Launceston (UK Parliament constituency)

Launceston, also known at some periods as Dunheved, was a parliamentary constituency in Cornwall which returned two Members of Parliament to the British House of Commons from 1295 until 1832, and one member from 1832 until 1918. It was a parliamentary borough until 1885, and a county constituency thereafter.

Launceston
Former Borough constituency
for the House of Commons
1295–1885
SeatsTwo (1295–1832); one (1832–1885)
Replaced byLaunceston
Cornwall, North-Eastern or Launceston
Former County constituency
for the House of Commons
1885–1918
SeatsOne
Created fromEast Cornwall, Launceston
Replaced byNorth Cornwall

Boundaries

1832–1885: The old Borough of Launceston and the Parish of St Stephen, and all such parts of the several Parishes of Lawhitton, St Thomas the Apostle, and South Petherwin as are without the old Borough of Launceston.[1]

1885–1918: The Sessional Division of East Middle, East North, Lesnewth, and Stratton, and part of the Sessional Division of Trigg.

History

Launceston was one of 21 parliamentary boroughs in Cornwall between the 16th and 19th centuries; unlike many of these, which had been little more than villages even when established and were rotten boroughs from the start, Launceston had been a town of reasonable size and importance though much in decline by the 19th century. The borough consisted of only part of the present town, as Newport was a separate borough in itself from 1554, though Newport and Launceston were joined as Dunheved, collectively returning members, earlier in that century.

The right to vote was vested theoretically in the Mayor, aldermen and those freemen of the borough who were resident at the time they became freemen; but in practice the vote was exercised only by members of the corporation, who were chosen mainly with a view to maintaining the influence of the "patron". Up to 1775, this was generally the head of the Morice family,[2] who also controlled Newport, but in that year Humphry Morice sold his interest in both boroughs to the Duke of Newcastle, whose family retained hold on both until the Reform Act. There were about 17 voters in Launceston in 1831, by which time the borough was as rotten as any of the others in Cornwall.

In 1831 the borough had a population of 2,669 and 429 houses. Under the Great Reform Act of 1832 the boundaries were extended to encompass the whole town (including Newport, which was abolished as a separate borough), bringing the population up to 5,394. This was sufficient for Launceston to retain one of its two seats.

The borough was eventually abolished in 1885, but the name of the town was transferred to the new county constituency in which it was placed, strictly the North-Eastern or Launceston Division of Cornwall, which also elected a single member. This covered a much larger, rural, area including Callington, Calstock and Bude-Stratton. This constituency in its turn was abolished in 1918, being absorbed mostly into the new Cornwall North constituency.

