Staffordshire (UK Parliament constituency)
Encyclopedia
Staffordshire was a county 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.
of Staffordshire
, excluding the city of Lichfield
which had the status of a county in its itself
after 1556. (Although Staffordshire also contained the boroughs of Stafford
and Newcastle-under-Lyme
, and part of the borough of Tamworth
, each of which elected two MPs in its own right for part of the period when Staffordshire was a constituency, these were not excluded from the county constituency, and owning property within the borough could confer a vote at the county election. This was not the case, though, for Lichfield.)
As in other county constituencies the franchise between 1430 and 1832 was defined by the Forty Shilling Freeholder Act
, which gave 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 briefly during the period of the Commonwealth, Staffordshire had two MPs, traditionally known as Knights of the Shire
, elected by the bloc vote
method, under which each voter had two votes. (In the First
and Second Parliaments
of Oliver Cromwell
's Protectorate, there was a general redistribution of seats and Staffordshire elected three members; the traditional arrangements were restored from 1659.)
and had become significantly urbanised. By the time of the Great Reform Act in 1832, Staffordshire had a population of approximately 410,000, of which around 65,000 were in Wolverhampton
, 60,000 in the urban area round Stoke-on-Trent
, and 15,000 in Walsall
. Its principal industries were hardware and pottery manufacture, and it also drew prosperity from the importance of the River Trent
as a means of transport and from the extensive canal network constructed in the county in the 18th century.
Nevertheless, the urban and industrial interests had no opportunity to develop political leverage in Staffordshire. Although the qualified electorate numbered some 5,000 in the 18th century, control of the representation was entirely in the hands of a small number of aristocratic families, most notably the Leveson-Gowers (Marquesses of Stafford) and the Bagots
. As in most counties of any size, contested elections were avoided whenever possible because of the expense. Elections were held at a single polling place, Stafford
, and voters from the rest of the county had to travel to the county town to exercise their franchise; candidates were expected to meet the expenses of their supporters in travelling to the poll and to entertain them lavishly with food and drink when they got there. The MPs were generally chosen by and from among the principal families of the county, and it would have been futile as well as ruinously expensive for an outsider to fight an election. In fact there were only three contested elections in Staffordshire between 1700 and 1747
, and none at all afterwards: in 1753, the Leveson Gowers and the Bagots, despite their political differences (the former being Whigs
and the latter Tories) reached a satisfactory compromise, and thereafter the Leveson Gowers nominated one MP and the remaining county gentry the other (who was frequently a Bagot).
and Southern Staffordshire, and also created new boroughs from three of the larger towns previously in the county constituency (Stoke-upon-Trent
, Walsall
and Wolverhampton
).
Notes
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...
then of 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...
from 1707 to 1800 and of 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...
from 1801 to 1832. It was represented by two 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,...
until 1832.
Boundaries and franchise
The constituency, which first returned members to Parliament in 1290, 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 Staffordshire
Staffordshire
Staffordshire is a landlocked county in the West Midlands region of England. For Eurostat purposes, the county is a NUTS 3 region and is one of four counties or unitary districts that comprise the "Shropshire and Staffordshire" NUTS 2 region. Part of the National Forest lies within its borders...
, excluding the city of Lichfield
Lichfield
Lichfield is a cathedral city, civil parish and district in Staffordshire, England. One of eight civil parishes with city status in England, Lichfield is situated roughly north of Birmingham...
which had the status of a county in its 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...
after 1556. (Although Staffordshire also contained the boroughs of Stafford
Stafford (UK Parliament constituency)
Stafford is a county constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. It elects one Member of Parliament by the first past the post system of election. The sitting MP is the Conservative Jeremy Lefroy....
and Newcastle-under-Lyme
Newcastle-under-Lyme (UK Parliament constituency)
Newcastle-under-Lyme is a borough constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. It elects one Member of Parliament by the first past the post system of election.- History :...
