Penryn and Falmouth (UK Parliament constituency)
| Penryn and Falmouth | |
|---|---|
| Former County constituency for the House of Commons |
|
| County | Cornwall |
| Major settlements | Penryn and Falmouth |
| 1918–1950 | |
| Number of members | One |
| Replaced by | Truro and Falmouth & Camborne |
| Created from | Penryn and Falmouth, St Austell and Truro |
| 1832–1918 | |
| Number of members | 1832-1885: Two; 1885-1918: One |
| Type of constituency | Borough constituency |
| Replaced by | Penryn and Falmouth |
| Created from | Cornwall and Penryn |
Penryn and Falmouth was the name of a constituency in Cornwall, England, UK, represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom from 1832 until 1950. From 1832 to 1918 it was a parliamentary borough, initially returning two Members of Parliament (MPs), elected by the bloc vote system. Under the Redistribution of Seats Act 1885, its representation was reduced to one member, elected by the first past the post system. In 1918 the borough was abolished and the name was transferred to a county constituency electing one MP.
1918-1950: The Municipal Boroughs of Falmouth, Penryn, and Truro, the Urban District of St Austell, and parts of the Rural Districts of East Kerrier, Truro, and St Austell.
The constituency was created by the Reform Act 1832 (the "Great Reform Act") as a replacement for the Penryn constituency, which had become a notoriously rotten borough. The new borough consisted of Penryn, Falmouth and parts of Budock and St Gluvias parishes, giving it a mostly urban population of nearly 12,000, of whom 875 were registered to vote at its first election in 1832.
Initially Penryn and Falmouth elected two MPs, but this was reduced to one in 1885, and it was one of the smallest constituencies in England for the next thirty years. At this period it was politically unpredictable - though generally one of the more Conservative Cornish constituencies, it was susceptible to influence by personal factors and often swung against the national tide of opinion. Falmouth, which had a stronger non-conformist presence, was the more Liberal part of the constituency in the late 19th century, but was thought to become more Conservative as it developed its trade as a seaside resort.
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