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Abingdon (UK Parliament constituency)

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Abingdon was a constituency of the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom (and its predecessor institutions for England and Great Britain), electing one Member of Parliament (MP) from 1558 until 1983. (It was one of the few English constituencies in the unreformed House of Commons to elect only one Member of Parliament (MP) by the first past the post system of election.)

History

Abingdon was one of three English parliamentary boroughs enfranchised by Queen Mary I as anomalous single-member constituencies, and held its first Parliamentary election in 1558. The borough consisted of part of two parishes in the market town of Abingdon, then the county town of Berkshire. The right to vote was exercised by all inhabitant householders paying scot and lot and not receiving alms; the highest recorded number of votes to be cast before 1832 was 253, at the general election of 1806.

Abingdon's voters seem always to have maintained their independence, and the constituency never came under the influence of a "patron" who assumed the right to choose the MP. Nevertheless, this did not always guarantee a pure election, and Porritt records that Abingdon offers the earliest case he was able to trace of a candidate trying to bribe voters with the promise of official office, later one of the most widespread abuses in English elections. In 1698, the defeated candidate, William Hucks, petitioned against the election of Sir Simon Harcourt, but during the hearing of the case it emerged that Hucks had promised that should he be elected an MP he would be made a Commissioner of the Excise, in which case he would use that power to appoint several of the voters to well-paid excise posts. The petition was dismissed and Hucks was committed to the custody of the sergeant-at-arms. (But ten years later, defeated again by Harcourt at the election of 1708, Hucks petitioned once more, on grounds of intimidation and other illegal practices, and this time Harcourt was ejected from his seat and Hucks declared to have been duly elected. Harcourt complained that the decision was a partisan one - which would have been by no means unusual at the period - "insisting to the last that he was the legal member, by a clear majority, by the most fair estimation".)

In 1831, the population of the borough was approximately 5,300, and contained 1,192 houses. This was sufficient for Abingdon to retain its MP under the Great Reform Act. (Indeed, it would have been big enough to retain two MPs had it had them, but there was no question of its representation being increased.) Its boundaries were unaltered, and under the reformed franchise 300 of the residents were qualified to vote.

In 1885 the borough constituency was abolished and the town was moved into a new county, The Northern or Abingdon Division of Berkshire. This constituency consisted of the northern part of the historic county, and as well as Abingdon included the towns of Wantage and Wallingford; it was predominantly agricultural at first, although its character changed during the 20th century with the growth of light industry round Abingdon, and it was generally a safe Conservative seat. This constituency survived essentially intact, with only minor boundary changes, until the 1983 general election, by which time it was simply called Abingdon County Constituency.

Changes in administrative boundaries during the 1970s moved most of the northern part of the historic county of Berkshire, including Abingdon, into the county of Oxfordshire. These changes were reflected in the constituency boundary changes introduced in 1983, and the Abingdon constituency was divided; most of its electors were placed in the new Wantage constituency and a significant minority including electors in the town of Abingdon were placed in the Oxford West and Abingdon constituency.

Boundaries

Northern or Abingdon Division of Berkshire, 1885 - 1918

The constituency was defined as consisting of: The Abingdon, Faringdon, Wallingford, and Wantage petty sessional divisions of Berkshire, the municipal borough of Wallingford and the parts of the boroughs of Abingdon and Oxford in Berkshire.[1]

Abingdon Division of Berkshire, 1918 - 1950

The constituency's boundaries were adjusted in 1918, and it was redefined in terms of the administrative county of Berkshire and the county districts created by the Local Government Acts of 1888 and 1894 as follows:[2]

Abingdon County Constituency, 1950 - 1983

The Representation of the People Act 1948 reorganised parliamentary constituencies, and Abingdon County Constituency was altered slightly. The official definition of the constituency was:[3]

  • The boroughs of Abingdon and Wallingford;
  • the urban district of Wantage;
  • the rural districts of Abingdon, Faringdon, Wallingford and Wantage

The constituency was not altered by the Parliamentary Constituencies (England) Order 1970, and continued unchanged until 1983.

