Bridgnorth_(UK_Parliament_constituency)
Bridgnorth (UK Parliament constituency)
Parliamentary constituency in the United Kingdom, 1868–1885
Bridgnorth was a parliamentary borough in Shropshire which was represented in the House of Commons of England from 1295 until 1707, then in the House of Commons of Great Britain until 1800, and in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom from 1801 until its abolition in 1885.
Quick Facts County, Major settlements ...
| Bridgnorth | |
|---|---|
| Former Borough constituency for the House of Commons | |
| County | Shropshire |
| Major settlements | Bridgnorth |
| 1295–1885 | |
| Seats | 1295–1868:Two 1868–1885: One |
| Replaced by | Ludlow |
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It was represented by two burgesses until 1868, when it was reduced to one Member of Parliament (MP).
According to the 1881 census, the borough of Bridgnorth comprised the parishes of Quatford, part of Quatt, St. Leonard and St Mary (in Bridgnorth town), Astley Abbotts, Eardingdon, Oldbury, Romsley and Tasley. This was smaller than the municipal borough, which only contained the first four.[1]
By the eighteenth century Bridgnorth had one of the widest franchises in England, consisting of "the burgesses and freement within and without the borough".[2] There were more than a thousand voters in the contested elections of 1727, 1734 and 1741[3] although in 1920 it was noted as 700.[2] Between 1661 and 1870 at least one of the MPs for Bridgnorth came from the Whitmore family.[3]
MPs 1295–1640
|
MPs 1295-1640 — MPs 1640-1868 — MPs 1868-1885 — Elections — See also — Notes and references — Sources |
More information Parliament, First member ...
| Parliament | First member | Second member |
|---|---|---|
| 1388 (Feb) | John Farnales | William Palmer I[4] |
| 1388 (Sep) | William Palmer I | William Goldsmith[4] |
| 1390 (Jan) | William Palmer I | John Farnales[4] |
| 1390 (Nov) | ||
| 1391 | William Palmer I | Thomas Horde[4] |
| 1393 | William Palmer I | John Farnales[4] |
| 1394 | William Palmer I | John Farnales[4] |
| 1395 | William Palmer I | John Farnales[4] |
| 1397 (Jan) | William Palmer I | John Blockley[4] |
| 1397 (Sep) | ||
| 1399 | William Palmer I | Thomas Horde[4] |
| 1402 | Hugh Harnage | John Bruyn[4] |
| 1404 (Jan) | ||
| 1404 (Oct) | ||
| 1406 | Hugh Harnage | Walter Green[4] |
| 1407 | Walter Green | John Cook[4] |
| 1410 | ... Lange [4] | |
| 1411 | Thomas Hopton | Hugh Stanford[4] |
| 1413 (Feb) | ||
| 1413 (May) | Hugh Stanford | Thomas Green [4] |
| 1414 (Apr) | Richard Parlour | Thomas Odyes[4] |
| 1414 (Nov) | Richard Horde | Richard Parlour[4] |
| 1415 | ||
| 1416 (Mar) | Richard Horde | Richard Parlour[4] |
| 1416 (Oct) | ||
| 1417 | Richard Horde | Richard Parlour[4] |
| 1419 | Richard Horde | Richard Parlour[4] |
| 1420 | Richard Horde | William Stapeley[4] |
| 1421 (May) | Thomas Green | Robert Aylesbury[4] |
| 1421 (Dec) | Thomas Green | Richard Parlour[4] |
| 1425 | John Bruyn[5] | |
| 1510-1523 | No names known[6] | |
| 1529 | Humphrey Goldston | George Hayward[6] |
| 1536 | ? | |
| 1539 | ? | |
| 1542 | Edward Hall | William Grey[6] |
| 1545 | Edward Hall | Henry Blount [6] |
| 1547 | Roger Smith | John Pulley[6] |
| 1553 (Mar) | Ambrose Gilberd | Roger Smith [6] |
| 1553 (Oct) | Sir George Blount | Jerome Horde[6] |
| 1554 (Apr) | Jerome Horde | William Acton[6] |
| 1554 (Nov) | John Horde | Jerome Horde[6] |
| 1555 | Jerome Horde | William Acton [6] |
| 1558 | John Broke | Thomas Bromley[6] |
| 1559 | Sir George Blount | Richard Prince[7] |
| 1562–3 | John Broke | Edward Cordell[7] |
| 1571 | Henry Townshend | Thomas Otley[7] |
| 1572 | Henry Townshend | Thomas Seckford, died and replaced in 1580 by Edmund Molyneux [7] |
| 1584 | Jerome Corbet | Walter Lee [7] |
| 1586 | Edward Bromley | John Lutwich[7] |
| 1588 | Edward Bromley | John Lutwich[7] |
| 1593 | Edward Bromley | John Lutwich[7] |
| 1597 | Edward Bromley | John Lutwich[7] |
| 1601 | Thomas Horde | Edward Bromley[7] |
| 1604 | Sir Lewis Lewknor | Edward Bromley, replaced by Francis Lacon |
| 1614 | John Pierse | Richard Singe |
| 1621-1622 | Sir John Hayward | William Whitmore |
| 1624 | Sir William Whitmore | George Smith |
| 1625 | Sir William Whitmore | George Vernon |
| 1626 | Sir Richard Shelton | George Vernon |
| 1628-1629 | Sir Richard Shelton | Sir George Paule |
| 1629–1640 | No Parliaments summoned | |
Close
MPs 1640–1868
More information Elected, First member ...
