Westminster (UK Parliament constituency)
Encyclopedia
Westminster was a parliamentary constituency in the Parliament of England
to 1707, the Parliament of Great Britain
1707-1800 and the Parliament of the United Kingdom
from 1801. It returned two members to 1885 and one thereafter.
The constituency was first known to have been represented in Parliament in 1545 and continued to exist until the redistribution of seats in 1918. The constituency's most famous former representatives are Charles James Fox
and John Stuart Mill
.
is a district of Inner London
. Its southern boundary is on the north bank of the River Thames
. It is located to the west of the City of London
, to the south of Holborn
and St. Pancras
and to the east of Kensington
and Chelsea
.
Before 1545 the area which became this borough constituency was represented as part of the county constituency of Middlesex
. Until 1885 the constituency had two representatives.
In the 1885 redistribution of seats the Westminster area (within the expanded boundaries of what became the Metropolitan Borough of Westminster
which was created in 1900) was divided into three single-member seats. The south-eastern part, including the traditional heart of Westminster and such important centres of power as the Houses of Parliament
and the seat of government in Whitehall
, continued to be a constituency called Westminster. The official definition of the areas included was "the Westminster district
and Close of the Collegiate Church of St Peter
". In the north-east was the constituency of Strand
and to the west that of St George's, Hanover Square.
In the 1918 redistribution the Metropolitan Borough was divided into two single member constituencies, Westminster St George's
in the west and Westminster Abbey in the east. The Abbey division incorporated the area of the 1885-1918 Westminster constituency.
Before the Reform Act 1832
the right to vote was held by the male inhabitants paying Scot and Lot (a kind of local property tax). This was an extensive franchise, by the standards of that era. Westminster had the largest electorate of any borough in the Kingdom. Only the largest county constituency of Yorkshire
had more voters. Sedgwick estimated the electorate at about 8,000 in the first half of the eighteenth century. Namier and Brooke estimated that there were about 12,000 voters later in the century. The large size of the electorate made contested elections immensely expensive.
In the sixteenth century the Church officials associated with Westminster Abbey
had a large influence in the area, but as the community became bigger that became less important. The Court (or His Majesty's Treasury) had some legitimate influence (by the standards of the age), because of the royal residences and government offices in the borough. The use of public funds to bribe the electorate was not unknown, during close elections (see the comments about the cost of the 1780 and 1784 contests below). Local landowners who were prepared to stir up ill-will by threatening to evict or raise the rents of tenants voting the wrong way, could also affect the result.
Unlawful means were sometimes used to make sure that the right candidates were elected. In 1722 the election of two Tories was declared void because of rioting which prevented some Whigs voting. In 1741 a Whig
returning officer called upon the assistance of some troops to close the poll before the Tory candidates could catch up to the Whig votes.
The House of Commons declared the 1741 election void with the ringing resolution that "the presence of a regular body of armed soldiers at an election of members to sit in Parliament, is a high infringement of the liberties of the subject, a manifest violation of the freedom of election and an open defiance of the laws and constitution of this kingdom".
By the eighteenth century it was normal for the members to be Irish peers, the sons of peers or baronets, as it was thought appropriate for them to be of high social standing so as to be worthy to represent the seat.
The Treasury spent the enormous sums of more than £8,000 in 1780 and £9,000 in 1784, in unsuccessful attempts to defeat the opposition Whig
leader Charles James Fox
. So expensive were these contests that for the next general election in 1790, the government and opposition leaders reached a formal agreement for each to have one member returned unopposed. However in the event a second Whig candidate did appear, but the Tory (the famous Admiral Lord Hood
) and Fox were re-elected without too much difficulty.
The last MP for this constituency, William Burdett-Coutts, was connected with a family prominent in City of Westminster politics since the eighteenth century. He himself was born in the United States in 1851, his grandparents on both sides having been British subjects. After he married Baroness Burdett-Coutts in 1881 he changed his surname from Bartlett to Burdett-Coutts. He represented the area from 1885 until 1918 and continued to sit for the Abbey division until his death in 1921.
fully in line with the Gregorian calendar
.
from 1832, L Liberal
from 1832, NP Non Partisan candidate (no party or no party identified), T Tory to 1832, W Whig
to 1832.
system was used. Voters could cast a vote for one or two candidates, as they chose. The leading candidates with the largest number of votes were elected.
In by-elections and all elections after 1885, to fill a single seat, the first past the post system applied.
After 1832, when registration of voters was introduced, a turnout figure is given for contested elections. In two-member elections, when the exact number of participating voters is unknown, this is calculated by dividing the number of votes by two. To the extent that electors did not use both their votes this will be an underestimate of turnout.
Where a party had more than one candidate in one or both of a pair of successive elections change is calculated for each individual candidate, otherwise change is based on the party vote. Change figures at by-elections are from the preceding general election or the last intervening by-election. Change figures at general elections are from the last general election.
Candidates for whom no party has been identified are classified as Non Partisan. The candidate might have been associated with a party or faction in Parliament or consider himself to belong to a particular political tradition. Political parties before the nineteenth century were not as cohesive or organised as they later became. Contemporary commentators (even the reputed leaders of parties or factions) in the eighteenth century did not necessarily agree who the party supporters were. The traditional parties, which had arisen in the late seventeenth century, became increasingly irrelevant to politics in the eighteenth century (particularly after 1760), although for some contests in some constituencies party labels were still used. It was only towards the end of the century that party labels began to acquire some meaning again, although this process was by no means complete for several more generations.
Sources: The results for elections before 1790 were taken from the History of Parliament Trust publications on the House of Commons. The results from 1790 until the UK general election, 1832 are based on Stooks Smith and from 1832 onwards on Craig. Where Stooks Smith gives additional information to the other sources this is indicated in a note.
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...
to 1707, 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...
1707-1800 and 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. It returned two members to 1885 and one thereafter.
The constituency was first known to have been represented in Parliament in 1545 and continued to exist until the redistribution of seats in 1918. The constituency's most famous former representatives are Charles James Fox
Charles James Fox
Charles James Fox PC , styled The Honourable from 1762, was a prominent British Whig statesman whose parliamentary career spanned thirty-eight years of the late 18th and early 19th centuries and who was particularly noted for being the arch-rival of William Pitt the Younger...
and John Stuart Mill
John Stuart Mill
John Stuart Mill was a British philosopher, economist and civil servant. An influential contributor to social theory, political theory, and political economy, his conception of liberty justified the freedom of the individual in opposition to unlimited state control. He was a proponent of...
.