Members of Parliament

1558-1640

Parliament Member
Parliament of 1558 Oliver Hyde
Parliament of 1559 Robert Byng
Parliament of 1563-1567 Oliver Hyde (Died during the Parliament)
Mr Anthony (Elected 1566)
Parliament of 1571 Anthony Forster
Parliament of 1572-1583 Anthony Forster (Died during the Parliament)
Richard Beake (Elected 1572)
Parliament of 1584-1585 Hon. Edward Norreys
Parliament of 1586-1587 Miles Sandys
Parliament of 1588-1589 Hon. Sir Edward Norreys
Parliament of 1593 William Braunche
Parliament of 1597-1598 Not known
Parliament of 1601 Robert Ryche
Parliament of 1604-1611 Sir Richard Lovelace
Addled Parliament (1614) Robert Hyde
Parliament of 1621-1622
Happy Parliament (1624-1625) Robert Knollys
Useless Parliament (1625) Sir Robert Knollys [4]
Parliament of 1625-1626
Parliament of 1628-1629 Sir John Stonhouse, 2nd Bt.
No Parliament summoned 1629-1640

1640-1983

Year Member Party
style="background-color: Template:/meta/color" | April 1640 Sir George Stonhouse, 3rd Bt. Royalist
style="background-color: Template:/meta/color" | January 1644 Stonhouse disabled to sit - seat vacant
style="background-color: Template:/meta/color" | 1645 William Ball (Died 1648)
style="background-color: Template:/meta/color" | 1649 Henry Neville
style="background-color: Template:/meta/color" | 1653 Abingdon was unrepresented in the Barebones Parliament
rowspan="2" style="background-color: Template:/meta/color" | 1654 Thomas Holt
1656
style="background-color: Template:/meta/color" | January 1659 Sir John Lenthall
style="background-color: Template:/meta/color" | May 1659 Henry Neville
style="background-color: Template:/meta/color" | April 1660 Sir George Stonhouse, 3rd Bt.
style="background-color: Template:/meta/color" | 1675 Sir John Stonhouse, 2nd Bt. (d. 1700)
style="background-color: Template:/meta/color" | January 1689 Thomas Medlycott [5]
style="background-color: Template:/meta/color" | May 1689 John Southby [6]
style="background-color: Template:/meta/color" | January 1690 Sir John Stonhouse, 2nd Bt. (d. 1700)
style="background-color: Template:Tory/meta/color" | February 1690 Sir Simon Harcourt Tory
style="background-color: Template:British Whig Party/meta/color" | 1705 Grey Neville Whig
style="background-color: Template:Tory/meta/color" | 1708 Sir Simon Harcourt [7] Tory
style="background-color: Template:/meta/color" | 1709 William Hucks
style="background-color: Template:Tory/meta/color" | October 1710 Sir Simon Harcourt Tory
style="background-color: Template:/meta/color" | December 1710 James Jennings
style="background-color: Template:/meta/color" | 1713 Hon. Simon Harcourt
style="background-color: Template:/meta/color" | 1715 James Jennings
style="background-color: Template:/meta/color" | 1722 Robert Hucks
style="background-color: Template:/meta/color" | 1741 John Wright
style="background-color: Template:Tory/meta/color" | 1747 John Morton [8] Tory
style="background-color: Template:British Whig Party/meta/color" | 1770 Nathaniel Bayly Whig
style="background-color: Template:Tory/meta/color" | 1774 John Mayor [9] Tory
style="background-color: Template:/meta/color" | 1782 Henry Howorth
style="background-color: Template:British Whig Party/meta/color" | 1783 Edward Loveden Loveden Whig
style="background-color: Template:Tory/meta/color" | 1796 Thomas Metcalfe Tory
style="background-color: Template:British Whig Party/meta/color" | 1807 George Knapp Whig
style="background-color: Template:/meta/color" | 1809 Henry Bowyer
style="background-color: Template:British Whig Party/meta/color" | 1811 Sir George Bowyer, 6th Bt. Whig
style="background-color: Template:British Whig Party/meta/color" | 1818 John Maberly Whig
style="background-color: Template:Conservative Party (UK)/meta/color" | 1832 Thomas Duffield Conservative
style="background-color: Template:Conservative Party (UK)/meta/color" | 1844 Sir Frederick Thesiger Conservative
style="background-color: Template:Liberal Party (UK)/meta/color" | July 1852 James Caulfeild Liberal
style="background-color: Template:Liberal Party (UK)/meta/color" | December 1852 Lord Norreys Liberal
style="background-color: Template:Liberal Party (UK)/meta/color" | 1854 Joseph Haythorne Reed Liberal
style="background-color: Template:Liberal Party (UK)/meta/color" | 1857 John Thomas Norris Liberal
style="background-color: Template:Conservative Party (UK)/meta/color" | 1865 Hon. Charles Hugh Lindsay Conservative
style="background-color: Template:Liberal Party (UK)/meta/color" | 1874 John Creemer Clarke Liberal
style="background-color: Template:Conservative Party (UK)/meta/color" | 1885 Philip Wroughton Conservative
style="background-color: Template:Conservative Party (UK)/meta/color" | 1895 Archie Kirkman Loyd Conservative
style="background-color: Template:Liberal Party (UK)/meta/color" | 1906 Edward Anthony Strauss Liberal
style="background-color: Template:Conservative Party (UK)/meta/color" | 1910 Harold Greenwood Henderson Conservative
style="background-color: Template:Conservative Party (UK)/meta/color" | 1916 Archie Kirkman Loyd Conservative
style="background-color: Template:Coalition Conservative/meta/color" | 1918 John Tyson Wigan Coalition Conservative
style="background-color: Template:Coalition Conservative/meta/color" | 1921 Arthur Thomas Loyd Coalition Conservative (Conservative 1922)
style="background-color: Template:Liberal Party (UK)/meta/color" | 1923 Edward Albert Lessing Liberal
style="background-color: Template:Conservative Party (UK)/meta/color" | 1924 Sir Ralph Glyn, 1st Bt. Conservative
style="background-color: Template:Conservative Party (UK)/meta/color" | 1953 Airey Neave Conservative
style="background-color: Template:Conservative Party (UK)/meta/color" | 1979 Thomas Benyon Conservative
  • Constituency abolished (1983)

