Cleethorpes as a Parliamentary constituency was created in 1997. Before then, the towns and parishes which comprise Cleethorpes Constituency have been in and out of many
other constituencies. Below is a guide I have compiled of the MPs who have represented the various parts of the constituency.
If you have any comments, information or observations about this info, please do post a comment or email me. I will try to credit contributors.
Brigg MPs
Brigg was created as a constituency in 1885 and abolished in 1974. Brigg was replaced by Brigg and Scunthorpe constituency in 1974. The area of the around Barton was part of
the Brigg electoral area.
1885 Sir Henry Meysey-Thompson (Lib)
1886 Sir Henry Meysey-Thompson (Lib Unionist)
1886 Samuel Donks Waddy (Lib)
1894 John Mansell Richardson (Con)
1895 Harold James Reckitt (Lib)
1900 Harold James Reckitt (Lib)
1906 Harold James Reckitt (Lib)
1907 Sir Berkeley Digby George Sheffield (Con)
1910 Sir William Alfred Gelder (Lib)
1918 Charles Wesley Weldon McLean (Coalition Con)
1922 Sir Berkeley Digby George Sheffield (Con)
1923 Sir Berkeley Digby George Sheffield (Con)
1924 Sir Berkeley Digby George Sheffield (Con)
1929 David John Kinsley Quibell (Lab)
1931 Michael John Hunter (Lab)
1935 David John Kinsley Quibell (Lab)
David Quibell retired at the 1945 election and became Baron Quibell
1945 Tom Williamson (Lab)
1948 Edward Lancelot ‘Lance’ Mallalieu (Lab)
1950 Edward Lancelot ‘Lance’ Mallalieu (Lab)
1951 Edward Lancelot ‘Lance’ Mallalieu (Lab)
1955 Edward Lancelot ‘Lance’ Mallalieu (Lab)
1959 Edward Lancelot ‘Lance’ Mallalieu (Lab)
1964 Edward Lancelot ‘Lance’ Mallalieu (Lab)
1966 Edward Lancelot ‘Lance’ Mallalieu (Lab)
1970 Edward Lancelot ‘Lance’ Mallalieu (Lab)
1974 Constituency abolished.
Fred Mallalieu was the Liberal MP for Colne Valley in Yorkshire. He was succeeded in that seat by Lance Mallalieu who later become the MP to Brigg. Clearly a political
family – Lance’s brother Joseph Mallalieu was the Labour MP for Huddersfield East from 1945 until 1979. Joseph’s daughter, Baroness Ann Mallalieu, is currently a Labour peer in the House of Lords.
She is known for being a strong supporter of hunting.
Brigg and Scunthorpe MPs
Created in 1974
Abolished 1983
1974 Feb John Ellis (Lab)
1974 Oct John Ellis (Lab)
1979 Michael Brown (Con)
1983 Abolished and replaced by Brigg and Cleethorpes
Brigg and Cleethorpes MPs
Created 1983
Abolished 1997
1983 Michael Brown (Con)
1987 Michael Brown (Con)
1992 Michael Brown (Con)
1997 Abolished and replaced by two constituencies: Cleethorpes plus Brigg & Goole
Brigg and Goole MPs
Created 1997
1997 Ian Cawsey (Lab)
2001 Ian Cawsey (Lab)
2005 Ian Cawsey (Lab)
Cleethorpes MPs
Created 1997
1997 Shona McIsaac (Lab)
2001 Shona McIsaac (Lab)
2005 Shona McIsaac (Lab)
Glanford and Scunthorpe MPs
Created 1983
Abolished 1997
1983 Richard Saladin Hickmet (Con)
1987 Elliot Morley (Lab)
1992 Elliot Morley (Lab)
1997 Abolished – replaced with Scunthorpe
Louth MPs
In 1918, the parishes of Bradley, Great Coates, Little Coates, Laceby, Scartho, Waltham and Weelsby were moved to Louth constituency. Boundary changes in 1950, added
Cleethorpes to Louth constituency. Cleethorpes was part of Louth constituency until 1983.
1885 Francis Otter
1886 Arthur Heath
1892 Sir Robert William Perks
Jan 1910 Henry Brackenbury (Con)
Dec 1910 Timothy Davies (Lib)
1918 Henry Brackenbury (Coalition Con)
1920 by election Thomas Wintringham (Lib)
1921 by election Margaret Wintringham (Lib)
1922 Margaret Wintringham (Lib)
1923 Margaret Wintringham (Lib)
1924 Arthur Pelham Heneage (Unionist)
1929 Arthur Pelham Heneage
1931 Arthur Pelham Heneage
1935 Arthur Pelham Heneage
1945 Sir Cyril Osborne (Con)
1950 Sir Cyril Osborne (Con)
1951 Sir Cyril Osborne (Con)
1955 Sir Cyril Osborne (Con)
1959 Sir Cyril Osborne (Con)
1964 Sir Cyril Osborne (Con)
1966 Sir Cyril Osborne (Con)
1969 by election Jeffrey Archer (Con)
1974 Michael Brotherton (Con)
1979 Michael Brotherton (Con)
1983 Constituency abolished in boundary change
The Louth by elections of the 1920s
Henry Brackenbury, a Coalition Conservative, won in the election in 1918. However, he died at the age of 52 in 1920, leading to a by election.
