Denbighshire | |
---|---|
Former county constituency for the House of Commons | |
Preserved county | Denbighshire |
1542–1885 | |
Seats | 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
Parliament | First member |
---|---|
1542 | John Salusbury the elder[1] |
1545 | John Salusbury the younger[1] |
1547 | Sir 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] |
1555 | Edward Almer[1] |
1558 | Sir John Salusbury the younger[1] |
1558–1559 | John Salusbury the younger [1] |
1562–1563 | Simon Thelwall[1] |
1571 | Robert Puleston[1] |
1572 | William Almer[1] |
1584 | Evan Lloyd[1] |
1586 | Robert Salesbury[1] |
1588–1589 | John Edwards / William Almer[1] |
1593 | Roger Puleston[1] |
1597 | John Lloyd[1] |
1601 | Sir John Salusbury[1] |
MPs 1604–1832
Year | Member | Party | |
---|---|---|---|
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 |
Year | First Member | Second Member |
---|---|---|
1653 | Not represented in Barebones Parliament | |
Two members in first and second protectorate parliaments | ||
1654 | Simon Thelwall | John Carter |
1656 | John Carter | John Jones Lumley Thelwall |
Year | Member | Party | |
---|---|---|---|
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 | Tory[2] | |
1832 | Great Reform Act: representation increased to two members |
MPs 1832–1885
Election | 1st Member | 1st Party | 2nd Member | 2nd 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 1830s
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Tory | Watkin Williams-Wynn | Unopposed | |||
Registered electors | c. 2,500 | ||||
Tory hold |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Tory | Watkin Williams-Wynn | Unopposed | |||
Registered electors | c. 2,500 | ||||
Tory hold |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Tory | Watkin Williams-Wynn | 2,528 | 47.7 | ||
Whig | Robert Myddelton Biddulph | 1,479 | 27.9 | ||
Tory | Lloyd Kenyon | 1,291 | 24.4 | ||
Turnout | 3,050 | 89.7 | |||
Registered electors | 3,401 | ||||
Majority | 1,049 | 19.8 | |||
Tory hold | |||||
Majority | 188 | 3.5 | |||
Whig win (new seat) |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Conservative | Watkin Williams-Wynn | 2,378 | 46.2 | −1.5 | |
Conservative | William Bagot | 1,512 | 29.4 | +5.0 | |
Whig | Robert Myddelton Biddulph | 1,256 | 24.4 | −3.5 | |
Majority | 256 | 5.0 | −14.8 | ||
Turnout | 2,793 | 82.4 | −7.3 | ||
Registered electors | 3,395 | ||||
Conservative hold | Swing | +0.1 | |||
Conservative gain from Whig | Swing | +3.4 |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Conservative | Watkin Williams-Wynn | Unopposed | |||
Conservative | William Bagot | Unopposed | |||
Registered electors | 3,689 | ||||
Conservative hold | |||||
Conservative hold |
Elections in the 1840s
Williams-Wynn's death caused a by-election.
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Conservative | Hugh Cholmondeley | Unopposed | |||
Conservative hold |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Conservative | Watkin Williams-Wynn | Unopposed | |||
Conservative | William Bagot | Unopposed | |||
Registered electors | 4,024 | ||||
Conservative hold | |||||
Conservative hold |
Williams-Wynn was appointed Steward of the Queen's Lordships and Manors of Bromfield and Yale, requiring a by-election.
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Conservative | Watkin Williams-Wynn | Unopposed | |||
Conservative hold |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Conservative | Watkin Williams-Wynn | 2,055 | 41.3 | N/A | |
Conservative | William Bagot | 1,530 | 30.7 | N/A | |
Whig | Robert Myddleton Biddulph | 1,394 | 28.0 | New | |
Majority | 136 | 2.7 | N/A | ||
Turnout | 2,490 (est) | 63.2 (est) | N/A | ||
Registered electors | 3,901 | ||||
Conservative hold | Swing | N/A | |||
Conservative hold | Swing | N/A |
Elections in the 1850s
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Conservative | Watkin Williams-Wynn | 2,135 | 40.5 | −0.8 | |
Whig | Robert Myddleton Biddulph | 1,611 | 30.5 | +2.5 | |
Conservative | William Bagot | 1,532 | 29.0 | −1.7 | |
Turnout | 2,639 (est) | 67.6 (est) | +4.4 | ||
Registered electors | 3,901 | ||||
Majority | 524 | 10.0 | +7.3 | ||
Conservative hold | Swing | −1.0 | |||
Majority | 79 | 1.5 | N/A | ||
Whig gain from Conservative | Swing | +2.5 |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Whig | Robert Myddleton Biddulph | Unopposed | |||
Conservative | Watkin Williams-Wynn | Unopposed | |||
Registered electors | 4,506 | ||||
Whig hold | |||||
Conservative hold |
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
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Liberal | Robert Myddleton Biddulph | Unopposed | |||
Conservative | Watkin Williams-Wynn | Unopposed | |||
Registered electors | 5,333 | ||||
Liberal hold | |||||
Conservative hold |
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
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
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.
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Liberal | George Osborne Morgan | Unopposed | |||
Liberal hold |
Wynn's death caused a by-election.
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Conservative | Herbert Williams-Wynn | Unopposed | |||
Conservative hold |
References
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s "History of Parliament". The History of Parliament Trust 1964–2011. Retrieved 29 August 2011.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m 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. 187–188.
- ^ a b Davies, John (2007). A History of Wales. Penguin UK. p. 426. ISBN 9780141926339.
- ^ a b "The General Election". The Spectator. 7 August 1847. p. 2. Retrieved 29 August 2018.
- ^ a b Escott, Margaret. "Denbighshire". The History of Parliament. Retrieved 6 May 2020.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p Craig, F. W. S., ed. (1977). British Parliamentary Election Results 1832-1885 (e-book) (1st ed.). London: Macmillan Press. pp. 523–524. ISBN 978-1-349-02349-3.