Surrey (UK Parliament constituency)

Surrey 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 1832. It was represented by two Members of Parliament until 1832.

Surrey
Former County constituency
for the House of Commons
1290–1832
Number of memberstwo
Replaced byEast Surrey, Lambeth and West Surrey

The constituency was split into two two-member divisions, for Parliamentary purposes, in 1832. The county was then represented by the East Surrey and West Surrey constituencies.

Boundaries

Surrey is one of the historic counties of England, located south of the River Thames, in south east England. The constituency comprised the whole county but had six towns which were boroughs for some of when it was a constituency: Bletchingley, Gatton, Guildford, Haslemere, Reigate and Southwark - each of which elected two MPs in their own right, these were not excluded from the county constituency, and owning property within the boroughs could confer a vote at the county election.)

Members of Parliament

1290-1640

ParliamentFirst memberSecond member
1290Roland of Oxted
1360Nicholas Carew
1377 (Oct)Nicholas Carew
1378John Hathersham I
1379John Legh
1380 (Nov)William Weston I
1381John Hathersham I
1382 (May)John Hathersham I
1383 (Oct)John Hathersham I
1386Sir James BernersJohn Newdigate [1]
1388 (Feb)John Hathersham IHugh Quecche [1]
1388 (Sep)John ThorpeThomas Kynnersley [1]
1390 (Jan)John ThorpeJohn Hathersham I [1]
1390 (Nov)William Weston IJohn Bentley [1]
1391Sir Thomas BrewesRalph Cuddington [1]
1393Sir Thomas BrewesWilliam Weston I [1]
1394Nicholas CarewWilliam Weston I [1]
1395Nicholas CarewRobert Loxley [1]
1397 (Jan)Nicholas CarewWilliam Weston I [1]
1397 (Sep)Nicholas CarewThomas Wintershall [1]
1399John Hathersham IIRalph Cuddington [1]
1401William Weston IJohn Wintershall [1]
1402John WatertonRalph Cuddington [1]
1404 (Jan)Sir William BrantinghamJohn Wintershall [1]
1404 (Oct)Sir William BrantinghamWilliam Croyser [1]
1406John WintershallJohn Gravesend [1]
1407Ralph CuddingtonRobert Bussebridge [1]
1410
1411
1413 (Feb)
1413 (May)John Burgh IIWilliam Yerde [1]
1414 (Apr)John BonetJohn Clipsham [1]
1414 (Nov)John Burgh IIJohn Wintershall [1]
1415John Burgh IIWilliam Weston I [1]
1416 (Mar)John Burgh IIWilliam Yerde [1]
1416 (Oct)
1417Nicholas CarewJohn Clipsham [1]
1419William Weston IWilliam Yerde [1]
1420Robert SkerneWilliam Ottworth [1]
1421 (May)John ClipshamJohn Bonet [1]
1421 (Dec)John ClipshamWilliam Ottworth [1]
1422Robert Skerne
1423John Clipsham
1425John Wintershall
1426John Clipsham
1427John Clipsham
1433John Wintershall
1441Anthony Brocas
1459Ralph Legh
1460John Wood[2]
1478John Wood[2]
1510–1523No names known [3]
1529Sir William FitzwilliamSir Nicholas Carew [3]
1536?Sir William Fitzwilliam? [3]
1539Sir Anthony BrowneSir Christopher More [3]
1542Sir Anthony BrowneRobert Southwell [3]
1545Sir Anthony BrowneSir Edmund Walsingham [3]
1547Sir Anthony Browne, died 1548
and repl. Jan 1552 by
Sir Thomas Cawarden
Sir Christopher More, died 1549
and repl. Feb 1552 by
John Vaughan [3]
1553 (Mar)Sir Thomas CawardenSir Thomas Saunders[3]
1553 (Oct)Sir Edward BrayWilliam Saunders[3]
1554 (Apr)Sir Anthony BrowneSir Edward Bray[3]
1554 (Nov)Sir Thomas CawardenWilliam Saunders[3]
1555William SaundersJohn Skinner[3]
1558Sir Thomas SaundersJohn Skinner[3]
Parliament of 1559 Sir Thomas Cawarden Thomas Browne
Parliament of 1563-1567 Hon. Charles Howard William More
Parliament of 1571 Sir Henry Weston
Parliament of 1572-1583 Hon. (Sir) Charles Howard, ennobled 1573 Thomas Lyfield
By-election 1574 Sir Francis Walsingham
Parliament of 1584-1585 Sir William More
Parliament of 1586-1587
Parliament of 1588-1589 William Howard
Parliament of 1593 Sir John Wolley Sir William More
Parliament of 1597-1598 Lord Howard of Effingham (1597)[4]
Hon. Charles Howard (1597-8)
(Sir) George More
Parliament of 1601 Lord Howard of Effingham
Parliament of 1604-1611 Sir Edmund Bowyer Sir Robert More
Addled Parliament (1614) Sir George More
Parliament of 1621-1622 Sir Nicholas Carew
Happy Parliament (1624-1625) Sir Robert More Sir Thomas Grimes
Useless Parliament (1625) Sir Francis Leigh Sir George More
Parliament of 1625-1626 Sir Francis Vincent
Parliament of 1628-1629 Sir Ambrose Browne Sir Richard Onslow
No Parliament summoned 1629-1640

