Dunwich (UK Parliament constituency)
Encyclopedia
Dunwich was a parliamentary borough
in Suffolk
, one of the most notorious of all the rotten borough
s. It elected two Members of Parliament
(MPs) to the House of Commons
from 1298 until 1832, when the constituency was abolished by the Great Reform Act.
was first accorded representation in Parliament, it was a flourishing port and market town about thirty miles from Ipswich
. However, by 1670 the sea had encroached upon the town, destroying the port and swallowing up all but a few houses so that nothing was left but a tiny village. The borough had once consisted of eight parishes, but all that was left was part of the parish of All Saints, Dunwich
- which by 1831 had a population of 232, and only 44 houses ("and half a church", as Oldfield recorded in 1816).
In fact, this made Dunwich by no means the smallest of England's rotten boroughs, but the symbolism of two Members of Parliament representing a constituency that was essentially underwater captured the imagination and made Dunwich one of the most frequently-mentioned examples of the absurdities of the unreformed system.
The right to vote was exercised by the freemen
of the borough. Originally, these freemen could vote even if they did not live in the borough, and at times this was abused as elsewhere, notably in 1670 when 500 non-resident freemen were created to swamp the resident voters. From 1709, however, by a resolution of the House of Commons, the franchise was restricted to resident freemen who were not receiving alms. By the 19th century, the maximum number of freemen had been set at 32, of whom the two "patrons", Lord Huntingfield
and Snowdon Barne, could nominate eight each, so that between them they controlled half of the votes and needed only one other voter to gain control of elections.
Earlier, in the 1760s, Sir Jacob Downing had been the sole patron, but in theory he also was considered to have only influence, rather than the absolute power to dictate the choice of the Members. Unsurprisingly, in 1754 Downing was able to occupy one seat himself and sell the choice of the other member to the Duke of Newcastle
(then Prime Minister) for £1,000; it is not recorded whether he needed to share some of this largesse with his co-operative voters.
Dunwich was abolished as a constituency in 1832, when what remained of the village became part of the new Eastern Suffolk county division.
titled Dish and Dishonesty. Named Dunny-on-the-Wold, it has a population of three cows, a dachshund called `Colin', and "a small hen in its late forties"; only one person lives there and he is the voter. After an obviously rigged election (in which it is revealed that Blackadder
is both the constituency's returning officer and voter, after both died in highly suspicious "accidents"), Baldrick
is made an MP having received all 16,472 of the votes cast.
Parliamentary borough
Parliamentary boroughs are a type of administrative division, usually covering urban areas, that are entitled to representation in a Parliament...
in Suffolk
Suffolk
Suffolk is a non-metropolitan county of historic origin in East Anglia, England. It has borders with Norfolk to the north, Cambridgeshire to the west and Essex to the south. The North Sea lies to the east...
, one of the most notorious of all the rotten borough
Rotten borough
A "rotten", "decayed" or pocket borough was a parliamentary borough or constituency in the United Kingdom that had a very small electorate and could be used by a patron to gain undue and unrepresentative influence within Parliament....
s. It elected two Members of Parliament
Member of Parliament
A Member of Parliament is a representative of the voters to a :parliament. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, the term applies specifically to members of the lower house, as upper houses often have a different title, such as senate, and thus also have different titles for its members,...
(MPs) to 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...
from 1298 until 1832, when the constituency was abolished by the Great Reform Act.
History
In medieval times, when DunwichDunwich
Dunwich is a small town in Suffolk, England, within the Suffolk Coast and Heaths AONB.Dunwich was the capital of East Anglia 1500 years ago but the harbour and most of the town have since disappeared due to coastal erosion. Its decline began in 1286 when a sea surge hit the East Anglian coast, and...
was first accorded representation in Parliament, it was a flourishing port and market town about thirty miles from Ipswich
Ipswich
Ipswich is a large town and a non-metropolitan district. It is the county town of Suffolk, England. Ipswich is located on the estuary of the River Orwell...
