Abingdon (UK Parliament constituency)
Encyclopedia
Abingdon was a constituency
of the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom
(and its predecessor institutions for England
and Great Britain
), electing one Member of Parliament (MP)
from 1558 until 1983. (It was one of the few English constituencies in the unreformed House of Commons
to elect only one Member of Parliament (MP)
by the first past the post system of election
.)
s enfranchised by Queen Mary I
as anomalous single-member constituencies, and held its first Parliamentary election in 1558. The borough consisted of part of two parishes in the market town of Abingdon
, then the county town of Berkshire
. The right to vote was exercised by all inhabitant householders paying scot and lot
and not receiving alms; the highest recorded number of votes to be cast before 1832 was 253, at the general election of 1806.
Abingdon's voters seem always to have maintained their independence, and the constituency never came under the influence of a "patron" who assumed the right to choose the MP. Nevertheless, this did not always guarantee a pure election, and Porritt records that Abingdon offers the earliest case he was able to trace of a candidate trying to bribe voters with the promise of official office, later one of the most widespread abuses in English elections. In 1698, the defeated candidate, William Hucks, petitioned against the election of Sir Simon Harcourt
, but during the hearing of the case it emerged that Hucks had promised that should he be elected an MP he would be made a Commissioner of the Excise
, in which case he would use that power to appoint several of the voters to well-paid excise posts. The petition was dismissed and Hucks was committed to the custody of the sergeant-at-arms. (But ten years later, defeated again by Harcourt at the election of 1708, Hucks petitioned once more, on grounds of intimidation and other illegal practices, and this time Harcourt was ejected from his seat and Hucks declared to have been duly elected. Harcourt complained that the decision was a partisan one - which would have been by no means unusual at the period - "insisting to the last that he was the legal member, by a clear majority, by the most fair estimation".)
In 1831, the population of the borough was approximately 5,300, and contained 1,192 houses. This was sufficient for Abingdon to retain its MP under the Great Reform Act. (Indeed, it would have been big enough to retain two MPs had it had them, but there was no question of its representation being increased.) Its boundaries were unaltered, and under the reformed franchise 300 of the residents were qualified to vote.
In 1885 the borough constituency was abolished and the town was moved into a new county, The Northern or Abingdon Division of Berkshire
. This constituency consisted of the northern part of the historic county
, and as well as Abingdon included the towns of Wantage
and Wallingford; it was predominantly agricultural at first, although its character changed during the 20th century with the growth of light industry round Abingdon, and it was generally a safe Conservative seat. This constituency survived essentially intact, with only minor boundary changes, until the 1983 general election, by which time it was simply called Abingdon County Constituency.
Changes in administrative boundaries during the 1970s moved most of the northern part of the historic county
of Berkshire, including Abingdon, into the county
of Oxfordshire
. These changes were reflected in the constituency boundary changes introduced in 1983, and the Abingdon constituency was divided; most of its electors were placed in the new Wantage
constituency and a significant minority including electors in the town of Abingdon were placed in the Oxford West and Abingdon constituency.
The Abingdon, Faringdon
, Wallingford, and Wantage
petty sessional divisions of Berkshire, the municipal borough
of Wallingford and the parts of the boroughs of Abingdon and Oxford in Berkshire.
, and it was redefined in terms of the administrative county of Berkshire and the county districts created by the Local Government Acts of 1888
and 1894
as follows:
reorganised parliamentary constituencies, and Abingdon County Constituency was altered slightly. The official definition of the constituency was:
The constituency was not altered by the Parliamentary Constituencies (England) Order 1970, and continued unchanged until 1983.
of Abingdon, a new county division of Berkshire was created.
Sources 1885-1900: House of Commons 1901.
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 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...
(and its predecessor institutions for 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...
and 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...
), electing one Member of Parliament (MP)
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,...
from 1558 until 1983. (It was one of the few English constituencies in the unreformed House of Commons
Unreformed House of Commons
The unreformed House of Commons is the name generally given to the British House of Commons as it existed before the Reform Act 1832.Until the Act of Union of 1707 joining the Kingdoms of Scotland and England , Scotland had its own Parliament, and the term refers to the House of Commons of England...
to elect only one Member of Parliament (MP)
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,...
by the first past the post system of election
Election
An election is a formal decision-making process by which a population chooses an individual to hold public office. Elections have been the usual mechanism by which modern representative democracy operates since the 17th century. Elections may fill offices in the legislature, sometimes in the...