Boundaries and boundary changes
The City of WestminsterCity of Westminster
The City of Westminster is a London borough occupying much of the central area of London, England, including most of the West End. It is located to the west of and adjoining the ancient City of London, directly to the east of the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea, and its southern boundary...
is a district of Inner London
Inner London
Inner London is the name for the group of London boroughs which form the interior part of Greater London and are surrounded by Outer London. The area was first officially defined in 1965 and for purposes such as statistics, the definition has changed over time. The terms Inner London and Central...
. Its southern boundary is on the north bank of the River Thames
River Thames
The River Thames flows through southern England. It is the longest river entirely in England and the second longest in the United Kingdom. While it is best known because its lower reaches flow through central London, the river flows alongside several other towns and cities, including Oxford,...
. It is located to the west of the City of London
City of London
The City of London is a small area within Greater London, England. It is the historic core of London around which the modern conurbation grew and has held city status since time immemorial. The City’s boundaries have remained almost unchanged since the Middle Ages, and it is now only a tiny part of...
, to the south of Holborn
Holborn
Holborn is an area of Central London. Holborn is also the name of the area's principal east-west street, running as High Holborn from St Giles's High Street to Gray's Inn Road and then on to Holborn Viaduct...
and St. Pancras
St Pancras, London
St Pancras is an area of London. For many centuries the name has been used for various officially-designated areas, but now is used informally and rarely having been largely superseded by several other names for overlapping districts.-Ancient parish:...
and to the east of Kensington
Kensington
Kensington is a district of west and central London, England within the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea. An affluent and densely-populated area, its commercial heart is Kensington High Street, and it contains the well-known museum district of South Kensington.To the north, Kensington is...
and Chelsea
Chelsea, London
Chelsea is an area of West London, England, bounded to the south by the River Thames, where its frontage runs from Chelsea Bridge along the Chelsea Embankment, Cheyne Walk, Lots Road and Chelsea Harbour. Its eastern boundary was once defined by the River Westbourne, which is now in a pipe above...
.
Before 1545 the area which became this borough constituency was represented as part of the county constituency of Middlesex
Middlesex (UK Parliament constituency)
Middlesex is a former United Kingdom Parliamentary constituency. It 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 1885....
. Until 1885 the constituency had two representatives.
In the 1885 redistribution of seats the Westminster area (within the expanded boundaries of what became the Metropolitan Borough of Westminster
Metropolitan Borough of Westminster
The Metropolitan Borough of Westminster was a metropolitan borough in the County of London, England, from 1900 to 1965.-City Status:By royal charter dated 29 October 1900 the borough was granted the title City of Westminster. Westminster had originally been created a city and seat of the...
which was created in 1900) was divided into three single-member seats. The south-eastern part, including the traditional heart of Westminster and such important centres of power as the Houses of Parliament
Palace of Westminster
The Palace of Westminster, also known as the Houses of Parliament or Westminster Palace, is the meeting place of the two houses of the Parliament of the United Kingdom—the House of Lords and the House of Commons...
and the seat of government in Whitehall
Whitehall
Whitehall is a road in Westminster, in London, England. It is the main artery running north from Parliament Square, towards Charing Cross at the southern end of Trafalgar Square...
, continued to be a constituency called Westminster. The official definition of the areas included was "the Westminster district
Westminster District
Westminster District was a federal electoral district in British Columbia, Canada, that was represented in the Canadian House of Commons from 1917 to 1921....
and Close of the Collegiate Church of St Peter
Close of the Collegiate Church of St Peter
The Close of the Collegiate Church of St Peter was an extra-parochial area, and later civil parish, in the metropolitan area of London, England...
". In the north-east was the constituency of Strand
Strand (UK Parliament constituency)
Strand was a parliamentary constituency in the Strand district of the City of Westminster. It returned one Member of Parliament to the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom.-History:...
and to the west that of St George's, Hanover Square.
In the 1918 redistribution the Metropolitan Borough was divided into two single member constituencies, Westminster St George's
Westminster St George's (UK Parliament constituency)
Westminster St George's, originally named St George's, Hanover Square, was a parliamentary constituency in Central London. 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 system of election.-History:The...
in the west and Westminster Abbey in the east. The Abbey division incorporated the area of the 1885-1918 Westminster constituency.
History
This was a prestigious constituency, because it represented the centre of British government and had such a large electorate that it was independent of the control of a patron.Before 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...
the right to vote was held by the male inhabitants paying Scot and Lot (a kind of local property tax). This was an extensive franchise, by the standards of that era. Westminster had the largest electorate of any borough in the Kingdom. Only the largest county constituency of Yorkshire
Yorkshire (UK Parliament constituency)
Yorkshire was a constituency of the House of Commons of the Parliament of England from 1290, then of the Parliament of Great Britain from 1707 to 1800 and of the Parliament of the United Kingdom from 1801 to 1832...
had more voters. Sedgwick estimated the electorate at about 8,000 in the first half of the eighteenth century. Namier and Brooke estimated that there were about 12,000 voters later in the century. The large size of the electorate made contested elections immensely expensive.
In the sixteenth century the Church officials associated with Westminster Abbey
Westminster Abbey
The Collegiate Church of St Peter at Westminster, popularly known as Westminster Abbey, is a large, mainly Gothic church, in the City of Westminster, London, United Kingdom, located just to the west of the Palace of Westminster. It is the traditional place of coronation and burial site for English,...
had a large influence in the area, but as the community became bigger that became less important. The Court (or His Majesty's Treasury) had some legitimate influence (by the standards of the age), because of the royal residences and government offices in the borough. The use of public funds to bribe the electorate was not unknown, during close elections (see the comments about the cost of the 1780 and 1784 contests below). Local landowners who were prepared to stir up ill-will by threatening to evict or raise the rents of tenants voting the wrong way, could also affect the result.
Unlawful means were sometimes used to make sure that the right candidates were elected. In 1722 the election of two Tories was declared void because of rioting which prevented some Whigs voting. In 1741 a Whig
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...
returning officer called upon the assistance of some troops to close the poll before the Tory candidates could catch up to the Whig votes.
The House of Commons declared the 1741 election void with the ringing resolution that "the presence of a regular body of armed soldiers at an election of members to sit in Parliament, is a high infringement of the liberties of the subject, a manifest violation of the freedom of election and an open defiance of the laws and constitution of this kingdom".
By the eighteenth century it was normal for the members to be Irish peers, the sons of peers or baronets, as it was thought appropriate for them to be of high social standing so as to be worthy to represent the seat.
The Treasury spent the enormous sums of more than £8,000 in 1780 and £9,000 in 1784, in unsuccessful attempts to defeat the opposition Whig
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...
leader Charles James Fox
Charles James Fox
Charles James Fox PC , styled The Honourable from 1762, was a prominent British Whig statesman whose parliamentary career spanned thirty-eight years of the late 18th and early 19th centuries and who was particularly noted for being the arch-rival of William Pitt the Younger...
