Kent (UK Parliament constituency)
Encyclopedia
Kent was a parliamentary constituency
covering the county of Kent
in southeast England
. It returned two "knights of the shire" (Members of Parliament
) to the House of Commons
by the bloc vote
system from the year 1290. Members were returned to the Parliament of England
until the Union with Scotland
created the Parliament of Great Britain
in 1708, and to the Parliament of the United Kingdom
after the union with Ireland in 1801 until the county was divided by the Reform Act 1832
.
of Kent
. (Although Kent contained eight boroughs, each of which elected two MPs in its own right for part of the period when Kent was a constituency, these were not excluded from the county constituency, and the ownership of property within the borough could confer a vote at the county election. This was even the case for the city of Canterbury
, which had the status of a county in itself
: unlike those in almost all other counties of cities, Canterbury's freeholders were entitled to vote for Kent's MPs.)
The constituency boundaries may have theoretically encompassed a much larger area and population than would at first appear. After the American Revolution
, it was apparently solemnly argued in Parliament that the rebels' complaint of no taxation without representation
was mistaken, since "all the grants of land in America were to be held of the Manor of Greenwich
in the County of Kent, and therefore the Knights of the Shire for the County of Kent represented all Americans"! However, this somewhat flimsy argument - relying on an obsolete legal fiction dating back to the land ownership laws of the feudal system - seems not to have been received entirely respectfully even in the 18th century, and it is certainly not recorded that Kent's returning officer
was ever bothered by American colonists demanding their right to vote!
of the Crown. Thus we find it recorded that in the second year of the reign of Henry V
, "In the County Court of Kent, held at Rochester, Four Coroners and Eight others present, chose the Knights for the County, and the same person elect two Citizens for Canterbury
, and two for Rochester
."
From 1430, the Forty Shilling Freeholder Act
extended the right to vote to every man who possessed freehold property within the county valued at £2 or more per year for the purposes of land tax; it was not necessary for the freeholder to occupy his land, nor even in later years to be resident in the county at all.
Except during the period of the Commonwealth in the mid 17th century, Kent had two MPs elected by the bloc vote
method, under which each voter had two votes. In the nominated Barebones Parliament
, five members represented Kent. In the First
and Second Parliaments
of Oliver Cromwell
's Protectorate, however, there was a general redistribution of seats and Kent elected 11 members, though most of the county's boroughs lost one or both of their MPs. The traditional arrangements were restored from 1659.
, Maidstone
, Dover
, Deal
, Chatham and the growing resorts of Ramsgate
and Margate
were the biggest, but at the election of 1802 the pollbooks show that only Canterbury (with 384 voters) contributed more than 250 to the poll.
With the villages outvoting the towns by two to one, no particular local interest predominated. By custom, the choice was generally one member from East Kent and one from West Kent. The county's MPs were generally drawn from the leading local families of gentry, but rarely from the nobility, and the voters jealously guarded their independence: although important peers wielded significant influence at times - the Earl of Westmorland
and Earl of Winchelsea at the turn of the 18th century for example, the Duke of Dorset
sixty years later - it always fell far short of control over the outcome.
Elections were held at a single polling place, and voters from the rest of the county had to travel to the county town to exercise their franchise. It was normal for voters to expect the candidates for whom they voted to meet their expenses in travelling to the poll, making the cost of fighting an election substantial. Contested elections were therefore rare in most counties, but Kent was something of an exception: voters went to the polls at 14 of the 29 general elections between 1700 and 1832, a total exceeded only by Surrey
among the other English counties.
Those elections which were contested seem rarely to have been decided on party lines, and too great an adherence to party loyalty by the MPs was sometimes resented. The voters also expected the solicitous attention of their members. Jupp reprints the resolutions passed by a County meeting of Kent freeholders in 1820:
These sentiments were clearly not held universally, however, since the apostrophised Mr Honywood
was re-elected at that year's election.
United Kingdom constituencies
In the United Kingdom , each of the electoral areas or divisions called constituencies elects one or more members to a parliament or assembly.Within the United Kingdom there are now five bodies with members elected by constituencies:...
covering the county of Kent
Kent
Kent is a county in southeast England, and is one of the home counties. It borders East Sussex, Surrey and Greater London and has a defined boundary with Essex in the middle of the Thames Estuary. The ceremonial county boundaries of Kent include the shire county of Kent and the unitary borough of...
in southeast England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
. It returned two "knights of the shire" (Members of Parliament
Member of Parliament
A Member of Parliament is a representative of the voters to a :parliament. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, the term applies specifically to members of the lower house, as upper houses often have a different title, such as senate, and thus also have different titles for its members,...
) to the House of Commons
Unreformed House of Commons
The unreformed House of Commons is the name generally given to the British House of Commons as it existed before the Reform Act 1832.Until the Act of Union of 1707 joining the Kingdoms of Scotland and England , Scotland had its own Parliament, and the term refers to the House of Commons of England...
by the bloc vote
Plurality-at-large voting
Plurality-at-large voting is a non-proportional voting system for electing several representatives from a single multimember electoral district using a series of check boxes and tallying votes similar to a plurality election...
system from the year 1290. Members were returned to the Parliament of England
Parliament of England
The Parliament of England was the legislature of the Kingdom of England. In 1066, William of Normandy introduced a feudal system, by which he sought the advice of a council of tenants-in-chief and ecclesiastics before making laws...
until the Union with Scotland
Acts of Union 1707
The Acts of Union were two Parliamentary Acts - the Union with Scotland Act passed in 1706 by the Parliament of England, and the Union with England Act passed in 1707 by the Parliament of Scotland - which put into effect the terms of the Treaty of Union that had been agreed on 22 July 1706,...
created the Parliament of Great Britain
Parliament of Great Britain
The Parliament of Great Britain was formed in 1707 following the ratification of the Acts of Union by both the Parliament of England and Parliament of Scotland...
in 1708, and to the Parliament of the United Kingdom
Parliament of the United Kingdom
The Parliament of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is the supreme legislative body in the United Kingdom, British Crown dependencies and British overseas territories, located in London...
after the union with Ireland in 1801 until the county was divided by the Reform Act 1832
Reform Act 1832
The Representation of the People Act 1832 was an Act of Parliament that introduced wide-ranging changes to the electoral system of England and Wales...
.
Boundaries
The constituency consisted of the historic countyHistoric counties of England
The historic counties of England are subdivisions of England established for administration by the Normans and in most cases based on earlier Anglo-Saxon kingdoms and shires...
of Kent
Kent
Kent is a county in southeast England, and is one of the home counties. It borders East Sussex, Surrey and Greater London and has a defined boundary with Essex in the middle of the Thames Estuary. The ceremonial county boundaries of Kent include the shire county of Kent and the unitary borough of...
. (Although Kent contained eight boroughs, each of which elected two MPs in its own right for part of the period when Kent was a constituency, these were not excluded from the county constituency, and the ownership of property within the borough could confer a vote at the county election. This was even the case for the city of Canterbury
Canterbury
Canterbury is a historic English cathedral city, which lies at the heart of the City of Canterbury, a district of Kent in South East England. It lies on the River Stour....
, which had the status of a county in itself
County corporate
A county corporate or corporate county was a type of subnational division used for local government in England, Ireland and Wales.Counties corporate were created during the Middle Ages, and were effectively small self-governing counties...
