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Rutland (UK Parliament constituency)

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Former parliamentary constituency covering the county of Rutland

Rutland
Former county constituency
for the House of Commons
CountyRutland
Major settlementsOakham and Uppingham
1290–1918
Seats1290–1885: Two
1885–1918: One
Replaced byRutland & Stamford

Rutland was a parliamentary constituency covering the county of Rutland. It was represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom until 1918, when it became part of the Rutland and Stamford constituency, along with Stamford in Lincolnshire. Since 1983, Rutland has formed part of the Rutland and Melton constituency along with Melton Mowbray from Leicestershire.

The constituency elected two Members of Parliament (MPs), traditionally known as Knights of the Shire, until 1885, when it was reduced to one Member.

Boundaries

The constituency comprised the whole of the historic county of Rutland, in the East Midlands. Rutland, the smallest of the historic counties of England, never had any Parliamentary borough constituencies within its borders.

The place of election for the county was at Oakham. This was where the hustings were held; at which candidates were nominated (before the Ballot Act 1872), polling took place (before the introduction of multiple polling places in county constituencies) and where the result was announced.

Pelling in his Social Geography of British Elections 1885–1910 describes most of the people in this county as "engaged in or dependent upon agriculture". The constituency was a safe Conservative one and was rarely contested in the period covered by the book. G. H. Finch MP had personally owned almost one tenth of the county he represented.

Members of Parliament

1295–1640

This list is incomplete; you can help by adding missing items. (August 2008)
Parliament First member Second member
1295 (Nov) Robert de Flixthorpe Simon de Bokminster
1297 (Sep) William Murdak Adam de Jernemuta
1298 (May) John Folville William de Berck
1301 (Jan) William Blount John Folville
1302 (Oct) John de Seyton Robert de Flixthorpe
1310 Ralf de Beaufoy
1312 William de St Liz
1313 (Mar) William de Hellewell Alan de Frankton
1318 John de Beaufoy
1328 Richard de St Liz
1330 Richard de St Liz
1335 Richard de St Liz
1336 Richard de St Liz
1337 John de Seyton
1340 (Jan) Robert de Hellewell no Second member
1363 William Beaufoy
1365 William Beaufoy
1368 Walter Scarle
1369 William Beaufoy
1372 John Wittlebury
1377 Thomas de Burton
1378 Walter Scarle
1380 (Jan) Walter Scarle
1380 (Nov) John Wittlebury
1380 Thomas de Burton
1381 John Wittlebury
1382 Thomas de Burton
1383 John Calveley
1383 (Oct) John Wittlebury
1384 Robert Harrington
1385 Hugh Calveley Walter Scarle
1386 John Wittlebury Walter Scarle
1388 (Feb) Sir Hugh Browe Sir Oliver Mauleverer
1388 (Sep) Sir John Daneys Walter Scarle
1390 (Jan) Hugh Calveley Sir Oliver Mauleverer
1390 (Nov) Sir Hugh Browe Sir John Calveley
1391 Sir John Bussy Sir Hugh Greenham
1393 Sir Walter Scarle Sir John Elme
1394 Sir John Daneys Sir John Elme
1395 John Wittlebury Sir Walter Scarle
1397 (Jan) Sir Robert Plesington Roger Flore
1397 (Sep) Sir Oliver Mauleverer Sir Thomas Oudeby
1399 John Durant Roger Flore|-
1401 John Durant William Oudeby
1402 Sir Thomas Oudeby Roger Flore
1404 (Jan) Thomas Thorpe John Pensax
1404 (Oct) Sir Thomas Oudeby Roger Flore
1406 John Pensax Robert Scarle
1407 Robert Browe William Sheffield
1410
1411
1413 (Feb)
1413 (May) John Pensax John Burgh
1414 (Apr) Roger Flore Robert Browe
1414 (Nov) Roger Flore John Newbold
1415 Roger Flore John Burgh
1416 (Mar) Roger Flore Geoffrey Paynell
1416 (Oct) Roger Flore
1417 Roger Flore ?
1419 Roger Flore Robert Browe
1420 Sir Thomas Burton Sir Henry Pleasington
1421 (May) John Pensax William Sheffield
1421 (Dec) John Culpepper Thomas Greenham
1422 Roger Flore Sir Henry Pleasington
1423 Robert Browe
1425 Sir Thomas Burton Sir Henry Pleasington
1427 Sir Thomas Burton
1429 Robert Browe
1431 Robert Browe
1432 Thomas Flore
1433 William Beaufoy
1434 William Beaufoy
1439–40 Robert Browe Hugh Boivyle
1445 Thomas Flore
1447 Hugh Boyvyle Everard Dygby
1449 Everard Digby John Browe
1450 Thomas Palmer Everard Digby
1510–1523 No names known
1529 Sir Everard Digby John Harington
1536
1539 John Harington Edward Sapcote
1542 John Harington Simon Digby
1545 Kenelm Digby Anthony Colly
1547 Kenelm Digby Anthony Colly
1553 (Mar) Kenelm Digby Anthony Colly
1553 (Oct) Andrew Nowell Kenelm Digby
1554 (Apr) Anthony Colly John Hunt
1554 (Nov) James Harington Anthony Colly
1555 James Harington Kenelm Digby
1558 Kenelm Digby James Harington
1558–1559 James Harington Kenelm Digby
1562–1563 Anthony Colly John Flower
1571 Kenelm Digby John Harington
1572 (Apr) Sir James Harington Kenelm Digby
1584 Kenelm Digby (Sir) Andrew Noel
1586 (Oct) Sir James Harington (Sir) Andrew Noel
1588 Sir James Harington (Sir) Andrew Noel
1593 Sir John Harington (Sir) Andrew Noel
1597 William Cecil Sir James Harington
1601 (Oct) Sir John Harington (Sir) Andrew Noel, declared void, Nov 1601
replaced by Edward Noel
1604–1611 Sir James Harington Sir William Bulstrode
1614 Sir Guy Palmes Basil Fielding
1621–1622 Sir Guy Palmes Sir William Bulstrode
1624 Sir Guy Palmes Sir William Bulstrode
1625 Sir Guy Palmes Sir William Bulstrode
1626 Sir William Bulstrode Sir Francis Bodenham
1628 Sir Guy Palmes Sir William Bulstrode
1629–1640 No Parliaments convened

