Rochester (UK Parliament constituency)

Rochester was a parliamentary constituency in Kent. It returned two members of parliament (MPs) to the House of Commons of England from 1295 to 1707, then to the House of Commons of Great Britain from 1708 to 1800, and finally to the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom from 1801 until the 1885 general election, when its representation was reduced to one seat.

Rochester
Former Borough constituency
for the House of Commons
CountyKent
1295–1918
Number of members1295–1885: Two
1885–1918: One
Replaced byChatham
Gillingham

In 1918, it was split between Chatham and Gillingham. The Chatham seat became Rochester and Chatham in 1950, and then Medway in 1983. When the boroughs of Rochester upon Medway and Gillingham merged to form the larger unitary Borough of Medway in 1998, the Parliamentary constituency of Medway only covered part of the new borough, so for the 2010 election it was renamed Rochester and Strood.

Members of Parliament

MPs 1295–1640
This list is incomplete; you can help by adding missing items with reliable sources.
ParliamentFirst memberSecond member
1386John FlemingPeter Pope[1]
1388 (Feb)William Gillingham IJohn Marchaunt I[1]
1388 (Sep)Richard CrowboroughThomas White[1]
1390 (Jan)Richard BolourJohn Mateshale[1]
1390 (Nov)
1391Thomas DudmereWilliam Gillingham II[1]
1393William ChylyndenWilliam Osbourne[1]
1394
1395Richard BrokeThomas Taverner[1]
1397 (Jan)John Plomer IIJohn Precy[1]
1397 (Sep)
1399William FrereJohn Precy[1]
1401Richard BerdeReynold Shrewsbury[1]
1402Thomas DudmereReynold Shrewsbury[1]
1404 (Jan)Thomas DunstonWilliam Frere[1]
1404 (Oct)Thomas DudmereRichard Lorkyn[1]
1406Thomas ChertseyReynold Shrewsbury[1]
1407John Everard IJohn Bosom[1]
1410John AlcateThomas Chertsey[1]
1411John Everard IRoger Landford[1]
1413 (Feb)
1413 (May)John DeepingRoger Landford[1]
1414 (Apr)
1414 (Nov)John DeepingRichard Lorkyn[1]
1415
1416 (Mar)Robert BuryJohn Potager[1]
1416 (Oct)
1417Thomas BolourJohn Marchaunt III[1]
1419William Hunt IRobert Kela[1]
1420John DraperThomas Turner[1]
1421 (May)
1421 (Dec)John DeepingJohn Marchaunt III[1]
1510–1523No names known[2]
1529Nicholas Hurleston, died
and repl. by 1533 by Edmund Page		Robert Fisher[2]
1536?
1539?
1542?
1545Sir Thomas MoyleWilliam Roper[2]
1547Sir Thomas MoyleWilliam Roper[2]
1553 (Mar)Sir John NortonChristopher Roper[2]
1553 (Oct)Sir Thomas MoyleRobert Darknall[2]
1554 (Apr)Sir Thomas MoyleWilliam Roper[2]
1554 (Nov)William RoperEdward Baeshe[2]
1555Sir George HowardWilliam Brooke, 10th Baron Cobham[2]
1558Hugh CartwrightThomas Page[2]
1559Edward BaesheThomas Brooke alias Cobham[3]
1562/3Edward BaesheRichard Watts[3]
1571William HolstockGeorge Catlyn[3]
1572George CatelynWilliam Partridge, sick
and repl. 1579 by Samuel Coxe[3]
1584William Brooke alias CobhamGeorge Byng[3]
1586William Brooke alias CobhamWilliam Lewin[3]
1588William LewinJohn Stanhope[3]
1593William LewinGeorge Chowne[3]
1597Sir Edward HobySir Thomas Walsingham[3]
1601Sir Edward HobySir Thomas Walsingham[3]
1604Sir Edward HobySir Thomas Walsingham
1614Sir Edward HobySir Anthony Aucher refused to serve
and replaced by Sir Edwin Sandys
1621–1622Sir Thomas Walsingham (younger)Henry Clerke
1624Maximilian DallisonSir Thomas Walsingham (younger)
1625Henry ClerkeSir Thomas Walsingham (younger)
1626Henry ClerkeSir Thomas Walsingham (younger)
1628Sir Thomas Walsingham (younger)William Brooke
1629–1640No Parliaments summoned