.)
History
Abingdon was one of three English parliamentary boroughParliamentary borough
Parliamentary boroughs are a type of administrative division, usually covering urban areas, that are entitled to representation in a Parliament...
s enfranchised by Queen Mary I
Mary I of England
Mary I was queen regnant of England and Ireland from July 1553 until her death.She was the only surviving child born of the ill-fated marriage of Henry VIII and his first wife Catherine of Aragon. Her younger half-brother, Edward VI, succeeded Henry in 1547...
as anomalous single-member constituencies, and held its first Parliamentary election in 1558. The borough consisted of part of two parishes in the market town of Abingdon
Abingdon, Oxfordshire
Abingdon or archaically Abingdon-on-Thames is a market town and civil parish in Oxfordshire, England. It is the seat of the Vale of White Horse district. Previously the county town of Berkshire, Abingdon is one of several places that claim to be Britain's oldest continuously occupied town, with...
, then the county town of Berkshire
Berkshire
Berkshire is a historic county in the South of England. It is also often referred to as the Royal County of Berkshire because of the presence of the royal residence of Windsor Castle in the county; this usage, which dates to the 19th century at least, was recognised by the Queen in 1957, and...
. The right to vote was exercised by all inhabitant householders paying scot and lot
Scot and lot
Scot and lot is a phrase common in the records of English medieval boroughs, applied to householders who were assessed for a tax paid to the borough for local or national purposes.They were usually members of a merchant guild.Before the Reform Act 1832, those who paid scot and bore...
and not receiving alms; the highest recorded number of votes to be cast before 1832 was 253, at the general election of 1806.
Abingdon's voters seem always to have maintained their independence, and the constituency never came under the influence of a "patron" who assumed the right to choose the MP. Nevertheless, this did not always guarantee a pure election, and Porritt records that Abingdon offers the earliest case he was able to trace of a candidate trying to bribe voters with the promise of official office, later one of the most widespread abuses in English elections. In 1698, the defeated candidate, William Hucks, petitioned against the election of Sir Simon Harcourt
Simon Harcourt, 1st Viscount Harcourt
Simon Harcourt, 1st Viscount Harcourt, of Stanton Harcourt, Oxfordshire, PC was Queen Anne's Lord Chancellor of Great Britain. He was her solicitor-general and her commissioner for arranging the union with Scotland...
, but during the hearing of the case it emerged that Hucks had promised that should he be elected an MP he would be made a Commissioner of the Excise
Her Majesty's Customs and Excise
HM Customs and Excise was, until April 2005, a department of the British Government in the UK. It was responsible for the collection of Value added tax , Customs Duties, Excise Duties, and other indirect taxes such as Air Passenger Duty, Climate Change Levy, Insurance Premium Tax, Landfill Tax and...
, in which case he would use that power to appoint several of the voters to well-paid excise posts. The petition was dismissed and Hucks was committed to the custody of the sergeant-at-arms. (But ten years later, defeated again by Harcourt at the election of 1708, Hucks petitioned once more, on grounds of intimidation and other illegal practices, and this time Harcourt was ejected from his seat and Hucks declared to have been duly elected. Harcourt complained that the decision was a partisan one - which would have been by no means unusual at the period - "insisting to the last that he was the legal member, by a clear majority, by the most fair estimation".)
In 1831, the population of the borough was approximately 5,300, and contained 1,192 houses. This was sufficient for Abingdon to retain its MP under the Great Reform Act. (Indeed, it would have been big enough to retain two MPs had it had them, but there was no question of its representation being increased.) Its boundaries were unaltered, and under the reformed franchise 300 of the residents were qualified to vote.
In 1885 the borough constituency was abolished and the town was moved into a new county, The Northern or Abingdon Division of Berkshire
Berkshire
Berkshire is a historic county in the South of England. It is also often referred to as the Royal County of Berkshire because of the presence of the royal residence of Windsor Castle in the county; this usage, which dates to the 19th century at least, was recognised by the Queen in 1957, and...
. This constituency consisted of the northern part of the historic county
Historic 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...
