- Yorkshire (UK Parliament constituency)
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Yorkshire Former County constituency for the House of Commons County Yorkshire 1290–1832 Number of members Two until 1826, then Four Replaced by Yorkshire East Riding, Yorkshire North Riding and Yorkshire West Riding Yorkshire was a 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 1826, when the county benefited from the disfranchisement of Grampound by taking an additional two members.
The constituency was split into its three historic ridings, for Parliamentary purposes, under the Reform Act 1832. Each riding returned two MPs. The county was then represented by the Yorkshire East Riding, Yorkshire North Riding and Yorkshire West Riding constituencies.
Contents
Boundaries
Yorkshire was the largest of the historic counties of England. The constituency comprised the whole county. Yorkshire also contained several boroughs which each returned two members to Parliament. These were Aldborough, Beverley, Boroughbridge, Hedon, Kingston-upon-Hull, Knaresborough, Malton, Northallerton, Pontefract, Richmond, Ripon, Scarborough, Thirsk and York.
Members of Parliament
MPs 1290–1640
- Constituency created 1290
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This list is incomplete; you can help by expanding it.
Parliament First member Second member 1309 Robert de Boynton 1320 Sir Thomas Ughtred 1324 Sir John Tempest of Bracewell 1339 Sir Robert Hilton of Swine & Winestead 1341 John de Siggeston William Bruys 1364 Richard le Scrope, 1st Baron Scrope of Bolton 1376 Sir John Savile of Shelley and Golcar Sir Robert de Boynton 1377–1395 Henry FitzHugh 1378 Sir John Hotham 1380 Ralph Hastings of Kirby and Burton Hastings 1382 John St Quentin of Harpham 1382 Sir John Savile of Shelley and Golcar 1383 Sir James Pickering 1384 Sir John Savile of Shelley and Golcar Sir James Pickering 1385 Sir William Melton of Aston and Kyllon 1386 Sir John Godard Sir John St Quentin of Harpham [1] 1388 (Feb) Sir William Melton of Aston and Kyllon Sir Robert Constable [1] 1388 (Sep) Sir James Pickering Sir Robert Neville of Hornby [1] 1390 (Jan) Sir John Savile of Shelley and Golcar Sir Robert Neville of Hornby [1] 1390 (Nov) Sir William Ellis Sir James Pickering [1] 1391 Sir John Godard Sir Robert Neville of Hornby [1] 1393 Sir Ralph Euer Sir Robert Neville of Hornby [1] 1394 Sir John Routh of Routh Sir Robert Neville of Hornby [1] 1395 Sir Peter Buckton Sir John St Quentin [1] 1397 (Jan) Sir Peter Buckton Sir Ralph Euer [1] 1397 (Sep) Sir James Pickering Sir David Roucliffe [1] 1399 Sir Ralph Euer Sir Robert Neville of Hornby [1] 1401 Sir John Scrope of Hollinhall & Haldenby Sir Gerard Usflete[1] 1402 Thomas Colville Sir Robert Rockley[1] 1404 (Jan) Sir John Routh of Routh Sir Richard Tempest of Bracewell[1] 1404 (Oct) Sir Peter Buckton Sir William Dronsfield[1] 1406 Sir Richard Redman Sir Thomas Rokeby[1] 1407 Sir Edmund Hastings Sir Alexander Lound[1] 1410 1411 Sir John Etton Sir Robert Plumpton[1] 1413 (Feb) 1413 (May) Sir Edmund Hastings Sir Alexander Lound[1] 1414 (Apr) Sir Alexander Lound[1] 1414 (Nov) Sir Richard Redman Sir John Etton [1] 1415 Sir Richard Redman Sir John Etton [1] 1416 (Mar) Sir Brian Stapleton Sir Robert Plumpton 1[1] 1416 (Oct) 1417 1419 Sir Robert Hilton Sir Halnath Mauleverer[1] 1420 Sir Richard Redman S1r John Langton[1] 1421 (May) Sir Edmund Hastings Sir William Gascoigne[1] 1421 (Dec) Sir Richard Redman Sir John Eton[1] 1423 Sir Thomas Rokeby 1425 Sir William Ryther de Ryther 1439 Sir Thomas Savile 1449 Sir James Strangways 1450 Sir John Savile 1461 Sir James Strangways 1467 Sir John Savile 1491 Thomas Scrope, 6th Baron Scrope of Masham 1510-1515 Not known [2] 1523 ir William Bulmer ? [2] 1529 Sir John Neville, ennobled and
repl. Feb 1533 by Sir John Neville IISir Marmaduke Constable I [2] 1536 1539 Sir Henry Savile Robert Bowes [2] 1542 Sir Ralph Ellerker (Sir) Robert Bowes, disqualified and
repl. Feb 1543 by Thomas Waterman [2]1545 1547 Sir Nicholas Fairfax Sir William Babthorpe [2] 1553 (Mar) Sir Thomas Gargrave Sir Robert Constable [2] 1553 (Oct) Sir Robert Constable Sir Willian Vavasour [2] 1554 (Apr) Sir William Babthorpe Sir Christopher Danby [2] 1554 (Nov) Sir Thomas Wharton II Sir Thomas Gargrave [2] 1555 ?Sir Robert Constable Sir Thomas Gargrave [2] 1558 ?Thomas Wharton, 2nd Baron Wharton Sir Richard Cholmley [2] 1559 Sir Thomas Gargrave Sir Henry Savile [3] 1562 Sir Thomas Gargrave Sir Nicholas Fairfax [3] 1571 Sir Thomas Gargrave Sir Henry Gates [3] 1572 Sir Thomas Gargrave Thomas Waterton died and
repl. Jan 1576 by Sir Robert Stapleton [3]1584 Ralph Eure Sir William Mallory [3] 1586 Sir Henry Gates Sir Thomas Fairfax of Denton [3] 1588 Sir Henry Constable Sir Ralph Bourchier [3] 1593 Sir George Savile, Bt John Aske [3] 1597 John Savile, 1st Baron Savile of Pontefract Sir Willliam Fairfax replaced Sir John Stanhope and Sir Thomas Posthumous Hoby (both disqualified) [3] 1601 Thomas Fairfax Sir Edward Stanhope [3] 1604 Sir Francis Clifford John Savile, 1st Baron Savile of Pontefract 1614 John Savile, 1st Baron Savile of Pontefract Sir Thomas Wentworth 1621 Sir Thomas Wentworth Lord George Calvert 1624 Sir Thomas Savile Sir John Savile 1625 Sir Thomas Wentworth Thomas Fairfax 1626 John Savile, 1st Baron Savile of Pontefract Sir William Constable, Bt 1628 Henry Belasyse Sir Thomas Wentworth 1629–1640 No Parliaments summoned MPs 1640–1826
- 1640: Sir William Savile, Bt
- 1640: Henry Belasyse
- 1640-1648: The Lord Fairfax of Cameron (Parliamentarian) - died March 1648
- 1640-1642: Henry Belasyse (Royalist) - disabled to sit, September 1642
(Although writs were issued to fill both these vacancies, no elections seem to have been held and the seats remained vacant to the end of the Parliament)
Barebones Parliament (Nominated members)
- 1653: Lord Eure, Walter Strickland, Francis Lascelles, John Anlaby, Thomas Dickenson, Thomas St. Nicholas, Roger Coats, Edward Gill
First Protectorate Parliament (Fourteen members elected for the three Ridings)
- 1654-1655: East Riding: Hugh Bethell, Richard Robinson, Walter Strickland, Sir William Strickland; North Riding: Lord Eure, Francis Lascelles, Thomas Harrison, George Smithson; West Riding: Lord Fairfax, John Lambert, Henry Tempest, John Bright, Edward Gill, Martin Lister
Second Protectorate Parliament (Fourteen members elected for the three Ridings)
- 1656-1658: East Riding: Hugh Bethell, Richard Darley, Henry Darley, Sir William Strickland; North Riding: Lord Eure, Francis Lascelles, Major General Robert Lilburne, Luke Robinson; West Riding: John Lambert, Colonel Henry Tempest, Edward Gill, Francis Thorpe, Henry Arthington, John Stanhope
- 1659: The Lord Fairfax of Cameron, Thomas Harrison
Long Parliament (restored) Both seats vacant
Year First member First party Second member Second party 1660 The Lord Fairfax of Cameron Sir John Dawnay 1661 Conyers Darcy Sir John Goodricke, Bt 1670 Sir Thomas Slingsby, Bt 1679 The Viscount Dungarvan The Lord Fairfax of Cameron 1685 Sir John Kaye, Bt 1689 The Lord Fairfax of Cameron 1698 The Viscount Downe January 1701 Sir John Kaye, Bt December 1701 The Viscount of Irvine 1702 Marquess of Hartington Sir John Kaye, Bt January 1707 The Lord Fairfax of Cameron December 1707 The Viscount Downe Conyers Darcy 1708 Sir William Strickland, Bt 1710 Sir Arthur Kaye, Bt February 1727 Cholmley Turner August 1727 Sir Thomas Watson-Wentworth 1728 by-election Sir George Savile, Bt 1734 Sir Miles Stapylton, Bt 1741 Viscount Morpeth 1742 by-election Cholmley Turner 1747 Sir Conyers Darcy 1750 by-election The Viscount Downe[4] 1759 by-election Sir George Savile, Bt Whig 1761 Edwin Lascelles Tory 1780 Henry Duncombe Tory January 1784 by-election Francis Ferrand Foljambe Whig April 1784 William Wilberforce Tory 1796 Hon. Henry Lascelles Tory 1806 Walter Ramsden Fawkes Whig 1807 Viscount Milton Whig 1812 Hon. Henry Lascelles Tory 1818 James Stuart-Wortley Tory 1826 representation increased to 4 members MPs 1826–1832
