(Much) Wenlock (UK Parliament constituency)

Wenlock was a constituency represented in the House of Commons

British House of Commons

The House of Commons is the lower house of the Parliament of the United Kingdom, which also comprises the Sovereign and the House of Lords . Both Commons and Lords meet in the Palace of Westminster. The Commons is a democratically elected body, consisting of 650 members , who are known as Members...

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...

.

It was founded in 1468 as borough constituency. It was a constituency

United Kingdom constituencies

In the United Kingdom , each of the electoral areas or divisions called constituencies elects one or more members to a parliament or assembly.Within the United Kingdom there are now five bodies with members elected by constituencies:...

of the House of Commons

British House of Commons

of the Parliament of England

Parliament of England

The Parliament of England was the legislature of the Kingdom of England. In 1066, William of Normandy introduced a feudal system, by which he sought the advice of a council of tenants-in-chief and ecclesiastics before making laws...

until 1707, 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

from 1801 to 1885. It was represented by two burgesses. It was abolished in 1885.

Boundaries

Much Wenlock's constituency boundaries ran from Leighton to just west of Dawley

Dawley

Dawley is a small town in the borough of Telford and Wrekin and ceremonial county of Shropshire, England. Today it forms part of the new town of Telford...

, to Ironbridge

Ironbridge

Ironbridge is a settlement on the River Severn, at the heart of the Ironbridge Gorge, in Shropshire, England. It lies in the civil parish of The Gorge, in the borough of Telford and Wrekin...

, and finally to just east of Madeley

Madeley, Shropshire

Madeley is a town and civil parish in Shropshire, England, now part of the new town of Telford. The parish had a population of 17,935 at the 2001 census.Madeley is recorded in the Domesday Book, having been founded before the 8th century...

along the northern border; travelling eastwards, the boundaries ran from just east of Madeley to the bend in the River Severn

River Severn

The River Severn is the longest river in Great Britain, at about , but the second longest on the British Isles, behind the River Shannon. It rises at an altitude of on Plynlimon, Ceredigion near Llanidloes, Powys, in the Cambrian Mountains of mid Wales...

, following the river thereafter. The far southern border, commencing in the east, travelled along the southern part of the Severn across to Easthope

Easthope

Easthope is a small village and small civil parish in Shropshire, England.Wenlock Edge passes through the parish, to the northwest of the village, along which is Easthope Wood...

; the western border, running northwards, going from Easthope through to Benthall

Benthall, Shropshire

Benthall is a village in Shropshire, in England. It is situated to the south of Telford, about a mile south of Ironbridge on the River Severn. It is almost continuous with the town of Broseley.-See also:*Benthall Hall...

, and onwards back to Leighton.

Members of Parliament

Constituency created (1468)

Parliament	First member	Second member
1510-1523	No names known
1529	John Foster	Edward Hall
1536	?
1539	?
1542	William Blount	Reginald Corbet
1545	Richard Cornwall	Richard Lawley
1547	Richard Lawley	Thomas Lawley
1553 (Mar}	John Herbert	Thomas Lawley
1553 (Oct)	Richard Lee	Robert Eyton
1554 (Apr)	Thomas Foster	Edward Lacon
1554 (Nov)	Sir George Blount	John Evans
1555	Sir George Blount	Thomas Ridley
1558	Sir George Blount	George Bromley
1558/9	Roland Lacon	George Bromley
1562/3	Sir George Blount	Charles Foxe
1571	William Lacon	Thomas Eyton
1572	Sir George Blount	Thomas Lawley
1584	Thomas Lawley	William Baynham
1586	Thomas Lawley	William Baynham
1588	William Baynham	Robert Lawley
1593	William Baynham	Sir John Poole
1597	William Baynham, died and replaced by Thomas Fanshawe Thomas Fanshawe (remembrancer of the exchequer) Thomas Fanshawe , was remembrancer of the exchequer.-Background:Fanshawe was the eldest son of John Fanshawe of Fanshawe Gate, Derbyshire, where he was born some time in the reign of Henry VIII, and probably about 1530...	William Lacon
1601	John Brett	William Leighton
1604	Robert Lawley	George Lawley
1614	Rowland Lacon	Edward Lawley
1621	Sir Edward Lawley	Thomas Wolriche Wolryche Baronets The Wolryche Baronetcy, of Dudmaston in the County of Shropshire, was a title in the Baronetage of England. It was created on 4 August 1641 for Thomas Wolryche, previously Member of Parliament for Wenlock...
1624	Henry Mytton	Thomas Wolriche Wolryche Baronets The Wolryche Baronetcy, of Dudmaston in the County of Shropshire, was a title in the Baronetage of England. It was created on 4 August 1641 for Thomas Wolryche, previously Member of Parliament for Wenlock...
1625	Thomas Lawley Sir Thomas Lawley, 1st Baronet Sir Thomas Lawley, 1st Baronet was an English politician who sat in the House of Commons between 1625 and 1629.Lawley was the son of Francis Lawley of Spoonhill near Much Wenlock, Shropshire and his wife Elizabeth Newport, daughter of Sir Richard Newport. Lawley succeeded to estate at Spoonhill on...	Thomas Wolriche Wolryche Baronets The Wolryche Baronetcy, of Dudmaston in the County of Shropshire, was a title in the Baronetage of England. It was created on 4 August 1641 for Thomas Wolryche, previously Member of Parliament for Wenlock...
1626	Thomas Lawley Sir Thomas Lawley, 1st Baronet Sir Thomas Lawley, 1st Baronet was an English politician who sat in the House of Commons between 1625 and 1629.Lawley was the son of Francis Lawley of Spoonhill near Much Wenlock, Shropshire and his wife Elizabeth Newport, daughter of Sir Richard Newport. Lawley succeeded to estate at Spoonhill on...	Francis Smallman Francis Smallman Francis Smallman was an English politician who sat in the House of Commons in 1621 and 1626.Smallman was the son of Francis Smallman and his wife Elizabeth Hopton. He was a lawyer and acquired Kinnersley Castle...
1628	Thomas Lawley Sir Thomas Lawley, 1st Baronet Sir Thomas Lawley, 1st Baronet was an English politician who sat in the House of Commons between 1625 and 1629.Lawley was the son of Francis Lawley of Spoonhill near Much Wenlock, Shropshire and his wife Elizabeth Newport, daughter of Sir Richard Newport. Lawley succeeded to estate at Spoonhill on...	George Bridgmant
1629–1640	No Parliaments summoned

