Devon (UK Parliament constituency)

Devon
Former County constituency
for the House of Commons
County Devon
1290 (1290)–1832 (1832)
Number of members Two
Replaced by North Devon
South Devon

Devon was a parliamentary constituency covering the county of Devon in England. It was represented by two Knights of the Shire, in the House of Commons of England until 1707, then of the House of Commons of Great Britain from 1707 to 1800 and finally the House of Commons of the United Kingdom from 1801 to 1832. Elections were held using the bloc vote system of elections.

Under the Reform Act 1832, it was split into two divisions: Northern Devon and Southern Devon for the 1832 general election.

Contents

Boundaries

The constituency consisted of the historic county of Devon, excluding the city of Exeter which had the status of a county in itself after 1537. (Although Devon contained a number of other parliamentary boroughs, each of which elected two MPs in its own right for part of the period when Devon was a constituency, these were not excluded from the county constituency, and owning property within the borough could confer a vote at the county election. This was not the case, though, for Exeter.)

Members of Parliament

1290-1640

Constituency created (1290)

Year First member Second member
1371 Sir William Bonville
1376 Sir William Bonville
1377 (Oct) Sir William Bonville
1378 Sir William Bonville
1379 Sir William Bonville
1379 Sir John Beaumont
1380 Sir John Beaumont
1380 (Nov) Sir William Bonville
1381 Sir William Bonville
1382 (May) Sir William Bonville
1382 (Oct) Sir William Bonville
1383 Sir Philip Courtenay
1383 Ivo FitzWarin
1384 (Apr) Sir William Bonville
1386 Sir Philip Courtenay Sir John Stretch [1]
1388 (Feb) Sir Philip Courtenay Sir John Prideaux [1]
1388 (Sep) Sir John Stretch Sir John Grenville [1]
1390 (Jan) Sir Philip Courtenay Sir James Chudleigh [1]
1390 (Nov) Sir James Chudleigh John Prescott [1]
1391 Sir James Chudleigh Sir William Sturmy [1]
1393 Sir Philip Courtenay Sir James Chudleigh [1]
1394 Sir John Grenville Sir James Chudleigh [1]
1395 Sir Philip Courtenay Sir Hugh Courtenay [1]
1397 (Jan) Sir William Bonville Sir John Grenville [1]
1397 (Sep) Sir Hugh Courtenay Sir William Bonville [1]
1399 Sir Philip Courtenay John Stretch [1]
1401 Sir Philip Courtenay Sir John Wadham [1]
1402 Sir William Bonville Sir John Grenville [1]
1404 (Jan) Sir Thomas Pomeroy Edmund Pyne [1]
1404 (Oct) Sir William Sturmy Walter Reynell [1]
1406 Sir Hugh Luttrell Sir Thomas Pomeroy [1]
1407 Sir Hugh Luttrell Robert Cary [1]
1410 Sir Thomas Pomeroy Robert Cary [1]
1411 Edmund Pyne Robert Cary [1]
1413 (Feb)
1413 (May) Sir Thomas Pomeroy Robert Cary [1]
1414 (Apr) John St. Aubyn Robert Cary [1]
1414 (Nov) Richard Hankford John Arundell [1]
1415
1416 (Mar) Richard Hankford Robert Cary [1]
1416 (Oct)
1417 John Cole Robert Cary [1]
1419 Edward Pomeroy Robert Cary [1]
1420 Sir Robert Chalons Thomas Archdeacon [1]
1421 (May) Sir Hugh Courtenay Robert Cary [1]
1421 (Dec) John Copplestone Henry Fortescue [1]
1422 William Bonville, 1st Baron Bonville
1425 William Bonville, 1st Baron Bonville
1427 William Bonville, 1st Baron Bonville
1510–1523 No names known[1]
1529 Sir William Courteney, died
and repl. Jan 1536 by George Carew		 Sir Thomas Denys [1]
1536
1539 Sir Thomas Denys Richard Pollard [1]
1542 Richard Pollard  ?Gawain Carew [1]
1545  ? Sir Gawain Carew [1]
1547 Sir Gawain Carew John Chichester [1]
1553 (Mar) Sir Peter Carew John Fulford [1]
1553 (Oct) Sir Peter Carew Sir Thomas Denys [1]
1554 (Apr) Sir John Chichester John Prideaux [1]
1554 (Nov) James Bassett James Courteney [1]
1555 James Bassett Robert Denys [1]
1558 James Bassett George Kirkham [1]
1559[2] Sir Peter Carew Sir John St Leger
1563-1567[3] John Chichester Gawin Carew
1571[3] Sir John St Leger Peter Edgcumbe
1572-1583[3] Arthur Bassett
1584-1585[3] Walter Raleigh William Courtenay
1586-1587[3] John Chudleigh
1588-1589[3] William Courtenay George Cary
1593[3] Thomas Dennys Sir Edward Seymour, 1st Baronet
1597-1598[3] William Strode Amias Bampfield
1601[3] William Courtenay Sir Edward Seymour, 1st Baronet
1604-1611[4] Sir Edward Seymour, 1st Baronet Thomas Ridgeway[5]
(from 1607)[4] Sir John Acland
1614[4] John Drake Sir Edward Giles
1621-1622[4] Sir Edward Seymour, 2nd Baronet
1624-1625[4] Sir William Strode
1625[4] Francis Fulford Francis Courtenay
1626[4] John Drake John Pole
1628-1629[4] John Bampfield Sir Francis Drake, Bt[6]