The Liberals won the resulting by election in June 1920 with their candidate Thomas Wintringham. But he was not long the MP for Louth. He died at the age of 53 in
1921. This lead to some suggesting the constituency was cursed. What Jeffrey Archer makes of this local lore no one knows.
Margaret Wintringham (4 August 1874-10 March 1955), nee Longbottom, succeeded her husband, winning the by election on 22 September 1921, caused by his
death.
She was the Liberal MP for Louth from 1921 to 1924. As she was still in mourning at the time, she vowed not to speak during the election campaign out of respect for her
late husband.
A Keithley-born teacher, she became a headmistress in Grimsby. In 1903, she married local timber merchant, Thomas Wintringham. When he was elected, they moved to
Louth.
Margaret was the third woman ever to be elected, the second to actually take her seat, and the first Liberal woman MP to take a seat in the House of Commons. She
campaigned for equal franchise and equal pay for women.
Margaret was defeated by Arthur Heneage in 1924.
Grimsby MPs
Grimsby was established as a parliamentary constituency in 1295 (the Great was aquired fairly recently).
Grimsby returned two members to Parliament.
In almost every election, the defeated candidates in Grimsby alleged the winners had used bribery and corruption.
In 1701, the House of Commons overturned the election of William Colsterworth finding him guilty of bribery – he was sent to the Tower.
Charles Tennyson, who was elected for the first time in 1818, aided his election campaign by presenting a bottle of wine to each of the fathers of 92 children about to
be christened.
In 1831, Grimsby Tories were accused of using a revenue cutter to supply Whig voters with strong drink to prevent them from getting to the polls.
Grimsby continued to return two MPs until the 1832 Reform Act.
In 1831, the population of Grimsby was 4,008 living in 784 properties. However, only about one in ten were eligible to vote – just 400 freeman. In addition to being
freemen they also had to be resident and pay ‘scot and lot’ (a tax – usually paid locally). Most of the electors were therefore either wealthy or merchants.
However, Grimbarians objected to the changes being imposed by the 1832 Reform Act and petitioned Parliament. It was one of 30 boroughs which were to lose an MP – going
down from two to one. However, in spite of the protestations of Grimsby, the changes went ahead.
The boundary changes resulting from the 1832 Reform Act saw Cleethorpes being added to Grimsby constituency. The boundary change taking in Cleethorpes increased the
population to 6,413 residents in 1,365 houses. The changes increased the electorate to 656. Cleethorpes remained part of Grimsby constituency until 1950.
Although one of the world’s greatest fishing ports in its hey day, the parliamentary constituency of Great Grimsby was regarded as being a ‘railway’ constituency, with
the Manchester, Sheffield and Lincolnshire Railway.
The three largest shareholders of the railway were the Earl of Yarborough, George Fieschi Heneage and John Chapman. The railway company built the then new docks
and invested a great deal of money into the town, so wanted to keep ‘control’ over the MP. George’s brother, Edward Heneage became MP as did MSLR’s second chairman and major shareholder, John
Chapman.
1832 William Maxwell (Whig)
1835 Edward Heneage (Whig)
1837 Edward Heneage (Whig)
1841 Edward Heneage (Whig)
1847 Edward Heneage (Whig)
1852 Earl Annesley (Cons)
The Earl was a 22-year-old Irish peer
1857 Lord Worsley (Whig)
1859 Lord Worsley (Lib)
1862 John Chapman (Con)
Chapman won by just 22 votes – he gained 458 votes to his opponents’ 436
1865 John Fildes (Lib)
Fildes won by 86 voters
1868 George Tomline (Lib)
Tomline won by 219 votes
1874 John Chapman (Con)
Chapman won by 59 votes
1877 Alfred Mellor Watkin (Lib)
1880 Edward Heneage (Lib)
1892 Henri Josse (Lib)
Henri Josse was a French merchant, who ran a coal-exporting business, associated with the Manchester Sheffield and Lincolnshire Railway. Josse, aged 65 when elected, won by 736 votes (4,202
to 3,566)
1893 Edward Henage (Lib)
1895 Sir George Doughty (Lib)
1898 Sir George Doughty (Lib Unionist)
1900 Sir George Doughty (Lib)
Jan 1910 Thomas Edward Wing (Lib)
Dec 1910 Sir George Doughty (Lib Unionist)
1914 Thomas George Tickler (Con)
1918 Thomas George Tickler (Con)
Tommy Tickler - The jam man.
