Norfolk was a County constituency of 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 was represented by two Members of Parliament. In 1832 the county was divided for parliamentary purposes into two new two member divisions – East Norfolk and West Norfolk.
Norfolk | |
---|---|
Former County constituency for the House of Commons | |
1290–1832 | |
Seats | two |
Replaced by | East Norfolk, West Norfolk |
The constituency consisted of the historic county of Norfolk in the East of England, excluding the city of Norwich which had the status of a county corporate after 1404. (Although Norfolk contained four other parliamentary boroughs – Castle Rising, Great Yarmouth, King's Lynn and Thetford – each of which elected two MPs in its own right for part of the period when Norfolk was a constituency, these were not excluded from the county constituency: owning property within a borough could confer a vote at the county election. This was not the case, though, for Norwich.)
As in other county constituencies the franchise between 1430 and 1832 was defined by the Forty Shilling Freeholder Act, which gave the right to vote to every man who possessed freehold property within the county valued at £2 or more per year for the purposes of land tax; it was not necessary for the freeholder to occupy his land, nor even in later years to be resident in the county at all.
Except during the period of the Commonwealth, Norfolk had two MPs elected by the bloc vote method, under which each voter had two votes. In the nominated Barebones Parliament of 1653, five members represented Norfolk. In the First and Second Parliaments of Oliver Cromwell's Protectorate, however, there was a general redistribution of seats and Norfolk elected ten members, while the two smallest of the county's boroughs (Castle Rising and Thetford) lost their seats. The traditional arrangements were restored from 1659.
At the time of the Great Reform Act in 1832, Norfolk had a population of approximately 390,000, though only a fraction of these could vote: the highest recorded turnouts in Norfolk were at the 1802 and 1806 elections, at each of which under 12,000 votes were cast, even though each voter could cast two votes.
Norfolk's electorate was predominantly rural, partly as an effect of the Norwich freeholders voting in the city rather than the county. It has been estimated from the pollbooks that in the early 19th century only around one in six of the voters lived in towns, with Great Yarmouth and King's Lynn contributing the largest numbers of these. Fittingly for such a constituency, the families of two of the best-known pioneers of the agrarian revolution, Coke of Holkham and "Turnip" Townshend, frequently provided the county's Members of Parliament.
Nevertheless, no one or two families controlled the constituency, and competition was fostered by the leading families lining up on different sides of the partisan divide. The leading Whig families around the turn of the 18th century were those of Walpole and Townshend, while the most important Tory interests were those of the Wodehouse and Astley families, until Sir Jacob Astley defected to the Whigs before the 1715 election. By the middle of the 18th century, the list of local peerage families who could expect to exert influence at Norfolk elections had grown to include the Hobart Earls of Buckinghamshire, the Earls Cholmondeley and the Lord Suffield, but these magnates remained divided, with contention between support for the "court" and "country" factions within the Whigs as well as between Whigs and Tories.
Consequently, the independent voters generally held the balance of power. But this did not prevent the various leading families from monopolising the representation between them, a process that accelerated in the 18th century: 16 different families represented Norfolk in the 22 Parliaments from 1660 to 1746, but only 7 in the 18 Parliaments from 1747 to 1832. The minor gentry could not expect to secure election for themselves, only to choose between the candidates of the major families. The Cokes of Holkham were generally regarded as the champions of the independent freeholders, and were frequently elected. Elections in Norfolk were therefore rarely a foregone conclusion, and often hard-fought at the canvassing stage even when the contest was not carried to a poll.
Elections were held at a single polling place, Norwich, and voters from the rest of the county had to travel to the county town to exercise their franchise. It was normal for voters to expect the candidates for whom they voted to meet their expenses in travelling to the poll, making the cost of a contested election substantial. Contested elections were therefore the exception rather than the rule, potential candidates preferring to canvass support beforehand and usually not insisting on a vote being taken unless they were confident of winning; at all but 8 of the 29 general elections between 1701 and 1832, Norfolk's two MPs were elected unopposed, with only two contests after 1768. But this was more frequent than in many other counties of Norfolk's size.
