Bridgwater was a parliamentary constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom, until 2010 when it was replaced by the Bridgwater and West Somerset constituency. It elected one Member of Parliament (MP) by the first past the post system of election.
History
Bridgwater was one of the original Parliamentary Constituencies in the House of Commons, having elected Members of Parliament since 1295, the Model Parliament.
The original borough constituency was disenfranchised for corruption in 1870. From 4 July 1870 the town was incorporated within the county constituency of West Somerset.
From Parliament's enactment of the major Redistribution of Seats Act 1885 which took effect at the 1885 general election, a new county division of Bridgwater was created, which lasted with modifications until 2010. The constituency expanded considerably beyond Bridgwater town itself from 1885.
Bridgwater frequently compared to other seats had a radical or game-changing representative, though since 1950 this became less noticeable in its candidates elected.
The seat received particular fame in late 1938 when a by-election took place in the aftermath of the signing of the Munich Agreement. Opponents of the agreement persuaded the local Labour and Liberal parties to not field candidates of their own against the Conservative candidate, but to instead jointly back an independent standing on a platform of opposition to the Government's foreign policy, in the hope that this would be the precursor to the formation of a more general Popular Front of opposition to the government of Neville Chamberlain in anticipation of the General Election due in either 1939 or 1940. The noted journalist Vernon Bartlett stood as the independent Popular Front candidate and achieved a sensational victory in what was hitherto a Conservative seat. He represented the constituency for the next twelve years.
In 1970 another by-election in the constituency achieved fame as it was the first occasion when 18-, 19- and 20-year-olds were able to vote in the UK Parliamentary election. The first under-21 year old to cast a vote was Susan Wallace. The by-election was won by the future Conservative Cabinet Minister Tom King who held the seat for the next thirty-one years, followed by another Conservative until its abolition in 2010.
Boundaries
1885-1918: The Municipal Borough of Bridgwater, the Sessional Division of Bridgwater, and parts of the Sessional Divisions of Taunton and Ilminster.
1918-1950: The Municipal Borough of Bridgwater, the Urban Districts of Burnham-on-Sea, Highbridge, Minehead, and Watchet, and the Rural Districts of Bridgwater and Williton.
1950-1983: The Municipal Borough of Bridgwater, the Urban Districts of Burnham-on-Sea, Minehead, and Watchet, and the Rural Districts of Bridgwater and Williton.
1983-2010: The District of Sedgemoor wards of Cannington and Combwich, Central, Dowsborough, Eastern Quantocks, Eastover, East Poldens, Hamp, Huntspill, Newton Green, North Petherton, Parchey, Pawlett and Puriton, Quantock, Sandford, Sowey, Sydenham, Victoria, Westonzoyland, West Poldens, and Woolavington, and the District of West Somerset wards of Alcombe, Aville Vale, Carhampton and Withycombe, Crowcombe and Stogumber, Dunster, East Brendon, Holnicote, Minehead North, Minehead South, Old Cleeve, Porlock and Oare, Quantock Vale, Watchet, West Quantock, and Williton.
