Dorchester was a parliamentary constituency centred on the town of Dorchester in Dorset. It returned two Members of Parliament to the House of Commons of England, Great Britain and House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom from 1295 to 1868, when its representation was reduced to one member.

The constituency was abolished by the Redistribution of Seats Act 1885, after which Dorchester was placed in the new Dorset South constituency. In 1918 it was transferred to Dorset West, where it has remained since.

Members of Parliament

1295-1629

This list is incomplete; you can help by adding missing items. (August 2008)
Parliament First member Second member
1386 Henry Cravell Peter Blount[1]
1388 (Feb) John Perle Thomas Lamer[1]
1388 (Sep) William Chuse Thomas Gardener[1]
1390 (Jan) William Tylle John Blount[1]
1390 (Nov)
1391 Thomas Lamer John Gould[1]
1393 Robert Gutton Thomas Gardener[1]
1394 William Pullare William Ash[1]
1395 John Blount Thomas Hussey[1][2]
1397 (Jan) Robert Veel John Jordan[1]
1397 (Sep) Robert Gutton John Jordan[1]
1399 John Blount John Westpray[1]
1401
1402 John Bomel John Jordan[1]
1404 (Jan) John Blount John Jordan[1]
1404 (Oct)
1406 Richard Hyde John Jordan[1]
1407 John Cheverell John Jordan[1]
1410 John Jordan[1]
1411
1413 (Feb)
1413 (May) Walter Tracy William Newton[1]
1414 (Apr) John Blount John Gryffyn[1]
1414 (Nov) John Jordan Richard Berell[1]
1415
1416 (Mar)
1416 (Oct)
1417 Reynold Jacob John Ford[1]
1419 John Ford [1]
1420 John Stork John Ford[1]
1421 (May) John Stork John Ford[1]
1421 (Dec) Robert Mose John Ford[1]
Second Parliament of 1553 Christopher Hole William Holman
Parliament of 1554 Owen Hayman
Parliament of 1554-1555 John Davy
Parliament of 1555 Robert Robotham Ralph Perne
Parliament of 1558 Christopher Hole John Hayward
Parliament of 1559 William Holman John Leweston
Parliament of 1563-1567 Thomas Marten Lewis Montgomery Chose to sit for Northampton
By-election John Gardiner
Parliament of 1571 Henry Macwilliam William Adyn
Parliament of 1572-1581 George Carleton George Trenchard
Parliament of 1584-1585 Robert Beale Thomas Freke
Parliament of 1586-1587 Robert Napier
Parliament of 1588-1589 Nowell Sotherton
Parliament of 1593 Dr Francis James Thomas Dabridgecourt
Parliament of 1597-1598 Robert Ashley Richard Wright
Parliament of 1601 Henry Brouncker[3] Matthew Chubbe
Parliament of 1604-1611 John Spicer
Addled Parliament (1614) Francis Ashley George Horsey
Parliament of 1621-1622 Sir Francis Ashley[4] John Parkins
Happy Parliament (1624-1625) William Whiteway Richard Bushrode
Useless Parliament (1625) Sir Francis Ashley William Whiteway
Parliament of 1625-1626 Michael Humphreys died
replaced by William Whiteway jnr 		Richard Bushrode
Parliament of 1628-1629 Denzil Holles John Hill
No Parliament summoned 1629-1640

