Oxfordshire (UK Parliament constituency)

Oxfordshire was a county constituency of the House of Commons of the Parliament of England then of the Parliament of Great Britain from 1707 to 1800 and of the Parliament of the United Kingdom from 1801 to 1885. It was represented by two Members of Parliament. In 1832 this was increased to three Members of Parliament. The constituency was abolished in 1885, being split into three single member divisions.

Oxfordshire
Former County constituency for the House of Commons
County	Oxfordshire
1290–1885
Number of members	1290–1832: Two 1832–1885: Three
Replaced by	Banbury, Woodstock and Henley

The bitterly contested Oxfordshire election of 1754 was the main inspiration for Hogarth's famous series of paintings and engravings, The Election.

Hogarth's painting The Polling (1755), one of a series depicting the Oxfordshire election of 1754

Boundaries

The constituency comprised the whole of the historic county of Oxfordshire, in the northern part of South East England. (Although Oxfordshire contained three parliamentary boroughs for part of this period – Oxford (from 1295), Woodstock (or New Woodstock) (1302–1555 and from 1571) and Banbury (from 1554) – each of which elected MPs in their own right, these were not excluded from the county constituency, and owning property within the borough could confer a vote at the county election. The Oxford University constituency was also often listed as an Oxfordshire constituency, but was non-territorial and had no effect on the right to vote in the county.)

There were minor boundary changes at the time of the Great Reform Act in 1832, when five parishes or parts of parishes were transferred to other counties while six parishes or parts of parishes were added.

In 1885 the representation of the county was changed from one three member constituency to three single member divisions. Banbury and Woodstock ceased to be parliamentary boroughs but the same names were used for two county divisions. The three new county constituencies were Banbury (or the North division); Woodstock (or the Mid division) and Henley (or the South division).

