THE HOUSE OF COMMONS
CONSTITUENCIES BEGINNING WITH "B"
Last updated 07/04/2018 (15 Jul 2024)
Date Name Born Died Age
Dates in italics in the first column denote that the election held on that date was a by-election or, in some instances, the date of a successful petition against a previous election result. Dates shown in normal type were general elections.
Dates in italics in the "Born" column indicate that the MP was baptised on that date; dates in italics in the "Died" column indicate that the MP was buried on that date.
BEDFORD (BEDFORDSHIRE)
10 Apr 1660 Sir Samuel Luke 27 Mar 1603 30 Aug 1670 67
Sir Humphrey Winch, 1st baronet 3 Jan 1622 Dec 1703 81
25 Mar 1661 Richard Taylor (to 1667) 20 Mar 1620 30 Nov 1667 47
John Kelyng 19 Jul 1607 13 May 1671 63
Sir Samuel Luke 27 Mar 1603 30 Aug 1670 67
Double return between John Kelyng and Sir Samuel Luke. Kelyng allowed to sit 16 May 1661
10 Jul 1663 Paulet St. John, later [1688] 3rd Earl of Bolingbroke (to 1685) 23 Nov 1634 5 Oct 1711 76
30 Dec 1667 Sir William Beecher 24 Apr 1628 5 Dec 1694 66
12 Feb 1679 Sir William Francklyn c 1635 7 Apr 1691
6 Mar 1685 Sir Anthony Chester, 3rd baronet c 1633 15 Feb 1698
Thomas Christie (to 1695) 30 Jan 1622 Jul 1697 75
9 Jan 1689 Thomas Hillersden (to Mar 1698) 19 Oct 1653 26 Feb 1698 44
15 Mar 1690 Sir William Francklyn c 1635 7 Apr 1691
Double return between Thomas Christie and Sir William Francklyn. Christie declared elected 12 Apr 1690
5 Nov 1695 William Farrer (to Jul 1698) c 1656 22 Sep 1737
18 Mar 1698 William Spencer (to 1705) after 1663 20 Oct 1705
20 Jul 1698 Sir Thomas Alston, 3rd baronet c 1676 Dec 1714
Jan 1701 Samuel Rolt c 1671 4 Oct 1717
21 Nov 1701 William Farrer c 1656 22 Sep 1737
17 Jul 1702 Edward Carteret 28 Nov 1671 15 Apr 1739 67
11 May 1705 William Farrer (to 1713) c 1656 22 Sep 1737
Sir Philip Monoux, 3rd baronet 25 Jan 1679 25 Nov 1707 28
15 Dec 1707 William Hillersden 24 Apr 1676 6 Apr 1725 48
6 Oct 1710 John Cater (to 1715) 1672 16 Mar 1734 61
27 Aug 1713 Samuel Rolt c 1671 4 Oct 1717
28 Jan 1715 William Farrer (to 1727) c 1656 22 Sep 1737
John Thurlow Brace c 1685 after 1735
21 Mar 1722 George Huxley c 1687 19 Jul 1744
9 Jun 1725 John Thurlow Brace (to 1728) [he was unseated on petition in favour of James Metcalfe 16 Apr 1728] c 1685 after 1735
15 Aug 1727 John Orlebar (to 1734) 1697 19 Dec 1765 68
16 Apr 1728 James Metcalfe 4 Dec 1730
30 Jan 1731 Sir Jeremy Vanacker Sambrooke, 4th baronet (to 1740) c 1703 5 Jul 1740
26 Apr 1734 Samuel Ongley (to 1747) 2 Nov 1697 15 Jun 1747 49
14 Nov 1740 Sir Boteler Chernock, 4th baronet 30 Apr 1696 4 Aug 1756 60
29 Jun 1747 Thomas Gore c 1694 17 Mar 1777
John Offley c 1717 3 Apr 1784
15 Apr 1754 Francis Herne (to 1768) c 1702 26 Sep 1776
Robert Henley-Ongley, later [1776] 1st Baron Ongley [I] c 1721 23 Oct 1785
26 Mar 1761 Richard Vernon (to 1774) 18 Jun 1726 16 Sep 1800 74
17 Mar 1768 Samuel Whitbread 30 Aug 1720 11 Jun 1796 75
18 Oct 1774 Sir William Wake, 8th baronet (to 1784) 1742 29 Oct 1785 43
Robert Sparrow [he was unseated on petition in favour of Samuel Whitbread 23 Mar 1775] 24 Oct 1741 8 Mar 1822 80
23 Mar 1775 Samuel Whitbread (to 1790) 30 Aug 1720 11 Jun 1796 75
5 Apr 1784 William MacDowall Colhoun (to 1802) after 1802
28 Jun 1790 Samuel Whitbread (to 1815) 18 Jan 1764 6 Jul 1815 51
6 Jul 1802 William Lee-Antonie 24 Feb 1764 11 Sep 1815 51
6 Oct 1812 Lord George William Russell (to 1830) 8 May 1790 16 Jul 1846 56
17 Jul 1815 William Waldegrave, later [1846] 8th Earl Waldegrave 27 Oct 1788 24 Oct 1859 70
17 Jun 1818 William Henry Whitbread (to 1835) 4 Jan 1795 21 Jun 1867 72
2 Aug 1830 Frederick Polhill 2 Jul 1798 20 Sep 1848 50
13 Dec 1832 Samuel Crawley (to 1837) 16 Dec 1790 21 Dec 1852 62
8 Jan 1835 Frederick Polhill (to 1847) 2 Jul 1798 20 Sep 1848 50
25 Jul 1837 Henry Stuart [he was unseated on petition in favour of Samuel Crawley 21 May 1838] 26 Oct 1854
21 May 1838 Samuel Crawley 16 Dec 1790 21 Dec 1852 62
29 Jun 1841 Henry Stuart (to 1854) 26 Oct 1854
3 Aug 1847 Sir Harry Verney, 2nd baronet 8 Dec 1801 12 Feb 1894 92
8 Jul 1852 Samuel Whitbread (to 1895) 6 May 1830 25 Dec 1915 85
6 Dec 1854 William Stuart 7 Mar 1825 21 Dec 1893 68
27 Mar 1857 Thomas Barnard 1830
29 Apr 1859 William Stuart 7 Mar 1825 21 Dec 1893 68
18 Nov 1868 James Howard 1821 25 Jan 1889 67
3 Feb 1874 Frederick Charles Polhill-Turner 14 Mar 1826 18 Aug 1881 55
1 Apr 1880 Charles Magniac 1827 23 Nov 1891 64
REPRESENTATION REDUCED TO ONE MEMBER 1885
16 Jul 1895 Charles Guy Pym 11 Feb 1841 12 Nov 1918 77
15 Jan 1906 Percy Barlow 11 Jul 1867 18 Jun 1931 63
17 Jan 1910 Walter Annis Attenborough 27 Nov 1850 13 Jun 1932 81
Dec 1910 Frederick George Kellaway 3 Dec 1870 13 Apr 1933 62
15 Nov 1922 Sydney Richard Wells [kt 1938], later [1944] 1st baronet 3 Aug 1879 26 Nov 1956 77
26 Jul 1945 Thomas Cecil Skeffington-Lodge 15 Jan 1905 23 Feb 1994 89
23 Feb 1950 Arthur Christopher John Soames, later [1978] Baron Soames [L] 12 Oct 1920 16 Sep 1987 66
31 Mar 1966 Brian Stewart Parkyn 28 Apr 1923 22 Mar 2006 82
18 Jun 1970 Trevor Herbert Harry Skeet [kt 1986] 28 Jan 1918 14 Aug 2004 86
CONSTITUENCY ABOLISHED 1983, BUT REVIVED 1997
1 May 1997 Patrick Hall 20 Oct 1951
6 May 2010 Richard Quentin Fuller 30 May 1962
8 Jun 2017 Mohammad Yasin 15 Oct 1971
BEDFORDSHIRE
9 Apr 1660 Robert Bruce, styled Lord Bruce, later [1663] 2nd Earl of Elgin [S] and [1664] 1st Earl of Ailesbury (to 1664) 19 Mar 1626 20 Oct 1685 59
Samuel Browne c 1597 11 Apr 1668
10 Apr 1661 Sir Humphrey Winch, 1st baronet (to 1679) 3 Jan 1622 Dec 1703 81
2 May 1664 Sir John Napier, 4th baronet 5 Jul 1636 Aug 1711 75
18 Feb 1679 William Russell, styled Baron Russell 29 Sep 1639 21 Jul 1683 43
Sir Humphrey Monoux, 2nd baronet 10 Dec 1640 31 Jul 1685 44
10 Mar 1685 Sir Villiers Chernock, 2nd baronet c 1641 27 Oct 1694
William Boteler 6 Aug 1634 1 Feb 1703 68
11 Jan 1689 Edward Russell (Lord Edward from 1694) (to 1705) c 1642 30 Jun 1714
William Duncombe c 1647 13 Apr 1704
27 Feb 1690 Thomas Browne 3 Dec 1640 27 Jun 1713 72
2 Nov 1695 William Duncombe c 1647 13 Apr 1704
20 Jul 1698 Sir William Gostwick, 4th baronet (to 1713) 21 Aug 1650 24 Jan 1720 69
23 May 1705 Sir Pynsent Chernock, 3rd baronet by 1670 2 Sep 1734
19 May 1708 Lord Edward Russell c 1642 30 Jun 1714
2 Sep 1713 Sir Pynsent Chernock, 3rd baronet by 1670 2 Sep 1734
John Harvey (to Jul 1715) [he was unseated on petition in favour of John Cater 19 Jul 1715] c 1667 17 Nov 1721
16 Feb 1715 William Hillersden (to 1722) 24 Apr 1676 6 Apr 1725 48
19 Jul 1715 John Cater c 1673 16 Mar 1734
4 Apr 1722 Charles Leigh 28 Mar 1686 28 Jul 1749 63
Sir Rowland Alston, 4th baronet (to 1741) 6 Sep 1679 2 Jan 1759 79
1 Sep 1727 Pattee Byng, later [1733] 2nd Viscount Torrington 25 May 1699 23 Jan 1747 47
16 Feb 1733 Charles Leigh 28 Mar 1686 28 Jul 1749 63
24 Apr 1734 John Spencer [he was also returned for Woodstock, for which he chose to sit] 13 May 1708 19 Jun 1746 38
26 Feb 1735 Sir Roger Burgoyne, 6th baronet (to 1747) 23 Apr 1710 31 Dec 1780 70