MPs 1640–1885
YearFirst memberFirst partySecond memberSecond party
April 1640 Sir Thomas Walsingham John Clerke
November 1640 Sir Thomas WalsinghamParliamentarian Richard LeeParliamentarian
December 1648 Lee excluded in Pride's Purge – seat vacant
1653 Rochester was unrepresented in the Barebones Parliament
1654 John Parker Rochester had only one seat in the First and
Second Parliaments of the Protectorate
1656
January 1659 Peter Pett Richard Hutchinson
May 1659 Sir Thomas Walsingham One seat vacant
1660 Peter Pett John Marsham
1661 Sir Francis Clerke Sir William Batten
1667 Sir Richard Head
February 1679 Sir John Banks
August 1679 Francis Barrell
1681 Sir Francis Clerke
1689 Sir Roger Twisden
1690 Sir Joseph Williamson Francis Clerke
1691 Caleb Banks
1695 Admiral Sir Cloudesley Shovell
1701 Francis Barrell William Bokenham
1702 Edward Knatchbull William Cage
1705 Admiral Sir Cloudesley Shovell Admiral Sir Stafford Fairborne
1708 Admiral Sir John Leake
1710 William Cage
1715 Sir Thomas Palmer, Bt Admiral Sir John Jennings
1724 Sir Thomas Colby
1727 David Polhill Whig
1734 Admiral Nicholas Haddock
1741 Admiral Edward Vernon[4]
1743 David Polhill Whig
1746 Admiral Sir Chaloner Ogle
1751 Admiral The Hon. John Byng
1754 Nicholas Haddock
1757 Admiral Isaac Townsend
1761 Viscount Parker
1764 Admiral Sir Charles Hardy
1765 Grey Cooper Tory[5]
1768 John Calcraft Whig[5] William Gordon Tory[5]
1771 Admiral Thomas Pye Tory[5]
1772 George Finch-Hatton Tory[5]
1774 Robert Gregory Whig[5]
1784 Captain Sir Charles Middleton[6] Whig[5] Nathaniel Smith Whig[5]
1790 George Best Tory[5] Admiral Sir Richard Bickerton Tory[5]
1792 Nathaniel Smith Whig[5]
1794 Admiral Sir Richard King Tory
1796 Hon. Henry Tufton Whig[5]
1802 Captain Sir Sidney Smith[7] Tory[5] James Hulkes Whig[5]
1806 John Calcraft Whig[5] James Barnett Whig[5]
1807 Sir Thomas Thompson Tory[5]
1816 James Barnett Whig[5]
1818 Lord Binning Tory[5]
1820 Ralph Bernal Whig[5][8][9][10][11]
1826 Captain Henry Dundas Tory[5]
1830 George Villiers Tory[5]
1831 John Mills Tory[5]
1834 Conservative
1835 Thomas Hodges Whig[5][12][13][14]
1837 Thomas Hobhouse Radical[15][16]
1841 James Douglas Stoddart Douglas Conservative[5] William Bodkin Conservative[5]
1847 Ralph Bernal Whig[5][8][9][10][11] Thomas Hodges Whig[5][12][13][14]
1852 Hon. Francis Child Villiers Conservative[17] Sir Thomas Maddock Conservative[17]
1856 by-election Philip Wykeham Martin Radical[18][19][20]
1857 John Alexander Kinglake Radical[21]
1859 Liberal Liberal
1870 by-election Julian Goldsmid Liberal
1878 by-election Sir Arthur Otway Liberal
1880 Roger Leigh Conservative
1885 Representation reduced to one-member

MPs 1885–1918
ElectionMemberParty
1885Francis Hughes-HallettConservative
1889 by-electionEdward Knatchbull-HugessenLiberal
1892Horatio DaviesConservative
1893 by-electionJames Gascoyne-CecilConservative
1903 by-electionCharles TuffConservative
1906Ernest LambLiberal
1910Samuel Forde RidleyConservative
1910Sir Ernest LambLiberal
1918 constituency abolished: see Chatham and Gillingham

Elections
Decades:

Elections in the 1830s
General election 1830: Rochester[5][22]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Whig Ralph Bernal 429 36.2
Tory George Child Villiers 417 35.2
Tory John Mills 339 28.6
Turnout 778 c. 74.1
Registered electors c. 1,050
Majority 12 1.0
Whig hold Swing
Majority 78 6.6
Tory hold Swing
General election 1831: Rochester[5][22]
Party Candidate Votes %
Whig Ralph Bernal Unopposed
Tory John Mills Unopposed
Registered electors c. 1,050
Whig hold
Tory hold
General election 1832: Rochester[5][17]
Party Candidate Votes %
Whig Ralph Bernal 354 35.5
Tory John Mills 350 35.1
Whig George Lewes Newnham Collingwood 293 29.4
Turnout 650 66.8
Registered electors 973
Majority 4 0.4
Whig hold
Majority 57 5.7
Tory hold
General election 1835: Rochester[5][17]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Whig Ralph Bernal 502 36.2 +0.7
Whig Thomas Twisden Hodges 443 31.9 +2.5
Conservative Charles Wellesley 442 31.9 −3.2
Majority 1 0.0 −0.4
Turnout 873 90.3 +23.5
Registered electors 967
Whig hold Swing +1.2
Whig gain from Conservative Swing +2.1
General election 1837: Rochester[5][17]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Whig Ralph Bernal 489 26.9 −41.2
Radical Thomas Hobhouse 473 26.0 N/A
Conservative James Douglas Stoddart Douglas 445 24.5 +8.6
Conservative Thomas Best[23] 412 22.6 +6.7
Turnout 913 90.0 −0.3
Registered electors 1,015
Majority 16 0.9 +0.9
Whig hold Swing −28.3
Majority 28 1.5 N/A
Radical gain from Whig Swing N/A

Elections in the 1840s
General election 1841: Rochester[17][5]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative James Douglas Stoddart Douglas 541 26.7 +2.2
Conservative William Bodkin 499 24.6 +2.0
Whig William Elliot-Murray-Kynynmound 497 24.5 +11.1
Whig Francis Dashwood[24][25] 489 24.1 +10.7
Majority 2 0.1 N/A
Turnout 1,019 89.5 −0.5
Registered electors 1,139
Conservative gain from Radical Swing −4.4
Conservative gain from Whig Swing −4.5
General election 1847: Rochester[17]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Whig Ralph Bernal 637 29.2 +4.7
Whig Thomas Twisden Hodges 617 28.3 +4.2
Conservative William Bodkin 464 21.3 −3.3
Conservative James Douglas Stoddart Douglas 462 21.2 −5.5
Majority 153 7.0 N/A
Turnout 1,090 (est) 75.1 (est) −14.4
Registered electors 1,451
Whig gain from Conservative Swing +4.6
Whig gain from Conservative Swing +4.3

Elections in the 1850s
General election 1852: Rochester[17]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Francis Child Villiers 584 26.7 +5.4
Conservative Thomas Herbert Maddock 581 26.6 +5.4
Whig Ralph Bernal 514 23.5 −5.7
Whig Thomas Twisden Hodges 507 23.2 −5.1
Majority 67 3.1 N/A
Turnout 1,093 (est) 86.1 (est) +11.0
Registered electors 1,269
Conservative gain from Whig Swing +5.4
Conservative gain from Whig Swing +5.4

Villiers resigned, causing a by-election.

By-election, 8 February 1856: Rochester[17]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Radical Philip Wykeham Martin 560 52.9 +6.2
Conservative William Bodkin 499 47.1 −6.2
Majority 61 5.8 N/A
Turnout 1,059 90.5 +4.4
Registered electors 1,170
Radical gain from Conservative Swing +6.2
General election 1857: Rochester[17]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Radical Philip Wykeham Martin Unopposed
Radical John Alexander Kinglake Unopposed
Registered electors 1,180
Radical gain from Conservative
Radical gain from Conservative
General election 1859: Rochester[17]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Philip Wykeham Martin 665 28.6 N/A
Liberal John Alexander Kinglake 662 28.5 N/A
Conservative George Henry Money[26] 505 21.7 New
Conservative George Mitchell[27] 493 21.2 New
Majority 157 6.8 N/A
Turnout 1,163 (est) 81.9 (est) N/A
Registered electors 1,419
Liberal hold Swing N/A
Liberal hold Swing N/A

Elections in the 1860s
General election 1865: Rochester[17]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Philip Wykeham Martin 855 41.5 +12.9
Liberal John Alexander Kinglake 792 38.4 +9.9
Conservative Alfred Smee 414 20.1 −22.8
Majority 378 18.3 +11.5
Turnout 1,238 (est) 84.9 (est) +3.0
Registered electors 1,458
Liberal hold Swing +12.4
Liberal hold Swing +10.7
General election 1868: Rochester[17]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Philip Wykeham Martin 1,458 42.1 +0.6
Liberal John Alexander Kinglake 1,305 37.7 −0.7
Conservative Alfred Smee 703 20.3 +0.2
Majority 602 17.4 −0.9
Turnout 2,085 (est) 81.1 (est) −3.8
Registered electors 2,569
Liberal hold Swing +0.3
Liberal hold Swing −0.4

Elections in the 1870s

Kinglake's death caused a by-election.

