Devon (UK Parliament constituency)

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Devon
Former County constituency
for the House of Commons
CountyDevon
1290–1832
Number of membersTwo
Replaced byNorth Devon
South Devon

Devon was a parliamentary constituency covering the county of Devon in England. It was represented by two Knights of the Shire, in the House of Commons of England until 1707, then of the House of Commons of Great Britain from 1707 to 1800 and finally the House of Commons of the United Kingdom from 1801 to 1832. Elections were held using the bloc vote system of elections.

Under the Reform Act 1832, it was split into two divisions, North Devon and South Devon, for the 1832 general election.

Boundaries[]

The constituency consisted of the historic county of Devon, excluding the city of Exeter which had the status of a county in itself after 1537. (Although Devon contained a number of other parliamentary boroughs, each of which elected two MPs in its own right for part of the period when Devon was a constituency, these were not excluded from the county constituency, and owning property within the borough could confer a vote at the county election. This was not the case, though, for Exeter.)

Members of Parliament[]

1290–1640[]

Constituency created 1290, during the reign of King Edward I (1272–1307).

Parliaments of Edward I (1272–1307)
Year First member Second member
1290 (Jul) Sir Robert de Wodeton Sir Andrew Trelosk of Dunterton[1]
1294 (Nov) unknown[1]
1295 (Nov), the
Model Parliament		 Sir Robert de Wodeton Sir William Prous of Gidleigh (1245–1315)[1]
1297 (Oct) Sir Henry Ralegh of Strete Ralegh in Whimple Sir Hugh Prous of Gatcombe in Colyton[1]
1298 (May) Sir John Umfraville of Lapford Sir William Champernowne (c.1240–1304) of Ilfracombe[1]
1300 (Mar) Sir Robert Beaple of Knowstone Sir Reginald Ferrers of Bere and Newton Ferrers[1]
Parliaments of Edward III (1327–1377)
Year First member Second member
1331 Sir Roger de Pridias (Prideaux) of Orcheton, Modbury[2]
1340 Adam de Branscombe
1356/7 John Daubernon of Dunsland[3]
1364 Sir John Cary (d. 1395) of Cockington, Devon, Chief Baron of the Exchequer[4] Sir (brother)[5]
1348 Adam de Branscombe
1369 Sir John Cary (d. 1395) of Cockington, Devon, Chief Baron of the Exchequer[6] Sir (brother)[6]
1371 Sir William Bonville
Sir William Bonville
Parliaments of Richard II
Year First member Second member
1377 (Oct) Sir William Bonville
1378 Sir William Bonville
1379 Sir William Bonville
1379 John Beaumont (d. 1379/80)[7]
1380 John Beaumont (d. 1379/80)[7]
1380 (Nov) Sir William Bonville
1381 Sir William Bonville
1382 (May) Sir William Bonville
1382 (Oct) Sir William Bonville
1383 Sir Philip Courtenay
1383
1384 (Apr) Sir William Bonville
1385 [8]
1386 Sir Philip Courtenay [9]
1388 (Feb) Sir Philip Courtenay Sir John Prideaux[9]
1388 (Sep) [9]
1390 (Jan) Sir Philip Courtenay [9]
1390 (Nov) John Prescott[9]
1391 Sir William Sturmy[9]
1393 Sir Philip Courtenay [9]
1394 [9]
1395 Sir Philip Courtenay Sir Hugh Courtenay[9]
1397 (Jan) Sir William Bonville [9]
1397 (Sep) Sir Hugh Courtenay Sir William Bonville[9]
Parliaments of Henry IV
Year First member Second member
1399 Sir Philip Courtenay [9]
1401 Sir Philip Courtenay Sir John Wadham[9]
1402 Sir William Bonville [9]
1404 (Jan) [9]
1404 (Oct) Sir William Sturmy Walter Reynell[9]
1406 Sir Hugh Luttrell [9]
1407 Sir Hugh Luttrell Robert Cary[9]
1410 Robert Cary[9]
1411 Robert Cary[9]
Parliaments of Henry V
Year First member Second member
1413 (Feb)
1413 (May) Robert Cary[9]
1414 (Apr) Robert Cary[9]
1414 (Nov) John Arundell[9]
1415
1416 (Mar) Robert Cary[9]
1416 (Oct)
1417 John Cole Robert Cary[9]
1419 Robert Cary[9]
1420 Sir Robert Chalons [9]
1421 (May) Sir Hugh Courtenay Robert Cary[9]
1421 (Dec) John Copplestone Henry Fortescue[9]
Parliaments of Henry VI
No Year First member Second member
1st 1422 William Bonville, 1st Baron Bonville Robert Cary[10]
2nd 1423 Richard Hankeford John Cole[10]
3rd 1425 William Bonville, 1st Baron Bonville Robert Cary[10]
4th 1426 Robert Cary James Chuddelegh[10][9]
5th 1427 Philip Courtenay William Bonville, 1st Baron Bonville[10] (& John Reynell 1427/8[11])
6th 1429
7th 1430
8th 1432
9th 1433 Sir Philip Cary
10th 1435 Nicholas Radford[12] John Copplestone
17 1439 John Copplestone[13]
33 1454/5 Walter Reynell (died 1478) of in the parish of Sherford, Devon[14]
Parliaments of Edward IV
Year First member Second member
1491
Year First member Second member
1510–1523 No names known[9]
1529 Sir William Courtenay (d. 1535) of Powderham, died Nov.1535
and repl. Jan 1536 by George Carew		 [9]
1536
1539 Sir Thomas Denys Richard Pollard[9]
1542 Richard Pollard ?[9]
1545 ? [9]
Parliaments of Edward VII
Year First member Second member
1547 John Chichester[9]
1553 (Mar) Sir Peter Carew [9]
Parliaments of Mary I
Year First member Second member
1553 (Oct) Sir Peter Carew Sir Thomas Denys[9]
1554 (Apr) Sir John Chichester [9]
1554 (Nov) James Bassett [9]
1555 James Bassett Robert Denys[9]
Parliaments of Elizabeth I
Year First member Second member
1558 James Bassett [9]
1559[9] Sir Peter Carew Sir John St Leger
1563–1567[15] John Chichester
1571[15] Sir John St Leger Peter Edgcumbe
1572–1583[15] Arthur Bassett
1584–1585[15] Walter Raleigh William Courtenay
1586–1587[15]
1588–1589[15] William Courtenay George Cary
1593[15] Sir Thomas Denys Sir Edward Seymour, 1st Baronet
1597–1598[15] William Strode Amias Bampfield
1601[15] William Courtenay Sir Edward Seymour, 1st Baronet
Parliaments of James I
Year First member Second member
1604–1611[16] Sir Edward Seymour, 1st Baronet Thomas Ridgeway[17]
(from 1607)[16] Sir John Acland
1614[16] John Drake Sir Edward Giles
1621–1622[16] Sir Edward Seymour, 2nd Baronet
1624–1625[16] Sir William Strode
Parliaments of Charles I
Year First member Second member
1625[16] Francis Fulford Francis Courtenay
1626[16] John Drake
1628–1629[16] John Bampfield Sir Francis Drake, Bt[18]

