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Bristol (UK Parliament constituency)

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Bristol
Former borough constituency
for the House of Commons
1295–1885
Seatstwo
Replaced byBristol East
Bristol North
Bristol South
Bristol West

Bristol was a two-member constituency, used to elect members to the House of Commons in the Parliaments of England (to 1707), Great Britain (1707–1800), and the United Kingdom (from 1801). The constituency existed until Bristol was divided into single member constituencies in 1885.

Boundaries

[edit]

The historic port city of Bristol is located in what is now the South West Region of England. It straddles the border between the historic geographical counties of Gloucestershire and Somerset. It was usually accounted as a Gloucestershire borough in the later part of the 19th and the 20th centuries.

The parliamentary borough of Bristol was represented in Parliament from the 13th century, as one of the most important population centres in the Kingdom. Namier and Brooke comment that in 1754 the city was the second largest in the Kingdom and had the third largest electorate for an urban seat.

From the 1885 United Kingdom general election the city was divided into four single member seats. These were Bristol East, Bristol North, Bristol South and Bristol West.

Members of Parliament

[edit]

The use of Roman numerals in the list below denotes different politicians of the same name, not that the individuals concerned would have used the Roman numerals as part of their name.

Non Partisan denotes that the politician concerned is not known to have been associated with a party (not necessarily that he was not). Whilst Whig and Tory societies in the city continued to nominate candidates in the last half of the 18th century, the electoral labels used in Bristol had very little to do with what the MPs did in national politics.

Year 1st Member 1st Party 2nd Member 2nd Party
1295 John le Taverner[1]
1298 John le Taverner John de Cheddre[1]
1301 John de Malmesbury[1]
1305 Thomas Welishote John Hasard[1]
1306 John le Taverner Robert de Holhurst[1]
1307 (Jan) Geoffrey Comper Nicholas Coker[1]
1309 Stephen de Bello Monte Robert Martyn[1]
1311 (Aug) Richard Colpeck John Fraunceys[1]
1311 (Nov) John Haszard John le Lun[1]
1313 (Mar) John de Wellescoten John Methelan[1]
1313 (Sep) John Fraunceys John Tropyn[1]
1315 Robert Wyldemersh Thomas le Spicer[1]
1316 (Jan) Nicholas de Roubergwe John Veys[1]
1318 Gilbert Pickering Richard de Woodhall[1]
1319 Thomas de Salop Robert de Lyncoln[1]
1320 John le Hunte John Welishote[1]
1321 John de Romeneye William de Hanyngfeld[1]
1322 (May) William de Clyf John Fraunceys jnr (son of 1311)[1]
1322 (Nov) John le Taverner John Fraunceys jnr[1]
1324 (Jan) John de Axebridge John Fraunceys jnr[1]
1325 John de Axebridge John Fraunceys jnr[1]
1327 John de Axebridge John de Romeneye[1]
1328 (Feb) Richard de Panes Hugh le Hunte[1]
1328 (Apr) William de Trowbridge Hugh de Langebridge[1]
1330 (Mar) John Fraunceys Hugh le Hunte[1]
1330 (Nov) Hugh le Hunte Richard de Panes[1]
1332 (Mar) John de Romeneye John de Axebridge[1]
1332 (Sep) Hugh de Langebridge John de Axebridge[1]
1332 (Dec) Richard de Chelreye John Fraunceys snr[1]
