Whitchurch (UK Parliament constituency)
Encyclopedia
Whitchurch was a parliamentary borough
in the English County
of Hampshire
, which elected two Members of Parliament
(MPs) to the House of Commons
from 1586 until 1832, when the borough was abolished by the Great Reform Act.
. The borough consisted of most of the town of Whitchurch
in northern Hampshire
, a market town which by the 19th century had shrunk to insignificance. In 1831, the population of the borough was approximately 1,673, and the town contained 261 houses of which 214 were within the borough.
Following a House of Commons decision in 1708, the right to vote was exercised by the freeholders of any tenements which had not been divided since the time of William III
(or by their husbands if the freeholder was a woman). Whitchurch was therefore in effect a "burgage
" borough (one where the vote was tied to ownership of specific properties). There were still competitive elections around the turn of the 18th century when no one influence was entirely predominant, and it is recorded that in 1685 it was one of the constituencies that King James II
thought worth visiting on an electioneering tour soon after his accession. But by 1700 the Duke of Bolton, as the most powerful local landowner, could generally see his preferred candidates elected, and by the middle of the century, as in other burgage boroughs, a majority of the burgages were concentrated in the hands of two owners and Whitchurch had become an utterly secure pocket borough.
By the time of the Great Reform Act the number of "voters" was estimated to be about 84, but there had been no contested election since 1721; only 13 of the burgages were not owned by one of the two patrons, according to Oldfield, writing in 1816. Of course, had there been an election the two proprietors themselves could not have voted more than once; but they would have been able to simply make a temporary conveyance of each property to a reliable deputy, as frequently happened elsewhere, to ensure that their majority share of the ownership was reflected in the voting.
In the 1740s, these "patrons" were John Selwyn and John Wallop, 1st Earl of Portsmouth
, who chose one MP each; Selwyn invariably made use of the seat for himself. After Selwyn's death in 1751 his share was inherited by his son-in-law, Thomas Townshend, who used the seat for his son
, a rising minister. By the 1770s the former Portsmouth share of the representation was also in Townshend hands, and was used to find a seat for another relative, George Brodrick, 4th Viscount Midleton
.
Whitchurch was abolished as a separate constituency by the Reform Act, the town being included in the Northern division of Hampshire
thereafter.
Notes
Parliamentary borough
Parliamentary boroughs are a type of administrative division, usually covering urban areas, that are entitled to representation in a Parliament...
in the English County
County
A county is a jurisdiction of local government in certain modern nations. Historically in mainland Europe, the original French term, comté, and its equivalents in other languages denoted a jurisdiction under the sovereignty of a count A county is a jurisdiction of local government in certain...
of Hampshire
Hampshire
Hampshire is a county on the southern coast of England in the United Kingdom. The county town of Hampshire is Winchester, a historic cathedral city that was once the capital of England. Hampshire is notable for housing the original birthplaces of the Royal Navy, British Army, and Royal Air Force...
, 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 1586 until 1832, when the borough was abolished by the Great Reform Act.
History
Whitchurch was one of a number of new boroughs created in the south of England by Queen Elizabeth IElizabeth I of England
Elizabeth I was queen regnant of England and Ireland from 17 November 1558 until her death. Sometimes called The Virgin Queen, Gloriana, or Good Queen Bess, Elizabeth was the fifth and last monarch of the Tudor dynasty...
. The borough consisted of most of the town of Whitchurch
Whitchurch, Hampshire
Whitchurch is a town in Hampshire, England. It is on the River Test, from Newbury, Berkshire, from Winchester, miles from Andover and miles from Basingstoke. Much of the town is a Conservation Area. Because of the amount of wildlife in and near the river, parts of the town are designated as...
in northern Hampshire
Hampshire
Hampshire is a county on the southern coast of England in the United Kingdom. The county town of Hampshire is Winchester, a historic cathedral city that was once the capital of England. Hampshire is notable for housing the original birthplaces of the Royal Navy, British Army, and Royal Air Force...
, a market town which by the 19th century had shrunk to insignificance. In 1831, the population of the borough was approximately 1,673, and the town contained 261 houses of which 214 were within the borough.
Following a House of Commons decision in 1708, the right to vote was exercised by the freeholders of any tenements which had not been divided since the time of William III
William III of England
William III & II was a sovereign Prince of Orange of the House of Orange-Nassau by birth. From 1672 he governed as Stadtholder William III of Orange over Holland, Zeeland, Utrecht, Guelders, and Overijssel of the Dutch Republic. From 1689 he reigned as William III over England and Ireland...
