Down (UK Parliament constituency)

County Down was a UK Parliament constituency in Ireland and later Northern Ireland. It was a two-member constituency and existed in two periods, 1801–1885 and 1922–1950.

Boundaries
1801–1885: The whole of County Down, excluding the Boroughs of Downpatrick and Newry.

1922–1950: The Administrative county of Down, that is the whole of County Down excluding the part in the City of Belfast.

Elections in the 1880s

 * Caused by Hill's appointment as Comptroller of the Household.

The electorate was 12,718 in 1881.


 * Caused by Vane-Tempest's succession to the peerage, becoming Marquess of Londonderry.

Elections in the 1870s

 * Sharman Crawford's death caused a by-election.

Elections in the 1860s
The electorate was 11,470 in 1862.

Elections in the 1850s
The Poll Books for part of County Down, showing how each elector voted in the 1857 general election are available in the Public Record Office of Northern Ireland under reference D/671/O/2/7-8.

The Poll Books for part of County Down, showing how each elector voted in the 1852 general election are available in the Public Record Office of Northern Ireland under reference D/671/O/2/5-6.

Elections in the 1840s

 * Caused by Hill's succession to the peerage, becoming 4th Marquess of Downshire

Elections in the 1830s

 * Caused by Arthur Hill's succession as 2nd Baron Sandys

Elections in the 1820s
At the by-election on 15 July 1829 following Frederick Stewart's appointment as a Lord Commissioner of the Admiralty, he was re-elected unopposed.

At the by-election on 9 May 1821 following Robert Stewart vacating his seat, Mathew Forde was returned unopposed.

Elections in the 1810s
At the 1818 and 1820 general elections, Arthur Hill and Robert Stewart were elected unopposed.

At the by-election on 26 February 1817 following the Hon. John Meade's appointment as consul general in Spain, Arthur Hill was returned unopposed.

The electorate was approximately 15,000 in 1815.

At the by-election on 30 May 1812 following Francis Savage's acceptance of the Chiltern Hundreds, Robert Ward was returned unopposed. "Castlereagh ... was not prepared to come in at that moment, and after an unsuccessful attempt to persuade Savage to reconsider his decision, he arranged for his old friend Colonel Ward to stand as a 'stopgap' until the general election".

Elections in the 1800s
At the 1806 and 1807 general elections, Francis Savage and John Meade were elected unopposed.

At the creation of the Parliament of the United Kingdom in 1801, the sitting members of the Parliament of Ireland for County Down, Francis Savage and Viscount Castlereagh, continued as MPs for the county. At the 1802 general election, Savage and Castlereagh were returned unopposed.