1837 United Kingdom general election
24 July – 18 August 1837 (1837-07-24 – 1837-08-18)
All 658 seats in the House of Commons
330 seats needed for a majority
  First party Second party
 
Leader Viscount Melbourne Sir Robert Peel
Party Whig Conservative
Leader since 16 July 1834 19 December 1834
Leader's seat House of Lords Tamworth
Last election 385 seats, 57.2% 273 seats, 42.8%
Seats won 344 314
Seat change Decrease41 Increase41
Popular vote 418,331 379,694
Percentage 52.4% 47.6%
Swing Decrease4.8% Increase4.8%
Colours denote the winning party
Prime Minister before election

Viscount Melbourne
Whig

 Prime Minister after
election

Viscount Melbourne
Whig

The 1837 United Kingdom general election was triggered by the death of King William IV and produced the first Parliament of the reign of his successor, Queen Victoria. It saw Robert Peel's Conservatives close further on the position of the Whigs, who won their fourth election of the decade.

The election marked the last time that a Parliament was dissolved as a result of the demise of the Crown. The dissolution of Parliament six months after a demise of the Crown, as provided for by the Succession to the Crown Act 1707, was abolished by the Reform Act 1867.

Results

UK General Election 1837
Party Candidates Votes
Stood Elected Gained Unseated Net  % of total  % No. Net %
  Whig 510 344 −41 52.28 52.42 418,331 −4.8
  Conservative 484 314 +41 47.72 47.58 379,694 +4.8

Voting summary

Popular vote
Whig
 
 52.42%
Conservative
 
 47.58%

Seats summary

Parliamentary seats
Whig
 
 52.28%
Conservative
 
 47.72%

Regional results

Great Britain

Party Candidates Unopposed Seats Seats change Votes  %  % change
Conservative 414 102 284 +46 353,000 48.2 +5.4
Whig 422 81 271 −46 379,961 51.8 −5.4
Total 836 183 555 Same position 732,961 100
England
Party Candidates Unopposed Seats Seats change Votes  %  % change
Conservative 348 80 239 +39 321,124 48.9 +6.3
Whig 352 60 225 −39 347,549 51.1 −6.3
Total 658 177 464 Same position 491,540 100
Scotland
Party Candidates Unopposed Seats Seats change Votes  %  % change
Whig 49 15 33 −5 22,082 54.0 −8.8
Conservative 35 7 20 +5 18,569 46.0 +8.8
Total 84 22 53 Same position 40,651 100
Wales
Party Candidates Unopposed Seats Seats change Votes  %  % change
Conservative 25 11 19 +2 11,616 52.8 −11.1
Whig 20 6 13 −2 10,144 47.2 +11.1
Total 45 17 32 Same position 21,760 100

Ireland

Party Candidates Unopposed Seats Seats change Votes  %  % change
Whig/Repeal Coalition 88 34 73 +5 38,370 58.5 +9.9
Irish Conservative 70 19 30 −5 26,694 41.5 −9.9
Total 158 53 103 65,064 100

Universities

Party Candidates Unopposed Seats Seats change Votes  %  % change
Conservative 6 4 6 Same position 1,691 90.1
Whig 1 0 0 Same position 186 9.9
Total 6 6 6 Same position 1,877 100

References

  • Craig, F. W. S. (1989), British Electoral Facts: 1832–1987, Dartmouth: Gower, ISBN 0900178302
  • Rallings, Colin; Thrasher, Michael, eds. (2000), British Electoral Facts 1832–1999, Ashgate Publishing Ltd
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