This list is incomplete; you can help by adding missing items. (August 2008) |
Parliament | First member | Second member | ||
---|---|---|---|---|
c1290–1327 | Robert Baynard | |||
1377 (Jan) | Sir Stephen Hales | |||
1379 | Sir Thomas Gissing | |||
1380 (Jan) | Sir Stephen Hales | |||
1380 | Sir Thomas Gissing | |||
1380 | Sir Roger Walsingham | |||
1381 | Sir Stephen Hales | Sir Thomas Gerbridge | ||
1382 (May) | Sir Stephen Hales | Sir Thomas Gerbridge | ||
1382 (Oct) | Sir Stephen Hales | Sir Roger Walsingham | ||
1383 (Feb) | Sir Stephen Hales | |||
1383 (Oct) | Sir Stephen Hales | |||
1383 | Sir Roger Walsingham | |||
1384 (Nov) | Sir Stephen Hales | |||
1386 | Sir Stephen Hales | Sir Thomas Gerbridge[1] | ||
1388 (Feb) | Sir John Strange | Sir John White[1] | ||
1388 (Sep) | Sir John Strange | Sir John White[1] | ||
1390 (Jan) | William Rees | Sir John White[1] | ||
1390 (Nov) | Sir Robert Berney | Hugh Fastolf[1] | ||
1391 | Sir Robert Berney | Sir John White[1] | ||
1393 | Sir Ralph Shelton | Sir John Curson[1] | ||
1394 | William Rees | Sir John White[1] | ||
1395 | Sir Robert Berney | Sir John White[1] | ||
1397 (Jan) | William Rees | Sir John Curdon[1] | ||
1397 (Sep) | Sir Nicholas Dagworth | Sir Edmund Thorpe[1] | ||
1399 | Sir Robert Berney | John Gurney[1] | ||
1401 | John Payn | John Wynter[1] | ||
1402 | Sir Ralph Shelton | Sir Robert Berney[1] | ||
1404 (Jan) | John Reymes | John Wynter[1] | ||
1404 (Oct) | John Gurney | Sir Edmund Oldhall[1] | ||
1406 | Sir Edmund Noon | John Reymes[1] | ||
1407 | Sir Edmund Thorpe | John Wynter[1] | ||
1410 | John Wodehouse | John Wynter[1] | ||
1411 | Sir Edmund Oldhall | John Wynter[1] | ||
1413 (Feb) | ||||
1413 (May) | Sir Edmund Oldhall | John Wynter[1] | ||
1414 (Apr) | Sir Robert Berney | John Wynter[1] | ||
1414 (Nov) | Sir John Ingoldisthorpe | John Wodehouse[1] | ||
1415 | ||||
1416 (Mar) | Sir Edmund Oldhall | John Wodehouse[1] | ||
1416 (Oct) | ||||
1417 | Sir Edmund Oldhall | John Wodehouse[1] | ||
1419 | John Lancaster[2] | Oliver Groos[1] | ||
1420 | Sir John Radcliffe | Edmund Winter[1] | ||
1421 (May) | John Lancaster[2] | John Wodehouse[1] | ||
1421 (Dec) | John Lancaster[2] | Edmund Winter[1] | ||
1422 | John Lancaster[2] | Edmund Winter | ||
1427 | Edmund Winter | |||
1429 | Edmund Winter | |||
1432 | Edmund Winter | Sir Thomas Tuddenham | ||
1435 | Edmund Winter | Sir Thomas Tuddenham | ||
1437 | Edmund Winter | |||
1442 | Sir Thomas Tuddenham | |||
1449 | Thomas Shernborne [3] | |||
1450 | Henry Gray | |||
1460 | John Paston[3] | |||
1461 | John Paston[3] | |||
1463 | William Knyvett[4] | |||
1467 | John Paston[3] | |||
1467 | William Knyvett[4] | |||
1470 | William Knyvett[4] | |||
1491 | __? Calthorpe[5] | |||
1492 | Ralph Shelton | |||
1495 | Sir Thomas Lovell[6] | |||
1510–1523 | No names known[7] | |||
1529 | Sir Roger Townsend | Sir James Boleyn[7] | ||
1536 | ?Sir Roger Townsend | ?[7] | ||
1539 | Richard Southwell | Edmund Wyndham[7] | ||
1539 | ?Sir Nicholas Hare | |||
1542 | Sir Roger Townsend | ?Sir Richard Southwell[7] | ||
1545 | Sir Thomas Paston | Christopher Heydon[7] | ||
1547 | Sir Edmund Knyvet, died 1550 and repl.Jan 1552 by Sir Robert Dudley |
Sir Nicholas Lestrange[7] | ||
1553 (Mar) | Sir Robert Dudley | Sir Thomas Radcliffe[7] | ||
1553 (Oct) | Sir Richard Southwell | Sir Henry Bedingfield[7] | ||
1554 (Apr) | Sir Richard Southwell | Sir Henry Bedingfield[7] | ||
1554 (Nov) | Sir Richard Southwell | Sir John Shelton[7] | ||
1555 | Sir John Clere | John Appleyard[7] | ||
1558 | Sir Henry Bedingfield | Sir William Woodhouse[7] | ||
1558–59 | Sir Robert Dudley | Sir Edmund Wyndham[8] | ||
1562–63 | Sir William Woodhouse | Sir Edward Warner | ||
1566 | Both died and replaced 1566 by Clement Paston and Roger Townshend[8] | |||