Notes

  1. ^ Redistribution of Seats Act, 1885 c.23, Schedule 7
  2. ^ Representation of the People Act 1918 c.64, schedule 9
  3. ^ Representation of the People Act 1948, c. 65, Schedule 1
  4. ^ Cousin of the previous MP
  5. ^ Medlycott's election was declared void on petition, and a new election was held
  6. ^ Southby was returned as elected by the Mayor, but on petition the Commons decided that Stonhouse and not Southby had received the most votes, and eventually declared Stonhouse duly elected
  7. ^ Harcourt was initially declared elected, but on petition alleging "that Sir Simon, by menaces and by other illegal practices of himself and his agents, procured several votes for him, and several were admitted to vote for him who had no right", the result was overturned and Hucks declared to have been duly elected
  8. ^ At the election of 1768, Morton was declared re-elected, but on petition the result was overturned and his opponent Bayly declared elected instead
  9. ^ On petition, Mayor's election was declared void, since as High Sheriff of Berkshire he was not eligible to be elected MP for a borough within the county. A new election was ordered, by which time Mayor had completed his term as sheriff and was re-elected.

Elections

Sources 1754-1784: Narnier and Brooke; (parties) Stooks Smith. Positive swing is from Whig to Tory. Sources 1885-1900: House of Commons 1901.

