Newport was a 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....

 situated in Cornwall

Cornwall

Cornwall is a unitary authority and ceremonial county of England, within the United Kingdom. It is bordered to the north and west by the Celtic Sea, to the south by the English Channel, and to the east by the county of Devon, over the River Tamar. Cornwall has a population of , and covers an area of...

. It is now within the town of Launceston, which was itself also a parliamentary borough at the same period. It is occasionally referred to as Newport-juxta-Launceston to distinguish it from other constituencies named Newport.

History

From 1529 until it was abolished by the great reform act

Reform Act 1832

The Representation of the People Act 1832 was an Act of Parliament that introduced wide-ranging changes to the electoral system of England and Wales...

 of 1832, Newport

Newport, Cornwall

Newport is a suburb of the town of Launceston in Cornwall, United Kingdom. Originally a separate settlement, Newport is immediately north of the town....

 returned 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,...

. Until the early 18th century, the right to vote was held by all inhabitants paying scot and lot

Scot and lot

Scot and lot is a phrase common in the records of English medieval boroughs, applied to householders who were assessed for a tax paid to the borough for local or national purposes.They were usually members of a merchant guild.Before the Reform Act 1832, those who paid scot and bore...

, but subsequently it was converted to a burgage

Burgage

Burgage is a medieval land term used in England and Scotland, well established by the 13th century. A burgage was a town rental property , owned by a king or lord. The property usually, and distinctly, consisted of a house on a long and narrow plot of land, with the narrow end facing the street...

 franchise, meaning that the right to vote was tied to ownership of certain properties within the borough, which could be bought and sold at will. This reduced the number of qualified voters: under the scot and lot qualification around 70 people had had the right to vote, but by 1831 the number was only about 12.

The borough had a population of 595 in 1831. 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...

, owning extensive property within the borough and with the effective power of choosing both members of parliament, was the Duke of Northumberland

Duke of Northumberland

The Duke of Northumberland is a title in the peerage of Great Britain that has been created several times. Since the third creation in 1766, the title has belonged to the House of Percy , which held the title of Earl of Northumberland from 1377....

.

By the Reform Act, Newport was abolished as a separate borough, but the boundaries of Launceston

Launceston (UK Parliament constituency)

Launceston, also known at some periods as Dunheved, was a parliamentary constituency in Cornwall which returned two Members of Parliament to the British House of Commons from 1295 until 1832, and one member from 1832 until 1918...

 were extended to include Newport. As Launceston's representation was halved by the same measure, the combined borough was thereafter represented by a single MP whereas previously there had been four members.

