Monmouthshire (UK Parliament constituency)

Monmouthshire was a county constituency of the House of Commons of 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).

For other uses, see Monmouthshire (disambiguation).

Monmouthshire
Former County constituency
for the House of Commons
1536–1885
Number of membersTwo
Replaced byNorth Monmouthshire, South Monmouthshire, West Monmouthshire

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

Boundaries

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
YearFirst memberSecond member
1542No names known
1545Walter HerbertCharles Herbert [1]
1547Sir Thomas MorganWilliam Herbert[1]
1553 (Mar)
1553 (Oct)Sir Charles HerbertThomas Somerset [1]
1554 (Apr)Thomas HerbertJames Gunter [1]
1554 (Nov)Thomas SomersetDavid Lewis [1]
1555William HerbertWilliam Morgan [1]
1558Francis SomersetWilliam Morgan [1]
1559 (Jan)William Morgan IThomas Herbert [2]
1562–1563Matthew HerbertGeorge Herbert [2]
1571Charles SomersetWilliam Morgan [2]
1572 (May)Charles SomersetHenry Herbert[2]
1584 (Sep)Sir William HerbertEdward Morgan [2]
1586 (Sep)Sir William HerbertEdward Morgan [2]
1588 (Oct)Thomas Morgan IIWilliam John Proger [2]
1593Sir William Herbert (died in office, 1593)Edward Kemeys [2]
1597 (Sep)Henry HerbertJohn Arnold [2]
1601 (Oct)Thomas SomersetHenry Morgan [2]
1604Thomas SomersetSir John Herbert
1614Walter MontaguWilliam Jones
1621Sir Edmund MorganCharles Williams
1624Robert Viscount LisleSir William Morgan
1625Robert Viscount LisleSir William Morgan
1626Nicholas ArnoldWilliam Herbert
1628Nicholas ArnoldNicholas Kemeys
1629–1640No Parliaments convened
Apr 1640William MorganWalter Rumsey
Nov 1640Sir Charles Williams
repl. 1642 by Henry Herbert		William Herbert, disabled 1644
1645John HerbertHenry Herbert
1648John HerbertHenry Herbert
1653Philip Jones

MPs 1654–1660
YearFirst memberSecond memberThird member
1654Richard Cromwell, sat for Hampshire
repl. by Thomas Morgan		Philip Jones sat for Glamorgan
repl. by Thomas Hughes		Henry Herbert
1656Major General James Berry, sat for Worcestershire
repl. by Nathaniel Waterhouse		John NicholasEdward Herbert
1659William MorganJohn Nicholas

MPs 1660–1885
YearFirst memberFirst partySecond memberSecond party
1660 (CP) Henry Somerset, 1st Duke of Beaufort William Morgan
1661
1667 Sir Trevor Williams, BtWhig
Feb 1679 Charles, Lord Herbert
Aug 1679 Sir Trevor Williams, BtWhig
1680 Sir Edward Morgan, Bt
1681
1685 Charles, Marquess of Worcester Sir Charles Kemeys, Bt
1689 (CP) Sir Trevor Williams, BtWhig
1690 Thomas Morgan
1695 Sir Charles Kemeys, Bt
1698 Sir John Williams, Bt
1700
1701 (Jan) John MorganWhig
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 HanburyWhig
1722 William Morgan, the ElderWhig
1727
1731 Lord Charles Somerset
1734 Thomas Morgan, the Elder
1735 Charles Hanbury Williams
1741
1747 William Morgan, the YoungerWhig Capel Hanbury
1754
1761
1763 Thomas Morgan, the Younger
1766 John HanburyWhig
1768
1771 John Morgan
1774
1780
1784 Henry, Viscount Nevill
1785 James Rooke
1790
1792 Robert Salusbury
1796 Lt Col Sir Charles MorganWhig[3]
1802
1805 Capt Lord Arthur Somerset
1806
1807
1812
1816 Lord Granville SomersetTory[3]
1818
1820
1826
1830
1831 William Addams WilliamsWhig[3]
1832
1834 Conservative
1835
1837
1841 Octavius MorganConservative[3]
1847
1848 Edward Arthur SomersetConservative
1852
1857
1859 Col Poulett SomersetConservative
1865
1868
1871 Lord Henry SomersetConservative
1874 Col Frederick MorganConservative
1880 John RollsConservative
1885Constituency divided into North Monmouthshire, South Monmouthshire, and West Monmouthshire

