Rutland (UK Parliament constituency)

Rutland
Former County constituency
for the House of Commons
County Rutland
Major settlements Oakham and Uppingham
1290 (1290)–1918 (1918)
Number of members 1290–1885: Two
1885–1918: One
Replaced by Rutland & Stamford

Rutland was a parliamentary constituency covering the county of Rutland. It was represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom until 1918, when it became part of the Rutland and Stamford constituency, along with Stamford in Lincolnshire. Since 1983, Rutland has formed part of the Rutland and Melton constituency along with Melton Mowbray from Leicestershire.

The constituency elected two Members of Parliament (MPs), traditionally known as Knights of the Shire, until 1885, when it was reduced to one Member.

Contents

Boundaries

The constituency comprised the whole of the historic county of Rutland, in the East Midlands. Rutland, the smallest of the historic counties of England, never had any Parliamentary borough constituencies within its borders.

The place of election for the county was at Oakham. This was where the hustings were held; at which candidates were nominated (before the Ballot Act of 1872), polling took place (before the introduction of multiple polling places in county constituencies) and where the result was announced.

Pelling in his Social Geography of British Elections 1885-1910 describes most of the people in this county as "engaged in or dependent upon agriculture". The constituency was a safe Conservative one and was rarely contested in the period covered by the book. G.H. Finch MP had personally owned almost one tenth of the county he represented.

Members of Parliament

1295-1640

Parliament First member Second member
1310 Ralf de Beaufoy
1312 William de St Liz
1318 John de Beaufoy
1328 Richard de St Liz
1330 Richard de St Liz
1335 Richard de St Liz
1336 Richard de St Liz
1337 John de Seyton
1363 William Beaufoy
1365 William Beaufoy
1369 William Beaufoy
1377 Thomas de Burton
1380 Thomas de Burton
1382 Thomas de Burton
1383 John Calveley
1385 Hugh Calveley
1386 John Wittlebury Walter Scarle [1]
1388 (Feb) Sir Hugh Browe Sir Oliver Mauleverer [1]
1388 (Sep) Sir John Daneys Walter Scarle [1]
1390 (Jan) Hugh Calveley Sir Oliver Mauleverer [1]
1390 (Nov) Sir Hugh Browe Sir John Calveley [1]
1391 Sir John Bussy Sir Hugh Greenham [1]
1393 Sir Walter Scarle Sir John Elme [1]
1394 Sir John Daneys Sir John Elme [1]
1395 John Wittlebury Sir Walter Scarle [1]
1397 (Jan) Sir Robert Plesington Roger Flore [1]
1397 (Sep) Sir Oliver Mauleverer Sir Thomas Oudeby [1]
1399 John Durant Roger Flore [1]|- [1]
1401 John Durant William Oudeby [1]
1402 Sir Thomas Oudeby Roger Flore [1]
1404 (Jan) Thomas Thorpe John Pensax [1]
1404 (Oct) Sir Thomas Oudeby Roger Flore [1]
1406 John Pensax Robert Scarle [1]
1407 Robert Browe William Sheffield [1]
1410
1411
1413 (Feb)
1413 (May) John Pensax John Burgh [1]
1414 (Apr) Roger Flore Robert Browe [1]
1414 (Nov) Roger Flore John Newbold [1]
1415 Roger Flore John Burgh [1]
1416 (Mar) Roger Flore Geoffrey Paynell [1]
1416 (Oct) Roger Flore [1]
1417 Roger Flore  ? [1]
1419 Roger Flore Robert Browe [1]
1420 Sir Thomas de Burton (son of Thomas, HS 1377) Sir Henry Plesington [1]
1421 (May) John Pensax William Sheffield [1]
1421 (Dec) John Culpepper Thomas Greenham [1]
1422 Roger Flore Sir Henry Plesington
1432 Thomas Flore
1433 William Beaufoy
1434 William Beaufoy
1445 Thomas Flore
1449 Everard Digby John Browe
1450 Thomas Palmer Everard Digby
1510–1523 No names known[2]
1529 Sir Everard Digby John Harington I [2]
1536
1539 John Harington I Edward Sapcote [2]
1542 John Harington I Simon Digby [2]
1545 Kenelm Digby Anthony Colly [2]
1547 Kenelm Digby Anthony Colly [2]
1553 (Mar) Kenelm Digby Anthony Colly [2]
1553 (Oct) Andrew Nowell Kenelm Digby [2]
1554 (Apr) Anthony Colly John Hunt [2]
1554 (Nov) James Harington Anthony Colly [2]
1555 James Harington Kenelm Digby [2]
1558 Kenelm Digby James Harington [2]
1558–1559 James Harington Kenelm Digby[3]
1562–1563 Anthony Colly John Flower [3]
1571 Kenelm Digby John Harington [3]
1572 (Apr) Sir James Harington Kenelm Digby [3]
1584 Kenelm Digby (Sir) Andrew Noel [3]
1586 (Oct) Sir James Harington (Sir) Andrew Noel [3]
1588 Sir James Harington (Sir) Andrew Noel [3]
1593 Sir John Harington (Sir) Andrew Noel [3]
1597 William Cecil Sir James Harington [3]
1601 (Oct) Sir John Harington (Sir) Andrew Noel, declared void, Nov 1601
 [4] replaced by Edward Noel [5] [3]
1604-1611 Sir James Harington Sir William Bulstrode
1614 Sir Guy Palmes Basil Fielding
1621-1622 Sir Guy Palmes Sir William Bulstrode
1624 Sir Guy Palmes Sir William Bulstrode
1625 Sir Guy Palmes Sir William Bulstrode
1626 Sir William Bulstrode Sir Francis Bodenham
1628 Sir Guy Palmes Sir William Bulstrode
1629–1640 No Parliaments convened