1640-1868

Year First Member First Party Second Member Second Party
April 1640 Denzil Holles[5] Parliamentarian Denis Bond Parliamentarian
November 1640
December 1648 Holles excluded in Pride's Purge - seat vacant
1653 Dorchester was unrepresented in the Barebones Parliament
1654 John Whiteway Dorchester had only one seat in the First and
Second Parliaments of the Protectorate
1656 John Whiteway
January 1659 James Gould John Bushrode
May 1659 Dorchester was not represented in the restored Rump
April 1660 Denzil Holles John Whiteway
March 1661 James Gould
May 1661 John Churchill
1677 James Gould
1679 Sir Francis Holles Nicholas Gould
1680 James Gould
1681 Nathaniel Bond
1685 Edward Meller William Churchill
January 1689 Gerard Napier Thomas Trenchard
December 1689 Thomas Chafin
March 1690 James Gould Sir Robert Napier, Bt
December 1690 Thomas Trenchard
1695 Nathaniel Bond Nathaniel Napier
1698 Sir Robert Napier, Bt
1701 Thomas Trenchard
1702 Sir Nathaniel Napier, Bt
1705 Awnsham Churchill
1708 John Churchill
1709 Denis Bond
1710 Sir Nathaniel Napier, Bt Benjamin Gifford
1713 Henry Trenchard
April 1720 Robert Browne[6]
May 1720 Abraham Janssen
1722 Edmund Morton Pleydell[7] Joseph Damer
1723 William Chapple
1727 John Browne
1737 Robert Browne
1741 Nathaniel Gundry
1751 George Damer John Pitt
1752 George Clavell
1754 The Lord Milton
1761 Thomas Foster
1762 John Damer Tory[8]
1765 William Ewer Tory[8]
1780 Hon. George Damer[9] Tory[8]
1789 Thomas Ewer Tory[8]
Jan. 1790 Hon. Cropley Ashley Tory[8]
Jun. 1790 Whig[8] Francis Fane Tory[8]
1791 Hon. Cropley Ashley Tory[8]
1807 Robert Williams Whig[8]
1811 Charles Henry Bouverie
October 1812 Robert Williams
December 1812 William A'Court
1814 Sir Samuel Shepherd
1819 Charles Warren
1826 William Ashley-Cooper Tory Tory[8]
Apr. 1830 Henry Sturt
Aug. 1830 Lord Ashley Tory[8]
1831 Hon. Henry Ashley-Cooper Tory[8]
1834 Conservative[8] Conservative[8]
1835 Robert Williams Conservative[8]
1841 Sir James Graham, Bt Conservative[8]
1847 Hon. George Dawson-Damer Conservative Henry Sturt Conservative
1852 Richard Brinsley Sheridan[10] Whig[11][12][13]
1856 Charles Napier Sturt Conservative
1859 Liberal
1868 representation reduced to one member

1868-1885

Election Member Party
1868 representation reduced to one member
1868 Charles Napier Sturt Conservative
1874 William Brymer Conservative
1885 constituency abolished

Election results

Elections in the 1830s

By-election, 10 April 1830: Dorchester[14][8][15]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
No label Henry Sturt Unopposed
Registered electors c. 500
No label gain from Tory
General election 1830: Dorchester[14][8][15]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Tory Robert Williams, senior Unopposed
Tory Anthony Ashley-Cooper Unopposed
Registered electors c. 500
Tory hold
Tory hold
General election 1831: Dorchester[14][8][15]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Tory Robert Williams, senior Unopposed
Tory Anthony Ashley-Cooper Unopposed
Registered electors c. 500
Tory hold
Tory hold

Ashley-Cooper resigned, causing a by-election.

By-election, 11 October 1831: Dorchester[14][8][15]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Tory Henry Ashley-Cooper Unopposed
Registered electors c. 500
Tory hold
General election 1832: Dorchester[14][8]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Tory Robert Williams, senior Unopposed
Tory Henry Ashley-Cooper Unopposed
Registered electors 322
Tory hold
Tory hold
General election 1835: Dorchester[14][8]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Robert Williams, junior Unopposed
Conservative Henry Ashley-Cooper Unopposed
Registered electors 318
Conservative hold
Conservative hold
General election 1837: Dorchester[14][8]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Robert Williams, junior Unopposed
Conservative Henry Ashley-Cooper Unopposed
Registered electors 397
Conservative hold
Conservative hold

Elections in the 1840s

General election 1841: Dorchester[14]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Henry Ashley Unopposed
Conservative James Graham Unopposed
Registered electors 367
Conservative hold
Conservative hold

Graham was appointed Home Secretary, requiring a by-election.

By-election, 13 September 1841: Dorchester[14]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative James Graham Unopposed
Conservative hold
General election 1847: Dorchester[14]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative George Dawson-Damer Unopposed
Conservative Henry Sturt Unopposed
Registered electors 405
Conservative hold
Conservative hold

Elections in the 1850s

General election 1852: Dorchester[14]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Whig Richard Brinsley Sheridan 235 36.9 New
Conservative Henry Sturt 215 33.8 N/A
Conservative George Dawson-Damer 186 29.2 N/A
Majority 20 3.1 N/A
Turnout 318 (est) 73.6 (est) N/A
Registered electors 432
Whig gain from Conservative Swing N/A
Conservative hold Swing N/A

Sturt resigned in order to contest the 1856 by-election in Dorset, causing a by-election.

