Nottinghamshire (constituency)

Nottinghamshire was a county constituency of the House of Commons of the Parliament of England, then of the Parliament of Great Britain from 1707 to 1800 and of the Parliament of the United Kingdom from 1801 to 1832. It was represented by two Members of Parliament (MPs), traditionally known as knights of the shire.

The constituency was split into two two-member divisions, for parliamentary purposes, by the Reform Act 1832. The county was then represented by the North Nottinghamshire and South Nottinghamshire constituencies.

Boundaries The county of Nottinghamshire is located in the East Midlands of England. The county is known to have been represented in Parliament from 1290, although it probably sent knights of the shire to earlier meetings.

From 1295 the county and the town of Nottingham each returned two members to parliament. In 1572 East Retford was represented by two members, and in 1672 Newark-upon-Trent also. Under the Reform Act 1832 the county returned four members in two divisions. By the Redistribution of Seats Act 1885 it returned four members in four divisions; Newark and East Retford were disfranchised, and Nottingham returned three members in three divisions.

Members of Parliament

1290–1640 1305 Sir Hugh de Hercy and Thomas Malet

1316 Sir Hugh de Hercy and Lawrence Chaworth ParliamentFirst memberSecond member 1297 Sir John de Vilers 1307 Sir Walter Goushill of Hoveringham 1311 Sir Walter Goushill of Hoveringham 1312 John de Lisours 1313 Laurencius de Cadurcis 1318 Sir Richard Willoughby Peter Foun 1320 John Darcy 1324 Robert de Jorce Sir Richard de Willoughby 1361–1393 Robert Morton 1373 John Gateford 1376–1390 Sir John Burton (5 times) 1377–1388 John Annesley 1378 Sir John Leake 1378 William Neville 1379 Sir John Birmingham 1380 (Nov) John Gateford 1381 Sir Thomas Rempston 1383 Sir Thomas Rempston 1386Sir John Annesley Sir John Leake 1388 (Feb) Sir John Annesley Sir John Leake 1388 (Sep) Sir John Annesley Sir Robert Cockfield 1390 (Jan) John Gateford Sir John Leake 1390 (Nov) Sir John Burton Hugh Cressy 1391 Sir Thomas Hercy Sir Robert Cockfield 1393 Sir Thomas Rempston John Gateford 1394 Sir William Neville Nicholas Strelley 1395 Sir Thomas Rempston Nicholas Burdon 1397 (Jan) Sir Thomas Rempston Hugh Cressy 1397 (Sep) Sir Thomas Rempston Robert Morton 1399 William Leek John Gateford 1401 Sir John Burton (son of Sir John, 1376) John Kniveton 1402 Sir John Clifton Sir Richard Stanhope 1404 (Jan) John Leek Sir Richard Stanhope 1404 (Oct) Simon Leek Sir Richard Stanhope 1406 Sir Thomas Chaworth Sir Richard Stanhope 1407 Sir John Zouche Sir Hugh Hussey 1410 1411 William Rigmaiden Thomas Staunton 1413 (Feb) 1413 (May) Sir John Zouche Sir Thomas Rempston II 1413 (Apr) Sir Robert Plumpton Henry Sutton 1414 (Nov) Ralph Mackerell Sir Hugh Hussey 1415 1416 (Mar) William Compton Sir Thomas Rempston II 1416 (Oct) 1417 Sir Thomas Chaworth Sir Henry Pierrepont 1419 Sir John Zouche Ralph Hussey 1420 Sir Thomas Chaworth Ralph Mackerell 1421 (May) Sir Thomas Chaworth Sir William Mering 1421 (Dec) Sir Henry Pierrepont Sir Richard Stanhope 1422 Sir John Zouche 1423 Sir Henry PierrepontSir Thomas Chaworth 1425 Sir Henry PierrepontSir William Mering 1427 Ralph Mackerell 1429 John Bowes 1432 John Bowes 1435 John Bowes 1436 William Plumpton 1437 Sir Thomas Chaworth 1439 John Bowes 1442 Sir William MeringSir John Zouche 1445 Sir Thomas Chaworth 1510–1523 No names known 1529 Sir John Markham Sir John Byron 1536 1539Gervase Clifton John Hercy 1542 1545 Sir Anthony Neville Michael Stanhope 1547Sir Michael Stanhope Sir John Markham 1553 (Mar) William Mering George Lascelles 1553 (Oct) Sir John Hercy Sir William Holles 1554 (Apr) Sir John Constable Ellis Markham 1554 (Nov) Richard Whalley Ellis Markham 1555 Richard Whalley Anthony Forster 1558 Sir John Markham Hugh Thornhill 1559 (Jan)(writ) Sir John Markham John Manners 1562–1563 John Manners John Molyneux 1571 Robert Markham Edward Stanhope 1572 Henry Pierrepont Edward Stanhope 1584 (Nov) Sir Thomas Manners Sir Robert Constable 1586 Sir Thomas Manners Sir Thomas Stanhope 1588 (Oct) Robert Markham Brian Lascelles 1593 (Jan) Sir Charles Cavendish Philip Strelley 1597 (Oct) John Byron Richard Whalley 1601 (Oct) Sir Charles Cavendish Robert Pierrepont 1604–1611Sir John HollesPercival WilloughbyAddled Parliament (1614)Sir Gervase Clifton1621–1622George Chaworth, 1st Viscount ChaworthHappy Parliament (1624)Robert SuttonUseless Parliament (1625) Sir Henry Stanhope1626 Sir Henry Stanhope Sir Thomas Hutchinson1628 Sir John ByronSir Gervase CliftonNo Parliament summoned 1629–1640

