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Yorkshire was a
constituency An electoral district, also known as an election district, legislative district, voting district, constituency, riding, ward, division, or (election) precinct is a subdivision of a larger state (a country, administrative region, or other poli ...
of the
House of Commons The House of Commons is the name for the elected lower house of the bicameral parliaments of the United Kingdom and Canada. In both of these countries, the Commons holds much more legislative power than the nominally upper house of parliament. T ...
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 advise ...
from 1290, then of the
Parliament of Great Britain The Parliament of Great Britain was formed in May 1707 following the ratification of the Acts of Union by both the Parliament of England and the Parliament of Scotland. The Acts ratified the treaty of Union which created a new unified Kingdo ...
from 1707 to 1800 and of the
Parliament of the United Kingdom The Parliament of the United Kingdom is the supreme legislative body of the United Kingdom, the Crown Dependencies and the British Overseas Territories. It meets at the Palace of Westminster, London. It alone possesses legislative suprem ...
from 1801 to 1832. It was represented by 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 ...
, traditionally known as Knights of the Shire, until 1826, when the county benefited from the disfranchisement of
Grampound Grampound ( kw, Ponsmeur) is a village in Cornwall, England. It is at an ancient crossing point of the River Fal and today is on the A390 road west of St Austell and east of Truro.Ordnance Survey: Landranger map sheet 204 ''Truro & Falmouth'' ...
by taking an additional two members. The constituency was split into its three historic ridings, for Parliamentary purposes, under the
Reform Act 1832 The Representation of the People Act 1832 (also known as the 1832 Reform Act, Great Reform Act or First Reform Act) was an Act of Parliament of the United Kingdom (indexed as 2 & 3 Will. IV c. 45) that introduced major changes to the electo ...
. Each riding returned two MPs. The county was then represented by the Yorkshire East Riding,
Yorkshire North Riding The North Riding of Yorkshire is a subdivision of Yorkshire, England, alongside York, the East Riding and West Riding. The riding's highest point is at Mickle Fell with 2,585 ft (788 metres). From the Restoration it was used a ...
and
Yorkshire West Riding The West Riding of Yorkshire is one of three historic subdivisions of Yorkshire, England. From 1889 to 1974 the administrative county County of York, West Riding (the area under the control of West Riding County Council), abbreviated County ...
constituencies.


Boundaries

Yorkshire Yorkshire ( ; abbreviated Yorks), formally known as the County of York, is a Historic counties of England, historic county in northern England and by far the largest in the United Kingdom. Because of its large area in comparison with other Eng ...
is the largest of the
historic counties of England The historic counties of England are areas that were established for administration by the Normans, in many cases based on earlier kingdoms and shires created by the Angles, Saxons, Jutes, Celts and others. They are alternatively known as an ...
. The constituency comprised the whole county. Yorkshire contained several
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 ...
which each independently returned two members to Parliament. These were Aldborough,
Beverley Beverley is a market and minster town and a civil parish in the East Riding of Yorkshire, England, of which it is the county town. The town centre is located south-east of York's centre and north-west of City of Hull. The town is known fo ...
,
Boroughbridge Boroughbridge () is a town and civil parish in the Harrogate district of North Yorkshire, England. Historically part of the West Riding of Yorkshire, it is north-west of the county town of York. Until a bypass was built the town lay on t ...
,
Hedon Hedon is a town and civil parish in Holderness in the East Riding of Yorkshire, England. It is situated approximately east of Hull city centre. It lies to the north of the A1033 road at the crossroads of the B1240 and B1362 roads. It is ...
,
Kingston upon Hull Kingston upon Hull, usually abbreviated to Hull, is a port city and unitary authority in the East Riding of Yorkshire, England. It lies upon the River Hull at its confluence with the Humber Estuary, inland from the North Sea and south- ...
,
Knaresborough Knaresborough ( ) is a market and spa town and civil parish in the Borough of Harrogate, in North Yorkshire, England, on the River Nidd. It is east of Harrogate. History Knaresborough is mentioned in the Domesday Book of 1086 as ''Chenar ...
, Malton,
Northallerton Northallerton ( ) is a market town and civil parish in the Hambleton District of North Yorkshire, England. It lies in the Vale of Mowbray and at the northern end of the Vale of York. It had a population of 16,832 in the 2011 census, an increa ...
,
Pontefract Pontefract is a historic market town in the Metropolitan Borough of Wakefield in West Yorkshire, England, east of Wakefield and south of Castleford. Historically part of the West Riding of Yorkshire, it is one of the towns in the City of Wak ...
,
Richmond Richmond most often refers to: * Richmond, Virginia, the capital of Virginia, United States * Richmond, London, a part of London * Richmond, North Yorkshire, a town in England * Richmond, British Columbia, a city in Canada * Richmond, Californi ...
,
Ripon Ripon () is a cathedral city in the Borough of Harrogate, North Yorkshire, England. The city is located at the confluence of two tributaries of the River Ure, the Laver and Skell. Historically part of the West Riding of Yorkshire, the ...
, Scarborough,
Thirsk Thirsk is a market town and civil parish in the Hambleton district of North Yorkshire, England known for its racecourse; quirky yarnbomber displays, and depiction as local author James Herriot's fictional Darrowby. History Archeological ...
and
York York is a cathedral city with Roman origins, sited at the confluence of the rivers Ouse and Foss in North Yorkshire, England. It is the historic county town of Yorkshire. The city has many historic buildings and other structures, such as a ...
.


