Herefordshire
Former County constituency
for the House of Commons
Context: 1832–1868. Extract from 1837 result: the southern 'doubly' orange area with thin blue stripes.
CountyHerefordshire
1290–1885
SeatsTwo, then three from 1832
Replaced byLeominster
Ross

The county constituency of Herefordshire, in the West Midlands of England bordering on Wales, was abolished when the county was divided for parliamentary purposes in 1885. It was a constituency of the House of Commons of the Parliament of England, then of the Parliament of Great Britain from 1707 to 1800 and of the Parliament of the United Kingdom from 1801 to 1885.

The undivided county was represented from 1290 by two Knights of the Shire until 1832 and three thereafter. After the county was split two new county constituencies were created, the North division or Leominster and the South division or Ross.

Boundaries

The constituency consisted of the historic county of Herefordshire. Although Herefordshire contained a number of parliamentary boroughs, each of which elected one or two MPs in its own right for parts of the period when Herefordshire was a constituency, these areas were not excluded from the county constituency. Owning freehold property of the required value, within such boroughs, could confer a vote at the county election. From 1832 only non-resident owners of forty-shilling freeholds, situated in borough seats, could qualify for a county vote on the basis of that property.

Members of Parliament

1290–1604

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

Constituency created (1290)

Parliament First member Second member
1290 Sir Roger le Rous[1]
1315 Sir Hugh de Croft
1318 Sir Roger Chandos
1330 John le Rous[1]
1336–1337 John le Rous[1]
1340 John le Rous[1]
1340 Sir Roger Chandos
1343 John le Rous[1]
1343 Sir Roger Chandos
1355 Sir Thomas Chandos
1355 Sir Richard de la Bere
1360 Sir Thomas Chandos
1370 Sir Thomas Chandos
1376 Peter de la Mare
1377 (Jan) Sir Robert Whitney
1377 (Oct) Peter de la Mare
1378 Sir Walter Devereux of Bodenham Sir John Eylesford
1379 Sir Walter Devereux of Bodenham Sir Robert Whitney
1380 (Jan) Peter de la Mare Sir Robert Whitney
1381 Sir Walter Devereux of Bodenham Ralph Lengayne
1381 Sir Walter Devereux of Bodenham Peter de la Mare
1382 Sir John Eylesford Peter de la Mare
1382 (May, Sep) Sir Walter Devereux of Bodenham Peter de la Mare
1383 Sir William Devereux of Frome Sir Andrew Herle
1383 (Oct) Sir Walter Devereux of Bodenham Sir Andrew Herle
1384 Kynard de la Bere Richard Mawarden
1386 Kynard de la Bere Sir Thomas de la Barre[2]
1388 (Feb) Leonard Hakluyt Richard Nash[2]
1388 (Sep) Malcolm de la Mare William Seymour[2]
1390 (Jan) (Sir) Kynard de la Bere Thomas Oldcastle[2]
1390 (Nov) Roger Wigmore Richard Nash[2]
1391 Sir Robert Whitney Roger Wigmore[2]
1393 Sir John Chandos Thomas Oldcastle[2]
1394 (SIR) Leonard Hakluyt Thomas Clanvowe[2]
1395 Sir John Chandos Thomas Walwyn I[2]
1397 (Jan) (Sir) Thomas Clanvowe Thomas Walwyn II[2]
1397 (Sep) (Sir) Thomas Clanvowe John Skydemore[2]
1399 (Sir) Kynard de la Bere Thomas Walwyn II[2]
1401 Sir Walter Devereux of Bodenham and Weobley Sir John Greyndoe[2]
1402 Sir Thomas de la Barre Philip Holgot[2]
1404 (Jan) Sir John Oldcastle Thomas Walwyn II[2]
1404 (Oct) Sir John Greyndore Thomas Walwyn II[2]
1406 John ap Harry Thomas Holgot[2]
1407 John ap Harry Thomas Holgot[2]
1410 John ap Harry Thomas Holgot[2]
1411
1413 (Feb)
1413 (May) Thomas de la Hay Thomas Holgot[2]
1414 (Apr) Sir John Skydemore John Russell[2]
1414 (Nov) Sir John Skydemore Thomas Holgot[2]
1415
1416 (Mar) Sir Thomas de la Barre Sir Robert Whitney II[2]
1416 (Oct)
1417 John Russell Thomas Holgot[2]
1419 John Russell John Merbury[2]
1420 John Russell John Brugge[2]
1421 (May) John Russell John Merbury[2]
1421 (Dec) John Russell John Merbury[2]
1422 John Russell Sir Robert Whitney II
1423 John Russell Thomas de la Hay
1425 John Merbury
1426 John Russell Sir John Skydemore
1427 John Merbury
1428 Walter Devereux
1429 John Russell Sir John Skydemore
1431 John Russell Giles Brydges
1432 John Russell
1433 John Russell Sir John Skydemore
1434 Walter Devereux
1436 Sir Walter Devereux Sir Kynard de la Bere
1437 John Abrahall
1439 John Abrahall
1440 Sir Walter Devereux John Abrahall
1442 John Abrahall
1450 (Nov) Sir Walter Devereux
1455 Giles Brydges
1459 Walter Devereux
1471 Sir Richard Croft
1472 Thomas Brydges
1476 Sir James Baskerville
1504 __? Mynors Sir Gruffydd ap Rhys[3]
1510–1515 No Names Known[4]
1523 Sir Richard Cornwall ?[4]
1529 Sir Richard Cornwall, died
and replaced c.1533 by James Baskerville		 John Rudhale, died
and replaced c.1532 by John Scudamore[4]
1536
1539 George Cornwall John Lingen[4]
1542 ?John Vaughan James Croft[4]
1545
1547 James Baskerville John Gwillim[4]
1553 (Mar)
1553 (Oct) Humphrey Coningsby Stephen Parry[4]
1554 (Apr) John Lingen John Baskerville[4]
1554 (Nov) Richard Sebourne Thomas Havard[4]
1555 John Baskerville Stephen Parry[4]
1558 Gregory Price John Pateshall[4]
1559 (Jan) Sir Robert Whitney Humphrey Coningsby[5]
1562–1563 Sir James Croft James Warnecombe[5]
1571 Sir James Croft John Scudamore[5]
1572 (Apr) Sir James Croft John Scudamore[5]
1584 (Nov) Sir James Croft John Scudamore[5]
1586 (Oct) Sir James Croft John Scudamore[5]
1588 (Oct) Sir James Croft John Scudamore[5]
1593 Sir Thomas Coningsby Herbert Croft[5]
1597 (Sep) Sir Thomas Coningsby Sir John Scudamore[5]
1601 Sir Thomas Coningsby Sir Herbert Croft[5]