. However, by 1670 the sea had encroached upon the town, destroying the port and swallowing up all but a few houses so that nothing was left but a tiny village. The borough had once consisted of eight parishes, but all that was left was part of the parish of All Saints, Dunwich
Dunwich
Dunwich is a small town in Suffolk, England, within the Suffolk Coast and Heaths AONB.Dunwich was the capital of East Anglia 1500 years ago but the harbour and most of the town have since disappeared due to coastal erosion. Its decline began in 1286 when a sea surge hit the East Anglian coast, and...
- which by 1831 had a population of 232, and only 44 houses ("and half a church", as Oldfield recorded in 1816).
In fact, this made Dunwich by no means the smallest of England's rotten boroughs, but the symbolism of two Members of Parliament representing a constituency that was essentially underwater captured the imagination and made Dunwich one of the most frequently-mentioned examples of the absurdities of the unreformed system.
The right to vote was exercised by the freemen
Freedom of the City
Freedom of the City is an honour bestowed by some municipalities in Australia, Canada, Ireland, France, Italy, New Zealand, South Africa, Spain, the United Kingdom, Gibraltar and Rhodesia to esteemed members of its community and to organisations to be honoured, often for service to the community;...
of the borough. Originally, these freemen could vote even if they did not live in the borough, and at times this was abused as elsewhere, notably in 1670 when 500 non-resident freemen were created to swamp the resident voters. From 1709, however, by a resolution of the House of Commons, the franchise was restricted to resident freemen who were not receiving alms. By the 19th century, the maximum number of freemen had been set at 32, of whom the two "patrons", Lord Huntingfield
Joshua Vanneck, 1st Baron Huntingfield
Joshua Vanneck, 1st Baron Huntingfield , known as Sir Joshua Vanneck, 3rd Baronet, from 1791 to 1796, was a British merchant and Member of Parliament....
and Snowdon Barne, could nominate eight each, so that between them they controlled half of the votes and needed only one other voter to gain control of elections.
Earlier, in the 1760s, Sir Jacob Downing had been the sole patron, but in theory he also was considered to have only influence, rather than the absolute power to dictate the choice of the Members. Unsurprisingly, in 1754 Downing was able to occupy one seat himself and sell the choice of the other member to the Duke of Newcastle
Thomas Pelham-Holles, 1st Duke of Newcastle-upon-Tyne
Thomas Pelham-Holles, 1st Duke of Newcastle-upon-Tyne and 1st Duke of Newcastle-under-Lyne, KG, PC was a British Whig statesman, whose official life extended throughout the Whig supremacy of the 18th century. He is commonly known as the Duke of Newcastle.A protégé of Sir Robert Walpole, he served...
(then Prime Minister) for £1,000; it is not recorded whether he needed to share some of this largesse with his co-operative voters.
Dunwich was abolished as a constituency in 1832, when what remained of the village became part of the new Eastern Suffolk county division.
