Appendix V

Published in The History of Parliament: the House of Commons 1820-1832, ed. D.R. Fisher, 2009
Available from Cambridge University Press

Constituencies and Contested Elections

 

The House of Commons from 1820 until 1826 had 658 Members, elected by 380 constituencies as follows:

 

England, 489 Members, 245 constituencies:

40 counties, returning 2 Members each;

196 boroughs, returning 2 Members each;

2 boroughs (London and the combined constituency of Weymouth and Melcombe Regis), returning 4 Members each;

5 boroughs (Abingdon, Banbury, Bewdley, Higham Ferrers and Monmouth), returning 1 Member each;

2 universities, returning 2 Members each

 

Wales, 24 Members, 24 constituencies:

12 counties, returning 1 Member each;

12 boroughs (7 of them groups of boroughs), returning 1 Member each

 

Scotland, 45 Members, 45 constituencies:

27 counties, returning 1 Member each;

3 pairs of counties, one in each pair alternating with the other to return 1 Member;

1 burgh (Edinburgh), returning 1 Member;

14 groups of burghs, each returning 1 Member

 

Ireland, 100 Members, 66 constituencies:

32 counties, returning 2 Members each;

31 boroughs, returning 1 Member each;

2 boroughs (Cork and Dublin), returning 2 Members each;

1 university, returning 1 Member

 

From the general election of 1826 until the dissolution in 1832, disfranchised Grampound’s two seats were allocated to Yorkshire. Therefore there were now 379 constituencies, and the details for England became 489 Members, 244 constituencies:

39 counties, returning 2 Members each

1 county (Yorkshire), returning 4 Members;

195 boroughs, returning 2 Members;

2 boroughs, returning 4 Members each;

5 boroughs, returning 1 Member each;

2 universities, returning 2 Members each

The following tables list the constituencies. Contested elections (that is, those in which the candidates stood a poll) are marked X. Contested by-elections are entered by date in the last column. The size of the estimated electorates is indicated, with English and Welsh boroughs being classified as L (large, an electorate of 1,000 or more), M (medium, 500-999 electors), or S (small, below 500). The type of borough franchise is broadly shown as B (burgage holders), C (the corporation), FH (freeholders), FM (freemen), H (inhabitant householders), SL (scot and lot payers). Any refinements of theses franchises are noted in the constituency articles. An asterisk indicates a variation from the corresponding table in the 1790-1820 section of the History. There is a more comprehensive analysis of constituencies and elections in the Introductory Survey.

English counties

Electorate         
(1831)

General election

Contested
by-elections        

1820     

1826       

1830        

1831        

Bedfordshire

2,800

X

X

X

Berkshire

3,000

X

7 June 1832

Buckinghamshire

4,000

X

Cambridgeshire

4,000

X

X

1 Nov. 1831

Cheshire

5,000

No contests

Cornwall

4,000

X

Cumberland

5,000

X

X

Derbyshire

3,000

X

Devon

10,000

X

X

X

Dorset

4,000

X

30 Sept. 1831

Durham

6,000

X

Essex

6,000

X

X

11 Mar. 1830

Gloucestershire

7,000

No contests

Hampshire

6,000

X

Herefordshire

5,000

No contests

Hertfordshire

4,000

No contests

Huntingdonshire

1,900

X

X

X

Kent

12,000

No contests

Lancashire

15,000

No contests

Leicestershire

6,000

X

Lincolnshire

7,000

 

6 Dec. 1823

Middlesex

8,000

X

Monmouthshire

2,000

No contests

Norfolk

7,000

No contests

Northamptonshire

4,200

X

Northumberland

4,000

X

21 Feb. 1826

Nottinghamshire

6,000

No contests

Oxfordshire

3,500

X

X

X

Rutland

800

No contests

No

Shropshire

6,632

X

Somerset

9,000

X

Staffordshire

5,000

No contests

Suffolk

10,000

X

Surrey

6,000

X

X

Sussex

6,000

X

X

Warwickshire

4,000

7 Nov. 1820

Westmorland

3,500

X

X

Wiltshire

5,000

No contests

Worcestershire

4,900

X

Yorkshire

50,000

X

7 Dec. 1830

English boroughs

Size of

electorate      

Franchise      

General elections

Contested
by-elections       

1820      

1826     

1830     

1831     

Abingdon (Berks.)

