Tavistock — UK General Election Results
Tavistock was won by Conservative at the 1970 general election, with a majority of 15,449 votes over Liberal. This page covers every general election in Tavistock from 1832 to 1970.
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, 1832–1970
| Election | Elected | Votes | Vote Share | Runner-up | Majority | Turnout |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1832 | William Russell (Whig); Charles Richard Fox (Whig) | 129 | 45.2% (top seat) | Francis Charles Knowles (Whig) | 65 (18.5 pts) | 71.3% |
| 1835 | William Russell (Whig); John Rundle (Whig) | 145 | 52.7% (top seat) | Francis Charles Knowles (Whig) | 140 (44.2 pts) | 54.8% |
| 1837 | William Russell (Whig); John Rundle (Whig) | Elected unopposed — no other candidate stood, no vote count on record | 0.0% | |||
| 1841 | John Rundle (Whig); Edward Russell (Whig) | Elected unopposed — no other candidate stood, no vote count on record | 0.0% | |||
| 1847 | Edward Southwell Russell (Whig); John Salusbury Salusbury-Trelawny (Radical) | 150 | 34.4% (top seat) | Robert Joseph Phillimore (Peelite) | 64 (14.4 pts) | 70.6% |
| 1852 | George Henry Charles Byng (Whig); Samuel Carter (Radical) | 169 | 44.6% (top seat) | Robert Joseph Phillimore (Peelite) | 65 (13.2 pts) | 70.6% |
| 1857 | George Henry Charles Byng (Whig); John Salusbury Salusbury-Trelawny (Radical) | 198 | 42.5% (top seat) | Samuel Carter (Radical) | 68 (11.9 pts) | 72.2% |
| 1859 | Arthur John Edward Russell (Liberal); John Salusbury-Trelawny (Liberal) | Elected unopposed — no other candidate stood, no vote count on record | 0.0% | |||
| 1865 | Arthur John Edward Russell (Liberal); Joseph d'Aguilar Samuda (Liberal) | 179 | 45.3% (top seat) | Samuel Carter (Liberal) | 60 (8.2 pts) | 85.6% |
| 1868 | Arthur John Edward Russell (Liberal) | Elected unopposed — no other candidate stood, no vote count on record | 0.0% | |||
| 1874 | Arthur John Edward Russell (Liberal) | 362 | 57.0% | Russell Hugh Worthington Biggs (Liberal) | 89 (14.0 pts) | 78.9% |
| 1880 | Arthur John Edward Russell (Liberal) | Elected unopposed — no other candidate stood, no vote count on record | 0.0% | |||
| 1885 | Hugh Fortescue (Liberal) | 5,390 | 63.0% | Henry Machu Imbert-Terry (Conservative) | 2,218 (25.9 pts) | 78.9% |
| 1886 | Hugh Fortescue (Liberal Unionist) | 3,917 | 59.0% | John Budd Phear (Liberal) | 1,195 (18.0 pts) | 61.2% |
| 1892 | Hugh Courtenay Fownes Luttrell (Liberal) | 4,458 | 51.2% | Robert Thomas White-Thomson (Liberal Unionist) | 217 (2.5 pts) | 74.2% |
| 1895 | Hugh Courtenay Fownes Luttrell (Liberal) | 4,970 | 51.9% | Robert Thomas White-Thomson (Liberal Unionist) | 373 (3.9 pts) | 78.7% |
| 1900 | John Ward Spear (Liberal Unionist) | 4,746 | 50.1% | John Fellowes Wallop (Liberal) | 15 (0.2 pts) | 77.7% |
| 1906 | Hugh Courtenay Fownes Luttrell (Liberal) | 6,405 | 55.2% | John Ward Spear (Liberal Unionist) | 1,209 (10.4 pts) | 82.9% |
| Jan 1910 | Hugh Courtenay Fownes Luttrell (Liberal) | 6,570 | 50.9% | John Ward Spear (Liberal Unionist) | 227 (1.8 pts) | 83.9% |
| Dec 1910 | John Ward Spear (Liberal Unionist) | 6,409 | 51.6% | Hugh Courtenay Fownes Luttrell (Liberal) | 390 (3.1 pts) | 80.7% |
| 1918 | Charles Williams (Unionist) | 9,157 | 56.7% | Harry Green (Liberal) | 2,152 (13.3 pts) | 62.2% |
| 1922 | Maxwell Ruthven Thornton (Liberal) | 11,708 | 54.5% | Charles Williams (Unionist) | 1,951 (9.1 pts) | 77.6% |
| 1923 | Maxwell Ruthven Thornton (Liberal) | 11,883 | 54.1% | Philip Percy Kenyon-Slaney (Unionist) | 1,811 (8.2 pts) | 77.7% |
| 1924 | Philip Percy Kenyon-Slaney (Unionist) | 12,058 | 52.8% | Maxwell Ruthven Thornton (Liberal) | 1,272 (5.6 pts) | 77.7% |