, and as well as Abingdon included the towns of Wantage
Wantage
Wantage is a market town and civil parish in the Vale of the White Horse, Oxfordshire, England. The town is on Letcombe Brook, about south-west of Abingdon and a similar distance west of Didcot....
and Wallingford; it was predominantly agricultural at first, although its character changed during the 20th century with the growth of light industry round Abingdon, and it was generally a safe Conservative seat. This constituency survived essentially intact, with only minor boundary changes, until the 1983 general election, by which time it was simply called Abingdon County Constituency.
Changes in administrative boundaries during the 1970s moved most of the northern part of the historic county
Historic 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 Berkshire, including Abingdon, into the county
Shire county
A non-metropolitan county, or shire county, is a county-level entity in England that is not a metropolitan county. The counties typically have populations of 300,000 to 1.4 million. The term shire county is, however, an unofficial usage. Many of the non-metropolitan counties bear historic names...
of Oxfordshire
Oxfordshire
Oxfordshire is a county in the South East region of England, bordering on Warwickshire and Northamptonshire , Buckinghamshire , Berkshire , Wiltshire and Gloucestershire ....
. These changes were reflected in the constituency boundary changes introduced in 1983, and the Abingdon constituency was divided; most of its electors were placed in the new Wantage
Wantage (UK Parliament constituency)
-Elections in the 1990s:- Notes and references :...
constituency and a significant minority including electors in the town of Abingdon were placed in the Oxford West and Abingdon constituency.
Northern or Abingdon Division of Berkshire, 1885 - 1918
The constituency was defined as consisting of:The Abingdon, Faringdon
Faringdon
Faringdon is a market town in the Vale of White Horse, Oxfordshire, England. It is on the edge of the Thames Valley, between the River Thames and the Ridgeway...
, Wallingford, and Wantage
Wantage
Wantage is a market town and civil parish in the Vale of the White Horse, Oxfordshire, England. The town is on Letcombe Brook, about south-west of Abingdon and a similar distance west of Didcot....
petty sessional divisions of Berkshire, the municipal borough
Municipal borough
Municipal boroughs were a type of local government district which existed in England and Wales between 1835 and 1974, in Northern Ireland from 1840 to 1973 and in the Republic of Ireland from 1840 to 2002...
of Wallingford and the parts of the boroughs of Abingdon and Oxford in Berkshire.
Abingdon Division of Berkshire, 1918 - 1950
The constituency's boundaries were adjusted in 1918Representation of the People Act 1918
The Representation of the People Act 1918 was an Act of Parliament passed to reform the electoral system in the United Kingdom. It is sometimes known as the Fourth Reform Act...
, and it was redefined in terms of the administrative county of Berkshire and the county districts created by the Local Government Acts of 1888
Local Government Act 1888
The Local Government Act 1888 was an Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom, which established county councils and county borough councils in England and Wales...
and 1894
Local Government Act 1894
The Local Government Act 1894 was an Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom that reformed local government in England and Wales outside the County of London. The Act followed the reforms carried out at county level under the Local Government Act 1888...
as follows:
- The rural districtRural districtRural districts were a type of local government area – now superseded – established at the end of the 19th century in England, Wales, and Ireland for the administration of predominantly rural areas at a level lower than that of the administrative counties.-England and Wales:In England...
s of AbingdonAbingdon Rural DistrictAbingdon was a rural district in the administrative county of Berkshire from 1894 to 1974.It was formed under the Local Government Act 1894 based on that part of the Abingdon rural sanitary district which was in Berkshire...
, WallingfordWallingford Rural DistrictWallingford Rural District, an administrative area in what was then Berkshire, now Oxfordshire area, in southern England was established in 1894, from the then Berkshire area within Wallingford Rural Sanitary Authority...
, and WantageWantage Rural DistrictWantage was a rural district of Berkshire, England from 1894 to 1974.It was created in 1894 as a successor to the Wantage rural sanitary district. It was named after Wantage, which formed a separate urban district entirely surrounded by the rural district....
, the part of the rural district of BradfieldBradfield Rural DistrictBradfield was a rural district in Berkshire, England from 1894 to 1974.It was created under the Local Government Act 1894 from the Bradfield rural sanitary district, except the three parishes in Oxfordshire which formed the Goring Rural District....
which consists of the civil parishCivil parishIn England, a civil parish is a territorial designation and, where they are found, the lowest tier of local government below districts and counties...
es of AshampsteadAshampsteadAshampstead is a small village and civil parish in the rural area between Reading, Newbury and Streatley in Berkshire. The parish population is about 400, occupying some 150 dwellings.-History:...
