Shaftesbury (UK Parliament constituency)
Encyclopedia
Shaftesbury was a parliamentary constituency
in Dorset
. It returned two Members of Parliament
to the House of Commons
of the Parliament of the United Kingdom
from 1295 until 1832 and one member until the constituency was abolished in 1885.
of 1295, and thereafter was continuously represented (except during the temporary upheavals of the Commonwealth) until the 19th century. The constituency was a parliamentary borough
, which until 1832 consisted of parts of three parishes in the town of Shaftesbury
, a market town in Dorset
. In the 17th century the Mayor and Corporation attempted to restrict the right to vote to themselves, but after a decision in 1697 the vote was exercised by all inhabitant householders paying scot and lot
. Shaftesbury being a prosperous town this included the vast majority of households, and in 1831 when the borough contained only 474 houses, 400 separate properties were rated for scot and lot and 359 people voted in that year's election. The franchise was therefore in practice, for the period, a very liberal one.
and The Earl of Shaftesbury
, who generally agreed to nominate one member each rather than bringing about a contested election which would allow the voters scope to demand bribes. Ilchester, who as Stephen Fox had sat as the borough's MP for a number of years before being raised to the peerage, described it as "troublesome, expensive and corrupt".
The patrons were free to recoup their expenditure by selling the seats to suitable candidates (at that period perfectly legal) rather than giving them to family or friends, but avoiding an expensive contest meant they could pocket the proceeds rather than seeing them (illegally) passing into the pockets of the voters. Namier quotes from the papers of Prime Minister Newcastle
to show that Sir Thomas Clavering
paid £2000 for his seat at Shaftesbury in 1754
, and that in 1761
Newcastle quoted the same sum as the likely price of a seat for Sir Gilbert Heathcote
, but added that no other pocket borough would be any cheaper.
However, the agreement between the patrons to split the seats amicably merely caused the townsmen to encourage independent candidates to stand so as to ensure a contest, and from 1761 onwards there was generally at least one candidate competing against those backed by the patrons. There also developed the practice of extending bribes in the form of "loans", which would not be called in provided the voter voted as instructed.
The Commons Committee accepted the evidence before them, and not only declared Sykes and Rumbold not duly elected and Mortimer duly elected to one of the seats in their place, but ordered that Sykes, Rumbold, and a long list of other inhabitants of the town should be prosecuted by the Attorney General
for bribery and perjury. A bill was also brought in to permanently deprive the guilty parties of their votes; however this was never passed, the prosecution never took place, and the Commons was eventually persuaded to reverse its condemnations of Sykes and Rumbold so that both were able to stand for the borough at the next general election. They did not escape penalty entirely, however, as Mortimer brought a civil suit for bribery against Sykes at Dorchester Assizes, and was awarded £11,000 in damages - which he used to buy houses in the town, increasing his own influence at future elections.
The majority interest in the borough then passed to the nabob Paul Benfield, who bought up Mortimer's properties cheaply when they were auctioned off to benefit his creditors. However, after twice being elected in expensive contests, Benfield too was bankrupted. Shaftesbury then passed through a number of hands until, on the eve of the Reform Act, the principal interest was that of Earl Grosvenor
. His accession seems to have eliminated Shaftesbury's endemic bribery and converted it to a more secure pocket borough: when Edward Harbord was offered the seat in 1820 in token of Grosvenor's admiration for his stand over Peterloo, he described it as "a place where no questions are asked as to political principles, and no money required". However, Grosvenor opted for coercion rather than persuasion to enforce his will, and at the tumultuous election of 1830 threatened to evict any of his tenants who did not back his candidates. This won the day, although the anti-Grosvenor candidate promised to compensate any of his supporters who might be evicted, and the election ended in a riot. Grosvenor's agents then proceeded to issue notice to quit to the recalcitrant tenants, fuelling an even-more-vigorous (but still unsuccessful) opposition to his candidates at the 1831 election, even though both of his nominees were pro-Reform.