1334 (Feb) John Otery John de Strete[1]
1334 (Sep) Robert Gyene or Gwyen[1]
1335 Hugh de Langebridge John de Strete[1]
1336 (Mar) Robert de Gyn or de Gyeyn John Franceys[1]
1336 (Sep) John Fraunceys jnr Thomas Tropin[1]
1336 (Dec) Hugh de Langebridge John le Spycer
William le Haukare[1]
1337 (Jan) Robert de Gyene John de Strete[1]
1338 (Jan) Everard le Fraunceys Philip de Torynton[1]
1338 (Jul) Everard le Fraunceys Philip de Torynton[1]
1339 (Jan) Everard le Fraunceys John de Strete[1]
1340 (Jan) Thomas Tropyn John le Spicer[1]
1341 Robert Guyene Philip de Toryton[1]
1344 Roger Turtle John de Horncastle[1]
1346 (Sep) John de Wycoumbe John Neel[1]
1348 (Jan) Everard Fraunceys or le Freynshe John de Strete[1]
1348 (Mar) Everard le Fraunceys Thomas de Lodelawe[1]
1351 John de Colyngton or Cobbington John Seymour[1]
1353 Thomas Babbecary William Coumbe[1]
1354 Richard le Spicer Reginald le French[1]
1358 Reginald French Richard Brompton[1]
1360 Thomas Babbecari Galfridus Beauflour (Geoffrey Beauflower)[1]
1361 Reginald le French William Yonge[1]
1362 Walter Frompton Edmund Blanket[1]
1363 John Serjaunt John Stoke[1]
1365 William Haye William Cannings[1]
1366 William Somerwell Thomas Denbaud[1]
1368 Richard Chaimburleyn Richard Sydenham[1]
1369 Robert Cheddre Edmund Blanket[1]
1371 (Jun) John Bathe[1]
1372 Walter Derby John Stoke[1]
1373 Walter Derby Thomas Beaupyne or Beaupenny[1]
1377 (Jan) Ehas Spelly Thomas Beaupyne or Beaupenny[1]
1378 Thomas Beaupyne Walter de Frompton[1]
1381 Elias Spelly John Stokes[1]
1382 (May) Thomas Beaupyne John Viell[1]
1382 (Oct) Walter Derby John Fullbroke[1]
1383 (Feb) William I Canynges(d.1396) John Candavere[1]
1383 (Oct) John Canynges(d.1405) William Frome[1]
1384 (Apr) William I Canynges(d.1396) William Somerwell[1]
1384 (Nov) Elias Spelly Walter Tedistill (Tyddeley?)[1]
1385 Elias Spelly Thomas Knapp[1]
1386 Elias Spelly William I Canynges (d.1396)[1]
1388 (Feb) Thomas Beaupyne Thomas Knapp[1]
1388 (Sep) Robert Gardiner John Fulbrook[1]
1390 (Jan) John Viell William Frome[1]
1391 William Frome John Stephens[1]
1393 Thomas Beaupyne John Stephens[1]
1397 (Jan) William Frome John Banbury[1]
1399 Thomas Norton Richard Pavys or Pannys[1]
1402 Thomas Norton John Droyes[1]
1406 Henry Bokerell Gilbert Joce[1]
1407 (Oct) John Droys, merchant John Newton, merchant[1]
1411 (Oct) Thomas Norton David Dudbroke[1]
1413 (Apr) Thomas Norton John Leycester[1]
1414 (Jan) Thomas Young John Spyne[1]
1414 (Oct) Thomas Blount, merchant John Clyve, merchant[1]
1416 (Feb) Robert Russell Robert Colville[1]
1417 (Oct) Thomas Norton John Burton[1]
1419 (Sep) Robert Russell Mark William[1]
1420 (Nov) Thomas Norton John Spyne[1]
1421 (Mar) Thomas Norton Henry Gildeney[1]
1421 (Nov) Mark William Richard Trenode[1]
1422 (Oct) John Burton Roger Lyveden or Lavindon[1]
1423 (Oct) John Burton Roger Leveden or Lavindon[1]
1425 (Mar) Richard Trenode Walter Power or Powell[1]
1426 (Feb) Henry Gildeney John Langley[1]
1427 (Sep) John Burton Henry Gildeney[1]
1429 (Sep) Richard Trenode John Sharp[1]
1430 (Dec) Thomas Fish Walter Power or Powell[1]
1432 (Apr) John Burton John Sharp[1]
1433 (Jun) Robert Russell Walter Power[1]
1435 (Sep) Thomas Fisshe Thomas Young(d.1476)[1]

