Berkshire (UK Parliament constituency)

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Berkshire
County constituency
Created: 1265
Abolished: 1885
Type: House of Commons

Berkshire is a former United Kingdom Parliamentary constituency. It was a constituency of the House of Commons of the Parliament of England then of the Parliament of Great Britain from 1707 to 1800 and of the Parliament of the United Kingdom from 1801 to 1885. The county returned two knights of the shire until 1832 and three between 1832 and 1885.

Contents

[edit] Boundaries and boundary changes

This county constituency consisted of the historic county of Berkshire, in south-eastern England to the west of the modern Greater London region. Its northern boundary was the River Thames. See Historic counties of England for a map and other details. The Great Reform Act made some minor changes to the parliamentary boundaries of the county, transferring parts of five parishes to neighbouring counties while annexing parts of four other parishes which had previously been in Wiltshire.

The county, up to 1885, also contained the borough constituencies of Abingdon (1 seat from 1558), New Windsor (2 seats 1302-1868, 1 seat from 1868), Reading (2 seats from 1295) and Wallingford (2 seats 1295-1832, 1 seat from 1832). (Although these boroughs elected MPs in their own right, they was not excluded from the county constituency, and owning property within the borough could confer a vote at the county election.)

[edit] History

As in other county constituencies the franchise between 1430 and 1832 was defined by the Forty Shilling Freeholder Act, which gave the right to vote to every man who possessed freehold property within the county valued at £2 or more per year for the purposes of land tax; it was not necessary for the freeholder to occupy his land, nor even in later years to be resident in the county at all.

At the time of the Great Reform Act in 1832, Berkshire had a population of approximately 145,000, but only 3,726 votes were cast at the election of 1818, the highest recorded vote in the county before 1832, even though each voter could cast two votes. Although local landowners could never control a county the size of Berkshire in the way they could own a pocket borough, titled magnates still exercised considerable influence over deferential county voters; in the early 19th century Lord Craven and Lord Braybrooke were considered the "patrons" of the Berkshire constituency and could usually persuade the voters to support their favoured candidates.

The place of election for the county was at the then county town of Abingdon. In 1880, according to the report in The Times (of London), the ballot boxes were taken to Reading for the count and declaration of the result, instead of this being done at Abingdon as had happened previously. Before the Reform Act it was normal for voters to expect the candidates for whom they voted to meet their expenses in travelling to the poll and to provide food, liquor and lodgings when they arrived, making the cost of a contested election in some counties prohibitive, but this was less of a factor in a comparatively small county like Berkshire, and contested elections were not uncommon. Nevertheless, potential candidates preferred to canvass support beforehand and usually did not insist on a vote being taken unless they were confident of winning.(There were contests in Berkshire at 11 of the 29 general elections between 1701 and 1832, but the other 18 the candidates were returned unopposed.)

Under the terms of the Great Reform Act of 1832, the county franchise was extended to occupiers of land worth £50 or more, as well as the forty-shilling freeholders, and Berkshire was given a third MP. Under the new rules, 5,582 electors were registered and entitled to vote at the general election of 1832.

The constituency was abolished in 1885, the county being divided into five single-member constituencies. These were the one surviving borough, Reading, and four county divisions - Abingdon, Newbury, Windsor and Wokingham. (The other three parliamentary boroughs in the county, Abingdon, New Windsor and Wallingford were also abolished and absorbed into the county constituencies.)

[edit] Members of Parliament

[edit] Knights of the shire 1265-1660

This list is incomplete; you can help by expanding it.

Some of the members elected during this period have been identified, but this list does not include Parliaments where no member has been identified. The year given is for the first meeting of the Parliament, with the month added where there was more than one Parliament in the year. If a second year is given this is a date of dissolution. Early Parliaments usually only existed for a few days or weeks, so dissolutions in the same year as the first meeting are not recorded in this list If a specific date of election is known this is recorded in italic brackets. The roman numerals in brackets, following somne names, are those used to distinguish different politicians of the same name in 'The House of Commons' 1509-1558 and 1558-1603.

