Thirsk (UK Parliament constituency)
Encyclopedia
Thirsk was a parliamentary borough
in Yorkshire
, represented in the English and later British House of Commons
in 1295, and again from 1547. It was represented by two Members of Parliament
until 1832, and by one member from 1832 to 1885, when the constituency was abolished and absorbed into the new Thirsk and Malton
division of the North Riding of Yorkshire
.
The borough consisted of originally of the town of Old Thirsk, and included a population of only 1,378 at the 1831 census. The right to vote was restricted to the holders of burgage
tenements, of which there were 50 in 1831. The Frankland family
were the local landowners (in 1816 Sir Thomas owned 49 of the 50 burgage tenements), and in effect could nominate whoever they wanted as Members of Parliament; there was no contested election in Thirsk between 1715 and 1832.
The Great Reform Act of 1832 expanded the boundaries to include the townships of Thirsk
, Sowerby
, Carlton Miniott
, Sandhutton
, Bagby
and South Kilvington
, increasing the population to 4,672 and encompassing 1,064 houses, which was considered big enough for the borough to retain one of its two members.
Notes
Parliamentary borough
Parliamentary boroughs are a type of administrative division, usually covering urban areas, that are entitled to representation in a Parliament...
in Yorkshire
Yorkshire
Yorkshire is a historic county of northern England and the largest in the United Kingdom. Because of its great size in comparison to other English counties, functions have been increasingly undertaken over time by its subdivisions, which have also been subject to periodic reform...
, represented in the English and later British 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...
in 1295, and again from 1547. It was represented by 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,...
until 1832, and by one member from 1832 to 1885, when the constituency was abolished and absorbed into the new Thirsk and Malton
Thirsk and Malton (UK Parliament constituency)
Thirsk and Malton is a constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. It elects one Member of Parliament by the first past the post system of election....
division of the North Riding of Yorkshire
North Riding of Yorkshire
The North Riding of Yorkshire was one of the three historic subdivisions of the English county of Yorkshire, alongside the East and West Ridings. From the Restoration it was used as a Lieutenancy area. The three ridings were treated as three counties for many purposes, such as having separate...
.
The borough consisted of originally of the town of Old Thirsk, and included a population of only 1,378 at the 1831 census. The right to vote was restricted to the holders of burgage
Burgage
Burgage is a medieval land term used in England and Scotland, well established by the 13th century. A burgage was a town rental property , owned by a king or lord. The property usually, and distinctly, consisted of a house on a long and narrow plot of land, with the narrow end facing the street...
tenements, of which there were 50 in 1831. The Frankland family
Frankland Baronets
The Frankland Baronetcy, of Thirkelby in the County of York, is a title in the Baronetage of England, created in 1660 for William Frankland. He later represented Thirsk in Parliament....
were the local landowners (in 1816 Sir Thomas owned 49 of the 50 burgage tenements), and in effect could nominate whoever they wanted as Members of Parliament; there was no contested election in Thirsk between 1715 and 1832.
The Great Reform Act of 1832 expanded the boundaries to include the townships of Thirsk
Thirsk
Thirsk is a small market town and civil parish in the Hambleton district of North Yorkshire, England. The local travel links are located a mile from the town centre to Thirsk railway station and to Durham Tees Valley Airport...
, Sowerby
Sowerby, North Yorkshire
Sowerby is a small village and civil parish in the Hambleton district of North Yorkshire, England, it is situated immediately south of Thirsk....
, Carlton Miniott
Carlton Miniott
Carlton Miniott, formerly Carlton Islebeck is a village and civil parish in the Hambleton district of North Yorkshire, England, on the A61 road to the immediate west of Thirsk, 25 miles north of York According to the 2001 census it had a population of 926....
, Sandhutton
Sandhutton
Sandhutton is a small pretty village and civil parish in Hambleton district of North Yorkshire, England. It lies about west of Thirsk on the A167. It has been referred to as Hutton; Hutton ; and Sand Hutton....
, Bagby
Bagby
Bagby is a village and civil parish in the Hambleton district of North Yorkshire, England, just east of Thirsk. The parish had a population of 470 according to the 2001 census....
and South Kilvington
South Kilvington
South Kilvington is a village and civil parish in the Hambleton district of North Yorkshire, England. It is situated just off the A19, about one mile north of Thirsk. The original route of the A19 used to run through the village, it is now the A61...
, increasing the population to 4,672 and encompassing 1,064 houses, which was considered big enough for the borough to retain one of its two members.
