Appendix I

Published in The History of Parliament: the House of Commons 1790-1820, ed. R. Thorne, 1986
Available from Boydell and Brewer

Constituencies and Contested Elections


The House of Commons from 1790 until 1801 had 558 Members, elected by 314 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, the latter a group of boroughs), 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

From 1801 the House of Commons had 658 Members, elected by 380 constituencies, in consequence of the Act of Union with Ireland.

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

The following tables list the constituencies and an X indicates which elections were contested. A contested election means one in which the candidates stood a poll. Contested by-elections are entered by date in the last column. The tables also indicate the size of the electorate, English and Welsh borough electorates being shown as L (large, an electorate of 1,000 or more), M (medium, 500-1,000 voters), or S (small, below 500). The nature of borough franchises is broadly indicated by B (burgage holders), C (the corporation), FH (freeholders), FM (freemen, with variants of the same), H (inhabitant householders), SL (those paying scot and lot); but its refinements may be noted in the Constituencies section, where the electoral history of the constituencies will be found. An asterisk indicates a variation from the corresponding table in the 1754-90 section of the History. There is a more general analysis of constituencies and elections in the Introductory Survey.

 

English Counties

English countiesSize of electorateGeneral elections      

By-elections

when contested

   1790                    
1796    
 1802     
 1806     
 1807     
1812    
1818     
 
Bedfordshire2,000    X   
Berkshire3,000 X   XX 
Buckinghamshire      
4,000No contests       
Cambridgeshire3,000  X    5 May 1802            
Cheshire5,000No contests       
Cornwall2,700X       
Cumberland4,000No contests       
Derbyshire3,000No contests       
Devon8,000X    XX13 May 1816
Dorset3,000   XX   
Durham3,500X   X   
Essex6,000     X 16 Feb. 1810
Gloucestershire6,000       7 Feb. 1811
Hampshire5,000X  XX  19 Dec. 1808
Herefordshire3,500 XX   X 
Hertfordshire4,000XXX    11 Feb. 1805
Huntingdonshire1,700    X X 
Kent9,000XXXX  X 
Lancashire8,000No contests       
Leicestershire6,000      X 
Lincolnshire7,000    X X5 Oct. 1816
Middlesex6,000  XXX  23 July 1804
Monmouthshire1,500No contests       
Norfolk7,000  XX   24 May 1817
Northamptonshire3,000   X    
Northumberland2,000No contests       
Nottinghamshire3,000No contests       
Oxfordshire4,000No contests
Rutland800No contests       
Shropshire4,000No contests       
Somerset9,000    X X 
Staffordshire5,000No contests       
Suffolk5,000X       
Surrey4,000X  XXX 22 Nov. 1813
Sussex5,000    X X 
Warwickshire4,000No contests       
Westmorland2,400      X 
Wiltshire5,000      X19 July 1819
Worcestershire3,500       3 Mar. 1806
Yorkshire20,000    X   

 

English Boroughs

English boroughs                            

Size of

electorate

FranchiseGeneral elections      By-elections when contested

   179017961802180618071812 1818 
Abingdon (Berks.)                 
S                     
SL                    
                 
