Parliamentary representation from Devon

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The historic county of Devon in south west England was represented in Parliament from the 13th century. This article provides a list of constituencies constituting the Parliamentary representation from Devon.

In 1889 Devon became an administrative county. Unlike many other counties there has been no major change between the historic and administrative county boundaries. The first part of this article covers the constituencies wholly or predominantly within the area of the historic county. The second part refers to constituencies mostly in another historic county, which included some territory from the historic county of Devon (if any). The summaries section only refers to the constituencies included in the first section of the constituency list.

Contents

[edit] List of constituencies

Article names are followed by (UK Parliament constituency). The constituencies which existed in 1707 were those previously represented in the Parliament of England.

Key to abbrieviations:-

  • (Type) BC Borough constituency, CC County constituency.

[edit] Constituencies wholly or predominantly in the historic county

Constituency Type From To MPs Notes
Ashburton BC 1298 1301 2 Unrepresented 1654-1659
BC 1640 1868 2 (1640-1832)
1 (1832-1868)
CC 1885 1918 1
Barnstaple BC (1295-1885) 1295 1950 2 (1295-1654)
1 (1654-1659)
2 (1659-1885)
CC (1885-1950) 1 (1885-1950)
Bere Alston BC 1584 1832 2 Also spelt Beeralston. Unrepresented 1654-1659
Dartmouth BC 1298 1301 2 Includes Clifton, Dartmouth, Hardness 1654-1659
BC 1351 1868 2 (1351-1654)
1 (1654-1659)
2 (1659-1832)
1 (1832-1868)
Central Devon CC next * 1
Devon CC 1290 1832 2 (1290-1654)
11 (1654-1659)
2 (1659-1832)
East Devon CC 1868 1885 2
CC 1997 * 1
North Devon CC 1832 1885 2
CC 1950 * 1
South Devon CC 1832 1885 2
South West Devon CC 1997 * 1
West Devon CC 1974 1983 1
Devonport BC 1832 1918 2
Exeter BC 1295 * 2 (1295-1885)
1 (1885-*)
Honiton BC 1301 1307 2
BC (1640-1885) 1640 1997 2 (1640-1654)
1 (1654-1659)
2 (1659-1885)
CC (1885-1997) 1 (1885-1997)
Newton Abbot CC next * 1
Okehampton BC 1301 1307 2 Unrepresented 1654-1659
BC 1640 1832 2
Plymouth BC 1298 1301 2
BC 1442 1918 2
Plymouth Devonport BC 1918 next 1
Plymouth Drake BC 1918 1950 1
BC 1974 1997 1
Plymouth Moor View BC next * 1
Plymouth Sutton BC 1918 next 1
Plymouth Sutton and Devonport BC next * 1
Plympton Erle BC 1295 1832 2 Unrepresented 1654-1659
South Hams CC 1983 1997 1
South Molton CC 1885 1950 1
Tavistock BC 1295 1296 2 Unrepresented 1654-1659
BC (1330-1885) 1330 1974 2 (1330-1868)
CC (1885-1974) 1 (1868-1974)
Teignbridge CC 1983 next 1
Tiverton BC (1621-1885) 1621 1997 2 (1621-1654)
1 (1654-1659)
2 (1659-1885)
CC (1885-1997) 1 (1885-1997)
Tiverton and Honiton CC 1997 * 1
Torbay BC 1974 * 1
Torquay CC (1885-1950) 1885 1974 1
BC (1950-1974)
Torridge and West Devon CC 1983 * 1
Torrington BC 1295 1307 2
CC 1950 1974 1
Totnes BC 1295 1868 2 (1295-1654)
1 (1654-1659)
2 (1659-1868)
CC 1885 1983 1
CC 1997 * 1

