Wendover (UK Parliament constituency)

Wendover was a borough constituency of the House of Commons of the Parliament of England then of the Parliament of Great Britain from 1707 to 1800 and of the Parliament of the United Kingdom from 1801 to 1832. It was represented by two Members of Parliament, and was considered a classic example of a pocket borough.

History

Wendover first sent members to Parliament in 1300, but after 1308, elected no burgesses for more than 300 years. However, in the 17th century a solicitor named William Hakewill, of Lincoln's Inn, rediscovered ancient writs confirming that Amersham, Great Marlow, and Wendover had all sent members to Parliament in the past, and succeeded in re-establishing their privileges (despite the opposition of James I), so that they resumed electing members from the Parliament of 1624. Hakewill himself was elected for Amersham in 1624.

The borough consisted of most of the market town of Wendover in Buckinghamshire. It was one of the smallest boroughs in England: in 1831, the population of the borough was approximately 802, and contained 171 houses. (The whole town contained 198 houses.) The right to vote was exercised by all inhabitant householders not receiving alms, which amounted to about 130 voters in 1831. Although this was a relatively large electorate for the time based on apparently democratic franchise, the borough and inhabitants were totally dependent on the Lord of the Manor, who was able to exercise considerable influence and sometimes total control over the choice of MPs. In the 17th century, this patronage lay with the Hampden family, but in 1720 Richard Hampden apparently attempted to sell his interest in the borough to the government after losing £80,000 in the South Sea Bubble; what price he received for it, or whether the sale ever took place, is not recorded. By the 1750s, Wendover had passed to Earl Verney, and Namier lists his power as only being one of influence rather than total control; but by 1832 the Smith family (headed by Lord Carrington) seem to have been able to regard it as an absolutely secure pocket borough.

Wendover was abolished as a constituency by the Great Reform Act in 1832, those of its inhabitants who were qualified to vote under the new franchise doing so in the Buckinghamshire county constituency.

Members of Parliament

• Constituency disenfranchised (1309)
• Constituency re-enfranchised (1624)

Notes

1. ↑ Boteler's election was declared void on the grounds that he did not meet the land ownership requirements to be a Member of Parliament, and a by-election was held to replace him.
2. ↑ Adams was also elected for Carmarthen, which he chose to represent, and never sat for Wendover.
3. ↑ Styled Lord Hugh Seymour from June 1793.
4. ↑ Mahon was also elected for Hull, which he chose to represent, and never sat for Wendover.

References

• Leigh Rayment's Historical List of MPs – Constituencies beginning with "W" (part 2)
• GENUKI
• D. Brunton & D. H. Pennington, Members of the Long Parliament (London: George Allen & Unwin, 1954)
• Lewis Namier, The Structure of Politics at the Accession of George III (2nd edition; London: St Martin's Press, 1961)
• J. Holladay Philbin, Parliamentary Representation 1832: England and Wales (New Haven: Yale University Press, 1965)
• Edward Porritt and Annie G. Porritt, The Unreformed House of Commons (Cambridge University Press, 1903)

Aylesbury Vale District Buckinghamshire County Council elections District Council elections Aylesbury Constituency Buckingham Constituency Towns (component areas and hamlets) Aylesbury Bedgrove Broughton California Elm Farm Elmhurst Haydon Hill New Zealand Prebendal Farm Quarrendon Queens Park Southcourt Turnfurlong Walton Walton Court Buckingham Bourton Buffler's Holt Castle Fields Mount Pleasant Page Hill Wendover Cobblers Hill Concord Dean Hazeldean Kings Ash Little London Lower Bacombe Scrubwood Smalldean The Hale Upper Bacombe Wendover Dean Wendover Marsh World's End Winslow Shipton Shipton Brook Other civil parishes (component villages and hamlets) Addington Adstock Akeley Akeley Stockholt Ashendon Ashendon Lower Pollicott Upper Pollicott Aston Clinton Aston Clinton Chivery Vaches Aston Abbotts Aston Sandford Barton Hartshorn Beachampton Biddlesden Bierton with Broughton Bierton Broughton Broughton Crossing Burcott Boarstall Boarstall Honeyburge Brill Brill Little London Buckingham Park Berryfields Weedon Hill Buckland Buckland Buckland Wharf Calvert Green Calvert Charndon Chearsley Cheddington Cheddington Cooks Wharf Chetwode Chilton Chilton Easington Coldharbour Fairford Leys Creslow Cublington Cuddington Dinton-with-Ford and Upton Aston Mullins Dinton Ford Gibraltar Upton Waldridge Westlington Dorton Drayton Beauchamp Drayton Parslow Dunton East Claydon Botolph Claydon East Claydon Edgcott Edlesborough Northall and Dagnall Dagnall Edlesborough Northall Ringshall Fleet Marston Foscott Gawcott with Lenborough Gawcott Lenborough Granborough Granborough Green End Great Brickhill Great Horwood Great Horwood Singleborough Grendon Underwood Haddenham Haddenham South End Halton Hardwick Hillesden Hoggeston Hogshaw Fulbrook Hogshaw Hulcott Ickford Ivinghoe Greatgap Horton Ivinghoe Ivinghoe Aston Ringshall Kingsey Kingswood Kingswood Tetchwick Leckhampstead Lillingstone Dayrell with Luffield Abbey Lillingstone Dayrell Luffield Abbey Lillingstone Lovell Little Horwood Long Crendon Ludgershall Maids Moreton Marsh Gibbon Marsh Gibbon Little Marsh Summerstown Marsworth Marsworth Startop's End Mentmore Crafton Ledburn Mentmore Middle Claydon Middle Claydon Verney Junction Mursley Nash Nether Winchendon Newton Longville North Marston Oakley Addingrove Little London Oakley Oving Padbury Pitchcott Pitstone Barley End Pitstone Pitstone Green Pitstone Hill Poundon Preston Bissett Quainton Quainton Shipton Lee Quarrendon Berryfields Radclive-cum-Chackmore Radclive Chackmore Shabbington Shalstone Slapton Grove Horton Wharf Slapton Soulbury Bragenham Chelmscote Hollingdon Soulbury Stockgrove Steeple Claydon Stewkley North End Stewkley Stewkley Dean Stoke Hammond Stoke Mandeville Stone with Bishopstone and Hartwell Bishopstone Hartwell Lower Hartwell Sedrup Stone Stowe Boycott Dadford Lamport Stowe Swanbourne Nearton End Swanbourne Thornborough Thornton Tingewick Turweston Twyford Upper Winchendon Waddesdon Eythrope Waddesdon Wormstone Water Stratford Watermead Weedon East End Weedon Westbury Westcott Weston Turville Bye Green Weston Turville Whaddon Whitchurch Wing Ascott Burcott Littleworth Wing Wingrave Burston Nup End Rowsham Wingrave Woodham Worminghall Wotton Underwood Former districts and boroughs Municipal Borough of Aylesbury Municipal Borough of Buckingham Buckingham Rural District Long Crendon Rural District Wing Rural District Former constituencies Buckinghamshire County Constituency Wendover Constituency List of Parliamentary constituencies in Buckinghamshire List of places in Buckinghamshire List of civil parishes in Buckinghamshire