Hereford was, until 2010, a constituency of the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. Since 1918, it had elected one Member of Parliament (MP) by the first-past-the-post voting system.
Previously, Hereford had been a parliamentary borough which from 1295 to 1885 had elected two MPs, using the bloc vote system in contested elections. Under the Redistribution of Seats Act 1885 the borough's representation had been reduced to one seat at the 1885 general election, and for the 1918 general election the borough was abolished and replaced with a county division which carried the same name but covered a wider geographical area.
History
Hereford sent two representatives to Parliament from the beginning of the reign of Edward I. Although a county town, the early elections were always held at a different location from those of the shire, the former taking place at the Guildhall, the latter in the castle.
In 1885, representation was reduced to one Member.
Journalist Robin Day stood as the Liberal candidate in the 1959 general election.
From 1931 until 1997, Hereford was held by the Conservative Party, before being taken by Paul Keetch of the Liberal Democrats at the 1997 general election. Keetch served as the Liberal Democrats' spokesman for defence from October 1999 until May 2005, and announced on 17 November 2006 that he would not be standing at the next election.
Following the review by the Boundary Commission for England of parliamentary representation in Herefordshire, taking effect at the 2010 general election, two parliamentary constituencies were allocated to the county. The Hereford seat was abolished and replaced by the Hereford and South Herefordshire seat, while the remainder of the county is covered by the North Herefordshire seat.
Boundaries 1918–1950: The Borough of Hereford, the Urban Districts of Ledbury and Ross-on-Wye, the Rural Districts of Dore, Ross, and Whitchurch, and parts of the Rural Districts of Hereford and Ledbury.
1950–1983: The Borough of Hereford, the Urban District of Ross-on-Wye, the Rural Districts of Dore and Bredwardine, and Ross and Whitchurch, and part of the Rural District of Hereford.
1983–1997: The City of Hereford, and the District of South Herefordshire wards of Backbury, Broad Oak, Dinedor Hill, Doward, Fownhope, Garron, Golden Valley, Gorsley, Gorsty, Harewood End, Hollington, Kingsthorne, Merbach, Olchon, Old Gore, Penyard, Pontrilas, Ross-on-Wye East, Ross-on-Wye West, Stoney Street, Tram Inn, Walford, Whitfield, and Wilton.
1997–2010: The City of Hereford, and the District of South Herefordshire wards of Broad Oak, Clehonger East, Clehonger West, Dinedor Hill, Doward, Fownhope, Garron, Golden Valley, Gorsley, Harewood End, Hollington, Kingsthorne, Merbach, Olchon, Old Gore, Penyard, Pontrilas, Ross-on-Wye East, Ross-on-Wye West, Stoney Street, Tram Inn, Walford, Whitfield, and Wilton.
In its final form, the Hereford constituency contained the city of Hereford and most of South Herefordshire, including Ross-on-Wye, but excluding Ledbury and Much Marcle, both of which were in the Leominster constituency.
