Nottinghamshire (UK Parliament constituency)
Nottinghamshire | |
---|---|
Former county constituency for the House of Commons | |
County | Nottinghamshire |
1290–1832 | |
Seats | Two |
Replaced by | North Nottinghamshire and South Nottinghamshire |
Nottinghamshire was a county 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 (MPs), traditionally known as Knights of the Shire.
The constituency was split into two two-member divisions, for Parliamentary purposes, by the Reform Act 1832. The county was then represented by the North Nottinghamshire and South Nottinghamshire constituencies.
Boundaries
[edit]The county of Nottinghamshire is located in the East Midlands of England. The county is known to have been represented in Parliament from 1290, although it probably sent knights of the shire to earlier meetings.
From 1295 the county and the town of Nottingham each returned two members to parliament. In 1572 East Retford was represented by two members, and in 1672 Newark-upon-Trent also. Under the Reform Act of 1832 the county returned four members in two divisions. By the act of 1885 it returned four members in four divisions; Newark and East Retford were disfranchised, and Nottingham returned three members in three divisions.
Members of Parliament
[edit]1290–1640
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1305 Sir Hugh de Hercy and Thomas Malet
1316 Sir Hugh de Hercy and Lawrence Chaworth
1640–1832
[edit]Notes
[edit]The use of the term 'Non Partisan' in the list does not necessarily mean that the MP was not associated with a particular party or faction in Parliament. Stooks Smith only gives Nottinghamshire candidates party labels for the contested 1722 election and not again until well into the 19th century.
- ^ a b c d Members of Parliament 1213-1702. London: House of Commons. 1878.
- ^ 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 "History of Parliament". Retrieved 5 September 2011.
- ^ "MACKERELL, Ralph (d.1436), of Wilsthorpe, Derbys. and Clifton, Notts". History of Parliament Online. Retrieved 22 March 2013.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k "History of Parliament". Retrieved 5 September 2011.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j "History of Parliament". Retrieved 5 September 2011.
- ^ Adopted the surname Hewett in 1756
- ^ Adopted the surname Pierrepont in 1788
- ^ Stooks Smith incorrectly lists Lord Edward Bentinck as re-elected in 1796. In fact he was elected MP for Clitheroe.
- ^ Styled Viscount Newark from 1806
- ^ Styled Viscount Lumley from June 1832.
Election notes
[edit]The county franchise, from 1430, was held by the adult male owners of freehold land valued at 40 shillings or more. Each elector 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 Nottingham. 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 electors, which was widespread in the unreformed British political system.
The expense, to candidates and their supporters, 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. Three families; the Duke of Newcastle, the Duke of Portland and the Pierreponts, all Whigs, dominated the county until well into the 19th century, which was why there was no contest after 1722.
The bloc vote electoral system was used in two seat elections and first past the post for single member by-elections. Each voter had up to as many votes as there were seats to be filled. Votes had to be cast by a spoken declaration, in public, at the hustings.
Note on percentage change calculations: Where there was only one candidate of a party in successive elections, for the same number of seats, change is calculated on the party percentage 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.
Note on sources: The information for the election results given below is taken from Stooks Smith 1715–1754, Namier and Brooke 1754–1790 and Stooks Smith 1790–1832.
Election results 1715–1832
[edit]1710s –
1720s – 1730s – 1740s – 1750s – 1760s – 1770s – 1780s – 1790s – 1790s – 1800s – 1810s – 1820s – 1830s |
Elections in the 1710s
[edit]Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Nonpartisan | Francis Willoughby | Unopposed | N/A | N/A | |
Nonpartisan | William Levinz | Unopposed | N/A | N/A |
Elections in the 1720s
[edit]Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Whig | Robert Sutton | 1,349 | 25.89 | N/A | |
Whig | Emanuel Howe | 1,339 | 25.70 | N/A | |
Tory | William Levinz | 1,265 | 24.28 | N/A | |
Tory | Francis Willoughby | 1,257 | 24.13 | N/A |
- Howe was a Peer of Ireland
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Nonpartisan | Robert Sutton | Unopposed | N/A | N/A | |
Nonpartisan | Emanuel Howe | Unopposed | N/A | N/A |
Elections in the 1730s
[edit]- Seats vacated on Howe being appointed Governor of Barbados and Sutton being expelled from the House.