[2]

1436 (Dec) Thomas Young(d.1476) Thomas Norton jnr[1]
1439 William II Canynges(d.1474)[3]
1442 (Jan) Thomas Young(d.1476) John Sharp[1]
1447 (Jan) Thomas Young(d.1476) John Sharp, jnr (son of John Sharp 1429)[1]
1449 (Jan) Thomas Young(d.1476) John Sharp, jnr[1]
1449 (Nov) Thomas Young(d.1476) John Sharp, jnr[1]
1450 (Oct) Thomas Young(d.1476) William II Canynges(d.1474)[1]
1453 (Feb) John Shipward William Pa(vy?)[1]
1455 (Jul) Thomas Young(d.1476) William II Canynges(d.1474)[1]
1459 (Nov) John Shipward Philip Mede[1]
1460 (Sep) John Shipward Philip Mede[1]
1462 Thomas Meede[4]
1467 (Apr) William Spencer John Bagot[1]
1472 (Aug) John Twynyho John Bagot[1]
1478 (Jan) John Hawkes Edmund Westcote[1]
1483 (Jan) Edmund Westcote William Wykam[1]
1484 (Jan) John Twynyho Robert Strange[1]
1485 (Oct) John Esterfield Robert Strange (MP for Bristol)[1]
1487 (Oct) John Esterfield Henry Vaughan[1]
1490 (Jan) William Toker John Fisher[1]
1491 (Oct) John Syram™ (or Seymour?) John Pynke[1]
1495 (Oct) Henry Vaughan Philip Kingston[1]
1505 Henry Dale Thomas Snigg[1]
1510 )Jan) Richard Vaughan Henry Dale[1]
1512 (Jan) Thomas Smith Richard Hobby[1]
1523 (Apr) Robert Thorn Richard Hobby[1]
1529 Thomas Jubbes Richard Abingdon
1536 Nicholas Thorn Roger Coke
1539 Thomas White David Broke1
1541 David Broke Robert Elyot
1545 Robert Keilway John Drewes
1553 John Walshe David Harris
1554 Thomas Lansden
1555 William Chester
1558 William Tyndall Robert Butler
1559 John Walshe William Carr
1563 John Walshe, made judge,
repl. by
Thomas Chester
William Carr
1571 John Popham Philip Langley
1584 Thomas Hanham Richard Cole
1586 Thomas Aldworth
1588 William Saltern
1593 Richard Cole
1597 George Snigge
made Baron of the Court of Exchequer
and replaced 1605 by John Whitson
William Ellys
1601 John Hopkins Non Partisan
1604 Thomas James Non Partisan
1614 John Whitson Non Partisan Thomas James Non Partisan
1621 John Barker Non-Partisan John Guy Non Partisan
1624 John Barker Non Partisan John Guy Non Partisan
1625 Nicholas Hyde Non Partisan John Whitson Non Partisan
1626 John Whitson Non Partisan John Doughty Non Partisan
1628 John Doughty Non Partisan John Barker Non Partisan
1640 (Mar) John Glanville Non Partisan Humphrey Hooke Non Partisan
1640 (Oct) Humphrey Hooke Non Partisan Richard Longe Non Partisan
1642 John Glanville Non Partisan John Tailer Non Partisan
1646 Richard Aldworth Non Partisan Luke Hodges Non Partisan
1654 Richard Aldworth Non Partisan Miles Jackson Non Partisan
1656 Robert Aldworth Non Partisan John Dodderidge
Miles Jackson
Non Partisan
1659 Robert Aldworth Non Partisan Joseph Jackson Non Partisan
1660 John Stephens Non Partisan Sir John Knight Non Partisan
1661 The Earl of Ossory 2 Non Partisan
1666 Sir Humphrey Hooke 3 Non Partisan
1678 Sir Robert Cann Non Partisan
1681 Thomas Earle Non Partisan
1681 Sir Richard Hart Non Partisan
1685 Sir John Churchill 4 Non Partisan Sir Richard Crumpe Non Partisan
1685 Sir Richard Hart Non Partisan
1689 Sir John Knight II Non Partisan
1695 Sir Thomas Day Non Partisan Robert Yate Non Partisan
1701 Sir William Daines Non Partisan
1710 Edward Colston Tory Joseph Earle Non Partisan
1713 Thomas Edwards Non Partisan
1715 Sir William Daines Non Partisan
1722 Sir Abraham Elton, Bt I Non Partisan
1727 John Scrope Non Partisan Sir Abraham Elton, Bt II 6 Non Partisan
1734 Thomas Coster 5 Non Partisan
1739 Edward Southwell Non Partisan
1742 Robert Hoblyn Non Partisan
1754 Robert Craggs-Nugent
(later The Viscount Clare)
8
Whig Richard Beckford 7 Tory
1756 Jarrit Smith Tory
1768 Matthew Brickdale Tory
1774 Henry Cruger Whig Edmund Burke Whig
1780 Matthew Brickdale Tory[5] Sir Henry Lippincott, Bt 9 Tory[5]
1781 George Daubeny Tory[5]
1784 Henry Cruger Whig[5]
1790 Marquess of Worcester Tory The Lord Sheffield 10 Whig[5]
1796 Charles Bragge
(later Charles Bragge Bathurst)
11
Tory[5]
1802 Evan Baillie Whig[5]
1812 Richard Hart Davis Tory[5]
1812 Edward Protheroe I Whig[5]
1820 Henry Bright Whig[5][6]
1830 James Evan Baillie Whig[5][7]
1831 Edward Protheroe II Whig[5][8]
1832 Sir Richard Vyvyan, Bt Tory[5]
1834 Conservative[5]
1835 Philip John Miles Conservative[5]
1837 Philip William Skinner Miles Conservative[5] Henry FitzHardinge Berkeley 13 Radical[9][10][11]
1852 Henry Gore-Langton Whig[10]
1859 Liberal Liberal
1865 Sir Morton Peto 12 Liberal
1868 John Miles Conservative
1868 Samuel Morley Liberal
1870 Elisha Smith Robinson 14 Liberal
1870 Kirkman Hodgson 12 Liberal
1878 Lewis Fry Liberal
1885 constituency divided. See Bristol East, Bristol North, Bristol South and Bristol West.

Notes:-

  • 1 By 4 February 1536 David Broke had been elected vice Thomas Jubbes deceased. He was probably re-elected in the 1536 general election and certainly was at the 1539 and 1542 elections..
  • 2 A Peer of Ireland. He was created a Peer of England, as 1st Baron Butler, in 1666.
  • 3 Died 16 October 1677.
  • 4 Died 11 October 1685.
  • 5 Died 30 September 1739.
  • 6 Died 20 October 1742.
  • 7 Died 24 January 1756.
  • 8 Created a Peer of Ireland, as 1st Viscount Clare, in 1767.
  • 9 Died 30 December 1780.
  • 10 A Peer of Ireland, as 1st Baron Sheffield, created in 1781.
  • 11 Adopted a new surname of Bathurst, in 1804.
  • 12 Resigned.
  • 13 Died 10 March 1870.
  • 14 Election declared void on petition.