Members of Parliament
MPs 1295–1640
ParliamentFirst memberSecond memberJan. 1377 Richard Nash 1378 Thomas Whitefield 1379 Richard NashJan.1380Richard Nash1381Richard NashOct. 1383Richard Nash 1386 John Wych Henry Catchpole I 1388 (Feb) William Jonet Thomas Chippenham I 1388 (Sep) William Jonet William Breinton 1390 (Jan) John Wych James Nash 1390 (Nov) Henry Catchpole II James Nash 1391 Thomas Buryton John Prophet 1393 Thomas Buryton John Wych 1394 1395 Hugh Wigan William Speed 1397 (Jan) Hugh Wigan James Nash 1397 (Sep) Hugh Wigan Thomas Buryton 1399 James Nash Thomas Buryton 1401 Hugh Wigan Thomas Whitefield 1402 Thomas Chippenham I John Troney 1404 (Jan) 1404 (Oct) 1406 Henry Chippenham Hugh Wigan 1407 Hugh Wigan Roger ...feld or Roger ...felde 1410 1411 1413 (Feb) 1413 (May) Henry Chippenham George Breinton 1414 (Apr) John Wilton Richard Strange 1414 (Nov) Henry Chippenham George Breinton 1415 1416 (Mar) Henry Chippenham George Breinton 1416 (Oct) 1417 John Wilton John Orchard 1419 Richard Strange John Abrahall 1420 Thomas Chippenham II John Falk 1421 (May) William Buryton Richard Strange 1421 (Dec) Henry Chippenham Nicholas Chippenham 1426 Thomas Chippenham 1429Thomas Chippenham William Buryton 1431Thomas Chippenham William Buryton 1432 William Buryton 1437 William Buryton 1510 1512 Roland Brydges Reginald Mynors 1515 Roland Brydges Reginald Mynors 1523 ? 1529 Richard Warnecombe Thomas Havard 1536 ? 1539 ? 1542Richard Warnecombe Thomas Havard 1545 ? 1547Thomas Havard William Berkeley, died and replaced Jan 1552 by John Warnecombe 1553 (Mar) Hugh Welshe ? 1553 (Oct) Sir John Price Thomas Havard 1554 (Apr) Thomas Havard Thomas Bromwich 1554 (Nov) William Smothye Leonard Boldyng 1555 Hugh Gebons Morgan Owgan 1558 Henry Dudeston John Gibbs 1558–1559 John Kerry Thomas Church 1562–1563 Thomas Webbe, died and replaced 1566 by John Hyde Henry Green 1571 James Warnecombe Thomas Church 1572 (Apr) James Warnecombe Gregory Price 1584 Gregory Price James Boyle 1586 (Sep) Gregory Price Thomas Jones 1588 Gregory Price Nicholas Garnons 1593 Gregory Price Thomas Mallard 1597 Gregory Price Anthony Pembridge 1601 Walter Hurdman Thomas Jones 1604 Walter Hurdman John Hoskins 1605 Anthony Pembrugge 1610 John Warden 1614 John Hoskins John Warden 1621–1622 James Rodd Richard Weaver 1624 Sir James Clerke Richard Weaver 1625 Sir James Clerke Richard Weaver 1626 Sir James Clerke Richard Weaver 1628 The Viscount Scudamore John Hoskins 1629–1640No Parliaments summoned
MPs 1640–1885
EventFirst memberFirst partySecond memberSecond partyApril 1640 Richard Weaver Richard Seaborne November 1640Richard WeaverParliamentarianRichard SeaborneRoyalist1642James ScudamoreRoyalistMay 1643Scudamore disabled from sitting – seat vacantJanuary 1644Seaborne disabled from sitting – seat vacant1646Bennet Hoskyns Edmund WeaverIt is not known for certain whether Weaver sat after Pride's Purge: a "Mr Weaver" was re-admitted and Edmund Weaver appears in one list of members of the Rump, but he is not listed in the House of Commons Journals, and Brunton & Pennington suggest he has probably been confused with John Weaver, MP for Stamford (who was certainly a member)December 1648Hoskyns excluded in Pride's Purge – seat vacant1653Hereford was unrepresented in Barebone's Parliament1654Bennet Hoskyns Hereford had only one seat in the First and Second Parliaments of the Protectorate1656Colonel Wroth RogersJanuary 1659Nathan RogersRoger BosworthMay 1659Not represented in the restored RumpApril 1660 Herbert Westfaling Roger Bosworth November 1660 Sir Henry Lingen April 1661 Sir Edward Hopton September 1661 Herbert Westfaling 1662 Roger Vaughan 1673 The Viscount Scudamore 1679 Bridstock Harford Paul Foley Country Whig 1681 Herbert Aubrey 1685 Thomas Geers January 1689 Sir William Gregory Paul Foley Country WhigJune 1689 Henry Cornewall 1695 James Morgan 1698 Hon. James Brydges 1699 Samuel Pytts 1701 Thomas Foley 1715 The Viscount Scudamore 1717 Herbert Rudhale Westfaling 1722 William Mayo 1723 James Wallwyn 1727 Marquess of Carnarvon Thomas GeersLater adopted the surname Winford 1734 Thomas