By-election, 19 Jul 1870: Rochester[17]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Julian Goldsmid 987 64.2 −15.6
Ind. Conservative Charles James Fox[28] 550 35.8 New
Majority 437 28.4 +11.0
Turnout 1,537 59.8 −21.3
Registered electors 2,571
Liberal hold Swing N/A
General election 1874: Rochester[17]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Philip Wykeham Martin 1,206 37.9 −4.2
Liberal Julian Goldsmid 1,144 35.9 −1.8
Conservative Alfred Smee[29] 835 26.2 +5.9
Majority 309 9.7 −7.7
Turnout 2,010 (est) 75.1 (est) −6.0
Registered electors 2,676
Liberal hold Swing −3.6
Liberal hold Swing −2.4

Martin's death caused a by-election.

By-election, 14 Jun 1878: Rochester[17]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Arthur Otway 1,284 56.1 −17.7
Conservative Walter Scott Seton-Karr[30] 1,004 43.9 +17.7
Majority 280 12.2 +2.5
Turnout 2,288 80.8 +5.7
Registered electors 2,832
Liberal hold Swing −17.7

Elections in the 1880s
General election 1880: Rochester[17]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Arthur Otway 1,497 27.2 −10.7
Conservative Roger Leigh 1,393 25.3 +12.2
Conservative Walter Scott Seton-Karr[30] 1,312 23.9 +10.8
Liberal Julian Goldsmid 1,294 23.5 −12.4
Turnout 2,748 (est) 90.8 (est) +15.7
Registered electors 3,026
Majority 104 1.9 −7.8
Liberal hold Swing −10.8
Majority 18 0.4 N/A
Conservative gain from Liberal Swing +12.3
Edwards
General election 1885: Rochester[31]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Francis Hughes-Hallett 1,627 54.0 +4.8
Liberal John Passmore Edwards 1,386 46.0 −4.7
Majority 241 8.0 +7.6
Turnout 3,013 91.2 +0.4 (est)
Registered electors 3,304
Conservative hold Swing +4.7
General election 1886: Rochester[31]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Francis Hughes-Hallett 1,602 54.2 +0.2
Liberal Francis Flint Belsey 1,353 45.8 -0.2
Majority 249 8.4 +0.4
Turnout 2,955 89.4 -1.8
Registered electors 3,304
Conservative hold Swing +0.2

Hughes-Hallett resigned, causing a by-election.

By-election, 16 Apr 1889: Rochester[31]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Edward Knatchbull-Hugessen 1,655 51.2 +5.4
Conservative Horatio Davies 1,580 48.8 -5.4
Majority 75 2.4 N/A
Turnout 3,235 91.1 +1.7
Registered electors 3,550
Liberal gain from Conservative Swing +5.4

Elections in the 1890s
Davies
General election 1892: Rochester[31]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Horatio Davies 2,119 55.3 +1.1
Liberal Frederic Brunning Maddison[32] 1,712 44.7 −1.1
Majority 407 10.6 +2.2
Turnout 3,831 91.0 +1.6
Registered electors 4,211
Conservative hold Swing +1.1

Davies was unseated on petition, causing a by-election.

Cranborne
1893 Rochester by-election[31]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative James Gascoyne-Cecil Unopposed
Conservative hold
Grenfell
General election 1895: Rochester[31]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative James Gascoyne-Cecil 2,152 56.3 +1.0
Liberal Cecil Grenfell 1,673 43.7 −1.0
Majority 479 12.6 +2.0
Turnout 3,825 87.4 −3.6
Registered electors 4,378
Conservative hold Swing +1.0

Elections in the 1900s
General election 1900: Rochester[31]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative James Gascoyne-Cecil Unopposed
Conservative hold
Johnston
1903 Rochester by-election
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Charles Tuff 2,504 55.8 N/A
Liberal Harry Johnston 1,983 44.2 New
Majority 521 11.6 N/A
Turnout 4,487 86.2 N/A
Registered electors 5,206
Conservative hold
Lamb
General election 1906: Rochester[33]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Ernest Lamb 2,967 55.6 N/A
Conservative Charles Tuff 2,374 44.4 N/A
Majority 593 11.2 N/A
Turnout 5,341 92.7 N/A
Registered electors 5,763
Liberal gain from Conservative Swing N/A