Members of Parliament

MPs 1295–1629
  • Constituency created (1295)
ParliamentFirst memberSecond member
1358John Hamely[3]
1386John Cokeworthy IRoger Leye[4]
1388 (Feb)John Cokeworthy IWilliam Bodrugan[4]
1388 (Sep)Thomas TrereiseThomas Treuref[4]
1390 (Jan)John Cokeworthy IJohn Syreston[4]
1390 (Nov)
1391John Cokeworthy IRichard Lovyn[4]
1393John Cokeworthy IRichard Lovyn[4]
1394
1395John Cokeworthy IRichard Lovyn[4]
1397 (Jan)John Cokeworthy IRichard Tolle[4]
1397 (Sep)Roger MenwenickWilliam Holt[4]
1399John Cokeworthy IJohn Goly[4]
1401
1402Thomas ColynRichard Raddow[4]
1404 (Jan)
1404 (Oct)
1406Walter TregaryaJohn Colet[4]
1407Richard Brackish ?John Pengersick[4]
1410Edward BurneburyJohn Cory[4]
1411Edward BurneburyRichard Trelawny[4]
1413 (Feb)
1413 (May)Edward BurneburyJohn Mayhew[4]
1414 (Apr)
1414 (Nov)Edward BurneburyJohn Cory[4]
1415
1416 (Mar)Oliver WyseEdward Burnebury[4]
1416 (Oct)
1417Edward BurneburyJohn Cory[4]
1419Edward BurneburyEdward Burnebury[4]
1420Simon YurleEdward Burnebury[4]
1421 (May)Simon YurleJohn Cory[4]
1421 (Dec)John TreffrioweEdward Burnebury[4]
1431Nicholas Aysshton
1432Nicholas Aysshton
1510–1523No names known[5]
1529Sir Edward RyngleyJohn Rastell[5]
1536 ?
1539 ?
1542 ?
1545William CordellRobert Taverner[5]
1547William CordellNicholas Carminowe[5]
First Parliament of 1553 William Ley alias Kempthorne John Ley alias Kempthorne I[5]
Second Parliament of 1553 Robert Monson
Parliament of 1554 Arthur Welsh
Parliament of 1554–1555 William Bendlow
Parliament of 1555 Robert Grenville John Ley alias Kempthorne II[5]
Parliament of 1558 Thomas Roper[6] Robert Monson John Heydon
Parliament of 1559 George Basset Ayshton Aylworth William Gibbes[7]
Parliament of 1563–1567 Richard Grenville Henry Chiverton
Parliament of 1571 George Grenville Sampson Lennard
Parliament of 1572–1581 George Blyth George Grenville
Parliament of 1584–1585 Roland Watson John Glanville
Parliament of 1586–1587 John Spurling
Parliament of 1588–1589
Parliament of 1593 George Grenville
Parliament of 1597–1598 Herbert Croft Sir William Bowyer[8]
Parliament of 1601 John Parker Gregory Downhall
Parliament of 1604–1611 Sir Thomas Lake Ambrose Rous
Addled Parliament (1614) Sir Charles Wilmot William Croft
Parliament of 1621–1622 John Harris Thomas Bond
Happy Parliament (1624–1625) Sir Francis Crane Miles Fleetwood
Useless Parliament (1625) Sir Bevil Grenville Richard Scott
Parliament of 1625–1626
Parliament of 1628–1629
No Parliament summoned 1629–1640

MPs 1640–1832
YearFirst memberFirst partySecond memberSecond party
April 1640 Sir Bevil GrenvilleRoyalist Ambrose ManatonRoyalist
November 1640 William Coryton[9]
1641 John HarrisParliamentarian
January 1644 Manaton disabled from sitting – seat vacant
1645 Thomas Gewen
December 1648 Harris and Gewen excluded in Pride's Purge – both seats vacant
1653 Launceston was unrepresented in the Barebones Parliament
1654 Robert Bennet Launceston had only one seat in the First and
Second Parliaments of the Protectorate
1656 Thomas Gewen
January 1659 Robert Bennet
May 1659 Not represented in the restored Rump
April 1660 Edward Eliot Thomas Gewen
June 1660 John Cloberry
1661 Richard Edgcumbe Sir Charles Harbord
February 1679 Bernard Granville
September 1679 Sir John Coryton Sir Hugh Piper
1680 Lord Lansdowne
1681 William Harbord
1685 John Granville
1689 William Harbord Edward Russell Whig
1690 Bernard Granville
1692 Lord Hyde Tory
1695 William Cary
1710 Francis Scobell
1711 George Clarke
1713 Edward Herle John Anstis
1721 Alexander Pendarves Tory
1722 John Freind[10]
1724 John Willes
1725 John Freind
1726 Henry Vane Whig
1727 Hon. John King Arthur Tremayne
1734 Sir William Morice
1735 Sir William Irby
1747 Sir John St Aubyn
1750 Humphry Morice Whig
1754 Sir George Lee
1758 Sir John St Aubyn
1759 Peter Burrell
1768 William Amherst
1774 John Buller
September 1780 Viscount Cranborne Thomas Bowlby
November 1780 Hon. Charles Perceval[11] Tory[12]
1783 Sir John Jervis Whig
1784 George Rose Tory[12]
1788 Sir John Swinburne, Bt
1790 Hon. John Rodney Tory[12] Sir Henry Clinton Tory[12]
1795 William Garthshore Tory[12]
1796 Hon. John Rawdon Tory[12] James Brogden Tory[12]
1802 Richard Bennet Whig[12]
1806 Earl Percy Tory[12]
1807 Captain Richard Bennet Whig[12]
May 1812 Jonathan Raine
October 1812 Pownoll Pellew Tory[12]
1830 Sir James Gordon Tory[12]
1831 Sir John Malcolm Tory[12]
1832 Representation reduced to one member