1529-1629

• Constituency created 1529

  Parliament	First member	Second member
  Parliament of 1529	Simon Mountford	William Harris
  Parliament of 1536	?
  Parliament of 1539	?
  Parliament of 1542	?
  Parliament of 1545	Richard Grenville	Walter Skinner
  Parliament of 1547	Reginald Mohun	James Trewynnard
  First Parliament of 1553	Henry Killigrew Henry Killigrew (diplomat) Sir Henry Killigrew was an English diplomat and ambassador in the sixteenth century. He was several times employed by Elizabeth I in Scottish affairs and served as a member of the Council of States in the United Provinces in 1586 and 1587-1589....	Francis Roscarrock
  Second Parliament of 1553	William Smith	John Gayer
  Parliament of Apr 1554	Roger Tavernor	Thomas Prideaux
  Parliament of Nov 1554	Robert Monson Robert Monson Robert Monson was an English politician and judge. He was Member of Parliament for various constituencies from 1553 to 1572 and also became Justice of the Common Pleas....	Robert Browne Robert Browne Robert Browne was the founder of the Brownists, a common designation for early Separatists from the Church of England before 1620.-Biography:...
  Parliament of 1554/5	William Stourton	Robert Monson Robert Monson Robert Monson was an English politician and judge. He was Member of Parliament for various constituencies from 1553 to 1572 and also became Justice of the Common Pleas....
  Parliament of 1558	Thomas Hungate	Thomas Roper
  Parliament of 1559	(Richard) Grenville	Thomas Hickes
  Parliament of 1563-1567	George Basset	Ayshton Ayleworth
  Parliament of 1571	Edward Holt	Robert Colshill
  Parliament of 1572-1581	George Basset	William Merbury
  Parliament of 1584-1585	Robert Mordaunt	Walter Covert
  Parliament of 1586-1587	John Osborne	Edward Winter
  Parliament of 1588-1589	William Cavendish William Cavendish, 1st Earl of Devonshire William Cavendish, 1st Earl of Devonshire was an English politician and courtier.-Life:The second son of Sir William Cavendish and Bess of Hardwick, he was educated with the children of George Talbot, 6th Earl of Shrewsbury, whom his mother married after his father's death. She made him a rich...	Daniel Rogers
  Parliament of 1593	Richard Stevens	Emanuel Chamond
  Parliament of 1597-1598	Morgan Coleman	Edward Lewknor
  Parliament of 1601	Tobie Matthew Tobie Matthew Sir Tobie Matthew , born in Salisbury, was an English member of parliament and courtier who converted to Roman Catholicism and became a priest...	Sir John Leigh John Leigh (died 1612) Sir John Leigh was an English landowner, soldier and politician who sat in the House of Commons between 1597 and 1611.Leigh was the son of John Leigh of Coldrey, Hampshire and his wife Margaret or Margery Saunders, daughter of Thomas Saunders of Uxbridge, Middlesex...
  Parliament of 1604-1611	Sir Robert Killigrew Robert Killigrew Sir Robert Killigrew was an English courtier and politician who sat in the House of Commons at various times between 1601 and 1629. He served as Ambassador the the United Provinces.-Life:...	Sir Edward Seymour Sir Edward Seymour, 2nd Baronet Sir Edward Seymour, of Berry Pomeroy, 2nd Baronet , MP, was a British gentleman and politician.He was the son of Sir Edward Seymour, 1st Baronet, and wife Elizabeth Champernowne and a descendant of Edward Seymour, 1st Duke of Somerset, in the senior line...
  Addled Parliament (1614) Addled Parliament The Addled Parliament was the second Parliament of England of the reign of James I of England , which sat between 5 April and 7 June 1614...	Thomas Trevor	Sir Thomas Cheeke
  Parliament of 1621-1622	Sir Robert Killigrew Robert Killigrew Sir Robert Killigrew was an English courtier and politician who sat in the House of Commons at various times between 1601 and 1629. He served as Ambassador the the United Provinces.-Life:...	Sir Edward Barrett Edward Barrett, 1st Lord Barrett of Newburgh Edward Barrett, 1st Lord Barrett of Newburgh, PC was an English politician.Barrett was the son of Charles Barrett of Belhouse, Essex and his wife Christian Mildmay . He matriculated at Queen's College, Oxford on 17 March 1597 and entered Lincoln's Inn in 1600...
  Happy Parliament (1624-1625) Happy Parliament The Happy Parliament was the fourth and last Parliament of England of the reign of King James I, sitting from 19 February 1624 to 24 May 1624 and then from 2 November 1624 to 16 February 1625...	Sir John Eliot John Eliot (statesman) Sir John Eliot was an English statesman who was serially imprisoned in the Tower of London, where he eventually died, by King Charles I for advocating the rights and privileges of Parliament.-Family and early life:...	Richard Estcourt
  Useless Parliament (1625) Useless Parliament The Useless Parliament was the first Parliament of England of the reign of King Charles I, sitting only from June until August 1625. It gained its name because it transacted no significant business, making it 'useless' from the king's point of view...		Ralph Speccot
  Parliament of 1625-1626	Sir Henry Hungate	Thomas Williams, junior
  Parliament of 1628-1629	Piers Edgcumbe	Sir William Killigrew William Killigrew Sir William Killigrew was an English court official under Charles I and Charles II.He was the son of Sir Robert Killigrew and Mary Woodhouse, of Kimberley, Norfolk, his wife. He was the elder brother to Thomas Killigrew... Nicholas Trefusis Nicholas Trefusis Nicholas Trefusis was an English politician who sat in the House of Commons of England variously between 1628 and 1648.Nicholas Trefusis was the last of the line of a branch of the Trefusis family living at Lezant in Cornwall....
  No Parliament summoned 1629-1640