Members of Parliament
- Constituency created (1295)
Bridgwater borough, 1295–1870
MPs 1295–1640
| Parliament | First member | Second member |
| 1377 | William Tomer[1] | John Sydenham[2] |
| 1380 (Jan) | William Tomer [1] | |
| 1383 (Oct) | William Tomer [1] | |
| 1385 | William Tomer [1] | |
| 1386 | John Sydenham | Richard Mayne [2] |
| 1388 (Feb) | John Sydenham | Richard Mayne [2] |
| 1388 (Sep) | John Palmer | John Wynd [2] |
| 1390 (Jan) | William Tomer | John Palmer [2] |
| 1390 (Nov) | |
| 1391 | William Tomer | John Sydenham [2] |
| 1393 | William Tomer | Robert Boson [2] |
| 1394 | John Cole | John Palmer [2] |
| 1395 | William Tomer | John Kedwelly [2] |
| 1397 (Jan) | William Tomer | John Kedwelly [2] |
| 1397 (Sep) | William Tomer | John Sydenham [2] |
| 1399 | William Tomer | John Kedwelly [2] |
| 1401 | |
| 1402 | William Tomer | John Kedwelly [2] |
| 1404 (Jan) | |
| 1404 (Oct) | |
| 1406 | William Tomer | William Gascoigne [2] |
| 1407 | William Gascoigne | Richard Ward [2] |
| 1410 | William Gascoigne | John Kedwelly [2] |
| 1411 | |
| 1413 (Feb) | |
| 1413 (May) | William Gascoigne | William Gosse [2] |
| 1414 (Apr) | William Gascoigne | Thomas Cave [2] |
| 1414 (Nov) | William Gascoigne | John Kedwelly [2] |
| 1415 | |
| 1416 (Mar) | |
| 1416 (Oct) | |
| 1417 | William Gascoigne | John Kedwelly [2] |
| 1419 | William Gascoigne | Richard Mayne [2] |
| 1420 | William Gascoigne | Martin Jacob [2] |
| 1421 (May) | James FitzJames | William Gascoigne [2] |
| 1421 (Dec) | William Gascoigne | John Pitt [2] |
| 1442 | William Dodesham | William Gascoigne |
| 1449 | Thomas Driffield | John Maunsel |
| 1453 | John Maunsel |
| 1467 | James FitzJames |
| 1467 | John Kendall (4 terms) |
| 1472 | Sir Thomas Tremayle |
| 1483 | John Hymerford | William Hody[3] |
| 1510–1523 | No names known [4] |
| 1529 | Henry Thornton | Hugh Trotter [4] |
| 1536 | ? |
| 1539 | ? |
| 1542 | ? |
| 1545 | Thomas Dyer | Alexander Popham [4] |
| 1547 | Sir Thomas Dyer | Alexander Popham [4] |
| 1553 (Mar) | Sir Thomas Dyer | Richard Gubby [4] |
| 1553 (Oct) |
Sir Thomas Dyer |
Nicholas Halswell |
| 1554 (Apr) |
John Newport |
Robert Molyns (or Mullens) [5] |
| 1554 (Nov) |
John Newport |
John Chapell |
| 1555 |
Thomas Dyer |
Edmund Lyte |
| 1558 |
John Newport |
Robert Molyns (or Mullens) |
| 1559 |
Sir Thomas Dyer |
Robert Molyns (or Mullens) |
| 1563–1567 |
John Edwards |
Nicholas Halswell |
| 1571 |
Edward Popham |
| 1572–1581 |
| 1584–1585 |
Robert Blake |
| Parliament of 1586–1587 |
John Court |
| Parliament of 1588–1589 |
Alexander Popham |
| 1593 |
Robert Bocking |
William Thomas |
| 1597–1598 |
Alexander Jones |
Alexander Popham |
| 1601 |
Sir Francis Hastings |
| 1604–1611 |
Sir Nicholas Halswell |
John Povey |
| Addled Parliament (1614) |
Robert Halswell |
Thomas Warre |
| 1621–1622 |
Roger Warre |
Edward Popham |
| Happy Parliament (1624–1625) |
| Useless Parliament (1625) |
Sir Arthur Lake |
| 1625–1626 |
| 1628 |
Thomas Smith |
Sir Thomas Wroth |
| 1629–1640 | No Parliament summoned |
1640–1868
Bridgwater county constituency, 1885–2010
- County division created (1885)
Elections
Elections in the 1880s
Edward Stanley
Elections in the 1890s
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 from 1914 and by the end of this year, the following candidates had been selected;
- endorsed by the Coalition Government
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 and by the Autumn of 1939, the following candidates had been selected;
Elections in the 1950s
Elections in the 1960s
Elections in the 1970s
Elections in the 1980s
Elections in the 1990s
Elections in the 2000s
See also
Notes and references
- 1 2 3 4 "THOMER (TOMERE), William, of Bridgwater, Som.". History of Parliament Online. Retrieved 2012-10-28.
