Thetford (UK Parliament constituency)

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Thetford
Former Borough constituency
for the House of Commons
CountyNorfolk
1529–1868
SeatsTwo
Replaced byWest Norfolk

Thetford was a constituency of the British House of Commons. It elected two Members of Parliament (MPs) by the bloc vote system of election. It was disenfranchised under the Representation of the People (Scotland) Act 1868, which had resulted in a net increase of seven seats in Scotland, offset by the disenfranchisement of seven English Boroughs.

Below are those MPs who held the seat from just prior to the Restoration onwards.

Members of Parliament[edit]

MPs 1529–1660[edit]

Year First member Second member
1529 Giles Heron William Dauntesey[1]
1536 ?
1539 ?
1542 ?
1545 ?
1547 John Brende Richard Heydon[1]
1553 (Mar) Sir John Clere Henry Northey[1]
1553 (Oct) William Hunston Robert Drury[1]
1554 (Apr) Robert Drury Nicholas Rookwood[1]
1554 (Nov) Robert Drury Nicholas Rookwood[1]
1555 Nicholas Rookwood Robert Barker[1]
1558 Edward Clere Walter Haddon[1]
1559 Edmund Gascoigne Thomas Poley I[2]
1562–3 Sir Richard Fulmerston Edward Clere[2]
1571 Philip Appleyard Thomas Hogan[2]
1572 William Humberston, died
and repl. Jan 1576 by Sir Valentine Browne		 Thomas Colby[2]
1584 Edward Eden Robert Whitney[2]
1586 Sir Roger Woodhouse Thomas Poley II[2]
1588–9 William Waad Philip Gawdy[2]
1593 Charles Chewte Bassingbourne Gawdy[2]
1597 John Crofts Philip Gawdy[2]
1601 Henry Warner Thomas Knyvet, 1st Baron Knyvet[2]
1604 Bassingbourne Gawdy died
and repl. 1606 by Sir William Twysden, 1st Baronet		 Sir William Paddy
1614 Framlingham Gawdy Sir William Twysden, 1st Baronet
1621 Framlingham Gawdy Sir Thomas Holland
1624 Framlingham Gawdy Drue Drury
1625 Sir Robert Cotton, 1st Baronet, of Connington Framlingham Gawdy
1626 Sir John Hobart, 2nd Baronet Framlingham Gawdy
1628 Edmund Moundeford Sir Henry Spiller sat for Middlesex
and repl.by Sir Henry Vane
1629–1640 No Parliaments summoned
Apr 1640 Sir Thomas Wodehouse, 2nd Baronet Framlingham Gawdy
Nov 1640 Sir Thomas Wodehouse, 2nd Baronet Framlingham Gawdy secluded 1648
1648 Sir Thomas Wodehouse, 2nd Baronet
1653–1658 Thetford not represented in Barebones and Protectorate Parliaments
1659 William Stene Robert Steward

MPs 1660–1868[edit]

