Coventry was a

borough constituency In the United Kingdom (UK), each of the electoral areas or divisions called constituencies elects one member to the House of Commons. Within the United Kingdom there are five bodies with members elected by electoral districts called "constituenc ...

which was represented in the

House of Commons of England The House of Commons of England was the lower house of the Parliament of England (which incorporated Wales) from its development in the 14th century to the union of England and Scotland in 1707, when it was replaced by the House of Commons ...

and its successors, the

House of Commons of Great Britain The House of Commons of Great Britain was the lower house of the Parliament of Great Britain between 1707 and 1801. In 1707, as a result of the Acts of Union of that year, it replaced the House of Commons of England and the third estate of the ...

and the

House of Commons of the United Kingdom The House of Commons is the lower house of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. Like the upper house, the House of Lords, it meets in the Palace of Westminster in London, England. The House of Commons is an elected body consisting of 650 ...

. Centred on the City of

Coventry Coventry ( or ) is a city in the West Midlands, England. It is on the River Sherbourne. Coventry has been a large settlement for centuries, although it was not founded and given its city status until the Middle Ages. The city is governed b ...

Warwickshire Warwickshire (; abbreviated Warks) is a county in the West Midlands region of England. The county town is Warwick, and the largest town is Nuneaton. The county is famous for being the birthplace of William Shakespeare at Stratford-upon-Avo ...

, it returned two

Members of Parliament A member of parliament (MP) is the representative in parliament of the people who live in their electoral district. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, this term refers only to members of the lower house since upper house members of ...

(MPs) from 1295 until the

Redistribution of Seats Act 1885 The Redistribution of Seats Act 1885 (48 & 49 Vict., c. 23) was an Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. It was a piece of electoral reform legislation that redistributed the seats in the House of Commons, introducing the concept of equal ...

, when its representation was reduced to one. The Coventry constituency was abolished for the 1945 general election, when it was split into two new constituencies: Coventry East and Coventry West. Elections were held using the bloc vote system when electing two MPs (until 1885), and then

first-past-the-post In a first-past-the-post electoral system (FPTP or FPP), formally called single-member plurality voting (SMP) when used in single-member districts or informally choose-one voting in contrast to ranked voting, or score voting, voters cast the ...

to elect one MP thereafter.

Boundaries

From 1885 to 1918 the constituency consisted of the city of

and the parish of Stoke.Debrett's House of Commons & Judicial Bench, 1886 From 1918 until the constituency disappeared in 1945, it consisted of the County Borough of Coventry.

History

In the eighteenth century Coventry was, despite its size, known as a corrupt borough.

Members of Parliament

MPs before 1660

MPs 1660–1885

MPs 1885–1945

Election results

Elections in the 1830s

Ellice was appointed

Secretary at War The Secretary at War was a political position in the English and later British government, with some responsibility over the administration and organization of the Army, but not over military policy. The Secretary at War ran the War Office. Afte ...

, requiring a by-election.

Elections in the 1840s

Elections in the 1850s

Turner resigned after being appointed Vice-Chancellor of the High Court, causing a by-election. Geach's death caused a by-election. * Phillimore retired from the contest two hours into polling.

Elections in the 1860s

Ellice's death caused a by-election. Paxton's death caused a by-election. Treherne's death caused a by-election. The by-election was declared void on petition due to bribery by Jackson's agent.

Elections in the 1870s

Elections in the 1880s

Jackson resigned after being appointed a judge on the Queen's Bench Division of the High Court of Justice, causing a by-election. Eaton was elevated to the peerage, becoming Lord Cheylesmore, causing a by-election.

Elections in the 1890s

Elections in the 1900s

Elections in the 1910s

Mason had opposed the war and was replaced as Liberal candidate by Mansel who supported the Coalition Government. Bannington was the candidate of the

National Federation of Discharged and Demobilized Sailors and Soldiers The National Federation of Discharged and Demobilised Sailors and Soldiers (NFDDSS) was a British people, British veterans organisation. The organisation was founded in January 1917 by various London-based veterans groups opposed to the Military Se ...

.British Parliamentary Election Results 1918-1949, FWS Craig

Elections in the 1920s

Elections in the 1930s

References & Notes

References

*Robert Beatson, ''A Chronological Register of Both Houses of Parliament'' (London: Longman, Hurst, Res & Orme, 1807

* * F W S Craig, "British Parliamentary Election Results 1832-1885" (2nd edition, Aldershot: Parliamentary Research Services, 1989) * Lewis Namier & John Brooke, ''The History of Parliament: The House of Commons 1754-1790'' (London: HMSO, 1964) * "The Constitutional Yearbook, 1913" (London: National Unionist Association, 1913) * {{DEFAULTSORT:Coventry (Uk Parliament Constituency) Parliamentary constituencies in Coventry Parliamentary constituencies in Warwickshire (historic) Constituencies of the Parliament of the United Kingdom established in 1298 1470 establishments in England Constituencies of the Parliament of the United Kingdom disestablished in 1945 Parliamentary constituencies in the West Midlands (county) (historic)