S

SL

X

Aldborough (Yorks.)

S

SL

X

Aldeburgh (Suff.)

S

FM

No contests

Amersham (Bucks.)

S

SL

No contests

Andover (Hants)

S

C

No contests

Appleby (Westmld.)

S

B

No contests

Arundel (Suss.)

S

SL

X

X

21 Feb. 1823

Ashburton (Devon)

S

B

X

Aylesbury (Bucks.)

L*

FH

X

Banbury (Oxon.)

S

C

X

Barnstaple (Devon)

M*

FM

X

X

X

8 Mar. 1824

Bath (Som.)

S

C

X

X

13 Feb. 1829

11 Mar. 1829

Bedford (Beds.)

L

FM

X

Bere Alston (Devon)

S

B

X

11 Jan. 1831

Berwick-upon-Tweed (Northumb.)

L

FM

X

X

X

X

7 Dec. 1820

29 Mar. 1827

Beverley (Yorks.)

L

FM

X

X

X

X

Bewdley (Worcs.)

S

FM

No contests

Bishop’s Castle (Salop)

S

FM

X

Bletchingley (Surr.)

S

B

No contests

Bodmin (Cornw.)

S

C

No contests

Boroughbridge (Yorks.)

S

B

X

X

Bossiney (Cornw.)

S

FM

X

2 June 1823

Boston (Lincs.)

M*

FM

X

X

X

X

Brackley (Northants.)

S

C

No contests

Bramber (Suss.)

S

B

No contests

Bridgnorth (Salop)

L*

FM

X

X

Bridgwater (Som.)

S

SL

X

X

Bridport (Dorset)

S

SL

X

Bristol (Glos.)

L

FM

X

X

X

Buckingham (Bucks.)

S

C

No contests

Bury St. Edmunds (Suff.)

S

C

X

Callington (Cornw.)

S

FH*

X

X

Calne (Wilts.)

S

C

X

Cambridge (Cambs.)

S

FM

X

X

Camelford (Cornw.)

S

FM

X

26 June 1822

Canterbury (Kent)

L

FM

X

X

X

Carlisle (Cumb.)

M

FM

X

X

X

31 May 1820

16 Aug. 1827

18 Feb. 1829

Castle Rising (Norf.)

S

B

No contests

Chester (Cheshire)

L

FM

X

X

11 Dec. 1830

18 May 1832

Chichester (Suss.)

M

SL

X

X

X

10 Feb. 1823

Chippenham (Wilts.)

S

B

X

X

Chipping Wycombe (Bucks.)

S

FM

26 June 1832

Christchurch (Hants)

S

C

No contests

Cirencester (Glos.)

M

H

No contests

Clitheroe (Lancs.)

S

B

No contests

Cockermouth (Cumb.)

S

B

No contests

Colchester (Essex)

L

FM

X

X

X

9 Apr. 1831

Corfe Castle (Dorset)

S

SL

No contests

Coventry (Warws.)

L

FM

X

X

X

X

Cricklade (Wilts.)

L

FH

X

Dartmouth (Devon)

S

FM

X

Derby (Derbys.)

M

FM

No contests

Devizes (Wilts.)

S

C

X

Dorchester (Dorset)

M

SL

No contests

Dover (Cinque Ports)

L

FM

X

X

11 Feb. 1828

Downton (Wilts.)

S

B

No contests

Droitwich (Worcs.)

S

C

No contests

Dunwich (Suff.)

S

FM

No contests

Durham (Co. Dur.)

L

FM

X

4 Apr. 1832

6 Feb. 1828

23 Mar. 1831

East Grinstead (Suss.)

S

B

No contests

East Looe (Cornw.)

S

FM

X

East Retford (Notts.)