                
X          
X          
X          
X          
             
                          
Aldborough (Yorks.)SSLNo contests      
Aldeburgh (Suff.)SFM     X  
Amersham (Bucks.)SSLNo contests       
Andover (Hants)SC X      
Appleby (Westmld.)SBNo contests       
Arundel (Suss.)SSL     X 8 Oct. 1819
Ashburton (Devon)SBNo contests       
Aylesbury (Bucks.)MH*1  X X X16 July 1804
Banbury (Oxon.)SC   XX  16 Feb. 1808
Barnstaple (Devon)SFMXXXXXXX16 Jan. 1812
Bath (Som.)SCX      1 June 1801
Bedford (Beds.)LFMX       
Bere Alston (Devon)SBNo contests       
Berwick-upon-Tweed (Northumb.)BFM  XX XX19 Apr. 1803
Beverley (Yorks.)LFMX XXXXX2 Mar. 1799
Bewdley (Worcs.)SFMNo contests       
Bishop’s Castle (Salop)SFM  X   X10 July 1819
Bletchingley (Surr.)SBNo contests       
Bodmin (Cornw.)SCX       
Boroughbridge (Yorks.)SB      X 
Bossiney (Cornw.)SFM      X8 Apr. 1819
Boston (Lincs.)SFMXXXXXXX17 May 1803
13 Apr. 1812
Brackley (Northants.)SCNo contests       
Bramber (Suss.)SBNo contests       
Bridgnorth (Salop)M*FM  X     
Bridgwater (Som.)SSLX XXX X 
Bridport (Dorset)SSL XXX X 17 Mar. 1795
Bristol (Glos.)LFMXX   XX15 July 1812
Buckingham (Bucks.)SCNo contests       
Bury St. Edmunds (Suff.)SC X      
Callington (Cornw.)SIn dispute*  X   X 
Calne (Wilts.)SCNo contests       
Cambridge (Cambs.)SFM      X 
Camelford (Cornw.)SFM X   XX17 Apr. 1819
Canterbury (Kent)LFMXX  XXX10 Mar. 1797
27 Feb. 1800
Carlisle (Cumb.)M*FMXX    X8 Mar. 1816
Castle Rising (Norf.)SB*No contests       
Chester (Cheshire)LFM     XX
Chichester (Suss.)MSL X     28 Feb. 1791
Chippenham (Wilts.)SB  XXX X 
Chipping Wycombe (Bucks.)SFMX      1 Feb. 1794
Christchurch (Hants)SC   XX   
Cirencester (Glos.)MHXXX  XX 
Clitheroe (Lancs.)SBNo contests       
Cockermouth (Cumb.)SB      X 
Colchester (Essex)LFMXX XXXX19 Feb. 1818
Corfe Castle (Dorset)SSLNo contests       
Coventry (Warws.)LFMXXX X X30 Mar. 1803
17 May 1805
Cricklade (Wilts.)BFHX XX  X 
Dartmouth (Devon)SFMX       
Derby (Derbys.)MFM X      
Devizes (Wilts.)SC      X 
Dorchester (Dorset)SSLX  X    
Dover (Cinque Ports)LFMXXXXX X
Downton (Wilts.)SBXX
Droitwich (Worcs.)SCNo contests       
Dunwich (Suff.)SFMNo contests       
Durham (Co. Dur.)LFM  X   X17 Mar. 1800
5 Mar. 1804
10 Dec. 1813
East Grinstead (Suss.)SB  X X   
East Looe (Cornw.)SFM X X   
East Retford (Notts.)SFM XXXX   
Evesham (Worcs.)M*FMXXX X X 
Exeter (Devon)LFMX X   X 
Eye (Suff.)SFM*  X     
Fowey (Cornw.)SSLX  X  X24 Mar. 1819
Gatton (Surr.)SSL       24 Jan. 1803
Gloucester (Glos.)LFM      X7 Aug. 1805
1 Oct. 1816
Grampound (Cornw.)SFM X  XXX17 Mar. 1808
13July 1814
Grantham (Lincs.)M*FM XX X X 
Great Bedwyn (Wilts.)SBNo contests       
Great Grimsby (Lincs.)SFMXXX XXX 
Great Marlow (Bucks.)SSL XX    
Great Yarmouth (Norf.)BFMX   XXX29 May 1795
26 Oct. 1796
Guildford (Surr.)SFMXX XX X 
Harwich (Essex)SC  X     
Haslemere (Surr.)SFH     XX 
Hastings (Cinque Ports)SFMNo contests       
Hedon (Yorks.)SFM  X X X 
Helston (Cornw.)SCX    XX 
Hereford (Herefs.)LFM      X 
Hertford (Herts.)MFMX    X  
Heytesbury (Wilts.)SBNo contests       
Higham Ferrers (Northants.)SFMNo contests       
Hindon (Wilts.)SHNo contests       
Honiton (Devon)S*HX X   X13 Mar. 1805
17 June 1806
Horsham (Suss.)SBX  XX   
Huntingdon (Hunts.)SFM No contests       
Hythe (Cinque Ports)SFM  XXXXX19 Mar. 1810
20 May 1819
Ilchester (Som.)SHXXX   X5 Mar. 1803
16 Mar. 1804
Ipswich (Suff.)MFMXX XX X 
King’s Lynn (Norf.)SFMNo contests       
Kingston-upon-Hull (Yorks.)LFM XXX XX 
Knaresborough (Yorks.)SB       25 Mar. 1805
Lancaster (Lancs.)LFMX X X X 
Launceston (Cornw.)SFM X     9 Jan. 1795
Leicester (Leics.)LFMXXX XX 17 Dec. 1800
Leominster (Herefs.)MSLXXX  XX14 June 1797
Lewes (Suss.)SSLXXX  XX13 Mar. 1816
Lichfield (Staffs.)MFM       2 Mar. 1799
Lincoln (Lincs.)LFMX  X  X13 Jan. 1808
Liskeard (Cornw.)SFM  XX   9 Mar. 1804
Liverpool (Lancs.)LFMXXXXXXX12 June 1816
London (Mdx.)LFMXXXXXXX12 Mar. 1795
Lostwithiel (Cornw.)SCNo contests       
Ludgershall (Wilts.)SFHX      28 Apr. 1791
Ludlow (Salop)MFMNo contests       
Lyme Regis (Dorset)SFMNo contests       
Lymington (Hants)SFMNo contests       
Maidstone (Kent)M*FMXXXXXXX 
Maldon (Essex)S*2FM XXXX   
Malmesbury (Wilts.)SC XXXX  22 Nov. 1796
Malton (Yorks.)SSB    X  24 Mar. 1808
Marlborough (Wilts.)SCNo contests       
Midhurst (Suss.)SB       24 Dec. 1802
Milborne Port (Som.)SSL X X  X17 July 1819
Minehead (Som.)SH XX X
Mitchell (Cornw.)SSLNo contests       
Monmouth (Mon.)MFMNo contests       
Morpeth (Northumb.)SFM  X     
Newark (Notts.)M*SLXX     
Newcastle-under-Lyme (Staffs.)
MFMX X XX 15 Sept. 1792
22 Feb. 1793
22 June 1815
Newcastle-upon-Tyne (Northumb.)LFM No contests      
Newport (Cornw.)SB      X 
 
