Lewisham (UK Parliament constituency) facts for kids
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Lewisham was an area in London that had its own special representative in the UK Parliament. This area was called a borough constituency. From 1885 to 1918, people living in Lewisham voted for one person, called a Member of Parliament (MP), to speak for them in the House of Commons. The MP was chosen using a system called "first past the post," which means the candidate with the most votes wins.
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History of the Lewisham Constituency
This special voting area for Lewisham was created in 1885. It was set up just before the general election that year. For many years, the people of Lewisham voted for their own MP. However, in 1918, the Lewisham constituency was changed. It was split into two new areas: Lewisham East and Lewisham West.
During the time it existed, Lewisham was known as a "safe seat" for the Conservative Party. This means that Conservative candidates usually won the elections there by a lot of votes. Between 1885 and 1906, the number of people allowed to vote in Lewisham more than doubled. Even with more people voting, the Conservative Party remained very popular. On average, the Conservative candidate won about 63% of the votes in the general elections held between 1885 and 1910.
Area Covered by Lewisham
From 1885 to 1918, the Lewisham constituency included the areas known as the parishes of Lewisham and Lee. These were the specific parts of London where people voted for the Lewisham MP.
Members of Parliament for Lewisham
A Member of Parliament (MP) is a person elected to represent a specific area in the House of Commons. They work to make laws and discuss important issues for the country and their local area. Here are the MPs who represented Lewisham:
| Election | Member | Party | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1885 | William Legge | Conservative | |
| 1891 | John Penn | Conservative | |
| 1903 | Sir Edward Coates | Conservative | |
| 1918 | constituency abolished: see Lewisham East and Lewisham West | ||
- William Legge was the first MP for Lewisham. He was elected in 1885. Later, he became the Earl of Dartmouth, which is a title of nobility. When this happened, he had to leave his seat in Parliament, and a special election called a by-election was held.
- John Penn became the MP after William Legge. He won the by-election in 1891 and continued to represent Lewisham for several years.
- Sir Edward Coates took over as MP in 1903 after another by-election. He served until the Lewisham constituency was abolished in 1918.
Images for kids
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John Penn, who served as Lewisham's MP.
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James Cleland, a Liberal candidate in the 1903 by-election.
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Edward Loughlin O'Malley, a Liberal candidate in the December 1910 election.