Members of Parliament


MPs 1290–1640

*''Constituency created 1290''


MPs 1640–1826

Short Parliament The Short Parliament was a Parliament of England that was summoned by King Charles I of England on the 20th of February 1640 and sat from 13th of April to the 5th of May 1640. It was so called because of its short life of only three weeks. Af ...
* 1640: Sir William Savile, Bt * 1640: Henry Belasyse
Long Parliament The Long Parliament was an English Parliament which lasted from 1640 until 1660. It followed the fiasco of the Short Parliament, which had convened for only three weeks during the spring of 1640 after an 11-year parliamentary absence. In Septe ...
* 1640–1648: The Lord Fairfax of Cameron ( Parliamentarian) – ''died March 1648'' * 1640–1642: Henry Belasyse (
Royalist A royalist supports a particular monarch as head of state for a particular kingdom, or of a particular dynastic claim. In the abstract, this position is royalism. It is distinct from monarchism, which advocates a monarchical system of gov ...
) – ''disabled to sit, September 1642'' ''(Although writs were issued to fill both these vacancies, no elections seem to have been held and the seats remained vacant to the end of the Parliament)''
Barebones Parliament Barebone's Parliament, also known as the Little Parliament, the Nominated Assembly and the Parliament of Saints, came into being on 4 July 1653, and was the last attempt of the English Commonwealth to find a stable political form before the ins ...
(Nominated members) * 1653:
Lord Eure Baron Eure was a title in the Peerage of England. It was granted to Sir William Eure by Henry VIII in 1544. The Baron was thereafter called Lord Eure. The title became extinct with the death of Ralph Eure in 1690. The family name is also spelt ...
,
Walter Strickland Walter Strickland (1598? – 1 November 1671) was an English politician and diplomat who held high office during the Protectorate. Biography Strickland was the younger son of Walter Strickland of Boynton. His elder brother, William, was kn ...
,
Francis Lascelles Francis Lascelles (1612-1667), also spelt Lassels, was an English politician, soldier and businessman who fought for Parliament in the 1639-1652 Wars of the Three Kingdoms and was a Member of Parliament between 1645 and 1660. One of the MPs wh ...
,
John Anlaby John is a common English name and surname: * John (given name) * John (surname) John may also refer to: New Testament Works * Gospel of John, a title often shortened to John * First Epistle of John, often shortened to 1 John * Second E ...
, Thomas Dickenson, Thomas St. Nicholas, Roger Coats, Edward Gill
First Protectorate Parliament The First Protectorate Parliament was summoned by the Lord Protector Oliver Cromwell under the terms of the Instrument of Government. It sat for one term from 3 September 1654 until 22 January 1655 with William Lenthall as the Speaker of the Ho ...
(Fourteen members elected for the three Ridings) * 1654–1655: East Riding: Hugh Bethell, Richard Robinson,
Walter Strickland Walter Strickland (1598? – 1 November 1671) was an English politician and diplomat who held high office during the Protectorate. Biography Strickland was the younger son of Walter Strickland of Boynton. His elder brother, William, was kn ...
, Sir William Strickland; North Riding:
Lord Eure Baron Eure was a title in the Peerage of England. It was granted to Sir William Eure by Henry VIII in 1544. The Baron was thereafter called Lord Eure. The title became extinct with the death of Ralph Eure in 1690. The family name is also spelt ...
,
Francis Lascelles Francis Lascelles (1612-1667), also spelt Lassels, was an English politician, soldier and businessman who fought for Parliament in the 1639-1652 Wars of the Three Kingdoms and was a Member of Parliament between 1645 and 1660. One of the MPs wh ...
, Thomas Harrison, George Smithson; West Riding: Lord Fairfax,
John Lambert John Lambert may refer to: * John Lambert (martyr) (died 1538), English Protestant martyred during the reign of Henry VIII *John Lambert (general) (1619–1684), Parliamentary general in the English Civil War * John Lambert of Creg Clare (''fl.'' c ...
, Henry Tempest,
John Bright John Bright (16 November 1811 – 27 March 1889) was a British Radical and Liberal statesman, one of the greatest orators of his generation and a promoter of free trade policies. A Quaker, Bright is most famous for battling the Corn La ...
, Edward Gill,
Martin Lister Martin Lister FRS (12 April 1639 – 2 February 1712) was an English naturalist and physician. His daughters Anne and Susanna were two of his illustrators and engravers. J. D. Woodley, ‘Lister , Susanna (bap. 1670, d. 1738)’, Oxford Dic ...
Second Protectorate Parliament (Fourteen members elected for the three Ridings) * 1656–1658: East Riding: Hugh Bethell,
Richard Darley Richard is a male given name. It originates, via Old French, from Old Frankish and is a compound of the words descending from Proto-Germanic ''*rīk-'' 'ruler, leader, king' and ''*hardu-'' 'strong, brave, hardy', and it therefore means 'stron ...
, Henry Darley, Sir William Strickland; North Riding:
Lord Eure Baron Eure was a title in the Peerage of England. It was granted to Sir William Eure by Henry VIII in 1544. The Baron was thereafter called Lord Eure. The title became extinct with the death of Ralph Eure in 1690. The family name is also spelt ...
,
Francis Lascelles Francis Lascelles (1612-1667), also spelt Lassels, was an English politician, soldier and businessman who fought for Parliament in the 1639-1652 Wars of the Three Kingdoms and was a Member of Parliament between 1645 and 1660. One of the MPs wh ...
, Major General Robert Lilburne, Luke Robinson; West Riding:
John Lambert John Lambert may refer to: * John Lambert (martyr) (died 1538), English Protestant martyred during the reign of Henry VIII *John Lambert (general) (1619–1684), Parliamentary general in the English Civil War * John Lambert of Creg Clare (''fl.'' c ...
, Colonel Henry Tempest, Edward Gill,
Francis Thorpe Francis Thorpe (1595–1665) was an English barrister, judge and politician. Early life He was the eldest son of Roger Thorpe of Birdsall, North Yorkshire and of his wife Elizabeth, daughter of William Danyell of Beswick. He was admitted a stu ...
, Henry Arthington, John Stanhope
Third Protectorate Parliament The Third Protectorate Parliament sat for one session, from 27 January 1659 until 22 April 1659, with Chaloner Chute and Thomas Bampfylde as the Speakers of the House of Commons. It was a bicameral Parliament, with an Upper House having a pow ...
* 1659: The Lord Fairfax of Cameron, Thomas Harrison Long Parliament (restored) ''Both seats vacant''