Before 1660
| Parliament | First member | Second member |
|---|---|---|
| 1306 | Robert Codoun | |
| 1332 | Geoffrey Codoun | |
| 1373 | Peter Codoun | |
| 1383 | Peter Codoun | |
| 1386 | Peter Cuddon I | Hugh Thorpe |
| 1388 (Feb) | Augustine Knight | William Woodward |
| 1388 (Sep) | Peter Cuddon I | John Bagge |
| 1390 (Jan) | Peter Cuddon I | Robert Runton |
| 1390 (Nov) | ||
| 1391 | Robert Runton | William Havene |
| 1393 | Robert Cook | Augustine Knight |
| 1394 | ||
| 1395 | Robert Cuddon I | William Chock |
| 1397 (Jan) | Peter Helmeth | Nicholas Goodber |
| 1397 (Sep) | ||
| 1399 | Peter Cuddon II | Peter Helmeth |
| 1401 | ||
| 1402 | ||
| 1404 (Jan) | ||
| 1404 (Oct) | ||
| 1406 | ||
| 1407 | ||
| 1410 | Peter Cuddon II | William Barber |
| 1411 | Richard Griston | Thomas Clerk |
| 1413 (Feb) | ||
| 1413 (May) | Thomas Clerk | Thomas Brantham |
| 1414 (Apr) | Nicholas Barber | Philip Canon |
| 1414 (Nov) | Thomas James | Philip Canon |
| 1415 | ||
| 1416 (Mar) | ||
| 1416 (Oct) | John Luke | Philip Canon |
| 1417 | ||
| 1419 | Nicholas Barber | Philip Canon |
| 1420 | John Luke | Richard Russell |
| 1421 (May) | William Barber | Robert Cuddon II |
| 1421 (Dec) | John Luke | Nicholas Barber |
| 1510-1523 | No names known | |
| 1529 | Sir William Rous | Christopher Jenney |
| 1536 | ? | |
| 1539 | ? | |
| 1542 | Robert Browne | George Coppyn |
| 1545 | Robert Browne | Robert Coppyn |
| 1547 | Robert Coppyn | John Harrison alias Hall died and was repl. Nov 1548 by Thomas Heydon |
| 1553 (Mar) | Francis Yaxley Francis Yaxley Francis Yaxley was an English politician and conspirator.-Life:Yaxley was the eldest son of Richard Yaxley of Mellis, Suffolk, by his wife Anne, daughter of Roger Austin of Earlsham, Suffolk... |
Robert Coppyn |
| 1553 (Oct) | Robert Coppyn | Nicholas Hasborough |
| 1554 (Apr) | Robert Browne | George Jerningham |
| 1554 (Nov) | Sir Edmund Rous | Robert Coppyn |
| 1555 | George Saxmundham | Andrew Green |
| 1558 | Thomas Pycto | John Browne |
| 1558/9 | Sir Edmund Rous | Gregory Coppyn |
| 1562/3 | Robert Hare | Robert Coppyn |
| 1571 | William Humberstone | Arthur Hopton |
| 1572 | Robert Coppyn, died and repl.1576 by Godfrey Foljambe |
Richard Sone |
| 1584 | Walter Dunch | Anthony Wingfield |
| 1586 | Anthony Wingfield | Arthur Melles |
| 1588 | Edward Honing | Walter Dunch |
| 1593 | Henry Savile | Thomas Corbet |
| 1597 | Arthur Atye | Clipsby Gawdy |
| 1601 | John Suckling John Suckling (politician) Sir John Suckling was an English politician who sat in the House of Commons at various times between 1601 and 1626.Suckling was the son of Robert Suckling mayor and MP of Norwich and his wife Elizabeth Barwick, daughter of William Barwick. He entered Gray's Inn on 22 May 1590. He was elected... |
Francis Myngate |
| 1604 | Sir Valentine Knightley | Philip Gawdy |
| 1614 | Philip Gawdy | Henry Dade |
| 1621 | Clement Coke | Thomas Bedingfield |
| 1624 | Sir John Rous | Sir Robert Brook |
| 1625 | Sir Robert Rous | Sir Robert Brook |
| 1626 | Sir John Rous | Thomas Bedingfield |
| 1628 | Sir Robert Brook | Francis Winterton |
| 1629–1640 | No Parliaments summoned | |
1660-1832
| Year | First member | First party | Second member | Second party | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1640 (Apr) | Henry Coke Henry Coke Henry Coke was an English politician who sat in the House of Commons variously between 1624 and 1642.Coke was the son of Sir Edward Coke Lord Chief Justice, of Thorington, Suffolk. He was admitted at Queens' College, Cambridge on 18 August 1607.... |
Anthony Bedingfield Anthony Bedingfield Anthony Bedingfield was an English merchant and politician who sat in the House of Commons from 1640 to 1648.Bedingfield was the son of Thomas Bedingfield of Ditchingfield Norfolk and his wife Dorothy Southwell... |