1640–1832[]

Year First member First party Second member Second party
April 1640[16] Sir Edward Seymour, 3rd Baronet Royalist Thomas Wyse[19]
November 1640[16]
1641[16] Sir Samuel Rolle[20] Parliamentarian
January 1643 Seymour disabled to sit – seat vacant
1646 Sir Nicholas Martyn
1648 William Morice[21]
December 1648 Morice and Martyn excluded in Pride's Purge – both seats vacant.
1653 Seven nominated members in the Barebones Parliament: George Monck, John Carew, , Christopher Martyn, , Francis Rous,
Devon's representation was increased to 11 MPs in the First and Second Parliaments of the Protectorate
1654 , Robert Rolle, Arthur Upton, Thomas Reynell, William Morice, John Hale,
, , Sir John Northcote, Bt, Henry Hatsell,
1656 , Robert Rolle, Arthur Upton, Thomas Reynell, William Morice, John Hale,
Sir John Northcote, Bt, Captain Henry Hatsell, Sir John Yonge, Edmund Fowell,
January 1659 Sir John Northcote, Bt Robert Rolle
May 1659 Not represented in the restored Rump
April 1660 George Monck Sir John Northcote, Bt
July 1660 Sir Edward Seymour, 3rd Baronet
1661 Sir Hugh Pollard, Bt Sir John Rolle
1667 Earl of Torrington
1671 Sir Coplestone Bampfylde, Bt
February 1679 Sir Edward Seymour, 4th Baronet Tory Sir William Courtenay, Bt
September 1679
1685 Sir Bourchier Wrey, Bt Sir Coplestone Bampfylde, Bt
1689 Francis Courtenay
September 1699
January 1701 Sir William Courtenay, Bt
December 1701
1702 Robert Rolle
1710 Sir William Pole John Rolle Tory
1712 Sir William Courtenay, Bt Tory
1713 Sir Coplestone Bampfylde, Bt Tory
1727 John Rolle Tory
1730 Henry Rolle
1736 John Bampfylde
1741 Sir William Courtenay, Bt Theophilus Fortescue
1746 Sir Thomas Dyke-Acland, Bt
1747 Sir Richard Bampfylde, Bt
1762 John Parker
1776 John Rolle Walter
1780 John Rolle
1784 John Pollexfen Bastard Tory
1796
1812 Sir Thomas Dyke-Acland, Bt Tory
1816 Edmund Pollexfen Bastard
1818 Viscount Ebrington Whig
1820 Sir Thomas Dyke-Acland, Bt Tory
1830 Viscount Ebrington Whig
1831 Lord John Russell Whig
  • Constituency abolished (1832)