1640-1832

Year	|2nd Member	2nd Party
April 1640 Short Parliament The Short Parliament was a Parliament of England that sat from 13 April to 5 May 1640 during the reign of King Charles I of England, so called because it lasted only three weeks....		Nicholas Trefusis Nicholas Trefusis Nicholas Trefusis was an English politician who sat in the House of Commons of England variously between 1628 and 1648.Nicholas Trefusis was the last of the line of a branch of the Trefusis family living at Lezant in Cornwall....	Parliamentarian Roundhead "Roundhead" was the nickname given to the supporters of the Parliament during the English Civil War. Also known as Parliamentarians, they fought against King Charles I and his supporters, the Cavaliers , who claimed absolute power and the divine right of kings...		John Maynard John Maynard (MP) Sir John Maynard KS was an English lawyer and politician, prominent under the reigns of Charles I, the Commonwealth, Charles II, James II and William III.-Origins and education:...	Parliamentarian Roundhead "Roundhead" was the nickname given to the supporters of the Parliament during the English Civil War. Also known as Parliamentarians, they fought against King Charles I and his supporters, the Cavaliers , who claimed absolute power and the divine right of kings...
1640					Paul Speccot Paul Speccot Paul Speccot was an English politician who sat in the House of Commons between 1626 and 1640.Speccot was the second son of Sir John Speccot of Penheale....
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...		Richard Edgcumbe	Royalist Cavalier Cavalier was the name used by Parliamentarians for a Royalist supporter of King Charles I and son Charles II during the English Civil War, the Interregnum, and the Restoration...		John Maynard John Maynard (MP) Sir John Maynard KS was an English lawyer and politician, prominent under the reigns of Charles I, the Commonwealth, Charles II, James II and William III.-Origins and education:...	Parliamentarian Roundhead "Roundhead" was the nickname given to the supporters of the Parliament during the English Civil War. Also known as Parliamentarians, they fought against King Charles I and his supporters, the Cavaliers , who claimed absolute power and the divine right of kings...
December 1640				Seat left vacant after Maynard chose to sit for Totnes Totnes (UK Parliament constituency) Totnes is a county constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. It elects one Member of Parliament , using the first-past-the-post voting system....
January 1644	Edgcumbe disabled from sitting - seat vacant
1647		Sir Philip Perceval Philip Perceval Sir Philip Perceval , was an English politician. He was knighted, 1638: obtained grants of forfeited lands in Ireland to the amount of , and lost extensive property in Ireland owing to the rebellion of 1641...  (died November 1647)			Nicholas Leach (died May 1647)
1648		William Prynne William Prynne William Prynne was an English lawyer, author, polemicist, and political figure. He was a prominent Puritan opponent of the church policy of the Archbishop of Canterbury, William Laud. Although his views on church polity were presbyterian, he became known in the 1640s as an Erastian, arguing for...			Alexander Pym
December 1648	Prynne 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...  - seat vacant			Pym not recorded as sitting after 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...
1653	Newport 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...		Sir John Glanville John Glanville Sir John Glanville the younger , of Broad Hinton in Wiltshire, was a Speaker of the English House of Commons during the Short Parliament....			William Morice William Morice (Secretary of State) Sir William Morice was an English statesman and theologian. He served as Secretary of State for the Northern Department and a Lord of the Treasury from June 1660 to September 1668....
