Appleby (UK Parliament constituency)

Appleby
Former County constituency
for the House of Commons
County Westmorland (now Cumbria)
Major settlements Appleby-in-Westmorland
1885–1918
Number of members One
Replaced by Westmorland
Created from Westmorland
1295–1832
Number of members two
Type of constituency Borough constituency
Replaced by Westmorland

Appleby was a parliamentary constituency in the former county of Westmorland in England. It existed for two separate periods: from 1295 to 1832, and from 1885 to 1918.

Appleby was enfranchised as parliamentary borough in 1295, and abolished by the Great Reform Act of 1832. It returned two Members of Parliament (MPs) using the bloc vote system. It was represented in the House of Commons of England until 1707, in the House of Commons of Great Britain from 1707 to 1800, and finally in the House of Commons of the United Kingdom from 1801 to 1832. Its best-known MP was William Pitt the Younger who became Prime Minister in 1783 at the age of 24.

For the 1885 general election the Redistribution of Seats Act created a county constituency of the same name, which returned a single MP elected by the first-past-the-post system. The county constituency was abolished at the 1918 general election.

History

The borough (1295-1832)

The parliamentary borough of Appleby consisted of the town of Appleby, the county town of Westmorland, and was consistently represented in the House of Commons from the Model Parliament of 1295 until the Reform Act.

The right to vote rested with the occupiers of around a hundred burgage tenements. By the 18th century, the majority of the burgages were owned by the Lowther and Tufton families, which enabled them to put in reliable tenants at election time and ensure their complete control of who was elected. The seats were frequently kept for members of those families, but Appleby's other representatives included William Pitt the younger, who was MP for Appleby when he became Prime Minister in 1783 (although he stood down at the following general election when he was instead elected for Cambridge University).

A later member for Appleby was Viscount Howick, subsequently (as Earl Grey) the Prime Minister whose administration passed the Great Reform Act of 1832; but Grey's history as a former MP for the town did not save it from losing both its members under the Act. Appleby was regarded as a classic example of a pocket borough, completely in the control of its owners who were also the major local landowners, and with a population of only 1,233 at the 1831 census unlikely to be freed from their influence even by widening the franchise. Nevertheless, as the only county town to be disfranchised, Appleby was one of the more controversial cases in the debates on the reform bill, the opposition making unsuccessful attempts to amend the bill so as to save at least one of its MPs.

After abolition the borough was absorbed into the Westmorland county constituency.

The county constituency (1885-1918)

The Appleby constituency created for the 1885 election was, in full, "The Appleby or Northern Division of Westmorland", and was sometimes referred to as Westmorland North. It consisted of the whole of the northern half of the county, including the towns of Ambleside, Grasmere and Kirkby Stephen. It was abolished at the 1918 general election, the whole county henceforth being united in a single Westmorland constituency.

Members of Parliament

MPs 1295–1660

This list is incomplete; you can help by expanding it.
ParliamentFirst memberSecond member
1382William Soulby[1]
1385William Soulby[1]
1386Robert Overdo IJohn Overdo [1]
1388 (Feb)William SoulbyAdam Crosby [1]
1388 (Sep)
1390 (Jan)
1390 (Nov)
1391William SoulbyJohn Sowerby [1]
1393
1394
1395Robert GareWilliam Savage [1]
1397 (Jan)John HeltonJohn Sowerby [1]
1397 (Sep)Christopher CurwenThomas Chamberlain [1]
1399Thomas WarcopWilliam Crackenthorpe I [1]
1401
1402Robert GareRobert Overdo II [1]
1404 (Jan)
1404 (Oct)
1406John NinezerghWilliam Crackenthorpe II [1]
1407John SagherJohn Pray [1]
1410
1411John HeltonJohn Sowerby [1]
1413 (Feb)
1413 (May)Robert SandfordThomas Stockdale [1]
1414 (Apr)
1414 (Nov)Robert CrackenthorpeJohn Birkrig [1]
1415Roland ThornburghJohn Birkrig [1]
1416 (Mar)Richard BristoweThomas Ma[nningham] [1]
1416 (Oct)
1417Thomas StockdaleJohn Birkrig [1]
1419Richard WhartonThomas Pety [1]
1420William LowtherNicholas Stanshawe [1]
1421 (May)William ScalbyNicholas Stanshawe [1]
1421 (Dec)John BoothNicholas Stanshawe [1]