, and part of the borough of Tamworth
Tamworth (UK Parliament constituency)
Tamworth is a parliamentary constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. It elects one Member of Parliament by the first past the post system of election.- History :...
, each of which elected two MPs in its own right for part of the period when Staffordshire was a constituency, these were not excluded from the county constituency, and owning property within the borough could confer a vote at the county election. This was not the case, though, for Lichfield.)
As in other county constituencies the franchise between 1430 and 1832 was defined by 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...
, which gave 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 briefly during the period of the Commonwealth, Staffordshire had two MPs, traditionally known as Knights of the Shire
Knights of the Shire
From the creation of the Parliament of England in mediaeval times until 1826 each county of England and Wales sent two Knights of the Shire as members of Parliament to represent the interests of the county, when the number of knights from Yorkshire was increased to four...
, 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 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, there was a general redistribution of seats and Staffordshire elected three members; the traditional arrangements were restored from 1659.)
Character
In the Middle Ages Staffordshire was mainly an agricultural county, but was transformed by the Industrial RevolutionIndustrial Revolution
The Industrial Revolution was a period from the 18th to the 19th century where major changes in agriculture, manufacturing, mining, transportation, and technology had a profound effect on the social, economic and cultural conditions of the times...
and had become significantly urbanised. By the time of the Great Reform Act in 1832, Staffordshire had a population of approximately 410,000, of which around 65,000 were in Wolverhampton
Wolverhampton
Wolverhampton is a city and metropolitan borough in the West Midlands, England. For Eurostat purposes Walsall and Wolverhampton is a NUTS 3 region and is one of five boroughs or unitary districts that comprise the "West Midlands" NUTS 2 region...
, 60,000 in the urban area round Stoke-on-Trent
Stoke-on-Trent
Stoke-on-Trent , also called The Potteries is a city in Staffordshire, England, which forms a linear conurbation almost 12 miles long, with an area of . Together with the Borough of Newcastle-under-Lyme Stoke forms The Potteries Urban Area...
, and 15,000 in Walsall
Walsall
Walsall is a large industrial town in the West Midlands of England. It is located northwest of Birmingham and east of Wolverhampton. Historically a part of Staffordshire, Walsall is a component area of the West Midlands conurbation and part of the Black Country.Walsall is the administrative...
. Its principal industries were hardware and pottery manufacture, and it also drew prosperity from the importance of the River Trent
River Trent
The River Trent is one of the major rivers of England. Its source is in Staffordshire on the southern edge of Biddulph Moor. It flows through the Midlands until it joins the River Ouse at Trent Falls to form the Humber Estuary, which empties into the North Sea below Hull and Immingham.The Trent...
as a means of transport and from the extensive canal network constructed in the county in the 18th century.
Nevertheless, the urban and industrial interests had no opportunity to develop political leverage in Staffordshire. Although the qualified electorate numbered some 5,000 in the 18th century, control of the representation was entirely in the hands of a small number of aristocratic families, most notably the Leveson-Gowers (Marquesses of Stafford) and the Bagots
Baron Bagot
Baron Bagot, of Bagot's Bromley in the County of Stafford, is a title in the Peerage of Great Britain. It was created on 12 October 1780 for Sir William Bagot, 6th Baronet.-Bagot family:...
. As in most counties of any size, contested elections were avoided whenever possible because of the expense. Elections were held at a single polling place, Stafford
Stafford
Stafford is the county town of Staffordshire, in the West Midlands region of England. It lies approximately north of Wolverhampton and south of Stoke-on-Trent, adjacent to the M6 motorway Junction 13 to Junction 14...