1604–1832

As there were sometimes significant gaps between Parliaments, the dates of first assembly and dissolution are given for those up to 1640. Where the name of the member has not yet been ascertained or is not recorded in a surviving document, the entry unknown is entered in the table.

Elected Assembled Dissolved First member Second member
1604 19 March 1604 9 February 1611 Sir James Scudamore Sir Herbert Croft
1614 5 April 1614 7 June 1614 Sir James Scudamore Sir Herbert Croft
1621 16 January 1621 8 February 1622 Sir John Scudamore, Bt Fitzwilliam Coningsby
1624 12 February 1624 27 March 1625 Sir John Scudamore, Bt Sir Robert Harley
1625 17 May 1625 12 August 1625 John Rudhale Sir Giles Brydges, Bt
1626 6 February 1626 15 June 1626 Sir Robert Harley Sir Walter Pye
1628 17 March 1628 10 March 1629 Sir Giles Brydges, Bt Sir Walter Pye
1629–1640 No Parliaments convened
Election First member First party Second member Second party
Herefordshire was represented by 2 elected Knights of the Shire
1640, April Sir Robert Harley Sir Walter Pye
1640, November Sir Robert Harley[6] Parliamentarian Fitzwilliam Coningsby[7]
c. 1641 Humphrey Coningsby[8] Royalist
c. 1644 vacant
c. 1646 Edward Harley[9] Parliamentarian
1647, 29 January vacant
1648, 8 June Edward Harley[10] Parliamentarian
1648, 6 December vacant vacant
Herefordshire was represented by 2 nominated MPs in Barebone's Parliament
1653[11] Wroth Rogers John Herring
Herefordshire's representation was increased to 4 elected MPs in the First and Second Parliaments of the Protectorate
1654 John Scudamore John Pateshal John Flacket Richard Read
1656 James Berry[12] Edward Harley[13] Bennet Hoskyns Benjamin Mason
Herefordshire's representation was decreased to 2 MPs in the Third Parliament of the Protectorate and thereafter
1659, January Wroth Rogers Bennet Hoskyns
1659, May vacant vacant
1660, 18 April Edward Harley William Powell
1661, 20 March James Scudamore Thomas Prise
1668, 23 September Sir John Kyrle
1679, 26 February The Viscount Scudamore Sir Herbert Croft, Bt
1679, 10 September Sir Edward Harley
1685, 18 March Sir John Morgan, Bt Tory Sir John Hoskyns, Bt
1689, 15 January Sir Edward Harley Whig
1690, 12 March Sir Herbert Croft, Bt Whig
1693, 8 February Sir Edward Harley Whig
1698, 3 August Henry Cornewall Tory Henry Gorges Tory
1701, 16 January Sir John Williams, Bt Tory
1705, 16 May The Viscount Scudamore Tory
1708, 12 May John Prise Tory
1712, 30 July Sir Thomas Morgan, Bt Tory
1715, 9 February Richard Hopton
1717, 6 March Sir Hungerford Hoskyns, Bt[14]
1722, 28 March Velters Cornewall[15] Tory Sir Edward Goodere, Bt Tory
1727, 6 September Edward Harley Tory
1742, 6 January Thomas Foley
1747, 15 July Lord Harley
1755, 5 May Sir John Morgan, Bt
1767, 18 May Thomas Foley
1768, 6 April Thomas Foley
1774, 12 October Sir George Cornewall, Bt[16]
1776, 22 May Thomas Harley Tory[17]
1780, 18 September Whig[17]
1796, 8 June Robert Biddulph Whig[17]
1802, 14 July Sir George Cornewall, Bt Tory[17] John Cotterell[18] Tory[17]
1803, 31 March John Matthews Tory[17]
1806, 8 November Sir John Cotterell, Bt Tory[17]
1807, 13 May Thomas Foley Whig[17]
1818, 29 June Sir Robert Price, Bt Whig[19][20][21][22][23][17]
1831, 7 May Kedgwin Hoskins Whig[17]
Herefordshire's representation was increased to 3 MPs in the 1832 general election and thereafter

