Wallingford (UK Parliament constituency)


Wallingford was a constituency in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom.
It was a parliamentary borough created in 1295, centred on the market town Wallingford in Berkshire. It used to return two Members of Parliament to the House of Commons; this was cut to one in 1832, and the constituency was abolished in 1885. The town of Wallingford is now within the constituency of Wantage.

History

Before 1832 the borough consisted only of the town of Wallingford, which by the 19th century was divided into four parishes. The franchise was limited to inhabitants paying scot and lot, a local tax. Namier and Brooke estimated that the number of electors in the mid-18th century was about 200; but the number fluctuated considerably with the fortunes of the town, which had no manufacturing interests and considerable unemployment at some periods. There were never enough voters to avoid the risk of corruption, and systematic bribery generally prevailed, with anything up to 150 votes being bought and sold at any one election. By the 19th century Wallingford was regarded as one of the worst of the rotten boroughs, and Oldfield recorded in 1816 that the price of a vote was 40 guineas.
The 1831 census found the borough had a population of about 2,500, and 485 houses. Under the Reform Act 1832, the constituency was allowed to survive and to keep one of its two MPs, but the boundaries were considerably extended, taking in the Wallingford Castle precincts, which had previously been excluded, and all or part of a dozen neighbouring parishes including Benson and Crowmarsh, and part of Cholsey. This change of boundaries almost trebled the population, but the effect on the electorate was much smaller. According to the reports on which the Reform Act was based, Wallingford had about 300 men qualified to vote in 1831. Yet despite the widening of the right to vote, which preserved the ancient right voters of the borough while adding new electors on an occupation franchise, there were only 453 names on the 1832 electoral register for the extended borough.
In 1868 the franchise was further extended and there were 942 registered electors, but the constituency was much too small to survive the Third Reform Act, and was abolished with effect from the general election of 1885. The constituency was mostly included in the new Berkshire North or Abingdon county constituency, but Benson and the other parts of the extended borough on the Oxfordshire side of the Thames were placed in the Oxfordshire South or Henley division of that county.