MPs 1547–1660
| Parliament | First member | Second member |
|---|---|---|
| 1547 | Sir William Cavendish | Robert Flint |
| 1553 (Mar) | Thomas Lee | Reginald Beseley |
| 1553 (Oct) | Thomas Eynns | John Gascoigne |
| 1554 (Apr) | Thomas Waterton | Reginald Beseley |
| 1554 (Nov) | Christopher Lascelles | Edward Beseley |
| 1555 | Christopher Lascelles | Robert Roos |
| 1558 | Christopher Lascelles | Thomas Eynns |
| 1558/9 | Thomas Eynns | Francis Wilstrop |
| 1562/3 | Thomas Eynns | Christopher Lascelles |
| 1571 | John Dawney | Thomas Layton |
| 1572 (Apr) | John Dawney | Edward Gates |
| 1584 | Sir John Dawney | Robert Bowes |
| 1586 (Oct) | Sir John Dawney | Henry Bellasis |
| 1588/9 | Sir John Dawney | Henry Bellasis |
| 1593 | Sir John Dawney | Henry Bellasis |
| 1597 (Sep) | George Leycester | Thomas Belasyse Thomas Belasyse, 1st Viscount Fauconberg Thomas Belasyse, 1st Viscount Fauconberg , was an English politician who sat in the House of Commons and was raised to the peerage in 1627... |
| 1601 (Oct) | Henry Bellasis | John Mallory |
| 1604–1611 | Sir Edward Swift | Timothy Whittingham |
| 1614 | Thomas Belasyse, 1st Viscount Fauconberg Thomas Belasyse, 1st Viscount Fauconberg Thomas Belasyse, 1st Viscount Fauconberg , was an English politician who sat in the House of Commons and was raised to the peerage in 1627... |
Sir Robert Yaxley |
| 1621–1622 | Thomas Belasyse Thomas Belasyse, 1st Viscount Fauconberg Thomas Belasyse, 1st Viscount Fauconberg , was an English politician who sat in the House of Commons and was raised to the peerage in 1627... |
John Belasyse |
| 1624 | Thomas Belasyse Thomas Belasyse, 1st Viscount Fauconberg Thomas Belasyse, 1st Viscount Fauconberg , was an English politician who sat in the House of Commons and was raised to the peerage in 1627... |
Sir William Sheffield |
| 1625 | Henry Belasyse Henry Belasyse Henry Belasyse , also known as Henry Bellasis was an English politician who sat in the House of Commons of England variously between 1625 and 1642.... |
Henry Stanley |
| 1626 | Henry Belasyse Henry Belasyse Henry Belasyse , also known as Henry Bellasis was an English politician who sat in the House of Commons of England variously between 1625 and 1642.... |
William Cholmley |
| 1629–1640 | No Parliaments summoned | |
MPs 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 Frankland | John Belasyse | |||||
| 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... |
Sir Thomas Ingram Thomas Ingram (Royalist) Sir Thomas Ingram was an English politician who sat in the House of Commons in two periods between 1640 and 1672. He supported the Royalist cause in the English Civil War.... |
Royalist | John Belasyse | Royalist | |||
| September 1642 | Ingram and Belasyse both disabled from sitting - seats vacant | ||||||
| 1645 | William Ayscough William Ayscough William Ayscough was a medieval Bishop of Salisbury.He was nominated on 11 February 1438 and consecrated on 20 July 1438.... |
Francis Lascelles Francis Lascelles Francis Lascelles was a member of the landed gentry from an old Yorkshire family whose residence was at Stank Hall near Northallerton. During the English Civil War he fought for the Parliamentarians... |
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| December 1648 | Ayscough excluded in Pride's Purge Pride's Purge Pride’s Purge is an event in December 1648, during the Second English Civil War, when troops under the command of Colonel Thomas Pride forcibly removed from the Long Parliament all those who were not supporters of the Grandees in the New Model Army and the Independents... - seat vacant |
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| 1653 | Thirsk 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... |
Colonel Thomas Talbot | Major General Goodricke | |||||
| 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.... |
Not represented in the restored Rump Rump Parliament The Rump Parliament is the name of the English Parliament after Colonel Pride purged the Long Parliament on 6 December 1648 of those members hostile to the Grandees' intention to try King Charles I for high treason.... |
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| April 1660 | Barrington Bourchier Barrington Bourchier Barrington Bourchier was an English politician who sat in the House of Commons in 1660.Bourchier was the son of John Bourchier of Beningborough, Yorkshire. He was admitted to Gray's Inn on 16 March 1641. In 1658 he was High Sheriff of Yorkshire. His father was a regicide and at the Restoration was... |
William Stanley | |||||
| July 1660 | The Earl of Ancram Charles Kerr, 2nd Earl of Ancram Charles Kerr, 2nd Earl of Ancram was a Scottish peer and a member of the English House of Commons.-Biography:Charles was born on 6 August 1624 at Richmond, Surrey to Anne daughter of William Stanley, 6th Earl of Derby and the second wife of Robert Kerr, 1st Earl of Ancram... |