Thomas was born on 20 September 1852 in Withern, Lincolnshire. After attending Louth Grammar school, he trained as an engineer. However, in 1879, George decided that he
could make better and cheaper jam than that he saw in the shops. So he began making jam in his Cleethorpe Road premises – and an empire was born. As the business grew, he moved to Hope Street and
then to Pasture Street. He also purchased land in Laceby and the Manor Farm Estate in Bradley to grow fruit for his jam-making business. Apart from the plum and apple jam, Nell Gwynne marmalade was
a popular brand. He was a councillor and was also elected to Parliament. By the time he was elected, the jam was weell known nationally. Not surprising, therefore, that he should win the contract
to supply the army with jam in the First World War! The empty cans were put to good use - as home-made grenades. All of his sons returned from the First World War. However, what is not so well
known is that the respected businessman had an appetite for forbidden fruit. As well as having a family with his wife (was she really called Fanny Tickler or is that an urban myth?) he
had at least one illegitimate daughter by Rachel Crawford, from Bridlington, who worked as one of his maids. Thomas died in 1938 and the firm finally closed in 1970.
1922 Tom Sutcliffe (Con)
1923 Tom Sutcliffe (Con)
1924 Sir Walter James Womersley (Con)
Born on 5 February 1878 in Bradford, the young Walter worked in the town’s mills as a child. He moved to Grimsby and eventually became mayor in 1922. In 1924, he was
elected as the town's MP. He was quickly nicknamed Fish Womersley. One story says that this was because of his iinterest in the distant water trawlermen who plied their trade in arctic waters.
Another version says that in Parliament, you could smell him coming. Not very kind. In 1934, he was knighted and a year later became the Assistant Paymaster General. His next post was as minister
of pensions, which he held from 1939 and throughout the Second World War. He was made a baronet in 1945 following the loss of his seat. He died in 1961.
1929 Sir Walter James Womersley (Con)
1931 Sir Walter James Womersley (Con)
1935 Sir Walter James Womersley (Con)
1945 Sir Kenneth Younger (Lab)
Born in December 1908 in Gargunnock in Stirlingshire, Kenneth was the second son of the 2nd Viscount Leckie. Educated as Winchester and Oxford, he
followed a well-trodden path and became a barrister. Not a typical background for a Labour politician at the time. However, he was liked
by Labour Prime Minister, Clement Atlee, who made him a junior minister. He finally became acting Foreign Secretary when Bevin’s illness prevented him from carrying out his duties. However, Younger
was never made Foreign Secretary and it has been suggested that this is what fuelled his eventual disillusionment with Parliament. He died in 1976. His son, Sam Younger, is the chairman of the
Electoral Commission.
1950 Sir Kenneth Younger (Lab)
1951 Sir Kenneth Younger (Lab)
1955 Sir Kenneth Younger (Lab)
1959 Tony Crosland (Lab)
Charles Anthony ‘Tony’ Raven Crosland was born in Sussex and grew up in north London before attending Trinity College, Oxford University. He eventually became an
economics lecturer at Oxford University. He entered Parliament in 1950 representing South Gloucestershire. But he lost the seat in the 1955 election. After four years out of Parliament, his
search for a safe seat was rewarded when he was selected to conntest Grimsby. He was duly elected in 1959 to represent Grimsby. He quickly climbed the political ladder and became Secretary of State
for Education and Science. It was during this time he made his infamous comments about the future of grammar schools. He also held the posts of
President of the Board of Trade and Secretary of State for Local Government. In 1976, he was made Foreign Secretary by James Callaghan. A moderniser and a moderate, Crosland was talked of as a
future leader of the Labour Party and potential Prime Minister. He never lived long enough to fulfil those ambitions, though. He suffered a brain haemorrhage on 13 February 1977 and died six days
later on 19 February. He was survived by his second wife, American-born, Susan. Tony Crosland was passionate about football and once took Henry Kissinger to Blundell Park to watch GTFC play
Gillingham! It is said that his moderate interpretation of the left laid the foundations on which New Labour was built 20 years after his death.
1964 Tony Crosland (Lab)
1966 Tony Crosland (Lab)
1970 Tony Crosland (Lab)
1974 Feb Tony Crosland (Lab)
1974 Oct Tony Crosland (Lab)
1977 Austin Vernon Mitchell (Lab)
Austin squeaked home in the by election following Tony Crosland’s. Austin was a well-known face on local TV news show, Calendar, and it is reckoned this helped him win the election on a
night when Labour lost a far more safe seat.
1979 Austin Vernon Mitchell (Lab)
1983 Austin Vernon Mitchell (Lab)
1987 Austin Vernon Mitchell (Lab)
1992 Austin Vernon Mitchell (Lab)
1997 Austin Vernon Mitchell (Lab)
2001 Austin Vernon Mitchell (Lab)
2005 Austin Vernon Mitchell (Lab)
Scunthorpe MPs
Created 1997
1997 Elliot Morley (Lab)
2001 Elliot Morley (Lab)
2005 Elliot Morley (Lab)
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