S

FM

X

X

X

Evesham (Worcs.)

S*

FM

X

X

X

Exeter (Devon)

L

FM

X

X

Eye (Suff.)

S

FM

No contests

Fowey (Cornw.)

S

SL

X

Gatton (Surr.)

S

SL

No contests

Gloucester (Glos.)

L

FM

X

X

Grampound (Cornw.)

S

FM

No contests

Grantham (Lincs.)

M

FM

X

X

X

X

21 July 1820

Great Bedwyn (Wilts.)

S

B

No contests

Great Grimsby (Lincs.)

S

FM

X

X

X

X

10 Aug. 1831

Great Marlow (Bucks.)

S

SL

X

X

X

Great Yarmouth (Norf.)

L

FM

X

X

X

X

Guildford (Surr.)

S

FM

X

X

Harwich (Essex)

S

C

No contests

Haslemere (Surr.)

S

FH

No contests

Hastings (Cinque Ports)

S

FM

X

Hedon (Yorks.)

S

FM

X

X

Helston (Cornw.)

S

C

X

Hereford (Herefs.)

L

FM

X

Hertford (Herts.)

M

FM

X

X

27 June 1823

Heytesbury (Wilts.)

S

B

No contests

Higham Ferrers (Northants.)

S

FM

No contests

Hindon (Wilts.)

S

H

X

Honiton (Devon)

M*

H

X

X

Horsham (Suss.)

S

B

No contests

Huntingdon (Hunts.)

S

FM

X

X

X

14 May 1824

Hythe (Cinque Ports)

S

FM

X

Ilchester (Som.)

S

H

X

X

X

Ipswich (Suff.)

L*

FM

X

X

X

X

King’s Lynn (Norf.)

S

FM

X

X

29 June 1822

19 Mar. 1824

Kingston-upon-Hull (Yorks.)

L

FM

X

X

Knaresborough (Yorks.)

S

B

1 Dec. 1830

Lancaster (Lancs.)

L

FM

X

Launceston (Cornw.)

S

FM

No contests

Leicester (Leics.)

L

FM

X

Leominster (Herefs.)

M

SL

X

X

X

X

22 Dec. 1831

Lewes (Suss.)

M*

SL

X

X

Lichfield (Staffs.)

L*

FM

X

X

Lincoln (Lincs.)

L

FM

X

X

Liskeard (Cornw.)

S

FM

No contests

Liverpool (Lancs.)

L

FM

X

X

X

X

15 Feb. 1823

30 Nov. 1830

21 Oct. 1831

London (Mdx.)

L

FM

X

X

Lostwithiel (Cornw.)

S

C

No contests

Ludgershall (Wilts.)

S

FH

No contests

Ludlow (Salop)

M

FM

X

Lyme Regis (Dorset)

S

FM

No contests

Lymington (Hants)

S

FM

No contests

Maidstone (Kent)

M

FM

X

X

X

X

Maldon (Essex)

L

FM

X

3 Dec. 1827

Malmesbury (Wilts.)

S

C

X

Malton (Yorks.)

M*

SL

No contests

Marlborough (Wilts.)

S

C

X

X

Midhurst (Suss.)

S

B

No contests

Milborne Port (Som.)

S

SL

X

Minehead (Som.)

S

H

No contests

Mitchell (Cornw.)

S

SL

X

Monmouth Boroughs (Mon.)

S

FM

X

Morpeth (Northumb.)

S

FM

No contests

Newark (Notts.)

L*

SL

X

X

X

6 Mar. 1829

21 Feb. 1831

Newcastle-under-Lyme (Staffs.)

M

FM

X

X

X

24 July 1823

Newcastle-upon-Tyne (Northumb.)

L

FM

X

Newport (Cornw.)

S

B

21 Mar. 1823

Newport I.o.W. (Hants)

S

C

No contests

New Romney (Cinque Ports)

S

C

X

New Shoreham (Suss.)

L

FH

X

X

Newton (Lancs.)

S

B

No contests

Newtown I.o.W. (Hants)

S

B

No contests

New Windsor (Berks.)