: unlike those in almost all other counties of cities, Canterbury's freeholders were entitled to vote for Kent's MPs.)
The constituency boundaries may have theoretically encompassed a much larger area and population than would at first appear. After the American Revolution
American Revolution
The American Revolution was the political upheaval during the last half of the 18th century in which thirteen colonies in North America joined together to break free from the British Empire, combining to become the United States of America...
, it was apparently solemnly argued in Parliament that the rebels' complaint of no taxation without representation
No taxation without representation
"No taxation without representation" is a slogan originating during the 1750s and 1760s that summarized a primary grievance of the British colonists in the Thirteen Colonies, which was one of the major causes of the American Revolution...
was mistaken, since "all the grants of land in America were to be held of the Manor of Greenwich
Greenwich
Greenwich is a district of south London, England, located in the London Borough of Greenwich.Greenwich is best known for its maritime history and for giving its name to the Greenwich Meridian and Greenwich Mean Time...
in the County of Kent, and therefore the Knights of the Shire for the County of Kent represented all Americans"! However, this somewhat flimsy argument - relying on an obsolete legal fiction dating back to the land ownership laws of the feudal system - seems not to have been received entirely respectfully even in the 18th century, and it is certainly not recorded that Kent's returning officer
Returning Officer
In various parliamentary systems, a returning officer is responsible for overseeing elections in one or more constituencies.-Australia:In Australia a returning officer is an employee of the Australian Electoral Commission or a State Electoral Commission who heads the local divisional office...
was ever bothered by American colonists demanding their right to vote!
Franchise
In medieval times, the custom in Kent, as elsewhere, was for the MPs for the county and those for its boroughs to be elected on the same day at the county court, by the suitors to the court, which meant the tiny handful of the local nobility who were tenants in chiefTenant-in-chief
In medieval and early modern European society the term tenant-in-chief, sometimes vassal-in-chief, denoted the nobles who held their lands as tenants directly from king or territorial prince to whom they did homage, as opposed to holding them from another nobleman or senior member of the clergy....
of the Crown. Thus we find it recorded that in the second year of the reign of Henry V
Henry V of England
Henry V was King of England from 1413 until his death at the age of 35 in 1422. He was the second monarch belonging to the House of Lancaster....
, "In the County Court of Kent, held at Rochester, Four Coroners and Eight others present, chose the Knights for the County, and the same person elect two Citizens for Canterbury
Canterbury (UK Parliament constituency)
Canterbury is a county constituency which has been represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom since 1918. It elects one Member of Parliament by the first past the post system of election....
, and two for Rochester
Rochester (UK Parliament constituency)
Rochester was a parliamentary constituency in Kent. It returned two Members of Parliament to the House of Commons of England from 1295 to 1707, then to the House of Commons of Great Britain from 1708 to 1800, and finally to the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom from 1801...
."
From 1430, the Forty Shilling Freeholder Act
Forty Shilling Freeholders
Forty shilling freeholders were a group of landowners who had the Parliamentary franchise to vote in county constituencies in various parts of the British Isles. In England it was the only such qualification from 1430 until 1832...
extended the right to vote to every man who possessed freehold property within the county valued at £2 or more per year for the purposes of land tax; it was not necessary for the freeholder to occupy his land, nor even in later years to be resident in the county at all.
Except during the period of the Commonwealth in the mid 17th century, Kent had two MPs elected by the bloc vote
Plurality-at-large voting
Plurality-at-large voting is a non-proportional voting system for electing several representatives from a single multimember electoral district using a series of check boxes and tallying votes similar to a plurality election...
method, under which each voter had two votes. In the nominated Barebones Parliament
Barebones Parliament
Barebone's Parliament, also known as the Little Parliament, the Nominated Assembly and the Parliament of Saints, came into being on 4 July 1653, and was the last attempt of the English Commonwealth to find a stable political form before the installation of Oliver Cromwell as Lord Protector...
, five members represented Kent. In the First
First Protectorate Parliament
The First Protectorate Parliament was summoned by the Lord Protector Oliver Cromwell under the terms of the Instrument of Government. It sat for one term from 3 September 1654 until 22 January 1655 with William Lenthall as the Speaker of the House....
and Second Parliaments
Second Protectorate Parliament
The Second Protectorate Parliament in England sat for two sessions from 17 September 1656 until 4 February 1658, with Thomas Widdrington as the Speaker of the House of Commons...
of Oliver Cromwell
Oliver Cromwell
Oliver Cromwell was an English military and political leader who overthrew the English monarchy and temporarily turned England into a republican Commonwealth, and served as Lord Protector of England, Scotland, and Ireland....
's Protectorate, however, there was a general redistribution of seats and Kent elected 11 members, though most of the county's boroughs lost one or both of their MPs. The traditional arrangements were restored from 1659.
Political character
At the time of the Great Reform Act in 1832, Kent had a population of approximately 480,000, though only between 8,000 and 9,000 of these were qualified to vote at the start of the 19th century, and fewer than 4,000 actually voted at the last contested election, in 1818. It has been estimated that in this period around a third of Kent's voters were urban, spread among a couple of dozen medium-sized and small towns: CanterburyCanterbury
Canterbury is a historic English cathedral city, which lies at the heart of the City of Canterbury, a district of Kent in South East England. It lies on the River Stour....
, Maidstone
Maidstone
Maidstone is the county town of Kent, England, south-east of London. The River Medway runs through the centre of the town linking Maidstone to Rochester and the Thames Estuary. Historically, the river was a source and route for much of the town's trade. Maidstone was the centre of the agricultural...
, Dover
Dover
Dover is a town and major ferry port in the home county of Kent, in South East England. It faces France across the narrowest part of the English Channel, and lies south-east of Canterbury; east of Kent's administrative capital Maidstone; and north-east along the coastline from Dungeness and Hastings...
, Deal
Deal, Kent
Deal is a town in Kent England. It lies on the English Channel eight miles north-east of Dover and eight miles south of Ramsgate. It is a former fishing, mining and garrison town...
, Chatham and the growing resorts of Ramsgate
Ramsgate
Ramsgate is a seaside town in the district of Thanet in east Kent, England. It was one of the great English seaside towns of the 19th century and is a member of the ancient confederation of Cinque Ports. It has a population of around 40,000. Ramsgate's main attraction is its coastline and its main...
and Margate
Margate
-Demography:As of the 2001 UK census, Margate had a population of 40,386.The ethnicity of the town was 97.1% white, 1.0% mixed race, 0.5% black, 0.8% Asian, 0.6% Chinese or other ethnicity....
were the biggest, but at the election of 1802 the pollbooks show that only Canterbury (with 384 voters) contributed more than 250 to the poll.