1436-1427 Thomas Wharton

1510–1523No names known[2]
1529Sir Richard TempestSir Thomas Wharton [2]
1536?
1539?
1542Cuthbert HorsleyThomas Jolye [2]
1545Thomas JolyeRobert Wheatley [2]
1547Thomas Jolye, died
and replaced Jan 1552 by George Clifford		Robert Wheatley [2]
1553 (Mar)?
1553 (Oct)George CliffordJames Bankes [2]
1554 (Apr)John EltoftesWilliam Danby [2]
1554 (Nov)John EltoftesWilliam Danby [2]
1555?
1558John EltoftesNicholas Purslow [2]
1559 (Jan)John EltoftesChristopher Monckton[3]
1562/3Christopher MoncktonRobert Atkinson [3]
1571John LaytonRichard Wroth [3]
1572 (Apr)George FrevileRobert Bowes [3]
1584 (Nov)George IrelandHenry Macwilliam [3]
1586James RytherRobert Constable [3]
1588Laurence ListerThomas Musgrave
Robert Warcop
Anthony Felton
Election declared void, 11 Feb. 1589
1589Ralph BowesThomas Posthumous Hoby [3]
1593Thomas Posthumous HobyCuthbert Reynolds [3]
1597 (Sep)James ColbrandJohn Lyly [3]
1601 (Oct)John MoriceThomas Caesar [3]
1604John MoriceSir William Bowyer
1614Sir George Savile, juniorSir Henry Wotton
1621Sir Arthur IngramThomas Hughes
1624Sir Arthur IngramThomas Hughes
1625Sir John Hotham sat for Beverley - not replacedThomas Hughes
1626Sir William SlingsbyWilliam Ashton
1628William AshtonRichard Lowther
1629–1640No Parliaments convened
1640 (Apr)Richard BoyleRichard Lowther
1640 (Nov)Sir John Brooke (Royalist) - disabled March 1643Richard Boyle (Royalist) ennobled, September 1642
1645Richard SalwayHenry Ireton
1648Richard SalwayHenry Ireton died November 1651
1653Appleby unrepresented in the Barebones Parliament
1654Appleby unrepresented in the First Parliament of the Protectorate
1656Appleby unrepresented in the Second Parliament of the Protectorate
1659Adam BaynesNathaniel Redding

MPs 1660–1832

YearFirst memberFirst partySecond memberSecond party
1660 Sir Henry Cholmley Christopher Clapham
1661 John Lowther John Dalston
1668 Thomas TuftonTory
1679 Richard Tufton Anthony Lowther
January 1681 Sackville Tufton
February 1681 Sir John Bland
1685 Philip Musgrave
January 1689 Richard Lowther
July 1689 William Cheyne
1690 Hon. Charles Boyle
1694 Sir John Walter
1695 Sir William Twysden Sir Christopher Musgrave
1697 Sir John Walter
1698 Gervase Pierrepont
1701 Wharton Dunch
1702 James Grahme
1705 William Harvey
1708 Nicholas Lechmere Edward Duncombe
1710 Thomas Lutwyche
1713 Sir Richard Sandford, Bt.
1722 Sackville Tufton
1723 by-election [lower-alpha 1] James Lowther
1727 by-election John Ramsden
1730 by-election [lower-alpha 2] Walter Plumer
1741 George Dodington [lower-alpha 3]
1742 by-election [lower-alpha 3] Sir Charles Wyndham, Bt
1747 Randle Wilbraham
1754 [lower-alpha 4] William Lee Philip Honywood
1756 by-election [lower-alpha 4] Fletcher Norton
1761 John Stanwix
1767 by-election [lower-alpha 5] Charles JenkinsonWhig
1773 by-election [lower-alpha 6] Fletcher Norton the younger
1774 George JohnstoneIndependent
1780 William Lowther [lower-alpha 7]Tory
1781 by-election [lower-alpha 7] Hon. William PittIndependent Whig
1784 Hon. John Leveson-Gower Richard Penn
1790 Hon. Robert Jenkinson [lower-alpha 8]Tory Richard FordTory
January 1791 by-election [lower-alpha 8] Hon. William Grimston
May 1791 by-election [lower-alpha 9] Hon. John Rawdon
1796 Hon. John Tufton John Courtenay
1799 by-election [lower-alpha 10] Robert AdairWhig
1802 Sir Philip FrancisWhig
May 1807 Charles GreyWhig James CuthbertWhig
July 1807 by-election [lower-alpha 11] Nicholas Ridley-ColborneWhig
October 1812 James LowtherTory John CourtenayWhig
December 1812 by-election [lower-alpha 12] George TierneyWhig
1818 George FludyerTory Lucius ConcannonWhig
1819 by-election [lower-alpha 13] Adolphus DalrympleTory
March 1820 George Tierney [lower-alpha 14]Whig
May 1820 by-election [lower-alpha 14] Thomas CreeveyWhig
1826 Hon. Henry TuftonWhig James MaitlandTory
May 1832 by-election [lower-alpha 15] Charles BarhamWhig
1832 Constituency abolished by the Great Reform Act