18 May 1741 Sir John Chester, 6th baronet 23 Apr 1693 8 Feb 1748 54
6 Jul 1747 Sir Danvers Osborn, 3rd baronet 17 Nov 1715 12 Oct 1753 37
Thomas Alston, later [1759] 5th baronet (to 1761) c 1724 18 Jul 1774
5 Dec 1753 John Fitzpatrick, 1st Earl of Upper Ossory [I] c 1719 23 Sep 1758
13 Dec 1758 Henry Osborn 27 Aug 1694 4 Feb 1771 76
1 Apr 1761 Francis Russell, styled Marquess of Tavistock 27 Sep 1739 22 Mar 1767 27
Robert Henley-Ongley, later [1776] 1st Baron Ongley [I] (to 1780) c 1721 23 Oct 1785
7 Apr 1767 John Fitzpatrick, 2nd Earl of Upper Ossory [I] (to 1794) 2 May 1745 1 Feb 1818 72
27 Sep 1780 St. Andrew St. John, later [1805] 14th Baron St. John of Bletso [following the general election in Apr 1784, he was unseated on petition in favour of Robert Henley‑Ongley, Baron Ongley 1 Jul 1784] 22 Aug 1759 15 Oct 1817 58
1 Jul 1784 Robert Henley-Ongley, 1st Baron Ongley [I] [he was unseated on petition in favour of St. Andrew St. John 19 May 1785] c 1721 23 Oct 1785
19 May 1785 St. Andrew St. John, later [1805] 14th Baron St. John of Bletso (to 1806) 22 Aug 1759 15 Oct 1817 58
15 Sep 1794 John Osborn, later [1818] 5th baronet (to 1807) 3 Dec 1772 28 Aug 1848 75
5 Jul 1806 Francis Pym (to 1818) 28 Oct 1756 4 Dec 1833 77
11 May 1807 Richard Fitzpatrick 24 Jan 1748 25 Apr 1813 65
14 Oct 1812 Francis Russell, styled Marquess of Tavistock, later [1839] 7th Duke of Bedford (to 1832) 13 May 1788 14 May 1861 73
23 Jun 1818 Sir John Osborn, 5th baronet 3 Dec 1772 28 Aug 1848 75
21 Mar 1820 Francis Pym 28 Oct 1756 4 Dec 1833 77
15 Jun 1826 Thomas Potter MacQueen 28 May 1792 31 Mar 1854 61
9 Aug 1830 William Stuart 31 Oct 1798 7 Jul 1874 75
5 May 1831 Sir Peter Payne, titular 3rd baronet
For further information on this MP's claim to the Payne baronetcy, see the note at the foot of the page containing details of that title		 17 Mar 1762 23 Jan 1843 80
24 Dec 1832 Lord Charles James Fox Russell (to 1841) 10 Feb 1807 29 Jun 1894 87
William Stuart 31 Oct 1798 7 Jul 1874 75
13 Jan 1835 John Hume Cust (Egerton from 1849), styled Viscount Alford (to 1851) 15 Oct 1812 3 Jan 1851 38
7 Jul 1841 William Thornton Astell 13 Oct 1774 7 Mar 1847 72
30 Mar 1847 Lord Charles James Fox Russell 10 Feb 1807 29 Jun 1894 87
7 Aug 1847 Francis Charles Hastings Russell, later [1872] 9th Duke of Bedford (to 1872) 16 Oct 1819 14 Jan 1891 71
24 Feb 1851 Richard Thomas Gilpin, later [1876] 1st baronet (to 1880) 12 Jan 1801 8 Apr 1882 81
27 Jun 1872 Francis Bassett 1820 9 Jun 1899 78
28 Apr 1875 George William Francis Sackville Russell, styled Marquess of Tavistock, later [1891] 10th Duke of Bedford (to 1885) 16 Apr 1852 23 Mar 1893 40
8 Apr 1880 James Howard 1821 25 Jan 1889 67
SPLIT INTO TWO DIVISIONS 1885, SEE "BIGGLESWADE" AND "LUTON"
BEDFORDSHIRE MID
14 Dec 1918 Maximilian Gowran Townley 22 Jun 1864 12 Dec 1942 78
15 Nov 1922 Frederick Caesar Linfield 1861 2 Jun 1939 77
29 Oct 1924 William Ward Warner 14 Mar 1867 21 Mar 1950 83
30 May 1929 Milner Gray 11 May 1871 10 Apr 1943 71
27 Oct 1931 Alan Tindal Lennox-Boyd, later [1960] 1st Viscount Boyd of Merton 18 Nov 1904 8 Mar 1983 78
16 Nov 1960 Stephen Lewis Edmonstone Hastings [kt 1983] 4 May 1921 10 Jan 2005 83
9 Jun 1983 Nicholas Walter Lyell [kt 1987], later [2005] Baron Lyell of Markyate [L] 6 Dec 1938 30 Aug 2010 71
1 May 1997 Jonathan Sayeed 20 Mar 1948
5 May 2005 Nadine Vanessa Dorries 21 May 1957
19 Oct 2023 Alistair Luke Strathern 5 Mar 1990
4 Jul 2024 Blake Stephenson
BEDFORDSHIRE NORTH
9 Jun 1983 Trevor Herbert Harry Skeet [kt 1986] 28 Jan 1918 14 Aug 2004 86
CONSTITUENCY ABOLISHED 1997, BUT REVIVED 2024
4 Jul 2024 Richard Quentin Fuller 30 May 1962
BEDFORDSHIRE NORTH EAST
1 May 1997 Nicholas Walter Lyell, later [2005] Baron Lyell of Markyate [L] 6 Dec 1938 30 Aug 2010 71
7 Jun 2001 Alistair James Hendrie Burt 25 May 1955
12 Dec 2019 Richard Quentin Fuller 30 May 1962
NAME ALTERED TO "NORTH BEDFORDSHIRE" 2024
BEDFORDSHIRE SOUTH
23 Feb 1950 Edward Warner Moeran 27 Nov 1903 12 Dec 1997 94
25 Oct 1951 Norman John Cole 1 Jun 1909 22 Jan 1979 69
31 Mar 1966 Gwilym Edffrwd Roberts 7 Aug 1928 15 Mar 2018 89
18 Jun 1970 (William) David Madel [kt 1994] 6 Aug 1938
CONSTITUENCY ABOLISHED 1983
BEDFORDSHIRE SOUTH WEST
9 Jun 1983 (William) David Madel [kt 1994] 6 Aug 1938
7 Jun 2001 Andrew Edmund Armstrong Selous 27 Apr 1962
CONSTITUENCY ABOLISHED 2024
BEDWELLTY (MONMOUTHSHIRE)
14 Dec 1918 Charles Edwards [kt 1935] 19 Feb 1867 15 Jun 1954 87
23 Feb 1950 Harold Josiah Finch [kt 1976] 2 May 1898 16 Jul 1979 81
18 Jun 1970 Neil Gordon Kinnock, later [2005] Baron Kinnock [L] 28 Mar 1942
CONSTITUENCY ABOLISHED 1983
BEESTON
28 Feb 1974 James Theodore Lester [kt 1996] 23 May 1932 30 Oct 2021 89
CONSTITUENCY ABOLISHED 1983
BELFAST
1801 James Edward May, later [1811] 2nd baronet 5 Oct 1751 23 Jul 1814 62
16 Sep 1814 Stephen Edward May [kt 1816] c 1781 28 Oct 1845
3 May 1816 John Michel 10 Feb 1765 5 Apr 1844 79
8 Jul 1818 Arthur Chichester, later [1821] 1st baronet 8 Dec 1769 25 May 1847 77
16 Mar 1820 George Hamilton Chichester, styled Earl of Belfast, later [1844] 3rd Marquess of Donegall 10 Feb 1797 20 Oct 1883 86
6 Aug 1830 Sir Arthur Chichester, 1st baronet 8 Dec 1769 25 May 1847 77
REPRESENTATION INCREASED TO TWO MEMBERS 1832
21 Dec 1832 Lord Arthur Chichester 30 Sep 1808 25 Jan 1840 31
James Emerson Tennent [kt 1845], later [1867] 1st baronet (to 1837) 7 Apr 1804 6 Mar 1869 64
17 Jan 1835 John McCance 1772 11 Aug 1835 63
27 Aug 1835 George Dunbar 17 Aug 1875
5 Aug 1837 James Gibson 5 Feb 1880
George Hamilton Chichester, styled Earl of Belfast, later [1844] 3rd Marquess of Donegall 10 Feb 1797 20 Oct 1883 86
Both members were unseated on petition in favour of James Emerson Tennent and George Dunbar 8 Mar 1838
8 Mar 1838 James Emerson Tennent [kt 1845], later [1867] 1st baronet [he was again returned at the general election in Jul 1841, but this election was declared void 1 Aug 1842] 7 Apr 1804 6 Mar 1869 64
George Dunbar 17 Aug 1875
10 Jul 1841 William Gillilan Johnson [kt 1849] [this election was declared void 1 Aug 1842] 1808 9 Apr 1886 77
19 Aug 1842 David Robert Ross (to 1847) 1797 27 Jul 1851 54
James Emerson Tennent [kt 1845], later [1867] 1st baronet 7 Apr 1804 6 Mar 1869 64
20 Aug 1845 Lord John Ludford Chichester (to 1852) Nov 1811 22 Apr 1873 61
9 Aug 1847 Robert James Tennent 1803 25 May 1880 76
13 Jul 1852 Richard Davison 1796 20 Feb 1869 72
Hugh McCalmont Cairns, later [1867] 1st Baron Cairns and [1878] 1st Earl Cairns (to 1866) 27 Dec 1819 2 Apr 1885 65
15 Jun 1860 Samuel Gibson Getty (to 1868) 1817 15 Dec 1877 60
22 Nov 1866 Charles Lanyon [kt 1868] 6 Jan 1813 31 May 1889 76
21 Nov 1868 William Johnston (to 1878) 1829 17 Jul 1902 73
Thomas McClure, later [1874] 1st baronet 4 Mar 1806 21 Jan 1893 86
6 Feb 1874 James Porter Corry, later [1885] 1st baronet (to 1885) 8 Sep 1826 28 Nov 1891 65
4 Apr 1878 William Ewart, later [1887] 1st baronet 22 Nov 1817 1 Aug 1889 71