  • 1510: Sir Thomas Englefield; ?
  • 1529-1536: Sir William Essex; Sir Richard Weston
  • 1539-1540: Sir Thomas Pope; Richard Brydges
  • 1542-1544: Sir William Essex; Thomas Weldon
  • 1547-1552: Henry Norris; Thomas Denton
  • 1553 March: Sir Henry Neville; Sir William Fitzwilliam
  • 1553 October: Rt Hon. Sir Francis Englefield; William Hyde
  • 1554 April: Sir Richard Brydges; William Hyde
  • 1554 November-1555: Rt Hon. Sir Francis Englefield; Sir Richard Brydges
  • 1555: Rt Hon. Sir Francis Englefield; William Hyde
  • 1558: Rt Hon. Sir Francis Englefield; John Fettiplace
  • 1559: Sir William Fitzwilliam (I); Sir Henry Neville (I)
  • 1563-1567: Sir Henry Neville (I); John Cheyney
  • 1571: Sir Henry Neville (I) elected; Richard Ward elected; Sir Edward Unton defeated
  • 1572-1583 (elected 14 April 1572): Sir Edward Unton; William Forster Changes 3 February 1576 William Norris vice Forster deceased; 2 June 1580 Edward Hoby vice Norris deceased
  • 1584-1585 (elected 9 November 1584): Sir Henry Neville (I); Edward Unton
  • 1586-1587 (elected 10 October 1586): Edward Unton; Thomas Parry
  • 1589 (elected October 1588): Sir Henry Norris (II); Sir Edward Hoby
  • 1593: Sir Henry Unton; Sir Humphrey Forster
  • 1597-1598 (elected 26 September 1597): Sir Henry Norris (II); Francis Knollys
  • 1601: Sir Richard Lovelace; George Hyde
  • 1621-1622: Richard Lovelace; ?

[edit] Knights of the shire 1660-1885

Year First member First party Second member Second party
1660 Richard Powle Sir Robert Pye
1661 Hon. John Lovelace
1670 Richard Neville (the elder)
1677 Sir Humphrey Forster, 2nd Bt.
1678 The Earl of Stirling
March 1679 William Barker
August 1679 Richard Southby
1685 Sir Humphrey Forster, 2nd Bt.
1689 Lord Norreys Sir Henry Winchcombe, 2nd Bt.
1690 Sir Humphrey Forster, 2nd Bt. Tory
1695 Richard Neville (the younger) Whig
1701 Sir John Stonhouse, 3rd Bt. Tory
1710 Henry St John Tory
1712 Robert Packer Tory
1731 Winchcombe Howard Packer
1734 William Archer
1739 Peniston Powney
1746 Henry Pye
1757 Arthur Vansittart
1766 Hon. Thomas Craven
1772 John Elwes
1774 Christopher Griffith
1776 Winchcombe Henry Hartley
1784 George Vansittart Tory (1796) Henry James Pye
1790 Winchcombe Henry Hartley
1794 Charles Dundas Whig
1812 Hon. Richard Griffin Tory, Whig (by 1820)
1825 Robert Palmer Tory
1831 Robert Throckmorton Whig
1832 Robert Palmer Tory
  • Third member added (1832)
Year First member First party Second member Second party Third member Third party
1832 Robert Throckmorton Liberal Robert Palmer Conservative John Walter Liberal
1835 Philip Pusey Conservative
1837 The Viscount Barrington Conservative
1852 George Henry Vansittart Conservative
1857 Philip Pleydell-Bouverie Liberal
1859 Leicester Viney Vernon Conservative John Walter Liberal
1860 Richard Benyon Conservative
1865 Robert James Loyd-Lindsay Conservative Sir Charles Russell, Bt Conservative
1868 John Walter Liberal
1876 Philip Wroughton Conservative

[edit] Elections

In multi-member elections the bloc voting system was used. Voters could cast a vote for one or two (or three in three-member elections 1832-1868) candidates, as they chose. The leading candidates with the largest number of votes were elected. In 1868 the limited vote was introduced, which restricted an individual elector to using one or two votes, in elections to fill three seats.

In by-elections, to fill a single seat, the first past the post system applied.