Elections

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During the existence of this constituency, Bristol was a city with the status of being a county of itself. That meant that the city was not subject to the administration of the officials of the geographic counties in which it was situated. In electoral terms it meant that the voters for the parliamentary borough included those qualified on the same 40 shilling freeholder franchise as that for a county constituency. Other electors qualified as freemen of the borough. These were the ancient right franchises, applicable to Bristol, preserved by the Reform Act 1832, which also introduced a broader occupation franchise for all borough constituencies.

Bristol was a fairly partisan constituency in the eighteenth century with two rival clubs - the Union Club for the Whigs and the Steadfast Society for the Tories.[12]

The bloc vote electoral system was used in two seat elections and first past the post for single member by-elections. Each voter had up to as many votes as there were seats to be filled. Votes had to be cast by a spoken declaration, in public, at the hustings (until the secret ballot was introduced in 1872).

Namier and Brooke, in The House of Commons 1754-1790, estimated the electorate of Bristol to number about 5,000.[13] When registration of electors was introduced in 1832 the city had 10,315 names on the electoral register.

Note on percentage change calculations: Where there was only one candidate of a party in successive elections, for the same number of seats, change is calculated on the party percentage vote. Where there was more than one candidate, in one or both successive elections for the same number of seats, then change is calculated on the individual percentage vote.

Note on sources: The information for the election results given below is taken from Sedgwick 1715–1754, Namier and Brooke 1754–1790, Stooks Smith 1790-1832 and from Craig thereafter. Where Stooks Smith gives additional information or differs from the other sources this is indicated in a note after the result.

1710s1720s1730s1740s1750s1760s1770s1780s1790s1800s1810s1820s1830s1840s1850s1860s1870s1880s

Elections in the 1710s

[edit]
General election 9 February 1715: Bristol (2 seats)
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Whig William Daines 1,936 24.87 N/A
Whig Joseph Earle 1,879 24.14 N/A
Tory Philip Freke 1,991 25.58 N/A
Tory Thomas Edwards 1,978 25.41 N/A
  • Note (1715): Although the Whig candidates received fewer votes than the Tory ones, the Returning Officer declared them elected and the House of Commons did not hear the petitions against the return; so Daines and Earle continued to sit throughout the Parliament.

Elections in the 1720s

[edit]
General election 28 March 1722: Bristol (2 seats)
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Whig Joseph Earle 2,141 37.22 +13.08
Whig Abraham Elton 1,869 32.49 N/A
Tory William Hart 1,743 30.30 N/A
General election 8 September 1727: Bristol (2 seats)
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Whig John Scrope Unopposed N/A N/A
Whig Abraham Elton Unopposed N/A N/A
  • Note (1727): William Hart (Tory) was a candidate, but he did not go to a poll after Mr Elton paid him £1,000 to cover his election expenses.
  • Elton became the 2nd Baronet, upon the death of his father (the MP of the same name elected in 1722) in 1728.

Elections in the 1730s

[edit]
General election 24 May 1734: Bristol (2 seats)
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Whig Abraham Elton 2,428 38.15 N/A
Tory Thomas Coster 2,071 32.54 N/A
Whig John Scrope 1,866 29.32 N/A
  • Death of Coster
By-Election 12 December 1739: Bristol
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Whig Edward Southwell 2,651 54.61 N/A
Non Partisan Henry Combe 2,203 45.39 N/A
Majority 448 9.23 N/A
Whig gain from Tory Swing N/A
  • Note (1759): Southwell was an Opposition Whig

Elections in the 1740s

[edit]
General election 13 May 1741: Bristol (2 seats)
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Whig Abraham Elton Unopposed N/A N/A
Whig Edward Southwell Unopposed N/A N/A
  • Death of Elton
By-Election 24 November 1742: Bristol
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Tory Robert Hoblyn Unopposed N/A N/A
Tory gain from Whig Swing N/A
General election 1 July 1747: Bristol (2 seats)
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Whig Edward Southwell Unopposed N/A N/A
Tory Robert Hoblyn Unopposed N/A N/A