The constituency was unaltered in the boundary changes of 1868, but was too small to survive the next reform, and was abolished with effect from the general election of 1885. Shaftesbury itself and most of the borough was included in the Northern Dorset county division, though the parish of Donhead St Mary was in Wiltshire
and was therefore incorporated into the Southern Wiltshire
division.
Notes
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:...
in Dorset
Dorset
Dorset , is a county in South West England on the English Channel coast. The county town is Dorchester which is situated in the south. The Hampshire towns of Bournemouth and Christchurch joined the county with the reorganisation of local government in 1974...
. It returned 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,...
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...
of the Parliament of the United Kingdom
Parliament of the United Kingdom
The Parliament of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is the supreme legislative body in the United Kingdom, British Crown dependencies and British overseas territories, located in London...
from 1295 until 1832 and one member until the constituency was abolished in 1885.
Boundaries and franchise before 1832
Shaftesbury was one of the towns summoned to send representatives to the Model ParliamentModel Parliament
The Model Parliament is the term, attributed to Frederic William Maitland, used for the 1295 Parliament of England of King Edward I. This assembly included members of the clergy and the aristocracy, as well as representatives from the various counties and boroughs. Each county returned two knights,...
of 1295, and thereafter was continuously represented (except during the temporary upheavals of the Commonwealth) until the 19th century. The constituency was a parliamentary borough
Parliamentary borough
Parliamentary boroughs are a type of administrative division, usually covering urban areas, that are entitled to representation in a Parliament...
, which until 1832 consisted of parts of three parishes in the town of Shaftesbury
Shaftesbury
Shaftesbury is a town in Dorset, England, situated on the A30 road near the Wiltshire border 20 miles west of Salisbury. The town is built 718 feet above sea level on the side of a chalk and greensand hill, which is part of Cranborne Chase, the only significant hilltop settlement in Dorset...
, a market town in Dorset
Dorset
Dorset , is a county in South West England on the English Channel coast. The county town is Dorchester which is situated in the south. The Hampshire towns of Bournemouth and Christchurch joined the county with the reorganisation of local government in 1974...
. In the 17th century the Mayor and Corporation attempted to restrict the right to vote to themselves, but after a decision in 1697 the 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...
. Shaftesbury being a prosperous town this included the vast majority of households, and in 1831 when the borough contained only 474 houses, 400 separate properties were rated for scot and lot and 359 people voted in that year's election. The franchise was therefore in practice, for the period, a very liberal one.
Political character in the 18th century
Like many boroughs, Shaftesbury generally recognised the local landowner as its "patron", with the right to nominate both its MPs, but also expected this influence to be cemented with generous bribery, making electoral control of the substantial electorate an expensive business. In the mid 18th century the joint patrons were Lord IlchesterStephen Fox-Strangways, 1st Earl of Ilchester
Stephen Fox-Strangways, 1st Earl of Ilchester PC was a British peer and Member of Parliament.Ilchester was the son of Sir Stephen Fox and his second wife Christiana Hope. Henry Fox, 1st Baron Holland, was his younger brother and Charles James Fox his nephew...
and The Earl of Shaftesbury
Anthony Ashley Cooper, 4th Earl of Shaftesbury
Anthony Ashley Cooper, 4th Earl of Shaftesbury , 4th Earl of Shaftesbury.The 4th Earl served as Lord Lieutenant of Dorset from 1734 until his death.-Family Legacy:...
, who generally agreed to nominate one member each rather than bringing about a contested election which would allow the voters scope to demand bribes. Ilchester, who as Stephen Fox had sat as the borough's MP for a number of years before being raised to the peerage, described it as "troublesome, expensive and corrupt".
The patrons were free to recoup their expenditure by selling the seats to suitable candidates (at that period perfectly legal) rather than giving them to family or friends, but avoiding an expensive contest meant they could pocket the proceeds rather than seeing them (illegally) passing into the pockets of the voters. Namier quotes from the papers of Prime Minister 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...
to show that Sir Thomas Clavering
Sir Thomas Clavering, 7th Baronet
Sir Thomas Clavering, 7th Baronet succeeded to the Baronetcy of Axwell and to the family estates on the death of his father in 1748....
paid £2000 for his seat at Shaftesbury in 1754
British general election, 1754
The British general election, 1754 returned members to serve in the House of Commons of the 11th Parliament of Great Britain to be held, after the merger of the Parliament of England and the Parliament of Scotland in 1707....