Notes

  1. ↑ The by-election in 1723 was due to the death of Sir Richard Sandford, Bt.
  2. ↑ The by-election in 1730 was due to Tufton succeeding to the peerage as Earl of Thanet
  3. 1 2 In 1741, Dodington was also elected for Bridgwater, which he chose to represent, and never sat for Appleby
  4. 1 2 At the 1754 election, Lee and Honywood defeated Sir John Ramsden and Fletcher Norton, but this election was subsequently declared void and a by-election held in February 1756, at which Norton rather than Lee was elected
  5. ↑ The 1767 by-election was due to the death of Stanwix, who was drowned while returning from Ireland
  6. ↑ The 1773 by-election was due to the resignation of Jenkinson
  7. 1 2 In 1780, Lowther was also elected for Carlisle, which he chose to represent, and never sat for Appleby, causing a by-election in 1781
  8. 1 2 Jenkinson was also elected for Rye, which he chose to represent, and never sat for Appleby
  9. ↑ The May 1791 by-election was caused by the resignation of Richard Ford
  10. ↑ The 1799 by-election was caused by the death of Hon. John Tufton
  11. ↑ The July 1807 by-election was caused by the resignation of Charles Grey to contest a vacancy in Tavistock
  12. ↑ The December 1812 by-election was caused by the resignation of John Courtenay
  13. ↑ The 1819 by-election was caused by the resignation of George Fludyer
  14. 1 2 Tierney was also elected for Knaresborough, which he chose to represent, and never sat for Appleby
  15. ↑ The by-election in May 1832was due to Henry Tufton succeeding to the perage as Earl of Thanet

MPs 1885–1918

YearMemberParty
1885Hon. William LowtherConservative
1892Sir Joseph SavoryConservative
1900Richard RiggLiberal
1905Leif JonesLiberal
1910Lancelot SandersonConservative
1915Cecil LowtherConservative
1918 constituency abolished

Election results 1885-1918

Elections in the 1880s

General Election 1885: Appleby [4][5][6]
Party Candidate Votes % ±
Conservative William Lowther 2,694 50.1 N/A
Liberal James Whitehead 2,684 49.9 N/A
Majority 10 0.2 N/A
Turnout 5,378 89.3 N/A
Registered electors 6,022
Conservative win (new seat)
General Election 1886: Appleby [4][5]
Party Candidate Votes % ±
Conservative William Lowther 2,748 51.8 +1.7
Liberal James Whitehead 2,562 48.2 −1.7
Majority 186 3.6 +3.4
Turnout 5,310 88.2 −1.1
Registered electors 6,022
Conservative hold Swing +1.7

Elections in the 1890s

General Election 1892: Appleby [4][5]
Party Candidate Votes % ±
Conservative Joseph Savory 2,963 56.8 +5.0
Liberal Alfred Charles Tufton 2,256 43.2 −5.0
Majority 707 13.6 +10.0
Turnout 5,219 80.5 −7.7
Registered electors 6,481
Conservative hold Swing +5.0
General Election 1895: Appleby [4][5][7]
Party Candidate Votes % ±
Conservative Joseph Savory 2,950 58.7 +1.9
Liberal Theodore Wilfrid Fry 2,077 41.3 −1.9
Majority 873 17.4 +3.8
Turnout 5,027 79.6 −0.9
Registered electors 6,316
Conservative hold Swing +1.9

Elections in the 1900s

Rigg
General Election 1900: Appleby [4][5][7][8]
Party Candidate Votes % ±
Liberal Richard Rigg 2,835 55.7 +14.4
Conservative Joseph Savory 2,256 44.3 −14.4
Majority 579 11.4 N/A
Turnout 5,091 75.5 −4.1
Registered electors 6,744
Liberal gain from Conservative Swing +14.4
Jones
Appleby by-election, 1905[8]
Party Candidate Votes % ±
Liberal Leif Jones 2,922 52.0 −3.7
Conservative George Noble 2,702 48.0 +3.7
Majority 220 4.0 −7.4
Turnout 5,624 84.3 +8.8
Registered electors 6,670
Liberal hold Swing −3.7
General Election 1906: Appleby [4][5][8]
Party Candidate Votes % ±
Liberal Leif Jones 2,890 50.1 −5.6
Conservative Henry Petty-Fitzmaurice 2,882 49.9 +5.6
Majority 8 0.2 −11.2
Turnout 5,785 88.4 +8.9
Registered electors 6,528
Liberal hold Swing −5.6
  • Figures are those following a recount