Foley Sir John Morgan 1741 Edward Cope Hopton Thomas Geers Winford 1747 Lieutenant General Henry Cornewall Daniel Leighton 1754 Charles Fitzroy Scudamore John Symons Tory 1764 John Scudamore Whig 1768 (Sir) Richard SymonsCreated a baronet, May 1774 ToryApril 1784 Earl of SurreySurrey was also elected for Carlisle, which he chose to represent, and never sat for Hereford WhigJuly 1784 Robert Philipps Whig 1785 James Walwyn Whig 1796 John Scudamore, junior Whig 1800 Thomas Powell Symonds Whig 1805 Richard Philip Scudamore Whig 1818 Viscount Eastnor Tory 1819 Richard Philip Scudamore Whig 1826 Edward Clive Whig 1832 Robert Biddulph Whig 1837 Daniel Higford Davall Burr ConservativeJuly 1841 Henry William Hobhouse WhigOctober 1841 Robert Pulsford Whig 1845 Sir Robert Price, Bt Whig 1847 Henry Morgan-Clifford Whig 1857 George CliveWhig 1859 LiberalLiberal 1865 Richard Baggallay Conservative 1868On petition, the election of 1868 was declared void and a by-election was held John Wyllie Liberal 1869 Edward Clive Liberal Chandos Wren-Hoskyns Liberal 1871 George Arbuthnot Conservative 1874 Evan Pateshall Conservative George Clive Liberal 1878 George Arbuthnot Conservative 1880 Joseph Pulley Liberal Robert Reid Liberal1885 Representation reduced to one member
MPs 1885–2010 YearMemberParty 1885 Joseph Pulley Liberal 1886 Sir Joseph Bailey Conservative 1892 William Grenfell Liberal 1893 Charles Cooke Conservative 1900 John Arkwright Conservative 1912 William Hewins Unionist 1918Charles PulleyUnionist 1921Samuel RobertsUnionist 1929Frank OwenLiberal 1931James ThomasConservative 1956David Gibson-WattConservative 1974Colin ShepherdConservative 1997Paul KeetchLiberal Democrat 2010 constituency abolished
Elections
Elections in the 1830s
Elections in the 1840s
Hobhouse resigned by accepting the office of Steward of the Chiltern Hundreds, causing a by-election.
Clive's death caused a by-election.
Elections in the 1850s
Price resigned, causing a by-election.
Elections in the 1860s
The election was declared void on petition, after the Liberal agent was found to have "given breakfast to Liberal electors", and therefore was guilty of treating.
Elections in the 1870s Clive resigned, causing a by-election.
Pateshall resigned, causing a by-election.
Elections in the 1880s
Elections in the 1890s
Grenfell resigned, causing a by-election.
Elections in the 1900s
Elections in the 1910s
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; Unionist: William Hewins Liberal:
Elections in the 1920s
Elections in the 1930s
Elections in the 1940s General Election 1939–40:
Another General Election was required to take place before the end of 1940. The political parties had been making preparations for an election to take place from 1939 and by the end of this year, the following candidates had been selected; Conservative: James Thomas Liberal: Archie Marshall
Elections in the 1950s
Elections in the 1960s
Elections in the 1970s
Elections in the 1980s
Elections in the 1990s
1992 notional result Party Vote % Conservative 26,217 47.0 Liberal Democrats 23,063 41.3 Labour 5,910 10.6 Others 587 1.1Turnout55,77780.8Electorate69,057
Elections in the 2000s
See also Parliamentary constituencies in Herefordshire and Worcestershire
Notes
References and notes
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) The Constitutional Year Book for 1913 (London: National Union of Conservative and Unionist Associations, 1913) F W S Craig, British Parliamentary Election Results 1832–1885 (2nd edition, Aldershot: Parliamentary Research Services, 1989) F W S Craig, British Parliamentary Election Results 1918–1949 (Glasgow: Political Reference Publications, 1969) Maija Jansson (ed.), Proceedings in Parliament, 1614 (House of Commons) (Philadelphia: American Philosophical Society, 1988) J E Neale, The Elizabethan House of Commons (London: Jonathan Cape, 1949)
External links UK Constituency Maps Hereford Liberal Democrats Hereford Conservatives Labour in Herefordshire UKIP West Midlands Herefordshire Green Party Hereford UK Parliament constituency (boundaries April 1997 – April 2010) at MapIt UK