EveryElectionResult.com

Election results, country by country.

Rye — UK General Election Results

Compiled by EveryElectionResult.com's data team · Last updated 2026-08-30

Rye was won by Conservative at the 1979 general election, with a majority of 23,078 votes over Liberal. This page covers every general election in Rye from 1832 to 1979.

Full Election History, 1832–1979

Election Elected Votes Vote Share Runner-up Majority Turnout
1832 Edward Barrett Curteis (Whig) 162 55.9% George de Lacy Evans (Radical) 34 (11.7 pts) 68.7%
1835 Edward Barrett Curteis (Whig) 211 67.6% Thomas Gybbon Monypenny (Conservative) 110 (35.3 pts) 66.2%
1837 Thomas Gybbon Monypenny (Conservative) Elected unopposed — no other candidate stood, no vote count on record 0.0%
1841 Herbert Barrett Curteis (Whig) 262 70.8% Charles Hay Frewen (Conservative) 154 (41.6 pts) 64.7%
1847 Herbert Barrett Curteis (Whig) 239 67.9% Benjamin Bacon Williams (Conservative) 126 (35.8 pts) 61.3%
1852 William Alexander Mackinnon (Whig) 240 53.6% Richard Curteis Pomfret (Conservative) 32 (7.1 pts) 79.7%
1857 William Alexander Mackinnon (Peelite) Elected unopposed — no other candidate stood, no vote count on record 0.0%
1859 William Alexander Mackinnon (Liberal) Elected unopposed — no other candidate stood, no vote count on record 0.0%
1865 Lauchlan Bellingham Mackinnon (Liberal) 180 51.1% William Macdonald Macdonald (Conservative) 8 (2.3 pts) 94.4%
1868 John Stewart Hardy (Conservative) 513 50.7% William Jones-Loyd (Liberal) 14 (1.4 pts) 83.8%
1874 John Stewart Hardy (Conservative) 597 52.6% Albert Fytche (Liberal) 58 (5.1 pts) 88.3%
1880 Frederick Andrew Inderwick (Liberal) 626 50.3% John Stewart Gathorne-Hardy (Conservative) 8 (0.6 pts) 89.6%
1885 Arthur Montagu Brookfield (Conservative) 4,526 51.3% Frederick Andrew Inderwick (Liberal) 223 (2.5 pts) 85.7%
1886 Arthur Montagu Brookfield (Conservative) 4,592 59.7% George Julius de Reuter (Liberal) 1,498 (19.5 pts) 74.6%
1892 Arthur Montagu Brookfield (Conservative) 4,699 54.1% George Ball (Liberal-Labour) 711 (8.2 pts) 77.8%
1895 Arthur Montagu Brookfield (Conservative) Elected unopposed — no other candidate stood, no vote count on record 0.0%
1900 Arthur Montagu Brookfield (Conservative) 5,376 65.1% Charles Frederick Hutchinson (Liberal) 2,489 (30.1 pts) 69.7%
1906 George Loyd Courthope (Conservative) 6,122 55.2% Charles Frederick Hutchinson (Liberal) 1,158 (10.4 pts) 86.3%
Jan 1910 George Loyd Courthope (Conservative) 7,352 60.8% John Hutchinson (Liberal) 2,602 (21.5 pts) 88.0%
Dec 1910 George Loyd Courthope (Conservative) 6,673 59.9% John Hutchinson (Liberal) 2,212 (19.9 pts) 81.0%
1918 George Loyd Courthope (Unionist) 10,378 72.0% George Ellis (Liberal) 6,344 (44.0 pts) 53.1%
1922 George Loyd Courthope (Unionist) 10,922 59.3% George Ellis (Liberal) 3,434 (18.6 pts) 62.4%
1923 George Loyd Courthope (Unionist) 11,167 53.6% George Ellis (Liberal) 1,516 (7.3 pts) 69.4%
1924 George Loyd Courthope (Unionist) 14,871 67.1% George Ellis (Liberal) 7,582 (34.2 pts) 71.2%
1929 George Loyd Courthope (Unionist) 18,061 56.9% William Osborn (Liberal) 7,863 (24.8 pts) 72.2%
1931 George Loyd Courthope (Conservative) Elected unopposed — no other candidate stood, no vote count on record 0.0%
1935 George Loyd Courthope (Conservative) 22,604 71.2% Dorothy Frances Osborn (Liberal) 13,442 (42.3 pts) 64.2%
1945 William Nicholson Cuthbert (Conservative) 19,701 58.6% Ernest Bernard Simmons (Labour) 12,287 (36.5 pts) 70.8%
1955 Bryant Godman Irvine (Conservative) 28,500 73.0% Trevor Payne (Labour) 17,940 (45.9 pts) 73.4%
1959 Bryant Godman Irvine (Conservative) 27,465 64.8% John R Murray (Liberal) 19,916 (47.0 pts) 77.6%
1964 Bryant Godman Irvine (Conservative) 27,240 59.8% Kenneth Grenville Wellings (Liberal) 16,976 (37.3 pts) 77.4%
1966 Bryant Irvine (Conservative) 27,056 58.6% Kenneth Wellings (Liberal) 17,099 (37.0 pts) 75.7%
1970 Bryant Irvine (Conservative) 32,300 64.2% Harry Fountain (Labour) 23,269 (46.3 pts) 73.9%
Feb 1974 Bryant Irvine (Conservative) 33,591 57.9% David Moore (Liberal) 16,135 (27.8 pts) 80.0%
Oct 1974 Bryant Irvine (Conservative) 30,511 56.9% David Moore (Liberal) 15,683 (29.2 pts) 74.2%
1979 Bryant Irvine (Conservative) 35,516 62.7% David Moore (Liberal) 23,078 (40.8 pts) 77.1%