, and that in 1761
British general election, 1761
The British general election, 1761 returned members to serve in the House of Commons of the 12th Parliament of Great Britain to be held, after the merger of the Parliament of England and the Parliament of Scotland in 1707...
Newcastle quoted the same sum as the likely price of a seat for Sir Gilbert Heathcote
Sir Gilbert Heathcote, 3rd Baronet
Sir Gilbert Heathcote, 3rd Baronet was a British Member of Parliament.Heathcote was the son of Sir John Heathcote, 2nd Baronet, and Bridget, daughter of Thomas White. He succeeded as third Baronet on his father's death in 1759...
, but added that no other pocket borough would be any cheaper.
However, the agreement between the patrons to split the seats amicably merely caused the townsmen to encourage independent candidates to stand so as to ensure a contest, and from 1761 onwards there was generally at least one candidate competing against those backed by the patrons. There also developed the practice of extending bribes in the form of "loans", which would not be called in provided the voter voted as instructed.
The corrupt election of 1774
Over the years a number of election results were overturned because of corrupt or illegal practices by the victors, but that of 1774 was particularly notorious. At that election one candidate, Hans Winthrop Mortimer, stood independently of the established interests in the town and, having been easily defeated, petitioned to have the result overturned and produced copious evidence of corruption. Thomas Rumbold and Francis Sykes were both shown to have bribed at a rate of 20 guineas (£21) a man, the total spent amounting to several thousand pounds; worse, the magistrates of the town were implicated in distributing this largesse. The contemporary historian of abuses in the rotten boroughs, Thomas Oldfield, gave this account of the "very singular and very absurd contrivances" unsuccessfully used in the hope of preventing proof of involvement:- A person concealed under a ludicrous and fantastical disguise, and called by the name of Punch, was placed in a small apartment, and through a hole in the door delivered to the voters parcels, containing twenty guineas each: upon which they were conducted to another apartment in the same house, where they found another person called Punch's secretary, who required them to sign notes for the value received: these notes were made payable to an imaginary character, to whom was given the name of Glenbucket. Two of the witnesses swore that they had seen Punch through the hole in the door, and that they knew him to be Mr. Matthews, an alderman of the town...
The Commons Committee accepted the evidence before them, and not only declared Sykes and Rumbold not duly elected and Mortimer duly elected to one of the seats in their place, but ordered that Sykes, Rumbold, and a long list of other inhabitants of the town should be prosecuted by the Attorney General
Attorney General for England and Wales
Her Majesty's Attorney General for England and Wales, usually known simply as the Attorney General, is one of the Law Officers of the Crown. Along with the subordinate Solicitor General for England and Wales, the Attorney General serves as the chief legal adviser of the Crown and its government in...
for bribery and perjury. A bill was also brought in to permanently deprive the guilty parties of their votes; however this was never passed, the prosecution never took place, and the Commons was eventually persuaded to reverse its condemnations of Sykes and Rumbold so that both were able to stand for the borough at the next general election. They did not escape penalty entirely, however, as Mortimer brought a civil suit for bribery against Sykes at Dorchester Assizes, and was awarded £11,000 in damages - which he used to buy houses in the town, increasing his own influence at future elections.
Bankruptcy and evictions
The combination of corruption at the election itself and the need to fight petitions against the result afterwards made Shaftesbury too expensive to be useful to Ilchester, and he sold most of his property in the town to Sykes, while the Earl of Shaftesbury, having failed to get his candidate elected in 1776, seems to have withdrawn from any active involvement. Meanwhile, Mortimer continued his acquisition of property in the town until he owned the majority of houses in the borough, but spent so much on this and on fighting elections that he ran through his substantial fortune and ended in a debtor's prison.The majority interest in the borough then passed to the nabob Paul Benfield, who bought up Mortimer's properties cheaply when they were auctioned off to benefit his creditors. However, after twice being elected in expensive contests, Benfield too was bankrupted. Shaftesbury then passed through a number of hands until, on the eve of the Reform Act, the principal interest was that of Earl Grosvenor
Robert Grosvenor, 1st Marquess of Westminster
Robert Grosvenor, 1st Marquess of Westminster, KG was the son of the 1st Earl Grosvenor, whom he succeeded in 1802 as 2nd Earl Grosvenor. He was created Marquess of Westminster in 1831. He was an English Member of Parliament and an ancestor of the modern day Dukes of Westminster...