(or by their husbands if the freeholder was a woman). Whitchurch was therefore in effect 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...
" borough (one where the vote was tied to ownership of specific properties). There were still competitive elections around the turn of the 18th century when no one influence was entirely predominant, and it is recorded that in 1685 it was one of the constituencies that King 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...
thought worth visiting on an electioneering tour soon after his accession. But by 1700 the Duke of Bolton, as the most powerful local landowner, could generally see his preferred candidates elected, and by the middle of the century, as in other burgage boroughs, a majority of the burgages were concentrated in the hands of two owners and Whitchurch had become an utterly secure pocket borough.
By the time of the Great Reform Act the number of "voters" was estimated to be about 84, but there had been no contested election since 1721; only 13 of the burgages were not owned by one of the two patrons, according to Oldfield, writing in 1816. Of course, had there been an election the two proprietors themselves could not have voted more than once; but they would have been able to simply make a temporary conveyance of each property to a reliable deputy, as frequently happened elsewhere, to ensure that their majority share of the ownership was reflected in the voting.
In the 1740s, these "patrons" were John Selwyn and John Wallop, 1st Earl of Portsmouth
John Wallop, 1st Earl of Portsmouth
John Wallop, 1st Earl of Portsmouth , known as John Wallop, 1st Viscount Lymington from 1720 to 1743, was a British peer and Member of Parliament....
, who chose one MP each; Selwyn invariably made use of the seat for himself. After Selwyn's death in 1751 his share was inherited by his son-in-law, Thomas Townshend, who used the seat for his son
Thomas Townshend, 1st Viscount Sydney
Thomas Townshend, 1st Viscount Sydney PC , was a British politician who held several important Cabinet posts in the second half of the 18th century...
, a rising minister. By the 1770s the former Portsmouth share of the representation was also in Townshend hands, and was used to find a seat for another relative, George Brodrick, 4th Viscount Midleton
George Brodrick, 4th Viscount Midleton
George Brodrick, 4th Viscount Midleton was a British nobleman.-Origins:Brodrick was the eldest son and heir of George Brodrick, 3rd Viscount Midleton and Albinia, the daughter of the Hon Thomas Townshend...
.
Whitchurch was abolished as a separate constituency by the Reform Act, the town being included in the Northern division of Hampshire
North Hampshire (UK Parliament constituency)
- Notes and references :...
thereafter.
1584-1640
| Parliament | First member | Second member |
|---|---|---|
| 1584 | John Cooper | Henry Audley |
| 1586 | John Cooper | Henry Audley |
| 1588 | Richard Fiennes | Henry Audley |
| 1593 | Robert West | Richard Theakston |
| 1597 | Thomas Henshaw | Richard Carey |
| 1601 | Thomas Henshaw | Thomas Crompton Thomas Crompton (died 1609) Sir Thomas Crompton was an English politician who sat in the House of Commons at various times between 1597 and 1609.Crompton was the son of Sir Thomas Crompton. He matriculated at St Alban Hall, Oxford under date 20 December 1577, aged19 and was awarded BA from Merton College, Oxford on 28... |
| 1604 | Thomas Brookes | Sir Richard Pawlett |
| 1614 | 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... |
Sir Richard Pawlett |
| 1621-1622 | Sir Thomas Jervoise Thomas Jervoise Sir Thomas Jervoise was an English politician who sat in the House of Commons variously between 1621 and 1653. He was a staunch supporter of the Parliamentary side during the English Civil War.... |
Sir Robert Oxenbridge |
| 1624 | Sir Henry Wallop | Thomas Jervoise Thomas Jervoise Sir Thomas Jervoise was an English politician who sat in the House of Commons variously between 1621 and 1653. He was a staunch supporter of the Parliamentary side during the English Civil War.... |
| 1625 | Robert Wallop Robert Wallop Robert Wallop was an English politician who sat in the House of Commons at various times from 1621 to 1660. He supported the Parliamentary cause in the English Civil War and was one of the regicides of King Charles I of England.... |
Giles Hungerford |
| 1626 | Henry Wallop | Giles Hungerford |
| 1628 | Sir Thomas Jervoise Thomas Jervoise Sir Thomas Jervoise was an English politician who sat in the House of Commons variously between 1621 and 1653. He was a staunch supporter of the Parliamentary side during the English Civil War.... |
John Jephson |