M*

SL

No contests

New Woodstock (Oxon.)

S

FM

X

X

Northallerton (Yorks.)

S

B

No contests

Northampton (Northants.)

L

H

X

X

X

X

Norwich (Norf.)

L

FM

X

X

Nottingham (Notts.)

L

FM

X

X

X

Okehampton (Devon)

S

FM

X

Old Sarum (Wilts.)

S

B

No contests

Orford (Suff.)

S

FM

No contests

Oxford (Oxon.)

L

FM

X

X

X

Penryn (Cornw.)

S

SL

X

X

X

X

10 May 1824

Peterborough (Northants.)

M

SL

12 Feb. 1823

Petersfield (Hants)

S

B

X

X

X

Plymouth (Devon)

S

FM

X

Plympton Erle (Devon)

S

FM

No contests

Pontefract (Yorks.)

M

H

X

X

X

Poole (Dorset)

S

FM

X

6 Oct. 1831

Portsmouth (Hants)

S

FM

X

Preston (Lancs.)

L

H

X

X

X

17 Dec. 1830

Queenborough (Kent)

S

FM

X

X

X

Reading (Berks.)

L*

SL

X

X

X

Reigate (Surr.)

S

FH

No contests

Richmond (Yorks.)

S

B

No contests

Ripon (Yorks.)

S

B

No contests

Rochester (Kent)

L*

FM

X

X

Rye (Cinque Ports)

S

FM

X

X

X

1 Mar. 1830

St. Albans (Herts.)

M

FM

X

X

X

9 Jan. 1821

St. Germans (Cornw.)

S

H

No contests

St. Ives (Cornw.)

S

SL

X

X

X

St. Mawes (Cornw.)

S

FM

X

X

Salisbury (Wilts.)

S

C

X

Saltash (Cornw.)

S

B

No contests

Sandwich (Cinque Ports)

M

FM

X

30 Mar. 1829

Scarborough (Yorks.)

S

C

No contest

Seaford (Cinque Ports)

S

SL

X

X

5 Sept. 1827

Shaftesbury (Dorset)

S

SL

X

X

X

Shrewsbury (Salop)

L*

FM

X

X

X

Southampton (Hants)

L*

FM

X

X

13 Jan. 1830

Southwark (Surr.)

L

SL

X

X

X

25 Nov. 1830

Stafford (Staffs.)

M

FM

X

X

X

X

15 Dec. 1826

Stamford (Lincs.)

M

SL

X

X

Steyning (Suss.)

S

SL

No contests

Stockbridge (Hants)

S

SL

X

X

Sudbury (Suff.)

M

FM

X

X

X

9 Apr. 1828

Tamworth (Staffs.)

S

SL

No contests

Taunton (Som.)

M*

H

X

X

X

Tavistock (Devon)

S

FH

No contests

Tewkesbury (Glos.)

M*

FM

X

Thetford (Norf.)

S

C

No contests

Thirsk (Yorks.)

S

B

No contests

Totnes (Devon)

S

FM

X

X

X

Tregony (Cornw.)

S

H

X

X

X

X

25 Feb. 1832

Truro (Cornw.)

S

C

X

X

X

5 June 1820

Wallingford (Berks.)

S

SL

X

X

X

X

16 Dec. 1826

21 Sept. 1831

Wareham (Dorset)

S

SL

No contests

Warwick (Warws.)

L*

SL

X

11 Feb. 1826

Wells (Som.)

S

FM

X

X

Wendover (Bucks.)

S

H

X

Wenlock (Salop)

M*

FM

X

Weobley (Herefs.)

S

SL

No contests

Westbury (Wilts.)

S

B

No contests

West Looe (Cornw.)

S

FM

13 Feb. 1822

Westminster (Mdx.)

L

SL

X

Weymouth and Melcombe Regis (Dorset)

M

FH

X

X

20 Feb. 1828

15 June 1829

1 Aug. 1831

Whitchurch (Hants)

S

B

No contests

Wigan (Lancs.)