SPLIT INTO 4 DIVISIONS 1885, SEE "BELFAST EAST", "BELFAST NORTH", "BELFAST SOUTH" and "BELFAST WEST"
BELFAST EAST
27 Nov 1885 Edward Samuel Wesley de Cobain [expelled 26 Feb 1892]
For further information on the cause of his expulsion, see the note at the foot of this page		 1840 23 Sep 1908 68
9 Mar 1892 Gustav Wilhelm Wolff 14 Nov 1834 17 Apr 1913 78
3 Dec 1910 Robert James McMordie 31 Jan 1849 25 Mar 1914 65
7 Apr 1914 Robert Gordon Sharman-Crawford 8 Sep 1853 20 Mar 1934 80
CONSTITUENCY ABOLISHED 1918, BUT REVIVED 1922
15 Nov 1922 Herbert Dixon, later [1939] 1st Baron Glentoran 23 Jan 1880 20 Jul 1950 70
8 Feb 1940 Henry Peirson Harland 1 Sep 1876 11 Aug 1945 68
26 Jul 1945 Thomas Loftus Cole 1877 7 Mar 1961 83
23 Feb 1950 Alan John McKibbin 2 Feb 1892 2 Dec 1958 66
19 Mar 1959 Stanley Raymond McMaster 23 Sep 1926 16 Apr 1992 65
28 Feb 1974 William Craig 2 Dec 1924 25 Apr 2011 86
3 May 1979 Peter David Robinson 29 Dec 1948
6 May 2010 Naomi Rachel Long 13 Dec 1971
7 May 2015 Gavin James Robinson 22 Nov 1984
BELFAST NORTH
27 Nov 1885 William Ewart, later [1887] 1st baronet 22 Nov 1817 1 Aug 1889 71
12 Aug 1889 Sir Edward James Harland, 1st baronet 15 May 1831 24 Dec 1895 64
22 Jan 1896 Sir James Horner Haslett Jan 1832 18 Aug 1905 73
14 Sep 1905 Sir Daniel Dixon, 1st baronet 28 Mar 1844 10 Mar 1907 62
16 Apr 1907 George Smith Clark, later [1917] 1st baronet 8 Nov 1861 23 Mar 1935 73
20 Jan 1910 Robert Thompson 1839 3 Aug 1918 79
CONSTITUENCY ABOLISHED 1918, BUT REVIVED 1922
15 Nov 1922 Thomas Edward McConnell [kt 1937] 7 Apr 1868 22 May 1938 70
30 May 1929 Thomas Somerset [kt 1944] 14 Dec 1870 16 Jun 1947 76
26 Jul 1945 William Frederick Neill [kt 1948] 8 May 1889 3 Jan 1960 70
23 Feb 1950 Harford Montgomery Hyde 14 Aug 1907 10 Aug 1989 81
8 Oct 1959 William Stratton Mills 1 Jul 1932
28 Feb 1974 John Carson 31 Jul 1933
3 May 1979 John McQuade 9 Aug 1911 19 Nov 1984 73
9 Jun 1983 Alfred Cecil Walker [kt 2002] 17 Dec 1924 3 Jan 2007 82
7 Jun 2001 Nigel Alexander Dodds, later [2020] Baron Dodds of Duncairn [L] 20 Aug 1958
12 Dec 2019 John Finucane 10 Mar 1980
BELFAST SOUTH
27 Nov 1885 William Johnston 22 Feb 1829 17 Jul 1902 73
18 Aug 1902 Thomas Henry Sloan 1870 1941 71
20 Jan 1910 James Chambers 1860 11 Jun 1917 56
2 Jul 1917 William Arthur Lindsay 14 Apr 1866 21 Jun 1936 70
CONSTITUENCY ABOLISHED 1918, BUT REVIVED 1922
15 Nov 1922 Thomas Moles 13 Nov 1871 3 Feb 1937 75
30 May 1929 William John Stewart 1868 14 May 1946 77
26 Jul 1945 Conolly Hugh Gage 10 Nov 1905 3 Oct 1984 78
4 Nov 1952 Sir David Callender Campbell 29 Jan 1891 12 Jun 1963 72
22 Oct 1963 Rafton John Pounder 13 May 1933 16 Apr 1991 57
28 Feb 1974 Robert Jonathan Bradford
For further information on the death of this MP, see the note at the foot of this page		 8 Jun 1941 14 Nov 1981 40
4 Mar 1982 William Martin Smyth 15 Jun 1931
5 May 2005 Alasdair McDonnell 1 Sep 1949
8 Jun 2017 Emma Little-Pengelly 31 Dec 1979
12 Dec 2019 Claire Aisling Hanna 19 Jun 1980
CONSTITUENCY ABOLISHED 2024
BELFAST SOUTH AND MID DOWN
4 Jul 2024 Claire Aisling Hanna 19 Jun 1980
BELFAST WEST
27 Nov 1885 James Horner Haslett [kt 1887] Jan 1832 18 Aug 1905 73
7 Jul 1886 Thomas Sexton 1848 1 Nov 1932 84
6 Jul 1892 Hugh Oakeley Arnold-Forster 19 Aug 1855 12 Mar 1909 53
18 Jan 1906 Joseph Devlin 13 Feb 1871 18 Jan 1934 62
CONSTITUENCY ABOLISHED 1918, BUT REVIVED 1922
15 Nov 1922 Robert John Lynn [kt 1924] 31 Jan 1873 5 Aug 1945 72
30 May 1929 William Edward David Allen 6 Jan 1901 18 Sep 1973 72
27 Oct 1931 Alexander Crawford Browne 11 Dec 1942
9 Feb 1943 John Beattie 14 Apr 1886 9 Mar 1960 73
23 Feb 1950 James Godfrey MacManaway
For further information on this MP, and a discussion on the eligibility of clergy to sit in the House of Commons, see the note at the foot of this page		 22 Apr 1898 3 Nov 1951 53
29 Nov 1950 Thomas Leslie Teevan Jul 1927 11 Oct 1954 27
25 Oct 1951 John Beattie 14 Apr 1886 9 Mar 1960 73
26 May 1955 Florence Patricia Alice McLaughlin 23 Jun 1916 7 Jan 1997 80
15 Oct 1964 James Alexander Kilfedder [kt 1992] 16 Jul 1928 20 Mar 1995 66
31 Mar 1966 Gerard Fitt, later [1983] Baron Fitt [L] 9 Apr 1926 26 Aug 2005 79
9 Jun 1983 Gerard Adams 6 Oct 1948
9 Apr 1992 Joseph Gerard Hendron 12 Nov 1932
1 May 1997 Gerard Adams 6 Oct 1948
9 Jun 2011 Paul John Maskey 10 Jun 1967
BELPER (DERBYSHIRE)
14 Dec 1918 John George Hancock 15 Oct 1857 19 Jul 1940 82
6 Dec 1923 Herbert Wragg [kt 1944] 1880 13 Feb 1956 75
30 May 1929 Jack Lees 1884 11 Aug 1940 56
27 Oct 1931 Herbert Wragg [kt 1944] 1880 13 Feb 1956 75
26 Jul 1945 George Alfred Brown, later [1970] Baron George‑Brown [L] 2 Sep 1914 2 Jun 1985 70
18 Jun 1970 Dudley Geoffrey Stewart‑Smith 28 Dec 1933 13 Mar 2004 70
28 Feb 1974 Roderick Lemond MacFarquhar 2 Dec 1930 10 Feb 2019 88
3 May 1979 Irene Sheila Faith 3 Jun 1928 28 Sep 2014 86
CONSTITUENCY ABOLISHED 1983
BERE ALSTON (DEVONSHIRE)
9 Apr 1660 John Maynard 15 Aug 1638 28 May 1662 23
George Howard [he was also returned for Tavistock, for which he chose to sit] Feb 1622 17 Sep 1671 49
Sir Francis Drake, 2nd baronet 25 Sep 1617 6 Jan 1662 44
Double return between Howard and Drake. Howard seated 27 Apr 1660
26 Jun 1660 Richard Arundell, later [1664] 1st Baron Arundell of Trerice c 1616 7 Sep 1687
13 Apr 1661 Sir John Maynard (to Mar 1679) [at the 1679 general election, Maynard was also returned for Plymouth, for which he chose to sit] 18 Jul 1604 8 Oct 1690 86
George Howard [he was also returned for Tavistock, for which he chose to sit] Feb 1622 17 Sep 1671 49
Elizeus Crymes
Double return between Howard and Crymes. Howard seated 16 May 1661, although he later chose to sit for Tavistock
29 Jan 1662 Richard Arundell, later [1664] 1st Baron Arundell of Trerice c 1616 7 Sep 1687
4 Nov 1665 Joseph Maynard 15 Dec 1639 25 Oct 1689 49
15 Feb 1679 Sir William Bastard (to 1681) c 1636 2 Jul 1690
29 Mar 1679 Sir John Trevor c 1637 20 May 1717
5 Mar 1681 Sir Duncombe Colchester 26 Sep 1630 25 May 1694 63
John Elwill, later [1709] 1st baronet 24 Sep 1643 25 Apr 1717
16 Apr 1685 Sir John Maynard (to 31 Jan 1689) [at the 1689 general election, he was also returned for Plymouth, for which he chose to sit] 18 Jul 1604 8 Oct 1690 86
Sir Benjamin Bathurst c 1639 27 Apr 1704
19 Jan 1689 John Elwill, later [1709] 1st baronet (to 1690) 24 Sep 1643 25 Apr 1717 73
31 Jan 1689 Sir John Holt 30 Dec 1642 5 Mar 1710 67
21 May 1689 Sir John Trevor c 1637 20 May 1717
11 Mar 1690 Sir Francis Drake [he was also returned for Tavistock, for which he chose to sit] 1 May 1647 Dec 1717 70
John Swinfen (to 1694) 19 Mar 1613 12 Apr 1694 81
15 Dec 1691 John Smith (to Nov 1695) c 1655 2 Oct 1723
14 May 1694 Sir Henry Hobart, 4th baronet (to Dec 1695) [at the general election in Nov 1695, Hobart was also returned for Norfolk, for which he chose to sit] c 1657 21 Aug 1698
15 Nov 1695 John Elwill, later [1709] 1st baronet (to Jul 1698) 24 Sep 1643 25 Apr 1717 73