After 1832, when registration of voters was introduced, a turnout figure is given for contested elections. In three-member elections, when the exact number of participating voters is unknown, this is calculated by dividing the number of votes by three (to 1868) and two thereafter. To the extent that electors did not use all their votes this will be an underestimate of turnout.

Where a party had more than one candidate in one or both of a pair of successive elections change is calculated for each individual candidate, otherwise change is based on the party vote.

Candidates for whom no party has been identified are classified as Non Partisan. The candidate might have been associated with a party or faction in Parliament or consider himself to belong to a particular political tradition. Political parties before the nineteenth century were not as cohesive or organised as they later became. Contemporary commentators (even the reputed leaders of parties or factions) in the eighteenth century did not necessarily agree who the party supporters were. The traditional parties, which had arisen in the late seventeenth century, became increasingly irrelevant to politics in the eighteenth century (particularly after 1760), although for some contests in some constituencies party labels were still used. It was only towards the end of the century that party labels began to acquire some meaning again, although this process was by no means complete for several more generations.

Sources: The results are based on the History of Parliament Trust's volumes on the House of Commons in various periods for 1660-1820, Stooks Smith from 1820 until 1832 and Craig from 1832. Where Stooks Smith gives additional information this is indicated in a note. See references below for further details of these sources.

1660s – 1670s – 1680s – 1690s – 1700s – 1710s – 1720s – 1730s – 1740s – 1750s – 1760s – 1770s – 1780s – 1790s – 1800s – 1810s – 1820s – 1830s – 1840s – 1850s – 1860s – 1870s – 1880s

[edit] Elections in the 1660s

General Election 19 April 1660: Berkshire (2 seats)
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Non Partisan Sir Robert Pye Elected N/A N/A
Non Partisan Richard Powle Elected N/A N/A
Non Partisan John Southby Defeated N/A N/A
  • Note (1660): Vote totals not available
General Election 14 April 1661: Berkshire (2 seats)
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Non Partisan Hon. John Lovelace Unopposed N/A N/A
Non Partisan Richard Powle Unopposed N/A N/A

[edit] Elections in the 1670s

By-Election 12 December 1670: Berkshire
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Non Partisan Richard Neville (the elder) Unopposed N/A N/A
Non Partisan hold Swing N/A
By-Election 5 March 1677: Berkshire
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Non Partisan Sir Humphrey Forster, Bt. Unopposed N/A N/A
Non Partisan hold Swing N/A
By-Election 19 August 1678: Berkshire
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Non Partisan The Earl of Stirling Returned N/A N/A
Non Partisan William Barker Returned N/A N/A
Non Partisan hold Swing N/A
  • Note (1678): The vote totals are unknown but must have been close as the Returning Officer made a double return, which had not been resolved by the House of Commons when Parliament was dissolved on 24 January 1679
General Election 3 March 1679: Berkshire (2 seats)
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Non Partisan Sir Humphrey Forster, Bt. Unopposed N/A N/A
Non Partisan William Barker Unopposed N/A N/A
General Election 18 August 1679: Berkshire (2 seats)
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Non Partisan William Barker Unopposed N/A N/A
Non Partisan Richard Southby Unopposed N/A N/A

[edit] Elections in the 1680s

General Election 28 February 1681: Berkshire (2 seats)
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Non Partisan William Barker Unopposed N/A N/A
Non Partisan Richard Southby Unopposed N/A N/A
General Election 23 March 1685: Berkshire (2 seats)
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Non Partisan Sir Humphrey Forster, Bt. Elected N/A N/A
Non Partisan Richard Southby Elected N/A N/A
Non Partisan The Earl of Stirling Defeated N/A N/A
  • Note (1685): Vote totals not available
General Election 14 January 1689: Berkshire (2 seats)
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Non Partisan Lord Norreys Unopposed N/A N/A
Non Partisan Sir Henry Winchcombe, Bt Unopposed N/A N/A