[edit] Constituencies mostly in another historic county

Constituency Type From To MPs Notes

[edit] Periods constituencies represented

  1290–1295 1295–1296 1296–1298 1298–1301 1301–1307 1307–1330 1330–1351 1351–1442 1442–1584 1584–1621
Ashburton   1298–1301  
Barnstaple   1295–1950
Bere Alston   1584–1654
Dartmouth   1298–1301   1351–1868
Devon 1290–1832
Exeter   1295–*
Honiton   1301–1307  
Okehampton   1301–1307  
Plymouth   1298–1301   1442–1918
Plympton Erle   1295–1654
Tavistock   1295–1296   1330–1654
Torrington   1295–1307  
Totnes   1295–1868
  1621–1640 1640–1654 1654–1659 1659–1832 1832–1868 1868–1885 1885–1918 1918–1950 1950–1974
Ashburton   1640–1654   1659–1868  
Barnstaple 1295–1950  
Bere Alston 1584–1654   1659–1832  
Dartmouth 1351–1868  
Devon 1290–1832  
East Devon   1868–1885  
North Devon   1832–1885   1950–*
South Devon   1832–1885  
Devonport   1832–1918  
Exeter 1295–*
Honiton   1640–1997
Okehampton   1640–1654   1659–1832  
Plymouth 1442–1918  
Plymouth Devonport   1918–next
Plymouth Drake   1918–1950  
Plymouth Sutton   1918–next
Plympton Erle 1295–1654   1659–1832  
South Molton   1885–1950  
Tavistock 1330–1654   1659–1974
Tiverton 1621–1997
Torquay   1885–1974
Torrington   1950–1974
Totnes 1295–1868   1885–1983
  1974–1983 1983–1997 1997–next next–*
Central Devon   next–*
East Devon   1997–*
North Devon 1950–*
South West Devon   1997–*
West Devon 1974–1983  
Exeter 1295–*
Honiton 1640–1997  
Newton Abbot   next–*
Plymouth Devonport 1918–next  
Plymouth Drake 1974–1997  
Plymouth Moor View   next–*
Plymouth Sutton 1974–next  
Plymouth Sutton and Devonport   next–*
South Hams   1983–1997  
Teignbridge   1983–next  
Tiverton 1621–1997  
Tiverton and Honiton   1997–*
Torbay 1974–*
Torridge and West Devon   1983–*
Totnes 1885–1983   1997–*

[edit] Summaries

[edit] Summary of Constituencies by Type and Period

Note: Dates of representation prior to 1509 are provisional.

Type 1290 1295 1296 1298 1301 1307 1330 1351 1442 1584 1621 1640 1654 1659 1832 1868 1885 1918 1950 1974 1983
Borough - 6 5 8 7 4 5 6 7 8 9 12 7 12 10 7 3 4 4 5 5
County 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 2 3 8 7 6 5 5
Total 1 7 6 9 8 5 6 7 8 9 10 13 8 13 12 10 11 11 10 10 10
Type 1997 next
Borough 4 4
County 7 8
Total 11 12

[edit] Summary of Members of Parliament by Type and Period

Type 1290 1295 1296 1298 1301 1307 1330 1351 1442 1584 1621 1640 1654 1659 1832 1868 1885 1918 1950 1974 1983
Borough - 12 10 16 14 8 10 12 14 16 18 24 9 24 18 13 5 4 4 5 5
County 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 11 2 4 6 8 7 6 5 5
Total 2 14 12 18 16 10 12 14 16 18 20 26 20 26 22 19 13 11 10 10 10
Type 1997 next
Borough 4 4
County 7 8
Total 11 12

[edit] See also

[edit] References

  • Boundaries of Parliamentary Constituencies 1885-1972, compiled and edited by F.W.S. Craig (Parliamentary Reference Publications 1972)
  • British Parliamentary Constituencies: A Statistical Compendium, by Ivor Crewe and Anthony Fox (Faber and Faber 1984)
  • British Parliamentary Election Results 1832-1885, compiled and edited by F.W.S. Craig (The Macmillan Press 1977)
  • 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 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) out of copyright