1640–1885

Year First member First party Second member Second party
November 1640 Hon. Baptist Noel Royalist Sir Guy Palmes Royalist
1643 Noel succeeded to peerage, August 1643 – seat vacant Palmes disabled from sitting, September 1643 – seat vacant
1646 James Harington Thomas Waite
1653 Edward Horseman Rutland had only one representative in the Barebones Parliament
1654 William Shield
1656 Abel Barker
January 1659 Edward Horseman
May 1659 Sir James Harington Thomas Waite not recorded as participating in the restored Rump
April 1660 Philip Sherard Samuel Browne
1661 Edward Noel
February 1679 Sir Thomas Mackworth
August 1679 Sir Abel Barker
1680 Sir Thomas Mackworth
1681 Edward Fawkener
1685 Baptist Noel Tory Sir Thomas Mackworth
1689 Bennet Sherard
1694 Sir Thomas Mackworth
1695 Lord Burghley
1698 Richard Halford
1701 Sir Thomas Mackworth
1708 Philip Sherard
1710 Lord Finch John Noel
1711 Richard Halford
1713 The Lord Sherard
1715 John Noel
1719 Marquess of Granby Whig
1721 Sir Thomas Mackworth
1727 John Noel
1728 Thomas Noel
1730 William Burton
1734 James Noel
1741 John Finch
1747 Lord Burghley
1753 Thomas Noel
1754 George Bridges Brudenell
1761 Hon. Thomas Chambers Cecil
1768 George Bridges Brudenell
1788 Gerard Edwardes Tory
1790 John Heathcote Tory
1795 Lord Sherard Tory
1796 Sir William Lowther, Bt Tory
1802 The Lord Carbery Tory
1805 The Lord Henniker Tory
1808 Charles Noel Tory
1812 Sir Gilbert Heathcote, Bt Whig
1814 Sir Gerard Noel, Bt Tory
1830
1834 Conservative
1838 Hon. William Noel Conservative
1840 Hon. Charles Noel Whig
1841 Sir Gilbert Heathcote, Bt Whig Hon. William Dawnay Conservative
1846 George Finch Conservative
1847 Hon. Gerard Noel Conservative
1856 Hon. Gilbert Heathcote Whig
1859 Liberal
1867 George Finch Conservative
1883 James Lowther Conservative
1885 Representation reduced to one member