. So expensive were these contests that for the next general election in 1790, the government and opposition leaders reached a formal agreement for each to have one member returned unopposed. However in the event a second Whig candidate did appear, but the Tory (the famous Admiral Lord Hood
Samuel Hood, 1st Viscount Hood
Samuel Hood, 1st Viscount Hood was a British Admiral known particularly for his service in the American War of Independence and French Revolutionary Wars...
) and Fox were re-elected without too much difficulty.
The last MP for this constituency, William Burdett-Coutts, was connected with a family prominent in City of Westminster politics since the eighteenth century. He himself was born in the United States in 1851, his grandparents on both sides having been British subjects. After he married Baroness Burdett-Coutts in 1881 he changed his surname from Bartlett to Burdett-Coutts. He represented the area from 1885 until 1918 and continued to sit for the Abbey division until his death in 1921.
Lists of Members of Parliament
Preliminary note: The English civil year started on 25 March until 1752 (Scotland having changed to 1 January in 1600). The years used in this article have been converted to the new style where necessary. It should be noted that old style dates would be a year earlier than the new style for days between 1 January and 24 March. No attempt has been made to compensate for the eleven days which did not occur in September 1752 in both England and Scotland as well as other British controlled territories (when the day after 2 September was 14 September), so as to bring the British EmpireBritish Empire
The British Empire comprised the dominions, colonies, protectorates, mandates and other territories ruled or administered by the United Kingdom. It originated with the overseas colonies and trading posts established by England in the late 16th and early 17th centuries. At its height, it was the...
fully in line with the Gregorian calendar
Gregorian calendar
The Gregorian calendar, also known as the Western calendar, or Christian calendar, is the internationally accepted civil calendar. It was introduced by Pope Gregory XIII, after whom the calendar was named, by a decree signed on 24 February 1582, a papal bull known by its opening words Inter...
.
Members of Parliament 1545-1660
Some of the members elected during this period have been identified. The year first given is for the initial meeting of the Parliament, with the month added where there was more than one Parliament in the year. If a second year is given this is a date of dissolution. Early Parliaments sometimes only existed for a few days or weeks, so dissolutions in the same year as the first meeting are not recorded in this list If a specific date of election is known this is recorded in italic brackets. The roman numerals in brackets, following some names, are those used to distinguish different politicians of the same name in 'The House of Commons' 1509-1558 and 1558-1603.| Year | First member | Second member |
|---|---|---|
| 1545-1547 | Robert Smallwood | John Russell John Russell (Westminster MP) John Russell was an English politician. He was the Member of Parliament for Westminster, London 1545-1547 along with Robert Smallwood.... (II) |
| 1547-1552 | (Sir) George Blagge George Blagge Sir George Blagge was an English politician. He was the Member of Parliament for Bedford from 1545 to 1547, and Westminster from 1547 to 1551, during the reign of Edward VI.-Controversy:... , died and repl.Jan 1552 by Robert Nowell |
John Rede John Rede John Rede was an English scholar, tutor and politician. He was the Member of Parliament for Westminster, London and the tutor of Arthur, Prince of Wales, son of Henry VII of England.... (I) |
| 1553 (Mar) | (Sir) Robert Southwell | Arthur Stourton |
| 1553 (Oct) | Robert Southwell | William Gyes |
| 1554 (April) | William Gyes | Richard Hodges |
| 1554 (Nov)-1555 | William Jennings | William Gyes |
| 1555 | Arthur Stourton | Richard Hodges |
| 1558 | Nicholas Newdigate | John Best John Best John Best may refer to:* John William Best , Royal Air Force pilot* John Best , British politician* John Best , US/English soccer defender* John Best , Captain of the Yeomen of the Guard... (II) |
| 1559 (elected 7 January 1559) | Richard Hodges | John Best (II) |
| 1563-1567 (elected 1562/3) | Robert Nowell | William Bowyer (II) |
| 1571 | Sir William Cordell William Cordell Sir William Cordell was Solicitor General and Master of the Rolls during the reign of Queen Mary I and Speaker of the House of Commons during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I.... |
William Staunton |
| 1572-1583 | Thomas Wilbraham, died and repl. 1576 by John Osborne |
John Doddington John Doddington John Doddington was an English politician who sat in the House of Commons in 1640.Doddington was the son of Sir William Doddington of Breamore, Hampshire. He inherited the estates and Breamore House on the death of his father in 1638.... |
| 1584-1585 | Hon. Robert Cecil Robert Cecil, 1st Earl of Salisbury Robert Cecil, 1st Earl of Salisbury, KG, PC was an English administrator and politician.-Life:He was the son of William Cecil, 1st Baron Burghley and Mildred Cooke... |
Thomas Knyvett Thomas Knyvett Sir Thomas Knyvett , of Buckenham, Norfolk was a young English nobleman who was a close associate of King Henry VIII shortly after that monarch came to the throne... (I) |
| 1586-1587 | Hon. Robert Cecil | Thomas Knyvett (I) |
| 1589 (elected 20 December 1588) | Thomas Knyvett (I) | Peter Osborne |
| 1593 | Richard Cecil Richard Cecil (died 1633) Sir Richard Cecil was an English politician who sat in the House of Commons at various times between 1593 and 1622.... |
Thomas Cole |
| 1597-1598 (elected 27 September 1597) | Thomas Knyvett (I) | Thomas Cole died and repl. January 1598 by Anthony Mildmay Anthony Mildmay Sir Anthony Mildmay was a country gentleman from Northamptonshire, England, who served as Member of Parliament for Wiltshire from 1584 to 1586 and as English ambassador in Paris in 1597.-Early life:... |
| 1601 (elected 26 September 1601) | Thomas Knyvett (I) | William Cooke William Cooke (of Highnam) Sir William Cooke was an English landowner and politician who sat in the House of Commons at various times between 1597 and 1614.... (II) |
| 1604 | Sir Thomas Knyvett Thomas Knyvett Sir Thomas Knyvett , of Buckenham, Norfolk was a young English nobleman who was a close associate of King Henry VIII shortly after that monarch came to the throne... |
Sir Walter Cope |
| 1614 | Sir Humphrey May Humphrey May Sir Humphrey May was an English politician. He was born the fourth son of Richard May, Merchant Taylor of London. He matriculated from St John's College, Oxford on 25th October 1588, graduated B.A. on 3rd March 1592 and became student of the Middle Temple in 1592... |