, and voters from the rest of the county had to travel to the county town to exercise their franchise; candidates were expected to meet the expenses of their supporters in travelling to the poll and to entertain them lavishly with food and drink when they got there. The MPs were generally chosen by and from among the principal families of the county, and it would have been futile as well as ruinously expensive for an outsider to fight an election. In fact there were only three contested elections in Staffordshire between 1700 and 1747
British general election, 1747
The British general election, 1747 returned members to serve in the House of Commons of the 10th Parliament of Great Britain to be held, after the merger of the Parliament of England and the Parliament of Scotland in 1707. The election saw Henry Pelham's Whig government increase its majority and...
, and none at all afterwards: in 1753, the Leveson Gowers and the Bagots, despite their political differences (the former being Whigs
British Whig Party
The Whigs were a party in the Parliament of England, Parliament of Great Britain, and Parliament of the United Kingdom, who contested power with the rival Tories from the 1680s to the 1850s. The Whigs' origin lay in constitutional monarchism and opposition to absolute rule...
and the latter Tories) reached a satisfactory compromise, and thereafter the Leveson Gowers nominated one MP and the remaining county gentry the other (who was frequently a Bagot).
Abolition
The constituency was abolished in 1832 by the Great Reform Act, which divided the county into two new two-member divisions, Northern StaffordshireNorth Staffordshire (UK Parliament constituency)
North Staffordshire was a county constituency in the county of Staffordshire. It returned two Members of Parliament to the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom, elected by the bloc vote system.-History:The constituency was created by the Reform Act 1832 for the 1832 general...
and Southern Staffordshire, and also created new boroughs from three of the larger towns previously in the county constituency (Stoke-upon-Trent
Stoke-upon-Trent (UK Parliament constituency)
Stoke-upon-Trent was a parliamentary borough in Staffordshire, which elected two Members of Parliament to the House of Commons from 1832 until 1885, and then one member from 1885 until 1918, when the borough was enlarged, renamed Stoke-on-Trent, and split into three single-member...
, Walsall
Walsall (UK Parliament constituency)
Walsall was a borough constituency centred on the town of Walsall in the West Midlands of England. It returned one Member of Parliament to the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom, elected by the first past the post voting system....
and Wolverhampton
Wolverhampton (UK Parliament constituency)
Wolverhampton was a parliamentary constituency centred on the town of Wolverhampton in Staffordshire. It elected two Members of Parliament to the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom.-History:...
).
MPs 1290–1640
| Parliament | First member | Second member |
|---|---|---|
| 1324 | Sir John de Arderne | |
| 1378 | Robert Stafford | |
| 1380 | Robert Stafford | |
| 1380 | Sir Robert Peshall | |
| 1382 | Robert Stafford | |
| 1382 | John Basset | |
| 1383 | Robert Stafford | |
| 1383 | Sir Robert Peshall | |
| 1386 | Sir William Shareshull | Aymer Lichfield |
| 1388 (Feb) | Sir John Ipstones | Roger Longridge |
| 1388 (Sep) | Sir Thomas Aston | John Delves |
| 1389 | William Chetwynd? | |
| 1390 (Jan) | Sir Nicholas Stafford | John Delves |
| 1390 (Nov) | Sir Nicholas Stafford | John Delves |
| 1391 | Sir John Bagot | William Walsall |
| 1393 | Sir Thomas Aston | William Walsall 1 |
| 1394 | Sir John Ipstones | William Walsall |
| 1395 | Sir William Shareshull | Aymer Lichfield |
| 1397 (Jan) | Sir John Bagot | Sir Robert Francis |
| 1397 (Sep) | Sir John Bagot | Rustin Villeneuve |
| 1399 | Sir Thomas Aston | Sir Robert Francis |