MPs 1832–1885
ElectionMemberParty
1832 Sir Henry Hardinge Conservative[12]
1844 by-election William Bowles Conservative
1852 Hon. Josceline Percy Conservative
1859 Thomas Chandler Haliburton Conservative
1865 Alexander Henry Campbell Conservative
1868 by-election Henry Lopes Conservative
February 1874 James Henry Deakin (senior)[13] Conservative
July 1874 by-election James Henry Deakin (junior) Conservative
1877 by-election Sir Hardinge Giffard Conservative
July 1885 by-election Richard Webster Conservative
1885 Borough abolished; name transferred to county constituency

MPs 1885–1918
ElectionMemberParty
1885 Sir Thomas Dyke-Acland Liberal
1892 Thomas Owen Liberal
1898 by-election Sir John Fletcher Moulton Liberal
1906 Sir George Croydon Marks Liberal
1918 constituency abolished

Elections
North Cornwall electoral history

Elections in the 1830s
General election 1830: Launceston[12][14]
Party Candidate Votes %
Tory James Brogden Unopposed
Tory James Willoughby Gordon Unopposed
Tory hold
Tory hold

Gordon resigned, causing a by-election.

By-election, 9 April 1831: Launceston[12][14]
Party Candidate Votes %
Tory John Malcolm Unopposed
Tory hold
General election 1831: Launceston[12][14]
Party Candidate Votes %
Tory James Brogden Unopposed
Tory John Malcolm Unopposed
Registered electors c. 17
Tory hold
Tory hold
General election 1832: Launceston[12][15]
Party Candidate Votes %
Tory Henry Hardinge 115 51.6
Whig David Howell 108 48.4
Majority 7 3.2
Turnout 223 91.8
Registered electors 243
Tory hold
General election 1835: Launceston[12][15]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Henry Hardinge 163 66.0 +14.4
Whig David Howell 84 34.0 −14.4
Majority 79 32.0 +28.8
Turnout 247 76.5 −15.3
Registered electors 323
Conservative hold Swing +14.4
General election 1837: Launceston[12][15]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Henry Hardinge Unopposed
Registered electors 353
Conservative hold

Elections in the 1840s
General election 1841: Launceston[15]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Henry Hardinge Unopposed
Registered electors 342
Conservative hold

Hardinge was appointed Secretary at War, requiring a by-election.

By-election, 15 September 1841: Launceston[15]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Henry Hardinge Unopposed
Conservative hold

Hardinge resigned after being appointed Governor-General of India, causing a by-election.

By-election, 20 May 1844: Launceston[15]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative William Bowles Unopposed
Conservative hold
General election 1847: Launceston[15]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative William Bowles Unopposed
Registered electors 369
Conservative hold

Elections in the 1850s
General election 1852: Launceston[15]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Josceline Percy Unopposed
Registered electors 361
Conservative hold
General election 1857: Launceston[15]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Josceline Percy Unopposed
Registered electors 438
Conservative hold
General election 1859: Launceston[15]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Thomas Chandler Haliburton Unopposed
Registered electors 438
Conservative hold

Elections in the 1860s
General election 1865: Launceston[15]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Alexander Henry Campbell Unopposed
Registered electors 371
Conservative hold

Campbell resigned, causing a by-election.

