County Waterford (UK Parliament constituency)

Waterford was a parliamentary constituency in Ireland, represented in the British House of Commons.

Not to be confused with Waterford City (UK Parliament constituency).
Waterford
Former County constituency
for the House of Commons
County Waterford within Ireland.
1801–1885
Replaced byEast Waterford and West Waterford
1918–1922
Created fromEast Waterford and West Waterford

Boundaries and boundary changes

This constituency once comprised the whole of County Waterford, except for the Parliamentary boroughs of Dungarvan (1801–1885) and Waterford City (1801–1885 and 1918–1922). It returned two Members of Parliament 1801–1885 and one 1918–1922.

It was an original constituency represented in Parliament when the Union of Great Britain and Ireland took effect on 1 January 1801.

Between 1885 and 1918 the area had been divided between the constituencies of East Waterford and West Waterford. From 1922 it was no longer represented in the House of Commons of the United Kingdom.

Politics

In the 1918 election Sinn Féin defeated by 3 to 1 the Nationalist candidate J. J. O'Shee representing the Irish Parliamentary Party.

The newly elected Sinn Féin MP for the constituency was Cathal Brugha. Like other Sinn Féin MPs elected that year, he did not take his seat at Westminster but instead, took a seat in the revolutionary First Dáil which assembled in Dublin on 21 January 1919. As better known figures were under arrest, Brugha became the first presiding officer (with the title of Ceann Comhairle) and a day later the first head of government (with the title of President of Dáil Éireann), of the Irish Republic.

The First Dáil

Sinn Féin contested the general election of 1918 on the platform that instead of taking up any seats they won in the United Kingdom Parliament, they would establish a revolutionary assembly in Dublin. In republican theory every MP elected in Ireland was a potential Deputy to this assembly. In practice only the Sinn Féin members accepted the offer.

The revolutionary First Dáil assembled on 21 January 1919 and last met on 10 May 1921. The First Dáil, according to a resolution passed on 10 May 1921, was formally dissolved on the assembling of the Second Dáil. This took place on 16 August 1921.

In 1921 Sinn Féin decided to use the UK authorised elections for the Northern Ireland House of Commons and the House of Commons of Southern Ireland as a poll for the Irish Republic's Second Dáil. This area, in republican theory, was incorporated in the five member Dáil constituency of Waterford–Tipperary East.

Members of Parliament

MPs 1801–1885
Year1st Member1st Party2nd Member2nd Party
1801 Hon. John Beresford Richard Power Whig[1]
21 Jul 1802 Edward Lee Whig[1]
6 Jan 1806 John Claudius Beresford Tory[1]
18 Nov 1806 Richard Power Whig[1]
28 Jun 1811 Sir William Beresford Tory
25 Apr 1814 Richard Power Whig[1]/Catholic Association
25 May 1814 Lord George Beresford Tory[1]
1 Jul 1826 Henry Villiers-Stuart Whig[1]
2 Mar 1830 Lord George Beresford Tory[1]
13 Aug 1830 Daniel O'Connell Repeal/Catholic Association[1]
11 May 1831 Sir Richard Musgrave, Bt Whig Robert Power Whig[1]
26 Dec 1832 John Matthew Galwey Repeal Association[1][2] Sir Richard Keane, Bt Whig[1][3]
19 Jan 1835 Sir Richard Musgrave, Bt Repeal Association[2] Patrick Power Whig[1][3]
21 Sep 1835 William Villiers-Stuart Whig[1][4][3]
9 Aug 1837 John Power Whig[1][3]
24 Aug 1840 Hon. Robert Carew Whig[1][3]
11 Aug 1847 Nicholas Mahon Power Repeal[2] Robert Keating Repeal[2]
26 Jul 1852 Independent Irish[2] Sir John Esmonde, Bt Independent Irish[2]
2 Apr 1857 Radical[5] Whig[6]
12 May 1859 Walter Talbot Conservative[2] Liberal[2]
18 Jul 1865 Earl of Tyrone Conservative[2]
31 Dec 1866 Edmond de la Poer Liberal[2]
5 Jul 1873 Henry Villiers-Stuart Liberal[2]
10 Feb 1874 Lord Charles Beresford Conservative[2] Home Rule League[2]
24 Jan 1877 James Delahunty Home Rule League[2]
9 Apr 1880 Henry Villiers-Stuart Liberal[2] John Aloysius Blake Home Rule League[2]
25 Aug 1884 Patrick Joseph Power Irish Parliamentary Party[2]
1885 Constituency divided: see East Waterford and West Waterford

MPs 1918–1922
ElectionMemberParty
1918 Cathal Brugha Sinn Féin
1922 Constituency abolished

Elections

The single-member elections in this constituency took place using the first past the post electoral system. Multi-member elections used the plurality-at-large voting system.

