Much Wenlock, often called simply Wenlock, was a constituency of the House of Commons of the Parliament of England until 1707, then of the Parliament of Great Britain from 1707 to 1800, and finally of the Parliament of the United Kingdom from 1801 to 1885, when it was abolished. It was named after the town of that name in Shropshire.
The seat was founded in 1468 as a borough constituency and was represented throughout its history by two burgesses.
Boundaries Much Wenlock's constituency boundaries ran from Leighton to just west of Dawley, to Ironbridge, and finally to just east of Madeley along the northern border; travelling eastwards, the boundaries ran from just east of Madeley to the bend in the River Severn, following the river thereafter. The far southern border, commencing in the east, travelled along the southern part of the Severn across to Easthope; the western border, running northwards, going from Easthope through to Benthall, and onwards back to Leighton.
Members of Parliament
Constituency created (1468)
ParliamentFirst memberSecond member 1510–1523 No names known 1529 John Foster Edward Hall 1536 ? 1539 ? 1542 William Blount Reginald Corbet 1545 Richard Cornwall Richard Lawley 1547 Richard Lawley Thomas Lawley 1553 (Mar) John Herbert Thomas Lawley 1553 (Oct) Richard Lee Robert Eyton 1554 (Apr) Thomas Foster Edward Lacon 1554 (Nov) Sir George Blount John Evans 1555 Sir George Blount Thomas Ridley 1558 Sir George Blount George Bromley 1558–9 Roland Lacon George Bromley 1562–3 Sir George Blount Charles Foxe 1571 William Lacon Thomas Eyton 1572Sir George Blount Thomas Lawley 1584 Thomas Lawley William Baynham 1586 Thomas Lawley William Baynham 1588 William Baynham Robert Lawley 1593 William Baynham Sir John Poole 1597 William Baynham, died and replaced by Thomas Fanshawe William Lacon 1601 John Brett William Leighton 1604 Robert Lawley George Lawley 1614 Rowland Lacon Edward Lawley 1621 Sir Edward Lawley Thomas Wolryche 1624 Henry Mytton Thomas Wolryche 1625 Thomas Lawley Thomas Wolryche 1626 Thomas Lawley Francis Smallman 1628 Thomas Lawley George Bridgmant 1629–1640 No Parliaments summoned
YearFirst memberFirst partySecond memberSecond party 1640 (Apr)Sir Thomas Littleton Richard Cresset 1640 (Nov)William Pierrepont Sir Thomas Littleton 1645William Pierrepont Humphrey Bridges 1653, 1654, 1656 Much Wenlock excluded from Barebones and 1st & 2nd Protectorate Parliaments 1659Thomas Whitmore Sir Francis Lawley 1660Sir Francis Lawley Thomas Whitmore 1661Sir Thomas Littleton, Bt George Weld Feb 1679Sir John Weld William Forester Aug 1679John Wolryche 1685Thomas Lawley George Weld1689Sir William Forester 1701George Weld 1708Thomas Weld 1710George Weld 1713William Whitmore 1714Richard Newport 1715Thomas Newport William Forester II 1716Sir Humphrey Briggs 1722Samuel Edwards 1727John Sambrooke 1734William Forester II 1739Brooke Forester 1741Sir Brian Broughton-Delves, Bt 1744Isaac Hawkins Browne 1754William Forester II 1758George Forester 1761Cecil Forester 1768Sir Henry Bridgeman ToryGeorge Forester TorySept. 1780Thomas Whitmore ToryDec. 1780George Forester Tory1784John Bridgeman (later Simpson) Tory1785George Forester Tory1790Cecil Forester (from 1811 Weld-Forester) Tory1794John Simpson Tory 1820Francis Forester ToryWilliam Lacon Childe Tory 1826John Weld-Forester ToryPaul Thompson Whig1828George Weld-Forester Tory1832 James Milnes Gaskell Tory 1834 Conservative Conservative1868Alexander Brown Liberal1874Cecil Weld-Forester Conservative
Constituency abolished (1885)
Election results Elections in the 1830s Weld-Forester was appointed Groom of the Bedchamber to William IV, requiring a by-election.
Elections in the 1840s
Gaskell was appointed a Lord Commissioner of the Treasury, requiring a by-election.
Elections in the 1850s Weld-Forester was appointed Comptroller of the Household, requiring a by-election.
Gaskell was appointed Comptroller of the Household, requiring a by-election.
Elections in the 1860s
Elections in the 1870s
Forester succeeded to the peerage, becoming Lord Forester and causing a by-election.
Elections in the 1880s
See also Parliamentary constituencies in Shropshire#Historical constituencies List of former United Kingdom Parliament constituencies Unreformed House of Commons
References
The History of Parliament Trust, Much Wenlock, Borough, from 1529 to 1714 The History of Parliament Trust, Wenlock, Borough, from 1715 to 1831