. His accession seems to have eliminated Shaftesbury's endemic bribery and converted it to a more secure pocket borough: when Edward Harbord was offered the seat in 1820 in token of Grosvenor's admiration for his stand over Peterloo, he described it as "a place where no questions are asked as to political principles, and no money required". However, Grosvenor opted for coercion rather than persuasion to enforce his will, and at the tumultuous election of 1830 threatened to evict any of his tenants who did not back his candidates. This won the day, although the anti-Grosvenor candidate promised to compensate any of his supporters who might be evicted, and the election ended in a riot. Grosvenor's agents then proceeded to issue notice to quit to the recalcitrant tenants, fuelling an even-more-vigorous (but still unsuccessful) opposition to his candidates at the 1831 election, even though both of his nominees were pro-Reform.
Effects of the Reform Act
In 1831, the population of the borough was 2,742, but the Reform Act of the following year extended the boundaries to include the whole of three town parishes and ten other adjoining parishes, covering an area several miles across and bringing the population up to 8,518. This was a bigger population than the revised borough of Poole, across the county, which kept both its MPs. Nevertheless, the Act provided that Shaftesbury lost one of its two MPs. The electorate of the new constituency was 634, and the reformed franchise being more restrictive than that which had previously operated, it was only the provision that preserved the rights of existing voters for life that prevented the new electorate from being as small as the old one. Indeed, as these voters died off or moved away the electorate fell still further, and only 461 men were registered to vote by 1865.The constituency was unaltered in the boundary changes of 1868, but was too small to survive the next reform, and was abolished with effect from the general election of 1885. Shaftesbury itself and most of the borough was included in the Northern Dorset county division, though the parish of Donhead St Mary was in Wiltshire
Wiltshire
Wiltshire is a ceremonial county in South West England. It is landlocked and borders the counties of Dorset, Somerset, Hampshire, Gloucestershire, Oxfordshire and Berkshire. It contains the unitary authority of Swindon and covers...
and was therefore incorporated into the Southern Wiltshire
South Wiltshire (UK Parliament constituency)
South Wiltshire, formally known as the Southern division of Wiltshire or Wiltshire Southern was a county constituency in the county of Wiltshire in South West England...
division.
1295-1629
- Constituency created (1295)
| Parliament | First member | Second member | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1386 | Edward Leante | Richard Payn | |
| 1388 (Feb) | Thomas Cammell | Thomas Seward | |
| 1388 (Sep) | Hugh Croxhale | Roger Pyjon | |
| 1390 (Jan) | Thomas Cammell | Robert Fovent | |
| 1390 (Nov) | |||
| 1391 | Thomas Cammell | John Whiting | |
| 1393 | Thomas Cammell | Walter Biere | |
| 1394 | Thomas Cammell | Robert Biere | |
| 1395 | John Whiting | Walter Biere | |
| 1397 (Jan) | John Hordere | Walter Biere | |
| 1397 (Sep) | Hugh Croxhale | Walter Biere | |
| 1399 | Thomas Cammell | Walter Biere | |
| 1401 | |||
| 1402 | Thomas Cammell | Walter Biere | |
| 1404 (Jan) | |||
| 1404 (Oct) | |||
| 1406 | Robert Frye II | John Scarburgh | |
| 1407 | John Bole | John Bremle | |
| 1410 | John Bole | Walter Biere | |
| 1411 | |||
| 1413 (Feb) | |||
| 1413 (May) | John Bole | Walter Biere | |
| 1414 (Apr) | Thomas Haselmere | John Pyjon | |
| 1414 (Nov) | Thomas Hat | Walter Biere | |
| 1415 | |||
| 1416 (Mar) | |||
| 1416 (Oct) | |||
| 1417 | Robert Frye | Walter Biere | |
| 1419 | Robert Squibbe | John Clerk | |
| 1420 | Robert Squibbe | John Bole | |
| 1421 (May) | Robert Squibbe | John Clerk | |
| 1421 (Dec) | Robert Squibbe | John Hody | |
| 1510-1523 | No names known | ||
| 1529 | William More | John Mathew | |
| 1536 | ? | ||
| 1539 | ? | ||
| 1542 | ? | ||
| 1545 | William More | Robert Grove | |
| 1547 | John Arundell | Henry Ashley | |
| 1553 (Mar) | ? | ||
| 1553 (Nov) | John Gapputh | John Fuell | |