Elections in the 1750s

[edit]
General election 1 May 1754: Bristol (2 seats)
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Whig Robert Nugent 2,592 37.04 N/A
Tory Richard Beckford 2,245 32.09 N/A
Tory John Philipps 2,160 30.87 N/A
  • Note (1754): Nugent 2,601; Philips 2,165. (Source: Stooks Smith)
  • Death of Beckford
By-Election 18 March 1756: Bristol
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Tory Jarrit Smith 2,418 50.75 N/A
Whig John Spencer 2,347 49.25 N/A
Majority 71 1.49 N/A
Tory hold Swing N/A
  • Seat vacated by appointment of Craggs-Nugent as a Vice Treasurer of Ireland
By-Election 26 December 1759: Bristol
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Whig Robert Nugent Unopposed N/A N/A
Whig hold Swing N/A

Elections in the 1760s

[edit]
General election 27 March 1761: Bristol (2 seats)
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Whig Robert Nugent Unopposed N/A N/A
Tory Jarrit Smith Unopposed N/A N/A
By-Election 16 December 1766: Bristol
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Whig Robert Nugent Unopposed N/A N/A
Whig hold Swing N/A
  • Creation of Craggs-Nugent as the 1st Viscount Clare, in the Peerage of Ireland, in 1767
General election 16 March 1768: Bristol (2 seats)
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Whig Robert Nugent Unopposed N/A N/A
Tory Matthew Brickdale Unopposed N/A N/A
  • Seat vacated by appointment of Viscount Clare as a Vice Treasurer of Ireland
By-Election 27 June 1768: Bristol
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Whig Robert Nugent Unopposed N/A N/A
Whig hold Swing N/A

Elections in the 1770s

[edit]
General election 3 November 1774: Bristol (2 seats)
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Whig Henry Cruger 3,565 39.56 N/A
Whig Edmund Burke 2,707 30.04 N/A
Tory Matthew Brickdale 2,456 27.26 N/A
Whig Robert Nugent 283 3.14 N/A
  • Note (1774): 5,384 voted. Lord Clare resigned on the second day when Mr. Burke was first proposed. Mr. Burke was at the time in Malton, for which place he had been returned when the deputation arrived to invite him to Bristol, where he arrived on the sixth day's poll. (Source: Stooks Smith)

Elections in the 1780s

[edit]
General election 20 September 1780: Bristol (2 seats)
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Tory Matthew Brickdale 2,771 37.62 +10.36
Tory Henry Lippincott 2,518 34.18 N/A
Whig Henry Cruger 1,271 17.25 −22.31
Whig Samuel Peach 788 10.70 N/A
Whig Edmund Burke 18 0.24 −29.80
  • Note (1780): Lippincott 3,518; Burke 0. Mr. Rich. Combe, late member of Aldeburgh, was a Candidate, but died the day before the commencement of the poll. (Source: Stooks Smith)
  • Death of Lippincott
By-Election 26 February 1781: Bristol
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Tory George Daubeny 3,143 53.15 N/A
Whig Henry Cruger 2,771 46.85 N/A
Majority 372 6.29 N/A
Tory hold Swing N/A
General election 10 May 1784: Bristol (2 seats)
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Tory Matthew Brickdale 3,458 35.05 −2.57
Whig Henry Cruger 3,052 30.93 +13.68
Tory George Daubeny 2,984 30.24 N/A
Whig Samuel Peach 373 3.73 −6.97
  • Note (1784): 6,094 voted. (Source: Stooks Smith)

Elections in the 1790s

[edit]
General election 1790: Bristol (2 seats)
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Tory Henry Somerset 544 49.54 N/A
Whig John Baker-Holroyd 537 48.91 N/A
Non Partisan -. Lewis 12 1.09 N/A
Non Partisan William Cunningham 5 0.46 N/A
General election 1796: Bristol (2 seats)
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Tory Charles Bragge 364 44.83 −4.71
Whig John Baker-Holroyd 340 41.87 −7.04
Whig Benjamin Hobhouse 108 13.30 N/A
  • Note (1796): Poll 1 day. (Source: Stooks Smith)

Elections in the 1800s

[edit]
  • Members of the last Parliament of Great Britain, continued in office for the first Parliament of the United Kingdom from 1 January 1801
Co-option 1801: Bristol (2 seats)
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Tory Charles Bragge Co-opted N/A N/A
Whig John Baker-Holroyd Co-opted N/A N/A
By-Election November 1801: Bristol
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Tory Charles Bragge Unopposed N/A N/A
Tory hold Swing N/A
General election 1802: Bristol (2 seats)
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Tory Charles Bragge Unopposed N/A N/A
Whig Evan Baillie Unopposed N/A N/A
  • Note (1802): Sir Frederick Eden was a candidate, but retired before the election. (Source: Stooks Smith)
  • Seat vacated on the appointment of Bragge as Secretary at War
By-Election August 1803: Bristol
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Tory Charles Bragge Unopposed N/A N/A
Tory hold Swing N/A
  • Bragge changed his surname to Bathurst in 1804
General election 1806: Bristol (2 seats)
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Tory Charles Bathurst Unopposed N/A N/A
Whig Evan Baillie Unopposed N/A N/A
General election 1807: Bristol (2 seats)
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Tory Charles Bathurst Unopposed N/A N/A
Whig Evan Baillie Unopposed N/A N/A