With the villages outvoting the towns by two to one, no particular local interest predominated. By custom, the choice was generally one member from East Kent and one from West Kent. The county's MPs were generally drawn from the leading local families of gentry, but rarely from the nobility, and the voters jealously guarded their independence: although important peers wielded significant influence at times - the Earl of Westmorland
Earl of Westmorland
Earl of Westmorland is a title that has been created twice in the Peerage of England. The title was first created in 1397 for Ralph Neville. It was forfeited in 1571 by Charles Neville, 6th Earl of Westmorland for leading the Rising of the North. It was revived in 1624 in favour of Sir Francis...
and Earl of Winchelsea at the turn of the 18th century for example, the Duke of Dorset
Duke of Dorset
Duke of Dorset was a title in the Peerage of Great Britain. It was created in 1720 for the politician Lionel Sackville, 7th Earl of Dorset. The Sackville family descended from Sir Richard Sackville. His only surviving son, Thomas Sackville, was a statesman, poet and dramatist and notably served as...
sixty years later - it always fell far short of control over the outcome.
Elections were held at a single polling place, and voters from the rest of the county had to travel to the county town to exercise their franchise. It was normal for voters to expect the candidates for whom they voted to meet their expenses in travelling to the poll, making the cost of fighting an election substantial. Contested elections were therefore rare in most counties, but Kent was something of an exception: voters went to the polls at 14 of the 29 general elections between 1700 and 1832, a total exceeded only by Surrey
Surrey (UK Parliament constituency)
Surrey was a constituency of the House of Commons of the Parliament of England then of the Parliament of Great Britain from 1707 to 1800 and of the Parliament of the United Kingdom from 1801 to 1832. It was represented by two Members of Parliament until 1832....
among the other English counties.
Those elections which were contested seem rarely to have been decided on party lines, and too great an adherence to party loyalty by the MPs was sometimes resented. The voters also expected the solicitous attention of their members. Jupp reprints the resolutions passed by a County meeting of Kent freeholders in 1820:
1. That it is essential to the honour and credit of this County, that it should be represented by two gentlemen constantly resident therein.
2. That it is the opinion of this Meeting that this county was in the last Parliament very inefficiently represented by one of its members, inasmuch as his residence was elsewhere, and the Freeholders were thereby deprived of that easy access and free communication which are essential between the constituent and the representative.
3. That it is the opinion of this meeting that the conduct of a County member in Parliament should be at all times marked by independence, equally free from subserviency to any Administration and unshackled by any Party indiscriminately hostile thereto.
4. That we cannot recognise in Mr Honywood's uniform opposition to every measure recently proposed in Parliament, for the purpose of restraining the career of sedition, blasphemy and crime, the influence of that elevated spirit, which should direct the actions of an independent representative for this great and enlightened County.
These sentiments were clearly not held universally, however, since the apostrophised Mr Honywood
William Philip Honywood
William Philip Honywood was an English Whig politician who sat in the House of Commons from 1818 to 1830.Honywood was the son of William Honywood and his wife Mary Brockman....
was re-elected at that year's election.
Abolition
The constituency was abolished in 1832 by the Great Reform Act, being divided into two two-member county divisions, Eastern Kent and Western Kent.MPs 1290–1660
- Constituency created (1290)
Parliament First member Second member 1376–1388 Thomas Fogge (8 times) 1386 William Bettenham Geoffrey Chaucer Geoffrey ChaucerGeoffrey Chaucer , known as the Father of English literature, is widely considered the greatest English poet of the Middle Ages and was the first poet to have been buried in Poet's Corner of Westminster Abbey...
1388 (Feb) Sir Thomas Fogg James Peckham 1388 (Sep) William Bettenham James Peckham 1390 (Jan) Sir Arnold Savage John Cobham 1390 (Nov) Sir Arnold Savage Sir Thomas Cobham 1391 Sir Arnold Savage Nicholas Potyn 1393 Sir William Burcester Nicholas Potyn 1394 Sir William Pecche John Cobham 1395 Sir Nicholas Haute Thomas Brockhill 1397 (Jan) Thomas Brockhill Nicholas Potyn 1397 (Sep) Sir William Pecche John Cobham 1399 John Freningham Thomas Brockhill 1401 Sir Arnold Savage Robert Clifford 1402 Sir Arnold Savage Thomas Brockhill 1404 (Jan) Sir Arnold Savage Sir Reynold Braybrooke 1404 (Oct) Sir Thomas Clinton Henry Horne 1406 Sir Arnold Savage Robert Clifford 1407 Sir Arnold Savage John Darell 1410 1411 Reynold Pympe William Nutbeam 1413 (Feb) 1413 (May) John Darell John Butler I 1414 (Apr) John Darell Sir Thomas Clinton 1414 (Nov) Sir Arnold Savage II Robert Clifford 1415 1416 (Mar) William Cheyne John Wilcotes 1416 (Oct) 1417 John Darell Roger Rye 1419 William Haute Edward Guildford 1420 William Rickhill Thomas Town 1421 (May) 1421 (Dec) Thomas Ellis Roger Honyton 1422 Geoffrey Lowther Reginald Lowther 1430 William Scott 1445–1446 Thomas Browne Thomas Browne (High Sheriff of Kent)-Career:Sworn to the peace in Kent in 1434. He was Justice of Peace for Kent from 1436 to 24 Dec. 1450. He was Member of Parliament between 1439 and 1444 for Dover. He was High Sheriff of Kent in 1443-4, and then MP between 1445 and 1446 for Kent. He was present at Parliament in 1447 and 1449 as...1450 William Haute 1455 Gervase Clifton Gervase CliftonSir Gervase Clifton was a 15th century English knight and landowner.He was a junior member of the Clifton family of Nottinghamshire and possibly a younger son of Sir Gervase Clifton ....1463–1465 Sir John Fogge 1467 Sir John Scott John Scott of Scott's HallSir John Scott was Warden of the Cinque Ports.Sir John was born at his family home of Scott's Hall at Brabourne in Kent, England . He was the grandfather of Sir William Scott...1510 No names known 1512 ?Sir Edward Poynings ? 1515 ?Sir Thomas Nevill Thomas NevillSir Thomas Nevill or Neville was Speaker of the House of Commons of England between February 1515 - December 1515.-References:...? 1523 ? 1529 Sir Edward Guildford, died
and replaced Oct 1534 by Sir John DudleySir Henry Guildford 1536 ?Thomas Cromwell ? 1539 Sir Thomas Cheyne Gregory Cromwell 1542 Sir Thomas Cheyne Sir Thomas Wyatt, died
and replaced Jan 1543 by Sir John Guildford1545 Sir Thomas Cheyne George Harper 1547 Sir Thomas Cheyne Sir Thomas Wyatt II 1553 (Mar) Sir Thomas Cheyne Sir Henry Sidney 1553 (Oct) Sir Thomas Cheyne Sir Robert Southwell 1554 (Apr) Sir Thomas Cheyne Sir John Baker John Baker (English statesman)Sir John Baker was an English politician, and served as a Chancellor of the Exchequer, having previously been Speaker of the House of Commons of England.-Early life:...
1554 (Nov) Sir Thomas Cheyne Sir John Baker John Baker (English statesman)Sir John Baker was an English politician, and served as a Chancellor of the Exchequer, having previously been Speaker of the House of Commons of England.-Early life:...
1555 Sir John Baker John Baker (English statesman)Sir John Baker was an English politician, and served as a Chancellor of the Exchequer, having previously been Speaker of the House of Commons of England.-Early life:...Sir Robert Southwell 1558 Sir Thomas Cheyne Sir John Baker John Baker (English statesman)Sir John Baker was an English politician, and served as a Chancellor of the Exchequer, having previously been Speaker of the House of Commons of England.-Early life:...