| 1554 (Apr) | John Denham John Denham John Denham may refer to:* John Denham , British Member of Parliament for Southampton Itchen* John Denham , English poet* John 'Abs' Denham is a fictional nurse in the UK television drama Casualty... |
||
| Parliament of 1554 (Nov) | John Plympton | ||
| Parliament of 1555 | Matthew Arundell | John Foster | |
| Parliament of 1558 | William Grove | Hugh Hawker | |
| Parliament of 1559 | Sir John Zouche | Henry Coker | |
| Parliament of 1563-1567 | Henry Iden | William Jorden | |
| Parliament of 1571 | John Long | Thomas Morgan | |
| Parliament of 1572-1581 | Robert Grove | Charles Vaughan | |
| Parliament of 1584-1585 | Thomas Cavendish Thomas Cavendish Sir Thomas Cavendish was an English explorer and a privateer known as "The Navigator" because he was the first who deliberately tried to emulate Sir Francis Drake and raid the Spanish towns and ships in the Pacific and return by circumnavigating the globe... |
Bartholomew Kempe | |
| Parliament of 1586-1587 | Francis Zouche | Gregory Sprint | |
| Parliament of 1588-1589 | Thomas Crompton | Michael Hicks | |
| Parliament of 1593 | Arthur Atye | ||
| Parliament of 1597-1598 | John Budden | John Davies | |
| Parliament of 1601 | Arthur Messenger | John Budden | |
| Parliament of 1604-1611 | Robert Hopton | ||
| 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... |
Henry Croke | Sir Miles Sandys Sir Miles Sandys, 1st Baronet Sir Miles Sandys, 1st Baronet , of Wilberton in Cambridgeshire was an English Member of Parliament . The son of Edwin Sandys, Archbishop of York, he was knighted in 1603 and created a baronet on 25 November 1611. He served as MP for Cambridge University , Huntingdon and Cambridgeshire... sat for Cambridge University In his place Sir Simeon Steward |
|
| Parliament of 1621-1622 | William Beecher Expelled from the House In his place Percy Herbert Percy Herbert, 2nd Baron Powis Percy Herbert, 2nd Baron Powis , known as Sir Percy Herbert, Bt, between 1622 and 1655, was a British nobleman, politician and writer. He was the son of William Herbert, 1st Baron Powis, and Lucy Eleanor . He was named after the surname of his maternal grandfather Henry Percy, 9th Earl of... |
Thomas Sheppard Thomas Sheppard (MP) Thomas Sheppard was a politician in England.He was elected at the 1832 general election as the Member of Parliament for the newly-enfranchised borough of Frome in Somerset, standing as a Whig. He was re-elected in 1835 as a Conservative, and held the seat until he stood down from the House of... Expelled from the House In his place Ralph Hopton |
|
| 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... |
William Whitaker William Whitaker (MP) William Whitaker was an English lawyer and politician who sat in the House of Commons from 1640 to 1646.He was the son of Henry Whitaker, the MP for Westbury in 1586.... |
John Thoroughgood | |
| 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... |
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| Parliament of 1625-1626 | William Whitmore | Samuel Turner | |
| Parliament of 1628-1629 | John Thoroughgood | Sir John Croke | |
| No Parliament summoned 1629-1640 | |||
1640-1832
| Year | First member | First party | Second member | Second party | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| April 1640 Short Parliament The Short Parliament was a Parliament of England that sat from 13 April to 5 May 1640 during the reign of King Charles I of England, so called because it lasted only three weeks.... |
William Whitaker William Whitaker (MP) William Whitaker was an English lawyer and politician who sat in the House of Commons from 1640 to 1646.He was the son of Henry Whitaker, the MP for Westbury in 1586.... |
Parliamentarian | Edward Hyde Edward Hyde, 1st Earl of Clarendon Edward Hyde, 1st Earl of Clarendon was an English historian and statesman, and grandfather of two English monarchs, Mary II and Queen Anne.-Early life:... |
Royalist | ||
| 1640 | Samuel Turner | Royalist | ||||
| November 1640 Long Parliament The Long Parliament was made on 3 November 1640, following the Bishops' Wars. It received its name from the fact that through an Act of Parliament, it could only be dissolved with the agreement of the members, and those members did not agree to its dissolution until after the English Civil War and... |
