Bishop's Castle (UK Parliament constituency)

Bishop's Castle was a borough constituency in Shropshire represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom.

Bishop's Castle
Former borough constituency
for the House of Commons
BoroughBishop's Castle
1290–1832
Seats2
Replaced bySouth Shropshire

The market town of Bishop's Castle became a parliamentary borough in 1584 and was a constituency of the House of Commons of England until 1707, of the House of Commons of Great Britain from 1707 to 1800, and of the House of Commons of the United Kingdom from 1801 to 1832. It was represented by two burgesses.

The historian Lewis Namier claimed that in the middle of the eighteenth century it was the one notoriously corrupt parliamentary borough in Shropshire.[1] It was abolished under the Reform Act 1832.

Members of Parliament

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MPs 1584–1660

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Parliament First member Second member
1584 Thomas Jukes John Cole
1586 Charles Walcot Thomas Darrell
1588 Charles Walcot Alexander King
1593 Francis Beavans Alexander King
1597 Hayward Townsend Edmund Baynham
1601 Hayward Townsend Alexander King
1604 William Twyneho Samuel Lewknor
1614 Edward Littleton[2] Thomas Hitchcock
1621 Francis Roberts Gilbert Cornwall
1624 Sir Robert Howard[3] Richard Oakeley
1625 William Oakeley Edward Waring
1626 William Oakeley Edward Waring
1628 Sir Robert Howard Sir Edward Fox
1629–1640 No Parliaments summoned
1640 (Apr) Sir Robert Howard Richard Moor
1640 (Nov) Sir Robert Howard Richard Moor
1645 Isaiah Thomas John Corbet
1648 Isaiah Thomas John Corbet
1653 Bishop's Castle not represented in Barebones Parliament
1654 Bishop's Castle not represented in 1st Protectorate Parliament
1656 Bishop's Castle not represented in 2nd Protectorate Parliament
1659 Samuel More William Oakeley

MPs 1660–1832

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Year First member First party Second member Second party
1660 William Oakeley Edmund Waring
1679 Richard Scriven
1681 Sir Richard Mason Richard More
1685 Edmund Waring Francis Charlton
1689 Richard More Walter Waring
Mr. 1690 William Oakeley Richard Mason
May 1690 Walter Waring
Mr. 1695 Richard More
Oct. 1695 Charles Mason
1698 Sir William Brownlow
Jan. 1701 George Walcot
Nov. 1701 Henry Brett
1706 Henry Newport Whig
1708 Richard Harnage Charles Mason
1710 Sir Robert Raymond
1715 Charles Mason
1719 Sir Matthew Decker
1722 William Peere Williams Bowater Vernon
1726 Charles Mason
1727 Robert More John Plumptre
1734 Edward Kynaston
1741 Henry Brydges Andrew Hill
1744 Granville Leveson-Gower
1747 Samuel Child John Robinson Lytton
1753 John Dashwood-King
1754 Barnaby Backwell
1755 Walter Waring
1759 Henry Grenville
1761 Francis Child Peregrine Cust
1763 George Clive
1768 William Clive
1770 Alexander Wedderburn
1774 Henry Strachey
1778 Alexander Wedderburn
1779 William Clive
1780 Henry Strachey
1802 John Robinson
1819 Douglas Kinnaird
1820 William Holmes Tory[4] Edward Rogers Tory[5]
1830 Frederick Hamilton Cornewall Tory[6]
1831 James Knight-Bruce Tory[7]
  • Constituency abolished / disenfranchised (1832)

Election results

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Elections in the 1830s

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General election, 30 April 1831: Bishop's Castle[8]
Party Candidate Votes %
Tory Edward Rogers (MP) Unopposed
Tory James Knight Unopposed
Registered electors c. 200
Tory hold
Tory hold
General election, 31 July 1830: Bishop's Castle[8]
Party Candidate Votes %
Tory Edward Rogers (MP) Unopposed
Tory Frederick Cornewall (Bishop's Castle MP) Unopposed
Registered electors c. 200
Tory hold
Tory hold

See also

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References

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  1. ^ Namier, Lewis (1957). The Structure of Politics at the Accession of George III (2nd ed.). London: St Martin's Press. p. 245.
  2. ^ Christopher W. Brooks, ‘Littleton, Edward, Baron Littleton (1589–1645)’, Oxford Dictionary of National Biography, Oxford University Press, Sept 2004|| online edn, Jan 2008
  3. ^ "Howard, Robert (1585-1653)" . Dictionary of National Biography. London: Smith, Elder & Co. 1885–1900.
  4. ^ Fisher, David R. "HOLMES, William (?1777-1851), of 10 Grafton Street; New Bond Street and Vine Cottage, Fulham, Mdx". The History of Parliament. Retrieved 25 May 2020.
  5. ^ Escott, Margaret. "ROGERS, Edward (1781-1852), of Stanage Park, nr. Knighton, Rad. and 8 Charles Street, Mdx". The History of Parliament. Retrieved 25 May 2020.
  6. ^ Escott, Margaret. "CORNEWALL, Frederick Hamilton (1791-1845), of Delbury Hall, Diddlebury, Salop". The History of Parliament. Retrieved 25 May 2020.
  7. ^ Escott, Margaret; Fisher, David R. "KNIGHT, James Lewis (1791-1866), of 1 New Square, Lincoln's Inn and Highwood Hill, Hendon, Mdx". The History of Parliament. Retrieved 25 May 2020.
  8. ^ a b Escott, Margaret. "Bishop's Castle". The History of Parliament. Retrieved 25 May 2020.