Monmouthshire
Former County constituency
for the House of Commons
Map of the proposed 2024 revived constituency in Wales
1536–1885
SeatsTwo
Replaced byNorth Monmouthshire, South Monmouthshire, West Monmouthshire
2024–present
Created fromMonmouth and Newport East

Monmouthshire (Welsh: Sir Fynwy) is a proposed parliamentary constituency in south-east Wales to return one Member of Parliament to the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom from the next general election.

It previously existed as a county constituency of the House of Commons of the Parliament of England from 1536 until 1707, of the Parliament of Great Britain from 1707 to 1801, and of the Parliament of the United Kingdom from 1801 to 1885. It elected two Members of Parliament (MPs).

In 1885 the Monmouthshire constituency was divided to create North Monmouthshire, South Monmouthshire and West Monmouthshire.

The constituency is to be re-established, as part of the 2023 Periodic Review of Westminster constituencies and under the June 2023 final proposals of the Boundary Commission for Wales for the next United Kingdom general election.[1]

Boundaries

Map
Map of boundaries from 2024

The Monmouthshire constituency covered the county of Monmouth, except that from 1832 there was a borough constituency, Monmouth Boroughs, within the county.

Members of Parliament

MPs 1542–1885

Year First member Second member
1542 No names known
1545 Walter Herbert Charles Herbert[2]
1547 Sir Thomas Morgan William Herbert[2]
1553 (Mar)
1553 (Oct) Sir Charles Herbert Thomas Somerset[2]
1554 (Apr) Thomas Herbert James Gunter[2]
1554 (Nov) Thomas Somerset David Lewis[2]
1555 William Herbert William Morgan[2]
1558 Francis Somerset William Morgan [2]
1559 (Jan) William Morgan I Thomas Herbert[3]
1562–1563 Matthew Herbert George Herbert[3]
1571 Charles Somerset William Morgan[3]
1572 (May) Charles Somerset Henry Herbert[3]
1584 (Sep) Sir William Herbert Edward Morgan[3]
1586 (Sep) Sir William Herbert Edward Morgan[3]
1588 (Oct) Thomas Morgan II William John Proger[3]
1593 Sir William Herbert (died in office, 1593) Edward Kemeys[3]
1597 (Sep) Henry Herbert John Arnold[3]
1601 (Oct) Thomas Somerset Henry Morgan[3]
1604 Thomas Somerset Sir John Herbert
1614 Walter Montagu William Jones
1621 Sir Edmund Morgan Charles Williams
1624 Robert Viscount Lisle Sir William Morgan
1625 Robert Viscount Lisle Sir William Morgan
1626 Nicholas Arnold William Herbert
1628 Nicholas Arnold Nicholas Kemeys
1629–1640 No Parliaments convened
Apr 1640 William Morgan Walter Rumsey
Nov 1640 Sir Charles Williams
repl. 1642 by Henry Herbert		 William Herbert, disabled 1644
1645 John Herbert Henry Herbert
1648 John Herbert Henry Herbert
1653 Philip Jones

MPs 1654–1660

Year First member Second member Third member
1654 Richard Cromwell, sat for Hampshire
repl. by Thomas Morgan		 Philip Jones sat for Glamorgan
repl. by Thomas Hughes		 Henry Herbert
1656 Major General James Berry, sat for Worcestershire
repl. by Nathaniel Waterhouse		 John Nicholas Edward Herbert
1659 William Morgan John Nicholas