| 1401 | Sir John Bagot | Sir Robert Francis |
| 1402 | John Swynnerton | William Walsall |
| 1404 (Jan) | Ralph Stafford | William Walsall |
| 1404 (Oct) | Sir John Bagot | Sir Robert Francis |
| 1406 | Sir Thomas Aston | Sir Humphrey Stafford |
| 1407 | Sir John Bagot | Sir William Newport |
| 1410 | ||
| 1411 | Sir John Bagot | Sir William Newport |
| 1413 (Feb) | ||
| 1413 (May) | Sir Thomas Gresley | Hugh Erdeswyk |
| 1414 (Apr) | John Meverel | William Walsall |
| 1414 (Nov) | John Meverel | Sir William Newport |
| 1415 | ||
| 1416 (Mar) | Humphrey Haughton | Roger Bradshaw |
| 1416 (Oct) | ||
| 1417 | ||
| 1419 | Sir Thomas Gresley | Sir Richard Vernon Vernon family The Vernon family was a wealthy, prolific and widespread English family with 11th century origins in Vernon, France.-Vernon of Shipbrook, Cheshire:... |
| 1420 | William Lee II | John Mynors |
| 1421 (May) | Sir John Bagot | Richard Lane |
| 1421 (Dec) | Hugh Erdeswyk | Richard Lane |
| 1422 | Sir Thomas Stanley | Sir John Gresley |
| 1431 | John Mynors | John Harpour |
| 1437 | John Mynors | |
| 1445 | Robert Whitgreve | |
| 1449 Nov | Robert Whitgreve | |
| 1455 | Sir William Vernon Vernon family The Vernon family was a wealthy, prolific and widespread English family with 11th century origins in Vernon, France.-Vernon of Shipbrook, Cheshire:... |
|
| 1504 | Sir Edmond Dudley | |
| 1510–1523 | colspan = "2" No Names Known | |
| 1529 | Sir John Giffard | Edward Littleton |
| 1536 | ||
| 1539 | Edward Littleton | Thomas Giffard |
| 1542 | Sir John Dudley | Sir Philip Draycott |
| 1545 | Sir George Griffith | Thomas Fitzherbert |
| 1547 | Sir William Paget William Paget, 1st Baron Paget William Paget, 1st Baron Paget of Beaudesert , was an English statesman and accountant who held prominent positions in the service of Henry VIII, Edward VI and Mary I.-Early life:... , ennobled and replaced Jan 1552 by Sir Ralph Bagnall |
Sir John Harcourt |
| 1553 (Mar) | William Devereux | Walter Aston |
| 1553 (Oct) | Sir Thomas Giffard | Edward Littleton |
| 1554 (Apr) | Sir Philip Draycott | Thomas Grey |
| 1554 (Nov) | Sir Philip Draycott | (Sir) Edward Littleton |
| 1555 | Sir Thomas Giffard | (Sir) Edward Littleton |
| 1558 | Brian Fowler | Francis Meverell |
| 1559 (Jan) | Sir Ralph Bagnall | Simon Harcourt |
| 1562–1563 | Simon Harcourt | John Grey |
| 1571 | John Grey | Thomas Trentham Thomas Trentham Thomas Trentham was an English politician and Privy Councillor.He was the son of Richard Trentham of Rocester Abbey, who died in 1547.... |
| 1572 (Apr) | John Fleetwood | Thomas Whorwood |
| 1584 (Nov) | Hon. Edward Dudley (alias Sutton) Edward Sutton, 5th Baron Dudley Edward Sutton, 5th Baron Dudley inherited the lordship of Dudley from his father, also Edward Sutton, and was the last of his name to bear the title. He was married to Theodosia Harrington... |
Edward Legh |
| 1586 | John Grey | - |
| 1588-1589 | (Sir) Walter Harcourt | Thomas Gerard Thomas Gerard Thomas Gerard may refer to:*Thomas Gerard, 1st Baron Gerard , English politician and peer*Tom Gerard, police officer*Thomas Gerard , English Protestant... |
| 1593 | Sir Christopher Blount | |
| 1597-1598 | Hon. John Dudley | |
| 1601 | Sir Thomas Gerard Thomas Gerard Thomas Gerard may refer to:*Thomas Gerard, 1st Baron Gerard , English politician and peer*Tom Gerard, police officer*Thomas Gerard , English Protestant... |
Sir John Egerton |
| 1604-1611 | Sir Edward Littleton | Robert Stanford |
| Addled Parliament (1614) Addled Parliament The 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... |
Walter Chetwynd Walter Chetwynd (died 1638) Walter Chetwynd was an English politician who sat in the House of Commons at various times between 1584 and 1614.Chetwynd was the son of John Chetwynd of Ingestre and his second wife Margery Middlemore, daughter of Robert Middlemore of Edgbaston, Warwickshire. He was educated at Barnard's Inn and... |
Thomas Crompton |
