Dulwich was a borough constituency in the Dulwich area of South London, which returned one Member of Parliament (MP) to the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom.

The constituency was created by the Redistribution of Seats Act 1885 for the 1885 general election. The constituency was abolished by the Boundary Commission in 1997, when most of its former territory became part of the Dulwich and West Norwood constituency.

History

The constituency of Dulwich was created by the Redistribution of Seats Act 1885, as one of nine covering the enlarged parliamentary former borough of Lambeth. Lambeth councillors had been overwhelmingly progressive Liberals though this part of the seat did have Conservative parish/urban district councillors before 1885.Jeffrey Cox, The English churches in a secular society: Lambeth, 1870–1930 (Oxford University Press, 1982) p. 156. Dulwich was one of three seats in the new parliamentary borough of Camberwell.

As a suburban London constituency, Dulwich tended to favour the Conservatives, and returned a Conservative member in each election between 1885 and 1945, when it fell to the Labour party. After that it became a marginal seat, with Labour winning slightly more times than the Conservatives. In 1892 the Liberal candidate estimated that it had around 4,000 working class voters out of around 10,500 and observed that although it had a reputation as a 'villa constituency' there were many voters in the many less impressive houses.Alex Windscheffel, Popular Conservatism in Imperial London, 1868–1906 (Boydell & Brewer Ltd, 2007) p. 9.

The constituency shared boundaries with the Dulwich electoral division for election of councillors to the Greater London Council at elections in 1973, 1977 and 1981. Gerald Bowden held the seat from 1977 to 1981.

Boundaries

DatesLocal authorityMapsWards1885–1918Metropolitan Borough of Camberwell Camberwell and Dulwich, and the hamlet of Penge.Debrett's Illustrated Heraldic and Biographical House of Commons and the Judicial Bench (Debrett's, 1896) p. 181.1918–1950Metropolitan Borough of Camberwell Alleyn, College, Hamlet, Ruskin, and St John's. 1950–1974Metropolitan Borough of Camberwell (before 1965)London Borough of Southwark (after 1965) Alleyn, College, Hamlet, Lyndhurst, Nunhead, Ruskin, Rye, Rye Lane, and St John's.1974–1983London Borough of Southwark Alleyn, Bellenden, College, Lyndhurst, Ruskin, Rye, The Lane, and Waverley.1983–1997London Borough of Southwark Alleyn, Bellenden, College, Lyndhurst, Ruskin, Rye, The Lane, and Waverley.

1885–1918 The constituency was formed predominantly from the existing constituency of East Surrey

1918–1950 Penge was transferred to the new seat of Bromley.

1950–1974 Nunhead, Rye and Rye Lane wards were transferred from Peckham. Lyndhurst was transferred from the abolished seat of Camberwell North West

1974–1983 Minor transfer from Peckham.

1983–1997 Minor transfer to Peckham.

Members of Parliament ElectionMemberPartyNotes 1885 John Morgan Howard Conservative Resigned in 1887 following his appointment as a County Court circuit Judge 1887 by-election Sir John Blundell Maple Conservative Died November 1903 1903 by-election Frederick Rutherfoord Harris Conservative Resigned in 1906 1906 by-election Bonar Law Conservative 1910 Sir Frederick Hall Conservative Died April 1932 1932 by-election Sir Bracewell Smith Conservative 1945 Wilfrid Vernon Labour 1951 Robert Jenkins Conservative 1964 Samuel Silkin Labour Attorney General for England and Wales, and Northern Ireland (1974 – 1979) 1983 Gerald Bowden Conservative 1992 Tessa Jowell Labour Contested Dulwich & West Norwood following redistribution1997 constituency abolished: see Dulwich & West Norwood

Elections Elections in the 1990s

Elections in the 1980s

Elections in the 1970s 1979 notional result Party Vote % Conservative 17,821 43.4 Labour 17,371 42.3 Liberal 4,588 11.2 Others 1,323 3.2Turnout41,103Electorate

1970 notional result Party Vote % Labour 21,500 47.6 Conservative 20,200 44.7 Liberal 3,500 7.7Turnout45,20063.0Electorate71,760

Elections in the 1960s

Elections in the 1950s

Elections in the 1940s

Elections in the 1930s The candidates selected for the aborted 1939–1940 general election were; Conservative: Bracewell Smith Liberal: C. R. Cooke-Taylor Labour: Wilfrid Vernon

Elections in the 1920s

Elections in the 1910s

Elections in the 1900s

Elections in the 1890s

Elections in the 1880s

See also 1887 Dulwich by-election 1903 Dulwich by-election 1906 Dulwich by-election 1932 Dulwich by-election Southwark local elections

References

Sources

External links Parliamentary contributions from Dulwich members, 1884–1974 (Hansard)