Elections in the 1830s

Villiers Stuart resigned, causing a by-election.

By-election, 2 March 1830: County Waterford[2][1][7]
Party Candidate Votes % ±
Tory George Beresford 461 59.2
Whig John Barron 318 40.8
Majority 143 18.4
Turnout 779 100.0
Registered electors 779
Tory gain from Whig Swing
General election 1830: County Waterford (2 seats)[2][1][7]
Party Candidate Votes %
Tory George Beresford Unopposed
Irish Repeal Daniel O'Connell Unopposed
Registered electors 1,210
Tory gain from Whig
Irish Repeal gain from Whig
General election 1831: County Waterford (2 seats)[2][1][7]
Party Candidate Votes %
Whig Richard Musgrave Unopposed
Whig Robert Power (British politician) Unopposed
Registered electors 1,210
Whig gain from Tory
Whig gain from Irish Repeal
General election 1832: County Waterford (2 seats)[2][1]
Party Candidate Votes %
Irish Repeal John Matthew Galwey 443 41.1
Whig Sir Richard Keane, 2nd Baronet 332 30.8
Whig Robert Power (British politician) 303 28.1
Turnout 675 46.6
Registered electors 1,448
Majority 111 10.3
Irish Repeal gain from Whig
Majority 29 2.7
Whig hold
General election 1835: County Waterford (2 seats)[2][1]
Party Candidate Votes %
Irish Repeal (Whig) Richard Musgrave Unopposed
Whig Patrick Power Unopposed
Registered electors 1,478
Irish Repeal hold
Whig hold

Power's death caused a by-election.

By-election, 21 September 1835: County Waterford[2][1]
Party Candidate Votes %
Whig William Villiers-Stewart Unopposed
Whig hold
General election 1837: County Waterford (2 seats)[2][1]
Party Candidate Votes %
Whig William Villiers-Stuart Unopposed
Whig John Power (Irish MP) Unopposed
Registered electors 1,563
Whig hold
Whig gain from Irish Repeal

Elections in the 1840s

Power resigned by accepting the office of Steward of the Chiltern Hundreds, causing a by-election.

By-election, 24 August 1840: County Waterford[2]
Party Candidate Votes % ±
Whig Robert Carew Unopposed
Whig hold
General election 1841: County Waterford (2 seats)[2]
Party Candidate Votes % ±
Whig Robert Carew Unopposed
Whig William Villiers-Stuart Unopposed
Registered electors 802
Whig hold
Whig hold
General election 1847: County Waterford (2 seats)[2]
Party Candidate Votes % ±
Irish Repeal Nicholas Mahon Power Unopposed
Irish Repeal Robert Keating Unopposed
Registered electors 872
Irish Repeal gain from Whig
Irish Repeal gain from Whig

Elections in the 1850s
General election 1852: County Waterford (2 seats)[2]
Party Candidate Votes % ±
Independent Irish Nicholas Mahon Power 1,404 36.1 N/A
Independent Irish John Esmonde 1,261 32.4 N/A
Conservative Richard Hely-Hutchinson 1,228 31.5 New
Majority 33 0.9 N/A
Turnout 2,561 (est) 78.8 (est) N/A
Registered electors 3,248
Independent Irish gain from Irish Repeal Swing N/A
Independent Irish gain from Irish Repeal Swing N/A
General election 1857: County Waterford (2 seats)[2]
Party Candidate Votes % ±
Radical Nicholas Mahon Power Unopposed
Whig John Esmonde Unopposed
Registered electors 3,293
Radical gain from Independent Irish
Whig gain from Independent Irish
General election 1859: County Waterford (2 seats)[2]
Party Candidate Votes % ±
Liberal John Esmonde Unopposed
Conservative Walter Talbot Unopposed
Registered electors 3,384
Liberal hold
Conservative gain from Liberal

Elections in the 1860s
General election 1865: County Waterford (2 seats)[2]
Party Candidate Votes % ±
Conservative John Beresford Unopposed
Liberal John Esmonde Unopposed
Registered electors 3,477
Conservative hold
Liberal hold

Esmonde was appointed a Lord Commissioner of the Treasury, causing a by-election.

By-election, 7 June 1866: County Waterford[2]
Party Candidate Votes % ±
Liberal John Esmonde Unopposed
Registered electors 3,477
Liberal hold

Beresford succeeded as 5th Marquess of Waterford, causing a by-election.