Election results

Elections in the 1830s
General election 1830: Monmouthshire[3][4]
Party Candidate Votes %
Tory Granville Somerset Unopposed
Whig Charles Morgan Unopposed
Registered electors c. 2,000
Tory hold
Whig hold
General election 1831: Monmouthshire[3][4]
Party Candidate Votes %
Tory Granville Somerset Unopposed
Whig William Addams Williams Unopposed
Registered electors c. 2,000
Tory hold
Whig hold
General election 1832: Monmouthshire[3][5]
Party Candidate Votes %
Tory Granville Somerset Unopposed
Whig William Addams Williams Unopposed
Registered electors 3,738
Tory hold
Whig hold
General election 1835: Monmouthshire[3][5]
Party Candidate Votes %
Conservative Granville Somerset Unopposed
Whig William Addams Williams Unopposed
Registered electors 3,714
Conservative hold
Whig hold
General election 1837: Monmouthshire[3][5]
Party Candidate Votes %
Conservative Granville Somerset Unopposed
Whig William Addams Williams Unopposed
Registered electors 4,347
Conservative hold
Whig hold

Elections in the 1840s

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

By-election, 9 February 1841: Monmouthshire[5]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Octavius Morgan Unopposed
Conservative gain from Whig
General election 1841: Monmouthshire[5]
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, requiring a by-election.

By-election, 24 September 1841: Monmouthshire[5]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Granville Somerset Unopposed
Conservative hold
General election 1847: Monmouthshire[5]
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 March 1848: Monmouthshire[5]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Edward Arthur Somerset Unopposed
Conservative hold

Elections in the 1850s
General election 1852: Monmouthshire[5]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Octavius Morgan Unopposed
Conservative Edward Arthur Somerset Unopposed
Registered electors 4,973
Conservative hold
Conservative hold
General election 1857: Monmouthshire[5]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Octavius Morgan Unopposed
Conservative Edward Arthur Somerset Unopposed
Registered electors 5,099
Conservative hold
Conservative hold
General election 1859: Monmouthshire[5]
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, causing a by-election.

By-election, 1 July 1859: Monmouthshire[5]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Poulett Somerset Unopposed
Conservative hold

Elections in the 1860s
General election 1865: Monmouthshire[5]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Octavius Morgan Unopposed
Conservative Poulett Somerset Unopposed
Registered electors 4,909
Conservative hold
Conservative hold
General election 1868: Monmouthshire[5]
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

Elections in the 1870s

Somerset resigned, causing a by-election.

By-election, 4 Mar 1871: Monmouthshire[5]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Henry Somerset Unopposed
Conservative hold
General election 1874: Monmouthshire[5]
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, requiring a by-election.

By-election, 17 Mar 1874: Monmouthshire[5]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Henry Somerset Unopposed
Conservative hold

Elections in the 1880s
General election 1880: Monmouthshire[5][6]
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

References
  1. "History of Parliament". Retrieved 30 August 2011.
  2. "History of Parliament". Retrieved 30 August 2011.
  3. 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.
  4. Escott, Margaret. "Monmouthshire". The History of Parliament. Retrieved 6 May 2020.
  5. 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.
  6. "The Liberal Candidates for Monmouthshire". South Wales Daily News. 22 August 1885. p. 3. Retrieved 21 December 2017 – via British Newspaper Archive.
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