, BasildonBasildon, BerkshireBasildon is a civil parish in the English county of Berkshire. It comprises the small villages of Upper Basildon and Lower Basildon, named for their respective heights above the River Thames...
, FrilshamFrilshamFrilsham is a village and civil parish, near Newbury, in the English county of Berkshire.It is a village near the Berkshire Downs, lying on a hill surrounded by woods and meadows. Neighbouring villages include Yattendon, Hermitage, Stanford Dingley and Hampstead Norreys. There are views over the...
, StreatleyStreatley, BerkshireStreatley is a village and civil parish on the River Thames in Berkshire, England.-Location:Streatley is about from Reading and from Oxford. It is in the Goring Gap on the River Thames and is directly across the river from the Oxfordshire village of Goring-on-Thames...
, and YattendonYattendonYattendon is a village and civil parish northeast of Newbury, Berkshire. The M4 motorway passes about south of the village.-Geography:Yattendon stretches from Everington in the west to the hamlet of Burnt Hill in the east and the woodland just east of Yattendon Court, including Mumgrove Copse,...
; - The part of the rural district of FaringdonFaringdon Rural DistrictFaringdon was a rural district in the administrative county of Berkshire from 1894 to 1974.It was formed under the Local Government Act 1894 based on that part of the Faringdon rural sanitary district which was in Berkshire, however it also included for a time Lechlade a small market town in...
which is within the administrative county of Berks; - The municipal boroughs of Abingdon and Wallingford;
- The urban districtUrban districtIn the England, Wales and Ireland, an urban district was a type of local government district that covered an urbanised area. Urban districts had an elected Urban District Council , which shared local government responsibilities with a county council....
of Wantage.
Abingdon County Constituency, 1950 - 1983
The Representation of the People Act 1948Representation of the People Act 1948
The Representation of the People Act 1948 was an Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom that altered the law relating to parliamentary and local elections...
reorganised parliamentary constituencies, and Abingdon County Constituency was altered slightly. The official definition of the constituency was:
- The boroughs of Abingdon and Wallingford;
- the urban district of Wantage;
- the rural districts of Abingdon, Faringdon, Wallingford and Wantage
The constituency was not altered by the Parliamentary Constituencies (England) Order 1970, and continued unchanged until 1983.
1558-1640
| Parliament | Member | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Parliament of 1558 | Oliver Hyde | ||
| Parliament of 1559 | Robert Byng | ||
| Parliament of 1563-1567 | Oliver Hyde (Died during the Parliament) Anthony Forster (Elected 1566) |
||
| Parliament of 1571 | Anthony Forster | ||
| Parliament of 1572-1583 | Anthony Forster (Died during the Parliament) Richard Beake (Elected 1572) |
||
| Parliament of 1584-1585 | Hon. Edward Norreys Edward Norreys Sir Edward Norreys was a 16th century Governor of Ostend and English Member of Parliament.Norreys was the third son of Henry Norris, 1st Baron Norreys and his wife, Lady Margery Williams, then of Wytham in Berkshire . He was elected as Member of Parliament for Abingdon in the Parliaments of... |
||
| Parliament of 1586-1587 | Griffith Lloyd, chose to sit for Cardiganshire, replaced by Miles Sandys Miles Sandys Miles Sandys was an English courtier and Member of Parliament who sat in every Parliament from 1563 to 1597 yet never represented the same constituency twice. Sandys was the brother of the Archbishop of York, Edwin Sandys, and an influential crown official, working in the Court of Queen's Bench and... |
||
| Parliament of 1588-1589 | Hon. Sir Edward Norreys Edward Norreys Sir Edward Norreys was a 16th century Governor of Ostend and English Member of Parliament.Norreys was the third son of Henry Norris, 1st Baron Norreys and his wife, Lady Margery Williams, then of Wytham in Berkshire . He was elected as Member of Parliament for Abingdon in the Parliaments of... |
||
| Parliament of 1593 | William Braunche | ||
| Parliament of 1597-1598 | Francis Little | ||
| Parliament of 1601 | Robert Ryche | ||
| Parliament of 1604-1611 | Sir Richard Lovelace Richard Lovelace, 1st Baron Lovelace Richard Lovelace, 1st Baron Lovelace was an English politician who sat in the House of Commons at various times between 1601 and 1622. He was raised to the peerage as Baron Lovelace in 1627.... |
||
| 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... |