10 Dec 1695 Sir Rowland Gwynne (to Dec 1698) [at the general election in Jul 1698, Gwynne was also returned for Breconshire, for which he chose to sit] c 1659 24 Jan 1726
27 Jul 1698 Sir John Hawles (to 1701) [he was also returned for Mitchell in 1698 and was apparently allowed to represent both seats] 18 Mar 1645 2 Aug 1716 71
30 Dec 1698 James Montagu [kt 1705] 2 Feb 1666 30 Oct 1723 57
10 Jan 1701 Sir Rowland Gwynne [he was also returned for Breconshire, for which he chose to sit] c 1659 24 Jan 1726
Sir Peter King, later [1725] 1st Baron King of Ockham (to 1715) c 1669 22 Jul 1734
7 Mar 1701 William Cowper, later [1706] 3rd baronet, [1706] 1st Baron Cowper and [1718] 1st Earl Cowper 24 Jun 1665 10 Oct 1723 58
1 Dec 1705 Spencer Cowper
For further information on this MP, see the note at the foot of this page		 23 Feb 1669 10 Dec 1728 59
13 Oct 1710 Lawrence Carter (to 1722) 30 Sep 1671 14 Mar 1744 73
2 Feb 1715 Horatio Walpole, later [1756] 1st Baron Walpole 8 Dec 1678 5 Feb 1757 78
9 Dec 1717 Edward Carteret 28 Nov 1671 15 Apr 1739 67
29 Apr 1721 Philip Cavendish [he was unseated on petition in favour of St. John Brodrick 6 Jun 1721] 14 Jul 1743
6 Jun 1721 St. John Brodrick (to 1727) c 1685 21 Feb 1728
23 Mar 1722 Sir John Hobart, 5th baronet, later [1746] 1st Earl of Buckinghamshire [he was also returned for St. Ives, for which he chose to sit] 11 Oct 1693 22 Sep 1756 62
4 Feb 1724 Sir Robert Rich, 4th baronet 3 Jul 1685 1 Feb 1768 82
23 Aug 1727 Sir John Hobart, 5th baronet, later [1746] 1st Earl of Buckinghamshire [he was also returned for Norfolk, for which he chose to sit] 11 Oct 1693 22 Sep 1756 62
Sir Francis Henry Drake, 4th baronet [he was also returned for Tavistock, for which he chose to sit] 2 Mar 1694 26 Jan 1740 45
2 Mar 1728 Sir Archer Croft, 2nd baronet (to May 1734) 3 Apr 1683 10 Dec 1753 70
Henry Howard, styled [improperly] Baron Howard de Walden, later [1733] 10th Earl of Suffolk 1 Jan 1707 22 Apr 1745 38
5 Feb 1734 William Morden (Harbord from 1742), later [1746] 1st baronet c 1696 17 Feb 1770
1 May 1734 Sir Francis Henry Drake, 4th baronet 2 Mar 1694 26 Jan 1740 45
John Bristow (to 1741) 25 Apr 1701 14 Nov 1768 67
22 Feb 1740 Samuel Heathcote (to 1747) 11 Feb 1699 31 Mar 1775 76
9 May 1741 William Morden (Harbord from 1742), later [1746] 1st baronet (to 1754) c 1696 17 Feb 1770
2 Jul 1747 Sir Francis Henry Drake, 5th baronet (to 1771) 29 Aug 1723 19 Feb 1794 70
25 Apr 1754 John Bristow 25 Apr 1701 14 Nov 1768 67
31 Mar 1761 George Hobart, later [1793] 3rd Earl of Buckinghamshire (to 1780) Oct 1731 14 Oct 1804 73
29 Jan 1771 Francis William Drake 22 Aug 1724 Dec 1787 63
8 Oct 1774 Sir Francis Henry Drake, 5th baronet 29 Aug 1723 19 Feb 1794 70
9 Sep 1780 Lord Algernon Percy [he was also returned for Northumberland, for which he chose to sit] 21 Jan 1750 21 Oct 1830 80
George Macartney, 1st Baron Macartney [I], later [1792] 1st Viscount Macartney [I] and [1794] 1st Earl Macartney [I] (to 1781) 3 May 1737 31 Mar 1806 68
2 Dec 1780 William Robert Feilding, styled Viscount Feilding (to 1790) 15 Jun 1760 8 Aug 1799 39
14 Feb 1781 Laurence Cox [kt 1786] 26 Aug 1792
3 Apr 1784 Richard Wesley (Wellesley from 1789), 2nd Earl of Mornington [I] later [1799] 1st Marquess Wellesley 20 Jun 1760 26 Sep 1842 82
1 Feb 1787 Charles Rainsford 3 Feb 1728 24 May 1809 81
23 Dec 1788 John Mitford [kt 1793], later [1802] 1st Baron Redesdale (to 1799) 18 Aug 1748 16 Jan 1830 81
18 Jun 1790 Sir George Howland Beaumont, 7th baronet 6 Nov 1753 7 Feb 1827 73
27 May 1796 William Mitford (to 1806) 10 Feb 1744 8 Feb 1827 82
29 Jul 1799 George Percy, styled Baron Lovaine, later [1830] 2nd Earl of Beverley and [1865] 5th Duke of Northumberland (to Jan 1831) 22 Jun 1778 21 Aug 1867 89
4 Nov 1806 Josceline Percy 29 Jan 1784 19 Oct 1856 72
9 Mar 1820 Henry Percy 14 Sep 1785 15 Apr 1825 39
6 May 1825 Percy Ashburnham 22 Nov 1799 25 Jan 1881 81
31 Jul 1830 Christopher Blackett (to 1831) 23 Oct 1787 16 Jan 1847 59
11 Jan 1831 David Lyon (to 1832) c 1794 8 Apr 1872
2 May 1831 Algernon George Percy, styled Baron Lovaine, later [1867] 6th Duke of Northumberland 20 May 1810 2 Jan 1899 88
CONSTITUENCY DISENFRANCHISED 1832
BERKSHIRE
19 Apr 1660 Sir Robert Pye c 1622 28 Dec 1701
Richard Powle (to 1678) 17 Jul 1628 14 Jul 1678 49
15 Apr 1661 John Lovelace, later [1670] 3rd Baron Lovelace c 1642 27 Sep 1693
12 Dec 1670 Richard Neville 30 May 1615 7 Oct 1676 61
5 Mar 1677 Sir Humphrey Forster, 2nd baronet (to Aug 1679) 21 Dec 1650 13 Dec 1711 60
19 Aug 1678 Henry Alexander, 4th Earl of Stirling [S] 11 Feb 1691
William Barker 25 Mar 1685
Double return
3 Mar 1679 William Barker (to 1685) 25 Mar 1685
18 Aug 1679 Richard Southby (to 1689) c 1624 7 Jan 1704
23 Mar 1685 Sir Humphrey Forster, 2nd baronet 21 Dec 1650 13 Dec 1711 60
14 Jan 1689 Montagu Venables-Bertie, styled Baron Norreys, later [1699] 2nd Earl of Abingdon 4 Feb 1673 16 Jun 1743 70
Sir Henry Winchcombe, 2nd baronet (to 1695) 16 Jun 1659 5 Nov 1703 44
24 Feb 1690 Sir Humphrey Forster, 2nd baronet (to 1701) 21 Dec 1650 13 Dec 1711 60
23 Oct 1695 Richard Neville (to 1710) 12 Oct 1655 1 Jul 1717 61
26 Nov 1701 Sir John Stonhouse, 3rd baronet (to 1734) c 1672 10 Oct 1733
18 Oct 1710 Henry St. John, later [1712] 1st Viscount Bolingbroke 10 Oct 1678 12 Dec 1751 73
23 Jul 1712 Robert Packer 10 Feb 1678 4 Apr 1731 53
5 May 1731 Winchcomb Howard Packer (to 1746) 20 Nov 1702 21 Aug 1746 43
6 Feb 1734 William Archer 4 Jun 1677 30 Jun 1739 62
5 Dec 1739 Peniston Powney (to 1757) c 1699 8 Mar 1757
26 Nov 1746 Henry Pye (to 1766) 29 Jul 1709 2 Mar 1766 56
13 Apr 1757 Arthur Vansittart (to 1774) c 1727 12 Nov 1804
2 Apr 1766 Thomas Craven c 1715 14 Dec 1772
30 Dec 1772 John Elwes (to 1784)
For further information on this MP, see the note at the foot of this page		 7 Apr 1714 26 Nov 1789 75
20 Oct 1774 Christopher Griffith c 1721 12 Jan 1776
21 Feb 1776 Winchcombe Henry Hartley c 1740 12 Aug 1794
7 Apr 1784 George Vansittart (to 1812) 15 Sep 1745 31 Jan 1825 79
Henry James Pye 10 Feb 1745 11 Aug 1813 68
24 Jun 1790 Winchcombe Henry Hartley c 1740 12 Aug 1794
16 Sep 1794 Charles Dundas, later [1832] 1st Baron Amesbury (to Jun 1832) 5 Aug 1751 7 Jul 1832 80
12 Oct 1812 Richard Neville, later [1825] 3rd Baron Braybrooke 26 Sep 1783 13 Mar 1858 74
30 Mar 1825 Robert Palmer 31 Jan 1793 24 Nov 1872 79
9 May 1831 Robert George Throckmorton, later [1840] 8th baronet (to 1835) 5 Dec 1800 28 Jun 1862 61
7 Jun 1832 Robert Palmer (to 1859) 31 Jan 1793 24 Nov 1872 79
REPRESENTATION INCREASED TO THREE MEMBERS 1832
21 Dec 1832 John Walter (to 1837) 23 Feb 1776 28 Jul 1847 71
14 Jan 1835 Philip Pusey (to 1852) 25 Jun 1799 9 Jul 1855 56
4 Aug 1837 William Keppel Barrington, 6th Viscount Barrington [I] (to 1857) 1 Oct 1793 9 Feb 1867 73
15 Jul 1852 George Henry Vansittart (to 1859) 1823 3 Nov 1885 62
6 Apr 1857 Philip Pleydell-Bouverie (to 1865) 21 Oct 1788 27 May 1872 83
3 May 1859 Leicester Viney Vernon >1798 14 Apr 1860 61
John Walter (to 1865) 8 Oct 1818 4 Nov 1894 76