[edit] Elections in the 1690s

General Election 24 February 1690: Berkshire (2 seats)
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Non Partisan Sir Henry Winchcombe, Bt Elected N/A N/A
Tory Sir Humphrey Forster, Bt 822 N/A N/A
Whig Richard Neville (the younger) 793 N/A N/A
Non Partisan Lord Norreys Defeated N/A N/A
Non Partisan Sir Robert Pye Defeated N/A N/A
Turnout 1,615+ N/A N/A
General Election 28 October 1695: Berkshire (2 seats)
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Tory Sir Humphrey Forster, Bt Unopposed N/A N/A
Whig Richard Neville (the younger) Unopposed N/A N/A
General Election 3 August 1698: Berkshire (2 seats)
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Tory Sir Humphrey Forster, Bt Unopposed N/A N/A
Whig Richard Neville (the younger) Unopposed N/A N/A

[edit] Elections in the 1700s

General Election 22 January 1701: Berkshire (2 seats)
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Tory Sir Humphrey Forster, Bt Unopposed N/A N/A
Whig Richard Neville (the younger) Unopposed N/A N/A
General Election 26 November 1701: Berkshire (2 seats)
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Tory Sir John Stonhouse, Bt Unopposed N/A N/A
Whig Richard Neville (the younger) Unopposed N/A N/A
General Election 5 August 1702: Berkshire (2 seats)
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Tory Sir John Stonhouse, Bt Elected N/A N/A
Whig Richard Neville (the younger) Elected N/A N/A
Tory Sir Humphrey Forster, Bt Defeated N/A N/A
General Election 9 May 1705: Berkshire (2 seats)
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Whig Richard Neville (the younger) Elected N/A N/A
Tory Sir John Stonhouse, Bt Elected N/A N/A
Tory Sir Humphrey Forster, Bt Defeated N/A N/A
General Election 5 May 1708: Berkshire (2 seats)
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Tory Sir John Stonhouse, Bt Unopposed N/A N/A
Whig Richard Neville (the younger) Unopposed N/A N/A

[edit] Elections in the 1710s

General Election 18 October 1710: Berkshire (2 seats)
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Tory Sir John Stonhouse, Bt 1,977 N/A
Tory Henry St John 1,877 N/A
Whig Richard Neville (the younger) 1,032 N/A
Turnout 4,886 N/A N/A
By-Election 23 July 1712: Berkshire
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Tory Robert Packer Unopposed N/A N/A
Tory hold Swing N/A
General Election 2 September 1713: Berkshire (2 seats)
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Tory Sir John Stonhouse, Bt. Unopposed N/A N/A
Tory Robert Packer Unopposed N/A N/A
General Election 2 February 1715: Berkshire (2 seats)
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Tory Sir John Stonhouse, Bt. Unopposed N/A N/A
Tory Robert Packer Unopposed N/A N/A

[edit] Elections in the 1720s

General Election 21 March 1722: Berkshire (2 seats)
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Tory Sir John Stonhouse, Bt. Elected N/A N/A
Tory Robert Packer Elected N/A N/A
Whig Henry Grey Defeated N/A N/A
  • Note (1722): Vote totals not available. Sedgwick states that the majority was over 400 and that 2,177 electors voted.
  • Note (1727-1768): Namier and Brook observe that there were no contested elections and that the county was represented by a succession of Tory country gentlemen. Sedgwick however identified a contested election in 1727.
General Election 1727: Berkshire (2 seats)
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Tory Robert Packer 1,620 36.02 N/A
Tory Sir John Stonhouse, 3rd Bt. 1,558 34.65 N/A
Whig Rt Hon. The Viscount Fane PC(I) 1,319 29.33 N/A

[edit] Elections in the 1730s

By-Election 5 May 1731: Berkshire
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Non Partisan Winchcombe Howard Packer Unopposed N/A N/A
Non Partisan gain from Tory Swing N/A
By-Election 5 May 1731: Berkshire
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Non Partisan William Archer Unopposed N/A N/A
Non Partisan gain from Tory Swing N/A
General Election 1 May 1734: Berkshire (2 seats)
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Non Partisan Winchcombe Howard Packer Unopposed N/A N/A
Non Partisan William Archer Unopposed N/A N/A
By-Election 5 December 1739: Berkshire
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Non Partisan Peniston Powney Unopposed N/A N/A
Non Partisan hold Swing N/A