Elections in the 1910s

Sanderson
General Election January 1910: Appleby [4][9]
Party Candidate Votes % ±
Conservative Lancelot Sanderson 3,335 53.8 +3.9
Liberal Leif Jones 2,868 46.2 −3.9
Majority 467 7.6 N/A
Turnout 6,203 93.2 +4.8
Registered electors 6,656
Conservative gain from Liberal Swing +3.9
Wilson
General Election December 1910: Appleby [4][10]
Party Candidate Votes % ±
Conservative Lancelot Sanderson 3,258 54.9 +1.1
Liberal Philip Wilson 2,679 45.1 −1.1
Majority 579 9.8 +2.2
Turnout 5,937 89.2 -4.0
Registered electors 6,656
Conservative hold Swing +1.1

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;

Appleby by-election, 1915 [4][11]
Party Candidate Votes % ±
Unionist Henry Lowther Unopposed
Unionist hold

Elections in the 18th century

Election results taken from the History of Parliament Trust series.

General Election 1715: Appleby (2 seats)
Party Candidate Votes % ±
Non Partisan Thomas Lutwyche Unopposed N/A N/A
Non Partisan Richard Sandford Unopposed N/A N/A
General Election 1722: Appleby (2 seats)
Party Candidate Votes % ±
Non Partisan Sackville Tufton Unopposed N/A N/A
Non Partisan Richard Sandford Unopposed N/A N/A
  • Death of Sandford
By-Election 2 May 1723: Appleby
Party Candidate Votes % ±
Non Partisan James Lowther 99 53.80 N/A
Non Partisan Trevor Hill 85 46.20 N/A
General Election 1727: Appleby (2 seats)
Party Candidate Votes % ±
Non Partisan Sackville Tufton Unopposed N/A N/A
Non Partisan John Ramsden Unopposed N/A N/A
By-Election 24 January 1730: Appleby
Party Candidate Votes % ±
Non Partisan Walter Plumer Unopposed N/A N/A
General Election 1734: Appleby (2 seats)
Party Candidate Votes % ±
Non Partisan Walter Plumer Unopposed N/A N/A
Non Partisan John Ramsden Unopposed N/A N/A
General Election 1741: Appleby (2 seats)
Party Candidate Votes % ±
Non Partisan George Dodington Unopposed N/A N/A
Non Partisan John Ramsden Unopposed N/A N/A
By-Election 1 January 1742: Appleby
Party Candidate Votes % ±
Non Partisan Charles Wyndham Unopposed N/A N/A
General Election 1747: Appleby (2 seats)
Party Candidate Votes % ±
Non Partisan Randle Wilbraham Unopposed N/A N/A
Non Partisan John Ramsden Unopposed N/A N/A

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 "History of Parliament". Retrieved 2011-10-06.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 "History of Parliament". Retrieved 2011-10-06.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 "History of Parliament". Retrieved 2011-10-06.
  4. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 British Parliamentary Election Results 1885-1918, FWS Craig
  5. 1 2 3 4 5 6 The Liberal Year Book, 1907
  6. ↑ Debrett's House of Commons & Judicial Bench, 1886
  7. 1 2 Debrett's House of Commons & Judicial Bench, 1901
  8. 1 2 3 Liberal Year Book 1908
  9. ↑ Debrett's House of Commons & Judicial Bench, 1916
  10. ↑ Debrett's House of Commons & Judicial Bench, 1916
  11. ↑ Debrett's House of Commons & Judicial Bench, 1916
  • Michael Brock, The Great Reform Act (London: Hutchinson, 1973)
  • D Brunton & D H Pennington, “Members of the Long Parliament” (London: George Allen & Unwin, 1954)
  • Maija Jansson (ed.), Proceedings in Parliament, 1614 (House of Commons) (Philadelphia: American Philosophical Society, 1988)
  • J Holladay Philbin, "Parliamentary Representation 1832 - England and Wales" (New Haven: Yale University Press, 1965)
  • Leigh Rayment's Historical List of MPs – Constituencies beginning with "A" (part 2)
Parliament of the United Kingdom
Vacant
since 1782
Title last held by
Banbury		 Constituency represented by the Prime Minister
1783–1784		 Succeeded by
Cambridge University

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