MPs 1660–1885

Year First member First party Second member Second party
1660 (CP) Henry Somerset, 1st Duke of Beaufort William Morgan
1661
1667 Sir Trevor Williams, Bt Whig
Feb 1679 Charles, Lord Herbert
Aug 1679 Sir Trevor Williams, Bt Whig
1680 Sir Edward Morgan, Bt
1681
1685 Charles, Marquess of Worcester Sir Charles Kemeys, Bt
1689 (CP) Sir Trevor Williams, Bt Whig
1690 Thomas Morgan
1695 Sir Charles Kemeys, Bt
1698 Sir John Williams, Bt
1700
1701 (Jan) John Morgan Whig
1705 Sir Hopton Williams, Bt
1708 Thomas Windsor
1710
1712 James Gunter
Apr 1713 Thomas Lewis
Sep 1713 Sir Charles Kemeys, Bt
1715 Thomas Lewis
1720 John Hanbury Whig
1722 William Morgan, the Elder Whig
1727
1731 Lord Charles Somerset
1734 Thomas Morgan, the Elder
1735 Charles Hanbury Williams
1741
1747 William Morgan, the Younger Whig Capel Hanbury
1754
1761
1763 Thomas Morgan, the Younger
1766 John Hanbury Whig
1768
1771 John Morgan
1774
1780
1784 Henry, Viscount Nevill
1785 James Rooke
1790
1792 Robert Salusbury
1796 Lt Col Sir Charles Morgan Whig[4]
1802
1805 Capt Lord Arthur Somerset
1806
1807
1812
1816 Lord Granville Somerset Tory[4]
1818
1820
1826
1830
1831 William Addams Williams Whig[4]
1832
1834 Conservative
1835
1837
1841 Octavius Morgan Conservative[4]
1847
1848 Edward Arthur Somerset Conservative
1852
1857
1859 Col Poulett Somerset Conservative
1865
1868
1871 Lord Henry Somerset Conservative
1874 Col Frederick Morgan Conservative
1880 John Rolls Conservative
1885 Constituency divided into: North Monmouthshire, South Monmouthshire, and West Monmouthshire

Election results

Elections in the 2020s

Next general election: Monmouthshire
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Catherine Fookes[5]
Majority
Turnout

Elections in the 1880s

General election 1880: Monmouthshire[6][7]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Frederick Courtenay Morgan 3,529 27.6 N/A
Conservative John Rolls 3,294 25.8 N/A
Liberal George Charles Brodrick 3,019 23.6 New
Liberal Marshall Warmington 2,927 22.9 New
Majority 275 2.2 N/A
Turnout 6,385 (est) 75.0 (est) N/A
Registered electors 8,518
Conservative hold Swing N/A
Conservative hold Swing N/A

Elections in the 1870s

By-election, 17 Mar 1874: Monmouthshire[6]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Henry Somerset Unopposed
Conservative hold
General election 1874: Monmouthshire[6]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Frederick Courtenay Morgan Unopposed
Conservative Henry Somerset Unopposed
Registered electors 7,630
Conservative hold
Conservative hold

Somerset was appointed Comptroller of the Household, triggering a by-election.

By-election, 4 Mar 1871: Monmouthshire[6]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Henry Somerset Unopposed
Conservative hold

Elections in the 1860s

General election 1868: Monmouthshire[6]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Octavius Morgan 3,761 39.1 N/A
Conservative Poulett Somerset 3,525 36.6 N/A
Liberal Henry Morgan-Clifford 2,338 24.3 New
Majority 1,187 12.3 N/A
Turnout 5,981 (est) 75.0 (est) N/A
Registered electors 7,971
Conservative hold
Conservative hold

Somerset resigned, triggering a by-election.

General election 1865: Monmouthshire[6]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Octavius Morgan Unopposed
Conservative Poulett Somerset Unopposed
Registered electors 4,909
Conservative hold
Conservative hold

Elections in the 1850s

By-election, 1 July 1859: Monmouthshire[6]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Poulett Somerset Unopposed
Conservative hold
General election 1859: Monmouthshire[6]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Octavius Morgan Unopposed
Conservative Edward Arthur Somerset Unopposed
Registered electors 5,073
Conservative hold
Conservative hold

Somerset resigned by accepting the office of Steward of the Manor of Hempholme, triggering a by-election.