1832–1885

Election First member First party Second member Second party Third member Third party
1832 Edward Thomas Foley Tory[17] Kedgwin Hoskins Whig[17][24] Sir Robert Price, Bt Whig[19][20][21][22][23][17]
1834 Conservative[17]
1841 Thomas Baskerville Conservative[17] Joseph Bailey Conservative[17]
1847 Francis Haggitt
(F.R. Wegg-Prosser, 1849) 		Conservative George Cornewall Lewis Whig[25][26][27]
1850 by-election Thomas William Booker-Blakemore Conservative
1852 James King King Conservative Hon. Charles Hanbury Conservative
1857 Sir Geers Cotterell, Bt Whig[28]
1858 by-election Lord Montagu Graham Conservative
1859 Humphrey St John-Mildmay Liberal
1865 Sir Joseph Bailey Conservative Michael Biddulph Liberal
1868 Sir Herbert Croft, Bt Conservative
1874 Daniel Peploe Peploe Conservative
1880 Thomas Duckham Liberal
1885 Constituency abolished: see Leominster and Ross.

Election results

Elections in the 1830s

General election 1830: Herefordshire[17][29]
Party Candidate Votes %
Tory John Cotterell Unopposed
Whig Robert Price Unopposed
Registered electors c. 5,000
Tory hold
Whig hold
General election 1831: Herefordshire[17][29]
Party Candidate Votes %
Whig Robert Price Unopposed
Whig Kedgwin Hoskins Unopposed
Registered electors c. 5,000
Whig hold
Whig gain from Tory
General election 1832: Herefordshire[17][30]
Party Candidate Votes %
Whig Robert Price Unopposed
Whig Kedgwin Hoskins Unopposed
Tory Edward Thomas Foley Unopposed
Registered electors 5,013
Whig hold
Whig hold
Tory win (new seat)
General election 1835: Herefordshire[17][30]
Party Candidate Votes %
Whig Kedgwin Hoskins 3,012 28.9
Conservative Edward Thomas Foley 2,802 26.9
Whig Robert Price 2,657 25.5
Conservative Edward Poole 1,964 18.8
Turnout 4,306 86.6
Registered electors 4,970
Majority 210 2.0
Whig hold
Majority 145 1.4
Conservative hold
Majority 693 6.7
Whig hold
General election 1837: Herefordshire[17][30]
Party Candidate Votes %
Whig Robert Price Unopposed
Whig Kedgwin Hoskins Unopposed
Conservative Edward Thomas Foley Unopposed
Registered electors 7,216
Whig hold
Whig hold
Conservative hold

Elections in the 1840s

General election 1841: Herefordshire[30][17]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Thomas Baskerville Mynors Baskerville Unopposed
Conservative Joseph Bailey Unopposed
Whig Kedgwin Hoskins Unopposed
Registered electors 7,365
Conservative hold
Conservative gain from Whig
Whig hold
General election 1847: Herefordshire[30]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Joseph Bailey Unopposed
Conservative Francis Haggitt Unopposed
Whig George Cornewall Lewis Unopposed
Registered electors 7,345
Conservative hold
Conservative hold
Whig hold

Elections in the 1850s

Bailey's death caused a by-election.