2 May 1860 Richard Benyon (to 1876) 17 Nov 1811 26 Jul 1897 85
22 Jul 1865 Robert James Loyd-Lindsay VC, later [1885] 1st Baron Wantage (to 1885)
For further information on this MP and VC winner, see the note at the foot of the page containing details of his peerage		 16 Apr 1832 10 Jun 1901 69
Sir Charles Russell VC, 3rd baronet
For further information on this MP and VC winner, see the note at the foot of the page containing details of his baronetcy		 22 Jun 1826 14 Apr 1883 56
28 Nov 1868 John Walter (to 1885) 8 Oct 1818 4 Nov 1894 76
24 Feb 1876 Philip Wroughton 6 Apr 1846 7 Jun 1910 64
SPLIT INTO 3 DIVISIONS 1885, SEE "ABINGDON", "NEWBURY" and "WOKINGHAM"
BERKSHIRE EAST
9 Jun 1983 Andrew James Mackay 27 Aug 1949
CONSTITUENCY ABOLISHED 1997
BERMONDSEY
26 Nov 1885 James Edwin Thorold Rogers 23 Mar 1823 14 Oct 1890 67
5 Jul 1886 Alfred Lafone 13 Feb 1821 26 Apr 1911 90
Jul 1892 Reuben Vincent Barrow [kt 1912] 27 Apr 1838 13 Feb 1918 79
17 Jul 1895 Alfred Lafone 13 Feb 1821 26 Apr 1911 90
4 Oct 1900 Henry John Cockayne Cust 10 Oct 1861 2 Mar 1917 55
17 Jan 1906 George Joseph Cooper 1844 7 Oct 1909 65
27 Oct 1909 John Molesworth Thomas Dumphreys
For further information on this by-election, see the note at the foot of the page		 24 Dec 1844 18 Dec 1925 80
18 Jan 1910 Harold James Glanville 5 Jun 1854 27 Sep 1930 76
SPLIT INTO "ROTHERHITHE" AND "BERMONDSEY WEST" 1918, RE-UNITED 1950
23 Feb 1950 Robert Joseph Mellish, later [1985] Baron Mellish [L] 3 Mar 1913 9 May 1998 85
24 Feb 1983 Simon Henry Ward Hughes [kt 2015] 17 May 1951
CONSTITUENCY ABOLISHED 1983
BERMONDSEY AND OLD SOUTHWARK
6 May 2010 Simon Henry Ward Hughes [kt 2015] 17 May 1951
7 May 2015 Neil Alan John Coyle 30 Dec 1978
BERMONDSEY WEST
14 Dec 1918 Harold James Glanville 5 Jun 1854 27 Sep 1930 76
15 Nov 1922 Alfred Salter 16 Jun 1873 24 Aug 1945 72
6 Dec 1923 Roderick Morris Kedward 14 Sep 1881 5 Mar 1937 55
29 Oct 1924 Alfred Salter 16 Jun 1873 24 Aug 1945 72
26 Jul 1945 Richard Sargood 31 Jul 1888 27 Mar 1979 90
CONSTITUENCY ABOLISHED 1950
BERWICK AND EAST LOTHIAN
23 Feb 1950 John James Robertson 23 May 1898 6 Oct 1955 57
25 Oct 1951 William John St. Clair Anstruther-Gray, later [1956] 1st baronet and [1966] Baron Kilmany [L] 5 Mar 1905 6 Aug 1985 80
31 Mar 1966 John Pitcairn Mackintosh 24 Aug 1929 30 Jul 1978 48
28 Feb 1974 Michael Andrew Foster Jude Kerr, styled Earl of Ancram, later [2004] 13th Marquess of Lothian and [2010] Baron Kerr of Monteviot [L] 7 Jul 1945
10 Oct 1974 John Pitcairn Mackintosh 24 Aug 1929 30 Jul 1978 48
26 Oct 1978 John David Home-Robertson 5 Dec 1948
CONSTITUENCY ABOLISHED 1983
BERWICK AND HADDINGTON
14 Dec 1918 John Deans Hope 8 May 1860 13 Dec 1949 89
15 Nov 1922 Walter Waring 11 Aug 1876 16 Nov 1930 54
6 Dec 1923 Robert Spence 1879 1 Feb 1965 85
29 Oct 1924 Chichester de Windt Crookshank 18 Oct 1868 23 Oct 1958 90
30 May 1929 George Sinkinson 25 Nov 1874 14 Jan 1939 64
27 Oct 1931 John Helias Finnie McEwen, later [1953] 1st baronet 21 Jun 1894 19 Apr 1962 67
26 Jul 1945 John James Robertson 23 May 1898 6 Oct 1955 57
CHANGED TO "BERWICK AND EAST LOTHIAN" 1950
BERWICKSHIRE
27 May 1708 George Baillie 16 Mar 1664 6 Aug 1738 74
30 May 1734 Alexander Hume-Campbell (to 1761) 15 Feb 1708 19 Jul 1760 52
28 May 1741 Sir John Sinclair
Double return between Alexander Hume‑Campbell and Sir John Sinclair. Hume‑Campbell declared re-elected 19 Jan 1742
1 Jan 1761 James Pringle, later [1779] 4th baronet 6 Nov 1726 7 Apr 1809 82
15 Apr 1779 Sir John Paterson, 3rd baronet c 1730 14 Jan 1782
21 Sep 1780 Hugh Scott, later [1827] 6th Lord Polwarth [S] 10 Apr 1758 29 Dec 1841 83
Election declared void 18 Mar 1781. At the subsequent by-election held on 12 Apr 1781, Scott was again returned
27 Apr 1784 Patrick Home 22 May 1728 2 Jun 1809 81
16 Jun 1796 George Baillie 8 Oct 1763 11 Dec 1841 78
6 Jul 1818 Sir John Marjoribanks, 1st baronet 13 Jan 1763 5 Feb 1833 70
27 Jun 1826 Anthony Maitland, later [1860] 10th Earl of Lauderdale [S] 10 Jun 1785 22 Mar 1863 77
24 Dec 1832 Charles Albany Marjoribanks 1794 3 Dec 1833 39
13 Jan 1834 Sir Hugh Purves-Hume-Campbell, 7th baronet 15 Dec 1812 30 Jan 1894 81
4 Aug 1847 Francis Scott 31 Jan 1806 9 Mar 1884 78
5 Apr 1859 David Robertson, later [1873] 1st Baron Marjoribanks 2 Apr 1797 19 Jun 1873 76
30 Jun 1873 William Miller, later [1874] 1st baronet 25 Mar 1809 10 Oct 1887 78
12 Feb 1874 Robert Baillie-Hamilton 8 Oct 1828 5 Sep 1891 62
8 Apr 1880 Edward Marjoribanks, later [1894] 2nd Baron Tweedmouth 8 Jul 1849 15 Sep 1909 60
29 Mar 1894 Harold John Tennant 18 Nov 1865 9 Nov 1935 70
NAME ALTERED TO "BERWICK AND HADDINGTON" 1918
BERWICKSHIRE, ROXBURGH AND SELKIRK
5 May 2005 Michael Kevin Moore 3 Jun 1965
7 May 2015 Calum Robert Kerr 5 Apr 1972
8 Jun 2017 John Robert Lamont 15 Apr 1976
BERWICK UPON TWEED (NORTHUMBERLAND)
4 Apr 1660 Sir Thomas Widdrington [he was also returned for York, for which he chose to sit] c 1600 31 May 1664
John Rushworth (to 1661) c 1612 12 May 1690
22 Jun 1660 Edward Grey (to 1677) c 1611 17 Feb 1676
29 Apr 1661 Sir Thomas Widdrington c 1600 31 May 1664
10 Jan 1665 Daniel Collingwood (to 1679) c 1634 3 Apr 1681
2 Mar 1677 Peregrine Osborne, styled Viscount Osborne, later [1712] 2nd Duke of Leeds 29 Sep 1659 25 Jun 1729 69
28 Feb 1679 Ralph Grey, later [1701] 4th Baron Grey of Werke 28 Nov 1661 20 Jun 1706 44
John Rushworth c 1612 12 May 1690
1 Apr 1685 Philip Bickerstaffe 28 Nov 1639 after 1714
Ralph Widdrington c 1640 22 Jun 1718
11 Jan 1689 Francis Blake [kt 1689] (to 1695) 17 Oct 1638 8 Jan 1718 79
Philip Babington c 1632 late 1690
25 Feb 1690 Samuel Ogle (to 1710) 25 Mar 1659 10 Mar 1719 59
4 Nov 1695 Ralph Grey, later [1701] 4th Baron Grey of Werke 28 Nov 1661 20 Jun 1706 44
1 Aug 1698 Sir Francis Blake 17 Oct 1638 8 Jan 1718 79
15 Jan 1701 Ralph Grey, later [1701] 4th Baron Grey of Werke 28 Nov 1661 20 Jun 1706 44
2 Dec 1701 Sir Francis Blake [he was also returned for Northumberland, for which he chose to sit] 17 Oct 1638 8 Jan 1718 79
9 Feb 1702 Jonathan Hutchinson (to 1711) c 1662 11 Jun 1711
7 Oct 1710 William Kerr (to 1713) by 1682 7 Jan 1741
22 Dec 1711 Richard Hampden (to 1715) after 1674 27 Jul 1728
4 Sep 1713 William Orde c 1681 18 Jun 1748
1 Feb 1715 Grey Neville (to May 1723) 23 Sep 1681 24 Apr 1723 41
John Barrington, later [1720] 1st Viscount Barrington [I] [expelled 15 Feb 1723] 1678 14 Dec 1734 56
11 Mar 1723 Henry Grey (to 1727) 17 Aug 1683 9 Sep 1740 57
7 May 1723 William Kerr by 1682 7 Jan 1741
25 Aug 1727 George Liddell (to Nov 1740) 1 Aug 1678 9 Oct 1740 62
Joseph Sabine c 1661 24 Oct 1739
30 Apr 1734 Hugh Hume-Campbell, styled Lord Polwarth, later [1740] 3rd Earl of Marchmont 15 Feb 1708 10 Jan 1794 85
13 Mar 1740 William Wildman Barrington, 2nd Viscount Barrington [I] (to 1754) 15 Jan 1717 1 Feb 1793 76
27 Nov 1740 Thomas Watson (to Dec 1765) c 1701 7 Jan 1766
23 Apr 1754 John Hussey Delaval, later [1761] 1st baronet, [1783] 1st Baron Delaval [I] and [1786] 1st Baron Delaval [GB] 17 Mar 1728 17 May 1808 80
