Brackley (UK Parliament constituency)
Encyclopedia
Brackley was a parliamentary borough
in Northamptonshire
, which elected two Members of Parliament
(MPs) to the House of Commons
from 1547 until 1832, when the constituency was abolished by the Great Reform Act.
, a market town where the main economic interests were making lace and footwear. In 1831, the population of the borough was 2,107, and the town contained 378 houses. While this by no means put it among the smallest of the rotten borough
s, it was barely the half the size which was eventually required to retain representation after 1832.
Brackley was a corporation borough, the right to vote having been restricted to the Mayor, 6 aldermen
and 26 "burgesses" (the remaining members of the corporation), a total electorate of 33, in the reign of James II
. The Mayor was appointed by the Lord of the Manor
, and the major local landowners or "patrons" had total control over the election of MPs. In the mid 18th century the Duke of Bridgewater was able to nominate both MPs; by the time of the Reform Act, the Earl of Bridgewater
nominated to one seat and the Marquess of Stafford to the other.
Brackley lost both its MPs under the provisions of the Reform Act.
Notes
Parliamentary borough
Parliamentary boroughs are a type of administrative division, usually covering urban areas, that are entitled to representation in a Parliament...
in Northamptonshire
Northamptonshire
Northamptonshire is a landlocked county in the English East Midlands, with a population of 629,676 as at the 2001 census. It has boundaries with the ceremonial counties of Warwickshire to the west, Leicestershire and Rutland to the north, Cambridgeshire to the east, Bedfordshire to the south-east,...
, which elected two Members of Parliament
Member of Parliament
A Member of Parliament is a representative of the voters to a :parliament. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, the term applies specifically to members of the lower house, as upper houses often have a different title, such as senate, and thus also have different titles for its members,...
(MPs) to the House of Commons
British House of Commons
The House of Commons is the lower house of the Parliament of the United Kingdom, which also comprises the Sovereign and the House of Lords . Both Commons and Lords meet in the Palace of Westminster. The Commons is a democratically elected body, consisting of 650 members , who are known as Members...
from 1547 until 1832, when the constituency was abolished by the Great Reform Act.
History
The borough consisted of the town of BrackleyBrackley
Brackley is a town in south Northamptonshire, England. It is about from Oxford and miles form Northampton. Historically a market town based on the wool and lace trade, it was built on the intersecting trade routes between London, Birmingham and the English Midlands and between Cambridge and Oxford...
, a market town where the main economic interests were making lace and footwear. In 1831, the population of the borough was 2,107, and the town contained 378 houses. While this by no means put it among the smallest of the rotten borough
Rotten borough
A "rotten", "decayed" or pocket borough was a parliamentary borough or constituency in the United Kingdom that had a very small electorate and could be used by a patron to gain undue and unrepresentative influence within Parliament....
s, it was barely the half the size which was eventually required to retain representation after 1832.
Brackley was a corporation borough, the right to vote having been restricted to the Mayor, 6 aldermen
Alderman
An alderman is a member of a municipal assembly or council in many jurisdictions founded upon English law. The term may be titular, denoting a high-ranking member of a borough or county council, a council member chosen by the elected members themselves rather than by popular vote, or a council...
and 26 "burgesses" (the remaining members of the corporation), a total electorate of 33, in the reign of James II
James II of England
James II & VII was King of England and King of Ireland as James II and King of Scotland as James VII, from 6 February 1685. He was the last Catholic monarch to reign over the Kingdoms of England, Scotland, and Ireland...
. The Mayor was appointed by the Lord of the Manor
Lord of the Manor
The Lordship of a Manor is recognised today in England and Wales as a form of property and one of three elements of a manor that may exist separately or be combined and may be held in moieties...
, and the major local landowners or "patrons" had total control over the election of MPs. In the mid 18th century the Duke of Bridgewater was able to nominate both MPs; by the time of the Reform Act, the Earl of Bridgewater
Earl of Bridgewater
-History:The earldom was first created in 1538 for Henry Daubeny, 9th Baron Daubeny. The Daubeney family descended from Elias Daubeny, who in 1295 was summoned by writ to the Model Parliament as Lord Daubeny. The eighth Baron was created Baron Daubeny by letters patent in the Peerage of England in...
nominated to one seat and the Marquess of Stafford to the other.
