Sudbury — UK General Election Results
Sudbury was won by Labour at the 1945 general election, with a majority of 247 votes over Conservative. This page covers every general election in Sudbury from 1832 to 1945.
This constituency elected more than one MP at once in some years. Before the Redistribution of Seats Act 1885 (and in a shrinking number of boroughs through 1948), most UK constituencies elected two or more MPs together by "multi-member plurality" (block vote): each elector could cast one vote per available seat, and the top vote-getters overall were all elected. In those elections below, "Elected" lists every MP returned, "Votes" is the count that secured the last seat, and "Majority" is the gap between that seat and the first candidate who missed out.
Full Election History, 1832–1945
| Election | Elected | Votes | Vote Share | Runner-up | Majority | Turnout |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1832 | Michael Angelo Taylor (Whig); John Benn Walsh (Conservative) | 253 | 33.0% (top seat) | Digby Cayley Wrangham (Conservative) | 19 (2.4 pts) | 78.2% |
| 1835 | John Bagshaw (Whig); Benjamin Leigh Smith (Whig) | 251 | 28.4% (top seat) | Edward Barnes (Conservative) | 10 (1.0 pts) | 90.6% |
| 1837 | Edward Barnes (Conservative); James John Hamilton (Conservative) | 342 | 42.1% (top seat) | William Abel Smith (Whig) | 191 (21.6 pts) | 73.8% |
| 1841 | Frederick Villiers Meynell (Whig); David Ochterlony Dyce Sombre (Whig) | 281 | 25.5% (top seat) | David Jones (Conservative) | 7 (0.6 pts) | 92.3% |
| 1885 | William Cuthbert Quilter (Liberal) | 4,913 | 58.7% | Thomas Weller Poley (Conservative) | 1,452 (17.3 pts) | 79.6% |
| 1886 | William Cuthbert Quilter (Liberal Unionist) | Elected unopposed — no other candidate stood, no vote count on record | 0.0% | |||
| 1892 | William Cuthbert Quilter (Liberal Unionist) | 5,111 | 63.8% | Arthur Graeme Ogilvie (Liberal) | 2,206 (27.5 pts) | 75.4% |
| 1895 | William Cuthbert Quilter (Liberal Unionist) | Elected unopposed — no other candidate stood, no vote count on record | 0.0% | |||
| 1900 | William Cuthbert Quilter (Liberal Unionist) | Elected unopposed — no other candidate stood, no vote count on record | 0.0% | |||
| 1906 | William Charles Heaton-Armstrong (Liberal) | 4,201 | 50.8% | William Cuthbert Quilter (Liberal Unionist) | 136 (1.7 pts) | 81.7% |
| Jan 1910 | William Eley Cuthbert Quilter (Conservative) | 5,026 | 55.9% | Francis Wrigley Hirst (Liberal) | 1,068 (11.9 pts) | 89.5% |
| Dec 1910 | William Eley Cuthbert Quilter (Conservative) | Elected unopposed — no other candidate stood, no vote count on record | 0.0% | |||
| 1918 | Stephen Goodwin Howard (Liberal) | 6,656 | 52.0% | Richard George Proby (Unionist) | 910 (7.1 pts) | 48.4% |
| 1922 | Herbert Mercer (Unionist) | 7,298 | 47.0% | Stephen Goodwin Howard (National Liberal) | 1,888 (12.2 pts) | 59.3% |
| 1923 | John Frederick Loverseed (Liberal) | 8,813 | 52.0% | Herbert Mercer (Unionist) | 665 (3.9 pts) | 63.8% |
| 1924 | Henry Walter Burton (Unionist) | 10,579 | 53.6% | John Frederick Loverseed (Liberal) | 1,411 (7.1 pts) | 73.3% |
| 1929 | Henry Walter Burton (Unionist) | 9,715 | 40.2% | Alan John Sainsbury (Liberal) | 1,406 (5.8 pts) | 75.9% |
| 1931 | Henry Walter Burton (Conservative) | 13,500 | 55.3% | Alan John Sainsbury (Liberal) | 2,571 (10.5 pts) | 76.7% |
| 1935 | Henry Walter Burton (Conservative) | 11,700 | 49.3% | Alan John Sainsbury (Liberal) | 3,356 (14.1 pts) | 72.8% |
| 1945 | Roland Hamilton (Labour) | 9,906 | 40.3% | Henry Walter Burton (Conservative) | 247 (1.0 pts) | 69.5% |
Full Result Breakdown by Election
1832 (2 seats)
| Candidate | Party | Votes | Share | Elected |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Michael Angelo Taylor | Whig | 263 | 33.0% | Yes |
| John Benn Walsh | Conservative | 253 | 31.8% | Yes |
| Digby Cayley Wrangham | Conservative | 234 | 29.4% | No |
| John Bagshaw | Whig | 46 | 5.8% | No |
1835 (2 seats)
| Candidate | Party | Votes | Share | Elected |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| John Bagshaw | Whig | 285 | 28.4% | Yes |
| Benjamin Leigh Smith | Whig | 251 | 25.0% | Yes |
| Edward Barnes | Conservative | 241 | 24.0% | No |
| Stephens Lyne-Stephens | Conservative | 227 | 22.6% | No |
1837 (2 seats)
| Candidate | Party | Votes | Share | Elected |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Edward Barnes | Conservative | 372 | 42.1% | Yes |
| James John Hamilton | Conservative | 342 | 38.7% | Yes |
| William Abel Smith | Whig | 151 | 17.1% | No |
| Thomas Edward Mitchell Turton | Whig | 19 | 2.1% | No |
1841 (2 seats)
| Candidate | Party | Votes | Share | Elected |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Frederick Villiers Meynell | Whig | 284 | 25.5% | Yes |
| David Ochterlony Dyce Sombre | Whig | 281 | 25.2% | Yes |