Members of Parliament

MPs 1290–1640

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Parliament	First member	Second member
1316	Richard de la Bere
1325	Richard de la Bere
1372	Sir Gilbert Wace
1373	Sir Richard Abberbury
1377–1378	Robert Simeon
1377 (Jan)	Sir Gilbert Wace
1380	John Harrowden
1381	Sir Thomas Blount
1382 (Oct)	Sir Gilbert Wace
1383 (Feb)	Sir Gilbert Wace	John Harrowden
1383 (Oct)	Sir Gilbert Wace	John Harrowden
1384 (Apr)	Sir Gilbert Wace
1384 (Nov)	Sir Gilbert Wace
1385	Sir Gilbert Wace
1386	Sir Richard Abberbury[1]	Sir Gilbert Wace[1]
1388 (Feb)	William Wilcotes[1]	Thomas Barantyn[1]
1388 (Sep)	Sir Thomas de la Poyle[1]	John Rede[1]
1390 (Jan)	William Wilcotes[1]	Thomas Barantyn[1]
1390 (Nov)	Sir Thomas de la Poyle[1]
1391	William Wilcotes[1]	John Rede[1]
1393	Sir Thomas Paynell[1]	Thomas Barantyn[1]
1394	William Wilcotes[1]	John Abberbury[1]
1395		William Bruley[1]
1397 (Jan)	John Abberbury[1]	Thomas Barantyn[1]
1397 (Sep)	William Wilcotes[1]	John Golafre[1]
1399	John Wilcotes[1]	Thomas Barantyn[1]
1401		Thomas Chaucer[1]
1402	Thomas Wykeham[1]
1404 (Jan)	Sir Peter Bessels[1]	William Mackney[1]
1404 (Oct)	Sir John Drayton[1]	John Wilcotes[1]
1406	Thomas Chaucer[1]
1407
1410		William Wilcotes[1]
1411		return lost[1]
1413 (Feb)	returns lost
1413 (May)	Thomas Chaucer	John Wilcotes [1]
1414 (Apr)	Sir William Lisle	John Wilcotes [1]
1414 (Nov)	Thomas Chaucer	John Wilcotes [1]
1415	returns lost
1416 (Mar)	Thomas Stonor	Sir Thomas Wykeham [1]
1416 (Oct)	returns lost
1417	Sir William Lisle	John Wilcotes [1]
1419	Thomas Stonor	John Wilcotes [1]
1420	John Danvers	Richard Greville [1]
1421 (May)	Thomas Chaucer	John Wilcotes [1]
1421 (Dec)	John Danvers	Peter Fettiplace [1]
1422	Sir Thomas Wykeham	Thomas Chaucer
1423	John Danvers	Peter Fettiplace
1425		Thomas Stonor
1426	Thomas Chaucer
1427	Thomas Stonor	Thomas Chaucer
1429	Thomas Stonor	Thomas Chaucer
1431	Thomas Stonor	Thomas Chaucer
1432	Richard Quatremain [2]
1433	Richard Quatremain [2]
1435	Peter Fettiplace	John Danvers[3]
1510–1523	No names known [4]
1529	Sir John Dauntesey	Sir William Barentyne [4]
1536
1539	William Fermor	John Welsborne[4]
1542	Sir John Williams	Edward __? [4]
1545
1547	Sir John Williams	Richard Fiennes [4]
1553 (Mar)	Sir Andrew Dudley	Sir John Williams [4]
1553 (Oct)	Sir John Williams	John Pollard[5][4]
1554 (Apr)	Sir Leonard Chamberlain	John Pollard[5][4]
1554 (Nov)	Sir Leonard Chamberlain	John Pollard[5][4]
1555	Sir Thomas Wenman	Edmund Powell [4]
1558	George Owen	Thomas Denton [4]
1559 (Jan)	Thomas Brydges	Edmund Ashfield[6]
1562 (Dec)	Sir Francis Knollys	Sir Richard Blount, died and replaced 1566 by Edward Unton [6]
1571	Sir Francis Knollys	Henry Norris[6]
1572 (Apr)	Sir Francis Knollys	Henry Knollys[6]
1584 (Nov)	Sir Francis Knollys	William Knollys[6]
1586 (Oct)	Sir Francis Knollys	Richard Fiennes[6]
1588	Sir Francis Knollys	Sir John Norreys[6]
1593	Sir Francis Knollys	Sir William Knollys[6]
1597 (Sep)	Sir William Knollys	Sir Richard Wenman[6]
1601 (Sep)	Sir William Knollys	Ralph Warcoppe[6]
1604	Lawrence Tanfield	John Doyley
1614	Sir Anthony Cope, 1st Baronet	Sir John Croke
1621	Sir Richard Wenman	Sir William Cope
1624	Sir William Cope	Sir Henry Poole
1625	Edward Wray	Sir Richard Wenman
1626	Hon. James Fiennes	Sir Thomas Wenman
1628	Hon. James Fiennes	Sir Francis Wenman
1629–1640	No Parliament

MPs 1640–1832

Year		First member	First party		Second member	Second party
April 1640		Hon. James Fiennes	Parliamentarian		Sir Francis Wenman
November 1640					The Viscount Wenman	Parliamentarian
December 1648	Fiennes and Wenman excluded in Pride's Purge – both seats vacant
Oxfordshire had 3 representatives in the nominated Barebones Parliament
1653	Sir Charles Wolseley, William Draper, Dr Jonathan Goddard
Oxfordshire had 5 MPs in the First and Second Parliaments of the Protectorate
1654	Robert Jenkinson, Charles Fleetwood, Colonel James Whitelocke, Nathaniel Fiennes, William Lenthall
1656	Robert Jenkinson, Lord Deputy Charles Fleetwood, William Lenthall, Miles Fleetwood, Sir Francis Norreys
Representation reverted to two MPs in the Third Protectorate Parliament
January 1659		Robert Jenkinson			The Viscount Falkland
May 1659	Not represented in the restored Rump
April 1660		The Viscount Wenman			Hon. James Fiennes
1661		The Viscount Falkland			Sir Anthony Cope
1663		William Knollys
1664		Sir Francis Wenman
1675					Sir Edward Norreys
February 1679		Sir John Cope
August 1679					Thomas Horde
1681		Sir Philip Harcourt
1685		The Viscount Falkland			Thomas Tipping
1689		Sir Robert Jenkinson			Sir John Cope
1690					Lord Norreys
1699					Sir Robert Dashwood
1701					Sir Edward Norreys
1708					Viscount Rialton
February 1710		Sir Robert Jenkinson
October 1710					Francis Clerke
1715					James Herbert
1717		Sir Banks Jenkinson
1721					Henry Perrot
1727		Sir William Stapleton
January 1740		Sir James Dashwood
February 1740					Viscount Quarendon
1743					Norreys Bertie
1754		Viscount Parker	Whig		Sir Edward Turner	Whig
1761		Lord Charles Spencer	Whig		Sir James Dashwood	Tory
1768					The Viscount Wenman
1790		Marquess of Blandford	Whig
1796		Lord Charles Spencer	Whig		John Fane	Tory[7]
1801		Lord Francis Spencer	Tory[7]
1815		William Henry Ashhurst	Tory[7]
1824 by-election					John Fane	Tory[7]
1830		Lord Norreys	Tory[7]
1831		George Harcourt	Whig[7]		Richard Weyland	Whig[7]
1832	Representation increased to three members