Sir Robert Knollys Robert Knollys (MP) Sir Robert Knollys was an English politician who sat in the House of Commons between 1614 and 1629.Knollys was the son of Richard Knollys of Rotherfield Greys, Berkshire. He matriculated at Oriel College, Oxford on 13 May 1603, aged 15. He was knighted on 12 January 1613. In 1614, he was elected... |
||
| Parliament of 1621-1622 | Robert Hyde | ||
| 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 Robert Knollys Robert Knollys (MP) Sir Robert Knollys was an English politician who sat in the House of Commons between 1614 and 1629.Knollys was the son of Richard Knollys of Rotherfield Greys, Berkshire. He matriculated at Oriel College, Oxford on 13 May 1603, aged 15. He was knighted on 12 January 1613. In 1614, he was elected... |
||
| 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... |
Sir Robert Knollys Robert Knollys (MP) Sir Robert Knollys was an English politician who sat in the House of Commons between 1614 and 1629.Knollys was the son of Richard Knollys of Rotherfield Greys, Berkshire. He matriculated at Oriel College, Oxford on 13 May 1603, aged 15. He was knighted on 12 January 1613. In 1614, he was elected... |
||
| Parliament of 1625-1626 | |||
| Parliament of 1628-1629 | Sir John Stonhouse, 2nd Bt. | ||
| No Parliament summoned 1629-1640 | |||
1640–1885
| Election | Member | 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 George Stonhouse, 3rd Bt. Sir George Stonhouse, 3rd Baronet Sir George Stonhouse, 3rd Baronet was an English politician who sat in the House of Commons from 1640 to 1644 and from 1660 to 1675. He supported the Royalists during the English Civil War.... |
Royalist | |
| January 1644 | Stonhouse disabled to sit - seat vacant | ||
| 1645 | John Ball (Died 1648) | ||
| 1649 | Henry Neville Henry Neville (writer) Henry Neville was an English author and satirist, best remembered for his tale of shipwreck and dystopia, The Isle of Pines published in 1668.-Life:... |
||
| 1653 | Abingdon was unrepresented in the Barebones Parliament Barebones Parliament Barebone's Parliament, also known as the Little Parliament, the Nominated Assembly and the Parliament of Saints, came into being on 4 July 1653, and was the last attempt of the English Commonwealth to find a stable political form before the installation of Oliver Cromwell as Lord Protector... |
||
| 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.... |
Thomas Holt Thomas Holt (Serjeant-at-Law) Thomas Holt was an English lawyer and politician who sat in the House of Commons in 1654 and 1656.Holt was the son of Ralph Holt, of Stoke, Oxfordshire. He matriculated at Magdalen Hall, Oxford on 23 November 1632, aged 16. He was called to the bar at Gray's Inn in 1648... |
||
| 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... |
|||
| January 1659 Third Protectorate Parliament The Third Protectorate Parliament sat for one session, from 27 January 1659 until 22 April 1659, with Chaloner Chute and Thomas Bampfylde as the Speakers of the House of Commons... |
Sir John Lenthall | ||
| 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.... |
Henry Neville Henry Neville (writer) Henry Neville was an English author and satirist, best remembered for his tale of shipwreck and dystopia, The Isle of Pines published in 1668.-Life:... |
||
| April 1660 | Sir George Stonhouse, 3rd Bt. Sir George Stonhouse, 3rd Baronet Sir George Stonhouse, 3rd Baronet was an English politician who sat in the House of Commons from 1640 to 1644 and from 1660 to 1675. He supported the Royalists during the English Civil War.... |
||
| 1675 | Sir John Stonhouse, 2nd Bt. (d. 1700) | ||
| January 1689 | Thomas Medlycott | ||
| May 1689 | John Southby John Southby John Southby was an English landowner and politician who sat in the House of Commons from 1654 to 1656.Southby was the son of Richard Southby of Carswell Manor in the parish of Buckland in Berkshire and his wife, Jane, the daughter of Edward Keate of Lockinge in Berkshire... |
||
| January 1690 | Sir John Stonhouse, 2nd Bt. (d. 1700) | ||
| February 1690 | Sir Simon Harcourt Simon Harcourt, 1st Viscount Harcourt Simon Harcourt, 1st Viscount Harcourt, of Stanton Harcourt, Oxfordshire, PC was Queen Anne's Lord Chancellor of Great Britain. He was her solicitor-general and her commissioner for arranging the union with Scotland... |
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... |
|
| 1705 | Grey Neville Grey Neville Grey Neville was an English politician. He was Member of Parliament for Abingdon from 1705 to 1708, Wallingford from 1708 to 1710 and Berwick-upon-Tweed from 1715 to 1723.-Life:... |
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... |