MPs 1826–1832

Notes


Elections

The county franchise, from 1430, was held by the owners of freehold land valued at 40 shillings or more. Each voter had as many votes as there were seats to be filled. Votes had to be cast by a spoken declaration, in public, at the hustings, which took place in the
county town In the United Kingdom and Ireland, a county town is the most important town or city in a county. It is usually the location of administrative or judicial functions within a county and the place where the county's members of Parliament are elect ...
of
York York is a cathedral city with Roman origins, sited at the confluence of the rivers Ouse and Foss in North Yorkshire, England. It is the historic county town of Yorkshire. The city has many historic buildings and other structures, such as a ...
. The expense and difficulty of voting at only one location in the (very large) county, together with the lack of a secret ballot contributed to the corruption and intimidation of voters, which was widespread in the unreformed British political system. The expense, to candidates, of contested elections encouraged the leading families of the county to agree on the candidates to be returned unopposed whenever possible. Contested county elections were therefore unusual.


Elections in the eighteenth century

Only two elections in the 18th century were contested. At the 1784 general election, the seat was initially contested, but the two Whig candidates
Francis Ferrand Foljambe Francis Ferrand Foljambe (1749–1814) was a British landowner and M.P. Born on 17 January 1749 in Aldwark, North Yorkshire, England as Francis Ferrand Moore, Foljambe changed it in 1776 as part of inheriting estates at Wadworth, Steeton, Wes ...
and
William Weddell William Weddell (13 May 1736 – 30 April 1792) of Newby Hall in the parish of Skelton-on-Ure, near Ripon in the West Riding of Yorkshire, was a British landowner and politician who sat in the House of Commons between 1766 and 1792. He created a ...
conceded without calling for a poll.


Elections in the 1800s

At the 1802 general election,
William Wilberforce William Wilberforce (24 August 175929 July 1833) was a British politician, philanthropist and leader of the movement to abolish the slave trade. A native of Kingston upon Hull, Yorkshire, he began his political career in 1780, eventually becom ...
and Henry Lascelles were elected unopposed. At the 1806 general election,
William Wilberforce William Wilberforce (24 August 175929 July 1833) was a British politician, philanthropist and leader of the movement to abolish the slave trade. A native of Kingston upon Hull, Yorkshire, he began his political career in 1780, eventually becom ...
and Walter Ramsden Fawkes were elected unopposed.


Elections in the 1810s and 1820s

At the 1812 general election, Viscount Milton and Henry Lascelles were elected unopposed. At the
1818 Events January–March * January 1 ** Battle of Koregaon: Troops of the British East India Company score a decisive victory over the Maratha Empire. ** Mary Shelley's ''Frankenstein'' is published anonymously in London. * January 2 – ...
and 1820 general elections, Viscount Milton and James Stuart Wortley were elected unopposed. At the 1826 general election, Richard Fountayne Wilson,
John Marshall John Marshall (September 24, 1755July 6, 1835) was an American politician and lawyer who served as the fourth Chief Justice of the United States from 1801 until his death in 1835. He remains the longest-serving chief justice and fourth-longes ...
, William Duncombe and Viscount Milton were elected unopposed.


Elections in the 1830s

At the 1831 general election, George Strickland,
John Charles Ramsden John Charles Ramsden (30 April 1788 – 29 December 1836) was a British Whig politician from Newby Park in Yorkshire. He sat in the House of Commons between 1812 and 1836. Early life He was the eldest son of Sir John Ramsden, 4th Baronet (17 ...
, John Vanden-Bempde-Johnstone and George Howard were elected unopposed.


See also

* 1807 Yorkshire election * List of former United Kingdom Parliament constituencies *
Unreformed House of Commons "Unreformed House of Commons" is a name given to the House of Commons of Great Britain and (after 1800 the House of Commons of the United Kingdom) before it was reformed by the Reform Act 1832, the Irish Reform Act 1832, and the Scottish Reform ...


References

* *''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) ''originally published in 1844–50, so out of copyright'' {{DEFAULTSORT:Yorkshire (Uk Parliament Constituency) Parliamentary constituencies in Yorkshire and the Humber (historic) Constituencies of the Parliament of the United Kingdom established in 1290 Constituencies of the Parliament of the United Kingdom disestablished in 1832