Essex
Former County constituency
for the House of Commons
CountyEssex
1290–1832
SeatsTwo
Replaced byEssex North and Essex South

Essex was a constituency represented in 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 elected two MPs, traditionally referred to as Knights of the Shire, to the House of Commons. Under the Great Reform Act 1832, it was divided into two two-member constituencies (Essex North and Essex South).

Area covered (current authorities)

East of England

Greater London

Members of Parliament

This list is incomplete; you can help by adding missing items. (August 2008)

1290-1640

Parliament First member Second member
1290 John le Breton John Fillol
Henry Grapinel
John de Beauchamp of Fifield[1]
1295 John Fillol Ralph de Arderne[1]
1297 John Fillol Henry Grapinel[1]
1298 Hugh le Blount Jollan de Duresem[1]
1300 John Fillol Hugh le Blount[1]
1301 John Fillol Hugh le Blount[1]
1302 Ralph de Arderne Jollan de Dureseme[1]
1305 John de Tany William de Wauton[1]
1306 John de Sutton Ralph le Bigod[1]
1307 John de Tany John de la Lee[1]
1309 Sir Nicholas Barrington
1313 Sir Nicholas Barrington
1322 Thomas Gobion Simon de Kynardesle
1330 Sir John Barrington
1334 Sir John de Coggeshall
1335 Sir John de Coggeshall
1336 Sir John de Coggeshall
1339 Sir John de Coggeshall
1343 Sir John de Coggeshall
c1355 Sir Thomas Tyrell (7 times)
1358 Sir John de Coggeshall
1377 Sir Robert Swinburne
1379 Sir Robert Swinburne
1380 (Jan) Sir John Guildesborough Richard Lyons
1380 (Nov) Sir John Guildesborough
1382 Sir Robert Swinburne
1383 (Feb) Sir John Guildesborough
1384 Sir Robert Swinburne
1385 Sir John Guildesborough
1386 Sir Robert Marney Edmund Brokesbourne[2]
1388 (Feb) Sir John Guildesborough Thomas Coggeshall[2]
1388 (Sep) Sir Alexander Walden Sir John FitzSymond[2]
1390 (Jan) Sir Robert Swinburne Sir Robert Marney[2]
1390 (Nov) Sir Alexander Walden Thomas Bataill[2]
1391 Sir William Coggleshall Sir Walter Lee[2]
1393 Sir Thomas Swinburne Sir Walter Lee[2]
1394 Thomas Bataill Sir Walter Lee[2]
1395 Thomas Coggeshall John Doreward[2]
1397 (Jan) Sir William Coggleshall John Doreward[2]
1397 (Sep) Sir John Howard Robert Tey[2]
1399 Thomas Coggeshall John Doreward[2]
1401 Sir William Coggleshall Robert Tey[2]
1402 Sir William Coggleshall Sir Gerard Braybrooke[2]
1404 (Jan) Sir William Bourchier John Doreward[2]
1404 (Oct) Sir William Coggleshall Sir Robert Litton[2]
1406 Helming Leget Richard Baynard[2]
1407 Helming Leget Sir William Marney[2]
1410
1411 Sir William Coggleshall John Tyrell[2]
1413 (Feb)
1413 (May) John Doreward John Tyrell[2]
1414 (Apr) Sir William Coggleshall John Doreward[2]
1414 (Nov) William Swinburne Richard Baynard[2]
1415
1416 (Mar) Robert Darcy John Tyrell[2]
1416 (Oct)
1417 Sir Gerard Braybrooke John Tyrell[2]
1419 Robert Darcy John Tyrell[2]
1420 Sir William Coggleshall Lewis John[2]
1421 (May) Robert Darcy John Tyrell[2]
1421 (Dec) Sir William Coggleshall Richard Baynard[2]
1422 John Tyrell Sir William Coggleshall
1423 Robert Darcy
1425 John Tyrell Robert Darcy
1426 Lewis John Robert Darcy
1429 John Tyrell
1431 Sir John Tyrell Lewis John
1432 Robert Darcy
1433 Sir John Tyrell
1437 Sir John Tyrell Lewis John
1439 Lewis John Robert Darcy
1442 Thomas Tyrell
1445 Thomas Tyrell Robert Darcy
1447 Thomas Tyrell
1449 Thomas Tyrell
1453 Thomas Thorpe[3]
1455 John Green
1459 Thomas Tyrell
1460 John Green
1495 Richard FitzLewis[4]
1510–1515 No names known[5]
1523 Sir John Marney ?[5]
1529 Thomas Bonham Thomas Audley[5]
1536 ?Richard Rich ?[5]
1539 Sir Richard Rich Sir Thomas Darcy[5]
1542 ?Sir Richard Rich ?[5]
1545 Sir Richard Rich Sir Thomas Darcy[5]
1547 Sir William Petre Sir Thomas Darcy, ennobled
and replaced by Jan 1552 by John Gates[5]
1553 (Mar) Sir John Gates ?Sir William Petre[5]
1553 (Oct) Sir Robert Rochester Sir William Petre[5]
1554 (Apr) Sir Robert Rochester Sir William Petre[5]
1554 (Nov) Sir Robert Rochester Sir William Petre[5]
1555 Sir Robert Rochester Sir William Petre[5]
1558 Sir William Petre Sir Edward Waldegrave[5]
1559 (Jan) Sir William Petre Sir Anthony Cooke[6]
1562–3 Sir William Petre Sir Anthony Cooke[6]
1571 Sir Thomas Smith Sir Thomas Mildmay[6]
1572 (Apr) Sir Thomas Smith, died
and replaced Feb 1581 by Robert Rich		 Sir Thomas Barrington[6]
1584 (Nov) Sir Thomas Heneage John Petre, 1st Baron Petre[6]
1586 Sir Thomas Heneage John Petre, 1st Baron Petre[6]
1588 (Nov) Sir Thomas Heneage Sir Henry Grey[6]
1593 Sir Thomas Heneage Richard Warren[6]
1597 (Sep) William Petre John Wentworth[6]
1601 (Sep) Henry Maynard Sir Francis Barrington[6]
1604 Sir Edward Denny
ennobled and replaced 1605 by Sir Gamaliel Capell		 Sir Francis Barrington, 1st Baronet
1614 Sir Robert Rich Sir Richard Weston
1621-1622 Sir Francis Barrington, 1st Baronet Sir John Deane
1624 Sir Francis Barrington, 1st Baronet Sir Thomas Cheek
1625 Sir Francis Barrington, 1st Baronet Sir Arthur Harris
1626 Sir Francis Barrington, 1st Baronet Sir Harbottle Grimston
1628 Sir Francis Barrington, 1st Baronet Sir Harbottle Grimston
1629 Robert Rich, Lord Rich Sir Harbottle Grimston
1629–1640 No Parliaments convened