Elections[]

Notes[]

  1. ^ a b c d e f J. J. Alexander (1912). "Devon County Members of Parliament. Part I. The early Plantagenet Period (1212–1327)". Report & Transactions of the Devonshire Association. 44: 366–381.
  2. ^ Vivian, Lt.Col. J. L., (ed.) The Visitations of the County of Devon: Comprising the Heralds' Visitations of 1531, 1564 & 1620, Exeter, 1895, p. 616, pedigree of Prideaux.
  3. ^ Risdon, Tristram (d. 1640), Survey of Devon, 1811 edition, London, 1811, with 1810 Additions, p. 251.
  4. ^ Vivian, Lt.Col. J. L., (ed.) The Visitations of the County of Devon: Comprising the Heralds' Visitations of 1531, 1564 & 1620, Exeter, 1895, p. 150, pedigree of Cary (regnal year 37 Edward III, i.e. 1363); see also biography of his son Sir Robert Cary in History of Parliament [1]
  5. ^ Vivian, Lt.Col. J.L., (Ed.) The Visitations of the County of Devon: Comprising the Heralds' Visitations of 1531, 1564 & 1620, Exeter, 1895, p. 150, pedigree of Cary (regnal year 37 Edward III, i.e. 1363).
  6. ^ a b Vivian, p. 150 (regnal year 42 Edward III, i.e. 1368).
  7. ^ a b Beaumont, Edward T., The Beaumonts in History. A.D. 850-1850. Oxford, c. 1929, (privately published), Chapter 5, pp. 56–63, The Devonshire Family, p. 62 (term given as 1376–80).
  8. ^ "STRETCH, Sir John (1341-90), of Pinhoe and Hempston Arundel (Little Hempston), Devon". History of Parliament Online. Retrieved 12 May 2013.
  9. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z aa ab ac ad ae af ag ah ai aj ak al am an ao ap aq "History of Parliament". Retrieved 12 September 2011.
  10. ^ a b c d e Willis 1715, p. 252.
  11. ^ Vivian, Lt.Col. J. L., (ed.) The Visitations of the County of Devon: Comprising the Heralds' Visitations of 1531, 1564 & 1620, Exeter, 1895, p. 643: regnal date "6 Henry IV" (sic), probably "6 Henry VI" 1427/8; corrected date deduced as his brother was Walter Reynell (died 1478) of Malston (Vivian, p. 643) a Member of Parliament for Devon in 1454/5 (Vivian, p. 643).
  12. ^ [2] History of Parliament Online article.
  13. ^ "COPPLESTONE, John (D.1458), of Copplestone in Colebrooke, Devon. | History of Parliament Online".
  14. ^ Regnal date 33 Henry VI per Vivian, Lt.Col. J. L., (ed.) The Visitations of the County of Devon: Comprising the Heralds' Visitations of 1531, 1564 & 1620, Exeter, 1895, pp. 643–5, pedigree of Reynell, p. 643.
  15. ^ a b c d e f g h i J. J. Alexander (1915), "Devon Country Members of Parliament, Part IV, The Tudor Period (1485-1603)", Rep. Trans. Devon. Ass. Advmt Sci., XLVII: 365–370
  16. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k J. J. Alexander (1916), "Devon Country Members of Parliament, Part V, The Stuart Period (1603-1688)", Rep. Trans. Devon. Ass. Advmt Sci., XLVIII: 330–332
  17. ^ Appointed Treasurer in Ireland 1607.
  18. ^ Youngest brother (1588–1637) of Francis Drake.
  19. ^ Died March 1641.
  20. ^ Died December 1647.
  21. ^ Morice may not have taken his seat before being excluded in Pride's Purge.

References[]

  • 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) [3]
  • J. E. Neale, The Elizabethan House of Commons (London: Jonathan Cape, 1949)
  • Leigh Rayment's Historical List of MPs – Constituencies beginning with "D" (part 2)
  • Willis, Browne (1715). Notitia parliamentaria: or, An history of the counties, cities, and boroughs in England and Wales: Cornwall, Cumberland, Darby, Devon, Dorset and Durham. Vol. II. Printed by Robert Gosling. p. 252.

See also[]

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