1885–1918

Year Member of Parliament Party
1885 George Finch Conservative
1907 John Gretton Conservative
1918 Constituency abolished: see Rutland and Stamford

Elections

Population in 1831: 19,380

General Election 1832 (14 December)
Registered Electors: 1,296
G N Noel, Bart. Conservative
G Heathcote Whig

General Election 1835 (10 January)
G N Noel, Bart. Conservative
G Heathcote Whig

General Election 1837 (29 July)
G N Noel, Bart. Conservative
G Heathcote Whig

Following the death of Sir G N Noel:

By-Election 1838 (13 March)
W M Noel Conservative

Elections in the 1830s

General election 1830: Rutland (2 seats)
Party Candidate Votes %
Whig Gilbert Heathcote Unopposed
Tory Gerard Noel Noel Unopposed
Registered electors c. 800
Whig gain from Tory
Tory hold
General election 1831: Rutland (2 seats)
Party Candidate Votes %
Whig Gilbert Heathcote Unopposed
Tory Gerard Noel Noel Unopposed
Registered electors c. 800
Whig hold
Tory hold
General election 1832: Rutland (2 seats)
Party Candidate Votes %
Whig Gilbert Heathcote Unopposed
Tory Gerard Noel Noel Unopposed
Registered electors 1,296
Whig hold
Tory hold
General election 1835: Rutland (2 seats)
Party Candidate Votes %
Whig Gilbert Heathcote Unopposed
Conservative Gerard Noel Noel Unopposed
Registered electors 1,264
Whig hold
Conservative hold
General election 1837: Rutland (2 seats)
Party Candidate Votes %
Whig Gilbert Heathcote Unopposed
Conservative Gerard Noel Noel Unopposed
Registered electors 1,325
Whig hold
Conservative hold

Noel's death caused a by-election.

By-election, 13 March 1838: Rutland
Party Candidate Votes %
Conservative William Noel Unopposed
Conservative hold

Elections in the 1840s

Noel resigned by accepting the office of Steward of the Chiltern Hundreds, causing a by-election.

By-election, 28 January 1840: Rutland
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Whig Charles Noel Unopposed
Whig gain from Conservative
General election 1841: Rutland (2 seats)
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Whig Gilbert John Heathcote 767 36.4 N/A
Conservative William Dawnay 676 32.1 N/A
Whig Charles Noel 664 31.5 N/A
Turnout 1,341 86.1 N/A
Registered electors 1,557
Majority 91 4.3 N/A
Whig hold Swing N/A
Majority 12 0.6 N/A
Conservative hold Swing N/A

Dawnay resigned by accepting the office of Steward of the Chiltern Hundreds, causing a by-election.

By-election, 14 February 1846: Rutland
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative George Finch Unopposed
Conservative hold
General election 1847: Rutland (2 seats)
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Whig Gilbert John Heathcote Unopposed
Conservative Gerard Noel Unopposed
Registered electors 1,887
Whig hold
Conservative hold

Elections in the 1850s

General election 1852: Rutland (2 seats)
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Whig Gilbert John Heathcote Unopposed
Conservative Gerard Noel Unopposed
Registered electors 1,876
Whig hold
Conservative hold

Heathcote was elevated to the peerage, becoming 1st Baron Aveland and causing a by-election.

By-election, 4 March 1856: Rutland
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Whig Gilbert Heathcote Unopposed
Whig hold
General election 1857: Rutland (2 seats)
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Whig Gilbert Heathcote Unopposed
Conservative Gerard Noel Unopposed
Registered electors 1,822
Whig hold
Conservative hold
General election 1859: Rutland (2 seats)
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Gilbert Heathcote Unopposed
Conservative Gerard Noel Unopposed
Registered electors 1,810
Liberal hold
Conservative hold

Elections in the 1860s

General election 1865: Rutland (2 seats)
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Gilbert Heathcote Unopposed
Conservative Gerard Noel Unopposed
Registered electors 1,774
Liberal hold
Conservative hold

Noel was appointed a Lord Commissioner of the Treasury, requiring a by-election.