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MPs 1868–1885
More information Election, Member ...
| Election | Member | Party | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1868 | Henry Whitmore | Conservative | |
| 1870 by-election | William Henry Foster | Liberal | |
| 1880 | Conservative | ||
| 1885 | Constituency abolished under the Redistribution of Seats Act | ||
Close
|
1830s – 1840s – 1850s – 1860s – 1870s – 1880s – See also – Notes and references – Sources |
Elections in the 1830s
More information Party, Candidate ...
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tory | Thomas Whitmore | 721 | 41.0 | ||
| Whig | William Wolryche-Whitmore | 669 | 38.0 | ||
| Tory | Richard Arkwright | 369 | 21.0 | ||
| Turnout | 986 | 1,759 | |||
| Majority | 52 | 3.0 | |||
| Tory hold | Swing | ||||
| Majority | 300 | 17.0 | |||
| Whig hold | Swing | ||||
Close
More information Party, Candidate ...
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Whig | William Wolryche-Whitmore | Unopposed | |||
| Whig | James Foster | Unopposed | |||
| Whig hold | |||||
| Whig gain from Tory | |||||
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More information Party, Candidate ...
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tory | Robert Pigot | Unopposed | |||
| Tory | Thomas Charlton Whitmore | Unopposed | |||
| Registered electors | 746 | ||||
| Tory gain from Whig | |||||
| Tory gain from Whig | |||||
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More information Party, Candidate ...
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Conservative | Thomas Charlton Whitmore | 490 | 38.7 | N/A | |
| Conservative | Robert Pigot | 423 | 33.4 | N/A | |
| Whig | Henry Hanbury-Tracy | 353 | 27.9 | New | |
| Majority | 70 | 5.5 | N/A | ||
| Turnout | 698 | 88.2 | N/A | ||
| Registered electors | 791 | ||||
| Conservative hold | Swing | N/A | |||
| Conservative hold | Swing | N/A | |||
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More information Party, Candidate ...
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Conservative | Thomas Charlton Whitmore | 429 | 36.8 | −1.9 | |
| Whig | Henry Hanbury-Tracy | 371 | 31.8 | +3.9 | |
| Conservative | Robert Pigot | 367 | 31.4 | −2.0 | |
| Turnout | 727 | 92.0 | +3.8 | ||
| Registered electors | 790 | ||||
| Majority | 58 | 5.0 | −0.5 | ||
| Conservative hold | Swing | −1.9 | |||
| Majority | 4 | 0.4 | N/A | ||
| Whig gain from Conservative | Swing | +3.9 | |||
Close
Hanbury-Tracy resigned, by accepting the office of Steward of the Chiltern Hundreds, after a petition was lodged against his election.
More information Party, Candidate ...
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Conservative | Robert Pigot | Unopposed | |||
| Conservative gain from Whig | |||||
Close
Elections in the 1840s
More information Party, Candidate ...