Edmund Doubleday |
| 1621 | Sir Edward Villiers | William Mann |
| 1624 | Sir Edward Villiers | William Mann |
| 1625 | Sir Edward Villiers | William Mann |
| 1626 | Sir Robert Pye Robert Pye (elder) Sir Robert Pye was an English courtier, administrator and politician who sat in the House of Commons between 1621 and 1629. He supported the Royalist cause in the English Civil War.... |
Peter Heywood |
| 1628 | Joseph Bradshaw | Thomas Morris |
| Apr 1640 | Sir John Glynne John Glynne (judge) Sir John Glynne KS was a Welsh lawyer of the Commonwealth and Restoration periods, who rose to become Lord Chief Justice of the Upper Bench, under Oliver Cromwell... |
William Bell William Bell (apothecary) William Bell was an English apothecary and politician who sat in the House of Commons from 1640 to 1648.Bell was an apothecary of Westminster and an early member of the Society of Apothecaries... |
| Nov 1640 | Sir John Glynne John Glynne (judge) Sir John Glynne KS was a Welsh lawyer of the Commonwealth and Restoration periods, who rose to become Lord Chief Justice of the Upper Bench, under Oliver Cromwell... |
William Bell William Bell (apothecary) William Bell was an English apothecary and politician who sat in the House of Commons from 1640 to 1648.Bell was an apothecary of Westminster and an early member of the Society of Apothecaries... |
| Glynne disabled 7 September 1747 but restored 7 June 1648 Glynne and Bell both possibly secluded in Pride's Purge Westminster unrepresented in the Rump 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.... and 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... |
||
| 1654 | Thomas Latham | Thomas Falconbridge |
| 1656 | Colonel Edward Grosvenor Edward Grosvenor Edward Grosvenor was an English soldier and politician who sat in the House of Commons from 1656 to 1659. He served in the Parliamentary army in the English Civil War.... |
Edward Cary |
| 1659 | Edward Grosvenor Edward Grosvenor Edward Grosvenor was an English soldier and politician who sat in the House of Commons from 1656 to 1659. He served in the Parliamentary army in the English Civil War.... |
Richard Sherwyn |
Members of Parliament 1660-1918
Key to parties: C ConservativeConservative Party (UK)
The Conservative Party, formally the Conservative and Unionist Party, is a centre-right political party in the United Kingdom that adheres to the philosophies of conservatism and British unionism. It is the largest political party in the UK, and is currently the largest single party in the House...
from 1832, L Liberal
Liberal Party (UK)
The Liberal Party was one of the two major political parties of the United Kingdom during the 19th and early 20th centuries. It was a third party of negligible importance throughout the latter half of the 20th Century, before merging with the Social Democratic Party in 1988 to form the present day...
from 1832, NP Non Partisan candidate (no party or no party identified), T Tory to 1832, W Whig
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...
to 1832.
| From | To | Name (Party) | Born | Died | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1660 | 1660 | Gilbert Gerard Gilbert Gerard (died 1683) Sir Gilbert Gerard was an English politician who sat in the House of Commons in 1660.Gerard was the son of Sir Gilbert Gerard, 1st Baronet of Harrow on the Hill and his wife Mary Barrington, daughter of Sir Francis Barrington. He was admitted at Emmanuel College, Cambridge on 20 August 1634... (NP) |
c. 1618 | 5 November 1683 | |
| 1660 | 1660 | Thomas Clarges Thomas Clarges Sir Thomas Clarges was an English politician who sat in the House of Commons variously between 1656 and 1695. He played an important part in bringing about the Restoration of the monarchy in 1660.... (NP) |
c. 1618 | 4 October 1695 | |
| 1661 | 1679 | Sir Philip Warwick Philip Warwick Sir Philip Warwick , English writer and politician, born in Westminster, was the son of Thomas Warwick, or Warrick, a musician.... (NP) |
24 December 1609 | 15 January 1683 | |
| 1661 | 1679 | Sir Richard Everard (NP) | c. 1625 | 29 August 1694 | |
| 1679 | 1679 | Sir Stephen Fox Stephen Fox Sir Stephen Fox was an English politician.-Life:Stephen Fox was the son of William Fox, of Farley, in Wiltshire, a yeoman farmer... (NP) |
27 March 1627 | 28 October 1716 | |
| 1679 | 1685 | Sir William Pulteney (NP) | 25 March 1624 | 6 September 1691 | |
| 1679 | 1680 | Francis Wythens Francis Wythens Sir Francis Wythens SL KC was a British judge and politician.-Life:Born to William Wythens and his wife Frances King, Wythens matriculated at St John's College, Oxford on 13 November 1650 before joining the Middle Temple on 27 November 1654... (NP) |
c. 1635 | 9 May 1704 | |
| 1680 | 1685 | Sir William Waller (NP) | c. 1639 | 18 July 1699 | |
| 1685 Loyal Parliament The Loyal Parliament was the first and only Parliament of England of King James II, in theory continuing from May 1685 to July 1688, but in practice sitting during 1685 only. It gained its name because at the outset most of its members were loyal to the new king... |
1686 | Charles Bonython (T) | c. 1653 | 30 April 1705 | |
| 1685 Loyal Parliament The Loyal Parliament was the first and only Parliament of England of King James II, in theory continuing from May 1685 to July 1688, but in practice sitting during 1685 only. It gained its name because at the outset most of its members were loyal to the new king... |
1686 | Michael Arnold (T) | ... | 31 August 1690 | |
| 1689 | 1691 | Sir William Pulteney (W) | 25 March 1624 | 6 September 1691 | |
| 1689 | 1690 | Hon. Philip Howard Philip Howard (1629-1717) Colonel Philip Howard was a British soldier and politician, the seventh son of Thomas Howard, 1st Earl of Berkshire.... (W) |
5 March 1629 | September 1717 | |
| 1690 | 1695 | Sir Walter Clarges, Bt Sir Walter Clarges, 1st Baronet Sir Walter Clarges, 1st Baronet was an English Tory politician who served four separate terms in Parliament. An early ally of William of Orange, he inherited large holdings of land but no great ability from his father, Sir Thomas Clarges, and largely used his Parliamentary seat to advance his own... (T) |
4 July 1653 | March 1706 | |
| 1691 | 1698 | Sir Stephen Fox Stephen Fox Sir Stephen Fox was an English politician.-Life:Stephen Fox was the son of William Fox, of Farley, in Wiltshire, a yeoman farmer... (NP) |
27 March 1627 | 28 October 1716 | |
| 1695 | 1701 | Charles Montagu Charles Montagu, 1st Earl of Halifax Charles Montagu, 1st Earl of Halifax, KG, PC, FRS was an English poet and statesman.-Early life:Charles Montagu was born in Horton, Northamptonshire, the son of George Montagu, fifth son of 1st Earl of Manchester... (NP) |