Full Result Breakdown by Election

1832

CandidatePartyVotesShareElected
Edward Barrett Curteis Whig 16255.9% Yes
George de Lacy Evans Radical 12844.1% No

1835

CandidatePartyVotesShareElected
Edward Barrett Curteis Whig 21167.6% Yes
Thomas Gybbon Monypenny Conservative 10132.4% No

1837

CandidatePartyVotesShareElected
Thomas Gybbon Monypenny Conservative Unopposed Yes

1841

CandidatePartyVotesShareElected
Herbert Barrett Curteis Whig 26270.8% Yes
Charles Hay Frewen Conservative 10829.2% No

1847

CandidatePartyVotesShareElected
Herbert Barrett Curteis Whig 23967.9% Yes
Benjamin Bacon Williams Conservative 11332.1% No

1852

CandidatePartyVotesShareElected
William Alexander Mackinnon Whig 24053.6% Yes
Richard Curteis Pomfret Conservative 20846.4% No

1857

CandidatePartyVotesShareElected
William Alexander Mackinnon Peelite Unopposed Yes

1859

CandidatePartyVotesShareElected
William Alexander Mackinnon Liberal Unopposed Yes

1865

CandidatePartyVotesShareElected
Lauchlan Bellingham Mackinnon Liberal 18051.1% Yes
William Macdonald Macdonald Conservative 17248.9% No

1868

CandidatePartyVotesShareElected
John Stewart Hardy Conservative 51350.7% Yes
William Jones-Loyd Liberal 49949.3% No

1874

CandidatePartyVotesShareElected
John Stewart Hardy Conservative 59752.6% Yes
Albert Fytche Liberal 53947.4% No

1880

CandidatePartyVotesShareElected
Frederick Andrew Inderwick Liberal 62650.3% Yes
John Stewart Gathorne-Hardy Conservative 61849.7% No

1885

CandidatePartyVotesShareElected
Arthur Montagu Brookfield Conservative 4,52651.3% Yes
Frederick Andrew Inderwick Liberal 4,30348.7% No

1886

CandidatePartyVotesShareElected
Arthur Montagu Brookfield Conservative 4,59259.7% Yes
George Julius de Reuter Liberal 3,09440.3% No

1892

CandidatePartyVotesShareElected
Arthur Montagu Brookfield Conservative 4,69954.1% Yes
George Ball Liberal-Labour 3,98845.9% No

1895

CandidatePartyVotesShareElected
Arthur Montagu Brookfield Conservative Unopposed Yes

1900

CandidatePartyVotesShareElected
Arthur Montagu Brookfield Conservative 5,37665.1% Yes
Charles Frederick Hutchinson Liberal 2,88734.9% No

1906

CandidatePartyVotesShareElected
George Loyd Courthope Conservative 6,12255.2% Yes
Charles Frederick Hutchinson Liberal 4,96444.8% No

Jan 1910

CandidatePartyVotesShareElected
George Loyd Courthope Conservative 7,35260.8% Yes
John Hutchinson Liberal 4,75039.2% No

Dec 1910

CandidatePartyVotesShareElected
George Loyd Courthope Conservative 6,67359.9% Yes
John Hutchinson Liberal 4,46140.1% No

1918

CandidatePartyVotesShareElected
George Loyd Courthope Unionist 10,37872.0% Yes
George Ellis Liberal 4,03428.0% No

1922

CandidatePartyVotesShareElected
George Loyd Courthope Unionist 10,92259.3% Yes
George Ellis Liberal 7,48840.7% No

1923

CandidatePartyVotesShareElected
George Loyd Courthope Unionist 11,16753.6% Yes
George Ellis Liberal 9,65146.4% No

1924

CandidatePartyVotesShareElected
George Loyd Courthope Unionist 14,87167.1% Yes
George Ellis Liberal 7,28932.9% No