1868 Launceston by-election[15]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Henry Lopes Unopposed
Conservative hold
General election 1868: Launceston[15]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Henry Lopes Unopposed
Registered electors 749
Conservative hold

Elections in the 1870s
General election 1874: Launceston[15]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative James Henry Deakin (senior) 453 67.7 N/A
Liberal Henry Charles Drinkwater[16] 216 32.3 New
Majority 237 35.4 N/A
Turnout 669 84.7 N/A
Registered electors 790
Conservative hold Swing N/A

The election was declared void on petition, due to corrupt practices including Deakin allowing his tenants to "kill rabbits the eve of the election", causing a by-election.[17]

1874 Launceston by-election[15]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative James Henry Deakin (junior) 417 64.1 -3.6
Liberal John Dingley[18] 233 35.8 +3.5
Conservative Hardinge Giffard 1 0.2 N/A
Majority 184 28.3 -7.1
Turnout 651 82.4 -2.3
Registered electors 790
Conservative hold Swing -3.5

Deakin's resignation caused a by-election.

1877 Launceston by-election[15]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Hardinge Giffard 392 58.9 -8.8
Liberal Robert Collier[19] 274 41.1 +8.8
Majority 118 17.8 -16.6
Turnout 666 80.6 -4.1
Registered electors 826
Conservative hold Swing -8.8

Elections in the 1880s
General election 1880: Launceston [20][15]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Hardinge Giffard 439 56.8 -10.9
Liberal Robert Collier[21] 334 43.2 +10.9
Majority 105 13.6 -21.8
Turnout 773 91.8 +7.1
Registered electors 842
Conservative hold Swing -10.9

Giffard resigned upon his appointment as Lord Chancellor and elevation to the peerage, becoming Lord Halsbury, causing a by-election.

1885 Launceston by-election[15]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Richard Webster 417 52.7 -4.1
Liberal William Pethick[22] 374 47.3 +4.1
Majority 43 5.4 -8.2
Turnout 791 92.7 +0.9
Registered electors 853
Conservative hold Swing -4.1
General election 1885: Launceston [23][24]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Thomas Dyke Acland 4,690 64.4 +21.2
Conservative Thomas Northmore Lawrence 2,587 35.6 -21.2
Majority 2,103 28.8 N/A
Turnout 7,277 78.3 -3.5
Registered electors 9,297
Liberal gain from Conservative Swing +21.2
General election 1886: Launceston [23]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Thomas Dyke Acland Unopposed
Liberal hold

Elections in the 1890s
Thomas Owen
General election 1892: Launceston [23]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Thomas Owen 3,897 57.2 N/A
Liberal Unionist Lewis Molesworth 2,913 42.8 New
Majority 984 14.4 N/A
Turnout 6,810 74.2 N/A
Registered electors 9,178
Liberal hold Swing N/A
General election 1895: Launceston [23]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Thomas Owen 3,633 55.0 −2.2
Liberal Unionist Frederick Wills 2,975 45.0 +2.2
Majority 658 10.0 -4.4
Turnout 6,608 70.1 -4.1
Registered electors 9,423
Liberal hold Swing -2.2
1898 Launceston by-election[23]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal John Fletcher Moulton 3,951 58.0 +3.0
Liberal Unionist Frederick Wills 2,863 42.0 -3.0
Majority 1,088 16.0 +6.0
Turnout 6,814 71.7 +1.6
Registered electors 9,508
Liberal hold Swing +3.0

Elections in the 1900s
Moulton
General election 1900: Launceston [23]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal John Fletcher Moulton 3,831 58.3 +3.3
Liberal Unionist Foster Cunliffe 2,737 41.7 -3.3
Majority 1,094 16.6 +6.6
Turnout 6,568 68.3 -1.8
Registered electors 9,616
Liberal hold Swing +3.3
Marks
General election 1906: Launceston [23]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal George Croydon Marks 4,658 63.0 +4.7
Liberal Unionist George Sandys 2,736 37.0 -4.7
Majority 1,922 26.0 +9.4
Turnout 7,394 75.0 +6.7
Registered electors 9,858
Liberal hold Swing +4.7