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| 1708 | Sir Simon Harcourt Simon Harcourt, 1st Viscount Harcourt Simon Harcourt, 1st Viscount Harcourt, of Stanton Harcourt, Oxfordshire, PC was Queen Anne's Lord Chancellor of Great Britain. He was her solicitor-general and her commissioner for arranging the union with Scotland... |
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... |
|
| 1709 | William Hucks | ||
| October 1710 | Sir Simon Harcourt Simon Harcourt, 1st Viscount Harcourt Simon Harcourt, 1st Viscount Harcourt, of Stanton Harcourt, Oxfordshire, PC was Queen Anne's Lord Chancellor of Great Britain. He was her solicitor-general and her commissioner for arranging the union with Scotland... |
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... |
|
| December 1710 | James Jennings | ||
| 1713 | Hon. Simon Harcourt | ||
| 1715 | James Jennings | ||
| 1722 | Robert Hucks | ||
| 1741 | John Wright | ||
| 1747 | John Morton John Morton (MP) John Morton was an English Tory politician.He was appointed Chief Justice of Chester in November 1762.In 1765, a Bill of Regency came before Parliament, to make provisions should George III die unexpectedly... |
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... |
|
| 1770 | Nathaniel Bayly | 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... |
|
| 1774 | John Mayor John Mayor John Mayor may refer to:*John Eyton Bickersteth Mayor , English classical scholar*John Mair , also spelled John Mayor, Scottish philosopher-See also:*John Meyer *John Meier... |
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... |
|
| 1782 | Henry Howorth Henry Howorth Henry Howorth was a 19th century Member of Parliament in Otago, New Zealand.He represented the Taieri electorate from 1869 to 1870 when he retired.... |
||
| 1783 | Edward Loveden Loveden | 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... |
|
| 1796 | Thomas Metcalfe | 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... |
|
| 1807 | George Knapp | 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... |
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| 1809 | Henry Bowyer Henry Bowyer Henry Bowyer was a British politician.He was elected as the Member of Parliament for Abingdon at a by-election in December 1809, following the death of George Knapp. He held the seat for less than two years until his resignation in June 1811 by appointment as Steward of the Chiltern Hundreds.-... |
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| 1811 | Sir George Bowyer, 6th Bt. Sir George Bowyer, 6th Baronet Sir George Bowyer, 6th Baronet and 2nd Baronet, KStJ, GCSG, KCPO was a British politician. He sat in the House of Commons in two periods between 1807 and 1818, first as a Tory and then as a Whig.... |
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... |
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| 1818 | John Maberly John Maberly John Maberly was a British entrepreneur and Member of Parliament .John Maberly was born in London in 1770, the second child of London currier Stephen Maberly and Mary Maberly. In 1796 he married Mary Rose Leader, a well-to-do MP's daughter, with whom he was to have six children... |
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... |
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| 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.... |
Thomas Duffield Thomas Duffield Thomas Duffield was a Tory politician who sat in the House of Commons from 1832 to 1844.Duffield was born at Ancaster in Lincolnshire, the youngest son of Michael Duffield of Sunninghill Park in Berkshire and his wife, Alice, youngest daughter of Jeremiah Crutchley of Southwark in Surrey .Thomas... |
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... |
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| 1844 by-election | Sir Frederick Thesiger Frederic Thesiger, 1st Baron Chelmsford Frederic Thesiger, 1st Baron Chelmsford PC KC FRS was a British jurist and Conservative politician. He was twice Lord Chancellor of Great Britain.-Early life:... |
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... |
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| July 1852 by-election | James Caulfeild James Caulfeild (soldier) Lieutenant-General James Caulfeild was a British soldier and Liberal party politician.-Background:Caulfeild was the son of the Venerable John Caulfeild, Archdeacon of Kilmore, grandson of the Hon. Tony Caulfeild, younger son of William Caulfeild, 1st Viscount Charlemont... |
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... |
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| December 1852 | Lord Norreys Montagu Bertie, 6th Earl of Abingdon Montagu Bertie, 6th Earl of Abingdon was a British peer and politician. He was styled Lord Norreys from birth until acceding in 1854.-Background:... |