MPs 1832–1885

Election		First member	First party		Second member	Second party		Third member	Third party
1832		Montagu Bertie	Tory[7][8]		George Harcourt	Whig[7]		Richard Weyland	Whig[7][8]
1834			Conservative[7][8]
1835						Conservative[7]
1837								Thomas Parker	Conservative[7]
1841								J. W. Henley	Conservative[7]
1852		John North	Conservative
1857						Peelite[9][10][11]
1859						Liberal
1862 by-election					John Fane	Conservative
1868					William Cornwallis Cartwright	Liberal
1878 by-election								Edward Vernon Harcourt	Conservative
1885	Constituency abolished

Elections

The county franchise, from 1430, was held by the adult male owners of freehold land valued at 40 shillings or more. The bloc vote electoral system was used in two seat elections and first past the post for single member by-elections. Each elector had as many votes as there were seats to be filled. Votes had to be cast by a spoken declaration, in public, at the hustings, which took place in Oxford. The expense and difficulty of voting at only one location in the county, together with the lack of a secret ballot contributed to the corruption and intimidation of electors, which was widespread in the unreformed British political system.

The expense, to candidates and their supporters, of contested elections encouraged the leading families of the county to agree on the candidates to be returned unopposed whenever possible. Contested county elections were therefore unusual. The Tory Dukes of Marlborough, dominated the county from their seat at Blenheim Palace. One seat was usually held by a Spencer, the other by a local family acceptable to the Duke. Between 1700 and 1826 there was only one contest.

Election results

Note on percentage change calculations: Where there was only one candidate of a party in successive elections, for the same number of seats, change is calculated on the party percentage vote. Where there was more than one candidate, in one or both successive elections for the same number of seats, then change is calculated on the individual percentage vote.

Note on sources: The information for the election results given below is taken from Stooks Smith 1715–1754, Namier and Brooke 1754–1790 and Stooks Smith 1790–1832. From 1832 the principal source was Craig, with additional or different information from Stooks Smith included.

Election results 1715–1800

1710s – 1720s – 1730s – 1740s – 1750s – 1760s – 1770s – 1780s – 1790s

Elections in the 1710s

General election 1715: Oxfordshire (2 seats)

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±
	Non Partisan	Francis Clerke	Unopposed	N/A	N/A
	Non Partisan	Robert Jenkinson	Unopposed	N/A	N/A

• Death of Clerke

By-Election May 1715: Oxfordshire

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±
	Non Partisan	James Herbert	Unopposed	N/A	N/A
	Non Partisan hold		Swing	N/A

• Death of Jenkinson

By-Election November 1717: Oxfordshire

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±
	Non Partisan	Banks Jenkinson	Unopposed	N/A	N/A
	Non Partisan hold		Swing	N/A

Elections in the 1720s

• Death of Herbert

By-Election May 1722: Oxfordshire

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±
	Non Partisan	Henry Perrot	Unopposed	N/A	N/A
	Non Partisan hold		Swing	N/A

General election 1722: Oxfordshire (2 seats)

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±
	Non Partisan	Banks Jenkinson	Unopposed	N/A	N/A
	Non Partisan	Henry Perrot	Unopposed	N/A	N/A

General election 1727: Oxfordshire (2 seats)

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±
	Non Partisan	Henry Perrot	Unopposed	N/A	N/A
	Non Partisan	William Stapleton	Unopposed	N/A	N/A

Elections in the 1730s

General election 1734: Oxfordshire (2 seats)