| 1629–1640 | No Parliaments summoned | |
1640-1832
| Year | First member | First party | Second member | Second 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.... |
Sir Thomas Jervoise Thomas Jervoise Sir Thomas Jervoise was an English politician who sat in the House of Commons variously between 1621 and 1653. He was a staunch supporter of the Parliamentary side during the English Civil War.... |
Richard Jervoise Richard Jervoise Richard Jervoise was an English politician who sat in the House of Commons between 1640 and 1645.Jervoise was the son of Sir Thomas Jervoise of Britford and Herriard, and his wife Lucy Powlet, daughter of Sir Richard Powlet of Herriard.... |
Parliamentarian | |||
| 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... |
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| 1645 | Thomas Hussey Thomas Hussey (MP for Whitchurch) Thomas Hussey was an English merchant and politician who sat in the House of Commons at various times between 1645 and 1657.... |
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| 1653 | Whitchurch 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 |
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| 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 Henry Vane Henry Vane the Younger Sir Henry Vane , son of Henry Vane the Elder , was an English politician, statesman, and colonial governor... |
Robert Reynolds Robert Reynolds (Attorney General) Sir Robert Reynolds was an English lawyer and Member of Parliament who served as Solicitor General and Attorney General during the Commonwealth period.... |
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| 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.... |
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| April 1660 | Robert Wallop Robert Wallop Robert Wallop was an English politician who sat in the House of Commons at various times from 1621 to 1660. He supported the Parliamentary cause in the English Civil War and was one of the regicides of King Charles I of England.... |
Giles Hungerford Giles Hungerford Giles Hungerford was an English lawyer and politician who sat in the House of Commons between 1660 and 1685.Hungerford was the son of Anthony Hungerford of Black Bourton, Oxfordshire... |
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| June 1660 | Henry Wallop | |||||
| 1674 | Richard Ayliffe | |||||
| 1679 | Henry Wallop | |||||
| 1685 | Lord James Russell | |||||
| 1692 | Christopher Stokes | |||||
| 1698 | Richard Wollaston | |||||
| 1701 | Major-General John Shrimpton John Shrimpton -Military career:Shrimpton joined the Army becoming a Major in the 1st Foot Guards.In 1693, during the Nine Years' War, he was wounded at the Battle of Landen in Flanders... |
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| January 1708 | Frederick Tylney (see biog. under Richard Child, 1st Earl Tylney Richard Child, 1st Earl Tylney Richard Child, 1st Earl Tylney , was an English Member of Parliament. He held no Office of State, nor any commercial directorship of significance, but is remembered chiefly as the builder of the now long-demolished Palladian "princely mansion" Wanstead House, one of the first in the style... ) |
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| February 1708 | Charles Wither | |||||
| May 1708 | Thomas Lewis Thomas Lewis (died 1736) Thomas Lewis was a British politician.He was the Member of Parliament for Salisbury , Winchester , Buckingham , Southampton , Portsmouth , Whitchurch and Hampshire Thomas Lewis (c.1679 – 22 November 1736) was a British politician.He was the Member of Parliament (MP) for Salisbury (19 August 1727... |
Frederick Tylney | ||||
| December 1708 | Richard Wollaston | George Brydges | ||||
| 1710 | Frederick Tylney | Thomas Vernon | ||||
| 1715 | General George Carpenter George Carpenter, 1st Baron Carpenter Lieutenant-General George Carpenter, 1st Baron Carpenter was a British soldier who served as Governor of Minorca and as Commander-in-chief of all the forces in Scotland... |
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| May 1721 | Frederick Tylney | |||||
| June 1721 | John Conduitt John Conduitt John Conduitt was a British Member of Parliament and Master of the Mint.-Early life, education and family:Conduitt was the son of Leonard and Sarah Conduitt, and was baptized at St Paul's, Covent Garden, London, on 8 March 1688. He was admitted to St Peter's College Westminster School as a King's... |
Government Whig British Whig Party The Whigs were a party in the Parliament of England, Parliament of Great Britain, and Parliament of the United Kingdom, who contested power with the rival Tories from the 1680s to the 1850s. The Whigs' origin lay in constitutional monarchism and opposition to absolute rule... |
