Appendix D4: Members who sat for more than one borough

Published in The History of Parliament: the House of Commons 1386-1421, ed. J.S. Roskell, L. Clark, C. Rawcliffe., 1993
Available from Boydell and Brewer

Members who sat for more than one borough

During the period under review the majority of parliamentary burgesses were returned by only one borough: their home town. However, 116 of our Members were selected at different times in their careers to represent other places as well. For the most part they were selected by another borough in the same county, although 21 were chosen by towns in different shires, and in six instances the places were very far removed from each other. The majority of the boroughs concerned in this survey were situated in the West Country: as many as 35 of the group of 116 were elected by towns in Cornwall, 21 in Devon and 19 in Dorset, while after 1399 the boroughs of Wiltshire (with 14 examples recorded) became increasingly more likely to return non-residents. Certain individuals secured election by several boroughs: Thomas Raymond represented five Devonshire towns all told; John Syreston and Robert Treage five each in Cornwall, and John Giles five in Wiltshire. It is likely that most, if not all, of the 116 would have failed to meet the legal requirements regarding residence as set out by the statute introduced by the Parliament of 1413 (May), and evidently in some areas the new legislation made little difference to customary practice. Those individuals (numbering 44 of the total) who switched constituencies after this legislation came into force, have been marked* in the list below. Of course, a few of the Members may have genuinely moved their places of residence as their personal circumstances changed, and taken the trouble to gain official acceptance as freemen of the towns which then elected them to Parliament, but it is unlikely that the men of law among them, such as Nicholas Aysshton, John Cork, John Ford II, John Fortescue, John Giles, Robert Hillary, John Lawhire, Robert Long, John Ludwell, Thomas Russell II, Walter Tracy, and John Treffridowe, ever did so. In the furtherance of their professional careers such individuals were always ready to offer their services (probably at a reduced rate) to the smaller, less wealthy towns situated at some distance from Westminster.