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| 1661 | Sir Thomas Ingram Thomas Ingram (Royalist) Sir Thomas Ingram was an English politician who sat in the House of Commons in two periods between 1640 and 1672. He supported the Royalist cause in the English Civil War.... |
Walter Strickland Walter Strickland Walter Strickland was an English politician and diplomat who held high office during the Protectorate.-Life:Strickland was the younger son of Walter Strickland of Boynton. His elder brother, William, was knighted in 1630 and created a baronet in 1641, and was a Member of Parliament from 1640 to 1660... |
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| 1671 | Sir William Frankland Sir William Frankland, 1st Baronet Sir William Frankland, 1st Baronet was an English landowner and politician who sat in the House of Commons from 1671 to 1685.Frankland was the eldest son of Sir Henry Frankland of Thirkelby, Yorkshire... |
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| 1673 | Sir William Wentworth | ||||||
| 1679 | Nicholas Saunderson | ||||||
| 1681 | Sir William Ayscough | ||||||
| 1685 | Thomas Frankland Sir Thomas Frankland, 2nd Baronet Sir Thomas Frankland, 2nd Baronet , of Thirkelby in Yorkshire, was an English Member of Parliament.He was the eldest son of Sir William Frankland, 1st Baronet, and succeeded to the baronetcy on 2 August 1697... |
Sir Hugh Cholmeley Sir Hugh Cholmeley, 4th Baronet Sir Hugh Cholmeley, 4th Baronet was an English politician and baronet.Born at Fyling Hall, near Whitby in Yorkshire, he was the second son of Sir Hugh Cholmeley, 1st Baronet and his wife Elizabeth Twysden, daughter of Sir William Twysden, 1st Baronet. Cholmeley succeeded his nephew as baronet in... |
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| 1689 | Richard Staines | ||||||
| 1695 | Sir Godfrey Copley | ||||||
| 1698 | Sir Thomas Frankland Sir Thomas Frankland, 2nd Baronet Sir Thomas Frankland, 2nd Baronet , of Thirkelby in Yorkshire, was an English Member of Parliament.He was the eldest son of Sir William Frankland, 1st Baronet, and succeeded to the baronetcy on 2 August 1697... |
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| 1709 | Leonard Smelt | ||||||
| 1710 | Ralph Bell Ralph Bell Ralph Albert "Lefty" Bell was a professional baseball pitcher from 1909 to 1916. He appeared in three Major League Baseball games for the Chicago White Sox in 1912. Bell was 5 feet, 11 inches tall and weighed 170 pounds.... |
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| 1711 | Thomas Worsley | ||||||
| 1713 | Thomas Frankland Sir Thomas Frankland, 3rd Baronet Sir Thomas Frankland, 3rd Baronet , of Thirkelby in Yorkshire, was an English Member of Parliament.He was the eldest son of Sir Thomas Frankland, 2nd Baronet, and entered Jesus College, Cambridge, where he matriculated in 1700. He succeeded to the baronetcy on the death of his father on 30 October... |
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| 1717 | Thomas Pitt Thomas Pitt Thomas Pitt , born at Blandford Forum, Dorset, to a rector and his wife, was a British merchant involved in trade with India.... |
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| 1722 | William St Quintin Sir William St Quintin, 4th Baronet Sir William St Quintin, 4th Baronet , of Harpham and Scampston in Yorkshire, was an English landowner and Member of Parliament.He was the eldest son of Hugh St Quintin Sir William St Quintin, 4th Baronet (c. 1700 – 9 May 1770), of Harpham and Scampston in Yorkshire, was an English landowner and... |
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| 1727 | Thomas Robinson Thomas Robinson, 1st Baron Grantham Thomas Robinson, 1st Baron Grantham, KB, PC was a British diplomatist and politician. He was a younger son of Sir William Robinson, Bt... |
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| 1734 | Frederick Meinhardt Frankland | ||||||
| 1747 | Thomas Frankland Sir Thomas Frankland, 5th Baronet Admiral Sir Thomas Frankland, 5th Baronet was a British naval officer, MP and slave trader. He was the second son of Henry Frankland and Mary Cross... |
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| 1749 | William Monckton | ||||||
| 1754 | Roger Talbot | ||||||
| 1761 | Henry Grenville Henry Grenville Henry Grenville was a British diplomat and politician.Grenville was the son of Richart Grenville born into a family of politicians, one of his elder brothers was Earl Temple, another a government minister, another was Lord of Trade and Cofferer of the Household, while another brother George... |
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| 1765 | James Grenville James Grenville, 1st Baron Glastonbury James Grenville, 1st Baron Glastonbury, PC was a United Kingdom politician, who was a member of both houses of Parliament during his career.... |
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| 1768 | William Frankland | ||||||
| 1774 | Thomas Frankland | ||||||
| 1780 British general election, 1780 The British general election, 1780 returned members to serve in the House of Commons of the 15th Parliament of Great Britain to be held after the merger of the Parliament of England and the Parliament of Scotland in 1707... |
