This is a list of members of the House of Commons who met at the
Palace of Westminster between 14 June 1705 and 15 April 1708, initially as the
House of Commons of England, then after the
Acts of Union 1707 as the
House of Commons of Great Britain.
Background
At the start of the eighteenth century the House of Commons of the
Parliament of England
The Parliament of England was the legislature of the Kingdom of England from the 13th century until 1707 when it was replaced by the Parliament of Great Britain. Parliament evolved from the great council of bishops and peers that advised ...
had 513 members: 489 representing 245 constituencies in England and 24 representing 24 constituencies in Wales. In England there were 40
counties
A county is a geographic region of a country used for administrative or other purposesChambers Dictionary, L. Brookes (ed.), 2005, Chambers Harrap Publishers Ltd, Edinburgh in certain modern nations. The term is derived from the Old French ...
, returning two members each; 196
boroughs
A borough is an administrative division in various English-speaking countries. In principle, the term ''borough'' designates a self-governing walled town, although in practice, official use of the term varies widely.
History
In the Middle A ...
returning two members each, two boroughs (
London
London is the capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary dow ...
and
Weymouth and Melcombe Regis) returning four members each; five boroughs (
Abingdon,
Banbury
Banbury is a historic market town on the River Cherwell in Oxfordshire, South East England. It had a population of 54,335 at the 2021 Census.
Banbury is a significant commercial and retail centre for the surrounding area of north Oxfordshir ...
,
Bewdley
Bewdley ( pronunciation) is a town and civil parish in the Wyre Forest District in Worcestershire, England on the banks of the River Severn. It is in the Severn Valley west of Kidderminster and southwest of Birmingham. It lies on the Riv ...
,
Higham Ferrers
Higham Ferrers is a market town and civil parish in the Nene Valley in North Northamptonshire, England, close to the Cambridgeshire and Bedfordshire borders. It forms a single built-up area with Rushden to the south and has an estimated popula ...
and
Monmouth) returning one member each; and the two
universities
A university () is an institution of higher (or tertiary) education and research which awards academic degrees in several academic disciplines. Universities typically offer both undergraduate and postgraduate programs. In the United States, ...
of
Oxford
Oxford () is a city in England. It is the county town and only city of Oxfordshire. In 2020, its population was estimated at 151,584. It is north-west of London, south-east of Birmingham and north-east of Bristol. The city is home to the ...
and
Cambridge
Cambridge ( ) is a College town, university city and the county town in Cambridgeshire, England. It is located on the River Cam approximately north of London. As of the 2021 United Kingdom census, the population of Cambridge was 145,700. Cam ...
returning two members each. In Wales there were twelve counties returning one member each, and twelve boroughs returning one member each.
['' British Historical Facts, 1688–1760'', page 96.]
The Commons of the second English Parliament of
Queen Anne had
been elected in May and June 1705. By proclamation of 29 April 1707 this parliament was declared to be the
first
First or 1st is the ordinal form of the number one (#1).
First or 1st may also refer to:
*World record, specifically the first instance of a particular achievement
Arts and media Music
* 1$T, American rapper, singer-songwriter, DJ, and rec ...
Parliament of Great Britain.
['' Return of Members of Parliament, Part II'', page 1.] In February 1707 the
shire commissioner
A commissioner was a legislator appointed or elected to represent a royal burgh or shire in the pre-Union Scottish Parliament and the associated Convention of the Estates. Member of Parliament (MP) and Deputy are equivalent terms in other ...
s and
burgh commissioners of the last
Parliament of Scotland
The Parliament of Scotland ( sco, Pairlament o Scotland; gd, Pàrlamaid na h-Alba) was the legislature of the Kingdom of Scotland from the 13th century until 1707. The parliament evolved during the early 13th century from the king's council o ...
in Edinburgh had elected 45 of their number (30 for the shires and 15 for the burghs) to represent Scotland in the House of Commons of Great Britain, and
these new members took their seats at Westminster in November 1707.
[Scotland]
in ''The History of Parliament''. This brought the total number of Members of Parliament to 558, representing 314 constituencies.
[ The Parliament was dissolved on 15 April 1708, triggering the first general election to the Parliament of Great Britain.
]
List of Members of Parliament
See also
1705 English general election
The 1705 English general election saw contests in 110 constituencies in England and Wales, roughly 41% of the total. The election was fiercely fought, with mob violence and cries of "Church in Danger" occurring in several boroughs. During the pre ...
Sources
*. 1879.
*. 1988.
*D. Hayton, E. Cruickshanks, and S. Handley eds, ''The History of Parliament
The History of Parliament is a project to write a complete history of the United Kingdom Parliament and its predecessors, the Parliament of Great Britain and the Parliament of England. The history will principally consist of a prosopography, in w ...
: the House of Commons 1690-1715''. 2002.
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:List of members of the House of Commons at Westminster 1705-08
1705-08
Lists of Members of the Parliament of Great Britain