Hereford (UK Parliament constituency)


Hereford was, until 2010, a constituency of the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. Since 1918, it had elected one Member of Parliament by the first-past-the-post voting system.
Previously, Hereford had been a parliamentary borough which from 1295 to 1885 had elected two MPs, using the bloc vote system in contested elections. Under the Redistribution of Seats Act 1885 the borough's representation had been reduced to one seat at the 1885 general election, and for the 1918 general election the borough was abolished and replaced with a county division which carried the same name but covered a wider geographical area.

History

Hereford sent two representatives to Parliament from the beginning of the reign of Edward I. Although a county town, the early elections were always held at a different location from those of the shire, the former taking place at the Guildhall, the latter in the castle.
In 1885, representation was reduced to one Member.
Journalist Robin Day stood as the Liberal candidate in the 1959 general election.
From 1931 until 1997, Hereford was held by the Conservative Party, before being taken by Paul Keetch of the Liberal Democrats at the 1997 general election. Keetch served as the Liberal Democrats' spokesman for defence from October 1999 until May 2005, and announced on 17 November 2006 that he would not be standing at the next election.
Following the review by the Boundary Commission for England of parliamentary representation in Herefordshire, taking effect at the 2010 general election, two parliamentary constituencies were allocated to the county. The Hereford seat was abolished and replaced by the Hereford and South Herefordshire seat, while the remainder of the county is covered by the North Herefordshire seat.

Boundaries

1918–1950: The Borough of Hereford, the Urban Districts of Ledbury and Ross-on-Wye, the Rural Districts of Dore, Ross, and Whitchurch, and parts of the Rural Districts of Hereford and Ledbury.
1950–1983: The Borough of Hereford, the Urban District of Ross-on-Wye, the Rural Districts of Dore and Bredwardine, and Ross and Whitchurch, and part of the Rural District of Hereford.
1983–1997: The City of Hereford, and the District of South Herefordshire wards of Backbury, Broad Oak, Dinedor Hill, Doward, Fownhope, Garron, Golden Valley, Gorsley, Gorsty, Harewood End, Hollington, Kingsthorne, Merbach, Olchon, Old Gore, Penyard, Pontrilas, Ross-on-Wye East, Ross-on-Wye West, Stoney Street, Tram Inn, Walford, Whitfield, and Wilton.
1997–2010: The City of Hereford, and the District of South Herefordshire wards of Broad Oak, Clehonger East, Clehonger West, Dinedor Hill, Doward, Fownhope, Garron, Golden Valley, Gorsley, Harewood End, Hollington, Kingsthorne, Merbach, Olchon, Old Gore, Penyard, Pontrilas, Ross-on-Wye East, Ross-on-Wye West, Stoney Street, Tram Inn, Walford, Whitfield, and Wilton.
In its final form, the Hereford constituency contained the city of Hereford and most of South Herefordshire, including Ross-on-Wye, but excluding Ledbury and Much Marcle, both of which were in the Leominster constituency.

Members of Parliament

MPs 1295–1640

ParliamentFirst memberSecond member
Jan. 1377Richard Nash
1378Thomas Whitefield
1379Richard Nash
Jan.1380Richard Nash
1381Richard Nash
Oct. 1383Richard Nash
1386John WychHenry Catchpole I
1388 William JonetThomas Chippenham I
1388 William JonetWilliam Breinton
1390 John WychJames Nash
1390 Henry Catchpole IIJames Nash
1391Thomas BurytonJohn Prophet
1393Thomas BurytonJohn Wych
1394-
1395Hugh WiganWilliam Speed
1397 Hugh WiganJames Nash
1397 Hugh WiganThomas Buryton
1399James NashThomas Buryton
1401Hugh WiganThomas Whitefield
1402Thomas Chippenham IJohn Troney
1404
1404
1406Henry ChippenhamHugh Wigan
1407Hugh WiganRoger...feld
1410
1411
1413
1413 Henry ChippenhamGeorge Breinton
1414 John WiltonRichard Strange
1414 Henry ChippenhamGeorge Breinton
1415-
1416 Henry ChippenhamGeorge Breinton
1416 -
1417John WiltonJohn Orchard
1419Richard StrangeJohn Abrahall
1420Thomas Chippenham IIJohn Falk
1421 William BurytonRichard Strange
1421 Henry ChippenhamNicholas Chippenham
1426Thomas Chippenham-
1429Thomas ChippenhamWilliam Buryton
1431Thomas ChippenhamWilliam Buryton
1432William Buryton
1437William Buryton
1510-
1512Roland BrydgesReginald Mynors
1515Roland BrydgesReginald Mynors
1523?-
1529Richard WarnecombeThomas Havard
1536?-
1539?-
1542Richard WarnecombeThomas Havard
1545?-
1547Thomas HavardWilliam Berkeley, died
and replaced Jan 1552 by John Warnecombe
1553 Hugh Welshe?
1553 Sir John PriceThomas Havard
1554 Thomas HavardThomas Bromwich
1554 William SmothyeLeonard Boldyng
1555Hugh GebonsMorgan Owgan
1558Henry DudestonJohn Gibbs
1558/1559John KerryThomas Church
1562/1563Thomas Webbe, died
and replaced 1566 by John Hyde		Henry Green
1571James WarnecombeThomas Church
1572 James WarnecombeGregory Price
1584Gregory PriceJames Boyle
1586 Gregory PriceThomas Jones
1588Gregory PriceNicholas Garnons
1593Gregory PriceThomas Mallard
1597Gregory PriceAnthony Pembridge
1601Walter HurdmanThomas Jones
1604Walter HurdmanJohn Hoskins
1605Anthony PembruggeJohn Hoskins
1610John WardenJohn Hoskins
1614John HoskinsJohn Warden
1621–1622James RoddRichard Weaver
1624Sir James ClerkeRichard Weaver
1625Sir James ClerkeRichard Weaver
1626Sir James ClerkeRichard Weaver
1628The Viscount ScudamoreJohn Hoskins
1629–1640No Parliaments summonedNo Parliaments summoned

MPs 1640–1885

MPs 1885–2010

Elections

Elections in the 1830s

Elections in the 1840s

Hobhouse resigned by accepting the office of Steward of the Chiltern Hundreds, causing a by-election.
Clive's death caused a by-election.

Elections in the 1850s

Price resigned, causing a by-election.

Elections in the 1860s

The election was declared void on petition, after the Liberal agent was found to have "given breakfast to Liberal electors", and therefore was guilty of treating.

Elections in the 1870s

Clive resigned, causing a by-election.
Pateshall resigned, causing a by-election.

Elections in the 1880s

Elections in the 1890s

Grenfell resigned, causing a by-election.

Elections in the 1900s

Elections in the 1910s

General Election 1914/15:
Another General Election was required to take place before the end of 1915. The political parties had been making preparations for an election to take place and by the July 1914, the following candidates had been selected;

Elections in the 1930s

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;

Elections in the 1960s

Elections in the 1970s

Elections in the 1980s

Elections in the 1990s

Elections in the 2000s