Northumberland (UK Parliament constituency)

Northumberland
Former county constituency
for the House of Commons
1290–1832
Seatstwo
Replaced byNorth Northumberland, South Northumberland and Tynemouth and North Shields

Northumberland, was a County constituency of the House of Commons of the Parliament of England from 1290 to 1707, then of the Parliament of Great Britain from 1707 to 1800 and of the Parliament of the United Kingdom from 1801 to 1832. It was represented by two Members of Parliament.

The constituency was split into two two-member divisions, for Parliamentary purposes, by the Reform Act of 1832. The county was then represented by the North Numberland and South Northumberland constituencies.[1]

Members of Parliament

MPs 1290–1640

Parliament First member Second member
1300 Sir Luke Tailboys
1311 Guischard de Charron
1311 Roger Mauduit
1314 Roger Mauduit
1331 Roger Mauduit
1334 Roger Mauduit
1371 William Heron
1372 Thomas Surteys John de Mitford
1373 Sir Bertram (II) Montbourcher
1377 Sir Bertram (II) Montbourcher
1378 Sir John Fenwick
1379 Sir John Heron
1380 Walter de Swinhoe Sir Ralph Euer
1381 Adam de Athol (Sir Aymer de Strathbogie of Felton) Sir Ralph Euer
1382 Sir Robert Clifford
1386 Sir Bertram Montbourcher Sir Robert Clavering[2]
1388 (Feb) Sir Thomas Umfraville John de Mitford[2]
1388 (Sep) John de Mitford[2]
1390 (Jan) Sir Thomas Umfraville John de Mitford[2]
1390 (Nov) Sir John Felton John de Mitford[2]
1391 Sir Gerard Heron John de Mitford[2]
1393 Sir Gerard Heron John de Mitford[2]
1394 Sir Gerard Heron John de Mitford[2]
1395 Sir William Swinburne Sampson Hardyng[2]
1397 (Jan) Sir Thomas Gray John de Mitford[2]
1397 (Sep) Sir Gerard Heron Sir Robert Lisle[2]
1399 Sir Thomas Gray Sampson Hardyng[2]
1401 Sir Gerard Heron John de Mitford[2]
1402 Sir Gerard Heron John de Mitford[2]
1404 (Jan) Sir John Widdrington Sampson Hardyng[2]
1404 (Oct) Sir William Carnaby Sir Robert Lisle[2]
1406 Sir John Clavering Sir Robert Lisle[2]
1407 Sir Edmund Hastings Robert Harbottle[2]
1410
1411
1413 (Feb)
1413 (May) John Bertram William Mitford[2]
1414 (Apr) Sir John Middleton Sir Robert Lisle[2]
1414 (Nov) Sir John Widdrington Sampson Hardyng[2]
1415
1416 (Mar) Sir Robert Ogle William Mitford[2]
1416 (Oct)
1417 Sir John Middleton Sir Robert Lisle[2]
1417 John Strother
1419 Sir Robert Ogle William Mitford[2]
1420 Sir Robert Ogle Nicholas Turpin[2]
1421 (May) John Manners Sampson Hardyng[2]
1421 (Dec) Sir Robert Ogle William Mitford[2]
1425 Sir Robert Ogle [3]
1434 Thomas Lilborn John Cartyngton
1435 Sir Robert Ogle [3]
1451 Sir John Ogle William Bertram
1491 Sir William Tyler[4]
1510–1523 No Names Known[5]
1529 Cuthbert Radcliffe Robert Collingwood[5]
1536
1539
1542
1545
1547 Sir Thomas Hilton John Bednall[5]
1553 (Mar)
1553 (Oct) Sir Thomas Grey Cuthbert Horsley[5]
1554 (Apr) John Swinburne Robert Horsley[5]
1554 (Nov) Sir Thomas Grey Cuthbert Horsley[5]
1555 Sir Thomas Wharton George Heron[5]
1558 Sir Thomas Wharton Sir Robert Ellerker[5]
1558–1589 Sir Thomas Grey I Cuthbert Horsley[6]
1562–1565 John Vaughan Robert Lawdon (died 1665)[6]
1571 Sir Henry Percy Sir William Hilton[6]
1572 (Apr) Sir Francis Russell Thomas Layton[6]
1584 Sir Francis Russell Edward Talbot[6]
1586 Sir Thomas Grey II Edward Talbot[6]
1588 (Oct) William Carey Robert Widdrington[6]
1593 Sir William Reade alias Kynnerd Robert Widdrington[6]
1597 Sir Robert Carey William Selby[6]
1601 (Oct) Sir Robert Carey William Selby[6]
1604–1611 Sir Ralph Grey Sir Henry Widdrington
1614 Sir Henry Widdrington Sir George Selby, declared inelig.
and repl. by Sir William Selby
1621–1622 Sir William Grey Sir Henry Widdrington
1624 Sir John Fenwick Sir Francis Brandling
1625 Sir John Fenwick Sir Francis Brandling
1626 Sir John Fenwick Sir John Delaval
1628 Sir John Fenwick Sir William Carnaby
1629–1640 No Parliaments convened