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... |
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| 1854 by-election | Joseph Haythorne Reed | 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... |
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| 1857 United Kingdom general election, 1857 -Seats summary:-References:*F. W. S. Craig, British Electoral Facts: 1832-1987* British Electoral Facts 1832-1999, compiled and edited by Colin Rallings and Michael Thrasher *... |
John Thomas Norris John Thomas Norris John Thomas Norris was a British Liberal politician who served as the Member of Parliament for Abingdon 1857–65.He was a Commissioner of Lieutenancy for London, a justice of the peace in Berkshire, and member of the London City Corporation.- External links :... |
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... |
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| 1865 United Kingdom general election, 1865 The 1865 United Kingdom general election saw the Liberals, led by Lord Palmerston, increase their large majority over the Earl of Derby's Conservatives to more than 80. The Whig Party changed its name to the Liberal Party between the previous election and this one.Palmerston died later in the same... |
Hon. Charles Hugh Lindsay | 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... |
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| 1874 United Kingdom general election, 1874 -Seats summary:-References:* F. W. S. Craig, British Electoral Facts: 1832-1987* British Electoral Facts 1832-1999, compiled and edited by Colin Rallings and Michael Thrasher *... |
John Creemer Clarke John Creemer Clarke John Creemer Clarke was an English merchant and manufacturer and a Liberal politician who sat in the House of Commons from 1874 to 1885.... |
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... |
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| 1885 United Kingdom general election, 1885 -Seats summary:-See also:*List of MPs elected in the United Kingdom general election, 1885*Parliamentary Franchise in the United Kingdom 1885–1918*Representation of the People Act 1884*Redistribution of Seats Act 1885-References:... |
Parliamentary borough abolished | ||
MPs 1885–1983
After the abolition of the parliamentary boroughParliamentary borough
Parliamentary boroughs are a type of administrative division, usually covering urban areas, that are entitled to representation in a Parliament...
of Abingdon, a new county division of Berkshire was created.
| Election | Member | Party | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1885 United Kingdom general election, 1885 -Seats summary:-See also:*List of MPs elected in the United Kingdom general election, 1885*Parliamentary Franchise in the United Kingdom 1885–1918*Representation of the People Act 1884*Redistribution of Seats Act 1885-References:... |
Philip Wroughton Philip Wroughton Sir Philip Lavallin Wroughton, KCVO, K.St.J. was the Lord Lieutenant of Berkshire from 1995 until 2008.Sir Philip is the son of Michael Lavallin Wroughton Esq of Woolley Park at Chaddleworth in Berkshire and his wife, Elizabeth Angela Rate. He was educated at Eton College and became 2nd Lieutenant... |
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... |
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| 1895 United Kingdom general election, 1895 The United Kingdom general election of 1895 was held from 13 July - 7 August 1895. It was won by the Conservatives led by Lord Salisbury who formed an alliance with the Liberal Unionist Party and had a large majority over the Liberals, led by Lord Rosebery... |
Archie Kirkman Loyd Archie Kirkman Loyd Archie Kirkman Loyd KC was a British barrister and twice Member of Parliament for Abingdon.-Early life:Loyd was born on 22 January 1847 in Agra in the North-Western Provinces of India, the third son of Thomas Kirkman Loyd and Annie Hirst Loyd... |
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... |
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| 1906 United Kingdom general election, 1906 -Seats summary:-See also:*MPs elected in the United Kingdom general election, 1906*The Parliamentary Franchise in the United Kingdom 1885-1918-External links:***-References:*F. W. S. Craig, British Electoral Facts: 1832-1987**... |
Edward Anthony Strauss Edward Anthony Strauss Edward Anthony Strauss was an English corn, grain and hop merchant of German-Jewish background. He was a Liberal, later Liberal National Member of Parliament.-Family and education:... |
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... |
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| 1910 (Jan) | Harold Greenwood Henderson | 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... |