By-election, 31 December 1866: County Waterford[2]
Party Candidate Votes % ±
Liberal Edmond de la Poer 1,481 60.1 N/A
Conservative Walter Talbot 984 39.9 N/A
Majority 497 20.2 N/A
Turnout 2,465 70.9 N/A
Registered electors 3,477
Liberal gain from Conservative
General election 1868: County Waterford (2 seats)[2]
Party Candidate Votes % ±
Liberal Edmond de la Poer Unopposed
Liberal John Esmonde Unopposed
Registered electors 3,445
Liberal hold
Liberal gain from Conservative

Elections in the 1870s

de la Poer resigned, causing a by-election.

By-election, 5 Jul 1873: County Waterford (1 seat)[2]
Party Candidate Votes % ±
Liberal Henry Villiers-Stuart Unopposed
Registered electors 3,407
Liberal hold
General election 1874: County Waterford (2 seats)[2]
Party Candidate Votes % ±
Conservative Charles Beresford 1,767 49.0 New
Home Rule John Esmonde 1,390 38.6 New
Home Rule Abraham Pearson Longbottom[8] 446 12.4 New
Majority 377 10.5 N/A
Turnout 3,157 (est) 95.2 (est) N/A
Registered electors 3,317
Conservative gain from Liberal Swing N/A
Home Rule gain from Liberal Swing N/A

Esmonde's death caused a by-election.

1877 County Waterford by-election (1 seat)[2]
Party Candidate Votes % ±
Home Rule James Delahunty 1,799 77.1 +26.1
Liberal Frederick Lehmann 534 22.9 New
Majority 1,265 54.2 N/A
Turnout 2,333 71.2 -24.0
Registered electors 3,276
Home Rule hold Swing N/A

Elections in the 1880s
General election 1880: County Waterford (2 seats)[2]
Party Candidate Votes % ±
Liberal Henry Villiers-Stuart 1,751 41.2 N/A
Home Rule John Aloysius Blake 1,625 38.3 −12.7
Conservative Charles Beresford 870 20.5 −28.5
Turnout 2,558 (est) 81.6 (est) −13.6
Registered electors 3,135
Majority 126 2.9 N/A
Liberal gain from Conservative Swing N/A
Majority 755 17.8 N/A
Home Rule hold Swing +0.8

Blake resigned, causing a by-election.

By-election, 21 Aug 1884: County Waterford[2]
Party Candidate Votes % ±
Irish Parliamentary Patrick Joseph Power Unopposed
Registered electors 3,060
Irish Parliamentary hold

Elections in the 1910s
General Election 14 December 1918: Waterford County
Party Candidate Votes % ±
Sinn Féin Cathal Brugha 12,890 75.3 N/A
Irish Parliamentary J. J. O'Shee 4,217 24.7 N/A
Majority 8,673 50.6 N/A
Turnout 17,107 70.0 N/A
Registered electors 24,439
Sinn Féin gain from Irish Parliamentary Swing N/A
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References
  1. Smith, Henry Stooks (1842). The Register of Parliamentary Contested Elections (Second ed.). Simpkin, Marshall & Company. pp. 241–242. Retrieved 14 October 2018 – via Google Books.
  2. Walker, B.M., ed. (1978). Parliamentary Election Results in Ireland, 1801-1922. Dublin: Royal Irish Academy. ISBN 0901714127.
  3. Broderick, Eugene (2009). Waterford's Anglicans: Religion and Politics, 1819-1872. Newcastle upon Tyne: Cambridge Scholars Publishing. p. 196. ISBN 978-1-4438-1399-0. Retrieved 25 August 2019 – via Google Books.
  4. Churton, Edward (1838). The Assembled Commons or Parliamentary Biographer. p. 217. Retrieved 25 August 2019 – via Google Books.
  5. "The Irish Elections". Globe. 6 August 1847. p. 2. Retrieved 14 October 2018 – via British Newspaper Archive.
  6. "Morning Advertiser". 27 July 1852. p. 5. Retrieved 14 October 2018 – via British Newspaper Archive.
  7. Salmon, Philip. "Co. Waterford". The History of Parliament. Retrieved 24 May 2020.
  8. "New Parliament". Western Times. 10 February 1874. p. 7. Retrieved 22 January 2018 – via British Newspaper Archive.
  • The Parliaments of England by Henry Stooks Smith (1st edition published in three volumes 1844–50), 2nd edition edited (in one volume) by F.W.S. Craig (Political Reference Publications 1973)
  • Parliamentary Election Results in Ireland, 1801–1922, edited by B.M. Walker (Royal Irish Academy 1978)
  • Who's Who of British Members of Parliament: Volume II 1886–1918, edited by M. Stenton and S. Lees (The Harvester Press 1978)
  • Who's Who of British Members of Parliament: Volume III 1919–1945, edited by M. Stenton and S. Lees (The Harvester Press 1979)
  • Leigh Rayment's Historical List of MPs – Constituencies beginning with "W" (part 1)

See also
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