1640-1832

Year First member First party Second member Second party
April 1640[4] Sir Edward Seymour, 3rd Baronet Royalist Thomas Wyse[7]
November 1640[4]
1641[4] Sir Samuel Rolle[8] Parliamentarian
January 1643 Seymour disabled to sit - seat vacant
1646 Sir Nicholas Martyn
1648 William Morice[9]
December 1648 Morice and Martyn excluded in Pride's Purge - both seats vacant.
1653 Seven nominated members in the Barebones Parliament: George Monck, John Carew, Thomas Saunders, Christopher Martyn, James Erisey, Francis Rous, Richard Sweet
Devon's representation was increased to 11 MPs in the First and Second Parliaments of the Protectorate
1654 Thomas Saunders, Robert Rolle, Arthur Upton, Thomas Reynell, William Morice, John Hale,
William Bastard, William Fry, Sir John Northcote, Bt, Henry Hatsell, John Quick
1656 Thomas Saunders, Robert Rolle, Arthur Upton, Thomas Reynell, William Morice, John Hale,
Sir John Northcote, Bt, Captain Henry Hatsell, Sir John Yonge, Edmund Fowell, John Doddridge
January 1659 Sir John Northcote, Bt Robert Rolle
May 1659 Not represented in the restored Rump
April 1660 George Monck Sir John Northcote, Bt
July 1660 Sir Edward Seymour, 3rd Baronet
1661 Sir Hugh Pollard, Bt Sir John Rolle
1667 Earl of Torrington
1671 Sir Coplestone Bampfylde, Bt
February 1679 Sir Edward Seymour, 4th Baronet Tory Sir William Courtenay, Bt
September 1679 Samuel Rolle
1685 Sir Bourchier Wrey, Bt Sir Coplestone Bampfylde, Bt
1689 Francis Courtenay Samuel Rolle
September 1699 Thomas Drewe
January 1701 Sir William Courtenay, Bt
December 1701 Sir John Pole, Bt
1702 Robert Rolle
1710 Sir William Pole John Rolle
1712 Sir William Courtenay, Bt
1713 Sir Coplestone Bampfylde, Bt Tory
1727 John Rolle
1730 Henry Rolle
1736 John Bampfylde
1741 Sir William Courtenay, Bt Theophilus Fortescue
1746 Sir Thomas Dyke-Acland, Bt
1747 Sir Richard Bampfylde, Bt
1762 John Parker
1776 John Rolle Walter
1780 John Rolle
1784 John Pollexfen Bastard Tory
1796 Sir Lawrence Palk, Bt
1812 Sir Thomas Dyke-Acland, Bt Tory
1816 Edmund Pollexfen Bastard
1818 Viscount Ebrington Whig
1820 Sir Thomas Dyke-Acland, Bt Tory
1830 Viscount Ebrington Whig
1831 Lord John Russell Whig

Elections

Notes and references

  1. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z aa ab ac ad ae af ag ah ai aj ak al am an ao [http "History of Parliament"]. http. Retrieved 2011-009-12. 
  2. ^ "History of Parliament". http://www.historyofparliamentonline.org/volume/1386-1421/constituencies/devon. Retrieved 2011-009-12. 
  3. ^ a b c d e f g h i J. J. Alexander (1915), "Devon Country Members of Parliament, Part IV, The Tudor Period (1485-1603)", Rep. Trans. Devon. Ass. Advmt Sci. XLVII: 365–370 
  4. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k J. J. Alexander (1916), "Devon Country Members of Parliament, Part V, The Stuart Period (1603-1688)", Rep. Trans. Devon. Ass. Advmt Sci. XLVIII: 330–332 
  5. ^ Appointed Treasurer in Ireland 1607
  6. ^ Youngest brother (1588-1637) of Francis Drake
  7. ^ Died March 1641
  8. ^ Died December 1647
  9. ^ Morice may not have taken his seat before being excluded in Pride's Purge

See also