1640-1832

Year First member First party Second member Second party
1659 Lord Rich Edward Turnor
April 1660 John Bramston Edward Turnor
1661 Sir Benjamin Ayloffe
1663 Banastre Maynard
February 1679 Sir Eliab Harvey Henry Mildmay
August 1679 John Lamotte Honywood
1685 Sir William Maynard Sir Thomas Fanshawe
1689 Henry Mildmay John Wroth
1690 Sir Francis Masham Whig
1693 John Lamotte Honywood
1694 Sir Charles Barrington Tory
1698 Edward Bullock
1701 Sir Francis Masham Whig
1705 Lord Walden Whig
1707 Thomas Middleton
1710 Sir Richard Child
1713 Sir Charles Barrington Tory
February 1715 Thomas Middleton
May 1715 William Harvey
1716 Robert Honywood
1722 William Harvey
1727 The Viscount Castlemaine Sir Robert Abdy Tory
1734 Thomas Bramston Tory
1747 William Harvey
1748 Sir John Abdy Tory
1759 Sir William Maynard
1763 John Luther
1772 John Conyers
1775 William Harvey
1779 Thomas Berney Bramston
1784 Colonel John Bullock
1802 Eliab Harvey
1810 John Archer-Houblon
1812 Charles Callis Western
1820 Sir Eliab Harvey
March 1830 Thomas Gardiner Bramston
August 1830 Sir John Tyssen Tyrell
1831 William Pole-Tylney-Long-Wellesley
1832 Constituency abolished: see Northern Essex, Southern Essex

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f g h i j "Essex Knights and the Parliaments of Edward I". Retrieved 22 August 2011.
  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 ab "History of Parliament". Retrieved 14 September 2011.
  3. ^ "Thorpe, Thomas, speaker of the House of Commons". Oxford DNB. Retrieved 1 December 2011.
  4. ^ "FITZLEWIS (FITZLOWYS), Sir Richard (by 1453-1528), of Bardwell, Suff. and West Horndon, Essex. | History of Parliament Online". www.historyofparliamentonline.org.
  5. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n "History of Parliament". Retrieved 14 September 2011.
  6. ^ a b c d e f g h i j "History of Parliament". Retrieved 14 September 2011.
New constituency UK Parliament constituency 1660 – 1832 Succeeded byEssex North UK Parliament constituency 1660 – 1832 Succeeded byEssex South
Categories