1558/9 Sir Anthony St. Leger 1 Sir Richard Sackville, sat for Sussex,
repl. Feb 1559 by Sir Thomas Kempe1562/3 Sir Henry Sidney Sir Henry Cheyne Henry Cheyne, 1st Baron CheyneHenry Cheyne, 1st Baron Cheyne was an English politician.He was the son of Sir Thomas Cheyne of Shurland, Isle of Sheppey, Kent.He was elected knight of the shire for Kent from 1562 to 1567....
1571 Sir Thomas Scott Thomas Scott (of Scot's Hall)Sir Thomas Scott , of Scot's Hall in Kent, was an English Member of Parliament .He was the eldest son of Sir Reginald Scott, a member of one of the leading families in the county, and quickly became prominent in public affairs. He was knighted in 1571, served as MP for Kent in the parliaments of...Sir Henry Sidney 1572 Sir Henry Sidney Sir Thomas Scott Thomas Scott (of Scot's Hall)Sir Thomas Scott , of Scot's Hall in Kent, was an English Member of Parliament .He was the eldest son of Sir Reginald Scott, a member of one of the leading families in the county, and quickly became prominent in public affairs. He was knighted in 1571, served as MP for Kent in the parliaments of...
1584 (Nov) Sir Philip Sidney Philip SidneySir Philip Sidney was an English poet, courtier and soldier, and is remembered as one of the most prominent figures of the Elizabethan Age...Edward Wotton 1586 (Oct) Sir Henry Brooke alias Cobham I Sir Thomas Scott Thomas Scott (of Scot's Hall)Sir Thomas Scott , of Scot's Hall in Kent, was an English Member of Parliament .He was the eldest son of Sir Reginald Scott, a member of one of the leading families in the county, and quickly became prominent in public affairs. He was knighted in 1571, served as MP for Kent in the parliaments of...
1588 (Oct) Henry Brooke alias Cobham II Sir Henry Brooke alias Cobham I 1593 Sir Edward Hoby Moyle Finch Sir Moyle Finch, 1st BaronetSir Moyle Finch, 1st Baronet was an English politician.He was the eldest surviving son of Sir Thomas Finch of Eastwell, Kent and the brother of Henry Finch....
1597 (Sep) Sir Robert Sidney Robert Sidney, 1st Earl of LeicesterRobert Sidney, 1st Earl of Leicester , second son of Sir Henry Sidney, was a statesman of Elizabethan and Jacobean England. He was also a patron of the arts and an interesting poet...Sir William Brooke alias Cobham, died
and replaced Jan 1588 by Percival Hart1601 Francis Fane Francis Fane, 1st Earl of WestmorlandFrancis Fane, 1st Earl of Westmorland, KB head of the Fane family, of Mereworth in Kent, and then of Apethorpe in Northamptonshire, was first a Member of Parliament and then an English peer...Sir Henry Nevill Henry Nevill, 9th Baron BergavennySir Henry Nevill, de facto 9th Baron Bergavenny was an English Peer and MP.The son of Edward Nevill, 8th Baron Bergavenny, he succeeded to the Barony upon the death of his father in 1622....Parliament of 1604-1611 Sir John Scott John Scott (of Scot's Hall)Sir John Scott , of Scot's Hall in Kent, was an English soldier, Member of Parliament and an early investor in the Colony of Virginia. The second son of Sir Thomas Scott, he served as captain of a band of lancers in the English army in the Netherlands, and in 1588 was knighted for his services...Sir J Lewson Addled Parliament (1614) Addled ParliamentThe Addled Parliament was the second Parliament of England of the reign of James I of England , which sat between 5 April and 7 June 1614...Sir Peter Manwood Peter ManwoodSir Peter Manwood was an English politician who sat in the House of Commons at various times between 1589 and 1621.Manwood was the eldest son of Sir Roger Manwood of Hackington and his first wife Dorothy Theobald, daughter of John Theobald of Seal. He was admitted at Inner Temple in November...Sir Thomas Walsingham Parliament of 1621-1622 Viscount Lisle Sir George Fane George Fane (of Burston)Sir George Fane was an English politician who sat in the House of Commons at various times between 1601 and 1640Fane was the second son of Sir Thomas Fane of Badsell in Kent, by his second wife, Mary Neville daughter of Henry Nevill, 6th Baron Bergavenny and his wife, the former Lady Frances...Happy Parliament (1624-1625) Happy ParliamentThe Happy Parliament was the fourth and last Parliament of England of the reign of King James I, sitting from 19 February 1624 to 24 May 1624 and then from 2 November 1624 to 16 February 1625...Nicholas Tufton Nicholas Tufton, 1st Earl of ThanetNicholas Tufton, 1st Earl of Thanet was an English peer.The son of Sir John Tufton, 1st Baronet, he represented Peterborough in 1601 and Kent from 1624 to 1625 as Member of Parliament. Tufton was knighted by James I on 13 April 1603, and was appointed a justice of the peace in Kent and then a...Sir Edwin Sandys Edwin Sandys (American colonist)Sir Edwin Sandys was an English politician, a leading figure in the parliaments of James I of England. He was also one of the founders of the proprietary Virginia Company of London, which in 1607 established the first permanent English settlement in what is now the United States in the colony of...Useless Parliament (1625) Useless ParliamentThe Useless Parliament was the first Parliament of England of the reign of King Charles I, sitting only from June until August 1625. It gained its name because it transacted no significant business, making it 'useless' from the king's point of view...Mildmay Fane Mildmay Fane, 2nd Earl of WestmorlandMildmay Fane, 2nd Earl of Westmorland was an English nobleman, politician, and writer.-Life:One of seven sons of Francis Fane by his wife Mary, granddaughter of Sir Walter Mildmay, Mildmay Fane was born in Kent and educated at Emmanuel College, Cambridge . He became MP for Peterborough in 1620...Sir Albert Moreton Parliament of 1625-1626 Sir Edward Hales Sir Edward Hales, 1st BaronetSir Edward Hales, 1st Baronet was an English politician who sat in the House of Commons variously between 1625 and 1648. He supported the Parliamentarian side in the English Civil War....Sir Edward Scot Parliament of 1628-1629 Thomas Finch Thomas Finch, 2nd Earl of WinchilseaThomas Finch, 2nd Earl of Winchilsea was an English peer and Member of Parliament.Finch was the son of Sir Moyle Finch, 1st Baronet and Elizabeth Heneage, 1st Countess of Winchilsea...Sir Dudley Diggs Dudley DiggesSir Dudley Digges , of Chilham Castle, Kent , was a Member of Parliament, elected to the Parliament of 1614 and that of 1621, and also a "Virginia adventurer," an investor who ventured his capital in the Virginia Company of London...No Parliament summoned 1629-1640
MPs 1640–1832
| Year | First member | First party | Second member | Second party | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| April 1640 Short Parliament The Short Parliament was a Parliament of England that sat from 13 April to 5 May 1640 during the reign of King Charles I of England, so called because it lasted only three weeks.... |
Norton Knatchbull Sir Norton Knatchbull, 1st Baronet Sir Norton Knatchbull, 1st Baronet was an English politician who sat in the House of Commons at various times between 1640 and 1679.... |
Sir Roger Twysden Sir Roger Twysden, 2nd Baronet Sir Roger Twysden, 2nd Baronet , of Roydon Hall in Kent, was an English historian and politician who sat in the House of Commons at various times between 1625 and 1640.-Life:... |
||||
| November 1640 Long Parliament The Long Parliament was made on 3 November 1640, following the Bishops' Wars. It received its name from the fact that through an Act of Parliament, it could only be dissolved with the agreement of the members, and those members did not agree to its dissolution until after the English Civil War and... |