S

FM

X

X

X

1 Mar. 1831

Wilton (Wilts.)

S

C

No contests

Winchelsea (Cinque Ports)

S

FM

X

Winchester (Hants)

S

FM

X

Wootton Bassett (Wilts.)

S

SL

X

X

Worcester (Worcs.)

L

FM

X

Yarmouth I.o.W. (Hants)

S

C

No contests

York (Yorks.)

L

FM

X

X

Universities

Electorate                    

General elections

Contested
by-elections         

1820    

1826     

1830     

1831     

Cambridge

2,000

X

X

27 Nov. 1822

11 May 1827

18 June 1829

Oxford

2,500

24 Aug. 1821

28 Feb. 1829

Welsh counties

Electorate                           

General elections

Contested
by-elections         

1820     

1826     

1830     

1831     

Anglesey

 600

No contests

Breconshire

2,000

X

Caernarvonshire

1,500

No contests

Cardiganshire

 650

No contests

Carmarthenshire

2,500

No contests

Denbighshire

2,500

No contests

Flintshire

1,200

No contests

Glamorgan

3,000

X

Merioneth

 600

No contests

Montgomeryshire

1,110

X

Pembrokeshire

3,500

X

24 Oct. 1831

Radnorshire

 800

No contests

Welsh boroughs

Size of
electorate        

Franchise         

General elections

Contested
by-elections

1820     

1826    

1830     

1831              

Beaumaris (Anglesey)

S

C

No contests

Brecon (Brec.)

S

FM

No contests

Caernarvon Boroughs (Caern.)

M

FM

X

Cardiff Boroughs (Glam.)

M

FM

X

Cardigan Boroughs (Card.)

L

FM

No contests

Carmarthen (Carm.)

M*

FM

5 July 1821

25 Aug. 1831

Denbigh Boroughs (Denb.)

M

FM

X

X

Flint Boroughs (Flints.)

L*

SL

No contests

Haverfordwest (Pemb.)

M*

FM

No contests

Montgomery (Mont.)

S

FM

No contests

New Radnor Boroughs (Rad.)

S

FM

X

Pembroke Boroughs (Pemb.)

L*

FM

No contests

Scottish counties

Electorate        

General elections

Contested
by-elections      

1820    

1826      

1830      

1831     

Aberdeenshire

189

X

Argyllshire

103

X

Ayrshire

211

X

Banffshire

52

X

X

Berwickshire

147

No contests

Dumfriesshire

84

No contests

Dunbartonshire

71

X

X

19 Feb. 1821

Edinburghshire

173

No contests

Elginshire

23

No contests

Fifeshire

236

X

X

Forfarshire

129

3 Oct. 1831

Haddingtonshire

105

X

X

X

Inverness-shire

81

X

Kincardineshire

82

X

Kirkcudbright

 Stewartry

166

X

Lanarkshire

224

X

X

16 Oct. 1827

Linlithgowshire

68

No contests

Orkney and Shetland

42

X

Peebblesshire

46

No contests

Perthshire

239

No contests

Renfrewshire

143

X

Ross-shire

82

X

Roxburghshire

149

X

Selkirkshire

50

No contests

Stirlingshire

132

X

24 May 1821

Sutherland

20

No contests

Wigtownshire

70

X

30 July 1822

{Buteshire

21

nc

nr

nc

nr

{Caithness

46

nr

X

nr

nc

{Clackmannanshire

16

nc

nr

nc

nr

{Kinross-shire

21

nr

nc

nr

nc

{Nairnshire

17

nc

nr

nc

nr

{Cromartyshire

19

nr

nc

nr

X

 

nr = not represented

nc = no contest

In every Parliament one of each of the paired counties was not represented.