Newport I.o.W. (Hants)SCNo contests       
New Romney (Cinque Ports)SC     X  
New Shoreham (Suss.)M*FH*X   X   
Newton (Lancs.)SB*       15 Sept. 1797
Newtown I.o.W. (Hants)SBNo contests       
New Windsor (Berks.)SSL  XX   1 Feb. 1794
20 Feb. 1797
22 Feb. 1804
New Woodstock (Oxon.)SFM  XX    
Northallerton (Yorks.)SBNo contests       
Northampton (Northants.)LHXX    X
 
Norwich (Norf.)LFMXXXXXXX12 July 1794
27 May 1799
Nottingham (Notts.)LFMXXXXXXX30 May 1803
Okehampton (Devon)SFMX X X   
Old Sarum (Wilts.)SBNo contests       
Orford (Suff.)SFMNo contests       
Oxford (Oxon.)LFM XXX XX21 Dec. 1790
Penryn (Cornw.)SSL  XX XX 
Peterborough (Northants.)M*SLNo contests       
Petersfield (Hants)SB      X 
Plymouth (Devon)SFMX  X  X 
Plympton Erle (Devon)SFM  X    3 Dec. 1803
Pontefract (Yorks.)MHX  XXXX20 June 1791
22 Dec. 1812
Poole (Dorset)SFMX   X X12 Mar. 1791
24 Feb. 1808
14 Feb. 1809
Portsmouth (Hants)SFMNo contests       
Preston (Lancs.)BH X  XXX 
Queenborough (Kent)SFMX X X  1 June 1810
Reading (Berks.)MSLX X  XX 
Reigate (Surr.)SFHNo contests       
Richmond (Yorks.)SBNo contests       
Ripon (Yorks.)SBNo contests       
Rochester (Kent)MFMXXXXX X7 Mar. 1792
27 June 1816
Rye (Cinque Ports)SFMNo contests       
St. Albans (Herts.)MFMXX XXXX25 Jan. 1809
26 Feb. 1818
St. Germans (Cornw.)SHNo contests       
St. Ives (Cornw.)SSL   XXXX 
St. Mawes (Cornw.)SFMNo contests       
Salisbury (Wilts.)SC       17 Feb. 1813
Saltash (Cornw.)SB*   XX   
Sandwich (Cinque Ports)MFMX   X  22 Apr. 1808
Scarborough (Yorks.)SC  X     
Seaford (Cinque Ports)SSLXXX XX 29 Jan. 1794
28 July 1806
Shaftesbury (Dorset)SSLXXXXXX  
Shrewsbury (Salop)M*FM X XXX 27 May 1814
25 May 1819
Southampton (Hants)MFMX XX XX26 Aug. 1794
Southwark (Surr.)LSL XXXXXX22 Nov. 1796
29 June 1803
17 Feb. 1815
Stafford (Staffs.)M*FMX  XXXX 
Stamford (Lincs.)MSL     XX27 Feb. 1809
Steyning (Suss.)SSLX      24 Mar. 1791
3 Feb. 1794
Stockbridge (Hants)SSLXX      
Sudbury (Suff.)MFMX  XXXX 
Tamworth (Staffs.)SSL      X 
Taunton (Som.)S*HX XX XX 
Tavistock (Devon)SFHNo contests       
Tewkesbury (Glos.)S*FM X  X  18 Dec. 1797
Thetford (Norf.)SC   X    
Thirsk (Yorks.)SBNo contests       
Tiverton (Devon)SCNo contests       
Totnes (Devon)SFM X   X  
Tregony (Cornw.)SH XXX X  
Truro (Cornw.)SC      X 
Wallingford (Berks.)SSL      X12 Mar. 1794
8 Feb. 1804
Wareham (Dorset)S*SLNo contests       
Warwick (Warws.)S*SL       18 Jan. 1792
Wells (Som.)SFM  X     
Wendover (Bucks.)SHNo contests       
Wenlock (Salop)S*FMNo contests       
Weobley (Herefs.)SSLNo contests       
Westbury (Wilts.)SBNo contests       
West Looe (Cornw.)SFMNo contests       
Westminster (Mdx.)LSLXXXXX X3 Mar. 1819
Weymouth and Melcombe Regis (Dorset)M*FH  XXXXX9 June 1813
Whitchurch (Hants)SBNo contests       
Wigan (Lancs.)SFMNo contests       
Wilton (Wilts.)SCNo contests       
Winchelsea (Cinque Ports)SFMNo contests       
Winchester (Hants)SFM     X  
Wootton Bassett (Wilts.)SSLX     X14 May 1811
2 July 1816
Worcester (Worcs.)LFMX XX XX17 Feb. 1807
Yarmouth I.o.W. (Hants)SCNo contests       
York (Yorks.)LFM    X X 