Brackley lost both its MPs under the provisions of the Reform Act.
1547-1640
| Parliament | First member | Second member |
|---|---|---|
| 1547 | Henry Sidney | Francis Saunders |
| 1553 (Mar) | Robert Saunders | ?Francis Saunders |
| 1553 (Oct) | Thomas Fermor | Robert Saunders |
| 1554 (Apr) | Thomas Onley | Richard Ardern |
| 1554 (Nov) | George Ferrers George Ferrers George Ferrers was a courtier and writer. In an incident which arose in 1542 while he was a Member of Parliament for Plymouth in the Parliament of England, he played a key role in the development of parliamentary privilege.-Life:... |
Thomas Onley |
| 1555 | George Ferrers George Ferrers George Ferrers was a courtier and writer. In an incident which arose in 1542 while he was a Member of Parliament for Plymouth in the Parliament of England, he played a key role in the development of parliamentary privilege.-Life:... |
Thomas Boughton |
| 1558 | Robert Saunders | Drew Saunders |
| 1558/9 | Sir Thomas Knyvet | Robert Saunders |
| 1562/3 | Christopher Yelverton Christopher Yelverton Sir Christopher Yelverton was an English judge and speaker of the House of Commons.-Early life:He was the third son of William Yelverton of Rougham, Norfolk... |
Richard Lucy, died and replaced 1566 by Edward Onley |
| 1571 | Thomas Catesby | Matthew Mantell |
| 1572 | Matthew Mantell | Thomas Onley |
| 1584 (Oct) | James Croft | George Whitton |
| 1586 (Oct) | James Croft | George Whitton |
| 1588 (Oct) | Humphrey Davenport | Jerome Fermor |
| 1593 | Richard Bowle | Sidney Montagu Sidney Montagu Sir Sidney Montagu was an English politician who sat in the House of Commons at various times between 1593 and 1642. He supported the Royalist cause in the English Civil War.... |
| 1597 (Sep) | Robert Spencer | Ranulf Crewe |
| 1601 (Oct) | Edward Montagu | John Donne |
| 1604 | Sir Richard Spencer | William Lisle |
| 1621 | Sir Thomas Wenman Thomas Wenman, 2nd Viscount Wenman Thomas Wenman, 2nd Viscount Wenman , was an English landowner and politician.Wenman was the only son of Richard Wenman, 1st Viscount Wenman, by Agnes eldest surviving daughter of Sir George Fermor, of Easton Neston, Northamptonshire. He took part in the settlement of Ireland and was granted lands... |
Edward Spencer |
| 1624 | Sir Thomas Wenman Thomas Wenman, 2nd Viscount Wenman Thomas Wenman, 2nd Viscount Wenman , was an English landowner and politician.Wenman was the only son of Richard Wenman, 1st Viscount Wenman, by Agnes eldest surviving daughter of Sir George Fermor, of Easton Neston, Northamptonshire. He took part in the settlement of Ireland and was granted lands... |
Edward Spencer |
| 1625 | Sir Thomas Wenman Thomas Wenman, 2nd Viscount Wenman Thomas Wenman, 2nd Viscount Wenman , was an English landowner and politician.Wenman was the only son of Richard Wenman, 1st Viscount Wenman, by Agnes eldest surviving daughter of Sir George Fermor, of Easton Neston, Northamptonshire. He took part in the settlement of Ireland and was granted lands... |
Edward Spencer |
| 1626 | Sir John Hobart | John Crew John Crew, 1st Baron Crew John Crew, 1st Baron Crew of Stene was an English Puritan politician, who sided with the Parliamentary cause during the Civil War but was raised to a peerage by Charles II after the Restoration.-Career:... |
| 1628 | Sir Thomas Wenman Thomas Wenman, 2nd Viscount Wenman Thomas Wenman, 2nd Viscount Wenman , was an English landowner and politician.Wenman was the only son of Richard Wenman, 1st Viscount Wenman, by Agnes eldest surviving daughter of Sir George Fermor, of Easton Neston, Northamptonshire. He took part in the settlement of Ireland and was granted lands... |
John Curzon |
| 1629–1640 | No Parliaments summoned | |
1640-1832