1640-1885

Year First member First party Second member Second party
November 1640 Hon. Baptist Noel Royalist Sir Guy Palmes Royalist
1643 Noel succeeded to peerage, August 1643 - seat vacant Palmes disabled from sitting, September 1643 - seat vacant
1646 James Harington Thomas Waite
1653 Edward Horseman Rutland had only one representative in the Barebones Parliament
1654 William Shield
1656 Abel Barker
January 1659 Edward Horseman
May 1659 Sir James Harington Thomas Waite not recorded as participating in the restored Rump
April 1660 Philip Sherard Samuel Browne
1661 Edward Noel
February 1679 Sir Thomas Mackworth
August 1679 Sir Abel Barker
1680 Sir Thomas Mackworth
1681 Edward Fawkener
1685 Baptist Noel Tory Sir Thomas Mackworth
1689 Bennet Sherard
1694 Sir Thomas Mackworth
1695 Lord Burghley
1698 Richard Halford
1701 Sir Thomas Mackworth
1708 Philip Sherard
1710 Lord Finch John Noel [6]
1711 Richard Halford
1713 The Lord Sherard
1715 John Noel
1719 Marquess of Granby Whig
1721 Sir Thomas Mackworth
1727 John Noel
1728 Thomas Noel
1730 William Burton
1734 James Noel
1741 John Finch
1747 Lord Burghley
1753 Thomas Noel
1754 George Bridges Brudenell
1761 Hon. Thomas Chambers Cecil
1768 George Bridges Brudenell
1788 Gerard Edwardes [7] Whig
1790 John Heathcote
1795 Lord Sherard
1796 Sir William Lowther, Bt
1802 The Lord Carbery
1805 The Lord Henniker
1808 Charles Noel
1812 Sir Gilbert Heathcote, Bt Whig
1814 Sir Gerard Noel, Bt Tory
1838 Hon. William Noel Conservative
1840 Hon. Charles Noel Whig
1841 Sir Gilbert Heathcote, Bt Whig Hon. William Dawnay Conservative
1846 George Finch Conservative
1847 Protectionist Hon. Gerard Noel Conservative
1852 Whig
1856 Hon. Gilbert Heathcote Liberal
1867 George Finch Conservative
1883 James Lowther Conservative
1885 Representation reduced to one member

1885-1918

Year Member of Parliament Party
1885 George Finch Conservative
1907 John Gretton Conservative
1918 Constituency abolished: see Rutland and Stamford

Notes

  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 "History of Parliament". http://www.historyofparliamentonline.org/volume/1386-1421/constituencies/rutland. Retrieved 2011-09-08. 
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l "History of Parliament". http://www.historyofparliamentonline.org/volume/1509-1558/constituencies/rutland. Retrieved 2011-09-08. 
  3. ^ a b c d e f g h i j "History of Parliament". http://www.historyofparliamentonline.org/volume/1558-1603/constituencies/rutland. Retrieved 2011-09-08. 
  4. ^ Sir Andrew Noel was elected despite being ineligible, being Sheriff of Rutland|| the Commons annulled his election and issued a new writ
  5. ^ Edward Noel was returned despite being ineligible to sit|| he was underage, and owned no freeholds in the county. The controversial election, conducted by the candidate's father in his capacity as Sheriff, led to a suit in the Court of Star Chamber
  6. ^ On petition, Noel was declared not to have been duly elected
  7. ^ Adopted the surname Noel on succeeding to his uncle's estates in 1798