| David Jones | Conservative | 274 | 24.6% | No |
| Charles Taylor | Conservative | 274 | 24.6% | No |
1885
| Candidate | Party | Votes | Share | Elected |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| William Cuthbert Quilter | Liberal | 4,913 | 58.7% | Yes |
| Thomas Weller Poley | Conservative | 3,461 | 41.3% | No |
1886
| Candidate | Party | Votes | Share | Elected |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| William Cuthbert Quilter | Liberal Unionist | Unopposed | Yes | |
1892
| Candidate | Party | Votes | Share | Elected |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| William Cuthbert Quilter | Liberal Unionist | 5,111 | 63.8% | Yes |
| Arthur Graeme Ogilvie | Liberal | 2,905 | 36.2% | No |
1895
| Candidate | Party | Votes | Share | Elected |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| William Cuthbert Quilter | Liberal Unionist | Unopposed | Yes | |
1900
| Candidate | Party | Votes | Share | Elected |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| William Cuthbert Quilter | Liberal Unionist | Unopposed | Yes | |
1906
| Candidate | Party | Votes | Share | Elected |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| William Charles Heaton-Armstrong | Liberal | 4,201 | 50.8% | Yes |
| William Cuthbert Quilter | Liberal Unionist | 4,065 | 49.2% | No |
Jan 1910
| Candidate | Party | Votes | Share | Elected |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| William Eley Cuthbert Quilter | Conservative | 5,026 | 55.9% | Yes |
| Francis Wrigley Hirst | Liberal | 3,958 | 44.1% | No |
Dec 1910
| Candidate | Party | Votes | Share | Elected |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| William Eley Cuthbert Quilter | Conservative | Unopposed | Yes | |
1918
| Candidate | Party | Votes | Share | Elected |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stephen Goodwin Howard | Liberal | 6,656 | 52.0% | Yes |
| Richard George Proby | Unionist | 5,746 | 44.9% | No |
| Joseph Rouse Hicks | Labour | 390 | 3.0% | No |
1922
| Candidate | Party | Votes | Share | Elected |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Herbert Mercer | Unionist | 7,298 | 47.0% | Yes |
| Stephen Goodwin Howard | National Liberal | 5,410 | 34.9% | No |
| Ernest Tanner | Liberal | 2,813 | 18.1% | No |
1923
| Candidate | Party | Votes | Share | Elected |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| John Frederick Loverseed | Liberal | 8,813 | 52.0% | Yes |
| Herbert Mercer | Unionist | 8,148 | 48.0% | No |
1924
| Candidate | Party | Votes | Share | Elected |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Henry Walter Burton | Unionist | 10,579 | 53.6% | Yes |
| John Frederick Loverseed | Liberal | 9,168 | 46.4% | No |
1929
| Candidate | Party | Votes | Share | Elected |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Henry Walter Burton | Unionist | 9,715 | 40.2% | Yes |
| Alan John Sainsbury | Liberal | 8,309 | 34.4% | No |
| Jack Shingfield | Labour | 6,147 | 25.4% | No |
1931
| Candidate | Party | Votes | Share | Elected |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Henry Walter Burton | Conservative | 13,500 | 55.3% | Yes |
| Alan John Sainsbury | Liberal | 10,929 | 44.7% | No |
1935
| Candidate | Party | Votes | Share | Elected |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Henry Walter Burton | Conservative | 11,700 | 49.3% | Yes |
| Alan John Sainsbury | Liberal | 8,344 | 35.2% | No |
| Horace Denton | Labour | 3,670 | 15.5% | No |
1945
| Candidate | Party | Votes | Share | Elected |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Roland Hamilton | Labour | 9,906 | 40.3% | Yes |
| Henry Walter Burton | Conservative | 9,659 | 39.2% | No |
| Margaret Hitchcock | Liberal | 5,045 | 20.5% | No |
Margin Over Time
Winning margin (percentage points) at each election, coloured by the winning party.
Trend
Sudbury has been contested at 20 general elections on record since 1832. Parties that have won a seat here over that span: Whig, Conservative, Liberal, Liberal Unionist, Unionist, Labour.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who won Sudbury in the 1945 general election?
Labour won Sudbury in 1945 with 9,906 votes (40.3%), a majority of 247 votes over Conservative in second place.
Which parties have won Sudbury since 1832?
Since 1832, Sudbury has been won by: Conservative, Labour, Liberal, Liberal Unionist, Unionist, Whig.
What was the closest result in Sudbury?
The closest result on record for Sudbury was 1841, when Whig beat Conservative by just 7 votes (0.6 percentage points).
Did Sudbury ever elect more than one MP at a time?
Yes -- like most UK constituencies before the Redistribution of Seats Act 1885, Sudbury elected multiple MPs at once in some elections on this page (a system called multi-member plurality, or 'block vote'), each voter casting one vote per available seat.