Members of Parliament

1295–1640

ParliamentFirst memberSecond member
1302Osbert de NoteleWilliam Clericus
1304Nicholas de la BarreWilliam Mareschal
1306Nicholas de la BarreRichard de Cippenham
1306John MariotOsbert de Notele
1307Nicholas de la BarreJohn Mariot
1309Thomas de MortonThomas Bene
1311Nicholas de la BarreOsbert de Notele
1311Nicholas de la BarreOsbert de Notele
1312Nicholas de la BarreRichard de Cippenham
1313Nicholas de la BarreWilliam Butty
1314Walter at RussheWilliam Butty
1314/5Osbert de NoteleThomas Bone
1318Thomas GarstonThomas Bone
1327John OsbernRichard Grotard
1320Thomas BoneThomas Bortorat
1321Nicholas de la BarreJohn Osbern
1322Reginald de BradebournAlexander le Vacher
1322Thomas at GastonAlexander le Vacher
1323Osbert de NoteleReginald de Bradebourn
1325Robert ButtyRichard Reswald
1327John OsbernRoger de Saucer
1328Thomas BoneJohn Osbern
1328John OsbernJohn Breton
1329John MariotWilliam Arnyot
1330John MariotRobert Butty
1331John MariotRobert Butty
1331Thomas BoneWilliam de Dene
1333John MariotJohn de Preston
1335William de CornwallPhilip Preston
1335William de CornwallThomas Bone
1336William de CornwallEdmund Bonham
1336William de CornwallThomas Bone
1337John MariotWilliam de Cornwall
1337John MariotWilliam de Cornwall
1338William le GoldsmithJohn Berewyk
1338John MariotWilliam Arnyat
1339John StacyThomas Batheshall
1339Robert ButtyWilliam le Goldsmith
1341John MariotRobert Butty
1344Roger TylewyneJohn Berewyk
1347John atte RuyssheJohn at Barston
1348Philip de PrestonWilliam le Goldsmith
1350/1William HarewellThomas Reynald
1355John LouchJohn Brightwalton
1357/8Robert BerotJohn Heronn
1360John LouchJohn Andrew
1360Nicholas PayableRoger Preston
1362William HarewellHenry Redyng
1363William HarewellAlexander Absolan
1364John JamesRoger Preston
1366John JamesNicholas Payable
1368Nicholas Tanner
1369John JamesNicholas Tanner
1370John JamesRichard Attefelde
1371John JamesRichard Attefelde
1372Richard AttefeldeRoger Melbourne
1373Thomas GroveRoger Arnyate
1375John JamesRichard Attefelde
1376Thomas BeneshefHenry de Bedyng
1377Thomas ReynaldRichard Attefelde
1378Roger Arnyate-
1379/80Roger MelbourneWalter Hervy
1381Roger Melbourne-
1383Thomas GroveRobert Oxenford
1383Roger MelbourneJohn Kerre
1383Roger ArnyateJohn Kerre
1384Thomas GroveJohn Lyttel
1384Thomas GroveWalter Harby
1385Thomas BeneshefRobert Oxenford
1386Thomas BeneshefJohn Derby
1387Thomas BeneshefRoger Melbourne
1388Richard de BruggeJohn Bernard
1389John CotterellRoger Melbourne
1391Richard HovelockWilliam Hende
1392John CotterellWilliam Cary
1393John CotterellJohn Derby
1394John CotterellJohn Derby
1396John CotterellRobert Oxenford
1397John CotterellWalter Colete
1399Walter HervyJohn Culham
1405/6William EssexWalter Hyndon
1407John CulhamWilliam Clowd
1409/10John CotterellWilliam Cotterell
1413Thomas RaveningLewis John
1413/4Robert DeffonteRobert Carswell
1419John DenbyRichard Algate
1420John CotterellRichard Algate
1421John CotterellJohn Mercham
1421John WarfeldWilliam Bodyngton
1422John WarfeldLaurence Haweman
1423Laurence HawemanHenry Payne
1429John MerchamThomas Jones
1425/6Laurence HawemanJohn Denby
1427John WarfeldWilliam Borde
1429John WarfeldLaurence Haweman
1430/1John WarfeldThomas Ramsey
1432John WarfeldWilliam Bodyngton
1433John WarfeldWilliam Bodyngton
1435John WarfeldWilliam Borde
1436/7John WarfeldWilliam Borde
1441/2John BruggewaterJohn Stoke
1446John StokeRobert Dalby
1448Thomas CarlyllHenry Herleton
1449Robert HoptonThomas Browne
1450Henry SpencerRichard Bulstrode
1452/3Thomas PrestonJohn Burgh
1459Richard HoughtonHenry Spencer
1460William BedestonJohn Bydon
1467John ColynggruggeRobert Hopton
1472Thomas RoosThomas Ashynden
1477/8Thomas WodeThomas Vynsent
1529Edward ChamberlainGodelacius Overton
1536Thomas Denton-
1547Sir Thomas ParryHenry Hontley
1552-3Sir Thomas ParryGeorge Wright
1553George WrightEdmund Plowden
1554Edmund AshfieldAnthony Butler
1554Edmund AshfieldRobert Cockson
1555Sir Thomas ParryThomas Mynde
1557Thomas MyndeRadulphus Pollyngton
1558-9Thomas MyndeJohn Fortesque
1563William DunchThomas Browne
1571Sir Edmund DunchThomas Dudley
1572Thomas DiggesJohn Fortesque
1584Christopher EdmondsRichard Knollys
1586Richard KnollysThomas Stampe
1588/9Michael MolynsThomas Stampe
1592/3Thomas FortescueAnthony Bacon
1597Thomas FortescueOwen Oglethorpe
1601
sat for Glamorgan
and replaced by
Thomas Fortescue		Henry Doyley
1604Sir William DunchGriffith Payne
1614Sir Carew ReynellSir George Simeon
1621–1622Sir George SimeonSamuel Dunch
1624
sat for Calne, Wiltshire
and replaced by
Sir Anthony Forrest		Sir George Simeon
1625Sir Anthony ForrestMichael Molyns
1625Sir Anthony ForrestUnton Croke
1628–1629Sir Robert KnollysEdmund Dunch
1629–1640No parliaments summonedNo parliaments summoned

1640–1832

Electoral system: The bloc vote electoral system was used in two seat elections and first past the post for single member elections. Each voter had up to as many votes as there were seats to be filled. Votes had to be cast by a spoken declaration, in public, at the hustings.
Percentage change calculations: Where there was only one candidate of a party in successive elections, for the same number of seats, change is calculated on the party percentage vote. Where there was more than one candidate, in one or both successive elections for the same number of seats, then change is calculated on the individual percentage vote.
Sources : Namier and Brooke; Stooks Smith; Craig. Where Stooks Smith gives additional information or differs from the other sources this is indicated in a note after the result.
Swing: Positive swing is from Whig/Liberal to Tory/Conservative. Negative swing is from Tory/Conservative to Whig/Liberal.
1750-1760s – 1770-1780s –
1790s – 1800s – 1810s – 1820s – 1830s – 1840s – 1850s – 1860s – 1870s – [|1880s]

Elections in the 1750s and 1760s

Elections in the 1820s

Elections in the 1850s

Elections in the 1860s

Elections in the 1870s

Notes:-