Year First member[3] First party Second member[3] Second party
April 1660 Sir Philip Wodehouse Robert Paston
March 1661 Sir Allen Apsley William Gawdy
October 1669 Sir Joseph Williamson
February 1679 William Harbord
March 1685 Henry Heveningham William de Grey
January 1689 Sir Henry Hobart Whig William Harbord
February 1689 Sir Francis Guybon
June 1689 John Trenchard Whig
February 1690 William Harbord
May 1690 Baptist May
November 1695 Sir Joseph Williamson Sir John Wodehouse
January 1696 James Sloane
July 1698 Sir Joseph Williamson
January 1699 Lord Paston
January 1701 Sir Joseph Williamson Edmund Soame
March 1701 Sir Thomas Hanmer
November 1701 Sir John Wodehouse
July 1702 Robert Benson Edmund Soame
May 1705 Sir Thomas Hanmer Sir John Wodehouse
May 1708 Robert Baylis Thomas de Grey
October 1710 Sir Thomas Hanmer Dudley North
December 1710 Sir Edmund Bacon
August 1713 Sir William Barker Tory
January 1715 John Ward
1722 Sir Edmund Bacon Tory Robert Jacomb
1733 by-election Charles FitzRoy-Scudamore
1739 by-election Lord Augustus FitzRoy
Dec. 1741 by-election Lord Henry Beauclerk Whig
1754 Herbert Westfaling
1761 Henry Seymour Conway Rockingham Whig Hon. Aubrey Beauclerk
1768 John Drummond
Sept. 1774 by-election Viscount Petersham
1774 Hon. Charles FitzRoy Charles FitzRoy-Scudamore
1780 Richard Hopkins
1782 by-election Earl of Euston Whig
1784 Sir Charles Kent, Bt George Jennings
1790 Robert John Buxton Joseph Randyll Burch
May 1796 John Harrison
1802 Thomas Creevey
1806 Lord William FitzRoy James Mingay
February 1807 Thomas Creevey
1812 Lord John FitzRoy
1818 Lord Charles FitzRoy Whig[4] Nicholas Ridley-Colborne
1826 Bingham Baring Whig[5]
1830 Lord James FitzRoy Whig[6] Francis Baring Whig[6]
1831 Alexander Baring Tory[6]
1832 Francis Baring Tory[6]
August 1834 by-election Henry FitzRoy, Earl of Euston Whig[7][8][6]
December 1834 Conservative[6]
1841 Hon. Bingham Baring Conservative[6]
May 1842 Sir James Flower, Bt Conservative[6]
1847 William FitzRoy, Earl of Euston Whig
1848 by-election Francis Baring Conservative[6]
1857 by-election Alexander Baring Conservative
1859 Liberal
1863 by-election Lord Frederick FitzRoy Liberal
1865 Robert Harvey Conservative
1867 by-election Edward Gordon Conservative
1868 Constituency abolished

FitzRoy family[edit]

Due to the town's close proximity to Euston Hall (the main residence of the FitzRoy family), the seat for Thetford has been held by various members of the family:

Election results[edit]

Elections in the 1830s[edit]

General election 1830: Thetford[6][9]
Party Candidate Votes %
Whig Lord James FitzRoy Unopposed
Whig Francis Baring Unopposed
Registered electors 31
Whig hold
Whig hold
General election 1831: Thetford[6][9]
Party Candidate Votes %
Whig Lord James FitzRoy Unopposed
Tory Alexander Baring Unopposed
Registered electors 31
Whig hold
Tory gain from Whig
General election 1832: Thetford[6][10]
Party Candidate Votes %
Whig Lord James FitzRoy Unopposed
Tory Francis Baring Unopposed
Registered electors 146
Whig hold
Tory hold

FitzRoy's death caused a by-election.

By-election, 8 August 1834: Thetford[6][10]
Party Candidate Votes %
Whig Henry FitzRoy Unopposed
Whig hold
General election 1835: Thetford[6][10]
Party Candidate Votes %
Whig Henry FitzRoy Unopposed
Conservative Francis Baring Unopposed
Registered electors 160
Whig hold
Conservative hold
General election 1837: Thetford[6][10]
Party Candidate Votes %
Whig Henry FitzRoy Unopposed
Conservative Francis Baring Unopposed
Registered electors 161
Whig hold
Conservative hold

Elections in the 1840s[edit]

General election 1841: Thetford[10][6]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Bingham Baring 86 37.7 N/A
Whig Henry FitzRoy 71 31.1 N/A
Conservative James Flower 71 31.1 N/A
Turnout 137 87.8 N/A
Registered electors 156
Majority 15 6.6 N/A
Conservative hold Swing N/A
Majority 0 0.0 N/A
Whig hold Swing N/A
Conservative win

Due to the triple return, on petition, one vote was knocked off FitzRoy's total and Flower was declared elected in 1842.

Baring was appointed Paymaster General, requiring a by-election.