1571 | Sir Christopher Heydon | Sir William Butts[8] | ||
1572 | Henry Woodhouse | Francis Wyndham made judge and repl. 1581 by Sir Roger Woodhouse[8] | ||
Parliament of Oct 1584–1585 | Sir Drue Drury | Nathaniel Bacon | ||
Parliament of 1586–1587 | Thomas Farmer | William Gresham[9] | ||
Parliament of 1588–1589 | Sir Henry Woodhouse | Christopher Heydon | ||
Parliament of 1593 | Edward Coke | Nathaniel Bacon | ||
Parliament of 1597–1598 | Henry Gawdy | Sir John Townshend | ||
Parliament of 1601 | Sir Bassingbourne Gawdy | |||
Parliament of 1604–1611 | Sir Nathaniel Bacon | Sir Charles Cornwallis | ||
Addled Parliament (1614) | Sir Henry Bedingfield | Sir Hamon le Strange | ||
Parliament of 1621–1622 | Drue Drury | |||
Happy Parliament (1624–1625) | Sir Thomas Holland | Sir John Corbet, 1st Baronet | ||
Useless Parliament (1625) | Sir Edward Coke | Sir Edmund Bacon, 2nd Baronet, of Redgrave | ||
Parliament of 1625–1626 | Sir Anthony Drury | |||
Parliament of 1626 | Sir Edward Coke | Sir Robert Bell | ||
Parliament of 1628 | Sir Roger Townshend, 1st Baronet | John Heveningham | ||
1629–1640 | No Parliaments summoned |
Note on percentage change calculations: Where there was only one candidate of a party in successive elections, for the same number of seats, change is calculated on the party percentage vote. Where there was more than one candidate, in one or both successive elections for the same number of seats, then change is calculated on the individual percentage vote.
Note on sources: The information for the election results given below is taken from Sedgwick 1715–1754, Stooks Smith 1715–1754, Namier and Brooke 1754–1790 and Stooks Smith 1790–1832.
1710s – 1720s – 1730s – 1740s – 1750s – 1760s – 1770s – 1780s – 1790s – 1800s – 1810s – 1820s – 1830s |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Tory | John Wodehouse | 3,216 | 27.73 | N/A | |
Tory | Jacob Astley | 3,200 | 27.60 | N/A | |
Nonpartisan | Ashe Windham | 2,783 | 24.00 | N/A | |
Whig | Robert Walpole | 2,397 | 20.67 | N/A | |
Turnout | 11,596 | N/A | N/A |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Whig | Thomas de Grey | 3,183 | 27.17 | N/A | |
Whig | Jacob Astley | 3,059 | 26.11 | N/A | |
Tory | Sir Ralph Hare[16] | 2,840 | 24.24 | N/A | |
Tory | Erasmus Earle | 2,635 | 22.49 | N/A | |
Turnout | 11,717 | N/A | N/A |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Whig | Thomas Coke | Unopposed | N/A | N/A | |
Whig | Thomas de Grey | Unopposed | N/A | N/A |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Whig | John Hobart | Unopposed | N/A | N/A | |
Whig | Thomas Coke | Unopposed | N/A | N/A |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Tory | Edmund Bacon | Unopposed | N/A | N/A | |
Nonpartisan | Harbord Harbord | Unopposed | N/A | N/A |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Tory | Edmund Bacon | 3,224 | 25.58 | N/A | |
Tory | William Wodehouse | 3,153 | 25.01 | N/A | |
Whig | William Morden | 3,147 | 24.97 | N/A | |
Whig | Robert Coke | 3,081 | 24.44 | N/A | |
Turnout | 12,605 | N/A | N/A |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Tory | Armine Wodehouse | Unopposed | N/A | N/A | |
Tory hold | Swing | N/A |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Tory | Armine Wodehouse | Unopposed | N/A | N/A | |
Whig | Edward Coke | Unopposed | N/A | N/A |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Tory | Armine Wodehouse | Unopposed | N/A | N/A | |
Whig | George Townshend | Unopposed | N/A | N/A |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Whig | George Townshend | Unopposed | N/A | N/A | |
Tory | Armine Wodehouse | Unopposed | N/A | N/A |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Whig | George Townshend | Unopposed | N/A | N/A | |
