]- ^ "The 2023 Review of Parliamentary Constituency Boundaries in England – Volume two: Constituency names, designations and composition – South West". Boundary Commission for England. Retrieved 28 June 2024.
- ^ "South West | Boundary Commission for England". boundarycommissionforengland.independent.gov.uk. Retrieved 15 June 2023.
- ^ "The statutes of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland. 2 & 3 William IV. Cap. LXIV. An Act to settle and describe the Divisions of Counties, and the Limits of Cities and Boroughs, in England and Wales, in so far as respects the Election of Members to serve in Parliament". London: His Majesty's statute and law printers. 1832. pp. 300–383. Retrieved 22 May 2020.
- ^ "Representation of the People Act 1867" (PDF). London. 1867. pp. 1165–1198. Retrieved 22 May 2020.
- ^ "The Parliamentary Constituencies Order 2023". Schedule 1 Part 7 South West region.
- ^ a b c d e f g Stooks Smith, Henry. (1973) [1844-1850]. Craig, F. W. S. (ed.). The Parliaments of England (2nd ed.). Chichester: Parliamentary Research Services. p. 62. ISBN 0-900178-13-2.
- ^ a b Gash, Norman (2013). Politics in the Age of Peel: A Study in the Technique of Parliamentary Representation, 1830–1850. Faber & Faber. p. 247. ISBN 9780571302901. Retrieved 5 April 2019 – via Google Books.
- ^ "Election result for South Devon (Constituency)". UK Parliament. Retrieved 19 March 2025.
- ^ "Notional results for a UK general election on 12 December 2019". Rallings & Thrasher, Professor David Denver (Scotland), Nicholas Whyte (NI) for Sky News, PA, BBC News and ITV News. UK Parliament. Retrieved 11 July 2024.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s Craig, F. W. S., ed. (1977). British Parliamentary Election Results 1832-1885 (1st ed.). London: Macmillan Press. pp. 378–379. ISBN 978-1-349-02349-3.
External links
[edit]- Boundaries of Parliamentary Constituencies 1885-1972, compiled and edited by F.W.S. Craig (Parliamentary Reference Publications 1972)
- British Parliamentary Election Results 1832-1885, compiled and edited by F.W.S. Craig (Macmillan Press 1977)
- Who's Who of British Members of Parliament: Volume I 1832-1885, edited by M. Stenton (The Harvester Press 1976)
- Leigh Rayment's Historical List of MPs – Constituencies beginning with "D" (part 2)
- South Devon UK Parliament constituency (boundaries from June 2024) at MapIt UK