Kerry (UK Parliament constituency)

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For the 1923–1937, and 2016–present constituency, see Kerry (Dáil constituency).

County Kerry
Former county constituency
for the House of Commons
CountyCounty Kerry
1801–1885
Seats2
Created fromCounty Kerry (IHC)
Replaced by

County Kerry was a UK Parliament constituency in Ireland, returning two Members of Parliament. In 1885, it was divided into four constituencies.

History[edit]

County Kerry had been represented by two seats in the Irish House of Commons. From 1801, under the Acts of Union 1800, it was represented by two MPs in the United Kingdom House of Commons. It comprised the whole of County Kerry, except for the borough of Tralee. The boroughs of Ardfert and Dingle were disfranchised in 1801.

Under the Redistribution of Seats Act 1885, Tralee lost its separate franchise and the county was divided into four divisions: East Kerry, North Kerry, South Kerry and West Kerry.[1]

Members of Parliament[edit]

Year 1st Member 1st Party 2nd Member 2nd Party
1801 James Crosbie Maurice Fitzgerald Whig[2]
1806 Henry Arthur Herbert (1756–1821)
1812 James Crosbie
1826 William Hare
(Viscount Ennismore from 1827) 		Whig[3]
1830 William Browne Whig[4] Tory[2][4]
1831 Frederick Mullins Repeal Association[5] Daniel O'Connell Repeal Association[4][5]
1832 Charles O'Connell Repeal Association[4][5]
1835 Morgan John O'Connell Repeal Association[4][5][6]
1837 Arthur Blennerhassett Conservative[4]
1841 William Browne Whig[4]
1847 Henry Arthur Herbert (1815–66) Peelite[5]
1852 Valentine Browne
(Viscount Castlerosse from 1853) 		Whig[7]
1859 Liberal[5] Liberal[5]
1866 by-election Henry Arthur Herbert (1840–1901) Liberal[5]
1872 by-election Rowland Blennerhassett Home Rule League[5]
1880 Sir Rowland Blennerhassett, 4th Bt Liberal Party[5]

Elections[edit]

Elections in the 1830s[edit]

FitzGerald was appointed as Vice-Treasurer of Ireland, causing a by-election.

By-election, 20 April 1830: Kerry[5][4][8]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Tory Maurice FitzGerald Unopposed
Tory gain from Whig
General election 1830: Kerry[5][4][8]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Whig William Browne 390 36.1
Tory Maurice FitzGerald 377 34.9
Tory Pierce Crosbie 217 20.1
Tory John Bateman (Tralee MP) 96 8.9
Turnout 543 53.0
Registered electors 1,024
Majority 13 1.2
Whig hold Swing
Majority 160 14.8
Tory gain from Whig Swing
General election 1831: Kerry[5][4][8]
Party Candidate Votes %
Irish Repeal Daniel O'Connell Unopposed
Irish Repeal Frederick Mullins Unopposed
Registered electors 936
Irish Repeal gain from Tory
Irish Repeal gain from Whig
General election 1832: Kerry[5][4]
Party Candidate Votes %
Irish Repeal Charles O'Connell Unopposed
Irish Repeal Frederick Mullins Unopposed
Registered electors 1,161
Irish Repeal hold
Irish Repeal hold
General election 1835: Kerry[5][4]
Party Candidate Votes %
Irish Repeal (Whig) Morgan O'Connell 818 44.0
Irish Repeal (Whig) Frederick Mullins 596 32.0
Conservative Maurice FitzGerald 384 20.6
Whig Thomas Ponsonby 63 3.4
Majority 212 11.4
Turnout 1,002 82.7
Registered electors 1,212
Irish Repeal hold
Irish Repeal hold
General election 1837: Kerry[5][4]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Irish Repeal (Whig) Morgan O'Connell 697 37.6 −6.4
Conservative Arthur Blennerhassett 546 29.5 +8.9
Irish Repeal (Whig) Frederick Mullins 498 26.9 −5.1
Conservative Samuel Murray Hickson 112 6.0 New
Turnout 921 60.9 −21.8
Registered electors 1,512
Majority 151 8.1 −3.3
Irish Repeal hold Swing −6.9
Majority 48 2.6 N/A
Conservative gain from Irish Repeal Swing +12.5

Elections in the 1840s[edit]

General election 1841: Kerry[5][9]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Whig William Browne 751 37.4 N/A
Irish Repeal Morgan O'Connell 744 37.1 −27.4
Conservative Arthur Blennerhassett 445 22.2 −7.3
Conservative John Hickson Mahony 67 3.3 −2.7
Turnout 1,219 80.0 +19.1
Registered electors 1,523
Majority 7 0.3 N/A
Whig gain from Conservative Swing N/A
Majority 299 14.9 +6.8
Irish Repeal hold Swing −8.5
General election 1847: Kerry[5]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Irish Repeal Morgan O'Connell Unopposed
Peelite Henry Arthur Herbert (senior) Unopposed
Registered electors 1,840
Irish Repeal hold
Peelite gain from Whig

Elections in the 1850s[edit]

General election 1852: Kerry[5]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Whig Valentine Browne Unopposed
Peelite Henry Arthur Herbert (senior) Unopposed
Registered electors 5,222
Whig gain from Irish Repeal
Peelite hold

Browne was appointed Comptroller of the Household, requiring a by-election.

