East Dorset is a former United Kingdom Parliamentary constituency. It was formally known as the Eastern Division of Dorset. It was a constituency of the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. It was represented by one Knight of the Shire.
History Before 1885 the historic county of Dorset, in south-west England, was an undivided three-seat county constituency - see the article on the Dorset constituency. In 1885 the county was divided for Parliamentary purposes into four single-member county constituencies: this constituency, North Dorset, South Dorset and West Dorset (no borough constituencies were created in Dorset in the 1885 redistribution). Each of these divisions comprised roughly a quarter of the area of the county and returned one Member of Parliament.
In the 1918 redistribution, the four Dorset constituencies were retained, but their boundaries were redrawn. East Dorset was reduced in area to about half its former size, with the northern part of the pre-1918 seat being transferred to North Dorset and the southern part to South Dorset.
In the 1950 redistribution, this constituency disappeared. A new borough constituency of Poole was created. Wimborne Minster Urban District and the part of Wimborne and Cranborne Rural District previously in the abolished seat were transferred to the redrawn North Dorset.
Boundaries 1885–1918: The Municipal Borough of Poole, the Sessional Division of Wimborne, and part of the Sessional Division of Wareham.
1918–1950: The Municipal Borough of Poole, the Urban District of Wimborne Minster, the Rural District of Poole, and part of the Rural District of Wimborne and Cranborne.
Members of Parliament ElectionMember PartyNotes 1885 Pascoe Glyn Liberal Younger son of Lord Wolverton 1886 George Hawkesworth Bond Conservative Died in 1891 1891 by-election Hon. Humphrey Sturt Conservative Succeeded as 2nd Baron Alington in 19041900 1904 by-election Charles Henry Lyell Liberal MP for Edinburgh South from April 1910 January 1910 Hon. Frederick Guest Liberal Unseated on petition in May 1910 June 1910 by-election Henry Guest Liberal MP for Pembroke & Haverfordwest from Dec 1910 December 1910 Frederick Guest Liberal 1916 Coalition Liberal Coalition Liberal Chief Whip 1917–1921 1922 National LiberalSecretary of State for Air 1921–1922 1922 Gordon Hall Caine Independent Conservative Took Conservative Whip January 1923 1923 Conservative 1929Alec Glassey Liberal 1931 Liberal National 1931 Gordon Hall Caine Conservative 1945 Mervyn Wheatley Conservative 1950constituency abolished
Elections Elections in the 1880s
Elections in the 1890s Bond's death caused a by-election.
Elections in the 1900s
Elections in the 1910s
General Election 1914–15
Another General Election was required to take place before the end of 1915. The political parties had been making preparations for an election to take place from 1914 and by the end of this year, the following candidates had been selected; Liberal: Frederick Guest Unionist:
Elections in the 1920s
Elections in the 1930s
Elections in the 1940s General Election 1939–40
Another General Election was required to take place before the end of 1940. The political parties had been making preparations for an election to take place from 1939 and by the end of this year, the following candidates had been selected; Conservative: Mervyn Wheatley Liberal: David Hutton Labour: Hugh Ross Williamson
See also List of former United Kingdom Parliament constituencies
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) British Parliamentary Election Results 1885-1918, compiled and edited by F.W.S. Craig (Macmillan Press 1974) Who's Who of British Members of Parliament, Volume II 1886-1918, edited by M. Stenton and S. Lees (Harvester Press 1978) Who's Who of British Members of Parliament, Volume III 1919-1945, edited by M. Stenton and S. Lees (Harvester Press 1979) Who's Who of British Members of Parliament, Volume IV 1945-1979, edited by M. Stenton and S. Lees (Harvester Press 1981)