Shrewsbury (UK Parliament constituency)

Shrewsbury
Former County constituency
for the House of Commons
County Shropshire
1918–1983
Number of members One
Replaced by Shrewsbury and Atcham
1290–1918
Number of members 1290–1885: Two
1885–1918: One
Type of constituency Borough constituency

Shrewsbury was a parliamentary constituency in England, centred on the town of Shrewsbury in Shropshire.

It was founded in 1290 as parliamentary borough, returning two members to the House of Commons of England until 1707, then of the House of Commons of Great Britain from 1707 to 1800, and of the House of Commons of the United Kingdom from 1801 to 1885. Under the Redistribution of Seats Act 1885, its representation was reduced to one Member of Parliament (MP).

The parliamentary borough was abolished at with effect from the 1918 general election, and the name transferred to a new county constituency. It was abolished in 1983 and renamed Shrewsbury and Atcham.

Famous MPs have included Sir Philip Sidney in 1581, Robert Clive (known as 'Clive of India') from 1761 to his death in 1774, and Benjamin Disraeli (later Prime Minister) in 1841-47.

Members of Parliament

Borough of Shrewsbury

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MPs 1290–1660

ParliamentFirst memberSecond member
1386 Robert Grafton Hugh Wigan [1]
1388 (Feb) Hugh Wigan Robert Thornes [1]
1388 (Sep) Robert Grafton Hugh Wigan [1]
1390 (Jan) Robert Grafton Thomas Pride [1]
1390 (Nov)
1391 Hugh Wigan Thomas Pride [1]
1393 Thomas Pride Thomas Game [1]
1394 Thomas Pride Hugh Wigan [1]
1395 Richard Aldescote Roger Thornes [1]
1397 (Jan) Thomas Skinner John Geoffrey [1]
1397 (Sep)
1399 Nicholas Gerard Thomas Berwick [1]
1401
1402 Thomas Pride Roger Thornes [1]
1404 (Jan) Thomas Pride Simon Tour [1]
1404 (Oct)
1406 John Perle Robert Thornes [1]
1407 Thomas Pride John Scriven [1]
1410Robert Thornes Roger Thornes [1]
1411Thomas Pride John Whithiford [1]
1413 (Feb)
1413 (May) David Holbache Urian St Pierre [1]
1414 (Apr) Thomas Pride ? [1]
1414 (Nov) Robert Horseley William Horde [1]
1415 William Horde John Shotton [1]
1416 (Mar) William Horde John Beget [1]
1416 (Oct) William Horde Robert Horseley [1]
1417 William Horde David Holbache [1]
1419 Roger Corbet (died 1430) David Rathbone [1]
1420 Robert Whitcombe Richard Bentley [1]
1421 (May) Urian St Pierre Robert Whitcombe [1]
1421 (Dec) William HordeRobert Whitcombe [1]
1510 Roger Thornes Thomas Knight[2]
1512 Thomas Kynaston Thomas Trentham [2]
1515 Sir Thomas Kynaston Thomas Trentham [2]
1523 Edmund Cole Adam Mytton [2]
1529 Robert Dudley alias Sutton Adam Mytton [2]
1536 Robert Dudley alias Sutton Adam Mytton [2]
1539 Nicholas Purcell Robert Thornes [2]
1542 Adam Mytton Richard Mytton [2]
1545 Nicholas Purcell Edward Hosier[2]
1547 Reginald Corbet John Evans[2]
1553 (Mar) Nicholas Purcell George Leigh[2]
1553 (Oct) Reginald Corbet Nicholas Purcell[2]
1554 (Apr) Richard Mytton Nicholas Purcell[2]
1554 (Nov) Thomas Mytton George Leigh[2]
1555 Reginald Corbet Nicholas Purcell[2]
1558 Nicholas Purcell George Leigh[2]
1558/9 Robert Ireland George Leigh[3]
1562/3 Robert Ireland Richard Purcell [3]
1571 George Leigh Robert Ireland [3]
1572 (Apr) Richard Purcell George Leigh, died
and replaced January 1581 by Philip Sidney [3]
1584 (Nov) Thomas Owen Richard Barker [3]
1586 (Oct) Reginald Scriven Thomas Harris [3]
1588 (Oct) Reginald Scriven Andrew Newport [3]
1593 Reginald Scriven Robert Wright [3]
1597 Reginald Scriven Roger Owen [3]
1601 (Oct) Reginald Scriven John Barker [3]
1604 Richard Barker Francis Tate
1614 Lewis Prowde Francis Berkeley
1621 Sir Richard Newport Francis Berkeley
1624 Francis Berkeley Thomas Owen
1625 Sir William Owen Thomas Owen
1626 Sir William Owen Thomas Owen
1628 Sir William OwenThomas Owen
1629–1640No Parliaments summoned
1640 (Apr)Francis Newport Thomas Owen
1640 (Nov)Francis Newport William Spurstow
1645Thomas HuntWilliam Massam
1648Thomas HuntWilliam Massam
1653 Shrewsbury not represented in Barebones Parliament
1654 Richard CheshireHumphrey Mackworth
1656Samuel JonesHumphrey Mackworth
1658 William JonesHumphrey Mackworth

