List of Speakers of the British House of Commons

This is a list of Speakers of the House of Commons of Great Britain from 1707 to 1800 and the House of Commons of the United Kingdom from 1801.

For the 'prolocutors' and speakers of the House of Commons of England, see List of Speakers of the House of Commons of England.

List of Speakers

Speakers of the House of Commons of Great Britain 1707–1800

The Kingdom of Great Britain was created by the Acts of Union 1707. At the beginning of 1801, Great Britain was combined with the Kingdom of Ireland to form the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, with a single House of Commons serving the whole kingdom.

Name Constituency (Birth–Death)	Term of office		Retirement peerage
John Smith MP for Andover (1655/56–1723)	October 1705	1708	—
Sir Richard Onslow MP for Surrey (1654–1717) ^{[lower-alpha 1]}	November 1708	1710	Baron Onslow
William Bromley MP for Oxford University (1663–1732) ^{[lower-alpha 2]}	November 1710	1713	—
Sir Thomas Hanmer Bt MP for Suffolk (1677–1746) ^{[lower-alpha 3]}	February 1714	1715	—
Sir Spencer Compton KB MP for Sussex (c. 1673–1743) ^{[lower-alpha 4]}	May 1715	1727	Earl of Wilmington Viscount Pevensey Baron Wilmington
Arthur Onslow MP for Surrey (1691–1768)	January 1728	1761	^{[lower-alpha 5]}
Sir John Cust Bt MP for Grantham (1718–1770)	November 1761	1770	^{[lower-alpha 6]}
Sir Fletcher Norton MP for Guildford (1716–1789) ^{[lower-alpha 7]}	January 1770	1780	Baron Grantley
Charles Wolfran Cornwall MP for Winchelsea until 1784 MP for Rye from 1784 (1735–1789)	October 1780	1789	^{[lower-alpha 8]}
William Grenville MP for Buckinghamshire (1759–1834) ^{[lower-alpha 9]}	January 1789	1789	Baron Grenville
Henry Addington MP for Devizes (1757–1844)	June 1789	1801	Viscount Sidmouth

Speakers of the House of Commons of the United Kingdom from 1801

The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland was created in 1801. In 1922 the Irish Free State ceased to be part of the UK. The official name of the United Kingdom was changed to the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, in 1927.