By-election, 14 July 1866: Rutland
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Gerard Noel Unopposed
Conservative hold

Heathcote succeeded to the peerage, becoming Lord Aveland and causing a by-election.

By-election, 23 November 1867: Rutland
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative George Finch Unopposed
Conservative gain from Liberal
General election 1868: Rutland (2 seats)
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative George Finch Unopposed
Conservative Gerard Noel Unopposed
Registered electors 2,200
Conservative hold
Conservative gain from Liberal

Elections in the 1870s

General election 1874: Rutland (2 seats)
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative George Finch Unopposed
Conservative Gerard Noel Unopposed
Registered electors 1,950
Conservative hold
Conservative hold

Noel was appointed First Commissioner of Works and Public Buildings.

By-election, 17 Aug 1876: Rutland (1 seat)
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Gerard Noel Unopposed
Conservative hold

Elections in the 1880s

General election 1880: Rutland (2 seats)
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative George Finch Unopposed
Conservative Gerard Noel Unopposed
Registered electors 1,736
Conservative hold
Conservative hold

Noel's resignation caused a by-election, which was the first contest in the constituency for 42 years.

By-election, 1 Sep 1883: Rutland (1 seat)
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative James Lowther 860 81.6 N/A
Liberal John William Davenport-Handley 194 18.4 New
Majority 666 63.2 N/A
Turnout 1,054 59.6 N/A
Registered electors 1,768
Conservative hold
Buszard
General election 1885: Rutland
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative George Finch 2,366 68.1 N/A
Liberal Marston Clarke Buszard 1,110 31.9 N/A
Majority 1,256 36.2 N/A
Turnout 3,476 83.4 N/A
Registered electors 4,166
Conservative hold Swing N/A
Finch
General election 1886: Rutland
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative George Finch Unopposed
Conservative hold

Elections in the 1890s

General election 1892: Rutland
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative George Finch Unopposed
Conservative hold
General election 1895: Rutland
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative George Finch Unopposed
Conservative hold

Elections in the 1900s

General election 1900: Rutland
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative George Finch Unopposed
Conservative hold
Pearson
General election 1906: Rutland
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative George Finch 2,047 56.7 N/A
Liberal Harold Pearson 1,564 43.3 New
Majority 483 13.4 N/A
Turnout 3,611 89.3 N/A
Registered electors 4,042
Conservative hold Swing N/A
John Gretton
1907 Rutland by-election
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative John Gretton 2,213 61.9 +5.2
Liberal W F H Lyon 1,362 38.1 −5.2
Majority 851 23.8 +10.4
Turnout 3,575 87.6 −1.7
Registered electors 4,083
Conservative hold Swing +5.2

Elections in the 1910s

General election January 1910: Rutland
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative John Gretton 2,235 59.3 +2.6
Liberal Joseph Nathaniel Emery 1,531 40.7 −2.6
Majority 704 18.6 +5.2
Turnout 3,766 91.2 +1.9
Registered electors 4,128
Conservative hold Swing +2.6
General election December 1910: Rutland
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative John Gretton 2,169 61.3 +2.0
Liberal Joseph Nathaniel Emery 1,367 38.7 −2.0
Majority 802 22.6 +4.0
Turnout 3,536 85.7 −5.5
Registered electors 4,128
Conservative hold Swing +2.0

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 July 1914, the following candidates had been selected;