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Conservative | Thomas Charlton Whitmore | 496 | 39.3 | +2.5 | |
| Conservative | Robert Pigot | 475 | 37.6 | +6.2 | |
| Whig | Frederick John Howard[18] | 225 | 17.8 | +1.9 | |
| Whig | Nicholas Throckmorton[19] | 66 | 5.2 | −10.7 | |
| Majority | 250 | 19.8 | +14.8 | ||
| Turnout | 703 | 86.8 | −5.2 | ||
| Registered electors | 810 | ||||
| Conservative hold | Swing | +3.5 | |||
| Conservative gain from Whig | Swing | +5.3 | |||
Close
More information Party, Candidate ...
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Conservative | Thomas Charlton Whitmore | 611 | 44.7 | +8.4 | |
| Conservative | Robert Pigot | 388 | 28.4 | −9.2 | |
| Radical | John Easthope[20] | 368 | 26.9 | +3.9 | |
| Majority | 20 | 1.5 | −18.3 | ||
| Turnout | 684 (est) | 81.6 (est) | −5.2 | ||
| Registered electors | 838 | ||||
| Conservative hold | Swing | +3.2 | |||
| Conservative hold | Swing | −5.6 | |||
Close
Elections in the 1850s
More information Party, Candidate ...
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Conservative | Henry Whitmore | 443 | 40.8 | −3.9 | |
| Conservative | Robert Pigot | 360 | 33.1 | +4.7 | |
| Whig | Frederick William Cadogan[21] | 283 | 26.1 | −0.8 | |
| Majority | 77 | 7.0 | +5.5 | ||
| Turnout | 685 (est) | 95.5 (est) | +13.9 | ||
| Registered electors | 717 | ||||
| Conservative hold | Swing | −1.8 | |||
| Conservative hold | Swing | +2.6 | |||
Close
Pigot's election was declared void on petition due to bribery, causing a by-election.[22]
More information Party, Candidate ...
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Conservative | John Pritchard | Unopposed | |||
| Conservative hold | |||||
Close
More information Party, Candidate ...
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Conservative | Henry Whitmore | Unopposed | |||
| Conservative | John Pritchard | Unopposed | |||
| Registered electors | 678 | ||||
| Conservative hold | |||||
| Conservative hold | |||||
Close
Whitmore was appointed a Lord Commissioner of the Treasury, requiring a by-election.
More information Party, Candidate ...
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Conservative | Henry Whitmore | Unopposed | |||
| Conservative hold | |||||
Close
More information Party, Candidate ...
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Conservative | Henry Whitmore | Unopposed | |||
| Conservative | John Pritchard | Unopposed | |||
| Registered electors | 708 | ||||
| Conservative hold | |||||
| Conservative hold | |||||
Close
Elections in the 1860s
More information Party, Candidate ...
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Conservative | John Pritchard | 299 | 34.1 | N/A | |
| Liberal | John Dalberg-Acton | 289 | 33.0 | New | |
| Conservative | Henry Whitmore | 288 | 32.9 | N/A | |
| Turnout | 583 (est) | 94.9 (est) | N/A | ||
| Registered electors | 614 | ||||
| Majority | 10 | 1.1 | N/A | ||
| Conservative hold | Swing | N/A | |||
| Majority | 1 | 0.1 | N/A | ||
| Liberal gain from Conservative | Swing | N/A | |||
Close
On 22 March 1866, after scrutiny, Dalberg-Acton was unseated and Whitmore was duly elected in his place.
Whitmore was then appointed a Lord Commissioner of the Treasury, requiring a by-election.
More information Party, Candidate ...
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Conservative | Henry Whitmore | Unopposed | |||
| Conservative hold | |||||
Close
The seat was reduced to one member for the 1868 election.
More information Party, Candidate ...
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Conservative | Henry Whitmore | 548 | 52.4 | −14.6 | |
| Liberal | John Dalberg-Acton | 497 | 47.6 | +14.6 | |
| Majority | 51 | 4.8 | +3.7 | ||
| Turnout | 1,045 | 81.7 | −13.2 | ||
| Registered electors | 1,279 | ||||
| Conservative hold | Swing | −14.6 | |||
Close
Elections in the 1870s
Whitmore resigned, causing a by-election.
More information Party, Candidate ...
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Liberal | William Henry Foster | Unopposed | |||
| Liberal gain from Conservative | |||||
Close
More information Party, Candidate ...