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| 1916 by-election Abingdon by-election, 1916 The Abingdon by-election, 1916 was a parliamentary by-election held for the House of Commons constituency of Abingdon on 29 August 1916. -Vacancy:... |
Archie Kirkman Loyd Archie Kirkman Loyd Archie Kirkman Loyd KC was a British barrister and twice Member of Parliament for Abingdon.-Early life:Loyd was born on 22 January 1847 in Agra in the North-Western Provinces of India, the third son of Thomas Kirkman Loyd and Annie Hirst Loyd... |
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... |
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| 1918 United Kingdom general election, 1918 The United Kingdom general election of 1918 was the first to be held after the Representation of the People Act 1918, which meant it was the first United Kingdom general election in which nearly all adult men and some women could vote. Polling was held on 14 December 1918, although the count did... |
John Tyson Wigan John Tyson Wigan Brigadier-General John Tyson Wigan, CB, CMG, DSO was a senior British Army officer with the Desert Mounted Corps during World War I who was wounded in action three times during campaigning at the Battle of Gallipoli and during the Sinai and Palestine Campaign... |
Coalition Conservative | |
| 1921 by-election | Arthur Thomas Loyd Arthur Thomas Loyd Arthur Thomas Loyd was a Conservative Party politician in England.Born in Northampton, Loyd belonged to a Welsh family, several members of which settled in Berkshire. His uncle, Archie Kirkman Loyd, was the Conservative Member of Parliament for Abingdon from 1895 to 1906 and from 1916 to 1918... |
Coalition Conservative | |
| 1922 United Kingdom general election, 1922 The United Kingdom general election of 1922 was held on 15 November 1922. It was the first election held after most of the Irish counties left the United Kingdom to form the Irish Free State, and was won by Andrew Bonar Law's Conservatives, who gained an overall majority over Labour, led by John... |
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... |
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| 1923 United Kingdom general election, 1923 -Seats summary:-References:*F. W. S. Craig, British Electoral Facts: 1832-1987*-External links:***... |
Edward Albert Lessing | 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... |
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| 1924 United Kingdom general election, 1924 - Seats summary :- References :* F. W. S. Craig, British Electoral Facts: 1832-1987* - External links :* * *... |
Sir Ralph Glyn, 1st Bt. Ralph Glyn, 1st Baron Glyn Major Ralph George Campbell Glyn, 1st Baron Glyn MC DL , known as Sir Ralph Glyn, Bt, from 1934 to 1953, was a soldier and Conservative Party politician in the United Kingdom. He was a Member of Parliament from 1918 to 1922, and from 1924 to 1953.-Background and education:Glyn was the son of the... |
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... |
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| 1953 by-election | Airey Neave Airey Neave Airey Middleton Sheffield Neave DSO, OBE, MC was a British soldier, barrister and politician.During World War II, Neave was one of the few servicemen to escape from the German prisoner-of-war camp Oflag IV-C at Colditz Castle... |
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... |
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| 1979 United Kingdom general election, 1979 The United Kingdom general election of 1979 was held on 3 May 1979 to elect 635 members to the British House of Commons. The Conservative Party, led by Margaret Thatcher ousted the incumbent Labour government of James Callaghan with a parliamentary majority of 43 seats... |
Thomas Benyon | 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... |
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| 1983 United Kingdom general election, 1983 The 1983 United Kingdom general election was held on 9 June 1983. It gave the Conservative Party under Margaret Thatcher the most decisive election victory since that of Labour in 1945... |
Constituency abolished | ||
Elections
Sources 1754-1784: Narnier and Brooke; (parties) Stooks Smith. Positive swing is from Whig to Tory.Sources 1885-1900: House of Commons 1901.
- Seat vacated on appointment of Morton as Chief Justice of Chester
- On petition Nathaniel Bayly seated in place of John Morton, 8 February 1770
- Tory hold from previous general election; Tory gain from Whig, from change on petition.
- Election declared void, 6 March 1775
- Change is calculated from the previous general election.
- Resignation of Mayor.
- Resignation of Howorth