1929

CandidatePartyVotesShareElected
George Loyd Courthope Unionist 18,06156.9% Yes
William Osborn Liberal 10,19832.1% No
George Greenwood Labour 3,50511.0% No

1931

CandidatePartyVotesShareElected
George Loyd Courthope Conservative Unopposed Yes

1935

CandidatePartyVotesShareElected
George Loyd Courthope Conservative 22,60471.2% Yes
Dorothy Frances Osborn Liberal 9,16228.8% No

1945

CandidatePartyVotesShareElected
William Nicholson Cuthbert Conservative 19,70158.6% Yes
Ernest Bernard Simmons Labour 7,41422.0% No
Ronald Ogden Liberal 6,53019.4% No

1955

CandidatePartyVotesShareElected
Bryant Godman Irvine Conservative 28,50073.0% Yes
Trevor Payne Labour 10,56027.0% No

1959

CandidatePartyVotesShareElected
Bryant Godman Irvine Conservative 27,46564.8% Yes
John R Murray Liberal 7,54917.8% No
Douglas Sidney Tilbé Labour 7,35917.4% No

1964

CandidatePartyVotesShareElected
Bryant Godman Irvine Conservative 27,24059.8% Yes
Kenneth Grenville Wellings Liberal 10,26422.5% No
Anthony Edmund Arblaster Labour 8,01417.6% No

1966

CandidatePartyVotesShareElected
Bryant Irvine Conservative 27,05658.6% Yes
Kenneth Wellings Liberal 9,95721.6% No
David Collins Labour 9,15519.8% No

1970

CandidatePartyVotesShareElected
Bryant Irvine Conservative 32,30064.2% Yes
Harry Fountain Labour 9,03118.0% No
Robin Young Liberal 8,94717.8% No

Feb 1974

CandidatePartyVotesShareElected
Bryant Irvine Conservative 33,59157.9% Yes
David Moore Liberal 17,45630.1% No
Robert William Harris Labour 6,96712.0% No

Oct 1974

CandidatePartyVotesShareElected
Bryant Irvine Conservative 30,51156.9% Yes
David Moore Liberal 14,82827.6% No
David William Threlfall Labour 8,30315.5% No

1979

CandidatePartyVotesShareElected
Bryant Irvine Conservative 35,51662.7% Yes
David Moore Liberal 12,43822.0% No
Derek Smyth Labour 6,85212.1% No
Anne Rix Green 1,2672.2% No
Thomas Duesbury National Front 5521.0% No

Margin Over Time

Winning margin (percentage points) at each election, coloured by the winning party.

1832: Whig margin 11.7 pts 1835: Whig margin 35.3 pts 1841: Whig margin 41.6 pts 1847: Whig margin 35.8 pts 1852: Whig margin 7.1 pts 1865: Liberal margin 2.3 pts 1868: Conservative margin 1.4 pts 1874: Conservative margin 5.1 pts 1880: Liberal margin 0.6 pts 1885: Conservative margin 2.5 pts 1886: Conservative margin 19.5 pts 1892: Conservative margin 8.2 pts 1900: Conservative margin 30.1 pts 1906: Conservative margin 10.4 pts Jan 1910: Conservative margin 21.5 pts Dec 1910: Conservative margin 19.9 pts 1918: Unionist margin 44.0 pts 1922: Unionist margin 18.6 pts 1923: Unionist margin 7.3 pts 1924: Unionist margin 34.2 pts 1929: Unionist margin 24.8 pts 1935: Conservative margin 42.3 pts 1945: Conservative margin 36.5 pts 1955: Conservative margin 45.9 pts 1959: Conservative margin 47.0 pts 1964: Conservative margin 37.3 pts 1966: Conservative margin 37.0 pts 1970: Conservative margin 46.3 pts Feb 1974: Conservative margin 27.8 pts Oct 1974: Conservative margin 29.2 pts 1979: Conservative margin 40.8 pts 1832 1835 1841 1847 1852 1865 1868 1874 1880 1885 1886 1892 1900 1906 Jan 1910 Dec 1910 1918 1922 1923 1924 1929 1935 1945 1955 1959 1964 1966 1970 Feb 1974 Oct 1974 1979

Trend

Rye has been contested at 36 general elections on record since 1832. Parties that have won a seat here over that span: Whig, Conservative, Peelite, Liberal, Unionist.

Frequently Asked Questions

Who won Rye in the 1979 general election?

Conservative won Rye in 1979 with 35,516 votes (62.7%), a majority of 23,078 votes over Liberal in second place.

Which parties have won Rye since 1832?

Since 1832, Rye has been won by: Conservative, Liberal, Peelite, Unionist, Whig.

What was the closest result in Rye?

The closest result on record for Rye was 1880, when Liberal beat Conservative by just 8 votes (0.6 percentage points).

Related Pages