MPs 1660–1885

Election First member[4]First party Second member[4]Second party
1660 Samuel Jones Thomas Jones
1661 Robert Leighton
1677 Sir Richard Corbet
1679 Edward Kynaston
1685 Sir Francis Edwardes, 1st Baronet
1689 Hon. Andrew Newport Tory
1690 Richard Mytton
1694 John Kynaston
1698 Richard Mytton
1709 vacant Sir Edward Leighton
January 1710 Thomas Jones
October 1710 Edward Cressett Richard Mytton
1713 Thomas Jones
1714 Corbet Kynaston
February 1715 Thomas Jones
November 1715 Andrew Corbet
1722 Richard Lyster
1723 Sir Richard Corbet Orlando Bridgeman
1727 Richard Lyster Sir John Astley
1734 William Kinaston Sir Richard Corbet
1749 by-election Thomas Hill
1754 Robert More
1761 Robert Clive Tory
1768 Noel Hill
1774[5] Charlton Leighton Tory
March 8, 1775[5] William Pulteney Whig
March 17, 1775 John Corbet Tory
1780 Sir Charlton Leighton Tory
1784 by-election John Hill Tory
1796 William Hill Tory
1805 by-election John Hill Tory
1806 Henry Grey Bennet Whig
1807 Thomas Jones Tory
1811 by-election Henry Grey Bennet Whig
1812 Sir Rowland Hill Tory
1814 by-election Richard Lyster Tory
1819 by-election John Mytton Tory
1820 Panton Corbett Tory
1826 Robert Aglionby Slaney Whig
1830 Richard Jenkins Tory
1832 Sir John Hanmer Tory
1834 Conservative
1835 John Cressett-Pelham Conservative
1837 Richard Jenkins Conservative Robert Aglionby Slaney Liberal
1841 George Tomline Conservative Benjamin Disraeli Conservative
1847 Edward Holmes Baldock Conservative Robert Aglionby Slaney Liberal
1852 George Tomline Liberal
1857 Robert Aglionby Slaney Liberal
1862 by-election Henry Robertson Liberal
1865 William James Clement Liberal
1868 James Figgins Conservative
1870 by-election Douglas Straight Conservative
1874 Charles Cecil Cotes Liberal Henry Robertson Liberal
1885 Representation reduced to one Member

MPs 1885–1918

ElectionMemberParty
1885 James Watson Conservative
1892 Henry David Greene Conservative
1906 Sir Clement Lloyd Hill Conservative
1913 by-election George Butler Lloyd Conservative
1918 Borough abolished, name transferred to new county division

Shrewsbury division of Shropshire

MPs 1918–1983

ElectionMemberParty
1918 George Butler Lloyd Coalition Conservative
1922 Viscount Sandon Conservative
1923 Joseph Sunlight Liberal
1924 Viscount Sandon Conservative
1929 Arthur Duckworth Conservative
1945 Sir John Langford-Holt Conservative
1983 constituency abolished: see Shrewsbury and Atcham

Election results

Elections in the 1910s

Shrewsbury by-election, 1913
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Unionist George Butler Lloyd 2,412 58.3 +1.7
Independent James Robert Morris 1,727 n/a
Majority 685 16.6 +3.4
Turnout 4,139 81.0 −6.6
Unionist hold Swing
General Election 1918
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Unionist
  • George Butler Lloyd
 9,826
Labour Arthur Taylor 5,542
Majority
Turnout
Unionist hold Swing

Elections in the 1920s

General Election 1922
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Unionist Viscount Sandon 10,999
Liberal Joseph Sunlight 9,401
Majority
Turnout
Unionist hold Swing
General Election 1923
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Joseph Sunlight 11,097
Unionist Viscount Sandon 10,548
Majority 549
Turnout
Liberal gain from Unionist Swing
General Election 1924
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Unionist Viscount Sandon 13,220
Liberal Joseph Sunlight 8,945
Labour David Baxter Lawley 1,614
Majority 4,275
Turnout
Unionist gain from Liberal Swing
General Election 1929
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Unionist George Arthur Victor Duckworth 14,586 48.6
Liberal Joseph Sunlight 11,794 39.3
Labour A A Beach 3,662 12.2
Majority 2,792 9.3
Turnout
Unionist hold Swing