MEMBERS WHO SAT FOR MORE THAN ONE BOROUGH

Allet, RichardBodmin, LauncestonCornw.
* Alysaundre, JohnMelcombe Regis, Lyme RegisDorset
Aston, John IIGt. Torrington, Dartmouth, BarnstapleDevon (3)
* Aysshton, NicholasLiskeard, Helston, LauncestonCornw. (3)
* Bailey, JohnCalne, CrickladeWilts.
Bant, StephenLiskeard, Bodmin, LostwithielCornw. (3)
Beare, EllisBarnstaple, Plympton Erle, TotnesDevon (3)
Bloyowe, WalterBodmin, Liskeard, TruroCornw. (3)
Bodilly, JohnLaunceston, Helston, LiskeardCornw. (3)
Bodrugan, William IHelston, LauncestonCornw.
* Borde, WilliamTaunton, WallingfordSom./Berks.
Bosom, John IDartmouth, TotnesDevon
Brasuter, JohnDartmouth, TotnesDevon
Bremeler, HenryDartmouth, TotnesDevon
* Brereton, WilliamMidhurst, ?ChichesterSuss.
Breton, John IBodmin, LostwithielCornw.
* Brice, John IIWeymouth, Melcombe RegisDorset
Burgrove, RobertRye, HastingsCinque Ports
Burlestone, WilliamTotnes, Plympton Erle, DartmouthDevon (3)
* But, JohnBarnstaple, Bodmin, Liskeard, TruroDevon/Cornw. (3)
Calche, RobertWareham, Melcombe RegisDorset
Chamberlain, WilliamTruro, SouthamptonCornw./Hants
Cheverell, JohnWareham, DorchesterDorset
Clerk, William IWeymouth, Melcombe RegisDorset
Clink, JohnLiskeard, Lostwithiel, HelstonCornw. (3)
Cobbley, RobertBarnstaple, ExeterDevon
Cokeworthy, John ILiskeard, Launceston, LostwithielCornw. (3)
Colet, WalterWallingford, OxfordBerks./Oxon.
* Cork, JohnHelston, Liskeard, BodminCornw. (3)
* Cricklade, ThomasCricklade, CalneWilts.
* Cullyford, EdwardLyme Regis, BridgwaterDorset/Som.
Darcy, RobertNewcastle-upon-Tyne, MaldonNorthumb./Essex
* Edgeley, AdamStafford, HerefordStaffs./Herefs.
* Everard, John IIGt. Bedwyn, Old SarumWilts.
Fastolf, HughGt. Yarmouth, LondonNorf./London
* Fenningham, WilliamEast Grinstead, ?Midhurst, ?ArundelSuss. (3)
* Ford, John IIMelcombe Regis, Dorchester, ShaftesburyDorset (3)
* Fortescue, JohnTavistock, Totnes, Plympton ErleDevon (3)
Foxley, JohnDartmouth, BarnstapleDevon
Frye, Robert IIWilton, ShaftesburyWilts./Dorset
* Gerard, WilliamWareham, Melcombe RegisDorset
* Giles, JohnOld Sarum, Marlborough, Calne, Wilton, DevizesWilts. (5)
Golde, RichardExeter, Plympton ErleDevon
Goldyve, MatthewRye, WinchelseaCinque Ports
Goly, JohnHelston, Liskeard, LauncestonCornw. (3)
Grey, John IExeter, Barnstaple, TotnesDevon (3)
Hadley, PeterExeter, Plympton Erle, TavistockDevon (3)
Hamely, (Sir) JohnLiskeard, Lostwithiel, Truro, Launceston, Helston, BodminCornw. (6)
* Harleston, JohnWilton, Old SarumWilts. (2)
Haseley, ThomasLyme Regis, BarnstapleDorset/Devon
Helton, JohnAppleby, CarlisleWestmld./Cumb.
* Hillary, RobertWeymouth, Bridport, DorchesterDorset (3)
Hurston, RichardAshburton, Plympton ErleDevon
* Hussey, Thomas IIGt. Bedwyn, Old Sarum, Melcombe RegisWilts. (2)/Dorset
* Jacob, MartinBridgwater, TauntonSom. (2)
John, LewisTaunton, WallingfordSom./Berks.
* Julkin, JohnTavistock, Plympton ErleDevon
* Lawhire, JohnTruro, Bodmin, LostwithielCornw. (3)
Lond, ThomasMelcombe Regis, Lyme RegisDorset
* Long, RobertOld Sarum, Calne, SalisburyWilts. (3)
Lowys, SimonLiskeard, LostwithielCornw.
* Ludwell, JohnOld Sarum, Chippenham, CrickladeWilts. (3)
Lunceford, SimonRye, New RomneyCinque Ports
Lynde, Hugh de laBath, ChippenhamSom./Wilts.
* Manningham, Thomas?Appleby, CarlisleWestmld./Cumb.
Mason, JohnLewes, East GrinsteadSuss.
* Mayne, Richard IIBridgwater, WellsSom.
* Motty, PhilipLiskeard, BodminCornw.
Newman, RobertMalmesbury, CrickladeWilts.
Nicoll, JohnBodmin, HelstonCornw.
Norris, Thomas IIBarnstaple, Totnes, Plympton ErleDevon (3)
Palmer, John IBridgwater, Bath, WellsSom. (3)
Pasford, JohnDartmouth, TotnesDevon
Pengersick, JohnHelston, LauncestonCornw.
Penne, RobertWeymouth, Melcombe RegisDorset
* Pety, ThomasAppleby, CarlisleWestmld./Cumb.
Polruddon, PascoeLostwithiel, TruroCornw.
Prescott, JohnExeter, TotnesDevon
Rauf, Henry?Wareham, BridportDorset
Raymond, ThomasBarnstaple, Tavistock, Dartmouth, Plympton Erle, ExeterDevon (5)
* Reson, WalterMelcombe Regis, WarehamDorset
Respryn, RichardLostwithiel, TruroCornw.
* Richard, WilliamHelston, TruroCornw.
* Russell, Thomas IIChichester, Midhurst, East GrinsteadSuss. (3)
Salerne, John IRye, HastingsCinque Ports
Salerne, John IINew Romney, WinchelseaCinque Ports
Salman, RobertMalmesbury, CalneWilts.
Sambourn, Nicholas IIChippenham, MalmesburyWilts.
* Shelley, JohnRye, SandwichCinque Ports
Sherare, JohnChichester, LewesSuss.
Sowerby, JohnAppleby, CarlisleWestmld./Cumb.
Stanford, HughBridgnorth, Newcastle-under-LymeSalop/Staffs.
* Studley, WalterCalne, MalmesburyWilts.
Syreston, JohnLiskeard, Truro, Lostwithiel, Bodmin, LauncestonCornw. (5)
* Tamworth, JohnWinchelsea, HastingsCinque Ports
* Tracy, WalterDorchester, Bridport, Melcombe RegisDorset (3)
* Treage, RobertBodmin, Helston, Liskeard, Lostwithiel, TruroCornw. (5)
* Treffridowe, JohnLiskeard, Helston, LauncestonCornw. (3)
Tregoose, JohnHelston, Truro, Bodmin, LiskeardCornw. (4)
* Trelawny, John IIILiskeard, LostwithielCornw.
Trenerth, RobertTruro, LiskeardCornw.
Trenewith, NicholasBodmin, TruroCornw.
Trereise, JohnHelston, TruroCornw.
* Trethake, William IIHelston, TruroCornw.
* Trewint, JohnTruro, Lostwithiel, LiskeardCornw. (3)
* Trewoofe, JohnLiskeard, BodminCornw.
* Urban, DavidBodmin, HelstonCornw.
Urban, JohnHelston, TruroCornw.
* Urry, WalterHorsham, ReigateSuss./Surr.
Veel, RobertMelcombe Regis, DorchesterDorset
Vincent, JohnMidhurst, ChichesterSuss.
Walsingham, ThomasWareham, Lyme RegisDorset
Weston, JohnWarwick, WorcesterWarws./Worcs.
Whitelegh, RichardTotnes, DartmouthDevon
Wigan, HughShrewsbury, HerefordSalop/Herefs.
Wonston, AlfredTotnes, Barnstaple, TavistockDevon (3)
Breakdown of the above by county:
Berks. 3Northumb. 1
Cinque Ports 7Oxon. 1
Cornw. 35Salop 2
Cumb. 4Som. 7
Devon 21Staffs. 2
Dorset 19Surr. 1
Essex 1Suss. 6
Hants 1Warws. 1
Herefs. 1Westmld. 4
London 1Wilts. 14
Norf. 1Worcs. 1

Ref Volumes: 1386-1421

Author: J. S. Roskell

End Notes