 

Universities

Universities             
General elections          
            
             
             
             
             
             
By-elections when contested                               
 1790
1796
 1802 1806 1807 1812 1818
CambridgeX   X  7 Feb. 1806
27 Mar. 1811
Oxford   X    

 

Welsh Counties

Welsh counties               
Size of electorate         
General elections        
             
             
             
             
             
            
By-elections when contested                
  1790
 1796 1802 1806 1807 18121818 
Anglesey700No contests      
Breconshire2,000      X 
Caernarvonshire1,100 X      
Cardiganshire1,000No contests       
Carmarthenshire           
2,500 XX X   
Denbighshire2,000No contests       
Flintshire1,000       8 Nov. 1796
Glamorgan2,000No contests       
Merioneth1,000No contests       
Montgomeryshire1,400No contests       
Pembrokeshire3,000    XX   
Radnorshire1,000  X     

 

Welsh Boroughs

Welsh boroughs                                                  
Size of electorate       
Franchise       
General elections           
             
              
             
             
             
             
By-elections when contested                

  1790
 1796 1802 1806 1807 1812 1818 
Beaumaris (Anglesey)SCNo contests       
Brecon (Brec.)                                         
SFM      X 
Caernarvon Boroughs (Caern.)M*FMNo contests       
Cardiff Boroughs (Glam.)MFM      X 
Cardigan Boroughs (Card.)BFM     X  
Carmarthen (Carm.)SFM X   XX 
Denbigh Boroughs (Denb.)MFM     X  
Flint Boroughs (Flints.)MSL   XX   
Haverfordwest (Pemb.)SFM     X   
Montgomery (Mont.)SFM  X     
New Radnor Boroughs (Rad.)M*FMX    X  
Pembroke Boroughs (Pemb.)MFM     X  

 

Scottish Counties

Scottish counties                              
Size of electorate              
General elections             
             
             
            
             
              
              
By-elections when contested                  
   1790 1796180218061807 1812 1818 
Aberdeenshire120-200  XXX   
Argyllshire50No contests       
Ayrshire100-200 X  XX 22 Mar. 1811
Banffshire35-100   X    
Berwickshire100-150 X      
Dumfriesshire50-75X  X    
Dunbartonshire40-70 XX     
Edinburghshire100-130     XX6 July 1811
Elginshire 35-75No contests       
Fifeshire150-200   X    
Forfarshire100No contests       
Haddingtonshire75No contests       
Inverness-shire20-100  X     
Kincardineshire40-75    X   
Kirkcudbright Stewartry                                 
150  X XX  
Lanarkshire100-150   XX X 
Linlithgowshire40-70X  XX   
Orkney and Shetland25-40X    XX 
Peeblesshire35-40No contests       
Perthshire150-200X    X 19 Mar. 1812
Renfrewshire75-150X   XX 2 May 1810
Ross-shire60-75     XX28 Nov. 1809
Roxburghshire80-140X    X  
Selkirkshire40No contests       
Stirlingshire50-100X X   X 
Sutherland25-35X       
Wigtownshire50  X  X  
Buteshire10-20nr ncnr ncnr ncnr  
Caithness20-30ncnr ncnr ncnr nc 
Clackmannanshire10-20nr ncnr ncnr ncnr  
Kinross-shire15-25ncnr ncnr ncnr nc16 Sept. 1819
Nairnshire20-25nr ncnr ncnr ncnr  
Cromartyshire10-20Xnr ncnr ncnr nc 
nr = not represented
nc = no contest
In every parliament one of each of the paired counties was not represented.