27 Mar 1761 John Craufurd c 1725 2 Aug 1764
18 Jan 1765 Sir John Hussey Delaval, 1st baronet, later [1783] 1st Baron Delaval [I] and [1786] 1st Baron Delaval [GB] (to 1774) 17 Mar 1728 17 May 1808 80
24 Dec 1765 Wilmot Vaughan, later [1766] 4th Viscount Lisburne [I] and [1776] 1st Earl of Lisburne [I] c 1730 6 Jan 1800
19 Mar 1768 Robert Paris Taylor c 1741 7 Aug 1792
12 Oct 1774 Jacob Wilkinson c 1716 12 May 1791
John Vaughan [kt 1792] (to 1795) c 1731 30 Jun 1795
15 Sep 1780 Sir John Hussey Delaval, 1st baronet, later [1783] 1st Baron Delaval [I] and [1786] 1st Baron Delaval [GB] 17 Mar 1728 17 May 1808 80
21 Sep 1786 Sir Gilbert Elliot [Elliot-Murray-Kynynmound from 1797], 4th baronet, later [1813] 1st Earl of Minto 23 Apr 1751 21 Jun 1814 63
22 Jun 1790 Charles Carpenter (to 1796) 3 Jan 1757 5 Sep 1803 46
28 Sep 1795 Sir John Callander, 1st baronet (to 1802) Sep 1739 2 Apr 1812 72
7 Jun 1796 George Carpenter, 2nd Earl of Tyrconnel [I] 30 Jun 1750 15 Apr 1805 54
23 Jul 1802 Thomas Hall 12 Jul 1747 10 May 1815 67
John Fordyce 1735 1 Jul 1809 74
Election declared void 5 Apr 1803
19 Apr 1803 Francis Sitwell c 1776 18 Feb 1813
Alexander Allan, later [1819] 1st baronet c 1764 14 Sep 1820
26 Nov 1806 Sir John Callander, 1st baronet Sep 1739 2 Apr 1812 72
Alexander Tower by 1760 20 Feb 1813
11 May 1807 Alexander Allan, later [1819] 1st baronet (to 1820) c 1764 14 Sep 1820
Sir Alexander MacDonald Lockhart, 1st baronet 22 Jun 1816
12 Oct 1812 Henry Heneage St. Paul 16 Mar 1777 1 Nov 1820 43
13 Mar 1820 Charles Augustus Bennet, styled Baron Ossulston, later [1822] 5th Earl of Tankerville (to 1823) 28 Apr 1776 25 Jun 1859 83
Sir David Milne [his election was declared void 3 Jul 1820] 25 May 1763 5 May 1845 81
13 Jul 1820 Henry Heneage St. Paul 16 Mar 1777 1 Nov 1820 43
7 Dec 1820 Sir Francis Blake, 3rd baronet (to 1826) 18 Aug 1774 3 Aug 1860 85
17 Feb 1823 Sir John Poo Beresford 1766 2 Oct 1844 78
21 Jun 1826 Marcus Beresford (to 1832) 28 Jul 1800 16 Mar 1876 75
John Gladstone [his election was declared void 19 Mar 1827] 11 Dec 1764 7 Dec 1851 86
29 Mar 1827 Sir Francis Blake, 3rd baronet (to 1835) 18 Aug 1774 3 Aug 1860 85
13 Dec 1832 Sir Rufane Shaw Donkin (to 1837) 1773 1 May 1841 67
8 Jan 1835 James Bradshaw 4 Mar 1847 60
26 Jul 1837 Richard Hodgson (later Huntley) (to 1847) 1 Apr 1812 Dec 1877 65
William Holmes 2 Apr 1779 26 Jan 1851 71
1 Jul 1841 Matthew Forster (to 1853) 1786 2 Sep 1869 83
30 Jul 1847 John Campbell Renton 1814 25 Feb 1856 41
8 Jul 1852 John Stapleton 11 Apr 1816 25 Dec 1891 75
Election of Stapleton and Forster declared void 25 Apr 1853
14 May 1853 Dudley Coutts Marjoribanks, later [1866] 1st baronet and [1881] 1st Baron Tweedmouth (to 1859) 29 Dec 1820 4 Mar 1894 73
John Forster 1817
28 Mar 1857 John Stapleton 11 Apr 1816 25 Dec 1891 75
2 May 1859 Charles William Gordon (to 1863) 1817 15 Jun 1863 46
Ralph Anstruther Earle 1835 10 Jun 1879 43
20 Aug 1859 Dudley Coutts Marjoribanks, later [1866] 1st baronet and [1881] 1st Baron Tweedmouth (to 1868) 29 Dec 1820 4 Mar 1894 73
29 Jun 1863 William Walter Cargill 1813 23 May 1894 80
12 Jul 1865 Alexander Mitchell 1831 16 May 1873 41
17 Nov 1868 William Coutts Keppel, styled Viscount Bury, later [1891] 7th Earl of Albemarle 15 Apr 1832 28 Aug 1894 62
John Stapleton 11 Apr 1816 25 Dec 1891 75
6 Feb 1874 Sir Dudley Coutts Marjoribanks, 1st baronet, later [1881] 1st Baron Tweedmouth (to 1881) 29 Dec 1820 4 Mar 1894 73
David Milne Home 25 Sep 1838 19 Aug 1901 62
3 Apr 1880 Henry Strutt, later [Jun 1880] 2nd Baron Belper 20 May 1840 26 Jul 1914 74
19 Jul 1880 David Milne Home (to 1885) 25 Sep 1838 19 Aug 1901 62
26 Oct 1881 Hubert Edward Henry Jerningham [kt 1893] 18 Oct 1842 23 Apr 1914 71
REPRESENTATION REDUCED TO ONE MEMBER 1885
28 Nov 1885 Sir Edward Grey, 3rd baronet, later [1916] 1st Viscount Grey of Fallodon 25 Apr 1862 7 Sep 1933 71
17 Aug 1916 Sir Francis Douglas Blake, 1st baronet 27 Feb 1856 5 Feb 1940 83
15 Nov 1922 Hilton Philipson [his election was declared void 2 May 1923] 5 Nov 1892 12 Apr 1941 48
31 May 1923 Mabel Philipson 1 Jan 1887 8 Jan 1951 64
30 May 1929 Alfred John Kennett Todd 13 Apr 1890 27 Aug 1970 80
14 Nov 1935 Sir Hugh Michael Seely, 3rd baronet, later [1941] 1st Baron Sherwood 2 Oct 1898 1 Apr 1970 71
18 Aug 1941 George Charles Grey 2 Dec 1918 30 Jul 1944 25
17 Oct 1944 Sir William Henry Beveridge, later [1946] 1st Baron Beveridge 5 Mar 1879 16 Mar 1963 84
26 Jul 1945 Robert Allen Fenwick Thorp c Feb 1900 5 May 1966 65
25 Oct 1951 Antony Claud Frederick Lambton, Viscount Lambton, later [1970] 6th Earl of Durham (he disclaimed the title shortly after inheriting it)
For further information on this MP, see the note at the foot of the page containing details of the Earls of Durham		 10 Jul 1922 30 Dec 2006 84
8 Nov 1973 Alan James Beith [kt 2008], later [2015] Baron Beith [L] 20 Apr 1943
7 May 2015 Anne-Marie Belinda Trevelyan 6 Apr 1969
CONSTITUENCY ABOLISHED 2024
 

Edward Samuel Wesley de Cobain
MP for Belfast East 1885‑1892
In April 1891, a warrant was issued for the arrest of Edward de Cobain. According to the contemporary newspapers, de Cobain "is charged with the commission of unnatural offences in Belfast. The offences, or some of them, are alleged to have been committed as far back as two years ago, and they have been the subject of inquiry by the Irish police for several months past. On Easter Monday three informations were sworn against the hon. member, and a warrant for his arrest was issued on Thursday the 2nd inst. Its execution was entrusted to Head-Constable Hussey, who, with several Belfast detectives, started for London, where they kept a close watch on the hon. gentleman's lodgings. It soon became evident, however, that Mr. de Cobain had left the country, and on Saturday last the detectives returned to Belfast. The Central News learns that, as a matter of fact, Mr. de Cobain had timely warning of the steps which were being taken against him, and sailed from Goole for a continental port on the very day the warrant was issued in Belfast." [Glasgow Herald, 14 April 1891]
Mr. de Cobain was apparently invited to resign his seat, but he had refused to do so, saying that such an action would be tantamount to admission of his guilt. Instead, he blamed the accusations against him on a local clique, and on the government in general. In a letter written to a fellow MP, he admitted that "about three years ago he met by accident a young man then residing with his agent in Belfast. He conversed with him at several temperance demonstrations, and subsequently treated him with courtesy and familiarity. Taking advantage of this intimacy, the young man asked for a considerable sum of money, which he refused." [Aberdeen Weekly Journal, 2 May 1891]
During his absence, the House of Commons had ordered de Cobain to be present in the House on 23 February 1892. When he failed to do so, the House voted unanimously for his expulsion on 26 February 1892.