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Liberal | William Henry Foster | 701 | 71.8 | +24.2 | |
| Conservative | George Barbour[23] | 275 | 28.2 | −24.2 | |
| Majority | 426 | 43.6 | N/A | ||
| Turnout | 976 | 77.0 | −4.7 | ||
| Registered electors | 1,267 | ||||
| Liberal gain from Conservative | Swing | +24.2 | |||
Close
Elections in the 1880s
More information Party, Candidate ...
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Conservative | William Henry Foster | 641 | 66.6 | +38.4 | |
| Liberal | Edward Reid Vyvyan[24] | 321 | 33.4 | −38.4 | |
| Majority | 320 | 33.2 | N/A | ||
| Turnout | 962 | 78.6 | +1.6 | ||
| Registered electors | 1,224 | ||||
| Conservative gain from Liberal | Swing | +38.4 | |||
Close
 |
- "Browse > Census > 1881". Histpop.Org. 1 July 2004. Retrieved 16 August 2022.
- Oldfield, Thomas (1820). "Bridgnorth". A Key to the House of Commons. p. 119.
- Pages 242 to 243,Lewis Namier, The Structure of Politics at the Accession of George III (2nd edition - London: St Martin's Press, 1957)
- "History of Parliament". History of Parliament trust. Retrieved 26 October 2011.
- "BRUYN, John (d.c.1437), of Bridgnorth, Salop". History of Parliament Online. Retrieved 28 April 2013.
- "History of Parliament". History of Parliament trust. Retrieved 26 October 2011.
- "History of Parliament". History of Parliament trust. Retrieved 26 October 2011.
- Created a baronet, June 1641
- Later Lieutenant-General
- Stooks Smith, Henry (1845). The Parliaments of England, from 1st George I., to the Present Time. Vol II: Oxfordshire to Wales Inclusive. London: Simpkin, Marshall, & Co. pp. 16–18. Retrieved 28 October 2018 – via Google Books.
- Later Admiral
- Escott, Margaret (2009). "FOSTER, James (1786–1853), of Coton Hall, nr. Stourbridge, Worcs". The History of Parliament. Retrieved 9 September 2019.
- "State of Polls, & Member Returned". Worcester Journal. 27 July 1837. p. 3. Retrieved 28 October 2018 – via British Newspaper Archive.
- The re-election of Sir Robert Pigot at the 1852 general election was voided on petition, triggering the 1853 by-election. A petition was also lodged against Henry Whitmore, but was dismissed.
- The election in 1865 of Sir John Dalberg-Acton, Bt was overturned on petition in 1866, and in 1866 the seat was awarded instead to Henry Whitmore
- Craig, F. W. S., ed. (1977). British Parliamentary Election Results 1832-1885 (e-book) (1st ed.). London: Macmillan Press. pp. 59–60. ISBN 978-1-349-02349-3.
- "Gloucestershire Chronicle". 12 June 1841. p. 3. Retrieved 28 October 2018 – via British Newspaper Archive.
- "Bridgnorth". Sheffield Independent. 3 July 1841. p. 5. Retrieved 28 October 2018 – via British Newspaper Archive.
- "Election News". Northern Star and Leeds General Advertiser. 10 July 1841. p. 23. Retrieved 15 November 2018 – via British Newspaper Archive.
- "Miscellaneous News". Coventry Herald. 2 July 1852. p. 6. Retrieved 18 April 2018 – via British Newspaper Archive.
- "The Parliamentary Election Inquiries". Leeds Times. 5 March 1853. p. 8. Retrieved 18 April 2018 – via British Newspaper Archive.
- "Bridgnorth Election". Eddowes's Journal, and General Advertiser for Shropshire, and the Principality of Wales. 11 February 1874. p. 7. Retrieved 28 December 2017 – via British Newspaper Archive.
- "The General Election". Leicester Chronicle. 3 April 1880. p. 8. Retrieved 18 December 2017 – via British Newspaper Archive.
- Robert Beatson, A Chronological Register of Both Houses of Parliament (London: Longman, Hurst, Res & Orme, 1807)
- 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)
- David Hayton, 'The Country Party in the House of Commons 1698-1699', Parliamentary History, volume 6 (1987), 141-63
- Craig, F. W. S. (1989) [1977]. British parliamentary election results 1832–1885 (2nd ed.). Chichester: Parliamentary Research Services. pp. 59–60. ISBN 0-900178-26-4.
- Leigh Rayment's Historical List of MPs – Constituencies beginning with "B" (part 5)