Sir John Colepeper John Colepeper, 1st Baron Colepeper John Colepeper of Bedgebery, 1st Baron Culpeper of Thoresway was an English politician.-Life:He was the only son of Thomas Culpeper of Wigsell and Anne Slaney , daughter of Sir Stephan Slaney, Lord Mayor of London... |
Royalist | Sir Edward Dering | Royalist | ||
| 1642 | Augustine Skinner Augustine Skinner Augustine Skinner was an English politician who sat in the House of Commons variously between 1642 and 1659. He took the Parliamentary side during the English Civil War.... |
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| January 1644 | Colepeper disabled from sitting - seat vacant | |||||
| 1645 | John Boys John Boys (Parliamentarian) John Boys was an English politician who sat in the House of Commons at various times between 1645 and 1656.Boys was born at Betteshanger, Kent. the son of Edward Boys. He was educated at Canterbury and Winchester... |
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| December 1648 | Boys excluded in Pride's Purge Pride's Purge Pride’s Purge is an event in December 1648, during the Second English Civil War, when troops under the command of Colonel Thomas Pride forcibly removed from the Long Parliament all those who were not supporters of the Grandees in the New Model Army and the Independents... - seat vacant |
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| 1653 Barebones Parliament Barebone's Parliament, also known as the Little Parliament, the Nominated Assembly and the Parliament of Saints, came into being on 4 July 1653, and was the last attempt of the English Commonwealth to find a stable political form before the installation of Oliver Cromwell as Lord Protector... |
Kent had five members in the Barebones Parliament Barebones Parliament Barebone's Parliament, also known as the Little Parliament, the Nominated Assembly and the Parliament of Saints, came into being on 4 July 1653, and was the last attempt of the English Commonwealth to find a stable political form before the installation of Oliver Cromwell as Lord Protector... : Viscount Lisle Philip Sidney, 3rd Earl of Leicester Philip Sidney, 3rd Earl of Leicester was an English politician who sat in the House of Commons at various times between 1640 and 1659 and inherited the peerage of Earl of Leicester in 1677. He supported the Parliamentary cause in the English Civil War... , Thomas Blount Thomas Blount (inventor) Thomas Blount or Blunt was a British soldier, Member of Parliament and inventor.-Life:He was born in Wricklesmarsh, in Charlton, Kent, the second son of Edward Blount of the Middle Temple and his second wife, Fortune, daughter of Sir William Garway. Blount was educated at Brasenose College, Oxford... , William Kenrick, William Cullen, Andrew Broughton Andrew Broughton Andrew Broughton was Clerk of the Court at the High Court of Justice for the trial King Charles I of England.There are not many records of his early life. He was probably born in Seaton, Rutland as the younger son of Richard Broughton... |
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| 1654 First Protectorate Parliament The First Protectorate Parliament was summoned by the Lord Protector Oliver Cromwell under the terms of the Instrument of Government. It sat for one term from 3 September 1654 until 22 January 1655 with William Lenthall as the Speaker of the House.... |
Kent had 11 members in the First Protectorate Parliament First Protectorate Parliament The First Protectorate Parliament was summoned by the Lord Protector Oliver Cromwell under the terms of the Instrument of Government. It sat for one term from 3 September 1654 until 22 January 1655 with William Lenthall as the Speaker of the House.... : Lieutenant Colonel Henry Oxenden Sir Henry Oxenden, 1st Baronet Sir Henry Oxenden, 1st Baronet was an English politician who sat in the House of Commons variously between 1645 and 1660.Oxenden was the son of Sir James Oxenden and his wife Margart Nevinson, daughter of Thomas Nevinson of Estry, Kent... , William James, Colonel John Dixwell John Dixwell John Dixwell was one of the judges who tried King Charles I of England and condemned him to death.-Biography:He was the younger son of Edgar Dixwell, but was raised by his uncle Basil Dixwell of Broome Park, near Canterbury in Kent... , John Boys John Boys (Parliamentarian) John Boys was an English politician who sat in the House of Commons at various times between 1645 and 1656.Boys was born at Betteshanger, Kent. the son of Edward Boys. He was educated at Canterbury and Winchester... , Sir Henry Vane (senior) Henry Vane the Elder Sir Henry Vane, the elder was an English politician and secretary of state.-Origins and education:Vane was born on 18 February 1589, the eldest son of Henry Vane or Fane of Hadlow, Kent, by his second wife, Margaret, daughter of Roger Twysden of East Peckham, Kent... , Lambert Godfrey Lambert Godfrey Lambert Godfrey was an English politician who sat in the House of Commons between 1654 and 1659.Godfrey was the eldest son of Thomas Godfrey, of Sellinge, Kent. He matriculated at Hart Hall, Oxford on 4 May 1627, aged 16 and was awarded BA on 19 February 1628... , Colonel Richard Beal, Augustine Skinner Augustine Skinner Augustine Skinner was an English politician who sat in the House of Commons variously between 1642 and 1659. He took the Parliamentary side during the English Civil War.... , John Selliard, Colonel Ralph Weldon Ralph Weldon Ralph Weldon was an English politician who sat in the House of Commons from 1654 to 1656. He fought in the Parliamentary army in the English Civil War.... , Daniel Shatterden |
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| 1656 Second Protectorate Parliament The Second Protectorate Parliament in England sat for two sessions from 17 September 1656 until 4 February 1658, with Thomas Widdrington as the Speaker of the House of Commons... |
Kent had 11 members in the Second Protectorate Parliament Second Protectorate Parliament The Second Protectorate Parliament in England sat for two sessions from 17 September 1656 until 4 February 1658, with Thomas Widdrington as the Speaker of the House of Commons... : Henry Oxenden Sir Henry Oxenden, 1st Baronet Sir Henry Oxenden, 1st Baronet was an English politician who sat in the House of Commons variously between 1645 and 1660.Oxenden was the son of Sir James Oxenden and his wife Margart Nevinson, daughter of Thomas Nevinson of Estry, Kent... , Richard Meredith Sir Richard Meredith, 2nd Baronet Sir Richard Meredith, 2nd Baronet was an English politician who sat in the House of Commons from 1656 to 1659.Meredith was the son of Sir William Meredith, 1st Baronet of Leeds Abbey, Kent and his wife Susanna Barker of London... , Sir Thomas Style Sir Thomas Style, 2nd Baronet Sir Thomas Style, 2nd Baronet was an English politician who sat in the House of Commons between 1656 and 1659.Style was the son of Sir Thomas Style, 1st Baronet of Wateringbury, Kent and his wife Elizabeth Foulkes daughter of Robert Foulkes of Monchesning, Essex... , William James, Colonel John Dixwell John Dixwell John Dixwell was one of the judges who tried King Charles I of England and condemned him to death.-Biography:He was the younger son of Edgar Dixwell, but was raised by his uncle Basil Dixwell of Broome Park, near Canterbury in Kent... , John Boys John Boys (Parliamentarian) John Boys was an English politician who sat in the House of Commons at various times between 1645 and 1656.Boys was born at Betteshanger, Kent. the son of Edward Boys. He was educated at Canterbury and Winchester... , Lambert Godfrey Lambert Godfrey Lambert Godfrey was an English politician who sat in the House of Commons between 1654 and 1659.Godfrey was the eldest son of Thomas Godfrey, of Sellinge, Kent. He matriculated at Hart Hall, Oxford on 4 May 1627, aged 16 and was awarded BA on 19 February 1628... , Colonel Richard Beal, John Selliard, Colonel Ralph Weldon Ralph Weldon Ralph Weldon was an English politician who sat in the House of Commons from 1654 to 1656. He fought in the Parliamentary army in the English Civil War.... , Daniel Shatterden |