By-election, 24 February 1845: Thetford[10]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Bingham Baring Unopposed
Conservative hold
General election 1847: Thetford[10]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Bingham Baring Unopposed
Whig William FitzRoy Unopposed
Registered electors 200
Conservative hold
Whig hold

Baring succeeded to the peerage, becoming 2nd Baron Ashburton and causing a by-election.

By-election, 3 August 1848: Thetford[10]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Francis Baring Unopposed
Conservative hold

Elections in the 1850s[edit]

General election 1852: Thetford[10]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Francis Baring Unopposed
Whig William FitzRoy Unopposed
Registered electors 200
Conservative hold
Whig hold
General election 1857: Thetford[10]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Francis Baring Unopposed
Whig William FitzRoy Unopposed
Registered electors 218
Conservative hold
Whig hold

Baring resigned, causing a by-election.

By-election, 9 December 1857: Thetford[10]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Alexander Baring Unopposed
Conservative hold
General election 1859: Thetford[10]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Alexander Baring Unopposed
Liberal William FitzRoy Unopposed
Registered electors 231
Conservative hold
Liberal hold

Elections in the 1860s[edit]

FitzRoy succeeded to the peerage, becoming 6th Duke of Grafton and causing a by-election.

By-election, 21 April 1863: Thetford[10]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Lord Frederick FitzRoy 93 53.4 N/A
Conservative Robert Harvey 81 46.6 N/A
Majority 12 6.8 N/A
Turnout 174 75.0 N/A
Registered electors 232
Liberal hold Swing N/A
General election 1865: Thetford[10]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Robert Harvey 193 48.4 N/A
Liberal Alexander Baring 137 34.3 N/A
Liberal Thomas Dakin[11] 69 17.3 N/A
Majority 124 31.1 N/A
Turnout 200 (est) 89.1 (est) N/A
Registered electors 224
Conservative gain from Liberal Swing N/A
Liberal hold Swing N/A

Baring resigned, causing a by-election.

By-election, 2 December 1867: Thetford[10]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Edward Gordon Unopposed
Conservative gain from Liberal

References[edit]

  1. ^ a b c d e f g h "History of Parliament". Retrieved 11 October 2011.
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j "History of Parliament". Retrieved 11 October 2011.
  3. ^ a b Leigh Rayment's Historical List of MPs – Constituencies beginning with "T" (part 1)
  4. ^ Escott, Margaret. "FITZROY, Lord Charles (1791–1865), of 49 Piccadilly, Mdx". The History of Parliament. Retrieved 27 April 2020.
  5. ^ Escott, Margaret. "BARING, William Bingham (1799–1864), of Buckenham House, Brandon, Norf. and 12 Great Stanhope Street, Mdx". The History of Parliament. Retrieved 27 April 2020.
  6. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p Stooks Smith, Henry. (1973) [1844-1850]. Craig, F. W. S. (ed.). The Parliaments of England (2nd ed.). Chichester: Parliamentary Research Services. pp. 227–228. ISBN 0-900178-13-2.
  7. ^ Mackie, Charles (1901). Norfolk Annals: A Chronological Record of Remarkable Events in the Nineteen Century, 1801-1850 (Reprint ed.). Digipublishing. p. 352. ISBN 978-1-4710-8854-4. Retrieved 15 July 2018 – via Google Books.
  8. ^ Mosse, Richard Bartholomew (1838). The Parliamentary Guide: a concise history of the Members of both Houses, etc. p. 168. Retrieved 15 July 2018 – via Google Books.
  9. ^ a b Escott, Margaret. "Thetford". The History of Parliament. Retrieved 27 April 2020.
  10. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o Craig, F. W. S., ed. (1977). British Parliamentary Election Results 1832-1885 (e-book) (1st ed.). London: Macmillan Press. ISBN 978-1-349-02349-3.
  11. ^ "Eastern Counties Elections". Bury and Norwich Post. 18 July 1865. p. 6. Retrieved 25 March 2018 – via British Newspaper Archive.

Sources[edit]

  • 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) [1]
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