In the meantime, de Cobain had fled to Spain where he was sighted at Bilbao. He afterwards was in Boulogne, from whence he sailed to New York around the end of April 1892. He lived for a while in New York, where he conducted revivalist meetings before returning to Belfast, where he was arrested in February 1893. At his subsequent trial, in March 1893, de Cobain's defence was that the charges were a conspiracy brought against him by a man named Haggie, who had failed in his attempts to blackmail him - this is presumably the young man whom he had met in Belfast referred to above. Notwithstanding this defence, the jury declined to believe him, and he was found guilty and sentenced to twelve months' imprisonment with hard labour.
Robert Jonathan Bradford
MP for Belfast South 1974‑1981
The Rev. Robert Bradford was murdered by the IRA on 14 November 1981. The following edited report is from The Observer of 15 November 1981:-
'The Government and Northern Ireland security chiefs accused the IRA of trying to start a civil war after the murder in Belfast yesterday of the Rev. Robert Bradford, Unionist MP for South Belfast.
The killing, the third by IRA terrorists last week, sent waves of anger through the Province's Protestant community.
A statement issued by the Secretary of State [for Northern Ireland], Mr. James Prior, appealed to everyone to remain calm and put their faith in the security forces. It urged people 'not to let justifiable anger be vented on other equally innocent people.'
But last night the security forces were bracing themselves for an outbreak of retaliatory violence, and Mr. Prior cut short his weekend in London and flew back to Belfast.
Mr. Bradford, aged 41 [actually 40], was assassinated as he held an advice session in the Finaghy Community Centre, south-west Belfast, yesterday morning. Four gunmen dressed in boiler suits tricked their way into the building by posing as workmen.
As they fired six bullets into Mr. Bradford, 60 children at a disco in an adjoining room screamed in terror.
A caretaker, Mr. Ken Campbell, was shot dead in the doorway of the building after he followed the terrorists, who escaped in a waiting car. The Centre lies close to the IRA stronghold of Andersonstown.
A 15-year-old boy who was in the centre said: "All the kids were screaming and shouting and I told them to get under the tables. It was pandemonium. The gunmen pushed the kids out of the way to get at Mr. Bradford and then shoved them aside again to get out. I threw a chair at one of them as he was running out of the hall. He looked at me but he didn't say anything … he just ran out."
Mr. Bradford, a Methodist minister, was a strong critic of the IRA and campaigned for the return of the death penalty for terrorists convicted of murdering members of the security forces.
James Godfrey MacManaway
MP for Belfast West Feb‑Oct 1950
MacManaway was the son of a priest of the Church of Ireland, and was himself ordained as a priest in 1925. In 1947, he was elected to the Parliament of Northern Ireland as member for Londonderry. Notwithstanding doubts over his eligibility to do so, MacManaway stood for the Westminster parliament in the general election of February 1950.
As the law stood at that time, priests in the Churches of England and Ireland (but not Wales), ministers in the Church of Scotland, Roman Catholic priests and priests who had been ordained by a bishop, were disqualified from sitting in the House of Commons. Ministers who had not been episcopally ordained (i.e. Nonconformist ministers) were not disqualified, nor were the clergy of non-Christian faiths. This law raised some interesting questions - for example, was a priest who had resigned the priesthood eligible, given that ecclesiastical law stated that, once ordained, a priest remains in holy orders forever? Some measure of relief was afforded to clergy of the Church of England (but not to other churches) in 1870 when the Clergy Disqualification Act provided a procedure which enabled Church of England clergy to relinquish their clerical positions, and, after a period of 6 months, be freed from parliamentary disqualification.
Roman Catholics and other non-Anglicans were, between the passing of the Second Test Act of 1678 and the passing of the Roman Catholic Relief Act of 1829, effectively excluded from sitting in Parliament, since they were required to swear an oath repugnant to their beliefs. After 1829, Roman Catholics were able to sit in the House, but the Act specifically excluded "persons in Holy Orders in the Church of Rome", whether they were already in such Holy Orders or whether, at some future time, they took such Orders.
During this same period, another Act - the House of Commons (Clergy Disqualification) Act 1801 - had also been passed. This Act stated that "no person having been ordained to the office of priest or deacon or being a minister of the Church of Scotland is or shall be capable of being elected to serve in Parliament." The immediate impetus for this Act was the election in February 1801 of John Horne-Tooke to the seat of Old Sarum. He had been a great radical in his earlier years, and his political enemies were not keen to have him in the House. Because he had been ordained a priest 40 years earlier, his enemies caused the above Act to be passed, but, as Horne-Tooke had already taken his seat, he was allowed to remain in the House until he retired the following year.
MacManaway appears to have taken some advice before standing in the general election, and, as a result, he resigned all his offices with the Church of Ireland before the election. He also received advice that, because the Church of Ireland had been disestablished in 1869, he would not be affected.
Once he had taken his seat, the question arose as to whether he had been validly elected, and the matter was referred to the Judicial Committee of the Privy Council. The Committee ruled that he was ineligible under the 1801 Act, and the Commons declared on 19 October 1950 that he was disqualified from sitting.
Following this case, a Select Committee of the House of Commons was appointed to examine the legal ramifications, but they recommended that no changes be made. The situation remained unaltered until 1998, when the Home Affairs Select Committee recommended "that, with one exception, all restrictions on ministers of religion standing for, or serving as, Members of Parliament be removed: the exception would be in respect of all serving bishops of the Church of England who, for so long as places are reserved for the senior bishops in the House of Lords, should remain ineligible to serve as members of the Commons."
In 2001, David Cairns was selected as Labour candidate for the seat of Inverclyde. Cairns was a former Catholic priest, and was therefore likely to fall victim of the same legislation which had led to MacManaway's disqualification. In order to avoid this situation, the government introduced the House of Commons (Removal of Clergy Disqualification) Bill which was passed and received royal assent on 11 May 2001. As recommended by the Home Affairs Select Committee, senior bishops remain ineligible to sit in the Commons.
Spencer Cowper
MP for Bere Alston 1705‑1710 and Truro 1715‑1727
Cowper was the central figure in a famous trial in 1699 when he was charged, along with three other men, with the murder of a young Quaker girl named Sarah Stout. The case is considered a milestone in the field of medical jurisprudence. Whilst details of the case are readily available (see Chapter XXV of Macaulay's History of England), I have chosen to concentrate on the medical aspects of the case. Accordingly, the following extract is taken from Elements of Medical Jurisprudence by Beck and Dunlop [London 1825].
Spencer Cowper, Esq., a member of the English bar, and three other individuals, were tried at the Hertford Assizes, in 1699, for the murder of Mrs. Sarah Stout. Mr. Cowper came to Hertford on Monday, the 13th of March, and shortly after visited Mrs. Stout, who lived with her mother, of the same name. He dined with them, and stayed until four in the afternoon. When he went away, he promised to return and lodge there that night. Accordingly, at nine o'clock he arrived, ate some supper, and then engaged in conversation with Mrs. Stout, the daughter. They were alone in the room, when she called a servant, and desired her to make a fire in his chamber, and to warm his bed. The direction was attended to, and in about a quarter of an hour, the servant heard the door shut, as if some one was going out. She remained above about a quarter of an hour longer, and then came down into the room. Mr. Cowper and Mrs. Stout were both gone, and the next morning she was found dead, and floating on the water. Its depth was about five feet, and her body was bout five or six inches under it, although some of her clothes were on its surface. Her eyes were open, and some little from issued from her mouth and nostrils. The body was not umified [i.e. distended or bloated], nor were any bruises observed. This is the testimony of the individuals who took the body out of the water.
Mr. Dimsdale, a surgeon, was sent for by the mother to view the body. He found both sides of the neck swelled and black, and the skin between her breasts, up towards the collar-bone, was also dark-coloured. The left wrist was slightly bruised. There was, however, no circular mark round the neck. It is to be regretted this investigation proceeded no farther.
