Lancashire (UK Parliament constituency)

Lancashire was a county constituency of the House of Commons of the Parliament of England from 1290, 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, traditionally known as Knights of the Shire until 1832.

Lancashire
Former County constituency
for the House of Commons
1290–1832
Number of memberstwo
Replaced byAshton-under-Lyne, Blackburn, Bolton, Bury, Manchester, North Lancashire, Oldham, Rochdale, Salford, South Lancashire and Warrington

The ancient county of Lancashire covered a much larger area than the modern county of Lancashire. The county town of Lancaster was in the north of the county. The county boundary was further north beyond Carnforth and followed approximately the same boundary as the modern county. The old county of Lancashire also included land on the opposite side of Morecambe Bay. Barrow and Furness and the area between Lake Windermere and the River Duddon, and the area west of the River Winster were considered parts of Lancashire. Most of the modern district of Ribble Valley was at this time part of Yorkshire. In the south the county extended to the River Mersey and Liverpool and followed the Mersey and the River Tame to Ashton-under-Lyne. Most of the southern area of the ancient county now forms the modern metropolitan counties of Merseyside and Greater Manchester.

The people of the ancient county of Lancashire had been represented in Parliament since at least the 13th Century. It was this period that saw the practice of returning two knights from the shire counties to Parliaments summoned by writ to meet. These were generally regarded as the first assemblies of representatives. At that time Westminster, within the county of Middlesex, had yet to become the permanent home of Parliament. It was the King who decided when and where a Parliament should assemble, and although Westminster was the usual venue, sometimes special circumstances in this period meant Parliaments were summoned to other cities. Early returns have not survived, but the first named representatives of Lancashire, Mattheus de Redman and Johannes de Ewyas are shown in the returns to the Parliament of England summoned to meet at Westminster on 27 November 1295 in the reign of Edward I.

In this early period of Parliamentary history not all Parliaments summoned just shire Knights. Some also required the presence of two representatives of each city and borough. In the 1295 Parliament the two county Members for Lancashire were joined by two Members from each of the four boroughs of Lancaster, Liverpool, Preston and Wigan.

Preston occasionally sent Members to subsequent Parliaments but it was not until the sixteenth century that all four boroughs regularly returned Members to Parliament. At this time Clitheroe and Newton-le-Willows also gained the status of Parliamentary boroughs with each returning two Members. Manchester was granted a town charter in 1301 but had no municipal authority and did not achieve the status of a Parliamentary borough. This was despite the parish of Manchester having a population larger than Liverpool parish by over 100,000 by 1831. Manchester appears in the returns once in the Parliament 1656. This was the second Protectorate Parliament that followed Oliver Cromwell's Instrument of Government that declared Cromwell Lord Protector. The Instrument was an attempt to redistribute seats on a more equitable basis and towns such as Leeds and Manchester gained representation as a result, but this ended following the Restoration.

Lancashire had a total of fourteen Members in the unreformed House of Commons, and this remained the pattern

The constituency was split into two two-member divisions, for Parliamentary purposes, in 1832. The county was then represented by the North Lancashire and South Lancashire constituencies : the latter representing the hundreds of Salford and West Derby, and the former the hundreds of Amounderness, Blackburn, Leyland and Lonsdale.

Boundaries

The constituency comprised the whole historic county of Lancashire, except for the Parliamentary boroughs of Clitheroe, Lancaster, Liverpool, Newton, Preston and Wigan.