| 1929 | Wallace Duffield Wright (Unionist) | 14,102 | 44.5% | Hilda Runciman (Liberal) | 62 (0.2 pts) | 81.8% |
| 1931 | Colin Mark Patrick (Conservative) | 17,310 | 52.4% | John Adam Day (Liberal) | 3,718 (11.3 pts) | 83.3% |
| 1935 | Colin Mark Patrick (Conservative) | 17,475 | 52.7% | John Adam Day (Liberal) | 4,053 (12.2 pts) | 77.9% |
| 1945 | Henry Gray Studholme (Conservative) | 19,730 | 46.9% | Isaac Foot (Liberal) | 5,966 (14.2 pts) | 75.6% |
| 1950 | Henry Gray Studholme (Conservative) | 18,682 | 50.3% | Frank Harcourt-Munning (Labour) | 8,493 (22.9 pts) | 84.7% |
| 1951 | Henry Gray Studholme (Conservative) | 22,683 | 63.9% | Frank Harcourt-Munning (Labour) | 9,850 (27.7 pts) | 78.8% |
| 1955 | Henry Gray Studholme (Conservative) | 18,991 | 54.8% | Harold Lawrance (Labour) | 10,236 (29.5 pts) | 76.9% |
| 1959 | Sir Henry Gray Studholme (Conservative) | 19,778 | 53.7% | Richard Gillachrist Moore (Liberal) | 10,770 (29.3 pts) | 78.5% |
| 1964 | Sir Henry Gray Studholme (Conservative) | 19,493 | 47.8% | Thomas Greville Jones (Liberal) | 5,400 (13.2 pts) | 78.3% |
| 1966 | Michael Heseltine (Conservative) | 21,644 | 49.2% | Christopher Trethewey (Liberal) | 8,183 (18.6 pts) | 81.4% |
| 1970 | Michael Heseltine (Conservative) | 25,846 | 57.1% | Michael Banks (Liberal) | 15,449 (34.2 pts) | 77.2% |
Full Result Breakdown by Election
1832 (2 seats)
| Candidate | Party | Votes | Share | Elected |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| William Russell | Whig | 159 | 45.2% | Yes |
| Charles Richard Fox | Whig | 129 | 36.6% | Yes |
| Francis Charles Knowles | Whig | 64 | 18.2% | No |
1835 (2 seats)
| Candidate | Party | Votes | Share | Elected |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| William Russell | Whig | 167 | 52.7% | Yes |
| John Rundle | Whig | 145 | 45.7% | Yes |
| Francis Charles Knowles | Whig | 5 | 1.6% | No |
1837 (2 seats)
| Candidate | Party | Votes | Share | Elected |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| William Russell | Whig | Unopposed | Yes | |
| John Rundle | Whig | Unopposed | Yes | |
1841 (2 seats)
| Candidate | Party | Votes | Share | Elected |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| John Rundle | Whig | Unopposed | Yes | |
| Edward Russell | Whig | Unopposed | Yes | |
1847 (2 seats)
| Candidate | Party | Votes | Share | Elected |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Edward Southwell Russell | Whig | 153 | 34.4% | Yes |
| John Salusbury Salusbury-Trelawny | Radical | 150 | 33.7% | Yes |
| Robert Joseph Phillimore | Peelite | 86 | 19.3% | No |
| Samuel Carter | Radical | 56 | 12.6% | No |
1852 (2 seats)
| Candidate | Party | Votes | Share | Elected |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| George Henry Charles Byng | Whig | 220 | 44.6% | Yes |
| Samuel Carter | Radical | 169 | 34.3% | Yes |
| Robert Joseph Phillimore | Peelite | 104 | 21.1% | No |
1857 (2 seats)
| Candidate | Party | Votes | Share | Elected |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| George Henry Charles Byng | Whig | 242 | 42.5% | Yes |
| John Salusbury Salusbury-Trelawny | Radical | 198 | 34.7% | Yes |
| Samuel Carter | Radical | 130 | 22.8% | No |
1859 (2 seats)
| Candidate | Party | Votes | Share | Elected |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Arthur John Edward Russell | Liberal | Unopposed | Yes | |
| John Salusbury-Trelawny | Liberal | Unopposed | Yes | |
1865 (2 seats)
| Candidate | Party | Votes | Share | Elected |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Arthur John Edward Russell | Liberal | 330 | 45.3% | Yes |
| Joseph d'Aguilar Samuda | Liberal | 179 | 24.6% | Yes |