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Nonpartisan | William Levinz | Unopposed | N/A | N/A | |
Nonpartisan | Thomas Bennet | Unopposed | N/A | N/A | |
Nonpartisan hold | Swing | N/A |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Nonpartisan | William Levinz (junior) | Unopposed | N/A | N/A | |
Nonpartisan | Thomas Bennet | Unopposed | N/A | N/A |
- Death of Bennet
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Nonpartisan | John Mordaunt | Unopposed | N/A | N/A | |
Nonpartisan hold | Swing | N/A |
Elections in the 1740s
[edit]Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Nonpartisan | William Levinz (junior) | Unopposed | N/A | N/A | |
Nonpartisan | John Mordaunt | Unopposed | N/A | N/A |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Nonpartisan | Robert Manners-Sutton | Unopposed | N/A | N/A | |
Nonpartisan | John Thornhagh | Unopposed | N/A | N/A |
- Sutton adopted the new surname of Manners-Sutton
Elections in the 1750s
[edit]Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Nonpartisan | Robert Manners-Sutton | Unopposed | N/A | N/A | |
Nonpartisan | John Thornhagh | Unopposed | N/A | N/A |
- John Thornhagh adopted the new surname of Hewett
Elections in the 1760s
[edit]Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Nonpartisan | Robert Manners-Sutton | Unopposed | N/A | N/A | |
Nonpartisan | John Hewett | Unopposed | N/A | N/A |
- Death of Manners-Sutton
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Nonpartisan | Thomas Willoughby | Unopposed | N/A | N/A | |
Nonpartisan hold | Swing | N/A |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Nonpartisan | Thomas Willoughby | Unopposed | N/A | N/A | |
Nonpartisan | John Hewett | Unopposed | N/A | N/A |
Elections in the 1770s
[edit]Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Nonpartisan | Henry Pelham-Clifton | Unopposed | N/A | N/A | |
Nonpartisan | Thomas Willoughby | Unopposed | N/A | N/A |
- Succession of Willoughby as the 4th Baron Middleton
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Nonpartisan | Edward Bentinck | Unopposed | N/A | N/A | |
Nonpartisan hold | Swing | N/A |
- Death of Lincoln
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Nonpartisan | Charles Medows | Unopposed | N/A | N/A | |
Nonpartisan hold | Swing | N/A |
Elections in the 1780s
[edit]Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Nonpartisan | Edward Bentinck | Unopposed | N/A | N/A | |
Nonpartisan | Charles Medows | Unopposed | N/A | N/A |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Nonpartisan | Edward Bentinck | Unopposed | N/A | N/A | |
Nonpartisan | Charles Medows | Unopposed | N/A | N/A |
- Charles Medows adopted the surname of Pierrepont in 1788
Elections in the 1790s
[edit]Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Nonpartisan | Edward Bentinck | Unopposed | N/A | N/A | |
Nonpartisan | Charles Pierrepont | Unopposed | N/A | N/A |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Nonpartisan | William Bentinck | Unopposed | N/A | N/A | |
Nonpartisan | Evelyn Pierrepont | Unopposed | N/A | N/A |
- Note (1796): Stooks Smith incorrectly has Lord Edward Bentinck returned at this election rather than Lord William Bentinck
Elections in the 1800s
[edit]- Death of Pierrepont
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Nonpartisan | Charles Pierrepont | Unopposed | N/A | N/A | |
Nonpartisan hold |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Nonpartisan | William Bentinck | Unopposed | N/A | N/A | |
Nonpartisan | Charles Pierrepont | Unopposed | N/A | N/A |
- Resignation of Bentinck
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Nonpartisan | Anthony Eyre (MP) | Unopposed | N/A | N/A | |
Nonpartisan hold |
- Pierrepont became known by the courtesy title of Viscount Newark, when his father was advanced in the peerage by being created Earl Manvers in 1806.
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Nonpartisan | Charles Pierrepont | Unopposed | N/A | N/A | |
Nonpartisan | Anthony Eyre (MP) | Unopposed | N/A | N/A |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Nonpartisan | Charles Pierrepont | Unopposed | N/A | N/A | |
Nonpartisan | Anthony Eyre (MP) | Unopposed | N/A | N/A |
Elections in the 1810s
[edit]Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Nonpartisan | Charles Pierrepont | Unopposed | N/A | N/A | |
Nonpartisan | William Bentinck | Unopposed | N/A | N/A |
- Resignation of Bentinck
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Tory | Frank Sotheron | Unopposed | N/A | N/A | |
Tory gain from Nonpartisan |
- Succession of Newark as 2nd Earl Manvers
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Nonpartisan | William Bentinck | Unopposed | N/A | N/A | |
Nonpartisan hold |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Tory | Frank Sotheron | Unopposed | N/A | N/A | |
Nonpartisan | William Bentinck | Unopposed | N/A | N/A |
- Frank adopted the new surname of Sotheron
Elections in the 1820s
[edit]Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Tory | Frank Sotheron | Unopposed | N/A | N/A | |
Nonpartisan | William Bentinck | Unopposed | N/A | N/A |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Tory | Frank Sotheron | Unopposed | N/A | N/A | |
Whig | John Saville Lumley | Unopposed | N/A | N/A |
Elections in the 1830s
[edit]Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Tory | Frank Sotheron | Unopposed | N/A | N/A | |
Whig | John Saville Lumley | Unopposed | N/A | N/A |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Whig | John Saville Lumley | Unopposed | N/A | N/A | |
Whig | Evelyn Denison | Unopposed | N/A | N/A |
- Constituency divided in (1832)
See also
[edit]References
[edit]- British Parliamentary Election Results 1832–1885, compiled and edited by F.W.S. Craig (Macmillan Press 1977)
- The House of Commons 1754–1790, by Sir Lewis Namier and John Brooke (HMSO 1964)
- 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)) out of copyright
- Robert Beatson, A Chronological Register of Both Houses of Parliament (London: Longman, Hurst, Res & Orme, 1807) [1]
- 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]
- J E Neale, The Elizabethan House of Commons (London: Jonathan Cape, 1949)
- Leigh Rayment's Historical List of MPs – Constituencies beginning with "N" (part 3)