| Year | First member | First party | Second member | Second party | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| November 1640 Long Parliament The Long Parliament was made on 3 November 1640, following the Bishops' Wars. It received its name from the fact that through an Act of Parliament, it could only be dissolved with the agreement of the members, and those members did not agree to its dissolution until after the English Civil War and... |
John Crew John Crew, 1st Baron Crew John Crew, 1st Baron Crew of Stene was an English Puritan politician, who sided with the Parliamentary cause during the Civil War but was raised to a peerage by Charles II after the Restoration.-Career:... |
Parliamentarian | Sir Martin Lister Martin Lister (MP) Sir Martin Lister was an English farmer and politician who sat in the House of Commons from 1640 to 1648.Lister was a landowner of Radcliffe, Buckinghamshire, Thorpe Arnold, Leicestershire, and Burwell, Lincolnshire.... |
Parliamentarian | ||
| December 1648 | Both members excluded in Pride's Purge Pride's Purge Pride’s Purge is an event in December 1648, during the Second English Civil War, when troops under the command of Colonel Thomas Pride forcibly removed from the Long Parliament all those who were not supporters of the Grandees in the New Model Army and the Independents... - seats vacant |
|||||
| 1653 | Brackley was unrepresented in the Barebones Parliament Barebones Parliament Barebone's Parliament, also known as the Little Parliament, the Nominated Assembly and the Parliament of Saints, came into being on 4 July 1653, and was the last attempt of the English Commonwealth to find a stable political form before the installation of Oliver Cromwell as Lord Protector... and the First First Protectorate Parliament The First Protectorate Parliament was summoned by the Lord Protector Oliver Cromwell under the terms of the Instrument of Government. It sat for one term from 3 September 1654 until 22 January 1655 with William Lenthall as the Speaker of the House.... and Second Second Protectorate Parliament The Second Protectorate Parliament in England sat for two sessions from 17 September 1656 until 4 February 1658, with Thomas Widdrington as the Speaker of the House of Commons... Parliaments of the Protectorate |
|||||
| January 1659 Third Protectorate Parliament The Third Protectorate Parliament sat for one session, from 27 January 1659 until 22 April 1659, with Chaloner Chute and Thomas Bampfylde as the Speakers of the House of Commons... |
Thomas Crew Thomas Crew, 2nd Baron Crew Thomas Crew, 2nd Baron Crew was an English politician who sat in the House of Commons at various times between 1654 and 1679 when he inherited the peerage Baron Crew.... |
William Lisle William Lisle William Lisle was an English lawyer, landowner and politician who sat in the House of Commons from 1659 to 1681.Lisle was the eldest son of Tobias Lisle, Grocer of Cannon Street, London and Saffron Hill and his wife Susan Trist daughter of Richard Trist of Maidford, Northamptonshire. He was... |
||||
| May 1659 Rump Parliament The Rump Parliament is the name of the English Parliament after Colonel Pride purged the Long Parliament on 6 December 1648 of those members hostile to the Grandees' intention to try King Charles I for high treason.... |
Unrepresented in the restored Rump Rump Parliament The Rump Parliament is the name of the English Parliament after Colonel Pride purged the Long Parliament on 6 December 1648 of those members hostile to the Grandees' intention to try King Charles I for high treason.... |
|||||
| April 1660 | Sir Thomas Crew Thomas Crew, 2nd Baron Crew Thomas Crew, 2nd Baron Crew was an English politician who sat in the House of Commons at various times between 1654 and 1679 when he inherited the peerage Baron Crew.... |