[edit] Elections in the 1740s

General Election 20 May 1741: Berkshire (2 seats)
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Non Partisan Winchcombe Howard Packer Unopposed N/A N/A
Non Partisan Peniston Powney Unopposed N/A N/A
By-Election 26 November 1746: Berkshire
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Non Partisan Henry Pye Unopposed N/A N/A
Non Partisan hold Swing N/A
General Election 8 July 1747: Berkshire (2 seats)
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Non Partisan Peniston Powney Unopposed N/A N/A
Non Partisan Henry Pye Unopposed N/A N/A

[edit] Elections in the 1750s

General Election 17 April 1754: Berkshire (2 seats)
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Non Partisan Peniston Powney Unopposed N/A N/A
Non Partisan Henry Pye Unopposed N/A N/A
By-Election 13 Aoril 1757: Berkshire
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Non Partisan Arthur Vansittart Unopposed N/A N/A
Non Partisan hold Swing N/A

[edit] Elections in the 1760s

General Election 8 April 1761: Berkshire (2 seats)
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Non Partisan Henry Pye Unopposed N/A N/A
Non Partisan Arthur Vansittart Unopposed N/A N/A
By-Election 2 April 1766: Berkshire
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Non Partisan Hon. Thomas Craven Unopposed N/A N/A
Non Partisan hold Swing N/A
General Election 30 March 1768: Berkshire (2 seats)
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Non Partisan Arthur Vansittart 1,519 42.89 N/A
Non Partisan Hon. Thomas Craven 1,389 39.22 N/A
Non Partisan John Stone 634 17.90 N/A

[edit] Elections in the 1770s

By-Election 30 December 1772: Berkshire
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Non Partisan John Elwes Unopposed N/A N/A
Non Partisan hold Swing N/A
General Election 20 October 1774: Berkshire (2 seats)
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Non Partisan John Elwes Unopposed N/A N/A
Non Partisan Christopher Griffith Unopposed N/A N/A
By-Election 21 February 1776: Berkshire
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Non Partisan Winchcombe Henry Hartley Unopposed N/A N/A
Non Partisan hold Swing N/A

[edit] Elections in the 1780s

General Election 27 September 1780: Berkshire (2 seats)
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Non Partisan John Elwes Unopposed N/A N/A
Non Partisan Winchcombe Henry Hartley Unopposed N/A N/A
General Election 7 April 1784: Berkshire (2 seats)
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Non Partisan George Vansittart 678 40.94 N/A
Non Partisan Henry James Pye 677 40.88 N/A
Non Partisan Winchcombe Henry Hartley 301 18.18 N/A

[edit] Elections in the 1790s

General Election 24 June 1790: Berkshire (2 seats)
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Non Partisan George Vansittart Unopposed N/A N/A
Whig Winchcombe Henry Hartley Unopposed N/A N/A
By-Election 16 September 1794: Berkshire
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Whig Charles Dundas Unopposed N/A N/A
Whig hold Swing N/A
General Election 1 June 1796: Berkshire (2 seats)
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Tory George Vansittart 1,332 37.95 N/A
Whig Charles Dundas 1,322 37.95 N/A
Whig Edward Loveden Loveden 846 24.10 N/A
  • Note (1796): Party labels; poll 5 days (Source: Stooks Smith)

[edit] Elections in the 1800s

General Election 12 July 1802: Berkshire (2 seats)
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Tory George Vansittart Unopposed N/A N/A
Whig Charles Dundas Unopposed N/A N/A
General Election 6 November 1806: Berkshire (2 seats)
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Tory George Vansittart Unopposed N/A N/A
Whig Charles Dundas Unopposed N/A N/A
General Election 11 May 1807: Berkshire (2 seats)
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Tory George Vansittart Unopposed N/A N/A
Whig Charles Dundas Unopposed N/A N/A