16 April 1661 | 19 May 1715 | |
| 1698 | 1702 | James Vernon James Vernon James Vernon was an English politician and Secretary of State for both the Northern and the Southern Departments during the reign of William III.-Origins and education:... (NP) |
1 April 1646 | 31 January 1727 | |
| 1701 | 1701 | Sir Thomas Crosse (T) | 29 November 1664 | 27 May 1738 | |
| 1701 | 1702 | Sir Henry Colt (NP) | c. 1646 | 25 April 1731 | |
| 1702 | 1705 | Sir Walter Clarges, Bt Sir Walter Clarges, 1st Baronet Sir Walter Clarges, 1st Baronet was an English Tory politician who served four separate terms in Parliament. An early ally of William of Orange, he inherited large holdings of land but no great ability from his father, Sir Thomas Clarges, and largely used his Parliamentary seat to advance his own... (T) |
4 July 1653 | March 1706 | |
| 1702 | 1705 | Sir Thomas Crosse (T) | 29 November 1664 | 27 May 1738 | |
| 1705 | 1710 | Henry Boyle Henry Boyle, 1st Baron Carleton Henry Boyle, 1st Baron Carleton, PC , was an Anglo-Irish politician of the early eighteenth century.-Biography:... (NP) |
12 July 1669 | 14 March 1725 | |
| 1705 | 1708 | Sir Henry Colt (NP) | c. 1646 | 25 April 1731 | |
| 1708 | 1715 | Thomas Medlycott (NP) | 22 May 1662 | July 1738 | |
| 1710 | 1722 | Sir Thomas Crosse, Bt (T) | 29 November 1664 | 27 May 1738 | |
| 1715 | 1722 | Hon. Edward Wortley-Montagu (W) | 8 February 1678 | 22 January 1761 | |
| 1722 | 1722 | Archibald Hutcheson Archibald Hutcheson Archibald Hutcheson was a British Member of Parliament .He was the son of Archibald Hutcheson of Stracum or Stranocum, Co. Antrim. He trained as a barrister and was called to the bar in 1683. He was appointed Attorney-General of the Leeward Islands... (T) |
c. 1659 | 12 August 1740 | |
| 1722 | 1722 | John Cotton (T) | 22 October 1671 | December 1736 | |
| 1722 | 1727 | Charles Montagu (W) | after 1695 | 29 May 1759 | |
| 1722 | 1727 | 1st Baron Carpenter George Carpenter, 1st Baron Carpenter Lieutenant-General George Carpenter, 1st Baron Carpenter was a British soldier who served as Governor of Minorca and as Commander-in-chief of all the forces in Scotland... (W) |
10 February 1657 | 10 February 1732 | |
| 1727 | 1734 | Lord Charles Cavendish Lord Charles Cavendish Lord Charles Cavendish FRS was a British nobleman, Whig politician and scientist.Cavendish was the youngest son of William Cavendish, 2nd Duke of Devonshire and Rachel Russell.... (W) |
after 1700 | 28 April 1783 | |
| 1727 | 1741 | William Clayton (1st Baron Sundon) William Clayton, 1st Baron Sundon William Clayton, 1st Baron Sundon was a British politician who served in the House of Commons as Member of Parliament for Woodstock from 1716-1722, St Albans from 1722-1727, Westminster from 1727-1741, Plympton Erle from 1742-1747 and St Mawes from 1747-1752.Clayton was raised to the Peerage of... (W) |
9 November 1671 | 29 April 1752 | |
| 1734 | 1741 | Sir Charles Wager Charles Wager Sir Charles Wager was a British Admiral and First Lord of the Admiralty between 1733 and 1742.Despite heroic active service and steadfast administration and diplomatic service, Wager's reputation has suffered from a profoundly mistaken idea that the navy was then at a low ebb... (W) |
c. 1666 | 24 May 1743 | |
| 1741 | 1747 | Viscount Perceval John Perceval, 2nd Earl of Egmont John Perceval, 2nd Earl of Egmont PC, FRS was a British politician, political pamphleteer, and genealogist... (T) |
24 February 1711 | 20 December 1770 | |
| 1741 | 1747 | Charles Edwin (T) | c. 1699 | 29 June 1756 | |
| 1747 | 1754 | Viscount Trentham Granville Leveson-Gower, 1st Marquess of Stafford Granville Leveson-Gower, 1st Marquess of Stafford PC , known as Viscount Trentham from 1746 to 1754 and as The Earl Gower from 1754 to 1786, was a British politician.-Background:... (W) |
4 August 1721 | 26 October 1803 | |
| 1747 | 1752 | Sir Peter Warren Peter Warren (admiral) Sir Peter Warren, KB was a British naval officer from Ireland who commanded the naval forces in the attack on the French fortress of Louisbourg, Nova Scotia in 1745... (W) |
c. 1703 | 29 July 1752 | |
| 1753 | 1762 | Hon. Edward Cornwallis Edward Cornwallis Lieutenant General Edward Cornwallis was a British military officer who founded Halifax, Nova Scotia with 2500 settlers and later served as the Governor of Gibraltar.-Early life:... (W,NP) |
22 February 1713 | 14 January 1776 | |
| 1754 | 1761 | Sir John Crosse, Bt (NP) | c. 1700 | 12 March 1762 | |
| 1761 | 1763 | Viscount Pulteney William Pulteney, Viscount Pulteney William Pulteney, Viscount Pulteney was a British Whig politician and soldier.He was the only son of William Pulteney, 1st Earl of Bath and his wife Anna Maria Gumley, daughter of John Gumley. Pulteney was educated at Westminster School from 1740 to 1747 and began his Grand Tour in the following... (NP) |
c. 1731 | 11 February 1763 | |
| 1762 | 1770 | Hon. Edwin Sandys Edwin Sandys, 2nd Baron Sandys Edwin Sandys, 2nd Baron Sandys was the eldest son of Samuel Sandys, 1st Baron Sandys and his wife Letitia daughter of Sir Thomas Tipping, baronet of Wheatfield, Oxfordshire... (NP) |
18 April 1726 | 11 March 1797 | |
| 1763 | 1776 | Baron Warkworth (Earl Percy) Hugh Percy, 2nd Duke of Northumberland Lieutenant-General Hugh Percy, 2nd Duke of Northumberland, FRS was an officer in the British army and later a British peer... (NP) |
14 August 1742 | 10 July 1817 | |
| 1770 | 1774 | Sir Robert Bernard, Bt (NP) | c. 1739 | 2 January 1789 | |
| 1774 | 1780 | Lord Thomas Pelham-Clinton Thomas Pelham-Clinton, 3rd Duke of Newcastle-under-Lyne Major-General Thomas Pelham-Clinton, 3rd Duke of Newcastle-under-Lyne , known as Lord Thomas Pelham-Clinton until 1779 and as Earl of Lincoln from 1779 to 1794, was a British soldier and politician.... (NP) |
1 July 1752 | 18 May 1795 | |
| 1776 | 1779 | Viscount Petersham Charles Stanhope, 3rd Earl of Harrington General Charles Stanhope, 3rd Earl of Harrington PC, PC , styled Viscount Petersham until 1779, was a British soldier. Stanhope is sometimes confused with an exact contemporary of his, the 3rd Earl Stanhope.... (NP) |
20 March 1753 | 15 September 1829 | |
| 1779 | 1780 | Viscount Malden (NP) | 13 November 1757 | 23 April 1839 | |
| 1780 | 1782 | Sir George Brydges Rodney George Brydges Rodney, 1st Baron Rodney George Brydges Rodney, 1st Baron Rodney, KB was a British naval officer. He is best known for his commands in the American War of Independence, particularly his victory over the French at the Battle of the Saintes in 1782... , Bt (W) |
13 February 1719 | 24 May 1792 | |