Election First member Party Second member Party Third member Party Fourth Member Party Representation increased to 4 members 1826 Viscount Milton Whig William Duncombe Tory Richard Fountayne Wilson Tory John Marshall Whig 1830 Viscount Morpeth Whig Ultra-Tory Richard Bethell Tory Henry Brougham[5] Whig Dec 1830 by-election Sir John Vanden-Bempde-Johnstone, Bt Whig 1831 George Strickland Whig John Charles Ramsden Whig 1832 Constituency abolished: see North Yorkshire, East Yorkshire and West Yorkshire Notes
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z aa ab [http "History of Parliament"]. http. Retrieved 2011-08-31.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l [http "History of Parliament"]. http. Retrieved 2011-08-31.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j [http "History of Parliament"]. http. Retrieved 2011-08-31.
- ^ The Viscount Downe died December 1760, but a new writ was not issued before the general election in 1761
- ^ Brougham was also elected for Knaresborough; he was elevated to the House of Lords before having chosen which constituency he would represent in the Commons
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 York. The expense and difficulty of voting at only one location in the (very large) 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.
Elections in the eighteenth century
Only two elections in the 18th century were contested.
General Election 1734: Yorkshire (2 seats) Party Candidate Votes % ±% Tory Miles Stapylton 7,896 N/A Whig Cholmley Turner 7,879 N/A Whig Rowland Winn 7,699 N/A Whig Edward Wortley Montagu 5,898 N/A Turnout 23,007 N/A N/A Yorkshire by-election, 1741 (1 seat) Party Candidate Votes % ±% Whig Cholmley Turner 8,005 53.2 N/A George Fox 7,049 46.8 N/A Turnout 15,054 N/A N/A At the 1784 general election, the seat was initially contested, but the two Whig candidates Francis Ferrand Foljambe and William Weddell conceded without calling for a poll.
Elections in the 1800s
At the 1802 general election, William Wilberforce and Henry Lascelles were elected unopposed.
At the 1806 general election, William Wilberforce and Walter Ramsden Fawkes were elected unopposed.
General Election 1807: Yorkshire (2 seats) Party Candidate Votes % ±% Tory William Wilberforce 11,806 N/A Whig Viscount Milton 11,177 N/A Tory Henry Lascelles 10,989 N/A Whig Walter Ramsden Fawkes 2 N/A Turnout 23,007 N/A N/A Elections in the 1810s and 1820s
At the 1812 general election, Viscount Milton and Henry Lascelles were elected unopposed.
At the 1818 and 1820 general elections, Viscount Milton and James Stuart Wortley were elected unopposed.
At the 1826 general election, Richard Fountayne Wilson, John Marshall, William Duncombe and Viscount Milton were elected unopposed.
Elections in the 1830s
General Election 1830: Yorkshire (4 seats) Party Candidate Votes % ±% Whig Viscount Morpeth 1,464 N/A Whig Henry Brougham 1,295 N/A Tory William Duncombe 1,123 N/A Tory Richard Bethell 1,065 N/A Whig Martin Stapyllton 94 N/A Turnout N/A N/A Yorkshire by-election, 1830 (1 seat) Party Candidate Votes % ±% Whig John Vanden-Bempde-Johnstone 361 77.6 N/A Whig George Strickland 104 22.4 N/A Turnout 465 N/A N/A At the 1831 general election, George Strickland, John Charles Ramsden, John Vanden-Bempde-Johnstone and Viscount Morpeth were elected unopposed.
See also
References
- Leigh Rayment's Historical List of MPs – Constituencies beginning with "Y"
- The Parliaments of England by Henry Stooks Smith (1st edition published in three volumes 1844-50), second edition edited (in one volume) by F.W.S. Craig (Political Reference Publications 1973) originally published in 1844-50, so out of copyright
Categories:- Parliamentary constituencies in Yorkshire and the Humber (historic)
- United Kingdom Parliamentary constituencies established in 1290
- United Kingdom Parliamentary constituencies disestablished in 1832
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