By-election, 18 October 1850: Herefordshire[30]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Thomas William Booker Unopposed
Conservative hold
General election 1852: Herefordshire[30]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative James King King 3,167 26.0 N/A
Conservative Thomas William Booker 3,143 25.8 N/A
Conservative Charles Bateman-Hanbury 3,030 24.9 N/A
Whig George Cornewall Lewis 2,836 23.3 N/A
Majority 194 1.6 N/A
Turnout 5,949 (est) 85.3 (est) N/A
Registered electors 6,972
Conservative hold Swing N/A
Conservative hold Swing N/A
Conservative gain from Whig Swing N/A
General election 1857: Herefordshire[30]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Whig Geers Cotterell 3,352 29.4 +6.1
Conservative Thomas William Booker-Blakemore 2,822 24.7 −1.1
Conservative James King King 2,771 24.3 −1.7
Conservative Charles Bateman-Hanbury 2,475 21.7 −3.2
Majority 877 7.7 N/A
Turnout 6,041 (est) 82.4 (est) −2.9
Registered electors 7,330
Whig gain from Conservative Swing +6.1
Conservative hold Swing −1.6
Conservative hold Swing −1.9

Booker-Blakemore's death caused a by-election.

By-election, 18 December 1858: Herefordshire[30]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Montagu Graham Unopposed
Conservative hold
General election 1859: Herefordshire[30]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative James King King Unopposed
Liberal Humphrey Francis St John-Mildmay Unopposed
Conservative Montagu Graham Unopposed
Registered electors 7,722
Conservative hold
Liberal hold
Conservative hold

Elections in the 1860s

General election 1865: Herefordshire[30]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Joseph Bailey Unopposed
Liberal Michael Biddulph Unopposed
Conservative James King King Unopposed
Registered electors 7,179
Conservative hold
Liberal hold
Conservative hold
General election 1868: Herefordshire[30]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Herbert Croft 3,351 30.9 N/A
Conservative Joseph Bailey 3,341 30.8 N/A
Liberal Michael Biddulph 2,273 21.0 N/A
Liberal Thomas Blake 1,878 17.3 N/A
Majority 1,068 9.8 N/A
Turnout 5,422 (est) 56.9 (est) N/A
Registered electors 9,528
Conservative hold
Conservative hold
Liberal hold

Elections in the 1870s

General election 1874: Herefordshire[30]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Joseph Bailey Unopposed
Liberal Michael Biddulph Unopposed
Conservative Daniel Peploe Peploe Unopposed
Registered electors 8,977
Conservative hold
Liberal hold
Conservative hold

Elections in the 1880s

General election 1880: Herefordshire[30]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Joseph Bailey 3,077 27.7 N/A
Liberal Michael Biddulph 2,769 24.9 N/A
Liberal Thomas Duckham 2,726 24.6 N/A
Conservative Daniel Peploe Peploe 2,527 22.8 N/A
Turnout 5,550 (est) 67.5 (est) N/A
Registered electors 8,222
Majority 308 2.8 N/A
Conservative hold Swing N/A
Majority 199 1.8 N/A
Liberal hold Swing N/A
Liberal gain from Conservative Swing N/A