Elections in the 1910s
Forde Ridley
General election January 1910: Rochester[34]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Samuel Forde Ridley 2,675 51.3 +6.9
Liberal Ernest Lamb 2,543 48.7 -6.9
Majority 132 2.6 N/A
Turnout 5,218 92.7 +0.0
Registered electors 5,629
Conservative gain from Liberal Swing +6.9
General election December 1910: Rochester[34]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Ernest Lamb 2,609 51.5 +2.8
Conservative Samuel Forde Ridley 2,456 48.5 -2.8
Majority 153 3.0 N/A
Turnout 5,065 90.0 -2.7
Registered electors 5,629
Liberal gain from Conservative Swing +2.8

General Election 1914/15:

Another General Election was required to take place before the end of 1915. The political parties had been making preparations for an election to take place and by July 1914, the following candidates had been selected;

References
  1. "History of Parliament". History of Parliament Trust. Retrieved 16 November 2011.
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  3. "History of Parliament". History of Parliament Trust. Retrieved 16 November 2011.
  4. Vernon was also elected for Ipswich, which he chose to represent, and did not sit for Rochester
  5. Stooks Smith, Henry. (1973) [1844-1850]. Craig, F. W. S. (ed.). The Parliaments of England (2nd ed.). Chichester: Parliamentary Research Services. pp. 169–171. ISBN 0-900178-13-2.
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  7. Rear Admiral from 1805
  8. Farrell, Stephen (2009). "BERNAL, Ralph (1783–1854), of 11 Park Crescent, Mdx". The History of Parliament. Retrieved 2 July 2018.
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  10. Thompson, Thomas Perronet (1843). Exercises, Political and Others: Vol. IV (2nd ed.). London: Effingham Wilson. p. 222.
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  14. "The Election for West Kent". Maidstone Journal and Kentish Advertiser. 3 August 1847. p. 3. Retrieved 2 July 2018 – via British Newspaper Archive.
  15. "General Elections". Berkshire Chronicle. 29 July 1837. p. 1. Retrieved 14 May 2018 – via British Newspaper Archive.
  16. "Domestic Intelligence". Dundee, Perth, and Cupar Advertiser. 21 March 1848. p. 1. Retrieved 14 May 2018 – via British Newspaper Archive.
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  18. "Rochester Election". London Evening Standard. 8 February 1856. p. 4. Retrieved 2 July 2018 – via British Newspaper Archive.
  19. "Election Intelligence". Perthshire Advertiser. 14 February 1856. p. 2. Retrieved 2 July 2018 – via British Newspaper Archive.
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  21. "Election News". Leeds Intelligencer. 14 March 1857. p. 7. Retrieved 2 July 2018 – via British Newspaper Archive.
  22. Farrell, Stephen. "Rochester". The History of Parliament. Retrieved 21 April 2020.
  23. "Page 1". West Kent Guardian. 15 July 1837. Retrieved 21 April 2020 – via British Newspaper Archive.
  24. "Elections Decided". Manchester Courier and Lancashire General Advertiser. 10 July 1841. p. 6. Retrieved 29 November 2018 – via British Newspaper Archive.
  25. "Globe". 29 June 1841. p. 2. Retrieved 29 November 2018 – via British Newspaper Archive.
  26. "At Rochester". Maidstone Journal and Kentish Advertiser. 23 April 1859. p. 2. Retrieved 2 July 2018 – via British Newspaper Archive.
  27. "Rochester Election". Maidstone Journal and Kentish Advertiser. 7 May 1859. p. 1. Retrieved 2 July 2018 – via British Newspaper Archive.
  28. "Rochester". Manchester Evening News. 19 July 1870. p. 2. Retrieved 18 January 2018 – via British Newspaper Archive.
  29. "Election Intelligence". Whitstable Times and Herne Bay Herald. 7 February 1874. p. 4. Retrieved 18 January 2018 – via British Newspaper Archive.
  30. "Haddington Burghs Election". Jedburgh Gazette. 19 August 1882. p. 2. Retrieved 10 December 2017 – via British Newspaper Archive.
  31. British Parliamentary Election Results 1885-1918, FWS Craig
  32. "Another Conservative Member of Parliament Unstead". Brooklyn Daily Eagle. 10 December 1892. p. 10. Retrieved 22 November 2017.
  33. The Liberal Year Book, 1908
  34. Debrett's House of Commons 1916
  • Robert Beatson, "A Chronological Register of Both Houses of Parliament" (London: Longman, Hurst, Res & Orme, 1807)
  • D Brunton & D H Pennington, Members of the Long Parliament (London: George Allen & Unwin, 1954)
  • Cobbett's Parliamentary history of England, from the Norman Conquest in 1066 to the year 1803 (London: Thomas Hansard, 1808)
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