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| 1722 | Thomas Vernon | |||||
| February 1727 | Thomas Farrington | |||||
| August 1727 | John Selwyn | |||||
| 1734 | John Selwyn, junior | |||||
| 1735 | Colonel John Mordaunt John Mordaunt (British Army officer) General Sir John Mordaunt, KB was a British soldier and Whig politician, the son of Lieutenant-General Harry Mordaunt and Margaret Spencer... |
Government Whig British Whig Party The Whigs were a party in the Parliament of England, Parliament of Great Britain, and Parliament of the United Kingdom, who contested power with the rival Tories from the 1680s to the 1850s. The Whigs' origin lay in constitutional monarchism and opposition to absolute rule... |
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| 1741 | John Wallop John Wallop, Viscount Lymington John Wallop, Viscount Lymington was a British politician, styled Hon. John Wallop from 1720 to 1743.The eldest son of John Wallop, 1st Viscount Lymington, Wallop was educated at Winchester School from 1731 to 1734 and at Christ Church, Oxford in 1735. From 1739 to 1740, he was mayor of... |
Government Whig British Whig Party The Whigs were a party in the Parliament of England, Parliament of Great Britain, and Parliament of the United Kingdom, who contested power with the rival Tories from the 1680s to the 1850s. The Whigs' origin lay in constitutional monarchism and opposition to absolute rule... |
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| 1742 | William Sloper William Sloper William Sloper was a British Member of Parliament. He represented Great Bedwyn , as the second member, 1715-1722 and 1727-1741. He was the first member 1741-1756.... |
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| January 1743 | Charles Clarke | |||||
| February 1743 | Brigadier Thomas Wentworth | |||||
| 1747 | Charles Wallop Charles Wallop Charles Wallop was a British politician.The third son of John Wallop, 1st Earl of Portsmouth, Charles was educated at Winchester School from 1732 to 1739 and at Corpus Christi College, Cambridge from 1740 to 1743... |
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| 1751 | Lord Robert Bertie | |||||
| 1754 | William Powlett | Thomas Townshend Thomas Townshend, 1st Viscount Sydney Thomas Townshend, 1st Viscount Sydney PC , was a British politician who held several important Cabinet posts in the second half of the 18th century... |
Whig British Whig Party The Whigs were a party in the Parliament of England, Parliament of Great Britain, and Parliament of the United Kingdom, who contested power with the rival Tories from the 1680s to the 1850s. The Whigs' origin lay in constitutional monarchism and opposition to absolute rule... |
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| 1757 | George Jennings George Jennings (MP) George Jennings was a British politician.He was elected as a Member of Parliament for the borough of Whitchurch in hampshire at a by-election in March 1757... |
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| 1768 | Hon. Henry Wallop Henry Wallop (died 1794) Henry Wallop was a British soldier and politician, the second son of John Wallop, Viscount Lymington.Wallop was commissioned as a lieutenant and captain in the 3rd Regiment of Foot Guards in 1762... |
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| 1774 | The Viscount Midleton George Brodrick, 4th Viscount Midleton George Brodrick, 4th Viscount Midleton was a British nobleman.-Origins:Brodrick was the eldest son and heir of George Brodrick, 3rd Viscount Midleton and Albinia, the daughter of the Hon Thomas Townshend... |
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| 1783 | William Selwyn | |||||
| 1790 | Hon. John Townshend John Townshend, 2nd Viscount Sydney John Thomas Townshend, 2nd Viscount Sydney of St Leonards was a British peer.He was the son of Thomas Townshend, 1st Viscount Sydney of St Leonards and Elizabeth Powys. On 13 April 1790 he married Hon. Sophia Southwell, daughter of Edward Southwell, 20th Baron de Clifford. They had one child;*Hon... |
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| 1796 | Hon. William Brodrick | |||||
| 1800 | Hon. William Townshend | |||||
| 1816 | Horatio George Powys Townshend | Tory | ||||
| 1818 | Sir Samuel Scott | Tory | ||||
| 1826 | Hon. John Robert Townshend John Townshend, 1st Earl Sydney John Robert Townshend, 1st Earl Sydney GCB, PC , known as The Viscount Sydney between 1831 and 1874, was a British Liberal politician... |
Tory | ||||
| 1831 | Horatio George Powys Townshend | 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