Tory | Armine Wodehouse | Unopposed | N/A | N/A |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Nonpartisan | Thomas de Grey | Unopposed | N/A | N/A | |
Nonpartisan hold | Swing | N/A |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Nonpartisan | Edward Astley | 2,978 | 27.02 | N/A | |
Nonpartisan | Thomas de Grey | 2,754 | 24.99 | N/A | |
Nonpartisan | Armine Wodehouse | 2,680 | 24.32 | N/A | |
Nonpartisan | Wenman Coke | 2,609 | 23.67 | N/A | |
Turnout | 11,021 | N/A | N/A |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Nonpartisan | Edward Astley | Unopposed | N/A | N/A | |
Nonpartisan | Wenman Coke | Unopposed | N/A | N/A |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Nonpartisan | Thomas Coke | Unopposed | N/A | N/A | |
Nonpartisan hold | Swing | N/A |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Nonpartisan | Edward Astley | Unopposed | N/A | N/A | |
Nonpartisan | Thomas Coke | Unopposed | N/A | N/A |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Nonpartisan | Edward Astley | Unopposed | N/A | N/A | |
Nonpartisan | John Wodehouse | Unopposed | N/A | N/A |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Nonpartisan | John Wodehouse | Unopposed | N/A | N/A | |
Nonpartisan | Thomas Coke | Unopposed | N/A | N/A |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Nonpartisan | John Wodehouse | Unopposed | N/A | N/A | |
Nonpartisan | Thomas Coke | Unopposed | N/A | N/A |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Nonpartisan | Jacob Henry Astley | Unopposed | N/A | N/A | |
Nonpartisan hold |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Whig | Thomas Coke | 4,317 | 37.72 | New | |
Whig | Jacob Henry Astley | 3,612 | 31.56 | N/A | |
Tory | John Wodehouse | 3,517 | 30.73 | New | |
Majority | 95 | 0.83 | N/A | ||
Turnout | 11,446 (7,251 voted) | N/A | N/A | ||
Whig gain from Nonpartisan | Swing | ||||
Whig gain from Nonpartisan | Swing |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Whig | Thomas Coke | 4,118 | 36.59 | −1.13 | |
Whig | William Windham | 3,772 | 33.51 | N/A | |
Tory | John Wodehouse | 3,365 | 29.90 | −0.83 | |
Majority | 107 | 3.61 | +2.78 | ||
Turnout | 11,255 | N/A | N/A | ||
Whig hold | Swing | ||||
Whig hold | Swing |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Whig | Jacob Henry Astley | Unopposed | N/A | N/A | |
Whig | Edward Coke | Unopposed | N/A | N/A |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Whig | Thomas Coke | Unopposed | N/A | N/A | |
Whig | Jacob Henry Astley | Unopposed | N/A | N/A |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Whig | Thomas Coke | Unopposed | N/A | N/A | |
Whig | Jacob Henry Astley | Unopposed | N/A | N/A |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Tory | Edmond Wodehouse | 3,861 | 54.00 | New | |
Whig | Edward Roger Pratt | 3,289 | 46.00 | N/A | |
Majority | 572 | 8.00 | N/A | ||
Turnout | 7,150 | N/A | N/A | ||
Tory gain from Whig |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Whig | Thomas Coke | Unopposed | N/A | N/A | |
Tory | Edmond Wodehouse | Unopposed | N/A | N/A |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Whig | Thomas Coke | Unopposed | N/A | N/A | |
Tory | Edmond Wodehouse | Unopposed | N/A | N/A |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Whig | Thomas Coke | Unopposed | N/A | N/A | |
Tory | Edmond Wodehouse | Unopposed | N/A | N/A |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Whig | Thomas Coke | Unopposed | N/A | N/A | |
Whig | William ffolkes | Unopposed | N/A | N/A |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Whig | Thomas Coke | Unopposed | N/A | N/A | |
Whig | William ffolkes | Unopposed | N/A | N/A |
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