	First member	First party	Second member	Second party
1640 (Apr)	Sir Thomas Littleton Sir Thomas Littleton, 2nd Baronet Sir Thomas Littleton, 2nd Baronet was an English politician who sat in the House of Commons variously between 1640 and 1681....		Richard Cresset
1640 (Nov)	William Pierrepont		Sir Thomas Littleton Sir Thomas Littleton, 2nd Baronet Sir Thomas Littleton, 2nd Baronet was an English politician who sat in the House of Commons variously between 1640 and 1681....
1645	William Pierrepont		Humphrey Bridges
1653, 1654, 1656	Much Wenlock excluded from Barebones and 1st & 2nd Protectorate Parliaments
1659	Thomas Whitmore Thomas Whitmore Thomas Whitmore was an English lawyer and politician who sat in the House of Commons from 1659.Whitmore was the eldest son of John Whitmore of Ludstone and his wife Frances Billingsley, daughter of William Billingsley of Astley, Shropshire. He was educucated at. New Inn Hall and at Wadham College,...		Sir Francis Lawley Sir Francis Lawley, 2nd Baronet Sir Francis Lawley, 2nd Baronet was a politician who sat in the House of Commons from 1660 to 1679 and a courtier.Lawley was the son of Sir Thomas Lawley, 1st Baronet of Spoonhill, near Much Wenlock, Shropshire. He inherited the Baronetcy and the estate on the death of his father in 1646...
1660	Sir Francis Lawley Sir Francis Lawley, 2nd Baronet Sir Francis Lawley, 2nd Baronet was a politician who sat in the House of Commons from 1660 to 1679 and a courtier.Lawley was the son of Sir Thomas Lawley, 1st Baronet of Spoonhill, near Much Wenlock, Shropshire. He inherited the Baronetcy and the estate on the death of his father in 1646...		Thomas Whitmore Thomas Whitmore Thomas Whitmore was an English lawyer and politician who sat in the House of Commons from 1659.Whitmore was the eldest son of John Whitmore of Ludstone and his wife Frances Billingsley, daughter of William Billingsley of Astley, Shropshire. He was educucated at. New Inn Hall and at Wadham College,...
1661	Sir Thomas Littleton, Bt Sir Thomas Littleton, 2nd Baronet Sir Thomas Littleton, 2nd Baronet was an English politician who sat in the House of Commons variously between 1640 and 1681....		George Weld
Feb 1679	Sir John Weld		William Forester Sir William Forester Sir William Forester , of Dothill in Wellington, Shropshire, was the son of Francis Forester of Dothill. He was Member of Parliament for the borough constituency of Wenlock from 1679 until his death . He was made a Knight of the Bath.He married Mary daughter of James Cecil, 3rd Earl of Salisbury...
Aug 1679	John Wolryche
1685	Thomas Lawley Thomas Lawley Thomas Lawley may refer toSir Thomas Lawley, 1st Baronet , MP for Much WenlockSir Thomas Lawley, 3rd Baronet , MP for Much Wenlock*Thomas J. Lawley...		George Weld
1689	Sir William Forester Sir William Forester Sir William Forester , of Dothill in Wellington, Shropshire, was the son of Francis Forester of Dothill. He was Member of Parliament for the borough constituency of Wenlock from 1679 until his death . He was made a Knight of the Bath.He married Mary daughter of James Cecil, 3rd Earl of Salisbury...		George Weld
1701			George Weld
1708			Thomas Weld
1710			George Weld
1713			William Whitmore
1714			Richard Newport Richard Newport (MP) Richard Newport , styled The Honourable from 1708, was a British politician.He was the second son of Richard Newport, 2nd Earl of Bradford and his wife Mary Wilbraham, daughter of Sir Thomas Wilbraham, 3rd Baronet...
1715	Thomas Newport Thomas Newport, 1st Baron Torrington Thomas Newport, 1st Baron Torrington PC , styled The Honourable from 1675 until 1716, was an English peer, barrister and Whig politician.-Background:...		William Forester William Forester William Forester , of Dothill in Wellington, Shropshire, was the son of Sir William Forester of Dothill. Like his father William Forester (1690 – 12 November 1758), of Dothill in Wellington, Shropshire, was the son of Sir William Forester of Dothill. Like his father William Forester (1690 – 12...
1716	Sir Humphrey Briggs
1722	Sir Humphrey Briggs		Samuel Edwards
1727	John Sambrooke