Name Constituency (Birth–Death)	Term of office Election		Parliament(s)	Party^{[lower-alpha 10]}	Retirement peerage
Henry Addington MP for Devizes (1757–1844) ^{[lower-alpha 11]}	June 1789	1801	1st	Tory	Viscount Sidmouth
Sir John Mitford QC FRS MP for East Looe (1748–1830)	February 1801	1802	1st	Tory	Baron Redesdale
Charles Abbot FRS MP for Helston until 1802 MP for Heytesbury 1802 MP for Woodstock 1802–1806 MP for Oxford University after 1806 (1757–1829)	February 1802	1817	2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th	Tory	Baron Colchester
Sir Charles Manners-Sutton GCB MP for Scarborough until 1832 MP for Cambridge University after 1832 (1780–1845)	January 1817	1835^{[lower-alpha 12]}	5th, 6th, 7th, 8th, 9th, 10th, 11th	Tory	Viscount Canterbury Baron Bottesford
James Abercromby MP for Edinburgh ^[2] (1776–1858)	February 1835	1839	12th, 13th	Whig	Baron Dunfermline
Charles Shaw-Lefevre MP for North Hampshire (1794–1888)	May 1839	1857	13th, 14th, 15th, 16th	Whig	Viscount Eversley
John Evelyn Denison MP for North Nottinghamshire (1800–1873)	April 1857	1872	17th, 18th, 19th, 20th	Liberal	Viscount Ossington
Henry Brand GCB MP for Cambridgeshire (1814–1892)	February 1872	1884	20th, 21st, 22nd	Liberal	Viscount Hampden
Arthur Peel MP for Warwick until 1885 MP for Warwick and Leamington after 1885 (1829–1912)	February 1884	1895	22nd, 23rd, 24th, 25th	Liberal	Viscount Peel
William Gully QC MP for Carlisle (1835–1909)	April 1895	1905	26th, 27th	Liberal	Viscount Selby
William Gully QC MP for Carlisle (1835–1909)	1895		26th, 27th	Liberal	Viscount Selby
James Lowther MP for Penrith until 1918 MP for Penrith and Cockermouth after 1918 (1855–1949)	June 1905	1921	27th, 28th, 29th, 30th, 31st	Conservative	Viscount Ullswater
John Henry Whitley MP for Halifax (1866–1935)	April 1921	1928	31st, 32nd, 33rd, 34th	Liberal (Coalition)	^{[lower-alpha 13]}
Edward FitzRoy DL MP for Daventry (1869–1943)	June 1928	1943	34th, 35th, 36th, 37th	Conservative	^{[lower-alpha 14]}
Douglas Clifton Brown MP for Hexham (1879–1958)	March 1943	1951	37th, 38th, 39th	Conservative	Viscount Ruffside
William Morrison MC QC MP for Cirencester and Tewkesbury (1893–1961)	October 1951	1959	40th, 41st	Conservative	Viscount Dunrossil
	1951		40th, 41st	Conservative	Viscount Dunrossil
Sir Harry Hylton-Foster MP for Cities of London and Westminster (1905–1965)	October 1959	1965	42nd, 43rd	Conservative	^{[lower-alpha 15]}
Dr Horace King MP for Southampton Itchen (1901–1986)	September 1965	1971	43rd, 44th, 45th	Labour	Baron Maybray-King
Selwyn Lloyd CH CBE QC DL MP for Wirral (1904–1978)	January 1971	1976	45th, 46th, 47th	Conservative	Baron Selwyn-Lloyd
Selwyn Lloyd CH CBE QC DL MP for Wirral (1904–1978)	1971		45th, 46th, 47th	Conservative	Baron Selwyn-Lloyd
George Thomas MP for Cardiff West (1909–1997)	March 1976	1983	47th, 48th	Labour	Viscount Tonypandy
Bernard Weatherill MP for Croydon North East (1920–2007)	June 1983	1992	49th, 50th	Conservative	Baron Weatherill
Betty Boothroyd MP for West Bromwich West (born 1929)	April 1992	2000	51st, 52nd	Labour	Baroness Boothroyd
Betty Boothroyd MP for West Bromwich West (born 1929)	1992		51st, 52nd	Labour	Baroness Boothroyd
Michael Martin MP for Glasgow Springburn until 2005 MP for Glasgow North East after 2005 (1945–2018)	October 2000	21 June 2009 ^{[lower-alpha 16]}	52nd, 53rd, 54th	Labour	Baron Martin of Springburn
	2000		52nd, 53rd, 54th	Labour	Baron Martin of Springburn
John Bercow MP for Buckingham (born 1963)	June 2009	Incumbent	54th, 55th, 56th, 57th	Conservative	—
John Bercow MP for Buckingham (born 1963)	2009		54th, 55th, 56th, 57th	Conservative	—

Notes

↑ Onslow was the last Speaker to be defeated in his constituency in a general election.
↑ Bromley resigned from the chair to become Secretary of State for the Northern Department. He continued to serve in the House of Commons until his death on 13 February 1732.
↑ Hanmer vacated the chair but continued to serve in the House of Commons until 1727.
↑ Compton vacated the chair but continued to serve in the House of Commons until 1728.
↑ Onslow, the longest-serving Speaker, retired from the chair and the House of Commons. He seems to have been the last Speaker who survived his term by a significant period without being offered a peerage.
↑ Cust died shortly after he ceased to occupy the chair.
↑ Norton was not re-elected as Speaker in 1780, but retained his seat as an MP until 1782.
↑ Cornwall died in office.
↑ Grenville resigned from the chair to become Home Secretary. He continued to serve in the House of Commons until 1790.
↑ Party allegiance at the time of first election as Speaker. The modern convention is for the Speaker to sever connections with his or her former party. From 1935, the Speaker has sought re-election as such, not using a party label.^[1] The general convention is that the Speaker is not opposed by major party candidates at general elections.
↑ Addington resigned from the chair to become Prime Minister. He continued to serve in the House of Commons until 1805.
↑ In 1835 he was defeated for re-election as Speaker - see Parl. Debates, 3rd ser. xxvi. 59- but retained his seat as an MP for a few weeks until he was created a peer. No subsequent Speaker has been defeated or remained in the House of Commons, for more than a few days after leaving the chair.
↑ Whitley declined the customary peerage upon his retirement from the chair and the House of Commons.
↑ Fitzroy died in office. His widow was created 1st Viscountess Daventry.
↑ Hylton-Foster died in office. His widow was created The Baroness Hylton-Foster.
↑ Martin resigned the Speakership in 2009. He was the first Speaker to be forced to leave the chair by public pressure since Sir John Trevor was expelled from the House and the chair in 1695.