On the 28th of April, six weeks after the death of Mrs. Stout, her body was disinterred for the purpose of inspection. The medical witnesses stated, that they found the head and neck so much putrefied, that no opinion could be formed respecting their appearance. The stomach and intestines were, however, in a sound state, as were also the lungs. Neither of them was putrefied, and, on making incisions into them, no water could be discovered.
[Five doctors] deposed, that when a person is drowned, water will be taken into the stomach and lungs; and, as none was found in this case, they were of opinion that she came to her death by some other means.
The above is an abstract of the testimony on behalf of the crown. On the part of Mr. Cowper, it was first attempted to be shown, that the peculiar position of the body was owing to its laying sideways against some stakes in the river. These prevented its complete immersion under water; and a witness also mentioned, that, in drawing the body out of the water, one of the arms rubbed against the stakes, and probably produced the injury observed on it.
[A number of other doctors] appeared as witnesses for the prisoner. They were all asked concerning the circumstance of no water being found in the body, and whether this disproved the probability of drowning. Dr. Sloane considered it altogether an accidental appearance in the stomach, and not necessarily present in such cases. The others advanced similar opinions. As to the fluid in the lungs, the answers were not very definite; but it was insinuated by some, that the six weeks burial might have dissipated whatever was taken in.
During the trial, it was the subject of keen enquiry, whether dead bodies float or sink when thrown into the water. Seamen were summoned to depose on this point, and they testified that weights were fastened in order to produce their descent. The explanation of Dr. Garth is, however, perfectly satisfactory on this point. Weights are added to prevent the buoyancy when putrefaction commences. In answer to a question from the judge, Dr. Garth remarked, that the body of a strangled person might possibly float, on account of the included air. In this instance, however, there was no proof of such a cause of death. Dr. Crell insisted much on the presence of the frothy mucus about the mouth and nostrils, as a proof that Mrs. Stout had been drowned.
The coroner's jury had returned a verdict of non compos menti, and Mr. Cowper, on the trial, attempted to prove a previous melancholy state of mind [of Mrs. Stout]. This, of course, was for the purpose of rendering it probable that suicide had been committed.
These were the leading medico-legal facts and opinions elicited on the trial, and the jury, after remaining out about half an hour, brought in a verdict of not guilty.
Cowper's subsequent career was devoted to the law, culminating in his appointment as a judge of the Common Pleas in 1727. I do not imagine that many men who stood trial for murder would subsequently go on to become a judge.
John Elwes
MP for Berkshire 1772‑1784
The following is extracted from The Emperor of the United States of America and Other Magnificent British Eccentrics by Catherine Caufield (Routledge & Kegan Paul, London 1981)
Elwes' father, Robert Meggott, a brewer in Southwark, died in 1718 when his son was less than four years old. His mother, Amy Elwes Meggott, who had been left almost £100,000 is said to have starved herself to death. At Westminster School, Elwes was a good classical scholar but he was never seen afterwards reading a book. He refused to educate his sons, on the principle that 'putting things into people's heads is the sure way to take money out of their pockets.' After school Elwes went to Geneva to complete his education. Here he became of the boldest and best riders in Europe. He was also at this time introduced to Voltaire, to whom he was reported to bear a remarkable resemblance. Characteristically, Elwes was far more impressed with the quality of the horses at his riding school than by the genius of Voltaire.
Elwes did not yet display any of the miserly qualities which characterised several members of his family. He indulged both his voracious appetite and his fondness for gambling; one writer noted, 'for many years Mr Elwes was known in all the fashionable circles of the metropolis.' This state of affairs began to change when, after returning from Europe, Elwes was introduced to his maternal uncle, Sir Harvey Elwes, a very great miser.
Although he was worth £250,000, Sir Harvey had an annual expenditure of less than £100. He ate little except partridges and fish that could be caught on his own property - paying for food was painful to him. Because he had few friends, he was not put to the expense of entertaining. His clothes came out of an ancient chest full of costumes belonging to his great-great grandfather.
As young Elwes entertained hopes of becoming the old man's heir, he endeavoured to please. For instance, on visits to Sir Harvey's Suffolk estate, Stoke College, he would stop first at a small inn nearby and change from his fashionable clothes into the rags his uncle favoured. e tamed his appetite by sneaking out to dine with a neighbour before sitting down with Sir Harvey to a miserable meal with one small glass of wine between them. John's behaviour so delighted Sir Harvey that he was made sole heir and on 22 October 1763 inherited Elwes' name and his estate worth £250,000, including houses in Suffolk and at Marcham, in Berkshire.
John Elwes combined the most miserly behaviour with high standards of honesty and compassion. He lost money in gambling, not only through his own bad fortune, but also because of his firmly held maxim that it is impossible to ask a gentleman for money, an attitude which led to him forfeiting large sums of money owed to him by less conscientious individuals.
He often gave aid, financial and otherwise, to friends and tenants, but spared himself no exertions to deliver it in the cheapest possible way. On one notable occasion Elwes, unsolicited, lent Lord Abingdon £7,000 to enable him to place a bet at Newmarket. On the day of the race, Elwes journeyed on horseback from Suffolk to the racetrack with nothing to eat for fourteen hours save a bit of pancake which he had put into his pocket two months earlier and which he swore to a startled companion was 'as good as new.'
Elwes' good nature is well illustrated by the story of his being hit during a shooting-party by a blast from the shotgun of an inexperienced marksman. 'I give you joy of your improvement!', Elwes exclaimed. 'I knew you would hit something by and by.'
Elwes' accomplishments include the building of Portman Place, Portman Square and a large part of Marylebone. During his twelve years as MP for Berkshire - although he refused to bear any of his election expenses and finally refused to stand again because of the money he lost in loans to fellow-members - Elwes was very conscientious about attending debates and voting independently. He had a reputation for unshakable integrity and was often called upon to settle disputes among his constituents, who placed great faith in his impartiality.
However, from the time when he first dressed in rags to humour his uncle, Elwes' behaviour became more and more remarkable. His idea of a journey was to mount one of his horses; take a hard-boiled egg in his pocket; choose a route with the fewest toll-gates, riding only on grass to save wear and tear on the horseshoes and refreshing himself and his mount by a stream to avoid the expense of an inn. On one occasion when he had ridden to and from London on an errand to help two old ladies in distress and they wanted to repay him for his expenses, a friend remarked 'give him sixpence and he gains twopence by the journey.'
Elwes' personal economies included going to bed when darkness fell so as to save on candles; rarely lighting a fire in his home, even when he was dripping wet from having walked home in the rain; and never allowing his shoes to be cleaned for fear of wearing them out. While in London, he stayed in any of his properties that happened to be empty He kept only a few sticks of furniture which he moved from house to house as one was let and another became vacant. He once found a beggar's cast-off wig in a hedge, picked it up and wore it for two weeks. He always ate whatever he had in the cupboard, including maggot-ridden meat, before ordering new provisions.
Elwes' nephew, Colonel Timms, found on one visit that the ceiling of his bedroom leaked. He was obliged to move the bed several times in order to find a dry corner. Mentioning this to his uncle the next morning, Timms received the calm reply, 'Aye, I don't mind it myself; but to those that do, that's a nice corner in the rain.
One of Elwes' most characteristic combinations of miserliness and extravagance was his keeping a fine pack of hounds and a stable of hunters thought to be the best in England. This expensive interest was turned to good account by Elwes employing his huntsman to cook and serve at table as well as to look after the hounds and horses and milk the cows. He thus managed to keep the expense of his fox-hunting establishment to under £300 a year.
Elwes detested doctors and once, when he cut both his legs badly while walking home in the dark, he challenged the apothecary, 'I will take one leg and you shall take the other; you shall do what you please to yours, I will do nothing to mine.' To his great joy, Elwes won by a fortnight and the apothecary had to forfeit his fee.
In his old age his memory worsened; his mind began to wander and he had fantasies about losing his money. One morning, after a sleepless night of worry, Elwes rushed to bankers to apologise for having overdrawn his account by writing a cheque the previous day for £20. The apology was unnecessary as his balance at the time was £14,700.
Finally, Elwes went to live with one of his two natural sons, for whom he had a true fatherly feeling, and after his peaceful death on 26 November 1789, the property worth £800,000 was divided between his sons and his nephew.
The Bermondsey by-election of Oct 1909 and the Suffragettes
Following the death of the sitting member, George Cooper, in October 1909, a by-election to choose a new member was held on 27 October. At this time, women had not yet been granted the vote, and the Suffragette movement was actively campaigning for this right. Part of this campaign was reflected in their actions on polling-day in this by-election, as can be seen from the following report in The Times of 29 October 1909:-
In the forenoon a woman was permitted, upon some pretence or other, to enter the polling-booth at the Boutcher Schools in Grange-road. She at once threw a bottle on one of the ballot boxes, and, the bottle breaking, the liquid which it contained splashed into the eyes of the presiding officer, Mr. George Thorley, a school teacher. A doctor who happened to be present declared the liquid to be of a corrosive nature, and Mr. Thorley was taken to Guy's Hospital, where a grave view is taken of the injury to his right eye. At the Laxon-street Schools, another polling station, a similar incident occurred, although fortunately in this case no personal injury was done. The woman at Grange-road was arrested, but the other was allowed to walk away. It is understood that their object was to spoil a number of voting papers…
The two women, whose names were Alice Chapin and Alison Neilan, were tried at the Old Bailey on 24 November 1909, where both women pleaded not guilty. After listening to the evidence, Chapin was found guilty of interfering with the ballot box and guilty of common assault, but not guilty of attempting to destroy the ballot papers; Neilan was found guilty of interfering with the ballot box but not guilty of attempting to destroy the ballot papers. Chapin received four months' imprisonment and Neilan received three months.
 

 
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