William Lisle William Lisle William Lisle was an English lawyer, landowner and politician who sat in the House of Commons from 1659 to 1681.Lisle was the eldest son of Tobias Lisle, Grocer of Cannon Street, London and Saffron Hill and his wife Susan Trist daughter of Richard Trist of Maidford, Northamptonshire. He was... |
||||
| 1661 | Robert Spencer Robert Spencer, 1st Viscount Teviot Robert Spencer, 1st Viscount Teviot , styled The Honourable Robert Spencer until 1685, was an English politician who sat in the House of Commons from 1660 to 1679.... |
|||||
| February 1679 | William Lisle William Lisle William Lisle was an English lawyer, landowner and politician who sat in the House of Commons from 1659 to 1681.Lisle was the eldest son of Tobias Lisle, Grocer of Cannon Street, London and Saffron Hill and his wife Susan Trist daughter of Richard Trist of Maidford, Northamptonshire. He was... |
|||||
| August 1679 | Hon. Richard Wenman Richard Wenman, 4th Viscount Wenman Richard Wenman, 4th Viscount Wenman , known as Sir Richard Wenman, Bt, between 1680 and 1686, was an English landowner and politician.... |
Sir William Egerton | ||||
| 1681 | William Lisle William Lisle William Lisle was an English lawyer, landowner and politician who sat in the House of Commons from 1659 to 1681.Lisle was the eldest son of Tobias Lisle, Grocer of Cannon Street, London and Saffron Hill and his wife Susan Trist daughter of Richard Trist of Maidford, Northamptonshire. He was... |
|||||
| 1685 | James Griffin | |||||
| 1689 | John Parkhurst John Parkhurst John Parkhurst was an English Marian exile and from 1560 the Bishop of Norwich.-Early life:Born about 1512, he was son of George Parkhurst of Guildford, Surrey. He initially attended the Royal Grammar School, Guildford, before at an early age moving to Magdalen College School at Oxford... |
|||||
| 1690 | Sir William Egerton | John Blencowe | ||||
| 1692 | Harry Mordaunt Harry Mordaunt Lieutenant-General Harry Mordaunt was an English soldier.Mordaunt was a younger son of John Mordaunt, 1st Viscount Mordaunt and Elizabeth, the daughter and sole heiress of Thomas Carey, the second son of Robert Carey, 1st Earl of Monmouth... |
|||||
| 1695 | Charles Egerton Charles Egerton (MP for Brackley) Charles Egerton was an English Member of Parliament.Egerton represented Brackley, Northamptonshire from 1695 to 1711. He was unseated on petition in favour of John Burgh 27 Jan 1711.He died 11 December 1717, aged 63.... |
|||||
| 1698 | Sir John Aubrey Sir John Aubrey, 2nd Baronet Sir John Aubrey, 2nd Baronet was an English politician.He was the only surviving son of Sir John Aubrey, 1st Baronet and his wife Mary South, daughter of Sir Richard South. Aubrey matriculated from Jesus College, Oxford in 1668 and was called to the bar by the Middle Temple in 1672... |
|||||
| 1701 | Harry Mordaunt Harry Mordaunt Lieutenant-General Harry Mordaunt was an English soldier.Mordaunt was a younger son of John Mordaunt, 1st Viscount Mordaunt and Elizabeth, the daughter and sole heiress of Thomas Carey, the second son of Robert Carey, 1st Earl of Monmouth... |
|||||
| 1702 | John James | |||||
| May 1705 | John Sidney John Sidney, 6th Earl of Leicester John Sidney, 6th Earl of Leicester, PC was a Privy Councillor during the Georgian era.He was born and died at his family home of Penshurst Place in Kent and is buried at Penshurst. He was one of the five sons of Robert Sidney, 4th Earl of Leicester... |
|||||
| November 1705 | Harry Mordaunt Harry Mordaunt Lieutenant-General Harry Mordaunt was an English soldier.Mordaunt was a younger son of John Mordaunt, 1st Viscount Mordaunt and Elizabeth, the daughter and sole heiress of Thomas Carey, the second son of Robert Carey, 1st Earl of Monmouth... |