1640–1832 YearFirst memberFirst partySecond memberSecond party April 1640Sir Thomas Hutchinson Parliamentarian Robert Sutton Royalist November 1640Sir Thomas Hutchinson ParliamentarianRobert Sutton Royalist August 1643Hutchinson died – seat vacantDecember 1643Sutton disabled to sit – seat vacant1645 John Hutchinson Gervase Pigot1653 John Oddingsels Edward Cludd 1654 Representation increased to four members in First and Second Parliaments of the Protectorate1654 Hon. William Pierrepont, Major-General Edward Whalley, Colonel Edward Neville, Charles White1656 Edward Cludd, Major-General Edward Whalley, Colonel Edward Neville, Peniston Whalley 1659 Representation reverted to two members in Third Parliaments of the ProtectorateJanuary 1659 Colonel Edward Neville Martin BristowMay 1659 Colonel John Hutchinson One seat vacantMarch 1660 Lord Houghton Hon. William Pierrepont 1661 Anthony Eyre Sir Gervase Clifton 1666 Sir Francis Leke 1673Sir Scrope Howe 1679 John White 1685 Sir William Clifton, 3rd Baronet Reason MellishJanuary 1689Sir Scrope Howe Lord Houghton May 1689 John White 1690 William Sacheverell1691 John White 1698 Sir Thomas Willoughby Gervase Eyre 1701 Sir Francis Molyneux 1702 Gervase Eyre 1704 John Thornhagh 1705 Sir Thomas Willoughby 1710 The Viscount Howe William Levinz Tory 1713 Hon. Francis Willoughby Tory 1722 The Viscount Howe Whig Sir Robert Sutton Whig 1732 William Levinz Tory Thomas Bennett Non Partisan 1734 William Levinz (junior) Non Partisan 1739 Hon. John Mordaunt Non Partisan 1747 Colonel Lord Robert Sutton(Lord Robert Manners-Sutton) Non Partisan John Thornhagh(John Hewett)Adopted the surname Hewett in 1756 Non Partisan 1762 Hon. Thomas Willoughby Non Partisan 1774 Earl of Lincoln Non Partisan 1775 Lord Edward Bentinck Non Partisan 1778 Charles Medows(Charles Pierrepont)Adopted the surname Pierrepont in 1788 Non Partisan 1796 Lord William BentinckStooks Smith incorrectly lists Lord Edward Bentinck as re-elected in 1796. In fact he was elected MP for Clitheroe. Whig Hon. Evelyn Pierrepont Non Partisan 1801 Hon. Charles Pierrepont(Viscount Newark)Styled Viscount Newark from 1806 Non Partisan 1803 Anthony Hardolph Eyre Non Partisan 1812 Lord William Bentinck Whig 1814 Frank Frank(Frank Sotheron) Tory 1816 Lord William Bentinck Whig 1826 John LumleyStyled Viscount Lumley from June 1832. Whig 1831 Evelyn Denison Whig 1832 Constituency abolished: see Northern Nottinghamshire, Southern Nottinghamshire