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±
	Non Partisan	Henry Perrot	Unopposed	N/A	N/A
	Non Partisan	William Stapleton	Unopposed	N/A	N/A

• Death of Stapleton

By-Election January 1739: Oxfordshire

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±
	Non Partisan	James Dashwood	Unopposed	N/A	N/A
	Non Partisan hold		Swing	N/A

• Death of Perrot

By-Election February 1739: Oxfordshire

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±
	Non Partisan	George Lee	Unopposed	N/A	N/A
	Non Partisan hold		Swing	N/A

Elections in the 1740s

General election 1741: Oxfordshire (2 seats)

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±
	Non Partisan	James Dashwood	Unopposed	N/A	N/A
	Non Partisan	George Lee	Unopposed	N/A	N/A

• Succession of Quarendon to the peerage as The 3rd Earl of Lichfield

By-Election February 1742: Oxfordshire

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±
	Non Partisan	Norris Bertie	Unopposed	N/A	N/A
	Non Partisan hold		Swing	N/A

General election 1747: Oxfordshire (2 seats)

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±
	Non Partisan	James Dashwood	Unopposed	N/A	N/A
	Non Partisan	Norris Bertie	Unopposed	N/A	N/A

Elections in the 1750s

General Election 17 April 1754: Oxfordshire (2 seats)

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±
	Tory	Philip Wenman	2,033	25.88	N/A
	Tory	James Dashwood	2,014	25.64	N/A
	Whig	Thomas Parker	1,919	24.43	N/A
	Whig	Edward Turner	1,890	24.06	N/A
Turnout			7,856	N/A	N/A

• Wenman was a Peer of Ireland. There was a double return (of all four candidates) after the most hotly contested county election of the century. The disputed election was decided by the House of Commons on petition, with Parker and Turner being declared duly elected on 23 April 1755.

Elections in the 1760s

General election 8 April 1761: Oxfordshire (2 seats)

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±
	Whig	Charles Spencer	Unopposed	N/A	N/A
	Tory	James Dashwood	Unopposed	N/A	N/A

• Seat vacated on Spencer being appointed Ranger of Windsor Forest.

By-Election 12 January 1763: Oxfordshire

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±
	Whig	Charles Spencer	Unopposed	N/A	N/A
	Whig hold		Swing	N/A

• Seat vacated on Spencer being appointed Comptroller of the Household.

By-Election April 1763: Oxfordshire

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±
	Whig	Charles Spencer	Unopposed	N/A	N/A
	Whig hold		Swing	N/A

• Note (April 1763): By-election in Stooks Smith, but not in Namier and Brooke.

General election 30 March 1768: Oxfordshire (2 seats)

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±
	Non Partisan	Charles Spencer	Unopposed	N/A	N/A
	Non Partisan	Philip Wenman	Unopposed	N/A	N/A

• Wenman was a peer of Ireland

Elections in the 1770s

General election 19 October 1774: Oxfordshire (2 seats)

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±
	Non Partisan	Charles Spencer	Unopposed	N/A	N/A
	Non Partisan	Philip Wenman	Unopposed	N/A	N/A

• Seat vacated on the appointment of Spencer as Treasurer of the Chamber

By-Election 22 December 1779: Oxfordshire

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±
	Non Partisan	Charles Spencer	Unopposed	N/A	N/A
	Non Partisan hold		Swing	N/A

Elections in the 1780s

General election 27 September 1780: Oxfordshire (2 seats)

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±
	Non Partisan	Charles Spencer	Unopposed	N/A	N/A
	Non Partisan	Philip Wenman	Unopposed	N/A	N/A

• Seat vacated on the appointment of Spencer as a Vice Treasurer of Ireland

By-Election 18 December 1782: Oxfordshire

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±
	Non Partisan	Charles Spencer	Unopposed	N/A	N/A
	Non Partisan hold		Swing	N/A

General election 7 April 1784: Oxfordshire (2 seats)

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±
	Non Partisan	Charles Spencer	Unopposed	N/A	N/A
	Non Partisan	Philip Wenman	Unopposed	N/A	N/A

Elections in the 1790s

General election 1790: Oxfordshire (2 seats)