By-election, 9 August 1856: Kerry[5]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Whig Valentine Browne Unopposed
Whig hold
General election 1857: Kerry[5]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Whig Valentine Browne Unopposed
Peelite Henry Arthur Herbert (senior) Unopposed
Registered electors 5,427
Whig hold
Peelite hold

Herbert was appointed Chief Secretary for Ireland, requiring a by-election.

By-election, 9 June 1857: Kerry[5]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Peelite Henry Arthur Herbert (senior) Unopposed
Registered electors 5,427
Peelite hold
General election 1859: Kerry[5]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Valentine Browne Unopposed
Liberal Henry Arthur Herbert (senior) Unopposed
Registered electors 5,278
Liberal hold
Liberal hold

Browne was appointed Treasurer of the Household, requiring a by-election.

By-election, 5 July 1859: Kerry[5]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Valentine Browne Unopposed
Registered electors 5,278
Liberal hold

Elections in the 1860s[edit]

General election 1865: Kerry[5]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Valentine Browne Unopposed
Liberal Henry Arthur Herbert (senior) Unopposed
Registered electors 5,415
Liberal hold
Liberal hold

Herbert's death caused a by-election.

By-election, 16 March 1866: Kerry[5]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Henry Arthur Herbert (junior) Unopposed
Registered electors 5,415
Liberal hold
General election 1868: Kerry[5]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Valentine Browne Unopposed
Liberal Henry Arthur Herbert (junior) Unopposed
Registered electors 5,506
Liberal hold
Liberal hold

Browne was appointed Vice-Chamberlain of the Household, requiring a by-election.

By-election, 7 January 1869: Kerry[5]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Valentine Browne Unopposed
Registered electors 5,506
Liberal hold

Elections in the 1870s[edit]

Browne succeeded as Earl of Kenmare, causing a by-election.

By-election, 6 Feb 1872: Kerry[5]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Home Rule Rowland Ponsonby Blennerhassett 2,237 61.5 New
Liberal James Arthur Dease 1,398 38.5 N/A
Majority 839 23.0 N/A
Turnout 3,635 66.7 N/A
Registered electors 5,450
Home Rule gain from Liberal
General election 1874: Kerry[5]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Home Rule Rowland Ponsonby Blennerhassett Unopposed
Liberal Henry Arthur Herbert (junior) Unopposed
Registered electors 5,484
Home Rule gain from Liberal
Liberal hold

Elections in the 1880s[edit]

General election 1880: Kerry[5]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Home Rule Rowland Ponsonby Blennerhassett Unopposed
Liberal Rowland Blennerhassett Unopposed
Registered electors 5,326
Home Rule hold
Liberal hold

References[edit]

  1. ^ "Redistribution of Seats Act 1885 (48 & 49 Vict., c. 23)". The public general acts. Proprietors of the Law Journal Reports. p. 189. OCLC 145381863.
  2. ^ a b Aspinall, A., ed. (1938). The Letters of King George IV, 1812-1830, Volume 1. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. p. 39. Retrieved 15 May 2020.
  3. ^ Farrell, Stephen. "HARE, Hon. William (1801-1856)". The History of Parliament. Retrieved 15 May 2020.
  4. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m Smith, Henry Stooks (1842). The Register of Parliamentary Contested Elections (Second ed.). Simpkin, Marshall & Company. p. 229. Retrieved 1 October 2018 – via Google Books.
  5. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z aa ab ac ad ae Walker, B.M., ed. (1978). Parliamentary Election Results in Ireland, 1801-1922. Dublin: Royal Irish Academy. pp. 219–200, 284–285. ISBN 0901714127.
  6. ^ "Irish Members Returned". Tipperary Vindicator. 14 August 1847. p. 3. Retrieved 1 October 2018 – via British Newspaper Archive.
  7. ^ "Naval News". Southern Reporter and Cork Commercial Courier. 8 July 1852. p. 1. Retrieved 1 October 2018 – via British Newspaper Archive.
  8. ^ a b c Farrell, Stephen. "Co. Kerry". The History of Parliament. Retrieved 15 May 2020.
  9. ^ Accounts and Papers of the House of Commons, Volume 50. 1843. Retrieved 25 August 2019 – via Google Books.
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