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| January 1659 Third Protectorate Parliament The Third Protectorate Parliament sat for one session, from 27 January 1659 until 22 April 1659, with Chaloner Chute and Thomas Bampfylde as the Speakers of the House of Commons... |
Sir Thomas Style Sir Thomas Style, 2nd Baronet Sir Thomas Style, 2nd Baronet was an English politician who sat in the House of Commons between 1656 and 1659.Style was the son of Sir Thomas Style, 1st Baronet of Wateringbury, Kent and his wife Elizabeth Foulkes daughter of Robert Foulkes of Monchesning, Essex... |
William James | ||||
| May 1659 Rump Parliament The Rump Parliament is the name of the English Parliament after Colonel Pride purged the Long Parliament on 6 December 1648 of those members hostile to the Grandees' intention to try King Charles I for high treason.... |
Augustine Skinner Augustine Skinner Augustine Skinner was an English politician who sat in the House of Commons variously between 1642 and 1659. He took the Parliamentary side during the English Civil War.... |
One seat vacant | ||||
| April 1660 | Sir Edward Dering Sir Edward Dering, 2nd Baronet Sir Edward Dering, 2nd Baronet was an English politician.He was the eldest surviving son and heir of Sir Edward Dering, 1st Baronet of Pluckley, Kent by his second marriage to Anne, sister of John Ashburnham. He was admitted as a fellow-commoner to Sidney Sussex College, Cambridge... |
Sir John Tufton John Tufton (died 1685) John Tufton was an English politician. He was a Member of Parliament for Kent from 1660 to 1679.-References:... |
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| 1661 | Sir Thomas Peyton Sir Thomas Peyton, 2nd Baronet Sir Thomas Peyton, 2nd Baronet was an English politician who sat in the House of Commons from 1640 to 1644 and from 1661 to 1679. He supported the Royalist side in the English Civil War.... |
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| 1679 | Sir Vere Fane Vere Fane, 4th Earl of Westmorland Vere Fane, 4th Earl of Westmorland KB , known as Sir Vere Fane from 1661 to 1691, was a British peer and Member of Parliament for Peterborough and Kent.He was Lord Lieutenant of Kent... |
(Sir) Edward Dering Sir Edward Dering, 3rd Baronet Sir Edward Dering, 3rd Baronet was an English Member of Parliament and baronet.He was the eldest son of Sir Edward Dering, 2nd Baronet of Surrenden Dering in Pluckley, Kent and his wife Mary Harvey, a composer and niece of Dr... |
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| 1685 | Sir William Twysden Sir William Twysden, 3rd Baronet Sir William Twysden, 3rd Baronet , of Roydon Hall in Kent, was an English landowner and Member of Parliament.He was the eldest son of Sir Roger Twysden, 2nd Baronet, and succeeded to the baronetcy on 27 June 1672.... |
Sir John Knatchbull Sir John Knatchbull, 2nd Baronet Sir John Knatchbull, 2nd Baronet was an English politician and baronet.-Background:He was the oldest son of Sir Norton Knatchbull, 1st Baronet and his first wife Dorothy Westrow, daughter of Thomas Westrow. In 1685, he succeeded his father as baronet. Knatchbull was educated at Trinity College,... |
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| 1689 | Sir Vere Fane Vere Fane, 4th Earl of Westmorland Vere Fane, 4th Earl of Westmorland KB , known as Sir Vere Fane from 1661 to 1691, was a British peer and Member of Parliament for Peterborough and Kent.He was Lord Lieutenant of Kent... |
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| 1691 | Sir Thomas Roberts Sir Thomas Roberts, 4th Baronet Sir Thomas Roberts, 4th Baronet was an English politician who sat in the House of Commons between 1691 and 1702.... |
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| 1695 | Philip Sydney | |||||
| 1698 | Sir James Oxenden Sir James Oxenden, 2nd Baronet Sir James Oxenden, 2nd Baronet , of Dene, Kent was an English politician who sat in the House of Commons between 1679 and 1702.... |
Sir Stephen Lennard Sir Stephen Lennard, 2nd Baronet Sir Stephen Lennard, 2nd Baronet was an English politician who sat in the House of Commons of England in two periods between 1681 and 1701 and in the House of Commons of Great Britain from 1708 to 1710.... |
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| January 1701 | Sir Thomas Hales Sir Thomas Hales, 2nd Baronet Sir Thomas Hales, 2nd Baronet , of Beakesbourne and Brymore in Kent, was an English Member of Parliament.Hales was the eldest son of Thomas Hales of Howlets and grandson of Sir Robert Hales, who had been created a baronet at the Restoration. His father having already died, he succeeded to his... |
Thomas Meredith Thomas Meredith (MP) Thomas Meredith was an English Whig politician who sat in the House of Commons of England in 1701.Thomas Meredith was the son of Sir Richard Meredith, 2nd Baronet, of Leeds Abbey, Kent, and his wife Susanna, daughter of Philip Skippon. He was educated at Trinity Hall, Cambridge and entered Inner... |
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| December 1701 | William Campion William Campion (1640-1702) William Campion was an English politician who sat in the House of Commons between 1689 and 1702.Campion was the son of Sir William Campion of Combwell, and his wife Grace Parker, daughter of Sir Thomas Parker of Ratton Sussex... |
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| 1702 | Sir Francis Leigh Francis Leigh (MP for Kent) Sir Francis Leigh was an English politician. He was a Member of Parliament for Kent from 1702 to 1705.-References:... |
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| 1705 | Sir Cholmeley Dering, Bt Sir Cholmeley Dering, 4th Baronet Sir Cholmeley Dering, 4th Baronet was an English politician and duellist.He was the eldest son of Sir Edward Dering, 3rd Baronet of Surrenden in Pluckley, Kent by Elizabeth, daughter of Sir William Cholmeley, 2nd Baronet of Whitby, Yorkshire... |
Tory | Viscount Villiers William Villiers, 2nd Earl of Jersey William Villers, 2nd Earl of Jersey , known as Viscount Villiers from 1697 to 1711, was an English peerJersey was the son of Edward Villiers, 1st Earl of Jersey, and his wife Barbara . He represented Kent in the House of Commons from 1705 to 1708... |
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| 1708 British general election, 1708 The British general election, 1708 returned members to serve in the House of Commons of the 2nd Parliament of Great Britain to be held, after the merger of the Parliament of England and the Parliament of Scotland in 1707.-Summary of the Constituencies:... |
Sir Thomas Palmer | Sir Stephen Lennard, Bt Sir Stephen Lennard, 2nd Baronet Sir Stephen Lennard, 2nd Baronet was an English politician who sat in the House of Commons of England in two periods between 1681 and 1701 and in the House of Commons of Great Britain from 1708 to 1710.... |