 

Scottish Burghs

Except in the case of Edinburgh, groups of burghs are meant. Under the system of indirect election in burgh constituencies, elections were frequently contested. These contests have been included in the aggregate analysis of contests in this period, which they were not in the preceding one.

Scottish burghs                      
General elections            
              
             
             
             
            
             
By-elections when contested                      
 1790 1796 18021806180718121818 
AberdeenX  XXXX 
Anstruther EasterX      26 July 1819
AyrNo contests       
DumfriesX  X    
DysartX    X  
Edinburgh    X  29 July 1819
Elgin    X   
Glasgow  XXXXX30 June 1809
HaddingtonX   X   
Inverness  X X   
Linlithgow  XXX X31 May 1819
PerthX      27 Nov. 1805
Stirling XXXXXX4 May 1791
24 Feb. 1800
29 Mar. 1819
Tain   X X  
WigtownX X     

 

Irish Counties

Irish counties                      
Size of electorate           
General elections             
             
              
              
             
By-elections when contested                     
  1802
 1806 1807 18121818
 
Antrim8,000No contests     
Armagh6,000    X 
Carlow4,000X  X  
Cavan4,000No contests     
Clare6-10,000X  X 9 Aug. 1808
Cork7-20,000   X  
Donegal6,000     4 Feb. 1808
Down13-15,000   X 27 July 1805
Dublin1-2,000XXX X 
Fermanagh7,000 XXX  
Galway13,000 X XX8 June 1805
Kerry5,000  X   
Kildare2,000No contests     
Kilkenny1-2,000No contests     
King’s Co.1-3,000No contests     
Leitrim1-7,000XX XX 
Limerick8,500 XX X16 Jan. 1811
Londonderry8,500 X    
Longford3,000     15 Oct. 1819
Louth600No contests     
Mayo12,000 X   5 Mar. 1814
Meath4,000X     
Monaghan3,500No contests     
Queen’s Co.6,500    X 
Roscommon6,000No contests     
Sligo2,000No contests     
Tipperary18,000  XXX 
Tyrone10-20,000No contests     
Waterford3,000 X   25 Apr. 1814
Westmeath3,000   X  
Wexford7,000  X X27 May 1806
Wicklow3,000     19 Jan. 1801

 

Irish Boroughs

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)

Irish boroughs                                                                                                  
Size of Franchise electorate               
Franchise             
General elections           
             
             
             
             
By-elections when contested                         
   1802
 1806 1807 18121818
 
ArmaghSCNo contests     
Athlone (Westmeath)SFMNo contests     
Bandon Bridge (Cork)SCNo contests     
Belfast (Antrim)SCNo contests     
CarlowSCNo contests     
Carrickfergus (Antrim)MFRX XX 31 Mar. 1807
Cashel (Tipperary)SFMNo contests     
Clonmel (Tipperary)SFMNo contests     
Coleraine (Londonderry)SFMNo contests     
CorkLFR  XXX 
Downpatrick (Down)SHXXXXX9 Mar. 1815
Drogheda (Louth)MFRX X X 
DublinLFRXX    
Dundalk (Louth)SFMNo contests     
Dungannon (Tyrone)SCNo contests     
Dungarvan (Waterford)SH and FH  X   
Ennis (Clare)SCNo contests     
Enniskillen (Fermanagh)                               
SFMNo contests     
GalwayMFR   XX 
KilkennyLFR   X  
Kinsale (Cork)SFM   X  
LimerickMFR   XX25 July 1817
Lisburn (Antrim)SHNo contests     
LondonderryLFMNo contests     
Mallow (Cork)SFHNo contests     
New Ross (Wexford)SFMNo contests     
Newry (Down)SH XXX  
Portarlington (Queen’s (Co.)                             
SFMNo contests     
SligoSCNo contests     
Tralee (Kerry)SCNo contests     
WaterfordLFRX X   
WexfordSFMNo contests     
Youghal (Cork)SFM   X  
Dublin University  XXX X28 Mar. 1805

Ref Volumes: 1790-1820

Author: R. G. Thorne

End Notes

  • 1. In 1804 freeholders added by Act of Parliament doubled the electorate.
  • 2. Maldon became L after 1810 under its new charter.