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| 1640 (Nov) | Henry Coke Henry Coke Henry Coke was an English politician who sat in the House of Commons variously between 1624 and 1642.Coke was the son of Sir Edward Coke Lord Chief Justice, of Thorington, Suffolk. He was admitted at Queens' College, Cambridge on 18 August 1607.... - disabled |
Anthony Bedingfield Anthony Bedingfield Anthony Bedingfield was an English merchant and politician who sat in the House of Commons from 1640 to 1648.Bedingfield was the son of Thomas Bedingfield of Ditchingfield Norfolk and his wife Dorothy Southwell... |
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| 1645 | Anthony Bedingfield Anthony Bedingfield Anthony Bedingfield was an English merchant and politician who sat in the House of Commons from 1640 to 1648.Bedingfield was the son of Thomas Bedingfield of Ditchingfield Norfolk and his wife Dorothy Southwell... |
Gen. Robert Brewster | |||||
| 1648 (Rump) | Gen. Robert Brewster | One seat only | |||||
| 1653 (Barebones) | Dunwich not represented in Barebones Parliament | ||||||
| 1654 (1st Protectorate) | Gen. Robert Brewster | One seat only | |||||
| 1656 (2nd Protectorate) | Francis Brewster | One seat only | |||||
| 1658 (3rd Protectorate) | Robert Brewster Robert Brewster Robert Brewster is an American football offensive tackle who is currently a free agent. He was drafted by the Dallas Cowboys in the third round of the 2009 NFL Draft. He played for Ball State as they achieved a national ranking in 2008 for the first time in school history... |
John Barrington | |||||
| 1660 | Sir John Rous Sir John Rous, 1st Baronet Sir John Rous, 1st Baronet was an English politician who sat in the House of Commons from 1660 to 1670.Rous was the son of Sir John Rous of Henham Hall and his wife Elizabeth Yelverton, daughter of Sir Christopher Yelverton, Lord Chief Justice.In 1660, Rous was elected Member of Parliament for... |
Henry Bedingfield Henry Bedingfield (judge) Sir Henry Bedingfield was an English barrister, who was briefly Chief Justice of the Common Pleas at the end of his life.-Early life and family:... |
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| 1661 | Richard Coke | ||||||
| 1670 | Sir John Pettus | ||||||
| 1671 | William Wood | ||||||
| 1678 | Thomas Allin | ||||||
| February 1679 | Sir Philip Skippon | ||||||
| September 1679 | Sir Robert Kemp | ||||||
| 1685 | Roger North Roger North (17th century) Roger North, KC , English lawyer, biographer, and amateur musician, was the sixth son of t he fourth Baron North.... |
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... |
Thomas Knyvett Thomas Knyvett, 7th Baron Berners Thomas Knyvett, 7th Baron Berners was an English peer and Tory politician.The son of Sir John Knyvett and Mary Bedingfield, he was baptised in Darsham in Suffolk in February 1655 or 1656. In 1673, Knyvett succeeded his father de jure as Baron Berners... |
Tory Tory Toryism is a traditionalist and conservative political philosophy which grew out of the Cavalier faction in the Wars of the Three Kingdoms. It is a prominent ideology in the politics of the United Kingdom, but also features in parts of The Commonwealth, particularly in Canada... |
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| 1689 | Sir Philip Skippon | Sir Robert Rich Sir Robert Rich, 2nd Baronet Sir Robert Rich, 2nd Baronet was an English politician.Rich was the second son of Nathaniel Rich of Stondon and his wife Elizabeth Hampden, married his distant cousin Mary Rich, and inherited her father's baronetcy by special remainder. By Mary he had four sons and several daughters... |
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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| 1691 | John Bence | ||||||
| 1695 | Henry Heveningham | ||||||
