Otley (UK Parliament constituency)
# Otley (UK Parliament constituency)

Otley was a parliamentary constituency between 1885 and 1918 centred on the town of Otley, then in the West Riding of Yorkshire and now in West Yorkshire. It returned one Member of Parliament (MP) to the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom, elected by the first past the post system.

## History

The constituency was created when the two-member Eastern West Riding of Yorkshire was divided by the Redistribution of Seats Act 1885 for the 1885 general election in six new single-member constituencies. It was abolished for the 1918 general election, when it was largely replaced by the new Pudsey & Otley constituency.

## Boundaries

The Redistribution of Seats Act 1885 provided that the constituency was to consist of-

* the Sessional Division of Otley and
* the Parishes of Beamsley in Addingham, Beamsley in Skipton, Bingley and Micklethwaite, Hazlewood with Storiths, Morton, and Nesfield with Langbar.

## Members of Parliament

| Year | Year | Member | Party |
| - | - | - | - |
| | 1885 | Sir Andrew Fairbairn | Liberal |
| | 1886 | John Barran | Liberal |
| | 1895 | Marmaduke Wyvill | Conservative |
| | 1900 | Hastings Duncan | Liberal |
| 1918 | 1918 | constituency abolished | constituency abolished |

## Elections

### Elections in the 1880s

General election 1885: Otley :

| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| - | - | - | - | - | - |
| | Liberal | Andrew Fairbairn | 5,050 | 58.1 | |
| | Conservative | Frederick Fison | 3,643 | 41.9 | |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 1,407 | 16.2 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 8,693 | 88.0 | |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 9,883 | | |
| | Liberal win (new seat) | Liberal win (new seat) | Liberal win (new seat) | Liberal win (new seat) | Liberal win (new seat) |

General election 1886: Otley :

| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| - | - | - | - | - | - |
| | Liberal | John Barran | 4,245 | 55.8 | −2.3 |
| | Liberal Unionist | Andrew Fairbairn | 3,361 | 44.2 | +2.3 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 884 | 11.6 | −4.6 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 7,606 | 77.0 | −11.0 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 9,883 | | |
| | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Swing | −2.3 | |

### Elections in the 1890s

General election 1892: Otley :

| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| - | - | - | - | - | - |
| | Liberal | John Barran | 4,713 | 53.9 | −1.9 |
| | Conservative | Marmaduke Wyvill | 4,023 | 46.1 | +1.9 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 690 | 7.8 | −3.8 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 8,736 | 75.6 | −1.4 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 11,557 | | |
| | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Swing | −1.9 | |

General election 1895: Otley :

| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| - | - | - | - | - | - |
| | Conservative | Marmaduke Wyvill | 4,670 | 50.3 | +4.2 |
| | Liberal | John Barran | 4,622 | 49.7 | −4.2 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 48 | 0.6 | N/A |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 9,292 | 84.2 | +8.6 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 11,038 | | |
| | Conservative gain from Liberal | Conservative gain from Liberal | Swing | +4.2 | |

### Elections in the 1900s

General election 1900: Otley :

| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| - | - | - | - | - | - |
| | Liberal | James Duncan | 5,327 | 52.9 | +3.2 |
| | Conservative | Marmaduke Wyvill | 4,747 | 47.1 | −3.2 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 580 | 5.8 | N/A |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 10,074 | 83.0 | −1.2 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 12,138 | | |
| | Liberal gain from Conservative | Liberal gain from Conservative | Swing | +3.2 | |

General election 1906: Otley :

| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| - | - | - | - | - | - |
| | Liberal | James Duncan | 6,307 | 57.5 | +4.6 |
| | Conservative | William Whittaker Thompson | 4,658 | 42.5 | −4.6 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 1,649 | 15.0 | +9.2 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 10,965 | 86.5 | +3.5 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 12,670 | | |
| | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Swing | +4.6 | |

### Elections in the 1910s

General election January 1910: Otley :

| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| - | - | - | - | - | - |
| | Liberal | James Duncan | 6,911 | 58.0 | +0.5 |
| | Conservative | William Whittaker Thompson | 5,010 | 42.0 | −0.5 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 1,901 | 16.0 | +1.0 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 11,921 | 89.0 | +2.5 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 13,397 | | |
| | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Swing | +0.5 | |

General election December 1910: Otley :

| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| - | - | - | - | - | - |
| | Liberal | James Duncan | 6,151 | 55.7 | −2.3 |
| | Conservative | William Whittaker Thompson | 4,892 | 44.3 | +2.3 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 1,259 | 82.4 | −4.6 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 11,143 | 82.4 | −6.6 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 13,397 | | |
| | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Swing | −2.3 | |

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;

* Liberal: James Duncan
* Unionist:
