- Downton (UK Parliament constituency)
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Downton Former Borough constituency for the House of Commons 1295–1832 Number of members Two Downton was a parliamentary borough in Wiltshire, which elected two Members of Parliament (MPs) to the House of Commons from 1295 until 1832, when it was abolished by the Great Reform Act.
Contents
History
The borough consisted of part of the parish of Downton, a small town six miles south of Salisbury. By the 19th century, only about half of the town was within the boundaries of the borough, and the more prosperous section was excluded: at the 1831 census the borough had 166 houses and a tax assessment of £70, whereas the whole town consisted of 314 houses, and was assessed at £273.
Downton was a burgage borough, meaning that the right to vote rested solely with the freeholders of 100 specified properties or "burgage tenements"; it was not necessary to be resident on the tenement, or even in the borough, to exercise this right. Indeed, some of the tenements could not realistically be occupied, and one was in the middle of a watercourse. At the time of the Great Reform Act, The Earl of Radnor (who supported the Reform) told the House of Lords that he owned 99 of the 100 tenements — which, of course, gave him absolute power in choosing both the borough's MPs. Earlier, in the 18th century, the Duncombe family had been the owners.
Corruption was rife at 18th century elections in Downton, and the House of Commons at one point proposed to "throw it into the hundred", that is to extend the boundaries to include the whole of the Hundred of Downton and to abolish the restrictive franchise — one of the earliest examples of such a proposal being debated; however, the proposal was not adopted.
Although there was supposedly a property qualification to become an MP (borough MPs were required to have an annual income of at least £300 derived from the ownership of land), this was routinely ignored or evaded, and Downton offers perhaps the only example of an election being re-run because the victor lacked the qualification. On 11 June 1826 the poet Southey was elected MP for Downton, but he did not take his seat when Parliament assembled in July, and in November wrote to the Speaker: "Having while I was on the continent been, without my knowledge, elected a burgess to serve in the present Parliament for the borough of Downton, it has become my duty to take the earliest opportunity of requesting you to inform the honourable House that I am not qualified to take a seat therein, inasmuch as I am not possessed of such an estate as is required by the Act passed in the ninth year of Queen Anne." A by-election had to be held to replace him.
By 1831 the parish of Downton had a population of around 450, too small to retain representation after the Reform Act, and yet in the original Reform Bill it was proposed that Downton should lose only one of its two members, its boundaries being extended to include Fordingbridge, over the county border in Hampshire. However, the Earl of Radnor pushed for its complete disfranchisement as it would be too difficult to make even an extended borough free of the influence of himself and his family. (He also made it a condition of becoming MP for Downton that its members should vote for its abolition.) As this abolition of a Whig-owned borough was useful to the Whig government in demonstrating their even-handedness, they backed an amendment to move Downton into Schedule A, the list of boroughs that were to lose both seats; but the government majority in the Commons fell to 30 in the vote on the amendment, the narrowest of all the votes on the details of the eventual Act.
The Reform Act being passed, Downton ceased to be represented from the general election of 1832, those of its residents who were qualified voting instead in the county constituency of Southern Wiltshire.
Members of Parliament
MPs 1295–1640
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- 1295–1298: John Spede; Richard de la Sale
- 1298–1300: Reginald Dt. Aula & John Whitthorn
- 1300–1304: Roger de Portsmouth & Wh. Leicester
- 1304–1306: Roger le Large & John Ervye
- 1306: John de Downton
- 1306–1311: Randolph Lavering & John Spede
- 1311–1312: Robert le Wryere & William Osgod
- 1312–1313: John le Cove & John Arny
- 1313–1314: Walter Nymethalf & Roger de Portsmouth
- 1314–1318: Nicholas de Mareshal & William de Whytham
- 1318–1319: William Rotarius & Henry le Drapier
- 1319–1323: ? Norreys & Walter le Whlere
- 1323–1326: John Curtoys
- 1323–1325: Nicholas Laveryng
- 1325–1326: Nicholas de Cove
- 1326–1328: Edward de Tarante & Nicholas de Becklesnade
- 1328: Henricus le Meyre
- 1328–1329: Stephanus de Regate & Edwardus Taraunt
- 1360–1361: Ricardus Whithorn & Johannes Meyer
- 1362–1364: Johannes Dryewods & Willielmus Benert
- 1364–1365: Willielmus Wartier & Johannes Willeymn
- 1413 (May): Johannes Brut & Thomas Knyf
- 1441–1442: Johannes Whitesmede & Raduiphus Lygh
- 1446–1447: Johannes Brekenok & Johannes Bailey
- 1448–1449: Johannes Lawley & Andreas Sparowe
- 1449–1450: Johannes Rokes & Robertus Tilleney
- 1450–1452: Walterus Bergn & Johannes Wynge
- 1452–1455: Radulphus Alye & Thomas Wells
- 1455–1459: Edwardus Asshewell & Willielmus Brigg
- 1459– : Johannes Wolfe & Thomas Danvers
- 1467– : Thomas Wells & Radulphus Alegh
- 1472–1477: Thomas Damers & Richard Jaye
- 1529– : Nicholas Hare & William Horwood
- 1553–1554: John Norris & John Bamshaw
- 1554: James Bassit
- 1554–1555: John Bekynsale & William Borne
- 1555–1558: Thomas White
- 1555–1557: Henry White
- 1557–1562: Thomas Girdler
- 1558–1562: John Story
- 1562– : Tristram Matthew & Henry Kingsmill
- 1570–1572: George Penruddocke & Henry Cooke, Knt.
- 1572– : William Darrell & Edward Senitlowe
- 1584–1588: Thomas Wilkes
- 1584–1586: Thomas Cosin,
- 1586–1588: Thomas Gorges
- 1588–1592: Richard Cosin & Lawrence Tompson
- 1592–1597: John Goldwell & Thomas Willowby
- 1597–1601: Robert Turner & George Powell
- 1601–1603: Thomas Penruddocke & Edward Baker, Knt.
- 1603–1611: Carew Raleigh; William Stockman
- 1621–1622: Carew Raleigh, Thomas Hinton
- 1624: Sir Clipsby Crew; Sir WIlliam Dodington
- 1625: Sir Clipsby Crew; Edward Herbert
- 1626: Edward Herbert; Sir William Tremhall
- 1628–1629: Sir Benjamin Rudyerd; Edward Herbert
- 1629–1640: No Parliaments summoned
MPs 1640–1832
Year First member First party Second member Second party Apr 1640 Sir Edward Griffin Royalist William Eyre November 1640 Sir Edward Griffin Royalist Seat vacant pending resolution
of disputed election [1]February 1644 Griffin disabled from sitting - seat vacant 1645 Alexander Thistlethwaite December 1648 Thistlethwaite excluded in Pride's Purge - seat vacant 1653 Downton was unrepresented in the Barebones Parliament and the First and Second Parliaments of the Protectorate January 1659 Colonel Thomas Fitzjames William Coles May 1659 One seat vacant Vacant pending resolution of disputed election January 1660 Sir Anthony Ashley Cooper April 1660 Thomas Fitzjames William Coles May 1660 Giles Eyre John Elliott 1661 Gilbert Raleigh Walter Bockland 1670 Sir Joseph Ashe 1675 Henry Eyre February 1679 Maurice Bocland 1685 Sir Charles Raleigh 1695 Charles Duncombe Tory February 1698 Maurice Bocland May 1698 John Eyre July 1698 Carew Raleigh 1701 Sir James Ashe, 2nd Bt Whig 1702 Sir Charles Duncombe Tory 1705 John Eyre 1711 Thomas Duncombe 1713 John Sawyer January 1715 Charles Longueville December 1715 by-election [2] Giles Eyre 1722 John Verney 1734 Anthony Duncombe Joseph Windham-Ashe 1741 John Verney 1742 by-election [3] Joseph Windham-Ashe November 1746 by-election [4] George Proctor June 1747 George Lyttelton [5] December 1747 by-election [5] Richard Temple November 1749 by-election [6] Colonel Henry Vane April 1751 by-election [7] Thomas Duncombe May 1753 by-election [8] James Hayes 1754 James Cope 1756 by-election [9] Edward Poore 1757 by-election [10] Charles Pratt 1761 James Hayes February 1762 by-election [11] Thomas Pym Hales [12] 1768 Thomas Duncombe Richard Croftes 1771 by-election James Hayes 1774 [13] Thomas Dummer 1775 [13] John Cooper Sir Philip Hales September 1779 by-election Thomas Duncombe December 1779 by-election Hon. Bartholomew Bouverie [14] February 1780 [14] Robert Shafto September 1780 Hon. Henry Seymour-Conway 1784[15] Hon. William Seymour-Conway 1790 Hon. Bartholomew Bouverie Sir William Scott 1796 Hon. Edward Bouverie March 1801 by-election [16] Viscount Folkestone 1802 Hon. John William Ward Tory June 1803 by-election [17] The Lord de Blaquiere Tory August 1803 by-election Viscount Marsham Tory 1806 Hon. Bartholomew Bouverie Whig Hon. Duncombe Pleydell-Bouverie Whig 1807 Sir Thomas Plumer Tory 1812 Charles Henry Bouverie Whig 1813 by-election [18] Sir Thomas Brooke-Pechell Edward Golding 1818 [19] Viscount Folkestone Whig Sir William Scott Tory Feb 1819 by-election [19] Hon. Bartholomew Bouverie Whig Sir Thomas Brooke-Pechell Tory June 1826 Thomas Grimston Bucknall Estcourt [20] Tory Robert Southey[21] Tory December 1826 by-election Hon. Bartholomew Bouverie Whig Alexander Powell Tory 1830 James Brougham Whig Charles Shaw-Lefevre Whig May 1831 Thomas Creevey Whig July 1831 by-election [22] Hon. Philip Pleydell-Bouverie Whig 1832 Constituency abolished Notes
- ^ Sir Anthony Ashley Cooper was elected in 1640, but the election was disputed, and resolution of the dispute was delayed by the English Civil War. Cooper was not admitted to sit until January 1660.