References

  1. ^ Members of Parliament 1213–1702. London: House of Commons. 1878.
  2. ^ "SCARLE, Walter (d.c.1401), of Uppingham, Rutland". History of Parliament Online. Retrieved 15 April 2013.
  3. ^ "WITTLEBURY, John (1333–1400), of Whissendine, Rutland and Milton and Marholm, Northants". History of Parliament Online. Retrieved 16 April 2013.
  4. "HARRINGTON, Sir Robert (d.1399), of Glaston, Rutland and Glooston, Leics. | History of Parliament Online". www.historyofparliamentonline.org.
  5. ^ "History of Parliament". Retrieved 8 September 2011.
  6. History of Parliament: Register of the Ministers and of the Members of Both Houses 1439–1509. London: His Majesty’s Stationery Office. 1938. p. 17.
  7. History of Parliament: Register of the Ministers and of the Members of Both Houses 1439–1509. London: His Majesty’s Stationery Office. 1938. p. 82.
  8. ^ "History of Parliament". Retrieved 8 September 2011.
  9. ^ "History of Parliament". Retrieved 8 September 2011.
  10. Sir Andrew Noel was elected despite being ineligible, being Sheriff of Rutland|| the Commons annulled his election and issued a new writ
  11. Edward Noel was returned despite being ineligible to sit|| he was underage, and owned no freeholds in the county. The controversial election, conducted by the candidate's father in his capacity as Sheriff, led to a suit in the Court of Star Chamber
  12. On petition, Noel was declared not to have been duly elected
  13. Adopted the surname Noel on succeeding to his uncle's estates in 1798
  14. ^ 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. pp. 12–14. Retrieved 27 May 2019 – via Google Books.
  15. "Berkshire Chronicle". 1 February 1840. p. 2. Retrieved 27 May 2019 – via British Newspaper Archive.
  16. Churton, Edward (1836). The Assembled Commons or Parliamentary Biographer: 1836. p. 94. Retrieved 13 August 2018 – via Google Books.
  17. "Stamford Mercury". 23 July 1841. p. 3. Retrieved 13 August 2018 – via British Newspaper Archive.
  18. "Miscellaneous Intelligence". Berkshire Chronicle. 8 March 1856. p. 6. Retrieved 13 August 2018 – via British Newspaper Archive.
  19. ^ Harratt, Simon. "Rutland". The History of Parliament. Retrieved 2 May 2020.
  20. ^ Craig, F. W. S., ed. (1977). British Parliamentary Election Results 1832-1885 (e-book) (1st ed.). London: Macmillan Press. ISBN 978-1-349-02349-3.
  21. "Rutlandshire Election". The Cornishman. No. 269. 6 September 1883. p. 6.
  22. "The Rutland Election". South Wales Daily News. 28 August 1883. p. 3. Retrieved 10 December 2017 – via British Newspaper Archive.
  23. ^ British Parliamentary Election Results 1885–1918, FWS Craig
  24. ^ The Liberal Year Book, 1907
  25. Debrett's House of Commons & Judicial Bench, 1886
  26. ^ Debrett's House of Commons & Judicial Bench, 1901
  27. Debrett's House of Commons & Judicial Bench, 1916

Sources

  • Robert Beatson, A Chronological Register of Both Houses of Parliament (London: Longman, Hurst, Res & Orme, 1807)
  • D Brunton & D H Pennington, Members of the Long Parliament (London: George Allen & Unwin, 1954)
  • Cobbett's Parliamentary history of England, from the Norman Conquest in 1066 to the year 1803 (London: Thomas Hansard, 1808) Digital Bodleian
  • F W S Craig, Boundaries of Parliamentary Constituencies 1885–1972 (Parliamentary Reference Publications 1972)
  • F W S Craig, British Parliamentary Election Results 1832–1885 (2nd edition, Aldershot: Parliamentary Research Services, 1989)
  • M Kinnear, The British Voter (London: Batsford, 1968)
  • McCalmont's Parliamentary Poll Book of All Elections 1832–1918
  • Lewis Namier & John Brooke, The History of Parliament: The House of Commons 1754–1790 (London: HMSO, 1964)
  • J E Neale, The Elizabethan House of Commons (London: Jonathan Cape, 1949)
  • Henry Pelling, Social Geography of British Elections 1885–1910 (Macmillan, 1967)
  • Henry Stooks Smith, The Parliaments of England (1st edition published in three volumes 1844–50), second edition edited (in one volume) by F.W.S. Craig (Political Reference Publications 1973)
  • Leigh Rayment's Historical List of MPs – Constituencies beginning with "R" (part 2)


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