| 1700 | Sir Charles Blois Sir Charles Blois, 1st Baronet Sir Charles Blois, 1st Baronet was a politician, a member of parliament for both Ipswich and Dunwich . On 15 April 1686, he was created 1st Baronet Blois, of Grundisburgh and Cockfield Hall. Blois was the son of Sir William Blois... |
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| 1701 | Robert Kemp | ||||||
| 1705 | John Rous | ||||||
| 1708 | Robert Kemp | ||||||
| 1709 | Sir Richard Allin | Daniel Harvey | |||||
| 1710 | Sir George Downing Sir George Downing, 3rd Baronet Sir George Downing, 3rd Baronet, KB was a politician and, through a donation in his will, the founder of Downing College, Cambridge.Gordon Goodwin, ‘Downing, Sir George, third baronet ’, rev... |
Richard Richardson | |||||
| 1713 | Sir Robert Kemp | ||||||
| 1715 | Sir Robert Rich Sir Robert Rich, 4th Baronet Field Marshal Sir Robert Rich, 4th Baronet was a British cavalry officer.-Career:Rich was commissioned into the 1st Foot Guards in 1700... |
Charles Long | |||||
| March 1722 | Sir George Downing Sir George Downing, 3rd Baronet Sir George Downing, 3rd Baronet, KB was a politician and, through a donation in his will, the founder of Downing College, Cambridge.Gordon Goodwin, ‘Downing, Sir George, third baronet ’, rev... |
Edward Vernon Edward Vernon Edward Vernon was an English naval officer. Vernon was born in Westminster, England and went to Westminster School. He joined the Navy in 1700 and was promoted to Lieutenant in 1702 and served on several different ships for the next five years... |
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| December 1722 | Sir John Ward | ||||||
| 1726 | John Sambrooke | ||||||
| 1727 | Thomas Wyndham | ||||||
| 1734 | Sir Orlando Bridgeman Sir Orlando Bridgeman, 2nd Baronet Sir Orlando Bridgeman, 2nd Baronet was a British baronet and Whig politician.-Background:He was the oldest son of Sir Orlando Bridgeman, 1st Baronet and his wife Mary Cave, daughter of Sir Thomas Cave, 1st Baronet. His sister Penelope was married to Thomas Newport, 1st Baron Torrington... |
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| 1738 | William Morden | ||||||
| 1741 | Jacob Garrard Downing | ||||||
| 1747 | Miles Barne | ||||||
| 1749 | Sir Jacob Garrard Downing | ||||||
| 1754 | Soame Jenyns Soame Jenyns Soame Jenyns was an English writer.- Biography :He was the son of Sir Roger Jenyns and his second wife Elizabeth Soame, the daughter of Sir Peter Soame. He was born in London, and was educated at St Johns College, Cambridge. In 1742 he was chosen M.P... |
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| 1758 | Alexander Forrester | ||||||
| 1761 | Henry Fox Henry Fox, 1st Baron Holland Henry Fox, 1st Baron Holland, of Foxley, MP, PC was a leading British politician of the 18th century. He identified primarily with the Whig faction... |
Eliab Harvey | |||||
| 1763 | Sir Jacob Garrard Downing | ||||||
| 1764 | Miles Barne | ||||||
| 1768 | Gerard Vanneck Sir Gerard Vanneck, 2nd Baronet Sir Gerard Vanneck, 2nd Baronet , was a British merchant and Member of Parliament.Vanneck was the eldest son of Sir Joshua Vanneck, 1st Baronet, and Mary Anne Daubuz. His father was a successful London merchant who had emigrated to Great Britain from the Netherlands in 1722. He was elected to the... |
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| 1777 | Barne Barne | ||||||
| 1790 | The Lord Huntingfield Joshua Vanneck, 1st Baron Huntingfield Joshua Vanneck, 1st Baron Huntingfield , known as Sir Joshua Vanneck, 3rd Baronet, from 1791 to 1796, was a British merchant and Member of Parliament.... |
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| 1791 | Miles Barne | ||||||
| 1796 | Snowdon Barne | ||||||
| 1812 | Michael Barne Michael Barne Michael Barne was an officer of the 1901-04 Discovery Expedition and was the last survivor of the expedition.-Early life:... |