MPs 1640–1832

Year1st Member1st Party2nd Member2nd Party
April 1640 Sir Ambrose BrowneParliamentarian Sir Richard OnslowParliamentarian
November 1640
December 1648 Browne and Onslow excluded in Pride's Purge - both seats vacant
1653 Samuel Highland Lawrence March
Surrey's representation was increased to six members in the First and Second parliaments of the Protectorate
1654 Sir Richard Onslow, Arthur Onslow, Francis Drake, Major-General John Lambert,[5] Robert Holman, Colonel Robert Wood
1656 Sir Richard Onslow, Arthur Onslow, Francis Drake, Lewis Audley, George Duncombe, John Blackwell
Representation reverted to two members in the Third Protectorate Parliament
January 1659 Arthur Onslow Francis Drake
May 1659 Not represented in the restored Rump
April 1660 The Lord Aungier Daniel Harvey
1661 (Sir) Adam Browne [6] Sir Edmund Bowyer
1679 Arthur Onslow George Evelyn
1685 Sir Adam Browne Sir Edward Evelyn
1689 Sir Richard Onslow Whig George Evelyn
1690 Sir Francis Vincent
1695 Denzil Onslow Whig
1698 John Weston
1702 Leonard Wessell
1705 Sir William Scawen
1710 Hon. Heneage Finch [7] Sir Francis Vincent
1713 Sir Richard Onslow Whig
1715 by-election Thomas Onslow Whig
1717 by-election Denzil Onslow Whig
1719 by-election John Walter
1721 by-election Sir William Scawen
1722 Sir Nicholas Carew
April 1727 by-election Thomas Scawen
August 1727 Arthur Onslow
1741 The Lord Baltimore
1751 by-election Thomas Budgen
1761 George Onslow Sir Francis Vincent
1774 James Scawen
1775 by-election Sir Joseph Mawbey, Bt Radical
1780 Admiral the Hon. Augustus Keppel
1782 by-election Viscount Althorp
1783 by-election Sir Robert Clayton
1784 Hon. William Norton
1789 by-election Lord William Russell Whig
1790 Captain the Hon. William Finch [8]
1794 by-election Sir John Frederick Tory
1807 Samuel Thornton Tory George Holme Sumner Tory
1812 Sir Thomas Sutton Tory
1813 by-election Samuel Thornton Tory
1818 William Joseph Denison Whig
1826 Charles Nicholas Pallmer Whig
1830 John Ivatt Briscoe Whig
1832 constituency divided

Notes

  1. "History of Parliament". Retrieved 17 September 2011.
  2. "Wood, Sir John, speaker of the House of commons". Oxford DNB. Retrieved 1 December 2011.
  3. "History of Parliament". Retrieved 17 September 2011.
  4. Sir William Howard was elected in 1597 but before Parliament met his father was elevated to an Earldom and he thus acquired the courtesy title Lord Howard of Effingham. It seems to have been mistakenly supposed that this disqualified him from sitting in the House of Commons, and his younger brother was nominated to replace him. See Neale, op. cit., p 47
  5. Lambert was also elected for the West Riding of Yorkshire
  6. Succeeded to a baronetcy, August 1661
  7. Styled Lord Guernsey from 1714
  8. Rear Admiral from 1794

Elections

The county franchise, from 1430, was held by the owners of freehold land valued at 40 shillings or more. Each voter 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 Guildford. 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 voters, 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.

Where there was only one candidate of a party in successive elections, for the same number of seats, change is calculated on the party vote. Where there was more than one candidate, in one or both successive elections for the same number of seats, then change is calculated on the individual percentage vote.