Elections in the 1910s
General election January 1910: Launceston [23]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal George Croydon Marks 4,703 56.9 -6.1
Liberal Unionist Horace Bere Grylls 3,564 43.1 +6.1
Majority 1,139 13.8 -12.2
Turnout 8,267 83.9 +8.9
Liberal hold Swing -6.1
General election December 1910: Launceston [23]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal George Croydon Marks 4,373 57.4 +0.5
Conservative Edward Treffry 3,249 42.6 -0.5
Majority 1,124 14.8 +1.0
Turnout 7,622 77.3 -6.6
Liberal hold Swing +0.5

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;

Notes
  1. The Parliamentary Boundary Act 1832
  2. Page 147, Lewis Namier, The Structure of Politics at the Accession of George III (2nd edition – London: St Martin's Press, 1957)
  3. "HAMELY (HAMYLYN), Sir John (aft.1324-1399), of Wimborne St. Giles, Dorset". History of Parliament Online. Retrieved 30 May 2013.
  4. "History of Parliament". History of Parliament Trust. Retrieved 3 November 2011.
  5. "History of Parliament". History of Parliament Trust. Retrieved 27 October 2015.
  6. "ROPER, Thomas (1533/34-98), of Eltham, Kent. | History of Parliament Online".
  7. "GIBBES, William I (d.1570), of Venton and Rewe, Devon. | History of Parliament Online".
  8. "BOWYER, Sir William I (1558-1616), of Denham Court, Bucks. and Westminster". History of Parliament. Retrieved 26 March 2015.
  9. Expelled from the House, August 1641. Coryton was Vice-Warden of the Stannaries and as such had the responsibility for making the return of members (officially notifying the House of Commons who had been elected) for some of the Cornish boroughs. He himself was returned as Member for both Launceston and Grampound, and initially sat for Launceston, but having been found guilty of falsifying the return for Bossiney the House resolved "That Mr. Coryton shall not be admitted to sit as a Member in this Parliament" on 18 August 1641
  10. On petition concerning a dispute over who had the right to vote, Freind was found not to have been duly elected, and Willes was declared elected in his place
  11. The Lord Arden (in the peerage of Ireland) from 1784
  12. Stooks Smith, Henry. (1973) [1844-1850]. Craig, F. W. S. (ed.). The Parliaments of England (2nd ed.). Chichester: Parliamentary Research Services. pp. 41–43. ISBN 0-900178-13-2.
  13. This election was held void on petition, and a by-election was held
  14. Jenkins, Terry. "Launceston (Dunheved)". The History of Parliament. Retrieved 16 April 2020.
  15. 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.
  16. "The Representation of Launceston". Exeter and Plymouth Gazette. 27 February 1877. p. 3. Retrieved 4 January 2018 – via British Newspaper Archive.
  17. "The Launceston Election Petition". Bolton Evening News. 6 June 1874. p. 4. Retrieved 4 January 2018 – via British Newspaper Archive.
  18. "The Representation of Launceston". The Morning Post. 1 July 1874. p. 3. Retrieved 4 January 2018 – via British Newspaper Archive.
  19. "To the Electors of the Borough of Launceston". Cornish & Devon Post. 18 October 1879. p. 4. Retrieved 4 January 2018 – via British Newspaper Archive.
  20. "Launceston Election". The Cornishman. No. 90. 1 April 1880. p. 5.
  21. "Eye and Launceston Elections". Pall Mall Gazette. 2 July 1885. p. 10. Retrieved 3 December 2017 – via British Newspaper Archive.
  22. "The Polling at Launceston". Eastern Evening News. 2 July 1885. p. 3. Retrieved 3 December 2017 – via British Newspaper Archive.
  23. British parliamentary election results, 1885-1918 (Craig)
  24. Debrett's House of Commons & Judicial Bench, 1886
  25. Western Times, 23 January 1914

References
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