Members of Parliament

1290–1653

ParliamentFirst memberSecond member
1294Mathew de Redman
1295Mathew de ?SechnanJohn de ?Evyas [1]
1297Henry de KeighleyHenry de Boteler [1]
1298Henry de KeighleyJohn Denyas [1]
1300Gilbert de SingletonEgbert de Haydock [1]
1301Henry de KeighleyThomas Travers [1]
1302William de CliftonGilbert de Singleton [1]
1305William de CliftonWilliam Banastre [1]
1307 (Jan)Gilbert de SingletonJohn Travers [1]
1307 (Oct)Mathew de RedmanWilliam le Gentil [1]
1311William le GentilThomas de Betham [1]
1312Henry de TraffordSir Richard le Molyneux [1]
1313 (Mar)William de BradshaighEdmund de Daere [1]
1313 (Jul)Ralph de BickerstaffWilliam de Slene [1]
1313 (Sep)Henry de ?VegherbyThomas de Thornton [1]
1314Thomas BanastreWilliam de Slene [1]
1316 (Jan)William de BradshaighAdam de Hoghton [1]
1316 (Jun)John de LancasterWilliam de Walton [1]
1316 (Jul)Sir Roger de PilkingtonSir John de Pilkington [1]
1318 (Oct)Edmund de NevilleJohn de Hornby [1]
1319William de WaltonWilliam de Slene [1]
1320Gilbert de HaydockThomas de Thornton [1]
1321John de HornbyGilbert de Haydock [1]
1322Richard de HoghtonJohn de Lancaster [1]
1324 (Jan)Edmund de NevillGilbert de Haydock
repl. by Thomas de Lathom [1]
1324 (Oct)William de SleneNicholas de Norreys [1]
1325William de BradshaighJohn de Hornby [1]
1326Edmund de NevilleRichard de Hoghton [1]
1327 (Sep)Michael de HaveringtonWilliam Lawrence [1]
1328 (Feb)William de BradshaighEdmund de Neville [1]
1328 (Apr)Thomas de ThorntonJohn de Hornby [1]
1328 (Jul)William LawrenceThomas de Thornton [1]
1328 (Oct)Nicholas de NorreysHenry de Haydock [1]
1329 (Feb)Nicholas de NorreysHenry de Haydock [1]
1329/30 (Mar)William de SapertonHenry de Haydock [1]
1330William de BradshaighJohn de Lancaster [1]
1331William de BradshaighOliver de Stansmeld [1]
1332Robert de DaltonAdam de Banastre [1]
1332 (Sep)John de Hornby, jnrRobert de Dalton [1]
1332/3 (Jan)Edmund de NevilleJohn de Hornby, jnr [1]
1333/4 (Feb)Edmund de NevillRobert de Dalton [1]
1334Robert de RadcliffeHenry de Haydock [1]
1335 (May)Robert de SherburneEdmund de Neville [1]
1336 (Mar)John de SherburneHenry de Haydock [1]
1336 (Sep)John de Hornby, jnrHenry de Haydock [1]
1336/7 (Mar)Robert de IrelandSir Henry de Haydock [1]
1337 (Sep)Richard de HoghtonEdmund de Neville [1]
1337/8 (Feb)Robert de BillisthorpeRobert de Radcliffe [1]
1338 (Jul)John de HornbyJohn de Clyderhow [1]
1339Robert de ClyderhoweHenry de Bickerstaff [1]
1339 (Oct)Nicholas de HulmeRobert de Prescot [1]
1339/40 (Jan)John de RadcliffeRobert de Radcliffe [1]
1340 (Mar)John de DaltonRobert de Dalton [1]
1343 (Apr)John de HaveringtonJohn Ungoun [1]
1344Nicholas le BotelerWilliam de Radcliffe [1]
1346John de ClyderhowAdam de Bradkirk [1]
1347/8 (Jan)Adam de HoghtonJohn Cockayne [1]
1348 (Apr)Robert de PlesingtonRobert de Prescot [1]
1351Otho de HalsallWilliam de Radcliffe [1]
1351/2 (Jan)?
1352 (Aug)John de HaveringtonOne knight only summoned [1]
1353William CablesOne knight only summoned [1]
1354 (Apr)William CablesRichard Nowell [1]
1355Robert de HornbyRoger de Farington [1]
1357 (Apr)John de HaveringtonRobert de Singleton [1]
1357/8 (Feb)Robert de FaringtonRobert de Hornby [1]
1360William de HeskethRoger de Farington [1]
1360/1 (Jan)William de RadcliffeRichard de Towneley [1]
1362 (Oct)Edmund LawrenceMatthew de Rixton of Rixton Hall [1]
Result set aside as unlawful
1363 (Oct)Adam de HoghtonRoger de Pilkington [1]
1364/5 (Jan)Sir Adam de HoughtonSir Roger de Pilkington [1]
1366 (May)Sir John le BotelerWilliam de Radcliffe [1]
1368Sir Roger de PilkingtonRoger de Ratcliffe [1]
1369 (Jun)Sir John de DaltonJohn de Ipres [1]
1371John de IpresRichard de Towneley [1]
1372 (Nov)Sir Nicholas HaryngtonSir John le Boteler [1]
1373 (Nov)William de AthertonJohn de Holcroft [1]
1376 (Apr)Sir John le BotelerRoger de Brockholes [1]
1376/7 (Jan)Sir John le BotelerRoger de Pilkington [1]
1377 (Oct)Sir John le BotelerSir Nicholas Haryngton [1]
1378Ralph de YpresSir John le Boteler [1]
1379Sir Nicholas HaryngtonRobert Urswyk [1]
1380 (Jan)Sir John le BotelerThomas Southworth [1]
1380 (Nov)Sir John le BotelerThomas Southworth [1]
1381 (Sep)Sir William de AthertonRobert Urswyk [1]
1382 (May)Sir Roger de PilkingtonRobert de Clifton [1]
1382 (Oct)Sir John de AsshetonRobert Urswyck [1]