Parliament of the United Kingdom 1801-1832

General election 1802: Surrey (2 seats)
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Whig Lord William Russell Unopposed N/A N/A
Tory Sir John Frederick, Bt Unopposed N/A N/A
  • Seat vacated on appointment of Russell as a Lord of the Admiralty 10 February 1806
By-Election 22 February 1806: Surrey
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Whig Lord William Russell Unopposed N/A N/A
Whig hold Swing N/A
  • Note (1806 by-election): (Source: The Times edition of 24 February 1806)
General election 1806: Surrey (2 seats)
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Whig Lord William Russell 315 43.45 N/A
Tory Samuel Thornton 246 33.93 N/A
Tory Sir John Frederick, Bt 164 22.62 N/A
Majority 69 9.52 N/A
Turnout 725 N/A
Whig hold Swing
Tory hold Swing
  • Note (1806): Poll 2 days. "Although Mr. Thornton had lost his election for Hull, he resigned on the second day in favour of Sir J. Frederick, who was last on the poll". (Source: Stooks Smith)
General election 1807: Surrey (2 seats)
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Tory Samuel Thornton 1,471 52.48 +18.55
Tory George Holme Sumner 994 35.46 +35.46
Whig Lord William Russell 338 12.06 -31.39
Majority 956 23.40 N/A
Turnout 2,803
Tory gain from Whig Swing
Tory hold Swing
General election 1812: Surrey (2 seats)
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Tory George Holme Sumner 1,924 40.66 +5.20
Tory Thomas Sutton (MP) 1,791 37.85 +37.85
Tory Sir Thomas Turton, 1st Baronet 1,017 21.49 +21.49
Majority 774 16.36 -6.96
Turnout 4,732
Tory hold Swing
Tory hold Swing
  • Note (1807): Poll 9 days; 3,296 freeholders cast 4,732 votes. (Source: Stooks Smith)
  • Death of Sutton
By-Election November 1813: Surrey
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Tory Samuel Thornton 1,133 69.04 N/A
Tory Sir Thomas Turton, 1st Baronet 508 30.96 N/A
Majority 625 38.08 N/A
Turnout 1,641
Tory hold Swing N/A
  • Note (1813 by-election): Poll 4 days; 1,641 freeholders voted. (Source: Stooks Smith)
General election 1818: Surrey (2 seats)
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Tory George Holme Sumner Unopposed N/A N/A
Whig William Joseph Denison Unopposed N/A N/A
General election 1820: Surrey (2 seats)
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Tory George Holme Sumner Unopposed N/A N/A
Whig William Joseph Denison Unopposed N/A N/A
General election 1826: Surrey (2 seats)
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Whig William Joseph Denison 2,309 40.23 N/A
Whig Charles Nicholas Pallmer 2,056 35.82 N/A
Tory George Holme Sumner 1,375 23.95 N/A
Majority 681 12.87 N/A
Turnout 5,740 N/A
Whig gain from Tory Swing
Tory hold Swing
  • Note (1826): Poll 5 days; 3,743 freeholders cast 5,740 votes. (Source: Stooks Smith)
General election 1830: Surrey (2 seats)
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Whig William Joseph Denison 2,159 44.08 +3.85
Whig John Ivatt Briscoe 1,487 30.36 +30.36
Tory Hylton Jolliffe 1,252 25.56 +1.61
Majority 235 4.80 -8.07
Turnout 4,898
Whig hold Swing
Whig hold Swing
  • Note (1830): Poll 3 days; 2,977 freeholders cast 4,898 votes. (Source: Stooks Smith)
General election 1831: Surrey (2 seats)
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Whig William Joseph Denison Unopposed N/A N/A
Whig John Ivatt Briscoe Unopposed N/A N/A
  • Constituency abolished - county split into two divisions (1832)

See also

References

  • 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)
  • Maija Jansson (ed.), Proceedings in Parliament, 1614 (House of Commons) (Philadelphia: American Philosophical Society, 1988)
  • J E Neale, The Elizabethan House of Commons (London: Jonathan Cape, 1949)
  • J Holladay Philbin, Parliamentary Representation 1832 - England and Wales (New Haven: Yale University Press, 1965)
  • Henry Stooks Smith, The Parliaments of England, 1st edition published in three volumes (1844–50), second edition edited (in one volume) by F.W.S. Craig (Political Reference Publications 1973) out of copyright
  • Frederic A Youngs, jr, Guide to the Local Administrative Units of England, Vol I (London: Royal Historical Society, 1979)
  • Leigh Rayment's Historical List of MPs – Constituencies beginning with "S" (part 6)
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