Sir Thomas Gascoigne Sir Thomas Gascoigne, 8th Baronet Sir Thomas Gascoigne, 8th Baronet was the son of Sir Edward Gascoigne, 7th Baronet and a member of the Gascoigne family.... |
Beilby Thompson Beilby Thompson Beilby Thompson was a British landowner and politician, the son of Beilby Thompson and Sarah Dawes... |
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| 1784 British general election, 1784 The British general election of 1784 resulted in William Pitt the Younger securing an overall majority of about 120 in the House of Commons of Great Britain, having previously had to survive in a House which was dominated by his opponents.-Background:... |
Sir Thomas Frankland Sir Thomas Frankland, 5th Baronet Admiral Sir Thomas Frankland, 5th Baronet was a British naval officer, MP and slave trader. He was the second son of Henry Frankland and Mary Cross... |
Sir Gregory Page-Turner | |||||
| 1785 | Robert Vyner | ||||||
| 1796 | Sir Thomas Frankland, Bt | ||||||
| 1801 | William Frankland William Frankland William Frankland was an English politician who sat in the House of Commons from 1628 to 1629 and in 1640.Frankland was the son of Ralph Frankland of Carlton, near Thirsk, and his wife Margaret... |
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| 1805 | Hon. Richard Griffin Richard Griffin, 3rd Baron Braybrooke Richard Griffin, 3rd Baron Braybrooke , known as Richard Neville until 1797 and as the Hon. Richard Griffin between 1797 and 1825, was a British Whig politician and literary figure.-Background and education:... |
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| 1806 United Kingdom general election, 1806 The United Kingdom general election, 1806 was the election of members to the 3rd Parliament of the United Kingdom. This was the second general election to be held after the Union of Great Britain and Ireland.... |
James Topping | Robert Greenhill-Russell Robert Greenhill-Russell Sir Robert Greenhill-Russell, 1st Baronet was a British politician.He was born in 1763 to the Rev. John Russell Greenhill and Elizabeth Noble... |
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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| 1807 | William Frankland William Frankland William Frankland was an English politician who sat in the House of Commons from 1628 to 1629 and in 1640.Frankland was the son of Ralph Frankland of Carlton, near Thirsk, and his wife Margaret... |
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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| 1815 | Robert Frankland | 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 | Representation reduced to one member | ||||||
MPs 1832–1885
| Election | Member | Party | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 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.... |
Sir Robert Frankland | 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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| 1834 by-election | Samuel Crompton Sir Samuel Crompton, 1st Baronet Sir Samuel Crompton, 1st Baronet was a politician in the United Kingdom. He served as a Member for Parliament for East Retford, Derby and Thirsk. He also served as Deputy Lieutenant for the North Riding of Yorkshire.... |
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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| 1841 United Kingdom general election, 1841 -Seats summary:-Whig MPs who lost their seats:*Viscount Morpeth - Chief Secretary for Ireland*Sir George Strickland, Bt*Sir Henry Barron, 1st Baronet-References:*F. W. S. Craig, British Electoral Facts: 1832-1987... |
John Bell John Bell (British politician) John Bell was a Liberal Party politician in the United Kingdom. He is notable as a Member of Parliament who was declared of unsound mind but there was no way of removing him from his seat until his death two years later.... |
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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| 1847 United Kingdom general election, 1847 -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 *... |
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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| March 1851 by-election | Sir William Payne-Gallwey Sir William Payne-Gallwey, 2nd Baronet Sir William Payne-Gallwey, 2nd Baronet was an English Conservative Party politician who sat in the House of Commons from 1851 to 1880.... |
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 United Kingdom general election, 1880 -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 *... |
Hon. Lewis Payn Dawnay Lewis Payn Dawnay Lewis Payn Dawnay was an English Conservative Party politician who sat in the House of Commons from 1880 to 1892.... |
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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| 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