Oldham was a parliamentary constituency centred on the town of Oldham, England. It returned two Members of Parliament (MPs) to the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. The constituency was created by the Great Reform Act of 1832 and was abolished for the 1950 general election when it was split into the Oldham East and Oldham West constituencies. The Oldham constituency was where Winston Churchill began his political career. Although taking two attempts to succeed, in the 1900 general election Churchill was elected as the member of Parliament for Oldham. He held the constituency for the Conservative Party until he defected from them in defence of free trade in 1904. He then represented the Liberal Party as MP for the seat until the 1906 general election.

Boundaries

Though centred on Oldham (the town), the constituency covered a much broader territory; Shaw and Crompton, Royton, Chadderton and Lees all formed part of this district, though these were each granted individual urban district status at a local government level in 1894. 1885–1918: The existing parliamentary borough, and so much of the municipal borough of Oldham as was not already included in the parliamentary borough.

Members of Parliament

Notes:-

Elections

Elections in the 1830s

Cobbett's death caused a by-election.

Elections in the 1840s

Elections in the 1850s

Duncuft's death caused a by-election. Platt's death caused a by-election.

Elections in the 1860s

Fox's resignation caused a by-election.

Elections in the 1870s

Platt's death caused a by-election. Cobbett's death caused a by-election.

Elections in the 1880s

Elections in the 1890s

Ascroft’s death and Oswald's resignation caused a by-election.

<section begin="By-election 1899" /><section end="By-election 1899" /> # [Robert Ascroft | upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/c/c8/Robert///Ascroft.jpg] # [James Oswald | upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/8/8a/James///Francis///Oswald.jpg] # [Walter Runciman | upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/3/3f/1905///Walter///Runciman.jpg] # [James Mawdsley | upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/0/0d/James///Mawdsley///%28trade///unionist%29.jpg]

Elections in the 1900s

<section begin="General Election 1900" /><section end="General Election 1900" /> # [Alfred Emmott | upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/91/Alfred///Emmott.jpg]

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 and by the July 1914, the following candidates had been selected;

Elections in the 1920s

Elections in the 1930s

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 and by the Autumn of 1939, the following candidates had been selected;

Elections in the 1940s

Sources