By-election, 22 July 1856: Dorchester[14]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Charles Napier Sturt Unopposed
Conservative hold
General election 1857: Dorchester[14]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Whig Richard Brinsley Sheridan Unopposed
Conservative Charles Napier Sturt Unopposed
Registered electors 451
Whig hold
Conservative hold
General election 1859: Dorchester[14]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Richard Brinsley Sheridan Unopposed
Conservative Charles Napier Sturt Unopposed
Registered electors 442
Liberal hold
Conservative hold

Elections in the 1860s

General election 1865: Dorchester[14]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Charles Napier Sturt 268 42.8 N/A
Liberal Richard Brinsley Sheridan 255 40.7 N/A
Conservative Henry Drummond Wolff 103 16.5 N/A
Turnout 313 (est) 72.5 (est) N/A
Registered electors 432
Majority 13 2.1 N/A
Conservative hold Swing N/A
Majority 152 24.2 N/A
Liberal hold Swing N/A

Seat reduced to one member

General election 1868: Dorchester[14]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Charles Napier Sturt Unopposed
Registered electors 628
Conservative hold

Elections in the 1870s

General election 1874: Dorchester[14]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative William Brymer 353 60.2 N/A
Liberal Sir Francis Somerville Head, 2nd Baronet 233 39.8 New
Majority 120 20.4 N/A
Turnout 586 85.2 N/A
Registered electors 688
Conservative hold Swing N/A

Elections in the 1880s

General election 1880: Dorchester[14]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative William Brymer 374 53.0 −7.2
Liberal Algernon Greville 332 47.0 +7.2
Majority 42 6.0 −14.4
Turnout 706 86.4 +1.2
Registered electors 817
Conservative hold Swing −7.2

Notes

  1. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x "Dorchester". History of Parliament Online. Retrieved 27 October 2012.
  2. ^ "HUSSEY, Thomas I, of North Bowood, Dorset. | History of Parliament Online".
  3. ^ "BROUNCKER, Henry (C.1550-1607), of Erlestoke, Wilts. And West Ham, Essex. | History of Parliament Online".
  4. ^ Ashley resigned his place in favour of Sir Thomas Edmondes but was rechosen when Edmondes chose to sit for another constituency
  5. ^ Disabled from sitting January 1648 but re-instated June 1648
  6. ^ On petition (in a dispute over the franchise), Browne was declared not to have been duly elected and his opponent, Janssen, was seated in his place
  7. ^ On petition, Pleydell was declared not to have been duly elected and his opponent, Chapple, was seated in his place
  8. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w Stooks Smith, Henry. (1973) [1844-1850]. Craig, F. W. S. (ed.). The Parliaments of England (2nd ed.). Chichester: Parliamentary Research Services. pp. 85–87. ISBN 0-900178-13-2.
  9. ^ Damer was declared re-elected in 1790, but on petition was found not to have been duly elected and his opponent, Ashley, was seated in his place
  10. ^ Sheridan was the grandson of his celebrated namesake Richard Brinsley Sheridan
  11. ^ "London Electoral History — Steps Towards Democracy: 6.2 History of Elections in Westminster, 1749–1852" (PDF). London Electoral History 1700-1850. Newcastle University. p. 11. Retrieved 6 May 2018.
  12. ^ Roberts, Andrew. "Biographies of Honorary (Unpaid) Lunacy Commissioners 1828-1912". THE LUNACY COMMISSION, A STUDY OF ITS ORIGIN, EMERGENCE AND CHARACTER. Middlesex University. Retrieved 6 May 2018.
  13. ^ The Illustrated London News, Volume 6. Illustrated London News & Sketch Limited. 1845. p. 151. Retrieved 6 May 2018.
  14. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r Craig, F. W. S., ed. (1977). British Parliamentary Election Results 1832-1885 (e-book) (1st ed.). London: Macmillan Press. p. 112. ISBN 978-1-349-02349-3.
  15. ^ a b c d Farrell, stephen. "Dorchester". The History of Parliament. Retrieved 11 April 2020.

References

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