Denbighshire (UK Parliament constituency)

Former County constituency
for the House of Commons
Preserved county Denbighshire
1542–1885
Number of members 1542–1832: One;
1832–1885: Two
Replaced by East Denbighshire
West Denbighshire

Denbighshire was a county constituency in Denbighshire, in north Wales, from 1542 to 1885.

History

From 1542, it returned one Member of Parliament (MP), traditionally known as the knight of the shire, to the House of Commons of the Parliament of England until 1707, then to the Parliament of Great Britain until 1800, and to the Parliament of the United Kingdom from 1801. These MPs were elected by the first past the post voting system.

Under the Reform Act 1832, the constituency's representation was increased to two members, elected by the bloc vote system.

The constituency was abolished by the Redistribution of Seats Act 1885 for the 1885 general election, when Denbighshire was split into two single-member constituencies: the Eastern and Western divisions, each returning one Member of Parliament.

Members of Parliament

MPs 1542–1604

ParliamentFirst member
1542John Salusbury the elder [1]
1545John Salusbury the younger [1]
1547Sir John Salusbury the younger [1]
1553 (Mar)Robert Puleston [1]
1553 (Oct)Sir John Salusbury the younger [1]
1554 (Apr)Sir John Salusbury the younger [1]
1554 (Nov)Sir John Salusbury the younger [1]
1555Edward Almer [1]
1558Sir John Salusbury the younger [1]
1558–1559John Salusbury the younger [1]
1562–1563Simon Thelwall [1]
1571Robert Puleston [1]
1572William Almer [1]
1584Evan Lloyd [1]
1586Robert Salesbury [1]
1588–1589John Edwards / William Almer [1]
1593Roger Puleston [1]
1597John Lloyd [1]
1601Sir John Salusbury [1]

MPs 1604–1832

YearMemberParty
1604 Peter Mutton
1614 Simon Thelwall
1621 Sir John Trevor
1624 Sir Eubulus Thelwall
1625 Thomas Myddelton
1626 Sir Eubulus Thelwall
1628 Sir Eubulus Thelwall
1629–1640 No Parliaments convened
April 1640 Sir Thomas Salusbury, 2nd Baronet
November 1640 Sir Thomas Myddelton
YearFirst MemberSecond Member
1653 Not represented in Barebones Parliament
Two members in first and second protectorate parliaments
1654 Simon Thelwell John Carter
1656 John Carter John Jones
Lumley Thelwell
YearMemberParty
1659 John Carter
1659 Not represented
1660 Sir Thomas Myddelton
1661 Sir Thomas Myddelton, 1st Baronet
1664 John Wynne
1679 Sir Thomas Myddelton, 2nd Baronet
1681 Sir John Trevor Tory
1685 Sir Richard Myddelton, 3rd Baronet Tory
1716 Sir Watkin Williams-Wynn, 3rd Baronet Tory
1727 Sir Watkin Williams-Wynn, 3rd Baronet Tory
1741 John Myddelton
1742 Sir Watkin Williams-Wynn, 3rd Baronet Tory
1749 Sir Lynch Cotton, 4th Baronet
1774 Sir Watkin Williams-Wynn, 4th Baronet
1789 Robert Watkin Wynne
1796 Sir Watkin Williams-Wynn, 5th Baronet
1832 Great Reform Act: representation increased to two members

MPs 1832–1885

Election1st Member1st Party2nd Member2nd Party
1832 Sir Watkin Williams-Wynn, 5th Baronet Tory[2] Robert Myddleton-Biddulph Whig[2][3][4]
1834 Conservative[2]
1835 William Bagot Conservative[2]
1840 Hugh Cholmondeley Conservative[2]
1841 Sir Watkin Williams-Wynn, 6th Baronet Conservative[2]
1852 Robert Myddleton-Biddulph Whig[2][3][4]
1859 Liberal
1868 George Osborne Morgan Liberal
May 1885 Sir Herbert Williams-Wynn, 7th Baronet Conservative
Nov. 1885 Redistribution of Seats Act: constituency abolished: see East Denbighshire and West Denbighshire

Election results

Elections in the 1850s

General Election 1852: Denbighshire[5]
Party Candidate Votes % ±
Conservative Watkin Williams-Wynn 2,135 40.5
Whig Robert Myddleton Biddulph 1,611 30.5
Conservative William Bagot 1,532 29.0
Turnout 2,639 (est) 67.6 (est)
Registered electors 3,901
Majority 524 9.9
Conservative hold Swing
Majority 79 1.5 N/A
Whig gain from Conservative Swing
General Election 1857: Denbighshire[5]
Party Candidate Votes % ±
Whig Robert Myddleton Biddulph Unopposed
Conservative Watkin Williams-Wynn Unopposed
Registered electors 4,506
Whig hold
Conservative hold
General Election 1859: Denbighshire[5]
Party Candidate Votes % ±
Liberal Robert Myddleton Biddulph Unopposed
Conservative Watkin Williams-Wynn Unopposed
Registered electors 4,508
Liberal hold
Conservative hold

Elections in the 1860s

General Election 1865: Denbighshire[5]
Party Candidate Votes % ±
Liberal Robert Myddleton Biddulph Unopposed
Conservative Watkin Williams-Wynn Unopposed
Registered electors 5,333
Liberal hold
Conservative hold
General Election 1868: Denbighshire[5]
Party Candidate Votes % ±
Conservative Watkin Williams-Wynn 3,355 39.5 N/A
Liberal George Osborne Morgan 2,720 32.0 N/A
Liberal Robert Myddleton Biddulph 2,412 28.4 N/A
Majority 635 7.5 N/A
Turnout 5,921 (est) 77.7 (est) N/A
Registered electors 7,623
Conservative hold
Liberal hold

Elections in the 1870s

General Election 1874: Denbighshire[5]
Party Candidate Votes % ±
Liberal George Osborne Morgan Unopposed
Conservative Watkin Williams-Wynn Unopposed
Registered electors 7,323
Liberal hold
Conservative hold

Elections in the 1880s

General Election 1880: Denbighshire[5]
Party Candidate Votes % ±
Liberal George Osborne Morgan Unopposed
Conservative Watkin Williams-Wynn Unopposed
Registered electors 7,469
Liberal hold
Conservative hold

Morgan was appointed Judge Advocate General of the Armed Forces, requiring a by-election.

By-election, 14 May 1880: Denbighshire[5]
Party Candidate Votes % ±
Liberal George Osborne Morgan Unopposed
Liberal hold

Wynn's death caused a by-election.

By-election, 27 May 1885: Denbighshire[5]
Party Candidate Votes % ±
Conservative Herbert Williams-Wynn Unopposed
Conservative hold

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 "History of Parliament". The History of Parliament Trust 1964–2011. Retrieved 2011-08-29.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Stooks Smith, Henry (1845). The Parliaments of England, from 1st George I., to the Present Time. Vol II: Oxfordshire to Wales Inclusive. London: Simpkin, Marshall, & Co. p. 187–188. Retrieved 29 August 2018 – via Google Books.
  3. 1 2 Davies, John (2007). A History of Wales. Penguin UK. p. 426. ISBN 9780141926339. Retrieved 29 August 2018 – via Google Books.
  4. 1 2 "The General Election". The Spectator. 7 August 1847. p. 2. Retrieved 29 August 2018.
  5. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 Craig, F. W. S., ed. (1977). British Parliamentary Election Results 1832-1885 (e-book)|format= requires |url= (help) (1st ed.). London: Macmillan Press. pp. 523–524. ISBN 978-1-349-02349-3.

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