| Samuel Carter | Liberal | 119 | 16.3% | No |
| Francis Rummens | Conservative | 93 | 12.8% | No |
| Theophilus Alexander Blakely | Liberal | 8 | 1.1% | No |
1868
| Candidate | Party | Votes | Share | Elected |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Arthur John Edward Russell | Liberal | Unopposed | Yes | |
1874
| Candidate | Party | Votes | Share | Elected |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Arthur John Edward Russell | Liberal | 362 | 57.0% | Yes |
| Russell Hugh Worthington Biggs | Liberal | 273 | 43.0% | No |
1880
| Candidate | Party | Votes | Share | Elected |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Arthur John Edward Russell | Liberal | Unopposed | Yes | |
1885
| Candidate | Party | Votes | Share | Elected |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hugh Fortescue | Liberal | 5,390 | 63.0% | Yes |
| Henry Machu Imbert-Terry | Conservative | 3,172 | 37.0% | No |
1886
| Candidate | Party | Votes | Share | Elected |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hugh Fortescue | Liberal Unionist | 3,917 | 59.0% | Yes |
| John Budd Phear | Liberal | 2,722 | 41.0% | No |
1892
| Candidate | Party | Votes | Share | Elected |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hugh Courtenay Fownes Luttrell | Liberal | 4,458 | 51.2% | Yes |
| Robert Thomas White-Thomson | Liberal Unionist | 4,241 | 48.8% | No |
1895
| Candidate | Party | Votes | Share | Elected |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hugh Courtenay Fownes Luttrell | Liberal | 4,970 | 51.9% | Yes |
| Robert Thomas White-Thomson | Liberal Unionist | 4,597 | 48.1% | No |
1900
| Candidate | Party | Votes | Share | Elected |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| John Ward Spear | Liberal Unionist | 4,746 | 50.1% | Yes |
| John Fellowes Wallop | Liberal | 4,731 | 49.9% | No |
1906
| Candidate | Party | Votes | Share | Elected |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hugh Courtenay Fownes Luttrell | Liberal | 6,405 | 55.2% | Yes |
| John Ward Spear | Liberal Unionist | 5,196 | 44.8% | No |
Jan 1910
| Candidate | Party | Votes | Share | Elected |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hugh Courtenay Fownes Luttrell | Liberal | 6,570 | 50.9% | Yes |
| John Ward Spear | Liberal Unionist | 6,343 | 49.1% | No |
Dec 1910
| Candidate | Party | Votes | Share | Elected |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| John Ward Spear | Liberal Unionist | 6,409 | 51.6% | Yes |
| Hugh Courtenay Fownes Luttrell | Liberal | 6,019 | 48.4% | No |
1918
| Candidate | Party | Votes | Share | Elected |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Charles Williams | Unionist | 9,157 | 56.7% | Yes |
| Harry Green | Liberal | 7,005 | 43.3% | No |
1922
| Candidate | Party | Votes | Share | Elected |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Maxwell Ruthven Thornton | Liberal | 11,708 | 54.5% | Yes |
| Charles Williams | Unionist | 9,757 | 45.5% | No |
1923
| Candidate | Party | Votes | Share | Elected |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Maxwell Ruthven Thornton | Liberal | 11,883 | 54.1% | Yes |
| Philip Percy Kenyon-Slaney | Unionist | 10,072 | 45.9% | No |
1924
| Candidate | Party | Votes | Share | Elected |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Philip Percy Kenyon-Slaney | Unionist | 12,058 | 52.8% | Yes |
| Maxwell Ruthven Thornton | Liberal | 10,786 | 47.2% | No |
1929
| Candidate | Party | Votes | Share | Elected |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wallace Duffield Wright | Unionist | 14,102 | 44.5% | Yes |
| Hilda Runciman | Liberal | 14,040 | 44.3% | No |
| Richard Davies | Labour | 3,574 | 11.3% | No |
1931