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±
	Non Partisan	Philip Wenman	Unopposed	N/A	N/A
	Non Partisan	George Spencer-Churchill	Unopposed	N/A	N/A

General election 1796: Oxfordshire (2 seats)

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±
	Non Partisan	Charles Spencer	Unopposed	N/A	N/A
	Non Partisan	John Fane	Unopposed	N/A	N/A

Election results 1801–1885

1800s – 1810s – 1820s – 1830s – 1840s – 1850s – 1860s – 1870s – 1880s

Elections in the 1800s

• Seat vacated on the appointment of Spencer as Postmaster General

By-Election February 1801: Oxfordshire

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±
	Non Partisan	Francis Spencer	Unopposed	N/A	N/A
	Non Partisan hold		Swing	N/A

General election 1802: Oxfordshire (2 seats)

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±
	Tory	John Fane	Unopposed	N/A	N/A
	Tory	Francis Spencer	Unopposed	N/A	N/A

General election 1806: Oxfordshire (2 seats)

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±
	Tory	John Fane	Unopposed	N/A	N/A
	Tory	Francis Spencer	Unopposed	N/A	N/A

General election 1807: Oxfordshire (2 seats)

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±
	Tory	John Fane	Unopposed	N/A	N/A
	Tory	Francis Spencer	Unopposed	N/A	N/A

Elections in the 1810s

General election 1812: Oxfordshire (2 seats)

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±
	Tory	John Fane	Unopposed	N/A	N/A
	Tory	Francis Spencer	Unopposed	N/A	N/A

• Creation of Spencer as 1st Baron Churchill

By-Election February 1816: Oxfordshire

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±
	Tory	William Henry Ashurst	Unopposed	N/A	N/A
	Tory hold		Swing	N/A

General election 1818: Oxfordshire (2 seats)

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±
	Tory	John Fane	Unopposed	N/A	N/A
	Tory	William Henry Ashurst	Unopposed	N/A	N/A

Elections in the 1820s

General election 1820: Oxfordshire (2 seats)

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±
	Tory	John Fane	Unopposed	N/A	N/A
	Tory	William Henry Ashurst	Unopposed	N/A	N/A

• Death of Fane

By-Election February 1824: Oxfordshire

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±
	Tory	John Fane	Unopposed	N/A	N/A
	Tory hold		Swing	N/A

General election 1826: Oxfordshire (2 seats)

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±
	Tory	William Henry Ashurst	1,329	36.36	N/A
	Tory	John Fane	1,268	34.69	N/A
	Whig	George Frederick Stratton	1,058	28.95	N/A
Turnout			3,655 (2,295 voted)	N/A	N/A

Note (1826): Stooks Smith records that the polls were open for three days

Elections in the 1830s

General election 1830: Oxfordshire (2 seats)[7][12]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±
	Tory	John Fane	1,904	39.9
	Tory	Montagu Bertie	1,618	33.9
	Whig	George Dashwood	1,246	26.1
Majority			372	7.8
Turnout			2,762	c. 78.9
Registered electors			c. 3,500
	Tory hold		Swing
	Tory hold		Swing

General election 1831: Oxfordshire (2 seats)[7][12]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±
	Whig	George Harcourt	1,782	37.2	+24.1
	Whig	Richard Weyland	1,688	35.3	+22.2
	Tory	Montagu Bertie	1,316	27.5	−46.3
Majority			372	7.8	±0.0
Turnout			2,934	c. 83.8	c. +4.9
Registered electors			c. 3,500
	Whig gain from Tory		Swing	+23.6
	Whig gain from Tory		Swing	+22.7

• Note (1831): Stooks Smith records that the polls were open for three days
• Representation increased to three seats under the Reform Act 1832

General election 1832: Oxfordshire (3 seats)[13][7]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Whig	George Harcourt	Unopposed
	Whig	Richard Weyland	Unopposed
	Tory	Montagu Bertie	Unopposed
Registered electors			4,721
	Whig hold
	Whig hold
	Tory win (new seat)

General election 1835: Oxfordshire (3 seats)[13][7]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Whig	Richard Weyland	Unopposed
	Conservative	George Harcourt	Unopposed
	Conservative	Montagu Bertie	Unopposed
Registered electors			4,716
	Whig hold
	Conservative hold
	Conservative gain from Whig

• Note (1835): For this election Stooks Smith records the number of registered electors as 5,164 instead of the number given by Craig used above.