Elections in the 1810s

[edit]
By-Election July 1812: Bristol
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Tory Richard Hart Davis 1,907 89.03 N/A
Radical Henry Hunt 235 10.97 N/A
Radical William Cobbett 0 0.00 N/A
Majority 1,672 78.06 N/A
Tory hold Swing N/A
  • Note (1812 by-election): Poll 13 days; 2,142 electors voted. (Source: Stooks Smith)
General election 1812: Bristol (2 seats)
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Tory Richard Hart Davis 2,910 39.24 N/A
Whig Edward Protheroe 2,435 32.84 N/A
Whig Samuel Romilly 1,615 21.78 N/A
Radical Henry Hunt 455 6.14 N/A
  • Note (1812): Poll 10 days; 4,389 electors cast 7,415 votes. (Source: Stooks Smith)
General election 1818: Bristol (2 seats)
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Tory Richard Hart Davis 3,377 46.13 +6.89
Whig Edward Protheroe 2,259 30.86 −1.98
Whig Hugh Duncan Baillie 1,684 23.01 +23.01
  • Note (1818): Poll 5 days; 4,121 electors cast 7,320 votes. (Source: Stooks Smith)

Elections in the 1820s

[edit]
General election 1820: Bristol (2 seats)
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Whig Henry Bright 2,975 50.45 +50.45
Tory Richard Hart Davis 2,795 47.40 +1.27
Whig Hugh Duncan Baillie 127 2.15 −20.86
General election 1826: Bristol (2 seats)
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Tory Richard Hart Davis 3,887 48.14 +0.74
Whig Henry Bright 2,314 28.66 −21.79
Whig Edward Protheroe 1,874 23.21 +23.21

Elections in the 1830s

[edit]
General election 1830: Bristol (2 seats)[5]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Tory Richard Hart Davis 5,012 44.6
Whig James Evan Baillie 3,378 30.1
Whig Edward Davis Protheroe 2,842 25.3
Radical James Acland 8 0.0
Turnout 6,311 N/A
Majority 1,634 14.5
Tory hold Swing
Majority 3,370 30.1 N/A
Whig hold Swing
  • Note (1830): Poll 4 days (Source: Stooks Smith)
General election 1831: Bristol (2 seats)[5]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Whig James Evan Baillie Unopposed
Whig Edward Davis Protheroe Unopposed
Whig hold
Whig gain from Tory
General election 14 December 1832: Bristol (2 seats)[5][14]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Tory Richard Vyvyan 3,697 29.3 New
Whig James Evan Baillie 3,159 25.0 N/A
Whig Edward Davis Protheroe 3,030 24.0 N/A
Whig John Williams 2,741 21.7 N/A
Majority 538 5.3 N/A
Turnout 6,631 64.3 N/A
Registered electors 10,315
Tory gain from Whig Swing N/A
Whig hold Swing N/A
General election 9 January 1835: Bristol (2 seats)[5][14]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Philip John Miles 3,709 32.7 +18.1
Conservative Richard Vyvyan 3,313 29.2 +14.6
Whig James Evan Baillie 2,518 22.2 −48.5
Radical John Hobhouse[15] 1,808 15.9 N/A
Majority 795 7.0 +1.7
Turnout 5,879 58.2 −6.1
Registered electors 10,100
Conservative hold Swing +21.2
Conservative gain from Whig Swing +19.4
General election 22 July 1837: Bristol (2 seats)[5][14]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Philip William Skinner Miles 3,839 37.6 +4.9
Radical Henry FitzHardinge Berkeley 3,212 31.5 +15.6
Conservative William Fripp 3,156 30.9 +1.7
Turnout 6,375 63.8 +5.6
Registered electors 9,992
Majority 627 6.1 −0.9
Conservative hold Swing −1.5
Majority 56 0.6 N/A
Radical gain from Conservative Swing +4.5

Elections in the 1840s

[edit]
General election 28 June 1841: Bristol (2 seats)[14]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Philip William Skinner Miles 4,193 36.1 −1.5
Radical Henry FitzHardinge Berkeley 3,739 32.2 +0.7
Conservative William Fripp 3,684 31.7 +0.8
Turnout 5,808 (est) 52.1 (est) −11.7
Registered electors 11,150
Majority 454 3.9 −2.2
Conservative hold Swing +0.9
Majority 55 0.5 −0.1
Radical hold Swing +0.7
General election 1847: Bristol (2 seats)[14]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Radical Henry FitzHardinge Berkeley 4,381 45.5 +29.4
Conservative Philip William Skinner Miles 2,595 27.0 −9.1
Conservative William Fripp 2,476 25.7 −6.0
Radical Apsley Pellatt 171 1.8 −14.3
Turnout 6,913 62.7 +10.6
Registered electors 11,032
Majority 1,786 18.5 +18.0
Radical hold Swing +18.5
Majority 2,424 25.2 +21.3
Conservative hold Swing −8.3