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| January 1644 | Turner disabled from sitting - seat vacant | |||||
| 1645 | John Bingham John Bingham (MP) John Bingham was an English politician who sat in the House of Commons between 1645 and 1659. He served in the Parliamentary army in the English Civil War.... |
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| 1646 | George Starre | |||||
| 1647 | John Fry John Fry (regicide) John Fry was a Member of the English Parliament and sat as a Commissioner during the trial of King Charles I of England.John Fry, son of William Fry of Iwerneminster, was born in 1609... |
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| February 1651 | Fry expelled - seat vacant | |||||
| 1653 | Shaftesbury 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... and the First First Protectorate Parliament The First Protectorate Parliament was summoned by the Lord Protector Oliver Cromwell under the terms of the Instrument of Government. It sat for one term from 3 September 1654 until 22 January 1655 with William Lenthall as the Speaker of the House.... and Second Second Protectorate Parliament The Second Protectorate Parliament in England sat for two sessions from 17 September 1656 until 4 February 1658, with Thomas Widdrington as the Speaker of the House of Commons... Parliaments of the Protectorate |
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| 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... |
Henry Whitaker | James Baker James Baker (MP) James Baker was an English lawyer and politician who sat in the House of Commons in 1659 and 1660.Baker was an attorney and by 1636 was living at Shaftesbury. In 1637 he became steward of the manorial court of Abbotsbury. He was constable and churchwarden of Shaftesbury St Peter in 1642... |
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| 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.... |
John Bingham John Bingham (MP) John Bingham was an English politician who sat in the House of Commons between 1645 and 1659. He served in the Parliamentary army in the English Civil War.... |
One seat vacant | ||||
| April 1660 | Thomas Grove | James Baker James Baker (MP) James Baker was an English lawyer and politician who sat in the House of Commons in 1659 and 1660.Baker was an attorney and by 1636 was living at Shaftesbury. In 1637 he became steward of the manorial court of Abbotsbury. He was constable and churchwarden of Shaftesbury St Peter in 1642... |
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| 1661 | Henry Whitaker | John Lowe | ||||
| 1667 | John Bennett | |||||
| 1677 | Thomas Bennett | |||||
| 1679 | Sir Matthew Andrews | |||||
| 1685 | Sir Henry Butler | John Bowles | ||||
| 1689 | Sir Matthew Andrews | Edward Nicholas | ||||
| 1698 | Henry Cornish | |||||
| 1699 | Thomas Chafin | |||||
| 1701 | Sir John Cropley | |||||
| 1710 | Edward Seymour | |||||
| 1711 | Henry Whitaker | |||||
| January 1715 | Samuel Rush | |||||
| May 1715 | William Benson | 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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| 1719 | Sir Edward des Bouverie | |||||
| 1726 | Stephen Fox Stephen Fox-Strangways, 1st Earl of Ilchester Stephen Fox-Strangways, 1st Earl of Ilchester PC was a British peer and Member of Parliament.Ilchester was the son of Sir Stephen Fox and his second wife Christiana Hope. Henry Fox, 1st Baron Holland, was his younger brother and Charles James Fox his nephew... |
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| 1734 | Jacob Banks | Philip Bennet | ||||
| 1735 | Stephen Fox Stephen Fox-Strangways, 1st Earl of Ilchester Stephen Fox-Strangways, 1st Earl of Ilchester PC was a British peer and Member of Parliament.Ilchester was the son of Sir Stephen Fox and his second wife Christiana Hope. Henry Fox, 1st Baron Holland, was his younger brother and Charles James Fox his nephew... |
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| 1738 | Philip Bennet | |||||
| 1741 | Peter Walter | Charles Ewer | ||||
| 1742 | George Pitt George Pitt, 1st Baron Rivers George Pitt, 1st Baron Rivers was a British diplomat and politician.-Background and education:He born in Geneva, the eldest son of George Pitt of Stratfieldsaye, Hampshire and his wife Mary Louise Bernier from Strasbourg. General Sir William Augustus Pitt was his younger brother... |