General election 1857: Monmouthshire[6]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Octavius Morgan Unopposed
Conservative Edward Arthur Somerset Unopposed
Registered electors 5,099
Conservative hold
Conservative hold
General election 1852: Monmouthshire[6]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Octavius Morgan Unopposed
Conservative Edward Arthur Somerset Unopposed
Registered electors 4,973
Conservative hold
Conservative hold

Elections in the 1840s

By-election, 24 March 1848: Monmouthshire[6]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Edward Arthur Somerset Unopposed
Conservative hold
General election 1847: Monmouthshire[6]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Octavius Morgan 2,334 34.6 N/A
Conservative Granville Somerset 2,230 33.0 N/A
Conservative Edward Arthur Somerset 2,187 32.4 N/A
Majority 43 0.6 N/A
Turnout 3,376 (est) 63.9 (est) N/A
Registered electors 5,286
Conservative hold Swing N/A
Conservative hold Swing N/A

Somerset's death caused a by-election.

By-election, 24 September 1841: Monmouthshire[6]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Granville Somerset Unopposed
Conservative hold
General election 1841: Monmouthshire[6]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Granville Somerset Unopposed
Conservative Octavius Morgan Unopposed
Registered electors 4,393
Conservative hold
Conservative gain from Whig

Somerset was appointed Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, triggering a by-election.

By-election, 9 February 1841: Monmouthshire[6]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Octavius Morgan Unopposed
Conservative gain from Whig

Elections in the 1830s

General election 1837: Monmouthshire[4][6]
Party Candidate Votes %
Conservative Granville Somerset Unopposed
Whig William Addams Williams Unopposed
Registered electors 4,347
Conservative hold
Whig hold

Williams resigned by accepting the office of Steward of the Chiltern Hundreds, triggering a by-election.

General election 1835: Monmouthshire[4][6]
Party Candidate Votes %
Conservative Granville Somerset Unopposed
Whig William Addams Williams Unopposed
Registered electors 3,714
Conservative hold
Whig hold
General election 1832: Monmouthshire[4][6]
Party Candidate Votes %
Tory Granville Somerset Unopposed
Whig William Addams Williams Unopposed
Registered electors 3,738
Tory hold
Whig hold
General election 1831: Monmouthshire[4][8]
Party Candidate Votes %
Tory Granville Somerset Unopposed
Whig William Addams Williams Unopposed
Registered electors c. 2,000
Tory hold
Whig hold
General election 1830: Monmouthshire[4][8]
Party Candidate Votes %
Tory Granville Somerset Unopposed
Whig Charles Morgan Unopposed
Registered electors c. 2,000
Tory hold
Whig hold
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References

  1. ^ 2023 Review of Parliamentary Constituencies - The 2023 Review of Parliamentary Constituencies in Wales (PDF). Boundary Commission for Wales. 28 June 2023.
  2. ^ a b c d e f g "History of Parliament". Retrieved 30 August 2011.[dead link]
  3. ^ a b c d e f g h i j "History of Parliament". Retrieved 30 August 2011.
  4. ^ a b c d e f g h i Stooks Smith, Henry. (1973) [1844–1850]. Craig, F. W. S. (ed.). The Parliaments of England (2nd ed.). Chichester: Parliamentary Research Services. pp. 217–218. ISBN 0-900178-13-2.
  5. ^ "For a stronger, fairer, greener Monmoutsbire". Welsh Labour. Retrieved 21 March 2024.
  6. ^ 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 (1st ed.). London: Macmillan Press. pp. 528–529. ISBN 978-1-349-02349-3.
  7. ^ "The Liberal Candidates for Monmouthshire". South Wales Daily News. 22 August 1885. p. 3. Retrieved 21 December 2017 – via British Newspaper Archive.
  8. ^ a b Escott, Margaret. "Monmouthshire". The History of Parliament. Retrieved 6 May 2020.

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