| 1780 | 1784 | Rt. Hon. Charles James Fox Charles James Fox Charles James Fox PC , styled The Honourable from 1762, was a prominent British Whig statesman whose parliamentary career spanned thirty-eight years of the late 18th and early 19th centuries and who was particularly noted for being the arch-rival of William Pitt the Younger... (W) |
24 January 1749 | 13 September 1806 | |
| 1782 | 1784 | Sir Cecil Wray, Bt (W) | 3 September 1734 | 10 January 1805 | |
| 1784 | 1788 | Samuel Hood Samuel Hood, 1st Viscount Hood Samuel Hood, 1st Viscount Hood was a British Admiral known particularly for his service in the American War of Independence and French Revolutionary Wars... (T) |
12 December 1724 | 27 January 1816 | |
| 1784 | 1806 | Rt. Hon. Charles James Fox Charles James Fox Charles James Fox PC , styled The Honourable from 1762, was a prominent British Whig statesman whose parliamentary career spanned thirty-eight years of the late 18th and early 19th centuries and who was particularly noted for being the arch-rival of William Pitt the Younger... (W) |
24 January 1749 | 13 September 1806 | |
| 1788 | 1790 | Lord John Townshend Lord John Townshend Lord John Townshend PC , styled The Honourable John Townshend until 1787, was a British Whig politician.-Background:... (W) |
19 January 1757 | 25 February 1833 | |
| 1790 | 1796 | Samuel Hood Samuel Hood, 1st Viscount Hood Samuel Hood, 1st Viscount Hood was a British Admiral known particularly for his service in the American War of Independence and French Revolutionary Wars... (T) |
12 December 1724 | 27 January 1816 | |
| 1796 | 1806 | Sir Alan Gardner, Bt (1st Baron Gardner) Alan Gardner, 1st Baron Gardner Admiral Alan Gardner, 1st Baron Gardner was a British Royal Navy officer and peer of the realm. He became one of the Georgian era's most dashing frigate captains and, ultimately, a respected senior admiral.-Naval career:... (T) |
12 April 1742 | 1 January 1809 | |
| 1806 | 1806 | Earl Percy Hugh Percy, 3rd Duke of Northumberland Hugh Percy, 3rd Duke of Northumberland KG, PC , styled Earl Percy until 1817, was a British aristocrat and Tory politician who served as Lord Lieutenant of Ireland under the Duke of Wellington from 1829 to 1830.... (W) |
20 April 1785 | 11 February 1847 | |
| 1806 | 1807 | Sir Samuel Hood (T) | 27 November 1762 | 24 December 1814 | |
| 1806 | 1807 | Richard Brinsley Sheridan Richard Brinsley Sheridan Richard Brinsley Butler Sheridan was an Irish-born playwright and poet and long-term owner of the London Theatre Royal, Drury Lane. For thirty-two years he was also a Whig Member of the British House of Commons for Stafford , Westminster and Ilchester... (W) |
30 October 1751 | 7 July 1816 | |
| 1807 | 1837 | Sir Francis Burdett Sir Francis Burdett, 5th Baronet Sir Francis Burdett, 5th Baronet was an English reformist politician, the son of Francis Burdett and his wife Eleanor, daughter of William Jones of Ramsbury manor, Wiltshire, and grandson of Sir Robert Burdett, Bart... , Bt (W,L,C) |
25 January 1770 | 23 January 1844 | |
| 1807 | 1818 | Lord Cochrane Thomas Cochrane, 10th Earl of Dundonald Admiral Thomas Cochrane, 10th Earl of Dundonald, 1st Marquess of Maranhão, GCB, ODM , styled Lord Cochrane between 1778 and 1831, was a senior British naval flag officer and radical politician.... (W) |
14 December 1775 | 31 October 1860 | |
| 1818 | 1818 | Sir Samuel Romilly Samuel Romilly Sir Samuel Romilly , was a British legal reformer.-Background and education:Romilly was born in Frith Street, Soho, London, the second son of Peter Romilly, a watchmaker and jeweller... (W) |
1 March 1757 | 2 November 1818 | |
| 1819 | 1820 | Hon. George Lamb (T) | 11 July 1784 | 2 January 1834 | |
| 1820 | 1833 | Sir John Cam Hobhouse, Bt (W,L) | 27 June 1786 | 3 June 1869 | |
| 1833 | 1841 | George de Lacy Evans George de Lacy Evans Sir De Lacy Evans GCB was a British Army general who served in four wars in which the United Kingdom's troops took part in the 19th century. He was later a long-serving Member of Parliament.... (L) |
1787 | 9 January 1870 | |
| 1837 | 1847 | John Temple Leader (L) | 7 May 1810 | 1903 | |
| 1841 | 1846 | Hon. Henry John Rous Henry John Rous Admiral Henry John Rous was a Royal Navy officer and sportsman.-Career:Born the second son of John Rous, 1st Earl of Stradbroke, Rous was educated at Westminster School, and entered the Royal Navy in 1808, serving as a midshipman in the Walcheren Campaign the following year... (C) |
23 January 1795 | 19 June 1877 | |
| 1846 | 1865 | Sir George de Lacy Evans George de Lacy Evans Sir De Lacy Evans GCB was a British Army general who served in four wars in which the United Kingdom's troops took part in the 19th century. He was later a long-serving Member of Parliament.... (L) |
1787 | 9 January 1870 | |
| 1847 | 1852 | Charles Lushington (L) | 14 April 1785 | 23 September 1866 | |
| 1852 | 1865 | Sir John Shelley Sir John Shelley, 7th Baronet John Villiers Shelley was an English Tory politician.He was elected at the 1830 general election as a Member of Parliament for Gatton in Surrey, then at the 1831 general election as an MP for Great Grimsby, but did not contest the seat at the 1832 general election.He did not stand again until he... , Bt (L) |
18 March 1808 | 26 January 1867 | |
| 1865 | 1874 | Hon. Robert Wellesley Grosvenor Robert Grosvenor, 2nd Baron Ebury Robert Wellesley Grosvenor, 2nd Baron Ebury was a British politician.He was educated at Harrow School and King's College London.... (L) |
25 January 1834 | 13 November 1914 | |
| 1865 | 1868 | John Stuart Mill John Stuart Mill John Stuart Mill was a British philosopher, economist and civil servant. An influential contributor to social theory, political theory, and political economy, his conception of liberty justified the freedom of the individual in opposition to unlimited state control. He was a proponent of... (NP) |
20 May 1806 | 8 May 1873 | |
| 1868 | 1885 | William Henry Smith (C) | 24 June 1825 | 6 October 1891 | |
| 1874 | 1882 | Sir Charles Russell, Bt (C) | 22 June 1826 | 14 April 1883 | |
| 1882 | 1885 | Lord Algernon Percy (C) | 2 October 1851 | 28 December 1933 | |
| 1885 | 1918 | William L.A.B. Burdett-Coutts William Lehman Ashmead Bartlett Burdett-Coutts William Lehman Ashmead Bartlett Burdett-Coutts , born William Lehman Ashmead-Bartlett, was an American-born British Conservative politician who sat in the House of Commons from 1885 to 1921.... (C) |
1851 | 28 July 1921 | |
- Constituency abolished (1918)
General notes
In multi-member elections the bloc votingPlurality-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 was used. Voters could cast a vote for one or two candidates, as they chose. The leading candidates with the largest number of votes were elected.
