Denbighshire (UK Parliament constituency)

Former County constituency
for the House of Commons
Preserved county Denbighshire
1542 (1542)1885 (1885)
Number of members 1542–1832: One;
1832–1885: Two
Replaced by East Denbighshire
West Denbighshire

Denbighshire was a county constituency in Denbighshire, in north Wales, from 1542 to 1885.

Contents

History

From 1542, it returned one Member of Parliament (MP), traditionally known as the knight of the shire, to the House of Commons of the Parliament of England until 1707, then to the Parliament of Great Britain until 1800, and to the Parliament of the United Kingdom from 1801. These MPs were elected by the first past the post voting system.

Under the Reform Act 1832, the constituency's representation was increased to two members, elected by the bloc vote system.

The constituency was abolished by the Redistribution of Seats Act 1885 for the 1885 general election, when Denbighshire was split into two single-member constituencies: the Eastern and Western divisions, each returning one Member of Parliament.

Boundaries

Members of Parliament

MPs 1542–1604

Parliament First member
1542 John Salusbury I [1]
1545 John Salusbury II [1]
1547 Sir John Salusbury II [1]
1553 (Mar) Robert Puleston [1]
1553 (Oct) Sir John Salusbury II [1]
1554 (Apr) Sir John Salusbury II [1]
1554 (Nov) Sir John Salusbury II [1]
1555 Edward Almer [1]
1558 Sir John Salusbury II [1]
1558–1559 John Salesbury [1]
1562–1563 Simon Thelwall [1]
1571 Robert Puleston [1]
1572 William Almer [1]
1584 Evan Lloyd [1]
1586 Robert Salesbury [1]
1588–1589 John Edwards / William Almer [1]
1593 Roger Puleston [1]
1597 John Lloyd [1]
1601 Sir John Salusbury [1]

MPs 1604-1832

Year Member Party
1604 Peter Mutton
1614 Simon Thelwall
1621 Sir John Trevor
1624 Sir Eubulus Thelwall
1625 Thomas Myddelton
1626 Sir Eubulus Thelwall
1628 Sir Eubulus Thelwall
1629–1640 No Parliaments convened
April 1640 Sir Thomas Salusbury, 2nd Baronet
November 1640 Sir Thomas Myddelton
Year First Member Second Member
1653 Not represented in Barebones Parliament
Two members in first and second protectorate parliaments
1654 Simon Thelwell John Carter
1656 John Carter John Jones
Lumley Thelwell
Year Member Party
1659 John Carter
1659 Not represented
1660 Sir Thomas Myddelton
1661 Sir Thomas Myddelton, 1st Baronet
1664 John Wynne
1679 Sir Thomas Myddelton, 2nd Baronet
1681 Sir John Trevor Tory
1685 Sir Richard Myddelton, 3rd Baronet
1705 William Robinson
1716 Sir Watkin Williams-Wynn, 3rd Baronet Tory
1727 Sir Watkin Williams-Wynn, 3rd Baronet Tory
1741 John Myddelton
1742 Sir Watkin Williams-Wynn, 3rd Baronet Tory
1749 Sir Lynch Cotton, 4th Baronet
1774 Sir Watkin Williams-Wynn, 4th Baronet
1789 Robert Watkin Wynne
1796 Sir Watkin Williams-Wynn, 5th Baronet
1832 Great Reform Act: representation increased to two members

MPs 1832-1885

Election 1st Member 1st Party 2nd Member 2nd Party
1832 Sir Watkin Williams-Wynn, 5th Baronet Robert Myddleton-Biddulph
1835 William Bagot Conservative
1840 Hugh Cholmondeley Conservative
1841 Sir Watkin Williams-Wynn, 6th Baronet
1852 Robert Myddleton-Biddulph
1868 George Osborne Morgan Liberal
May 1885 Sir Herbert Williams-Wynn, 7th Baronet
Nov. 1885 Redistribution of Seats Act: constituency abolished: see East Denbighshire and West Denbighshire

Election results

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s "History of Parliament". The History of Parliament Trust 1964-2011. http://www.historyofparliamentonline.org/volume/1558-1603/constituencies/denbighshire. Retrieved 2011-08-29.