| Candidate | Party | Votes | Share | Elected |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Colin Mark Patrick | Conservative | 17,310 | 52.4% | Yes |
| John Adam Day | Liberal | 13,592 | 41.2% | No |
| Richard Davies | Labour | 2,124 | 6.4% | No |
1935
| Candidate | Party | Votes | Share | Elected |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Colin Mark Patrick | Conservative | 17,475 | 52.7% | Yes |
| John Adam Day | Liberal | 13,422 | 40.5% | No |
| Charles Henry Townsend | Labour | 2,236 | 6.7% | No |
1945
| Candidate | Party | Votes | Share | Elected |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Henry Gray Studholme | Conservative | 19,730 | 46.9% | Yes |
| Isaac Foot | Liberal | 13,764 | 32.7% | No |
| James Finnigan | Labour | 8,539 | 20.3% | No |
1950
| Candidate | Party | Votes | Share | Elected |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Henry Gray Studholme | Conservative | 18,682 | 50.3% | Yes |
| Frank Harcourt-Munning | Labour | 10,189 | 27.4% | No |
| James Digby Wyatt | Liberal | 8,281 | 22.3% | No |
1951
| Candidate | Party | Votes | Share | Elected |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Henry Gray Studholme | Conservative | 22,683 | 63.9% | Yes |
| Frank Harcourt-Munning | Labour | 12,833 | 36.1% | No |
1955
| Candidate | Party | Votes | Share | Elected |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Henry Gray Studholme | Conservative | 18,991 | 54.8% | Yes |
| Harold Lawrance | Labour | 8,755 | 25.2% | No |
| Richard Gillachrist Moore | Liberal | 6,937 | 20.0% | No |
1959
| Candidate | Party | Votes | Share | Elected |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sir Henry Gray Studholme | Conservative | 19,778 | 53.7% | Yes |
| Richard Gillachrist Moore | Liberal | 9,008 | 24.5% | No |
| Bryan R Weston | Labour | 8,022 | 21.8% | No |
1964
| Candidate | Party | Votes | Share | Elected |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sir Henry Gray Studholme | Conservative | 19,493 | 47.8% | Yes |
| Thomas Greville Jones | Liberal | 14,093 | 34.5% | No |
| John A Elswood | Liberal | 7,226 | 17.7% | No |
1966
| Candidate | Party | Votes | Share | Elected |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Michael Heseltine | Conservative | 21,644 | 49.2% | Yes |
| Christopher Trethewey | Liberal | 13,461 | 30.6% | No |
| Peggy Middleton | Labour | 8,902 | 20.2% | No |
1970
| Candidate | Party | Votes | Share | Elected |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Michael Heseltine | Conservative | 25,846 | 57.1% | Yes |
| Michael Banks | Liberal | 10,397 | 23.0% | No |
| Harold Luscombe | Labour | 8,982 | 19.9% | No |
Margin Over Time
Winning margin (percentage points) at each election, coloured by the winning party.
Trend
Tavistock has been contested at 35 general elections on record since 1832. Parties that have won a seat here over that span: Whig, Radical, Liberal, Liberal Unionist, Unionist, Conservative.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who won Tavistock in the 1970 general election?
Conservative won Tavistock in 1970 with 25,846 votes (57.1%), a majority of 15,449 votes over Liberal in second place.
Which parties have won Tavistock since 1832?
Since 1832, Tavistock has been won by: Conservative, Liberal, Liberal Unionist, Radical, Unionist, Whig.
What was the closest result in Tavistock?
The closest result on record for Tavistock was 1900, when Liberal Unionist beat Liberal by just 15 votes (0.2 percentage points).
Did Tavistock ever elect more than one MP at a time?
Yes -- like most UK constituencies before the Redistribution of Seats Act 1885, Tavistock 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.