Elections in the 1850s

[edit]
General election 10 July 1852: Bristol (2 seats)[14]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Radical Henry FitzHardinge Berkeley 4,681 36.4 −10.9
Whig Henry Gore-Langton 4,531 35.3 N/A
Conservative Foster Alleyne McGeachy 3,632 28.3 −24.4
Turnout 6,422 (est) 51.2 (est) −11.5
Registered electors 12,548
Majority 150 1.1 −17.4
Radical hold Swing +6.8
Majority 899 7.0 N/A
Whig gain from Conservative Swing N/A
  • Note (1852): From this election the number of electors who voted is unknown, so the number of votes cast is divided by two, and the resultant figure is used to calculate an estimated minimum turnout. To the extent that electors did not cast both their possible votes the turnout figure will be an underestimate.
General election 27 March 1857: Bristol (2 seats)[14]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Radical Henry FitzHardinge Berkeley Unopposed
Whig Henry Gore-Langton Unopposed
Registered electors 12,612
Radical hold
Whig hold
General election 30 April 1859: Bristol (2 seats)[14]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Henry FitzHardinge Berkeley 4,432 34.3 N/A
Liberal Henry Gore-Langton 4,285 33.2 N/A
Conservative Frederick William Slade[16] 4,205 32.5 New
Majority 80 0.7 N/A
Turnout 6,461 (est) 50.0 (est) N/A
Registered electors 12,929
Liberal hold Swing N/A
Liberal hold Swing N/A

Elections in the 1860s

[edit]
General election 15 July 1865: Bristol (2 seats)[14]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Henry FitzHardinge Berkeley 5,296 35.8 +1.5
Liberal Morton Peto 5,228 35.3 +2.1
Conservative Thomas Fremantle 4,269 28.9 −3.6
Majority 959 6.5 +5.8
Turnout 9,531 (est) 84.3 (est) +34.3
Registered electors 11,303
Liberal hold Swing +1.7
Liberal hold Swing +2.0
  • Resignation of Peto
By-Election 30 April 1868: Bristol[14]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative John Miles 5,173 51.0 +22.1
Liberal Samuel Morley 4,977 49.0 −22.1
Majority 196 2.0 N/A
Turnout 10,150 89.8 +5.5
Registered electors 11,303
Conservative gain from Liberal Swing +22.1
  • McCalmont reports that Miles was unseated on petition, but that no new writ was issued before the 1868 general election. Craig also reports the election was voided.[14]
General election 16 November 1868: Bristol (2 seats)[14]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Henry FitzHardinge Berkeley 8,759 36.2 +0.4
Liberal Samuel Morley 8,714 36.1 +0.8
Conservative John Miles 6,694 27.7 −1.2
Majority 2,020 8.4 +1.9
Turnout 15,431 (est) 72.9 (est) −11.4
Registered electors 21,153
Liberal hold Swing +0.5
Liberal hold Swing +0.7

Elections in the 1870s

[edit]
  • Death of Berkeley
By-Election 29 March 1870: Bristol[14]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Elisha Smith Robinson 7,882 52.7 −19.6
Conservative Sholto Vere Hare[17] 7,062 47.3 +19.6
Majority 820 5.4 −3.0
Turnout 14,944 70.6 −2.3
Registered electors 21,153
Liberal hold Swing −19.6
  • Election of Robinson declared void on petition
By-Election 27 June 1870: Bristol[14]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Kirkman Hodgson 7,816 51.9 −20.4
Conservative Sholto Vere Hare[17] 7,238 48.1 +20.4
Majority 578 3.8 −4.6
Turnout 15,054 71.2 −1.7
Registered electors 21,153
Liberal hold Swing −20.4
  • Swing from Liberal to Conservative
General election 5 February 1874: Bristol (2 seats)[14]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Kirkman Hodgson 8,888 26.3 −9.9
Liberal Samuel Morley 8,732 25.8 −10.3
Conservative Sholto Vere Hare[17] 8,552 25.3 +11.4
Conservative George Henry Chambers[18] 7,626 22.6 +8.7
Majority 180 0.5 −7.9
Turnout 16,899 (est) 73.9 (est) +1.0
Registered electors 22,867
Liberal hold Swing −9.4
Liberal hold Swing −9.5
  • Resignation of Hodgson
By-Election 16 December 1878: Bristol[14]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Lewis Fry 9,342 54.5 +2.4
Conservative Ivor Guest 7,795 45.5 −2.4
Majority 1,547 9.0 +8.5
Turnout 17,137 69.0 −4.9
Registered electors 24,851
Liberal hold Swing +2.4