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| 1816 | The Lord Huntingfield Joshua Vanneck, 2nd Baron Huntingfield Joshua Vanneck, 2nd Baron Huntingfield was a British peer and Member of Parliament .Huntingfield was the son of Joshua Vanneck, 1st Baron Huntingfield, and Maria Thompson. His paternal grandfather Sir Joshua Vanneck, 1st Baronet, had emigrated from the Netherlands in 1722 and had become a... |
Tory Tory Toryism is a traditionalist and conservative political philosophy which grew out of the Cavalier faction in the Wars of the Three Kingdoms. It is a prominent ideology in the politics of the United Kingdom, but also features in parts of The Commonwealth, particularly in Canada... |
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| 1819 | William Alexander Mackinnon William Alexander Mackinnon (1784-1870) William Alexander Mackinnon was a British politician.He was born in Broadstairs, Kent in 1789 and educated at Cambridge University.... |
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| 1820 | George Henry Cherry | ||||||
| 1826 | Andrew Arcedeckne | ||||||
| 1830 | Frederick Barne Frederick Barne Frederick Barne was an English landowner and politician who sat in the House of Commons from 1830 to 1832.In 1830 Barne was elected Member of Parliament for the rotten borough of Dunwich and held the seat until 1832 when it was abolished under the 1832 Reform Act... |
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| 1831 | Earl of Brecknock | Tory Tory Toryism is a traditionalist and conservative political philosophy which grew out of the Cavalier faction in the Wars of the Three Kingdoms. It is a prominent ideology in the politics of the United Kingdom, but also features in parts of The Commonwealth, particularly in Canada... |
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| 1832 | Viscount Lowther William Lowther, 2nd Earl of Lonsdale William Lowther, 2nd Earl of Lonsdale PC, FRS , styled Viscount Lowther between 1807 and 1844, was a British Tory politician.-Background:... |
Tory Tory Toryism is a traditionalist and conservative political philosophy which grew out of the Cavalier faction in the Wars of the Three Kingdoms. It is a prominent ideology in the politics of the United Kingdom, but also features in parts of The Commonwealth, particularly in Canada... |
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| 1832 United Kingdom general election, 1832 -Seats summary:-Parties and leaders at the general election:The Earl Grey had been Prime Minister since 22 November 1830. His was the first predominantly Whig administration since the Ministry of all the Talents in 1806-1807.... |
Constituency abolished | ||||||
In popular culture
Dunwich is satirised in an episode of the British television show Blackadder the ThirdBlackadder the Third
Blackadder the Third is the third series of the BBC situation comedy Blackadder, written by Richard Curtis and Ben Elton, which aired from 17 September to 22 October 1987....
titled Dish and Dishonesty. Named Dunny-on-the-Wold, it has a population of three cows, a dachshund called `Colin', and "a small hen in its late forties"; only one person lives there and he is the voter. After an obviously rigged election (in which it is revealed that Blackadder
Edmund Blackadder
Edmund Blackadder is the single name given to a collection of fictional characters who appear in the BBC mock-historical comedy series Blackadder, each played by Rowan Atkinson. Although each series is set within a different period of British history, each character is part of the same familial...
is both the constituency's returning officer and voter, after both died in highly suspicious "accidents"), Baldrick
Baldrick
Baldrick is the name of several fictional characters featured in the long-running BBC historic comedy television series Blackadder. Each one serves as Edmund Blackadder's servant and sidekick and acts as a foil to the lead character...
is made an MP having received all 16,472 of the votes cast.