- 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 "History of Parliament". History of Parliament Trust. Retrieved 2011-11-02.
- ↑ Baker, J. H. "Hody, Sir William". Oxford Dictionary of National Biography (online ed.). Oxford University Press. doi:10.1093/ref:odnb/13456. (Subscription or UK public library membership required.)
- 1 2 3 4 5 "History of Parliament". History of Parliament Trust. Retrieved 2011-11-02.
- ↑ Browne Willis gives Molyns' name only tentatively for 1555
- 1 2 3 "Bridgwater". The History of Parliament. The History of Parliament Trust. Retrieved 24 September 2012.
- ↑ Expelled as a monopolist, January 1641
- ↑ Cobbett lists the second MP elected in 1645 as John Palmer, MD, and gives Blake as MP for Taunton. Brunton & Pennington agree with the Dictionary of National Biography in naming Blake as MP for Bridgwater and Palmer for Taunton.
- ↑ Perceval was initially declared re-elected in 1768, but on petition he was judged not to have been duly elected and his opponent, Poulett, was seated in his place.
- ↑ Allen was initially declared re-elected in 1780, but on petition he was judged not to have been duly elected and his opponent, Acland, was seated in his place.
- ↑ Vice-Admiral from 1787
- ↑ Lieutenant-Colonel from 1793, Colonel from 1796
- ↑ The election of Westropp was declared void and a by-election was held
- ↑ The election of Kinglake and Vanderbyl in 1868 declared void. The writ (of election) was suspended and a Royal Commission was appointed, which reported that it had found proof of extensive bribery.
- ↑ Croom-Johnson vacated his seat on appointment as a Justice of the High Court.
- ↑ Bartlett contested the 1938 by-election with the support of the local Labour and Liberal Associations, standing on a Popular Front and anti-appeasement programme.
- ↑ The Liberal Year Book, 1907
- ↑ The Liberal Year Book, 1907
- ↑ The Liberal Year Book, 1907
- ↑ The Liberal Year Book, 1907
- ↑ The Liberal Year Book, 1907
- ↑ British parliamentary election results, 1885–1918 (Craig)
- ↑ Debrett's House of Commons & Judicial Bench, 1916
- ↑ Debrett's House of Commons & Judicial Bench, 1916
- ↑ Western Daily Press, 13 Jan 1939
Sources
- Boundaries of Parliamentary Constituencies 1885–1972, compiled and edited by F.W.S. Craig (Parliamentary Reference Publications 1972)
- British Parliamentary Election Results 1832–1885, compiled and edited by F.W.S. Craig (Macmillan Press 1977)
- British Parliamentary Election Results 1885–1918, compiled and edited by F.W.S. Craig (Macmillan Press 1974)
- British Parliamentary Election Results 1918–1949, compiled and edited by F.W.S. Craig (Macmillan Press, revised edition 1977)
- British Parliamentary Election Results 1950–1973, compiled and edited by F.W.S. Craig (Parliamentary Research Services 1983)
- Who's Who of British Members of Parliament: Volume I 1832–1885, edited by M. Stenton (The Harvester Press 1976)
- Who's Who of British Members of Parliament, Volume II 1886–1918, edited by M. Stenton and S. Lees (Harvester Press 1978)
- Who's Who of British Members of Parliament, Volume III 1919–1945, edited by M. Stenton and S. Lees (Harvester Press 1979)
- Who's Who of British Members of Parliament, Volume IV 1945–1979, edited by M. Stenton and S. Lees (Harvester Press 1981)
- 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)
- Esther S Cope and Willson H Coates (eds), Camden Fourth Series, Volume 19: Proceedings of the Short Parliament of 1640 (London: Royal Historical Society, 1977)
- 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)
- 'Bridgwater: Parliamentary representation' in Victoria County History of Somerset: Volume 6 (1992)