Notes The use of the term 'Non Partisan' in the list does not necessarily mean that the MP was not associated with a particular party or faction in Parliament. Stooks Smith only gives Nottinghamshire candidates party labels for the contested 1722 election and not again until well into the 19th century.

Election notes The county franchise, from 1430, was held by the adult male owners of freehold land valued at 40 shillings or more. Each elector had as many votes as there were seats to be filled. Votes had to be cast by a spoken declaration, in public, at the hustings, which took place in Nottingham. The expense and difficulty of voting at only one location in the county, together with the lack of a secret ballot contributed to the corruption and intimidation of electors, which was widespread in the unreformed British political system.

The expense, to candidates and their supporters, of contested elections encouraged the leading families of the county to agree on the candidates to be returned unopposed whenever possible. Contested county elections were therefore unusual. Three families; the Duke of Newcastle, the Duke of Portland and the Pierreponts, all Whigs, dominated the county until well into the 19th century, which was why there was no contest after 1722.

The bloc vote electoral system was used in two seat elections and first past the post for single member by-elections. Each voter had up to as many votes as there were seats to be filled. Votes had to be cast by a spoken declaration, in public, at the hustings.

Note on percentage change calculations: Where there was only one candidate of a party in successive elections, for the same number of seats, change is calculated on the party percentage vote. Where there was more than one candidate, in one or both successive elections for the same number of seats, then change is calculated on the individual percentage vote.

Note on sources: The information for the election results given below is taken from Stooks Smith 1715–1754, Namier and Brooke 1754–1790 and Stooks Smith 1790–1832.

Election results 1715–1832

1710s – 1720s – 1730s – 1740s – 1750s – 1760s – 1770s – 1780s – 1790s – 1790s – 1800s – 1810s – 1820s – 1830s

Elections in the 1710s

Elections in the 1720s

Howe was a Peer of Ireland

Elections in the 1730s Seats vacated on Howe being appointed Governor of Barbados and Sutton being expelled from the House.

Death of Bennet

Elections in the 1740s

Sutton adopted the new surname of Manners-Sutton

Elections in the 1750s

John Thornhagh adopted the new surname of Hewett

Elections in the 1760s

Death of Manners-Sutton

Elections in the 1770s

Succession of Willoughby as the 4th Baron Middleton

Death of Lincoln

Elections in the 1780s

Charles Medows adopted the surname of Pierrepont in 1788

Elections in the 1790s

Note (1796): Stooks Smith incorrectly has Lord Edward Bentinck returned at this election rather than Lord William Bentinck

Elections in the 1800s Death of Pierrepont

Resignation of Bentinck

Pierrepont became known by the courtesy title of Viscount Newark, when his father was advanced in the peerage by being created Earl Manvers in 1806.

Elections in the 1810s

Resignation of Bentinck

Succession of Newark as 2nd Earl Manvers

Frank adopted the new surname of Sotheron

Elections in the 1820s

Elections in the 1830s

Constituency divided in (1832)

Nottinghamshire (constituency)

Bron en licentie