It returned two Members of Parliament (MPs) to the British House of Commons from 1832 to 1861, and then from a very narrow reform of that year, three until it was further split in 1868.

The constituency was created by the Great Reform Act 1832 by the splitting of Lancashire constituency into Northern and Southern divisions.

[1] Salford went to form the new South East Lancashire constituency, and West Derby the new South West Lancashire constituency.

Egerton was elevated to the peerage, becoming 1st Earl of Ellesmere and causing a by-election.

Pelham-Villiers was also elected MP for Wolverhampton and opted to sit there, causing a by-election.