In by-elections and all elections after 1885, to fill a single seat, the first past the post system applied.
After 1832, when registration of voters was introduced, a turnout figure is given for contested elections. In two-member elections, when the exact number of participating voters is unknown, this is calculated by dividing the number of votes by two. To the extent that electors did not use both their votes this will be an underestimate of turnout.
Where a party had more than one candidate in one or both of a pair of successive elections change is calculated for each individual candidate, otherwise change is based on the party vote. Change figures at by-elections are from the preceding general election or the last intervening by-election. Change figures at general elections are from the last general election.
Candidates for whom no party has been identified are classified as Non Partisan. The candidate might have been associated with a party or faction in Parliament or consider himself to belong to a particular political tradition. Political parties before the nineteenth century were not as cohesive or organised as they later became. Contemporary commentators (even the reputed leaders of parties or factions) in the eighteenth century did not necessarily agree who the party supporters were. The traditional parties, which had arisen in the late seventeenth century, became increasingly irrelevant to politics in the eighteenth century (particularly after 1760), although for some contests in some constituencies party labels were still used. It was only towards the end of the century that party labels began to acquire some meaning again, although this process was by no means complete for several more generations.
Sources: The results for elections before 1790 were taken from the History of Parliament Trust publications on the House of Commons. The results from 1790 until the UK general election, 1832 are based on Stooks Smith and from 1832 onwards on Craig. Where Stooks Smith gives additional information to the other sources this is indicated in a note.
Dates of Westminster general and by-elections 1660-1918
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Notes:
- (1) Election declared void
- (2) Date of expulsion from the House of Lord Cochrane
Election results (Parliament of England) 1660-1690
- Note (1661): Vote totals unavailable
- Note (February 1679): Vote totals unavailable
- Note (September 1679): Vote totals unavailable
- On petition Wythens was unseated and Sir William Waller seated on 15 November 1680
- Note (1681): Vote totals unavailable
- Note (1685): Vote totals unavailable. The candidate in this election is not the Gilbert Gerard elected in 1660, nor is he the Sir Gilbert Gerard, BtSir Gilbert Gerard, 1st Baronet of Harrow on the HillSir Gilbert Gerard, 1st Baronet of Harrow on the Hill , was an English politician who sat in the House of Commons at various times between 1614 and 1660...
who was knight of the shire for MiddlesexMiddlesex (UK Parliament constituency)Middlesex is a former United Kingdom Parliamentary constituency. It 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 1885....
earlier in the century.
- Note (1689): Vote totals unavailable. Matthews and Dewey are described by Henning as radical candidates, but should not be confused with the followers of John WilkesJohn WilkesJohn Wilkes was an English radical, journalist and politician.He was first elected Member of Parliament in 1757. In the Middlesex election dispute, he fought for the right of voters—rather than the House of Commons—to determine their representatives...
in the late eighteenth century or the radicals of the nineteenth century.
Election results (Parliament of Great Britain) 1715-1800
- 1st Baron Molesworth (W) was proposed but withdrew before the poll.
- Election declared void 6 November 1722.
- Clayton created an Irish peer as 1st Baron Sundon 2 June 1735
- Election declared void 22 December 1741.
- Trentham appointed a Lord of the Admiralty
- After a scrutiny the member returned was unchanged and vote totals were amended to Trentham 4,103; Vandeput 3,933.
- Death of Warren 29 July 1752
- Cornwallis appointed Governor of GibraltarGovernor of GibraltarThe Governor and Commander-in-Chief of Gibraltar is the representative of the British monarch in the British overseas territory of Gibraltar. The Governor is appointed by the British Monarch on the advice of the British Government...
- Death of Pulteney 11 February 1763
- Lord Warkworth became known by the courtesy titleCourtesy titleA courtesy title is a form of address in systems of nobility used for children, former wives and other close relatives of a peer. These styles are used 'by courtesy' in the sense that the relatives do not themselves hold substantive titles...
of Earl Percy from 1766, when his father was advanced in the peerage from Earl to Duke of NorthumberlandDuke of NorthumberlandThe Duke of Northumberland is a title in the peerage of Great Britain that has been created several times. Since the third creation in 1766, the title has belonged to the House of Percy , which held the title of Earl of Northumberland from 1377....
- Succession of Sandys as 2nd Baron SandysBaron SandysBaron Sandys is a title that has been created three times, once in the Peerage of England, once in the Peerage of Great Britain and once in the Peerage of the United Kingdom....
