Essex was a constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of England from 1290 to 1707, then of the Parliament of Great Britain from 1707 to 1800 and of the Parliament of the United Kingdom from 1801 to 1832. It elected two MPs, traditionally referred to as Knights of the Shire, to the House of Commons. Under the Great Reform Act 1832, it was divided into two two-member constituencies (Essex North and Essex South).
Area covered (current authorities) East of England Essex (ceremonial county) Essex (administrative county) Southend-on-Sea Thurrock Greater London Barking and Dagenham Havering Newham Redbridge Waltham Forest
Members of Parliament
1290-1640 ParliamentFirst memberSecond member 1290 John le Breton John Fillol Henry Grapinel John de Beauchamp of Fifield 1295 John Fillol Ralph de Arderne 1297 John Fillol Henry Grapinel 1298 Hugh le Blount Jollan de Duresem 1300 John Fillol Hugh le Blount 1301 John Fillol Hugh le Blount 1302 Ralph de Arderne Jollan de Dureseme 1305 John de Tany William de Wauton 1306 John de Sutton Ralph le Bigod 1307 John de Tany John de la Lee 1309 Sir Nicholas Barrington 1313 Sir Nicholas Barrington 1322 Thomas GobionSimon de Kynardesle 1330 Sir John Barrington 1334 Sir John de Coggeshall 1335 Sir John de Coggeshall 1336 Sir John de Coggeshall 1339 Sir John de Coggeshall 1343 Sir John de Coggeshall c1355 Sir Thomas Tyrell (7 times) 1358 Sir John de Coggeshall 1377 Sir Robert Swinburne 1379 Sir Robert Swinburne 1380 (Jan) Sir John GuildesboroughRichard Lyons 1380 (Nov) Sir John Guildesborough 1382 Sir Robert Swinburne 1383 (Feb) Sir John Guildesborough 1384 Sir Robert Swinburne 1385 Sir John Guildesborough 1386 Sir Robert Marney Edmund Brokesbourne 1388 (Feb) Sir John Guildesborough Thomas Coggeshall 1388 (Sep) Sir Alexander Walden Sir John FitzSymond 1390 (Jan) Sir Robert Swinburne Sir Robert Marney 1390 (Nov) Sir Alexander Walden Thomas Bataill 1391 Sir William Coggleshall Sir Walter Lee 1393 Sir Thomas Swinburne Sir Walter Lee 1394 Thomas Bataill Sir Walter Lee 1395 Thomas Coggeshall John Doreward 1397 (Jan) Sir William Coggleshall John Doreward 1397 (Sep)Sir John Howard Robert Tey 1399 Thomas Coggeshall John Doreward 1401 Sir William Coggleshall Robert Tey 1402 Sir William Coggleshall Sir Gerard Braybrooke 1404 (Jan) Sir William Bourchier John Doreward 1404 (Oct) Sir William Coggleshall Sir Robert Litton 1406 Helming Leget Richard Baynard 1407 Helming Leget Sir William Marney 1410 1411 Sir William Coggleshall John Tyrell 1413 (Feb) 1413 (May) John Doreward John Tyrell 1414 (Apr) Sir William Coggleshall John Doreward 1414 (Nov) William Swinburne Richard Baynard 1415 1416 (Mar) Robert Darcy John Tyrell 1416 (Oct) 1417 Sir Gerard Braybrooke John Tyrell 1419 Robert Darcy John Tyrell 1420 Sir William Coggleshall Lewis John 1421 (May) Robert Darcy John Tyrell 1421 (Dec)Sir William Coggleshall Richard Baynard 1422 John TyrellSir William Coggleshall 1423 Robert Darcy 1425 John TyrellRobert Darcy 1426 Lewis JohnRobert Darcy 1429 John Tyrell 1431 Sir John TyrellLewis John 1432 Robert Darcy 1433 Sir John Tyrell 1437 Sir John TyrellLewis John 1439 Lewis JohnRobert Darcy 1442 Thomas Tyrell 1445 Thomas TyrellRobert Darcy 1447 Thomas Tyrell 1449 Thomas Tyrell 1453 Thomas Thorpe 1455 John Green 1459 Thomas Tyrell 1460 John Green 1495 Richard FitzLewis 1510–1515No names known 1523 Sir John Marney ? 1529 Thomas Bonham Thomas Audley 1536 ?Richard Rich ? 1539 Sir Richard Rich Sir Thomas Darcy 1542 ?Sir Richard Rich ? 