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| January 1710 by-election | David Polhill David Polhill David Polhill was an English politician who sat in the House of Commons variously between 1710 and 1754.Polhill was the son of Thomas Polhill of Otford and his wife Elizabeth Ireton, daughter of Henry Ireton, and granddaughter of Oliver Cromwell. He lived at Otford where he had various attempts at... |
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| October 1710 British general election, 1710 The British general election, 1710 produced a landslide victory for the Tory party in the wake of the prosecution of Henry Sacheverell and the collapse of the previous Whig government lead by Godolphin and the Whig junto... |
Sir Cholmeley Dering, Bt Sir Cholmeley Dering, 4th Baronet Sir Cholmeley Dering, 4th Baronet was an English politician and duellist.He was the eldest son of Sir Edward Dering, 3rd Baronet of Surrenden in Pluckley, Kent by Elizabeth, daughter of Sir William Cholmeley, 2nd Baronet of Whitby, Yorkshire... |
Tory | Percival Hart Percival Hart Percival Hart was an English politician who sat in the House of Commons from 1710-1715.Hart was the son of Percyval Hart of Lullingstone and his wife Ann... |
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| 1711 by-election | Sir William Hardres Sir William Hardres, 4th Baronet Sir William Hardres, 4th Baronet of Hardres Court, Kent was a British politician who sat in the House of Commons in two periods between 1711 and 1735.... |
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| 1713 British general election, 1713 The British general election, 1713 produced further gains for the governing Tory party. Since 1710 Robert Harley had lead a government appointed after the downfall of the Whig junto, attempting to pursue a moderate and non-controversial policy, but had increasingly struggled to deal with the... |
Sir Edward Knatchbull, 4th Bt Sir Edward Knatchbull, 4th Baronet Sir Edward Knatchbull, 4th Baronet was an English politician who sat in the House of Commons of England from 1702 to 1705 and in the House of Commons of Great Britain variously between 1713 and 1730.... |
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| February 1715 British general election, 1715 The British general election of 1715 returned members to serve in the House of Commons of the 5th Parliament of Great Britain to be held, after the merger of the Parliament of England and the Parliament of Scotland in 1707... |
Mildmay Fane Mildmay Fane The Honourable Mildmay Fane was a British politician.Vere was the fourth son of Vere Fane, 4th Earl of Westmorland, by Rachel, daughter of John Bence. He sat as Member of Parliament for Kent from February to September 1715.He died aged 25.-References:... |
William Delaune William Delaune William Delaune D.D. was an English clergyman and academic, President of St John's College, Oxford, and chaplain to Queen Anne.-Life:... |
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| September 1715 by-election | Colonel the Hon. John Fane John Fane, 7th Earl of Westmorland John Fane, 7th Earl of Westmorland was an English nobleman, styled The Honourable John Fane from 1691 to 1736.... |
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| 1722 British general election, 1722 The British general election of 1722 elected members to serve in the House of Commons of the 6th Parliament of Great Britain. This event took place following the merger of the Parliament of England and the Parliament of Scotland in 1707. The election was fiercely fought, with contests taking place... |
Sir Edward Knatchbull, 4th Bt Sir Edward Knatchbull, 4th Baronet Sir Edward Knatchbull, 4th Baronet was an English politician who sat in the House of Commons of England from 1702 to 1705 and in the House of Commons of Great Britain variously between 1713 and 1730.... |
Sir Thomas Twisden Sir Thomas Twisden, 3rd Baronet Sir Thomas Twisden, 3rd Baronet was a British politician. He was a Member of Parliament for Kent from 1722 to 1727.He died aged 59.... |
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| 1727 British general election, 1727 The British general election, 1727 returned members to serve in the House of Commons of the 7th Parliament of Great Britain to be held, after the merger of the Parliament of England and the Parliament of Scotland in 1707. The election was triggered by the death of George I; at the time elections... |
Sir Roger Meredith Sir Roger Meredith, 5th Baronet Sir Roger Meredith, 5th Baronet was an English politician who sat in the House of Commons from 1727 to 1734.Meredith was the son of Sir Richard Meredith, 2nd Baronet and his wife Susanna Skippon, daughter of Philip Skippon of Foulsham Norfolk... |
Sir Robert Furnese Sir Robert Furnese, 2nd Baronet Sir Robert Furnese, 2nd Baronet was an English politician who sat in the House of Commons from 1708 to 1733.Furnese was the son of Sir Henry Furnese, 1st Baronet, of Gunnersbury House, and his first wife Anne Brough, daughter of Robert Brough.In 1708 Furnese was elected MP for Truro and held the... |
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| 1733 by-election | Sir Edward Dering Sir Edward Dering, 5th Baronet -Early life:Edward Dering was the elder son and heir of Sir Cholmeley Dering, 4th Baronet of Surrenden in Pluckley, Kent by his wife Ellen, only child of Edward Fisher of Mitcham, Surrey... |
Tory | ||||
| 1734 British general election, 1734 The British general election, 1734 returned members to serve in the House of Commons of the 8th Parliament of Great Britain to be held, after the merger of the Parliament of England and the Parliament of Scotland in 1707. Robert Walpole's increasingly unpopular Whig government lost ground to the... |
The Viscount Vane | |||||
| 1735 by-election | Sir Christopher Powell | |||||
| 1741 British general election, 1741 The British general election, 1741 returned members to serve in the House of Commons of the 9th Parliament of Great Britain to be held, after the merger of the Parliament of England and the Parliament of Scotland in 1707... |
Sir Roger Twisden | |||||
| 1754 British general election, 1754 The British general election, 1754 returned members to serve in the House of Commons of the 11th Parliament of Great Britain to be held, after the merger of the Parliament of England and the Parliament of Scotland in 1707.... |
Hon. Lewis Watson | Hon. Robert Fairfax Robert Fairfax, 7th Lord Fairfax of Cameron Robert Fairfax , 7th Lord Fairfax of Cameron , died at Leeds Castle, England, which he inherited from his mother Catharine, daughter of Thomas Culpeper, 2nd Baron Culpeper of Thoresway.... |
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| 1760 by-election | Sir Wyndham Knatchbull-Wyndham, 6th Bt Sir Wyndham Knatchbull-Wyndham, 6th Baronet Sir Wyndham Knatchbull-Wyndham, 6th Baronet was a British baronet and Whig politician.Born in Golden Square in Middlesex, he was the only son of Sir Wyndham Knatchbull-Wyndham, 5th Baronet and his wife Catharine, daughter of James Harris. In 1749, aged only twelve, Knatchbull-Wyndham succeeded his... |
Whig | ||||
| 1763 by-election | Sir Brook Bridges Sir Brook Bridges, 3rd Baronet Sir Brook William Bridges, 3rd Baronet was a British baronet and Whig politician.Born posthumously at Whitehall, he was the only son of Sir Brook Bridges, 2nd Baronet and his wife Anne Palmer, daughter of Sir Thomas Palmer, 4th Baronet, of Wingham. With his birth he succeeded his father as baronet... |
Whig | ||||