1734	William Forester William Forester William Forester , of Dothill in Wellington, Shropshire, was the son of Sir William Forester of Dothill. Like his father William Forester (1690 – 12 November 1758), of Dothill in Wellington, Shropshire, was the son of Sir William Forester of Dothill. Like his father William Forester (1690 – 12...
1739			Brooke Forester Brooke Forester Brooke Forester was the long-serving Member of Parliament for the borough constituency of Wenlock from 1739 and 1768....
1741	Sir Brian Broughton-Delves, Bt
1744	Isaac Hawkins Browne Isaac Hawkins Browne (poet) Isaac Hawkins Browne is remembered as the author of some clever imitations of contemporary poets on the theme of A Pipe of Tobacco, somewhat analogous to the Rejected Addresses of a later day...
1754	William Forester William Forester William Forester , of Dothill in Wellington, Shropshire, was the son of Sir William Forester of Dothill. Like his father William Forester (1690 – 12 November 1758), of Dothill in Wellington, Shropshire, was the son of Sir William Forester of Dothill. Like his father William Forester (1690 – 12...
1758	George Forester George Forester George Forester was Member of Parliament for the borough constituency of Wenlock on several occasions between 1758 and 1785....
1761	Cecil Forester
1768	Sir Henry Bridgeman Henry Bridgeman, 1st Baron Bradford Henry Bridgeman, 1st Baron Bradford , known as Sir Henry Bridgeman, 5th Baronet between 1764 and 1794, was a British peer and politician.-Background and education:...		George Forester George Forester George Forester was Member of Parliament for the borough constituency of Wenlock on several occasions between 1758 and 1785....
Sept. 1780			Thomas Whitmore Thomas Whitmore Thomas Whitmore was an English lawyer and politician who sat in the House of Commons from 1659.Whitmore was the eldest son of John Whitmore of Ludstone and his wife Frances Billingsley, daughter of William Billingsley of Astley, Shropshire. He was educucated at. New Inn Hall and at Wadham College,...
Dec. 1780			George Forester George Forester George Forester was Member of Parliament for the borough constituency of Wenlock on several occasions between 1758 and 1785....
1784			John Bridgeman (later Simpson) John Simpson (MP) John Simpson of Babworth Hall, Nottinghamshire was born John Bridgeman, a younger son of Sir Henry Bridgeman, later 1st Baron Bridgeman...
1785			George Forester George Forester George Forester was Member of Parliament for the borough constituency of Wenlock on several occasions between 1758 and 1785....
1790			Cecil Forester Cecil Weld-Forester, 1st Baron Forester Cecil Weld-Forester, 1st Baron Forester was a British Member of Parliament.Born Cecil Forester, he assumed the additional surname of Weld by Royal licence in 1811, upon inheriting Willey Park from his cousin George Forester. He was elected to the House of Commons for Wenlock in 1790, a seat he... (from 1811 Weld-Forester)
1794	John Simpson John Simpson (MP) John Simpson of Babworth Hall, Nottinghamshire was born John Bridgeman, a younger son of Sir Henry Bridgeman, later 1st Baron Bridgeman...
1820	Francis Forester		William Lacon Childe
1826	John George Weld Weld-Forester		Paul Beilby Thompson Paul Thompson, 1st Baron Wenlock Paul Beilby Lawley Thompson, 1st Baron Wenlock , born Paul Beilby Lawley, was an English nobleman and Whig politician, the youngest son of Sir Robert Lawley, 5th Baronet and Jane Thompson....	Whig
1828	George Cecil Weld Weld-Forester	Conservative Conservative 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...		Whig
1832			James Milnes Gaskell James Milnes Gaskell James Milnes Gaskell was a British Conservative politician.James Milnes-Gaskell was the only child of Benjamin Gaskell of Thornes House. He was born on the 19th October 1810 and was educated at Eton and Christ Church, Oxford. He was M.P. for Wenlock from 1832-1868 and first Lord of the Treasury...	Conservative Conservative 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...
1868			Alexander Brown Sir Alexander Brown, 1st Baronet Sir Alexander Hargreaves Brown, 1st Baronet was an English Liberal politician who sat in the House of Commons from 1868 to 1906....	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...
1874	Cecil Theodore Weld-Forester	Conservative Conservative 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...

Constituency abolished (1885)