General election 1837: Oxfordshire (3 seats)[13][7]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Conservative	Montagu Bertie	3,002	29.7
	Conservative	George Harcourt	2,885	28.5
	Conservative	Thomas Parker	2,767	27.4
	Whig	Thomas Stonor	1,458	14.4
Majority			1,309	12.9
Turnout			4,125	78.5
Registered electors			5,253
	Conservative hold
	Conservative hold
	Conservative gain from Whig

Elections in the 1840s

General election 1841: Oxfordshire (3 seats)[13]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±
	Conservative	George Harcourt	Unopposed
	Conservative	J. W. Henley	Unopposed
	Conservative	Montagu Bertie	Unopposed
Registered electors			5,809
	Conservative hold
	Conservative hold
	Conservative hold

• Note (1841): Stooks Smith records the number of registered electors as 5,721 instead of the number given by Craig used above.

General election 1847: Oxfordshire (3 seats)[13]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±
	Conservative	George Harcourt	Unopposed
	Conservative	J. W. Henley	Unopposed
	Conservative	Montagu Bertie	Unopposed
Registered electors			5,384
	Conservative hold
	Conservative hold
	Conservative hold

Elections in the 1850s

• Seat vacated on the appointment of Henley as President of the Board of Trade

By-election, 10 March 1852: Oxfordshire[13]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±
	Conservative	J. W. Henley	Unopposed
	Conservative hold

General election 1852: Oxfordshire (3 seats)[13]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±
	Conservative	J. W. Henley	2,328	35.6	N/A
	Conservative	John North	2,218	33.9	N/A
	Conservative	George Harcourt	1,313	20.1	N/A
	Conservative	Montagu Bertie	681	10.4	N/A
Majority			632	9.7	N/A
Turnout			2,180 (est)	41.9 (est)	N/A
Registered electors			5,198
	Conservative hold		Swing	N/A
	Conservative hold		Swing	N/A
	Conservative hold		Swing	N/A

Note (1852): The minimum possible turnout is estimated by dividing the number of votes cast by three. To the extent that electors did not use all their three possible votes the figure given will be an underestimate of the true turnout

General election 1857: Oxfordshire (3 seats)[13]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±
	Peelite	George Harcourt	Unopposed
	Conservative	J. W. Henley	Unopposed
	Conservative	John North	Unopposed
Registered electors			5,119
	Peelite gain from Conservative
	Conservative hold
	Conservative hold

• Seat vacated on the appointment of Henley as President of the Board of Trade

By-election, 6 March 1858: Oxfordshire[13]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±
	Conservative	J. W. Henley	Unopposed
	Conservative hold

General election 1859: Oxfordshire (3 seats)[13]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±
	Liberal	George Harcourt	Unopposed
	Conservative	J. W. Henley	Unopposed
	Conservative	John North	Unopposed
Registered electors			5,123
	Liberal hold
	Conservative hold
	Conservative hold

Elections in the 1860s

• Death of Harcourt

By-election, 3 February 1862: Oxfordshire[13]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±
	Conservative	John Fane	1,909	52.6	N/A
	Liberal	Henry Dashwood	1,722	47.4	N/A
Majority			187	5.2	N/A
Turnout			3,631	72.5	N/A
Registered electors			5,010
	Conservative gain from Liberal		Swing	N/A

General election 1865: Oxfordshire (3 seats)[13]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±
	Conservative	John Fane	Unopposed
	Conservative	J. W. Henley	Unopposed
	Conservative	John North	Unopposed
Registered electors			5,798
	Conservative hold
	Conservative hold
	Conservative gain from Liberal

• The Reform Act 1867 expanded the electorate and introduced the limited vote for three seat constituencies (reducing the maximum number of votes per elector from three to two).