| 1621-1622 | Sir William Bowyer William Bowyer (MP) Sir William Bowyer was an English politician who sat in the House of Commons variously between 1614 and 1641.Bowyer was the son of Sir John Bowyer of Knipersley Staffordshire.... |
Thomas Crompton |
| Happy Parliament (1624-1625) Happy Parliament The 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... |
Sir William Bowyer William Bowyer (MP) Sir William Bowyer was an English politician who sat in the House of Commons variously between 1614 and 1641.Bowyer was the son of Sir John Bowyer of Knipersley Staffordshire.... |
Sir Edward Littleton |
| Useless Parliament (1625) Useless Parliament The 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... |
Richard Erdeswick | Sir Simon Weston Simon Weston (MP) Sir Simon Weston was an English politician who sat in the House of Commons between 1624 and 1626.Weston was the son of James Weston, diocesan registrar and a Lichfield MP, and his wife Margery Lowe daughter of Humphrey Lowe of Lichfield. The Westons, father and son, lived at St John's Hospital in... |
| 1625-1626 | Sir William Bowyer William Bowyer (MP) Sir William Bowyer was an English politician who sat in the House of Commons variously between 1614 and 1641.Bowyer was the son of Sir John Bowyer of Knipersley Staffordshire.... |
Sir Simon Weston Simon Weston (MP) Sir Simon Weston was an English politician who sat in the House of Commons between 1624 and 1626.Weston was the son of James Weston, diocesan registrar and a Lichfield MP, and his wife Margery Lowe daughter of Humphrey Lowe of Lichfield. The Westons, father and son, lived at St John's Hospital in... |
| 1628-1629 | Sir Hervey Bagot Sir Hervey Bagot, 1st Baronet Sir Hervey Bagot, 1st Baronet was an English MP.He was born in Checkley, Staffordshire, the son of Walter Bagot and Elizabeth Cave. He matriculated at Trinity College, Oxford University on November 18, 1608... |
Sir Thomas Crompton |
| 1629-1640 | No Parliaments summoned | |
MPs 1640–1832
| Election | 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.... |
Sir Edward Littleton Sir Edward Littleton, 1st Baronet Sir Edward Littleton was a 17th century English Baronet and politician.He was the son of Sir Edward Littleton Kt. and Mary Fisher of Pillaton Hall, Staffordshire and representative of that notable family of Cavalier sympathies... |
Royalist | Sir William Bowyer William Bowyer (MP) Sir William Bowyer was an English politician who sat in the House of Commons variously between 1614 and 1641.Bowyer was the son of Sir John Bowyer of Knipersley Staffordshire.... |
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| 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 William Bowyer William Bowyer (MP) Sir William Bowyer was an English politician who sat in the House of Commons variously between 1614 and 1641.Bowyer was the son of Sir John Bowyer of Knipersley Staffordshire.... |
Parliamentarian | ||||
| 1641 | Sir Hervey Bagot Sir Hervey Bagot, 1st Baronet Sir Hervey Bagot, 1st Baronet was an English MP.He was born in Checkley, Staffordshire, the son of Walter Bagot and Elizabeth Cave. He matriculated at Trinity College, Oxford University on November 18, 1608... |
Royalist | ||||
| November 1642 | Bagot disabled from sitting - seat vacant | |||||
| March 1644 | Littleton disabled from sitting - seat vacant | |||||
| 1646 | John Bowyer Sir John Bowyer, 1st Baronet Sir John Bowyer, 1st Baronet was a 17th-century English soldier and politician.Bowyer was the son of Sir William Bowyer, a wealthy Staffordshire landowner of Knypersley Hall, near Biddulph.... |
Sir Richard Skeffington | ||||
| 1647 | Thomas Crompton Thomas Crompton (Parliamentarian) Thomas Crompton was an English politician who sat in the House of Commons at various times between 1647 and 1660.Crompton was the son of Sir Thomas Crompton of Stafford... |
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| December 1648 | Bowyer 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... |
George Bellot | John Chetwood | ||||