21 April 1770
- Succession of Percy to his mother's title, as 3rd Baron PercyBaron PercyThe title Baron Percy has been created several times in the Peerage of England. The first, in 1066 a Feudal Barony rather than a peerage, became extinct in 1299. The second, in 1299, became extinct in 1517. The third, in 1557, became extinct in 1670. The present creation was in 1722, by writ of...
on 5 December 1776
- Succession of Petersham as 3rd Earl of HarringtonEarl of HarringtonEarl of Harrington is a title in the Peerage of Great Britain. It was created in 1742 for the former Secretary of State and then Lord President of the Council, William Stanhope, 1st Baron Harrington. He had already been created Baron Harrington, of Harrington in the County of Northampton, in 1730,...
1 April 1779
- Pelham-Clinton was known by the courtesy title of Earl of Lincoln, following the death of his brother in 1779
- Note: (1780): Poll 21 days; 9,136 voted; party labels. (Source: Stooks Smith)
- Appointment of Fox as Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs 27 March 1782
- Creation of Rodney as 1st Baron RodneyBaron RodneyBaron Rodney, of Rodney Stoke in the County of Somerset, is a title in the Peerage of Great Britain. It was created in 1782 for the naval commander Sir George Brydges Rodney, 1st Baronet. He had previously been created a Baronet, of Alresford in the County of Southampton, in the Baronetage of Great...
19 June 1782
- Appointment of Fox as Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs 2 April 1783
- Note (1784): Poll 40 days; 12,301 voted. After a scrutiny the members returned were unchanged and vote totals were amended to the figures as above. Original votes Hood 6,694; Fox 6,234; Wray 5,998. (Source: Stooks Smith)
- Hood and Fox were declared elected 4 March 1785
- Appointment of Hood as a Commissioner of the Admiralty 16 July 1788
- Note (1788): Poll 15 days. (Source: Stooks Smith)
- Note (1790): Poll 15 days. Mr Tooke proposed himself. (Source: Stooks Smith)
- Expulsion of Fox from the Privy CouncilPrivy Council of the United KingdomHer Majesty's Most Honourable Privy Council, usually known simply as the Privy Council, is a formal body of advisers to the Sovereign in the United Kingdom...
9 May 1798 - Creation of Gardner as an Irish peer, 1st Baron GardnerBaron GardnerBaron Gardner, of Uttoxeter, is a dormant title in the Peerage of Ireland. It was created in 1800 for Sir Alan Gardner, an Admiral of the Blue and former Member of Parliament for Plymouth and Westminster. In 1806 he was also created Baron Gardner, of Uttoxeter in the County of Stafford, in the...
29 December 1800
Election results (Parliament of the United Kingdom)
- Note (1802): Poll 9 days. (Source: Stooks Smith)
- Appointment of Fox as Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs 7 February 1806
- Death of Fox 13 September 1806
- Note (1806): Poll 15 days; 10,277 voted. (Source: Stooks Smith)
- Note (1807): Poll 15 days; 8,622 voted. (Source: Stooks Smith)
- Expulsion of Cochrane from the House of Commons, after being convicted of conspiracy, 5 July 1814
- Note (1818): Poll 15 days; 10,277 voted. (Source: Stooks Smith)
- Death of Romilly 2 November 1818
- Note (1819): Poll 15 days. (Source: Stooks Smith)
- Note (1820): Poll 15 days; 9,280 voted. (Source: Stooks Smith)
- Appointment of Hobhouse as Secretary at WarSecretary at WarThe Secretary at War was a political position in the English and later British government, with some responsibility over the administration and organization of the Army, but not over military policy. The Secretary at War ran the War Office. It was occasionally a cabinet level position, although...
- Note (1832): 4,453 voted. Burdett and Hobhouse were classified as Whigs and Evans as a Radical. (Source: Stooks Smith)
- Appointment of Hobhouse as Chief Secretary for IrelandChief Secretary for IrelandThe Chief Secretary for Ireland was a key political office in the British administration in Ireland. Nominally subordinate to the Lord Lieutenant, from the late 18th century until the end of British rule he was effectively the government minister with responsibility for governing Ireland; usually...
- Note (1833 April): Hobhouse was classified as a Whig. (Source: Stooks Smith)
- Resignation of Hobhouse after he left the Ministry in opposition to the House and Window taxes.
- Note (1833 May): Evans was classified as a Radical, Hobhouse as a Whig and Escott as a Tory. (Source: Stooks Smith)
- Note (1835): 4,254 voted. Burdett was classified as a Whig, Evans as a Radical and Cochrane as a Tory. (Source: Stooks Smith)
- Resignation of Burdett to seek re-election on changing parties.
- Note (1837): Burdett was classified as a Tory and Leader as a Radical. (Source: Stooks Smith)
- Note (1837): 6,350 voted. Leader and Evans were classified as Radicals and Murray as a Tory. (Source: Stooks Smith)
- Note (1841): 14,254 registered (Craig's figure above used for the turnout calculation); 6,596 voted. Leader and Evans were classified as Radicals (pink and white colours) and Rous as a Tory (blue colour). (Source: Stooks Smith)
- Appointment of Rous as a Lord Commissioner of the AdmiraltyLord Commissioner of the AdmiraltyThe Lords Commissioners of the Admiralty were the members of the Board of Admiralty, which exercised command over the Royal Navy.Officially known as the Commissioners for Exercising the Office of Lord High Admiral of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland &c. The Lords...
- Note (1846): Evans was classified as a Radical and Rous as a Tory. (Source: Stooks Smith)
- Note (1847): 14,125 registered (Craig's figure above used for the turnout calculation); 7,185 voted. Evans was classified as a Radical, Lushington and Cochrane as Whigs and Rous as a Tory. (Source: Stooks Smith)
- Note (1852): In earlier elections Evans and Coningham were classified as Radicals, Shelley as a Whig and Mandeville as a Tory. (Source: Stooks Smith)
- Note (1857): In earlier elections Evans was classified as a Radical and Shelley as a Whig. (Source: Stooks Smith)
- Note (1859): In earlier elections Evans was classified as a Radical and Shelley as a Whig. (Source: Stooks Smith)
- Appointment of Smith as First Lord of the Admiralty
- Resignation of Russell
- Appointment of Smith as Secretary of State for WarSecretary of State for WarThe position of Secretary of State for War, commonly called War Secretary, was a British cabinet-level position, first held by Henry Dundas . In 1801 the post became that of Secretary of State for War and the Colonies. The position was re-instated in 1854...
- Constituency reduced to one seat and boundaries changed in the redistribution of 1885
- Positive swing is Liberal to Conservative
- Constituency abolished in the redistribution of 1918
See also
- List of Parliamentary constituencies in Greater London
- Duration of English, British and United Kingdom Parliaments from 1660Duration of English, British and United Kingdom Parliaments from 1660This article augments the lists of Parliaments to be found elsewhere with additional information which could not be conveniently incorporated in them....