1382/3 (Feb)Sir Richard de HoghtonRobert Clifton [1]
1383 (Oct)John de HolcroftSir Walter de Urswyk [1]
1384 (Apr)Sir Roger PilkingtonThomas Gerard [1]
1384 (Nov)Robert UrswykWilliam de Tunstall [1]
1385Robert UrswykThomas de Radcliffe [1]
1386 (Oct)Sir Nicholas HaryngtonRobert Worsley [2]
1388 (Feb)Sir John le BotelerSir Thomas Gerard [2]
1388 (Sep)Sir John AsshetonSir John Croft [2]
1390 (Jan)Sir John AsshetonSir Ralph de Ypres [2]
1390 (Nov)Sir Robert UrswykSir John Croft [2]
1391Sir Robert UrswykRobert Worsley [2]
1393Sir Robert UrswykSir Ralph de Ypres [2]
1394Sir Robert UrswykSir Thomas Gerard [2]
1395Sir Robert UrswykThomas Radcliffe [2]
1397 (Jan)Sir Robert UrswykRichard Molyneux [2]
1397 (Sep)Sir John le BotelerSir Ralph Radcliffe [2]
1399Sir Robert UrswykSir Henry Hoghton [2]
1401Sir Robert UrswykSir Nicholas Atherton [2]
1402Sir Richard HoughtonSir Nicholas Haryngton[2]
1404 (Jan)Robert LaurenceSir Ralph Radcliffe[2]
1404 (Oct)Sir James HaryngtonSir Ralph Stavely[2]
1406Robert LaurenceSir William Boteler[2]
1407Sir Henry HoghtonSir Ralph Stavely[2]
1410
1411John de AshtonJohn Booth[2]
1413 (Feb)
1413 (May)John de AshtonJohn Stanley[2][3]
1414 (Apr)Ralph RadcliffeNicholas Blundell[2]
1414 (Nov)Robert LaurenceJohn Stanley[2][3]
1415
1416 (Mar)John de AshtonJohn Morley[2]
1416 (Oct)
1417
1419Nicholas le BotelerJohn Laurence[2]
1420Richard ShirburneJohn Booth[2]
1421 (May)Sir Thomas RadcliffeThomas Urswick[2]
1421 (Dec)Richard ShirburneSir John Byron[2]
1422 (Nov)Thomas UrswickJohn Gerard [1]
1423 (Oct)Sir Thomas de RadcliffeRalph de Radcliffe [1]
1425 (Apr)Ralph Fitz NicholasRichard de Radcliffe [1]
1425/6 (Feb)Sir John BotelerNicholas Boteler [1]
1427 (Oct)Ralph de RadcliffeThomas Stanley [1]
1429 (Sep)Sir John ByronSir Robert Lawrence [1]
1430/1 (Jan)John de MorleyWilliam Gernet [1]
1432 (May)Sir William de AsshetonThomas de Harrington [1]
1433 (Jul)Sir Thomas StanleySir Thomas Radcliffe [1]
1435 (Oct)Henry de HalsallThomas Lawrence [1]
1436/7 (Jan)Thomas de HarringtonHenry de Halsall [1]
1439 (Nov)Thomas StanleyThomas de Harrington [1]
1442 (Jan)Thomas StanleyThomas de Harrington [1]
1447Thomas StanleyThomas de Harrington [1]
1448Thomas StanleyThomas de Harrington [1]
1450Thomas StanleyThomas de Harrington [1]
1455Thomas StanleyAlexander Radcliffe [1]
1459Sir Richard HarringtonHenry Halsall [1]
1460Sir Richard HarringtonHenry Halsall [1]
1463 (Apr)?
1467 (Jun)Sir James HarringtonSir William Harrington [1]
1472 (Oct)Robert HarringtonJohn Assheton (grandson of MP of 1413)
1477/8 (Jan)Sir George StanleySir James Harrington [1]
1482/3 (Jan)?
1483-1523Not known [4]
1503Sir Thomas ButlerSir John Booth [5]
1529Henry FaringtonAndrew Barton [4]
1536?
1539?
1542?
1545Sir Thomas HolcroftJohn Kitchen [4]
1547Thurstan TyldesleyJohn Kitchen [4]
1553 (Mar)Sir Richard Houghton sick 1553
and replaced by
Sir Robert Worsley
Thomas Butler [4]
1553 (Oct)Sir Richard SherbornJohn Rigmayden [4]
1554 (Apr)Sir Thomas StanleySir Thomas Langton [4]
1554 (Nov)Sir Thomas StanleySir John Holcroft [4]
1555Sir Thomas StanleySir William Stanley [4]
1558Sir Thomas TalbotSir John Holcroft [4]
1559 (Jan)Sir John AthertonSir Robert Worsley[6]
1562–1563Sir Thomas Gerard of BrynSir John Southworth [6]
1571John RatcliffeThomas Butler [6]
1572John RatcliffeEdmund Trafford [6]
1584 (Nov)Gilbert Gerard made Master of the Rolls
and replaced Jan 1585 by
Richard Bold [7]
Richard Molyneux [6]
1586John AthertonRichard Holland [6]
1588 (Oct)Thomas Gerard, sat for Staffs
and repl. by
?)
Thomas Walmsley [6]
1593Sir Richard MolyneuxSir Thomas Gerard [6]
1597 (Nov)Sir Thomas GerardRobert Hesketh [6]
1601Sir Richard HoghtonThomas Hesketh [6]
1604Sir Richard MolyneuxSir Richard Hoghton
1614Sir Thomas Gerard, 1st BaronetSir Cuthbert Halsall
1621-1622Sir John RatcliffeSir Gilbert Hoghton
1624Sir John RatcliffeSir Thomas Walmsley
1625Sir Richard Molyneux, BtSir John Ratcliffe
1626Robert StanleySir Gilbert Hoghton
1628-1629Sir Richard MolyneuxSir Alexander Radcliff
1629–1640 No Parliaments summoned
1640 (Apr)Sir Gilbert Hoghton, 2nd BaronetWilliam Farrington
1640 (Nov)Ralph AsshetonRoger Kirkby, disabled August 1642
1645Ralph AsshetonSir Richard Hoghton, 3rd Baronet
1648Ralph AsshetonSir Richard Hoghton, 3rd Baronet