Tory | ||||
| June 1747 | Cuthbert Ellison Cuthbert Ellison Cuthbert Ellison was a British Whig politician.He inherited his father's estate aged 15. He was educated at Harrow School and Christ's College, Cambridge... |
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| December 1747 | William Beckford William Beckford (politician) William Beckford was a well-known political figure in 18th century London, who twice held the office of Lord Mayor of London . His vast wealth came largely from his plantations in Jamaica... |
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| 1754 | Hon. James Brudenell James Brudenell, 5th Earl of Cardigan James Brudenell, 5th Earl of Cardigan held several offices in the Parliament of Great Britain and in service to the King of Great Britain.... |
Sir Thomas Clavering Sir Thomas Clavering, 7th Baronet Sir Thomas Clavering, 7th Baronet succeeded to the Baronetcy of Axwell and to the family estates on the death of his father in 1748.... |
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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| 1761 | Sir Gilbert Heathcote Sir Gilbert Heathcote, 3rd Baronet Sir Gilbert Heathcote, 3rd Baronet was a British Member of Parliament.Heathcote was the son of Sir John Heathcote, 2nd Baronet, and Bridget, daughter of Thomas White. He succeeded as third Baronet on his father's death in 1759... |
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... |
Samuel Touchet | 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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| 1768 | William Chaffin Grove | (Sir) Ralph Payne Ralph Payne, 1st Baron Lavington Ralph Payne, 1st Baron Lavington KB PC was a British politician and Governor of the Leeward Islands.-Early life and education:... |
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| 1771 | Francis Sykes | |||||
| 1774 | Thomas Rumbold | |||||
| 1775 | Seat declared vacant pending by-election | Hans Winthrop Mortimer | Independent | |||
| 1776 | George Rous | |||||
| 1780 | Sir Thomas Rumbold | (Sir) Francis Sykes | ||||
| 1781 | Hans Winthrop Mortimer | Independent | ||||
| 1784 | Adam Drummond Adam Drummond Adam Drummond , 11th of Lennoch and 4th of Megginch in Perthshire, was a Scottish merchant, banker and Member of Parliament.Drummond was the eldest son of John Drummond... |
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| 1786 | John Drummond | |||||
| 1790 | Charles Duncombe Charles Duncombe, 1st Baron Feversham Charles Duncombe, 1st Baron Feversham was a British Member of Parliament.Feversham was appointed High Sheriff of Yorkshire in 1790. He was elected to the House of Commons for Shaftesbury in 1790, a seat he held until 1796, and then represented Aldborough from 1796 to 1806, Heytesbury from 1812 to... |
Tory | William Grant | Tory | ||
| 1793 | Paul Benfield | |||||
| 1796 | Walter Boyd | |||||
| 1802 | 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... |
Robert Hurst Robert Hurst (1750–1843) Robert Hurst was an English Whig politician. He was Member of Parliament for boroughs from 1806 to 1829.At the 1802 general election, Hurst was elected to the House of Commons for two constituencies: Shaftesbury and Steyning... |
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| 1806 | Captain Sir Home Riggs Popham Home Riggs Popham Admiral Sir Home Riggs Popham KCB was a British Royal Naval Commander who saw service during the French Revolutionary Wars and the Napoleonic Wars... |
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| 1807 | Thomas Wallace Thomas Wallace, 1st Baron Wallace Thomas Wallace, 1st Baron Wallace PC was an English politician.-Background:Wallace was the son of James Wallace , a barrister who served as Solicitor General for England and Wales and as Attorney General, by Elizabeth, only daughter and sole heiress of Thomas Simpson, Esquire, of Carleton Hall,... |
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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| 1812 | Richard Bateman-Robson | 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... |