Scottish burghs

General elections

Contested
by-elections        

1820    

1826     

1830     

1831     

Aberdeen

X

X

Anstruther Easter

X

X

Ayr

No contests

Dumfries

X

Dysart

No contests

Edinburgh

X

X

Elgin

X

Glasgow

X

X

Haddington

X

X

Inverness

No contests

Linlithgow

X

X

X

X

Perth

X

13 Jan. 1831

Stirling

X

X

Tain

No contests

Wigtown

No contests

 

Irish counties

Electorate

General elections

Contested
by-elections         

1829

1830  

1820

1826

1830

1831

Antrim

7,068

2,037

X

Armagh

8,746

1,361

X

Carlow

1,510

530

X

Cavan

6,081

1,325

X

X

X

Clare

8,557

1,604

X

X

5 July 1828

23 Mar. 1831

Cork

5,448

3,138

No contests

Donegal

2,381

667

X

Down

11,664

1,990

X

X

X

Dublin

4,016

1,649

X

X

X

11 Feb. 1823

Fermanagh

6,878

1,032

X

8 Mar. 1823

Galway

33,014

2,052

X

X

Kerry

4,593

1,024

X

X

Kildare

952

496

X

Kilkenny

3,261

1,078

X

28 Feb. 1831

King’s Co.

2,020

1,139

X

Leitrim

6,061

602

X

Limerick

9,277

3,142

X

X

2 Feb. 1830

Londonderry

4,803

866

X

Longford

1,562

367

X

Louth

2,675

695

X

X

Mayo

24,417

1,055

X

X

Meath

1,671

977

X

11 Aug. 1831

Monaghan

12,860

1,148

X

X

Queen’s Co.

2,285

1,344

X

X

Roscommon

8,163

629

X

Sligo

5,036

610

X

X

4 Dec. 1822

Tipperary

8,767

2,900

X

X

Tyrone

6,701

773

No contests

Waterford

6,104

1,210

X

2 Mar. 1830

Westmeath

2,601

641

X

X

Wexford

6,180

1,066

X

X

Wicklow

1,139

785

No contests

 

Electorates before and after the 1829 Act disfranchising 40s. freeholders.

Irish boroughs                              

Size

of

electorate     

Franchise      

General elections

Contested
by-elections         

1820     

1826     

1830     

1831     

Armagh

S

C

No contests

Athlone (Westmeath)

S

FM

X

X

Bandon Bridge (Cork)

S

C

X

22 July 1831

Belfast (Antrim)

S

C

No contests

Carlow

S

C

X

Carrickfergus (Antrim)

M

FR

X

X

Cashel (Tipperary)

S

FM

No contests

Clonmel (Tipperary)

S

FM

No contests

Coleraine (Londonderry)

S

FM

X

X

Cork

L

FR

X

X

29 Dec. 1826

9 July 1829

29 Mar. 1830

Downpatrick (Down)

S

H

X

X

Drogheda (Louth)

M

FR

X

X

X

X

9 Mar. 1822

Dublin

L

FR

X

X

30 June 1820

18 Aug. 1831

Dundalk (Louth)

S

FM

No contests

Dungannon (Tyrone)

S

C

No contests

Dungarvan (Waterford)

M*

H and FH

X

Ennis (Clare)

S

C

No contests

Enniskillen (Fermanagh)

S

FM

No contests

Galway

L*

FR

X

X

X

Kilkenny

M*

FR

X

X

X

18 Feb. 1822

Kinsale (Cork)

S

FM

No contests

Limerick

L*

FR

X

X

Lisburn (Antrim)

S

H

No contests

Londonderry

S*

FM

X

X

2 Apr. 1831

Mallow (Cork)

M*

FH

X

X

New Ross (Wexford)

S

FM

No contests

Newry (Down)

M*

H

X

Portarlington (Queen’s Co.)

S

FM

No contests

Sligo

S

C

No contests

Tralee (Kerry)

S

C

No contests

Waterford

L

FR

No contests

Wexford

S

FM

X

3 June 1829

Youghal (Cork)

S

FM

X

Dublin University

96

X

X

15 May 1827

 

In stating the Irish borough franchise the abbreviation FR has been adopted for boroughs in which both freemen and freeholders were entitled to vote, to distinguish them from mere freeman boroughs (FM).

Ref Volumes: 1820-1832

Author: David R. Fisher

End Notes