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....	Not represented 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 Francis Drake Sir Francis Drake, 2nd Baronet Sir Francis Drake, 2nd Baronet was an English politician who sat in the House of Commons variously between 1646 and 1662...			William Morice William Morice (Secretary of State) Sir William Morice was an English statesman and theologian. He served as Secretary of State for the Northern Department and a Lord of the Treasury from June 1660 to September 1668....
August 1660					Hon. Laurence Hyde Laurence Hyde, 1st Earl of Rochester Laurence Hyde, 1st Earl of Rochester KG PC was an English statesman and writer. He was originally a supporter of James II but later supported the Glorious Revolution in 1688.-Early life:...
1661					John Speccot
1662		Piers Edgcumbe
1667		Nicholas Morice
1678					Ambrose Manaton
February 1679		John Coryton
September 1679		William Coryton
1681		William Morice
1685					John Speccot
1689		Sir William Morice
February 1690		The Viscount Newhaven Charles Cheyne, 1st Viscount Newhaven Charles Cheyne, 1st Viscount Newhaven was an English politician who sat in the House of Commons at various times between 1660 and 1698....
December 1690		John Morice
1695					The Viscount Newhaven Charles Cheyne, 1st Viscount Newhaven Charles Cheyne, 1st Viscount Newhaven was an English politician who sat in the House of Commons at various times between 1660 and 1698....
1698					John Granville
1699		Francis Stratford
January 1701					John Prideaux
December 1701		William Pole			John Spark
1702		Sir Nicholas Morice
1707					Sir John Pole
1708					Sir William Pole
1710					George Courtenay
1713					Humphry Morice
April 1722					Sir William Pole
December 1722					John Morice
1726		Thomas Herbert
1727					Sir William Morice Sir William Morice, 3rd Baronet Sir William Morice, 3rd Baronet was an English politician who served as Member of Parliament for Newport from 1727 to 1734, and for Launceston 1734–1750.- References :...
1734					Sir John Molesworth
1740		Nicholas Herbert
1741					Thomas Bury
1754		John Lee John Lee (1695–1761) John Lee , was a British politician. He was the Member of Parliament for Newport and Malmesbury3 Jul 1747 - 1754....			Edward Bacon
1756					Richard Bull
1761		William de Grey William de Grey, 1st Baron Walsingham William de Grey, 1st Baron Walsingham KC was a British lawyer, judge and politician. He served as Lord Chief Justice of the Common Pleas between 1771 and 1780....
1770		Richard Henry Alexander Bennett
October 1774		Humphry Morice
December 1774		John Frederick
1780		Viscount Maitland James Maitland, 8th Earl of Lauderdale James Maitland, 8th Earl of Lauderdale KT PC was Keeper of the Great Seal of Scotland, and a representative peer for Scotland in the House of Lords.-Early years:...	Whig		John Coghill
1784		Sir John Riggs-Miller
1785					William Mitford William Mitford William Mitford , English historian, was the elder of the two sons of John Mitford, a barrister and his wife Philadelphia Reveley.-Youth:...	Tory
1790		Viscount Feilding William Robert Feilding, Viscount Feilding Major-General William Robert Feilding, Viscount Feilding was a British Army officer and politician. He was the eldest son of Basil Feilding, 6th Earl of Denbigh, but died a year before his father, leaving a son, William Feilding, 7th Earl of Denbigh....			Charles Rainsford Charles Rainsford General Charles Rainsford was a British Army officer.-Career:He was the second son of alderman Francis Rainsford and his wife, Isabella and received his first education from a cleric friend of Francis's at Great Clacton...
1796		William Northey	Tory		Joseph Richardson
1803					Edward Morris	Whig
1812					Jonathan Raine	Tory
1826		Charles Bertie Percy	Tory
1829		William Vesey-Fitzgerald William Vesey-FitzGerald, 2nd Baron FitzGerald and Vesey William Vesey-FitzGerald, 2nd Baron FitzGerald and Vesey PC, PC , FRS, FSA was an Irish statesman.-Background and education:...	Tory
July 1830		John Doherty	Tory
December 1830		Sir Henry Hardinge Henry Hardinge, 1st Viscount Hardinge Field Marshal Henry Hardinge, 1st Viscount Hardinge, GCB, PC was a British field marshal and Governor-general of India.-Army career:...	Tory
1831					Viscount Grimston	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