1545 Sir Richard Rich Sir Thomas Darcy 1547 Sir William Petre Sir Thomas Darcy, ennobled and replaced by Jan 1552 by John Gates 1553 (Mar) Sir John Gates ?Sir William Petre 1553 (Oct) Sir Robert Rochester Sir William Petre 1554 (Apr) Sir Robert Rochester Sir William Petre 1554 (Nov) Sir Robert Rochester Sir William Petre 1555 Sir Robert Rochester Sir William Petre 1558 Sir William Petre Sir Edward Waldegrave 1559 (Jan) Sir William Petre Sir Anthony Cooke 1562–3 Sir William Petre Sir Anthony Cooke 1571 Sir Thomas Smith Sir Thomas Mildmay 1572 (Apr) Sir Thomas Smith, died and replaced Feb 1581 by Robert Rich Sir Thomas Barrington 1584 (Nov) Sir Thomas Heneage John Petre, 1st Baron Petre 1586 Sir Thomas Heneage John Petre, 1st Baron Petre 1588 (Nov) Sir Thomas Heneage Sir Henry Grey 1593 Sir Thomas Heneage Richard Warren 1597 (Sep) William Petre John Wentworth 1601 (Sep) Henry Maynard Sir Francis Barrington 1604 Sir Edward Denny ennobled and replaced 1605 by Sir Gamaliel Capell Sir Francis Barrington, 1st Baronet 1614 Sir Robert Rich Sir Richard Weston 1621-1622 Sir Francis Barrington, 1st Baronet Sir John Deane 1624 Sir Francis Barrington, 1st Baronet Sir Thomas Cheek 1625 Sir Francis Barrington, 1st Baronet Sir Arthur Harris 1626 Sir Francis Barrington, 1st Baronet Sir Harbottle Grimston 1628 Sir Francis Barrington, 1st Baronet Sir Harbottle Grimston 1629 Robert Rich, Lord Rich Sir Harbottle Grimston 1629–1640No Parliaments convened
1640-1832 Apr 1640: Sir Thomas Barrington, Sir Harbottle Grimston Nov 1640: Lord Rich; Sir William Masham 1641: Rich elevated to the House of Lords - replaced by Sir Martin Lumley 1648: Lumley excluded under Pride's Purge 1653: Joachim Matthews; Henry Barrington; John Brewster; Christopher Earl; Dudley Templer 1654: Sir William Masham Bt; Sir Richard Everard, 1st Baronet of Much Waltham; Sir Thomas Honywood; Sir Thomas Bowes; Henry Mildmay (of Graces); Thomas Coke (of Pebmarsh); Carew Mildmay; Dionysius Wakering; Edward Turnor; Richard Cutts; Oliver Raymond; Herbert Pelham 1656-1658: Sir Harbottle Grimston; Sir Richard Everard, 1st Baronet of Much Waltham; Sir Thomas Honywood; Sir Thomas Bowes; Henry Mildmay (of Graces); Robert Barrington; Carew Mildmay; Dionysius Wakering; Edward Turnor; Dudley Temple; Oliver Raymond; Hezekiah Haynes; John Archer
YearFirst memberFirst partySecond memberSecond party 1659 Lord Rich Edward Turnor April 1660 John Bramston Edward Turnor 1661 Sir Benjamin Ayloffe 1663 Banastre Maynard February 1679 Sir Eliab Harvey Henry Mildmay August 1679 John Lamotte Honywood 1685 Sir William Maynard Sir Thomas Fanshawe 1689 Henry Mildmay John Wroth 1690 Sir Francis Masham Whig 1693 John Lamotte Honywood 1694 Sir Charles Barrington Tory 1698 Edward Bullock 1701 Sir Francis Masham Whig 1705 Lord Walden Whig 1707 Thomas Middleton 1710 Sir Richard Child Tory 1713 Sir Charles Barrington ToryFebruary 1715 Thomas Middleton May 1715 William Harvey 1716 Robert Honywood 1722 William Harvey 1727 The Viscount Castlemaine Whig Sir Robert Abdy Tory 1734 Thomas Bramston Tory 1747 William Harvey 1748 Sir John Abdy Tory 1759 Sir William Maynard 1763 John Luther 1772 John Conyers 1775 William Harvey 1779 Thomas Berney Bramston 1784 Colonel John Bullock 1802 Eliab Harvey 1810 John Archer-Houblon 1812 Charles Callis Western 1820 Sir Eliab Harvey March 1830 Thomas Gardiner Bramston August 1830 Sir John Tyssen Tyrell 1831 William Pole-Tylney-Long-Wellesley 1832 Constituency abolished: see Northern Essex, Southern Essex
References