References

↑ Craig, F.W.S. (1989). British Electoral Facts 1832–1987. Politico's Publishing. ISBN 978-0-900178-30-6.
↑ Anderson, John (1856). A History of Edinburgh from the Earliest Period to the Completion of the Half Century 1850: With Brief Notices of Eminent Or Remarkable Individuals. A. Fullarton & co. p. 444. ISBN 978-1-85285-581-9. Retrieved 2008-10-21.

Bibliography

Laundy, Philip (1964). The Office of Speaker. Cassell & Company.
Marsden, Philip (1979). The Officers of the Commons 1363–1978. Her Majesty's Stationery Office.
Butler, David; Butler, Gareth (2000). Twentieth Century Political Facts 1900–2000 (Hardcover ed.). Macmillan Press. ISBN 0-333-77221-0.
Cook, Chris; Keith, Brendan (1975). British Historical Facts 1830–1900. Macmillan Press.
Cook, Chris; Stevenson, John (1980). British Historical Facts 1760–1830. Macmillan Press. ISBN 0-333-21512-5.
Venning, Timothy (2005). Compendium of British Office Holders. Palgrave Macmillan. ISBN 978-1-4039-2045-4.

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[1] Onslow was the last Speaker to be defeated in his constituency in a general election.

[2] Bromley resigned from the chair to become Secretary of State for the Northern Department. He continued to serve in the House of Commons until his death on 13 February 1732.

[3] Hanmer vacated the chair but continued to serve in the House of Commons until 1727.

[4] Compton vacated the chair but continued to serve in the House of Commons until 1728.

[5] Onslow, the longest-serving Speaker, retired from the chair and the House of Commons. He seems to have been the last Speaker who survived his term by a significant period without being offered a peerage.

[6] Cust died shortly after he ceased to occupy the chair.

[7] Norton was not re-elected as Speaker in 1780, but retained his seat as an MP until 1782.

[8] Cornwall died in office.

[9] Grenville resigned from the chair to become Home Secretary. He continued to serve in the House of Commons until 1790.

[11] Party allegiance at the time of first election as Speaker. The modern convention is for the Speaker to sever connections with his or her former party. From 1935, the Speaker has sought re-election as such, not using a party label.^[1] The general convention is that the Speaker is not opposed by major party candidates at general elections.

[12] Addington resigned from the chair to become Prime Minister. He continued to serve in the House of Commons until 1805.

[13] In 1835 he was defeated for re-election as Speaker - see Parl. Debates, 3rd ser. xxvi. 59- but retained his seat as an MP for a few weeks until he was created a peer. No subsequent Speaker has been defeated or remained in the House of Commons, for more than a few days after leaving the chair.

[15] Whitley declined the customary peerage upon his retirement from the chair and the House of Commons.

[16] Fitzroy died in office. His widow was created 1st Viscountess Daventry.

[17] Hylton-Foster died in office. His widow was created The Baroness Hylton-Foster.

[18] Martin resigned the Speakership in 2009. He was the first Speaker to be forced to leave the chair by public pressure since Sir John Trevor was expelled from the House and the chair in 1695.

[10] Craig, F.W.S. (1989). British Electoral Facts 1832–1987. Politico's Publishing. ISBN 978-0-900178-30-6.

[14] Anderson, John (1856). A History of Edinburgh from the Earliest Period to the Completion of the Half Century 1850: With Brief Notices of Eminent Or Remarkable Individuals. A. Fullarton & co. p. 444. ISBN 978-1-85285-581-9. Retrieved 2008-10-21.