[edit] Elections in the 1810s

General Election 12 October 1812: Berkshire (2 seats)
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Whig Charles Dundas 1,717 44.99 N/A
Tory Hon. Richard Griffin 1,574 41.25 N/A
Radical William Hallett 525 13.76 N/A
  • Note (1812): Poll 15 days; 1,992 voted. (Source: Stooks Smith). Stooks Smith and Thorn refer to the Hon. Richard Griffin as the Hon. R. Neville, a name he used before 1797 - see Baron Braybrooke for more details.
General Election 25 June 1818: Berkshire (2 seats)
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Tory Hon. Richard Griffin 1,224 40.56 -0.69
Whig Charles Dundas 1,154 38.24 -6.75
Radical William Hallett 640 21.21 +7.45
  • Note (1818): Poll 15 days. (Source: Stooks Smith). Stooks Smith and Thorn refer to the Hon. Richard Griffin as the Hon. R. Neville, see note (1812).

[edit] Elections in the 1820s

General Election 1820: Berkshire (2 seats)
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Whig Charles Dundas 1,084 47.73 +9.49
Whig Hon. Richard Griffin 1,055 46.46 +5.90
Whig William Hallett 132 5.81 -15.40
  • Note (1820): Poll 15 days; 1,258 voted. Stooks Smith refers to the Hon. Richard Griffin as the Hon. R. Neville, see note (1812). Stooks Smith commented that "this was the third election at which Mr Hallett, without any chance of success, kept the poll open for 15 days".
General Election 1826: Berkshire (2 seats)
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Whig Charles Dundas Unopposed N/A N/A
Tory Robert Palmer Unopposed N/A N/A

[edit] Elections in the 1830s

General Election 1830: Berkshire (2 seats)
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Whig Charles Dundas Unopposed N/A N/A
Tory Robert Palmer Unopposed N/A N/A
General Election 1831: Berkshire (2 seats)
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Whig Charles Dundas Unopposed N/A N/A
Whig Robert George Throckmorton Unopposed N/A N/A
By-Election June 1832: Berkshire
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Tory Robert Palmer 1,210 55.15 N/A
Whig William Hallett 984 44.85 N/A
Majority 226 10.30 N/A
Tory gain from Whig Swing N/A
  • Poll 7 days
General Election 1832: Berkshire (3 seats)
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Robert Palmer 2,942 27.66 N/A
Liberal Robert George Throckmorton 2,774 26.08 N/A
Liberal John Walter 2,479 23.31 N/A
Conservative Philip Pusey 2,440 22.94 N/A
Turnout 5,582 87.12 N/A
  • Note (1832): 5,582 registered electors; 4,863 electors cast 10,635 votes. (Source: Stooks Smith)
General Election 1835: Berkshire (3 seats)
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Robert Palmer Unopposed N/A N/A
Conservative Philip Pusey Unopposed N/A N/A
Liberal John Walter Unopposed N/A N/A
General Election 1837: Berkshire (3 seats)
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Robert Palmer 2,556 29.96 N/A
Conservative The Viscount Barrington 2,360 27.67 N/A
Conservative Philip Pusey 2,312 27.10 N/A
Liberal E.C.G. East 1,302 15.26 N/A
Turnout 5,599 66.21 N/A
  • Note (1837): 5,599 registered electors; 3,707 electors cast 8,530 votes. (Source: Stooks Smith)

[edit] Elections in the 1840s

General Election 1841: Berkshire (3 seats)
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative The Viscount Barrington Unopposed N/A N/A
Conservative Robert Palmer Unopposed N/A N/A
Conservative Philip Pusey Unopposed N/A N/A
General Election 1847: Berkshire (3 seats)
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative The Viscount Barrington Unopposed N/A N/A
Conservative Robert Palmer Unopposed N/A N/A
Conservative Philip Pusey Unopposed N/A N/A