Hudson Gurney Hudson Gurney Hudson Gurney was an English antiquary and verse-writer, also known as a politician.-Life:Gurney was born at Norwich on 19 January 1775, was the eldest son of Richard Gurney of Keswick Hall, Norfolk, by his first wife, Agatha, daughter of David Barclay of Youngsbury, Hertfordshire. He was educated... |
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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| 1813 | Charles Wetherell Charles Wetherell Sir Charles Wetherell , was an English lawyer, politician and judge.Wetherell was born in Oxford, the third son of Reverend Nathan Wetherell, of Durham, Master of the University College and Vice-Chancellor of the University of Oxford... |
Tory | Edward Kerrison | Tory | ||
| 1818 | John Bacon Sawrey Morritt | Henry John Shepherd | ||||
| 1820 | Edward Harbord | Abraham Moore | ||||
| 1821 | Ralph Leycester | |||||
| 1822 | Lord Robert Grosvenor Robert Grosvenor, 1st Baron Ebury Robert Grosvenor, 1st Baron Ebury PC , styled Lord Robert Grosvenor from 1831 to 1857, was a British courtier and Whig politician. He served as Comptroller of the Household between 1830 and 1834 and as Treasurer of the Household between 1846 and 1847... |
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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| 1826 | Edward Davies Davenport | |||||
| 1830 | Edward Penrhyn | 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... |
William Stratford Dugdale William Stratford Dugdale William Stratford Dugdale DL was a British Tory politician.-Early life:... |
Tory | ||
| 1831 | William Leader Maberly William Leader Maberly William Leader Maberly spent most of his life as a British army officer and Whig politician.He was the eldest child of John Maberly , a currier, clothing manufacturer, banker and MP, who had made and lost a fortune in a lifetime.... |
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.... |
Representation reduced to one member | |||||
1832-1885
| Year | Member | Party | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1832 | John Sayer Poulter | 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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| 1838 | George Benvenuto Mathew | 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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| 1841 | Lord Howard of Effingham Henry Howard, 2nd Earl of Effingham Henry Howard, 2nd Earl of Effingham , styled Lord Howard of Effingham from 1837 to 1845, was a British peer and Member of Parliament.... |
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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| 1845 | Richard Brinsley Sheridan Richard Brinsley Sheridan (MP) Richard Brinsley Sheridan was an English Whig politician.Richard Brinsley Sheridan was the eldest son of Thomas Sheridan, colonial treasurer in the Cape of Good Hope and the novelist Caroline Henrietta Callander of Craigforth, and grandson of his namesake the playwright Richard Brinsley Sheridan... |
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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| 1852 | Hon. Henry Berkeley Portman Henry Portman, 2nd Viscount Portman Henry Berkeley Portman, 2nd Viscount Portman GCVO Henry Berkeley Portman, 2nd Viscount Portman GCVO Henry Berkeley Portman, 2nd Viscount Portman GCVO (12 July 1829 – 16 October 1919, was a British Liberal Member of Parliament.-Biography:... |
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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| 1857 | George Grenfell Glyn George Glyn, 2nd Baron Wolverton George Grenfell Glyn, 2nd Baron Wolverton PC , was a British Liberal politician. He held office in three of the Liberal administrations of William Ewart Gladstone.-Background:... |
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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| 1859 | 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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| 1873 | Vere Fane Benett-Stanford | 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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| 1880 | Hon. Sidney Carr Glyn | 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:... |
Constituency abolished | |||||
Notes