- ^ The by-election in December 1715 was caused by the death of John Eyre
- ^ The by-election in 1742 was caused by the death of John Verney
- ^ The by-election in November 1746 was caused by the death of Joseph Windham-Ashe
- ^ a b At the 1747 general election, George Lyttelton was also elected for Okehampton, which he chose to represent, and never sat for Downton. A by-election was held in Downton in December 1747
- ^ The by-election in November 1749 was caused by the death of Richard Temple
- ^ The by-election in April 1751 was caused by the death of George Proctor
- ^ The by-election in May 1753 was caused by the resignation of Colonel Henry Vane to contest a by-election for County Durham
- ^ The by-election in December 1756 was caused by the death of James Cope
- ^ The by-election in July 1757 was caused by the resignation of James Hayes
- ^ The by-election in February 1762 was caused by the resignation of Charles Pratt, who had been appointed as Lord Chief Justice
- ^ Thomas Pym Hales succeeded as baronet in December 1762
- ^ a b At the 1774 general election, Duncombe and Dummer were initially declared the victors, but on petition it was decided that they had not been duly elected and their opponents, Cooper and Hales, were declared elected in their place
- ^ a b On petition it was decided that Bouverie had not been duly elected and his opponent, Shafto, was declared elected in his place
- ^ At the general election in April 1784, there was a double return. Seymour-Conway, Bouverie and Scott were declared not elected on 19 July 1784 with only Shafto being declared duly elected. A by-election for the vacant seat was held on 26 July 1784, when another double return was made: Seymour-Conway and Bouverie. Seymour-Conway was declared elected on 11 March 1785
- ^ The by-election in March 1801 was caused by the resignation of Sir William Scott to stand at a by-election for Oxford University
- ^ The by-election in June 1803 was caused by the resignation of Hon. Edward Bouverie
- ^ The by-election in April 1813 was caused by the resignation of Bouverie and the appointment of Plumer as Vice Chancellor
- ^ a b At the 1818 general election, both of the successful candidates in Downton were also returned for other sears, for which they chose to sit: Viscount Folkestone for Salisbury and Scott for Oxford University. A by-election was held for both seats in February 1819
- ^ At the general election in June 1826 Estcourt was also elected for Oxford University and chose to sit for the university
- ^ The poet laureate Robert Southey was proposed and elected without his knowledge, and declined to sit on the grounds that he did not meet the property qualification to be a borough MP
- ^ The July 1831 by-election was caused by the resignation of Brougham to contest a by-election for Winchelsea
References
- Robert Beatson, A Chronological Register of Both Houses of Parliament (London: Longman, Hurst, Res & Orme, 1807) [1]
- Michael Brock, The Great Reform Act (London: Hutchinson, 1973)
- 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) [2]
- Lewis Namier, The Structure of Politics at the Accession of George III (2nd edition, London: St Martin's Press, 1961)
- J Holladay Philbin, Parliamentary Representation 1832 — England and Wales (New Haven: Yale University Press, 1965)
- Edward Porritt and Annie G Porritt, The Unreformed House of Commons (Cambridge University Press, 1903)
- Woodford, A.R. Notes on the history of Downton, collected and arranged (Downton, nd)
- Leigh Rayment's Historical List of MPs – Constituencies beginning with "D" (part 3)
Categories:- Parliamentary constituencies in Wiltshire (historic)
- United Kingdom Parliamentary constituencies established in 1295
- United Kingdom Parliamentary constituencies disestablished in 1832
- Rotten boroughs
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