| Staffordshire's representation was increased to three Members 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 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... Parliaments of the Protectorate |
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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.... |
Sir Charles Wolseley Sir Charles Wolseley, 2nd Baronet Sir Charles Wolseley, 2nd Baronet , of Wolseley in Staffordshire, was an English Member of Parliament who held high office during the Commonwealth.-Life:... , Thomas Crompton Thomas Crompton (Parliamentarian) Thomas Crompton was an English politician who sat in the House of Commons at various times between 1647 and 1660.Crompton was the son of Sir Thomas Crompton of Stafford... , Thomas Whitgrave |
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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... |
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| Staffordshire's representation reverted to two Members in the Third Protectorate Parliament 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... |
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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... |
Thomas Crompton Thomas Crompton (Parliamentarian) Thomas Crompton was an English politician who sat in the House of Commons at various times between 1647 and 1660.Crompton was the son of Sir Thomas Crompton of Stafford... |
Sir Thomas Whitgrave | ||||
| 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.... |
Thomas Crompton Thomas Crompton (Parliamentarian) Thomas Crompton was an English politician who sat in the House of Commons at various times between 1647 and 1660.Crompton was the son of Sir Thomas Crompton of Stafford... |
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| April 1660 | Edward Bagot Sir Edward Bagot, 2nd Baronet Sir Edward Bagot, 2nd Baronet succeeded to the title 2nd Baronet of Blithfield Hall in the Baronetage of England on the death of his father Sir Hervey Bagot in 1660.... |
William Sneyd William Sneyd William Sneyd was an English politician who sat in the House of Commons in 1660.Sneyd was the son of Ralph Sneyd of Keele, Staffordshire, a member of the ancient family of Sneyd. He was educated at Chell, Staffordshire under Mr Stevenson and was admitted to Caius College, Cambridge on 7 July 1632... |
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| 1661 | Sir Thomas Leigh | Randolph Egerton | ||||
| 1663 | Sir Edward Littleton | |||||
| 1679 | Sir Walter Bagot Sir Walter Bagot, 3rd Baronet Sir Walter Bagot, 3rd Baronet , a barrister and landowner, succeeded to the title 3rd Baronet of Blithfield Hall, Staffordshire on the death of his father Sir Edward Bagot in 1673.... |
Sir John Bowyer Sir John Bowyer, 2nd Baronet Sir John Bowyer, 2nd Baronet was an English politician.He was the oldest son of Sir John Bowyer, 1st Baronet and Mary Milward, daughter of Robert Milward. Bowyer was educated at Christ Church College, Oxford and graduated with a Master of Arts in 1669. Three years ago, he had succeeded his father... |
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| 1685 | Edward Littleton Edward Littleton Edward Littleton was an administrator of the English East India Company. He served as President of Bengal in the early eighteenth century. From 1685 until 1689, he sat as Member of Parliament for Staffordshire.-References:... |
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| 1689 | John Grey John Grey (died 1709) Hon. John Grey , of Enville Hall, Staffordshire, was a Member of Parliament for that county.He was the third son of Henry Grey, 1st Earl of Stamford and Lady Anne Cecil, youngest daughter and coheiress of William Cecil, 2nd Earl of Exeter, whose second son was Anchitell Grey, the Parliamentary... |