Elections in the 1880s

[edit]
General election April 1880: Bristol (2 seats)[14]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Samuel Morley 10,704 31.2 +5.4
Liberal Lewis Fry 10,070 29.4 +3.1
Conservative Ivor Guest 9,395 27.4 +2.1
Liberal Elisha Smith Robinson 4,100 12.0 N/A
Majority 675 2.0 +1.5
Turnout 17,135 (est) 73.8 (est) −0.1
Registered electors 23,229
Liberal hold Swing +2.2
Liberal hold Swing +1.0
  • Constituency abolished - city split into four divisions (1885)

See also

[edit]

References

[edit]
  1. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z aa ab ac ad ae af ag ah ai aj ak al am an ao ap aq ar as at au av aw ax ay az ba bb bc bd be bf bg bh bi bj bk bl bm bn bo bp bq br bs bt bu bv bw bx by bz ca cb cc cd ce cf cg ch ci cj ck cl cm cn co cp cq cr cs ct cu cv cw cx cy cz da db dc dd de df dg dh di dj dk dl dm dn do dp dq dr ds dt du "The parliamentary history of the county of Gloucester". William Retlaw Williams on Internet Archive. 1898. Retrieved 25 March 2011.
  2. ^ Oxford Dictionary of National Biography, 2004, Vol. "C", p.970, Canynges. Thomas Young was half-brother to William II Canynges
  3. ^ Oxford Dictionary of National Biography, 2004, Vol. "C", p.970, Canynges
  4. ^ Robinson, W.J. (1915). West Country Churches. Bristol: Bristol Times and Mirror Ltd. p. 67.
  5. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u 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. 31–34. Retrieved 29 October 2018 – via Google Books.
  6. ^ Terry Jenkins (2009). "BRIGHT, Henry (1784–1869), of 2 Stone Buildings, Lincoln's Inn, Mdx.". In Fisher, David (ed.). The House of Commons 1820–1832. The History of Parliament Trust. Retrieved 10 November 2022.
  7. ^ "Election Address". Discovering Bristol. Retrieved 10 September 2019.
  8. ^ Terry Jenkins (2009). "Bristol". In Fisher, David (ed.). The House of Commons 1820–1832. The History of Parliament Trust. Retrieved 10 November 2022.
  9. ^ Bush, Graham William Arthur (1976). "The Structure and Politics of the Council". Bristol and its Municipal Government 1820-1851. Bristol Record Society. p. 147. ISSN 0305-8727. Retrieved 19 April 2018. {{cite book}}: |journal= ignored (help)
  10. ^ a b Steele, E. D. (1991). "At home". Palmerston and Liberalism, 1855-1865. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. p. 72. ISBN 0-521-40045-7. Retrieved 19 April 2018.
  11. ^ "Bristol". Worcester Journal. 5 August 1847. p. 2. Retrieved 19 April 2018 – via British Newspaper Archive.
  12. ^ Pages 88 to 91,Lewis Namier, The Structure of Politics at the Accession of George III (2nd edition - London: St Martin's Press, 1957)
  13. ^ John Brooke (1964). "Bristol". In Namier, Sir Lewis; Brooke, John (eds.). The House of Commons 1754–1790. The History of Parliament Trust. Retrieved 10 November 2022.
  14. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q Craig, F. W. S., ed. (1977). British Parliamentary Election Results 1832-1885 (e-book) (1st ed.). London: Macmillan Press. pp. 67–68. ISBN 978-1-349-02349-3.
  15. ^ "A Guide to the Elections". Yorkshire Gazette. 3 January 1835. p. 4. Retrieved 10 September 2019 – via British Newspaper Archive.
  16. ^ "Election Intelligence". Taunton Courier, and Western Advertiser. 20 April 1859. p. 6. Retrieved 19 April 2018 – via British Newspaper Archive.
  17. ^ a b c "To the County of Bristol". Western Daily Press. 22 June 1870. p. 1. Retrieved 28 December 2017 – via British Newspaper Archive.
  18. ^ "Bristol". The Irish Times. 31 January 1874. p. 2. Retrieved 28 December 2017 – via British Newspaper Archive.

Bibliography

[edit]
  • Boundaries of Parliamentary Constituencies 1885-1972, compiled and edited by F.W.S. Craig (Parliamentary Reference Publications 1972)
  • British Parliamentary Election Results 1832-1885, compiled and edited by F.W.S. Craig (The Macmillan Press 1977)
  • McCalmont's Parliamentary Poll Book: British Election Results 1832-1918 (8th edition, The Harvester Press 1971)
  • A. D.K. Hawkyard (1982). "Bristol". In Bindoff, S. T. (ed.). The House of Commons 1509–1558. The History of Parliament Trust. Retrieved 10 November 2022.
  • The Parliaments of England by Henry Stooks Smith (1st edition published in three volumes 1844-50), second edition edited (in one volume) by F.W.S. Craig (Political Reference Publications 1973) out of copyright
  • Who's Who of British Members of Parliament: Volume I 1832-1885, edited by M. Stenton (The Harvester Press 1976)