General Election 15 April 1754: Abingdon
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Tory John Morton 133 57.08 N/A
Nonpartisan Henry Thrale 100 42.92 N/A
Majority 33 14.16 N/A
Turnout 233 N/A N/A
Tory hold Swing N/A
General Election 25 March 1761: Abingdon
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Tory John Morton Unopposed N/A N/A
Tory hold Swing N/A
By-Election 15 December 1762: Abingdon
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Tory John Morton Unopposed N/A N/A
Tory hold Swing N/A
General Election 17 March 1768: Abingdon
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Tory John Morton 126 50.40 N/A
Whig Nathaniel Bayly 124 49.60 N/A
Majority 2 0.80 N/A
Turnout 250 N/A N/A
Tory hold Swing N/A
  • On petition Nathaniel Bayly seated in place of John Morton, 8 February 1770
General Election 7 October 1774: Abingdon
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Tory John Mayor 146 55.73 +5.33
Whig Thomas Wooldridge 116 44.27 −5.33
Majority 30 11.45 +10.65
Turnout 262 N/A N/A
Tory hold Swing +5.33
  • Tory hold from previous general election; Tory gain from Whig, from change on petition.
  • Election declared void, 6 March 1775
By-Election 11 March 1775: Abingdon
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Tory John Mayor Unopposed N/A N/A
Tory hold Swing N/A
General Election 6 September 1780: Abingdon
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Tory John Mayor 137 71.35 +15.62
Whig Thomas Wooldridge 55 28.65 −15.62
Majority 82 42.71 +31.26
Turnout 192 N/A N/A
Tory hold Swing +15.62
  • Change is calculated from the previous general election.
  • Resignation of Mayor.
By-Election 21 December 1782: Abingdon
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Nonpartisan Henry Howorth Unopposed N/A N/A
Nonpartisan gain from Tory Swing N/A
  • Resignation of Howorth
By-Election 19 May 1783: Abingdon
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Whig Edward Loveden Loveden Unopposed N/A N/A
Whig gain from Nonpartisan Swing N/A
General Election 20 March 1784: Abingdon
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Whig Edward Loveden Loveden Unopposed N/A N/A
Whig hold Swing N/A
  • incomplete
General Election 1885: Abingdon
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Philip Wroughton 4245 58.71 N/A
Liberal Robert Purvis 2986 41.29 N/A
Majority 1259 17.41 N/A
Turnout 7231 N/A N/A
Conservative gain from Liberal Swing N/A
General Election 1886: Abingdon
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Philip Wroughton 3899 67.07 +8.36
Liberal Edward Colston Keevil 1914 32.93 −8.36
Majority 1985 34.15 +16.74
Turnout 5813 N/A −1418
Conservative hold Swing +8.36
General Election 1892: Abingdon
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Philip Wroughton 3565 52.40 −14.67
Liberal Charles Alfred Pryce 3239 47.60 +14.67
Majority 326 4.79 −29.36
Turnout 6804 N/A +991
Conservative hold Swing -14.67
General Election 1895: Abingdon
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Archie Kirkman Loyd 4064 57.38 +4.98
Liberal Charles Alfred Pryce 3019 42.62 −4.98
Majority 1045 14.75 +9.96
Turnout 7083 N/A +279
Conservative hold Swing +4.98
General Election 1900: Abingdon
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Archie Kirkman Loyd Unopposed N/A N/A
Turnout 8698 N/A +1615
Conservative hold Swing N/A

References

  • Boundaries of Parliamentary Constituencies 1885-1972, compiled and edited by F. W. S. Craig (Political Reference Publications 1972)
  • British Parliamentary Election Results 1832-1885, compiled and edited by F.W.S. Craig (The Macmillan Press 1977)
  • British Parliamentary Election Results 1885-1918, compiled and edited by F.W.S. Craig (The Macmillan Press 1974)
  • British Parliamentary Election Results 1918-1949, compiled and edited by F.W.S. Craig (The Macmillan Press 1977)
  • D Brunton & D H Pennington, Members of the Long Parliament (London: George Allen & Unwin, 1954)
  • Sir Lewis Namier and John Brooke, The House of Commons 1754-1790 (London: HMSO 1964)
  • J E Neale, The Elizabethan House of Commons (London: Jonathan Cape, 1949)
  • Robert H O'Byrne, The Representative History of Great Britain and Ireland, Part II - Berkshire (London: John Ollivier, 1848)
  • T H B Oldfield, The Representative History of Great Britain and Ireland (London: Baldwin, Cradock & Joy, 1816)
  • Henry Pelling, Social Geography of British Elections 1885-1910 (London: Macmillan, 1967)
  • 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)
  • Henry Stooks Smith, The Parliaments of England (1st edition published in three volumes 1844-50; 2nd edition edited in one volume by F.W.S. Craig, Political Reference Publications, 1973)
  • Frederic A Youngs, jr, "Guide to the Local Administrative Units of England, Vol I" (London: Royal Historical Society, 1979)
  • Leigh Rayment's Historical List of MPs

See also

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