| 1768 British general election, 1768 The British general election, 1768 returned members to serve in the House of Commons of the 13th Parliament of Great Britain to be held, after the merger of the Parliament of England and the Parliament of Scotland in 1707.-Summary of the Constituencies:... |
John Frederick Sackville John Sackville, 3rd Duke of Dorset John Frederick Sackville, 3rd Duke of Dorset was the only son of Lord John Philip Sackville, second son of Lionel Sackville, 1st Duke of Dorset. He succeeded to the dukedom in 1769 on the death of his uncle, Charles Sackville, 2nd Duke of Dorset... |
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| 1769 by-election | Sir Charles Farnaby | |||||
| 1774 British general election, 1774 The British general election, 1774 returned members to serve in the House of Commons of the 14th Parliament of Great Britain to be held, after the merger of the Parliament of England and the Parliament of Scotland in 1707.-Summary of the Constituencies:... |
Hon. Charles Marsham Charles Marsham, 1st Earl of Romney Charles Marsham, 1st Earl of Romney , known as The Lord Romney between 1793 and 1801, was a British politician who sat in the House of Commons from 1768 to 1790, inherited his peerage in 1793 and was created Earl of Romney in 1801.-Background:Romney was the son of Robert Marsham, 2nd Baron Romney,... |
Thomas Knight, junior Thomas Knight (MP for Kent) Thomas Knight was an English politician who sat in the House of Commons in two periods between 1761 and 1780.Knight was the son of Thomas Knight of Godmersham and his wife Jane Monke.... |
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| 1780 British general election, 1780 The British general election, 1780 returned members to serve in the House of Commons of the 15th Parliament of Great Britain to be held after the merger of the Parliament of England and the Parliament of Scotland in 1707... |
Filmer Honywood Filmer Honywood Filmer Honywood was an English politician who sat in the House of Commons variously between 1774 and 1806.Honywood was the son of Sir John Honywood, 3rd Baronet and his second wife Dorothy Filmer, daughter of Sir Edward Filmer, 3rd Baronet.Honywood was elected Member of Parliament for Steyning in... |
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| 1790 British general election, 1790 The British general election, 1790 returned members to serve in the House of Commons of the 17th Parliament of Great Britain to be held, after the merger of the Parliament of England and the Parliament of Scotland in 1707.-Political Situation:... |
Sir Edward Knatchbull, 8th Bt Sir Edward Knatchbull, 8th Baronet Sir Edward Knatchbull, 8th Baronet was a British politician and baronet.-Background:He was the only surviving son of Sir Edward Knatchbull, 7th Baronet and his wife Grace Legge, second daughter of William Legge. In 1789, he succeeded his father as baronet. Knatchbull was educated at Tunbridge and... |
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| 1796 British general election, 1796 The British general election, 1796 returned members to serve in the 18th and last House of Commons of the Parliament of Great Britain to be held before the formation of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland on 1 January 1801... |
Sir William Geary, Bt Sir William Geary, 2nd Baronet Sir William Geary, 2nd Baronet was an English Tory politician from West Peckham in Kent. He sat in the House of Commons from 1796 to 1806, and from 1812 to 1818.He lived at Oxon Hoath in West Peckham.... |
Tory | ||||
| 1802 United Kingdom general election, 1802 The United Kingdom general election, 1802 was the election to the 2nd Parliament of the United Kingdom. It was the first to be held after the formation of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland... |
Filmer Honywood Filmer Honywood Filmer Honywood was an English politician who sat in the House of Commons variously between 1774 and 1806.Honywood was the son of Sir John Honywood, 3rd Baronet and his second wife Dorothy Filmer, daughter of Sir Edward Filmer, 3rd Baronet.Honywood was elected Member of Parliament for Steyning in... |
Whig | ||||
| 1806 United Kingdom general election, 1806 The United Kingdom general election, 1806 was the election of members to the 3rd Parliament of the United Kingdom. This was the second general election to be held after the Union of Great Britain and Ireland.... |
Sir Edward Knatchbull, 8th Bt Sir Edward Knatchbull, 8th Baronet Sir Edward Knatchbull, 8th Baronet was a British politician and baronet.-Background:He was the only surviving son of Sir Edward Knatchbull, 7th Baronet and his wife Grace Legge, second daughter of William Legge. In 1789, he succeeded his father as baronet. Knatchbull was educated at Tunbridge and... |
Tory | William Honywood William Honywood (died 1818) William Honywood was a British soldier and Whig politician who sat in the House of Commons from 1806 to 1812.Honeywood was the son of William Honywood and his wife Elizabeth Clark of Wallingford... |
Whig | ||
| 1812 United Kingdom general election, 1812 The election to the 5th Parliament of the United Kingdom in 1812 was the fourth general election to be held after the Union of Great Britain and Ireland.... |
Sir William Geary, Bt Sir William Geary, 2nd Baronet Sir William Geary, 2nd Baronet was an English Tory politician from West Peckham in Kent. He sat in the House of Commons from 1796 to 1806, and from 1812 to 1818.He lived at Oxon Hoath in West Peckham.... |
Tory | ||||
| 1818 United Kingdom general election, 1818 The 1818 general election of the United Kingdom saw the Whigs gain a few seats, but the Tories under the Earl of Liverpool retained a majority of around 90 seats... |
William Philip Honywood William Philip Honywood William Philip Honywood was an English Whig politician who sat in the House of Commons from 1818 to 1830.Honywood was the son of William Honywood and his wife Mary Brockman.... |
Whig | ||||
| 1819 by-election | Sir Edward Knatchbull, 9th Bt | Tory | ||||
| 1830 United Kingdom general election, 1830 The 1830 United Kingdom general election, was triggered by the death of King George IV and produced the first parliament of the reign of his successor, William IV. Fought in the aftermath of the Swing Riots, it saw electoral reform become a major election issue... |
Thomas Law Hodges Thomas Law Hodges Thomas Law Hodges was an English Liberal Party politician who sat in the House of Commons variously between 1830 and 1852.... |
Whig | ||||
| 1831 United Kingdom general election, 1831 The 1831 general election in the United Kingdom saw a landslide win by supporters of electoral reform, which was the major election issue. As a result it was the last unreformed election, as the Parliament which resulted ensured the passage of the Reform Act 1832. Polling was held from 28 April to... |
Thomas Rider Thomas Rider (MP for Kent) Thomas Rider was a British Whig politician who held a seat in the House of Commons from 1831 to 1835.He was elected at the 1831 general election as a Member of Parliament for Kent, and held the seat until the constituency was divided under the Reform Act 1832... |
Whig | ||||
| 1832 United Kingdom general election, 1832 -Seats summary:-Parties and leaders at the general election:The Earl Grey had been Prime Minister since 22 November 1830. His was the first predominantly Whig administration since the Ministry of all the Talents in 1806-1807.... |
Constituency abolished: see Eastern Kent, Western Kent | |||||