1653–1659

Parliament First member Second member Third member (1653–1659) Fourth member (1654–1659)
1653 William West John Sawry Robert Cunliffe N/A
1654 Richard Holland Gilbert Ireland Richard Standish William Ashurst
1656 Sir Richard Hoghton, 3rd Baronet
1659 Sir George Booth, Bt Alexander Rigby N/A N/A

1660–1832

Election1st Member [8] 1st Party 2nd Member [8] 2nd Party
1660 Sir Robert Bindlosse, 1st Baronet Roger Bradshaigh
1661 Hon. Edward Stanley
1665 Thomas Preston
1679 (Feb) Viscount Brandon Peter Bold
1679 (Sep) Sir Charles Hoghton, 4th Baronet
1681 Viscount Brandon Sir Charles Hoghton, 4th Baronet
1685 James Holt Roger Bradshaigh
1689 Viscount Brandon Sir Charles Hoghton, 4th Baronet
1690 Hon. James Stanley
1694 Ralph Assheton
1698 Hon. Fitton Gerard
1701 (Feb) Richard Bold Tory
1703 Richard Assheton
1704 Richard Fleetwood
1705 Hon. Charles Zedenno Stanley Whig Richard Shuttleworth Tory
1713 Sir John Bland
1727 Sir Edward Stanley
1736 Peter Bold Tory
1741 Lord Strange
1750 Peter Bold Tory
1761 James Shuttleworth
1768 Lord Archibald Hamilton
1771 The Earl of Sefton
1772 Sir Thomas Egerton
1774 Lord Stanley
1776 Thomas Stanley
1780 Thomas Stanley
1784 John Blackburne
1812 Lord Stanley
1830 John Wilson-Patten Tory
1831 Benjamin Heywood
  • Constituency abolished (1832)

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 county town of Lancaster. 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 Stanleys, led by the Earl of Derby dominated the county. One seat was nearly always held by a Stanley relative, the second, by one of the other leading families.

See also

References

  1. "The parliamentary representation of Lancashire". Retrieved 23 September 2011.
  2. "History of Parliament". Retrieved 30 August 2011.
  3. "Stanley, John (d.1437), of Knowsley and Lathom, Lancs., lord of the Isle of Man". History of Parliament. Retrieved 29 March 2018.
  4. "History of Parliament". Retrieved 30 August 2011.
  5. Cavill. The English Parliaments of Henry VII 1485-1504.
  6. "History of Parliament". Retrieved 30 August 2011.
  7. "Gerard, Sir Gilbert (d.1593), of Ince, Lancs. and Gerrard's Bromley, Staffs.". History of Parliament. Retrieved 22 October 2013.
  8. Leigh Rayment's Historical List of MPs – Constituencies beginning with "L" (part 1)
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.