General election 1868: Oxfordshire (3 seats)[13]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±
	Liberal	William Cornwallis Cartwright	Unopposed
	Conservative	J. W. Henley	Unopposed
	Conservative	John North	Unopposed
Registered electors			7,663
	Liberal gain from Conservative
	Conservative hold
	Conservative hold

Elections in the 1870s

General election 1874: Oxfordshire (3 seats)[13]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±
	Liberal	William Cornwallis Cartwright	Unopposed
	Conservative	J. W. Henley	Unopposed
	Conservative	John North	Unopposed
Registered electors			7,554
	Liberal hold
	Conservative hold
	Conservative hold

• Seat vacated on the resignation of Henley

By-Election 5 February 1878: Oxfordshire[13]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±
	Conservative	Edward Vernon Harcourt	Unopposed
	Conservative hold

Elections in the 1880s

General election 1880: Oxfordshire (3 seats)[13]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±
	Liberal	William Cornwallis Cartwright	Unopposed
	Conservative	Edward Vernon Harcourt	Unopposed
	Conservative	John North	Unopposed
Registered electors			7,495
	Liberal hold
	Conservative hold
	Conservative hold

• Electorate expanded by the Representation of the People Act 1884 and constituency split into single member divisions by the Redistribution of Seats Act 1885, with effect from the 1885 United Kingdom general election.

See also

• List of former United Kingdom Parliamentary constituencies

Sources

• Leigh Rayment's Historical List of MPs – Constituencies beginning with "O"

References

• 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)
• The House of Commons 1754–1790, by Sir Lewis Namier and John Brooke (HMSO 1964)
• The Parliaments of England by Henry Stooks Smith (1st edition published in three volumes 1844–50), second edition edited (in one volume) by F.W.S. Craig (Political Reference Publications 1973)) out of copyright
• Who's Who of British Members of Parliament: Volume I 1832–1885, edited by M. Stenton (The Harvester Press 1976)
• Who's Who of British Members of Parliament, Volume II 1886–1918, edited by M. Stenton and S. Lees (Harvester Press 1978)
• Concise Dictionary of National Biography (1930)
• List of members nominated for Parliament of 1653 at British History Online
• D Brunton & D H Pennington, Members of the Long Parliament (London: George Allen & Unwin, 1954)
• John Cannon, Parliamentary Reform 1640–1832 (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1972)
• Cobbett's Parliamentary history of England, from the Norman Conquest in 1066 to the year 1803 (London: Thomas Hansard, 1808)
• Maija Jansson (ed.), Proceedings in Parliament, 1614 (House of Commons) (Philadelphia: American Philosophical Society, 1988)
• J. E. Neale, The Elizabethan House of Commons (London: Jonathan Cape, 1949)

Notes

1. Woodger, L. S. (1993). "Oxfordshire". In Clark, Linda; Rawcliffe, Carole; Roskell, J. S. (eds.). The House of Commons 1386-1421. The History of Parliament Trust.
2. "A History of the County of Oxford: Volume 7: Dorchester and Thame hundreds". British History Online. Retrieved 11 November 2012.
3. HoP biog
4. "History of Parliament". Retrieved 10 September 2011.
5. "Pollard, John" . Dictionary of National Biography. London: Smith, Elder & Co. 1885–1900.
6. "History of Parliament". Retrieved 10 September 2011.
7. Stooks Smith, Henry (1845). The Parliaments of England, from 1st George I., to the Present Time. Vol II: Oxfordshire to Wales Inclusive. London: Simpkin, Marshall, & Co. pp. 1–3. Retrieved 27 May 2019 – via Google Books.
8. Mosse, Richard Bartholomew (1836). The Parliamentary Guide: a concise history of the Members of both Houses, etc. pp. 129, 181. Retrieved 27 May 2019 – via Google Books.
9. "Election Intelligence". Wells Journal. 28 March 1857. p. 2. Retrieved 12 August 2018 – via British Newspaper Archive.
10. Gardiner, A. G. (1923). The Life of Sir William Harcourt: Volume I (1827–1886). London: Constable & Company. p. 12. Retrieved 12 August 2018.
11. "Constituencies and Candidates". Liverpool Mercury. 25 March 1857. p. 3. Retrieved 12 August 2018 – via British Newspaper Archive.
12. Fisher, David R. "Oxfordshire". The History of Parliament. Retrieved 2 May 2020.
13. Craig, F. W. S., ed. (1977). British Parliamentary Election Results 1832-1885 (e-book)|format= requires |url= (help) (1st ed.). London: Macmillan Press. pp. 442–443. ISBN 978-1-349-02349-3.