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| 1690 | Walter Chetwynd Walter Chetwynd Walter Chetwynd FRS , of Ingestre Hall, was an antiquary and politician.He was the only child of Walter Chetwynd , the eldest son of Walter Chetwynd , who built Ingestre Hall. He was admitted to the Middle Temple in 1657, but returned his native Staffordshire and occupied various local offices... |
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| 1693 | Sir Walter Bagot Sir Walter Bagot, 3rd Baronet Sir Walter Bagot, 3rd Baronet , a barrister and landowner, succeeded to the title 3rd Baronet of Blithfield Hall, Staffordshire on the death of his father Sir Edward Bagot in 1673.... |
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| 1695 | Henry Paget Henry Paget, 1st Earl of Uxbridge (first creation) Henry Paget, 1st Earl of Uxbridge PC was a British nobleman and politician.-Family:He was the son of William Paget, 6th Baron Paget, and his wife Frances, daughter of Francis Pierrepoint and a granddaughter of Robert Pierrepont, 1st Earl of Kingston-upon-Hull... |
Tory Tory Toryism is a traditionalist and conservative political philosophy which grew out of the Cavalier faction in the Wars of the Three Kingdoms. It is a prominent ideology in the politics of the United Kingdom, but also features in parts of The Commonwealth, particularly in Canada... |
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| 1698 | (Sir) Edward Bagot Sir Edward Bagot, 4th Baronet Sir Edward Bagot, 4th Baronet succeeded to the Baronetcy of Blithfield Hall, Staffordshire on the death of his father Sir Walter Bagot in 1704.He was educated at Christ Church, Oxford... |
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| 1708 | John Wrottesley | |||||
| 1710 | William Ward William Ward (1677-1720) William Ward was Member of Parliament for Staffordshire from 1710–1713 and 1715 until his death.He was the eldest son of Hon. William Ward of Willingsworth in Sedgley and Anne daughter and eventual heir of William Parkes of Willingsworth. He married Mary, daughter of the Hon. John Grey of... |
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| 1712 | Charles Bagot | |||||
| 1713 | Ralph Sneyd Ralph Sneyd Ralph Sneyd was an English landowner and politician who sat in the House of Commons from 1640 to 1642. He was a colonel in the Royalist army in the English Civil War and was killed in action on the Isle of Man.... |
Henry Vernon | ||||
| 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... |
Lord Paget Thomas Paget, Lord Paget Thomas Catesby Paget, Lord Paget was a British politician, styled Hon. Thomas Catesby Paget from 1712 to 1714.Paget was born in 1689, the son of Hon. Henry Paget, later Earl of Uxbridge, and his wife Mary Catesby. He was educated at Trinity College, Oxford and Clare College, Cambridge... |
Tory Tory Toryism is a traditionalist and conservative political philosophy which grew out of the Cavalier faction in the Wars of the Three Kingdoms. It is a prominent ideology in the politics of the United Kingdom, but also features in parts of The Commonwealth, particularly in Canada... |
William Ward William Ward (1677-1720) William Ward was Member of Parliament for Staffordshire from 1710–1713 and 1715 until his death.He was the eldest son of Hon. William Ward of Willingsworth in Sedgley and Anne daughter and eventual heir of William Parkes of Willingsworth. He married Mary, daughter of the Hon. John Grey of... |
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| 1720 by-election | Hon. William Leveson-Gower | |||||
| 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 Walter Wagstaffe Bagot Sir Walter Bagot, 5th Baronet Sir Walter Wagstaffe Bagot, 5th Baronet was 5th Baronet in the Baronetcy of Blithfield in the Baronetage of England... |
Tory | ||||
| 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.... |
(Sir) William Bagot William Bagot, 1st Baron Bagot William Bagot, 1st Baron Bagot , known as Sir William Bagot, 6th Baronet from 1768 to 1780, was a British politician.Bagot was the son of Sir Walter Bagot, 5th Baronet, and his wife Lady Barbara Legge... |
Tory | ||||
| 1757 by-election | Hon. Henry Thynne | |||||
