Constituencies and Contested Elections

The House of Commons during the period 1715-54 had 558 Members, elected by 314 constituencies, as follows:

England, 489 Members, 245 constituencies:

40 counties, returning 2 Members each;

196 boroughs, returning 2 Members each;

2 boroughs (London and the combined constituency of Weymouth and Melcombe Regis), returning 4 Members each;

5 boroughs (Abingdon, Banbury, Bewdley, Higham Ferrers, and Monmouth), returning 1 Member each;

2 universities, returning 2 Members each.

Wales, 24 Members, 24 constituencies:

12 counties, returning 1 Member each;

12 boroughs, returning 1 Member each.

Scotland, 45 Members, 45 constituencies:

27 counties, returning 1 Member each;

3 pairs of counties, 1 county in each pair alternating with the other in returning 1 Member;

1 burgh (Edinburgh), returning 1 Member;

14 groups of burghs, each returning 1 Member.

The following tables list the constituencies and show by an X when elections were contested. Contested by-elections are entered by date in the last column. By a contested election is meant one in which the candidates stood a poll. The tables also indicate the size of the electorate, borough electorates being shown as L (large, an electorate of 1,000 or more), M (medium, at least 500 but below 1,000), or S (small, below 500), and the borough franchise by B (burgage holders), C (the corporation), FH (freeholders), FM (freemen, and variations of the freeman franchise), H (inhabitant householders), SL (those paying scot and lot).

The borough franchise shown in these tables differs in six constituencies from that given in Namier Brooke, i. appendix I, viz. Callington H for SL; Castle Rising B for FM; Malton FM for B; Newton B for C; Preston FM for H; Yarmouth FM for C.

Constituencies and Contested Elections: English Counties and Boroughs

Constituencies and Contested Elections: Welsh Counties

Constituencies and Contested Elections: Welsh Boroughs

Constituencies and Contested Elections: Scottish Counties

Constituencies and Contested Elections: Scottish Burghs

Ref Volumes: 1715-1754

Author: Romney R. Sedgwick

End Notes

• 1. S in 1715 and 1722, M in 1747.
• 2. Reduced from L to S in 1723.
• 3. Reduced fromL to S in 1744.
• 4. Reduced from L to M in 1728.
• 5. Reduced from M to S in 1728.
• 6. Of Buteshire and Caithness one county was not represented in every Parliament.
• 7. Of Clackmannanshire and Kinross-shire one county was not represented in every Parliament.
• 8. Of Nairnshire and Cromartyshire one county was not represented in every Parliament.
• 9. See Namier & Brooke, i. 43-44.