MPs 1640–1832

Year First member First party Second member Second party
April 1640 Sir John Fenwick Sir William Widdrington Royalist
November 1640 Henry Percy[7] Royalist
1642 Sir John Fenwick[8] Parliamentarian
August 1642 Widdrington disabled from sitting – seat vacant
1645 William Fenwick
December 1648 Both Fenwicks excluded in Pride's Purge – seats vacant
1653 Not separately represented in Barebone's Parliament[9]
Northumberland's representation was increased to three members in the First and Second Parliaments of the Protectorate
1654 William Fenwick, Robert Fenwick, Henry Ogle
1656 William Fenwick, Robert Fenwick, Sir Thomas Widdrington
Representation reverted to two members in the Third Protectorate Parliament
January 1659 Sir William Fenwick (Sir) Ralph Delaval
May 1659 Not represented in the restored Rump
April 1660 Sir William Fenwick (Sir) Ralph Delaval[10]
1661 Viscount Mansfield
1677 Sir John Fenwick Sir Ralph Delaval
1685 William Ogle
1689 William Forster Philip Bickerstaffe
1698 Sir Edward Blackett
January 1701 Ferdinando Forster Hon. William Howard
December 1701 Sir Francis Blake William Loraine
1702 Bertram Stote
1705 Thomas Forster Sir John Delaval
1708 Thomas Forster, junior[11] Tory Earl of Hertford
1716 Francis Blake Delaval
1722 Sir William Middleton, Bt
1723 William Wrightson[12]
1724 Ralph Jenison
1741 John Fenwick
1748 Lord Ossulston[13]
1749 Lancelot Allgood
1754 Sir Henry Grey
1757 George Shafto Delaval
1768 Sir Edward Blackett
1774 Lord Algernon Percy Sir William Middleton, Bt
1786 Hon. Charles Grey[14]
1795 Thomas Richard Beaumont Tory
1807 Earl Percy
1812 Sir Charles Monck
1818 Thomas Wentworth Beaumont Tory
1820 Charles John Brandling
February 1826 Matthew Bell Tory
July 1826[15] Hon. Henry Liddell Tory
1830 Thomas Wentworth Beaumont Whig
1831 Henry Grey Whig
1832 Constituency abolished – see North Northumberland and South Northumberland

Elections

The county franchise, from 1430, was held by the adult male owners of freehold land valued at 40 shillings or more. Each elector had as many votes as there were seats to be filled. Votes had to be cast by a spoken declaration, in public, at the hustings, which took place in the town of Alnwick. The expense and difficulty of voting at only one location in the county, together with the lack of a secret ballot contributed to the corruption and intimidation of electors, which was widespread in the unreformed British political system.

The expense, to candidates, of contested elections encouraged the leading families of the county to agree on the candidates to be returned unopposed whenever possible. Contested county elections were therefore unusual. The Tory Percys, led by the Duke of Northumberland, shared the county representation with the Whig Grey Family.

See also

Sources

  1. ^ Great Britain; Rickards, George K. (George Kettilby) (1807). The statutes of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland [1807-1868/69]. unknown library. London, His Majesty's statute and law printers. p. 335.
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z aa "History of Parliament". Retrieved 1 September 2011.
  3. ^ a b "OGLE, Sir Robert (c.1370-1436), of Ogle, Northumb". History of Parliament Trust. Retrieved 22 July 2019.
  4. ^ Cavill. The English Parliaments of Henry VII 1485-1504.
  5. ^ a b c d e f g h "History of Parliament". Retrieved 1 September 2011.
  6. ^ a b c d e f g h i j "History of Parliament". Retrieved 1 September 2011.
  7. ^ Expelled, December 1641, "for being concerned in a plot to bring up the King's army in the North, to over-awe the Parliament"
  8. ^ Fenwick was temporarily disabled from sitting in January 1644, but re-admitted in June 1646
  9. ^ Charles Howard, Robert Fenwick, Henry Dawson and Henry Ogle were collectively nominated for the Four Northern Counties (Northumberland, Durham, Westmorland and Cumberland
  10. ^ Created a baronet, June 1660
  11. ^ Expelled from the House of Commons for involvement in the Jacobite rising of 1715
  12. ^ On petition, Wrightson was adjudged not to have been duly elected
  13. ^ On petition, Ossulston waived his return in favour of his opponent, Allgood
  14. ^ Styled Viscount Howick from 1806
  15. ^ The Poll Book of the Contested Election for the County of Northumberland, from June 20th to July 6th, 1826. Alnwick: W. Davison. 1827. (results at p.381)