Elections in the 1930s

General Election 1931
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative George Arthur Victor Duckworth 18,505 60.8
Liberal Dr. Elizabeth Trebelle Morgan 9,358 30.8
Labour Edward Porter 2,567 8.4
Majority 9,147 30.1
Turnout 30,430 82.7
Conservative hold Swing
General Election 1935
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative George Arthur Victor Duckworth 18,401 65.7
Labour Cecil Charles Poole 9,606 34.3
Majority 8,795 31.4
Turnout 28,007 74.2
Conservative hold Swing

Elections in the 1940s

General Election 1939/40:

Another General Election was required to take place before the end of 1940. The political parties had been making preparations for an election to take place from 1939 and by the end of this year, the following candidates had been selected;

General Election 1945
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative John Anthony Langford-Holt 15,174 44.4
Labour S N Chapman 10,580 31.0
Liberal Arthur Strettell Comyns Carr 8,412 24.6
Majority 4,594 13.4
Turnout 73.0
Conservative hold Swing

Elections in the 1950s

General Election 1950: Shrewsbury[6]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative John Anthony Langford-Holt 18,470 49.7
Labour Robert Bowen Cant 12,542 33.8
Liberal Norman Walter Elliott 6,126 16.5
Majority 5,928 15.9
Turnout 83.9
Conservative hold Swing
General Election 1951: Shrewsbury[7]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative John Anthony Langford-Holt 21,503 59.3
Labour Robert Bowen Cant 14,735 40.7
Majority 6,768 18.6
Turnout 80.7
Conservative hold Swing
General Election 1955: Shrewsbury[8]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative John Anthony Langford-Holt 21,319 60.8
Labour D Geoffrey Allen 13,726 39.2
Majority 7,593 21.7
Turnout 35,045 77.5
Conservative hold Swing
General Election 1959: Shrewsbury[9]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative John Anthony Langford-Holt 19,970 53.0
Labour Kenneth V Russell 11,338 30.1
Liberal Harold Shaw 6,387 16.9
Majority 8,632 22.9
Turnout 37,695
Conservative hold Swing

Elections in the 1960s

General Election 1964: Shrewsbury[10]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Sir John Anthony Langford-Holt 18,517 48.3
Labour James O Murphy 12,658 33.0
Liberal Geoffrey K Roberts 7,180 18.7
Majority 5,859 15.3
Turnout 38,355 78.2
Conservative hold Swing
General Election 1966: Shrewsbury[11]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Sir John Anthony Langford-Holt 17,569 45.2
Labour Thomas S Pritchard 14,603 37.6
Liberal William Marsh 6,660 17.2
Majority 2,966 7.6
Turnout 38,832 76.5
Conservative hold Swing

Elections in the 1970s

General Election 1970: Shrewsbury[12]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Sir John Anthony Langford-Holt 22,619 53.9
Labour Peter A Kent 13,413 31.9
Liberal Ian R Brodie 5,960 14.2
Majority 9,206 22.0
Turnout 41,992 73.1
Conservative hold Swing

References

Craig, F. W. S. (1983). British parliamentary election results 1918-1949 (3 ed.). Chichester: Parliamentary Research Services. ISBN 0-900178-06-X.

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 1.6 1.7 1.8 1.9 1.10 1.11 1.12 1.13 1.14 1.15 1.16 1.17 1.18 1.19 1.20 1.21 1.22 1.23 1.24 1.25 1.26 "History of Parliament". Retrieved 2011-10-03.
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 2.5 2.6 2.7 2.8 2.9 2.10 2.11 2.12 2.13 2.14 2.15 "History of Parliament". Retrieved 2011-10-03.
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 3.5 3.6 3.7 3.8 3.9 "History of Parliament". Retrieved 2011-10-03.
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 Leigh Rayment's Historical List of MPs – Constituencies beginning with "S" (part 3)
  5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 The result of the 1774 general election was the subject of a petition. The election of Charlton Leighton was overturned in favour of William Pulteney
  6. ↑ British parliamentary election results, 1950-1973 by FWS Craig
  7. ↑ British parliamentary election results, 1950-1973 by FWS Craig
  8. ↑ British parliamentary election results, 1950-1973 by FWS Craig
  9. ↑ F W S Craig, British Parliamentary Election Results 1950-1973; Political Reference Publications, Glasgow 1973
  10. ↑ F W S Craig, British Parliamentary Election Results 1950-1973; Political Reference Publications, Glasgow 1973
  11. ↑ British parliamentary election results, 1950-1973 by FWS Craig
  12. ↑ British parliamentary election results, 1950-1973 by FWS Craig

Sources

See also