Elections

Population in 1831: 19,380

General Election 1832 (December 14)
 Registered Electors: 1,296
Sir G N Noel, Bart. Conservative
Sir G Heathcote Whig

General Election 1835 (January 10)
 Sir G N Noel, Bart. Conservative
Sir G Heathcote Whig

General Election 1837 (July 29)
 Sir G N Noel, Bart. Conservative
Sir G Heathcote Whig

Following the death of Sir G N Noel:

By-Election 1838 (March 13)
 Hon W M Noel Conservative

Mr Noel accepts Chiltern Hundreds (a procedural device to allow resignation from the House of Commons).

By-Election 1840 (January 28)
 Hon C G Noel Whig

General Election 1841 (July 12)
 G J Heathcote Whig (767 votes)
Hon W H Dawnay Conservative (676 votes)
- Hon C G Noel Whig (664 votes - unsuccessful candidate)

Mr Dawnay accepts Chiltern Hundreds.

By-Election 1846 (February 14)
 Geo Finch Protectionist

General Election 1847 (August 7)
 Sir G J Heathcote Protectionist
Hon G J Noel Protectionist

General Election 1852 (July 13)
 Sir G J Heathcote Whig
Hon G J Noel Conservative

Sir G J Heathcote created 1st Lord Aveland

By-Election 1856 (March 4)
 Hon G H Heathcote Whig

General Election 1857 (March 30)
 Hon G J Noel Conservative
Hon G H Heathcote Whig

General Election 1859 (May 3)
 Hon G J Noel Conservative
Hon G H Heathcote Whig

Population in 1861: 21,861

General Election 1865 (July 18)
 Hon G J Noel Conservative
Hon G H Heathcote Whig

Mr Noel appointed Lord of the Treasury. Members of some parliaments were required to seek re-election upon being appointed to a ministerial post. The subsequent by-elections were termed ministerial by-elections

Ministerial By-Election 1866 (July 14)
 Hon G J Noel Conservative

Mr Heathcote succeeded to Peerage (Lord Aveland). Peers are not eligigble to sit in the House of Commons.

By-Election 1867 (November 23)
 Geo H Finch Conservative

General Election 1868 (November 19)
 Registered Electors: 2,200
Hon G J Noel Conservative
Geo H Finch Conservative

Population in 1871: 22,073

General Election 1874 (February 5)
 Registered Electors: 1,840
Hon G J Noel Conservative
G H Finch Conservative

Hon G J Noel appointed First Commander of Works

Ministerial By-Election 1876 (August 17)
 Rt Hon G J Noel Conservative

General Election 1880 (April )
 Rt Hon G J Noel Conservative
G H Finch Conservative

Population in 1881: 21,434

Mr Noel accepts Chiltern Hundreds.

By-Election 1883 (August )
 J W Lowther Conservative (860 votes)
- J W Davenport Handley Liberal Party (194 votes - unsuccessful candidate)

Rutland reduced to one Member of Parliament

General Election 1885 (November 28)
Registered Electors: 1,725
G H Finch Conservative (2,366 votes)
- M C Buzzard, QC Liberal Party (1,110 votes - unsuccessful candidate)

General Election 1886 (July 2)
G H Finch Conservative

Population in 1891: 20,659

General Election 1892 (July)
G H Finch Conservative

General Election 1895 (July 13)
G H Finch Conservative

General Election 1900 (October 1)
Rt Hon G H Finch Conservative

Population in 1901: 19,709

General Election 1906 (January 17)
Registered Electors: 4,042
Rt Hon G H Finch Conservative (2,047 votes)
- H W Pearson Liberal Party (1,564 votes - unsuccessful candidate)

Following the death of Mr G H Finch:

By-Election 1907 (June 11)
 John Gretton Conservative (2,213 votes)
- W F H Lyon Liberal Party (1,362 votes - unsuccessful candidate)

January 1910 Election (January 20)
John Gretton Conservative (2,235 votes)
- W F H Lyon Liberal Party (1,531 votes - unsuccessful candidate)

December 1910 Election (December )
Population: 19,709; Registered Electors: 4,128
John Gretton Liberal Unionist Party (2,169 votes)
- J N Emery Liberal Party (1,367 votes - unsuccessful candidate)

References