| 1761 British general election, 1761 The British general election, 1761 returned members to serve in the House of Commons of the 12th Parliament of Great Britain to be held, after the merger of the Parliament of England and the Parliament of Scotland in 1707... |
Lord Grey George Grey, 5th Earl of Stamford George Harry Grey, 5th Earl of Stamford , styled Lord Grey from 1739 to 1768, was an English nobleman.... |
Whig | ||||
| May 1768 by-election | Captain (Sir) John Wrottesley Sir John Wrottesley, 8th Baronet Sir John Wrottesley, 8th Baronet , of Wrottesley Hall in Staffordshire, was a British army officer and Member of Parliament.... |
Whig | ||||
| 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... |
Viscount Lewisham George Legge, 3rd Earl of Dartmouth George Legge, 3rd Earl of Dartmouth KG, PC, FRS , styled Viscount Lewisham until 1801, was a British politician.-Background:... |
Tory | ||||
| 1784 British general election, 1784 The British general election of 1784 resulted in William Pitt the Younger securing an overall majority of about 120 in the House of Commons of Great Britain, having previously had to survive in a House which was dominated by his opponents.-Background:... |
Sir Edward Littleton | Whig | ||||
| 1787 by-election | Earl Gower George Leveson-Gower, 1st Duke of Sutherland George Granville Leveson-Gower, 1st Duke of Sutherland KG, PC , known as Viscount Trentham from 1758 to 1786, as Earl Gower from 1786 to 1803 and as The Marquess of Stafford from 1803 to 1833, was a British politician, diplomat, landowner and patron of the arts. He is estimated to have been the... |
Whig | ||||
| 1799 by-election | Lord Granville Leveson-Gower Granville Leveson-Gower, 1st Earl Granville Granville Leveson-Gower, 1st Earl Granville GCB PC , known as Lord Granville Leveson-Gower from 1786 to 1814 and as the Viscount Granville from 1814 to 1833, was a British Whig statesman and diplomat.... |
Whig | ||||
| May 1812 by-election | Edward Littleton Edward Littleton, 1st Baron Hatherton Edward John Littleton, 1st Baron Hatherton PC, FRS , was a British politician, of first the Canningite Tories and later the Whigs. He had a long political career, active in each of the Houses of Parliament in turn over a period of forty years... |
Canningite Tory Canningite Canningites was the name used for a faction of British Tories in the first decade of the 19th century through the 1820s who were led by George Canning. The Canningites were distinct within the Tory party because they favoured Catholic emancipation and freer trade.After the incapacity of Lord... |
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| 1815 by-election | Earl Gower | Whig | ||||
| 1820 United Kingdom general election, 1820 The 1820 UK general election, held shortly after the Radical War in Scotland and the Cato Street Conspiracy. In this atmosphere, the Tories under the Earl of Liverpool were able to win a substantial majority over the Whigs.... |
Sir John Fenton Boughey | Whig | ||||
| 1823 by-election | Major-General Sir John Wrottesley John Wrottesley, 1st Baron Wrottesley John Wrottesley, 1st Baron Wrottesley , known as Sir John Wrottesley, 9th Baronet, from 1787 to 1838, was a British soldier and Member of Parliament.... |
Whig | ||||
| c. 1830 | 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: replaced by North Staffordshire North Staffordshire (UK Parliament constituency) North Staffordshire was a county constituency in the county of Staffordshire. It returned two Members of Parliament to the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom, elected by the bloc vote system.-History:The constituency was created by the Reform Act 1832 for the 1832 general... and South Staffordshire |
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Notes
See also
- List of former United Kingdom Parliamentary constituencies
- Unreformed House of CommonsUnreformed House of CommonsThe 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...