[edit] Elections in the 1850s

General Election 1852: Berkshire (3 seats)
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative George Henry Vansittart 1,741 33.24 N/A
Conservative Robert Palmer 1,705 32.56 N/A
Conservative The Viscount Barrington 1,636 31.24 N/A
Liberal John Walter 155 2.96 N/A
Turnout 5,129 34.04 N/A
General Election 1857: Berkshire (3 seats)
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Robert Palmer 1,802 29.16 -3.40
Liberal Hon. Philip Pleydell-Bouverie 1,524 24.66 +21.70
Conservative George Henry Vansittart 1,494 24.17 -9.07
Conservative Leicester Viney Vernon 1,360 22.01 +22.01
Turnout 4,884 42.18 +8.14
General Election 1859: Berkshire (3 seats)
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Hon. Philip Pleydell-Bouverie Unopposed N/A N/A
Conservative Leicester Viney Vernon Unopposed N/A N/A
Liberal John Walter Unopposed N/A N/A

[edit] Elections in the 1860s

  • Death of Vernon
By-Election 2 May 1860: Berkshire
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Richard Benyon Unopposed N/A N/A
Conservative hold Swing N/A
General Election 1865: Berkshire (3 seats)
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Robert James Loyd-Lindsay 2,227 18.97 N/A
Conservative Richard Benyon 2,192 18.67 N/A
Conservative Sir Charles Russell, Bt 2,117 18.03 N/A
Liberal John Walter 1,813 15.44 N/A
Liberal Viscount Uffington 1,809 15.41 N/A
Liberal Hon. Edward Pleydell-Bouverie 1,573 13.48 N/A
Turnout 5,066 77.25 N/A
General Election 1868: Berkshire (3 seats)
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Robert James Loyd-Lindsay 3,231 27.86 +8.89
Conservative Richard Benyon 3,171 27.34 +8.67
Liberal John Walter 2,747 23.68 +8.24
Liberal Hon. Auberon Edward William Molyneux Herbert 2,450 21.12 +21.12
Turnout 7,647 75.84 -1.41

[edit] Elections in the 1870s

General Election 1874: Berkshire (3 seats)
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Richard Benyon Unopposed N/A N/A
Conservative Robert James Loyd-Lindsay Unopposed N/A N/A
Liberal John Walter Unopposed N/A N/A
  • Resignation of Benyon
By-Election 24 February 1876: Berkshire
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Philip Wroughton 3,454 75.04 N/A
Conservative Christopher Darby Griffith 1,149 24.96 N/A
Majority 2,305 50.08 N/A
Turnout 7,721 59.62 N/A
Conservative hold Swing N/A

[edit] Elections in the 1880s

General Election 10 April 1880: Berkshire (3 seats)
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Robert James Loyd-Lindsay 3,294 32.76 +32.76
Conservative Philip Wroughton 3,272 32.54 -42.50
Liberal John Walter 1,794 17.84 +17.84
Liberal T. Rogers 1,696 16.87 +16.87
Turnout 8,061 62.37 +2.75
  • Constituency divided in the 1885 redistribution

[edit] See also

[edit] References

  • British Parliamentary Election Results 1832-1885, compiled and edited by F.W.S. Craig (The Macmillan Press 1977)
  • Cobbett's Parliamentary history of England, from the Norman Conquest in 1066 to the year 1803 (London: Thomas Hansard, 1808) [1]
  • The House of Commons 1509-1558, by S.T. Bindoff (Secker & Warburg 1982)
  • The House of Commons 1558-1603, by P.W. Hasler (HMSO 1981)
  • The House of Commons 1660-1690, by Basil Duke Henning (Secker & Warburg 1983)
  • The House of Commons 1690-1715, by Eveline Cruickshanks, Stuart Handley and D.W. Hayton (Cambridge University Press 2002)
  • The House of Commons 1715-1754, by Romney Sedgwick (HMSO 1970)
  • The House of Commons 1754-1790, by Sir Lewis Namier and John Brooke (HMSO 1964)
  • The House of Commons 1790-1820, by R.G. Thorne (Secker & Warburg 1986)
  • 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)
  • Who's Who of British Members of Parliament: Volume I 1832-1885, edited by M. Stenton (The Harvester Press 1976)
  • John Cannon, Parliamentary Representation 1832 - England and Wales (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1973)
  • J Holladay Philbin, Parliamentary Reform 1640-1832 (New Haven: Yale University Press, 1965)
  • Edward Porritt and Annie G Porritt, The Unreformed House of Commons (Cambridge University Press, 1903)