See also

References

Notes

  1. ^ a b c d e "The parliamentary history of the county of Gloucester". Internet Archive. 1898. Retrieved 24 March 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 3 September 2011.
  3. ^ Cavill. The English Parliaments of Henry VII 1485-1504.
  4. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k "History of Parliament". Retrieved 3 September 2011.
  5. ^ a b c d e f g h i j "History of Parliament". Retrieved 3 September 2011.
  6. ^ Sir Robert Harley was excluded by the Army, 6 December 1648.
  7. ^ Fitzwilliam Coningsby was expelled 30 October 1641, for being a monopolist.
  8. ^ Humphrey Coningsby was disabled for joining the King's Oxford Parliament. New writ issued 11 September 1646.
  9. ^ Edward Harley was disabled on charges brought by Thomas Fairfax and the Army, on 29 January 1647.
  10. ^ The order disabling Edward Harley was revoked by another, on 8 June 1648. Excluded by the Army, 6 December 1648?
  11. ^ From: 'List of members nominated for Parliament of 1653', Diary of Thomas Burton esq, volume 4: March – April 1659 (1828), pp. 499–500. URL: http://www.british-history.ac.uk/report.aspx?compid=36965. Date accessed: 27 January 2008.
  12. ^ Major-General Berry being returned to serve as a Knight for Three Counties; viz. for the Counties of Worcester, Hereford, and Monmouth, doth make his Election to serve as a Knight for the County of Worcester; and waves his Election for the County of Monmouth; the Election for the County of Hereford being questioned. From: 'House of Commons Journal Volume 7: 2 October 1656', Journal of the House of Commons: volume 7: 1651–1660 (1802), pp. 431–433. URL: http://www.british-history.ac.uk/report.aspx?compid=24466. Date accessed: 27 January 2008. A new election was ordered on 17 July 1657.
  13. ^ Edward Harley was elected but not allowed to take his seat. The Council of State explained to the House of Commons "That the Council, in pursuance of their Duty, and according to the Trust reposed in them, have examined the said Returns, and have not refused to approve any who have appeared to them to be Persons of Integrity to the Government, fearing God, and of good Conversation: And those who are not approved, his Highness hath given Order to some Persons to take Care, that they do not come into the House." From: 'House of Commons Journal Volume 7: 22 September 1656', Journal of the House of Commons: volume 7: 1651–1660 (1802), pp. 426. URL: http://www.british-history.ac.uk/report.aspx?compid=24458. Date accessed: 27 January 2008. The excluded members were permitted to take their seats for the second session of the Parliament, which began on 20 January 1658.
  14. ^ Stooks Smith classifies Hoskins (or Hoskyns) as a Whig candidate in the 1722 election, which he lost. He is not classified by party for the 1717 by-election.
  15. ^ Stooks Smith classifies Velters Cornewall as a Tory candidate in the 1722 election, but does not classify him by party in subsequent elections.
  16. ^ Stooks Smith did not classify George Cornewall by party before the 1780 general election. He is classified as a Whig in the 1780, 1784 and 1790 elections; however he is classified as a Tory in the 1796 election, which he lost.
  17. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v Stooks Smith, Henry. (1973) [1844-1850]. Craig, F. W. S. (ed.). The Parliaments of England (2nd ed.). Chichester: Parliamentary Research Services. pp. 138–139. ISBN 0-900178-13-2.
  18. ^ Election of Cotterell declared void
  19. ^ a b Dod, Robert Phipps (1857). The Parliamentary Companion for 1857. London: Whittaker & Co. p. 258.
  20. ^ a b Escott, Margaret (2009). "PRICE, Robert (1786–1857), of Foxley, Herefs". The History of Parliament.
  21. ^ a b Escott, Margaret. "Herefordshire". The History of Parliament. Retrieved 14 May 2018.
  22. ^ a b Mosse, Richard Bartholomew (1838). The Parliamentary Guide: a concise history of the Members of both Houses, etc. p. 215.
  23. ^ a b "London, Monday Evening". Western Courier, West of England Conservative, Plymouth and Devonport Advertiser. 30 July 1845. p. 2 – via British Newspaper Archive.
  24. ^ Churton, Edward (1838). The Assembled Commons or Parliamentary Biographer: 1838. p. 125.
  25. ^ "The Peers and the Press". Gloucester Journal. 7 August 1847. p. 3 – via British Newspaper Archive.
  26. ^ "Political Terms". The Spectator. 18 June 1898. p. 18.
  27. ^ Hawkins, Angus (1987). Parliament, Party and the Art of Politics in Britain, 1855–59 (eBook ed.). Basingstoke: Macmillan Press. p. 30. doi:10.1007/978-1-349-08925-3. ISBN 978-1-349-08925-3.
  28. ^ "Election Intelligence". The Examiner. 14 March 1857. pp. 8–10 – via British Newspaper Archive.
  29. ^ a b Escott, Margaret. "Herefordshire". The History of Parliament. Retrieved 2 May 2020.
  30. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n Craig, F. W. S., ed. (1977). British Parliamentary Election Results 1832-1885 (e-book) (1st ed.). London: Macmillan Press. pp. 396–397. ISBN 978-1-349-02349-3.
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