|||||
| 1708 | William Egerton | |||||
| 1711 | John Burgh | |||||
| 1713 | Paul Methuen Paul Methuen (diplomat) Sir Paul Methuen PC, KB was an English diplomat and politician.He was the son of John Methuen and was educated privately then at a Jesuit school in Paris. He went to Lisbon in 1691, when his father was appointed minister there. He gained valuable experience and the esteem of King Pedro... |
|||||
| 1714 | John Burgh | Henry Watkins | ||||
| 1715 | William Egerton | Sir Paul Methuen Paul Methuen (diplomat) Sir Paul Methuen PC, KB was an English diplomat and politician.He was the son of John Methuen and was educated privately then at a Jesuit school in Paris. He went to Lisbon in 1691, when his father was appointed minister there. He gained valuable experience and the esteem of King Pedro... |
||||
| 1733 | Dr George Lee George Lee (English politician) Sir George Lee, PC was a politician in the Parliament of Great Britain.He was Member of Parliament for Brackley 1733–1742, for Devizes 1742–1747, for Liskeard 1747–1754, and for Launceston 1754–1758.From 1742 to 1744, Lee was a Lord of the Admiralty, and he was knighted... |
|||||
| 1742 | Sewallis Shirley | |||||
| 1747 | Richard Lyttelton Richard Lyttelton Lt-General Sir Richard Lyttelton KB was a British soldier and politician who served in the British Army. He was the fourth son of Sir Thomas Lyttelton, 4th Baronet. He served as Governor of Minorca from 1763 until 1766 after its restoration to British rule following the fall of Minorca to the... |
|||||
| 1754 | Marshe Dickinson | Thomas Humberston | ||||
| 1755 | Sir William Moreton William Moreton William Moreton was an English prelate in the Church of Ireland who served as the Bishop of Meath from 1705-1716.-Life:... |
|||||
| 1761 | Robert Wood Robert Wood (engraver) Robert Wood was a British traveller, classical scholar, civil servant and politician.In 1750-1751 Wood travelled around the Levant with two wealthy young Oxford scholars James Dawkins and John Bouverie and an Italian draftsman Giovanni Battista Borra... |
|||||
| 1765 | Viscount Hinchingbrooke John Montagu, 5th Earl of Sandwich John Montagu, 5th Earl of Sandwich PC , styled Viscount Hinchingbrooke until in 1792, was a British peer and Tory politician.-Background and education:... |
Tory | ||||
| 1768 | William Egerton | |||||
| 1771 | Timothy Caswall | |||||
| 1780 | John William Egerton John Egerton, 7th Earl of Bridgewater John William Egerton, 7th Earl of Bridgewater FRS , known as John Egerton until 1803, was a British soldier and Tory politician.... |
Tory | ||||
| 1789 | Samuel Haynes | |||||
| 1802 | Robert Haldane Bradshaw Robert Haldane Bradshaw Robert Haldane Bradshaw was agent to Francis Egerton, 3rd Duke of Bridgewater and, after the Duke's death, was the first Superintendent of the Bridgewater Trustees. The Trustees administered the Duke's estate, which included coal mines at Worsley and the Bridgewater Canal.Robert Haldane Bradshaw... |
Tory | ||||
| 1803 | Anthony Henderson | Tory | ||||
| 1810 | Henry Wrottesley | Tory | ||||
| 1825 | James Bradshaw James Bradshaw (MP) James Bradshaw was a British Tory and later Conservative Party politician. He sat as Member of Parliament for Brackley from 1825 to 1832, for Berwick-upon-Tweed from 1835 to 1837 and for Canterbury from 1837 to 1847.... |
Tory | ||||
| 1832 United Kingdom general election, 1832 -Seats summary:-Parties and leaders at the general election:The Earl Grey had been Prime Minister since 22 November 1830. His was the first predominantly Whig administration since the Ministry of all the Talents in 1806-1807.... |
Constituency abolished | |||||
Notes