Clitheroe was a parliamentary constituency in Lancashire.
The town of Clitheroe was first enfranchised as a parliamentary borough in 1559, returning two Members of Parliament (MPs) to the House of Commons of England until 1707, then to the House of Commons of Great Britain until 1800, and finally to the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom until 1832. The borough's representation was reduced to one MP by the Reform Act 1832.
The parliamentary borough was abolished under the Redistribution of Seats Act 1885, and the name transferred to a new county division with effect from the 1885 general election. The county division returned one MP until it was abolished for the 1983 general election. It was then largely replaced by the new Ribble Valley constituency.
Boundaries 1885–1918: The Boroughs of Clitheroe and Burnley, the Sessional Division of Colne, and parts of the Sessional Divisions of Clitheroe and Burnley.
1918–1950: The Borough of Clitheroe, the Urban Districts of Great Harwood and Padiham, the Rural District of Clitheroe, and part of the Rural District of Burnley.
1950–1983: The Borough of Clitheroe, the Urban Districts of Great Harwood, Longridge, and Padiham, the Rural Districts of Burnley and Clitheroe, and in the Rural District of Preston the parishes of Dutton, Hothersall, and Ribchester.
Members of Parliament
Borough of Clitheroe
MPs 1559–1660
ParliamentFirst memberSecond member 1559 (Jan) Thomas Greenacres Walter Horton 1563 (Jan) Thomas Greenacres John Jeffrey 1571 Richard Greenacres George Horsey 1572 William Wynter Thomas Docwray 1584 Michael Purefoy Alexander Fisher 1586 Edmund Poley John Walmesley 1588 (Oct) Robert Pilkington John White 1593 William Twysden John Chamberlain 1597 (Oct) William Holte George Rotheram 1601 (Oct) John Osbaldestone Anthony Dering 1604 Sir John Dormer Martin Lister 1614 Sir Gilbert Hoghton, 2nd Baronet Clement Coke 1621–1622 Sir Thomas Walmsley William Fanshawe 1624 William Fanshawe Ralph Whitfield 1625 Ralph Assheton William Fanshawe Jan 1626 Ralph Assheton George Kirke Apr 1626 Ralph Assheton Christopher Hatton 1628Thomas Jermyn William Newell 1629–1640No Parliament summoned 1640 (Apr) Sir Ralph Assheton Richard Shuttleworth, jnr 1640 (Nov) Sir Ralph Assheton Richard Shuttleworth, jnr1645 Sir Ralph Assheton Richard Shuttleworth, jnr1648 Richard Shuttleworth, jnr1653–1660 Clitheroe not represented in Barebones or Protectorate Parliaments
MPs 1660–1832 Two members returned to Parliament
YearFirst memberFirst partySecond memberSecond partyApr 1660 Sir Ralph Assheton William White Jul 1660 William Hulton Apr 1661 John Heath 1662 Ambrose Pudsay 1675 Sir Thomas Stringer 1679 Sir Ralph Assheton 1680 Henry Marsden 1685 Lord Strange Edmund Assheton 1689 Anthony Parker Christopher Wilkinson 1690 Roger Kenyon 1693 Fitton Gerard 1695 Christopher Lister Ambrose Pudsay 1698Thomas Stringer 1701 Ambrose Pudsay1705 Edward Harvey 1707 Daniel Harvey 1708Christopher Parker Apr 1713 Thomas Lister I Sep 1713 Charles Zedenno Stanley 1715 Edward Harvey 1722 Nathaniel Curzon 1727 The Viscount Galway 1734 William Curzon 1745 Thomas Lister II 1747 Nathaniel Curzon1754 Tory Assheton Curzon Tory Dec 1761 by-election Nathaniel Lister Tory 1773 by-election Thomas Lister III Tory 1780 John Parker Tory 1782 by-election John Lee Tory 1790Sir John Aubrey, Bt Tory Penn Curzon Tory 1792 by-election Assheton Curzon Tory 1795 by-election Richard Erle-Drax-Grosvenor Tory 1796 Lord Edward Bentinck Tory Hon. Robert Curzon Tory 1802 Hon. John Cust Tory 1808 by-election James Gordon Tory Oct 1812 Viscount Castlereagh Tory Dec 1812 by-election Edward Wilbraham-Bootle Tory 1818 Hon. William Cust Tory 1822 by-election Henry Porcher Tory 1826 Hon. Peregrine Cust Tory 1831 Hon. Robert Curzon Tory
MPs 1832–1885 ElectionMemberParty1832 representation reduced to one member 1832 John Fort Whig 1841The election of Wilson in 1841 was voided on petition, and Cardwell declared elected in 1842 after scrutiny of the ballots Mathew Wilson Whig 1842 Edward Cardwell Conservative 1847 Mathew Wilson Whig May 1853 by-electionThe result of the 1852 general election in Clitheroe was voided on petition, and a by-election held in May 1853. The by-election result was also voided on petition, and a second by-election held in August 1853 John Aspinall Conservative Aug 1853 by-election Le Gendre Starkie Peelite 1857 John Turner Hopwood Conservative 1865 Richard Fort Liberal 1868 by-election Ralph Assheton Conservative 1880 Richard Fort Liberal 1885 Parliamentary borough abolished. Name transferred to new county division
Clitheroe division of Lancashire
MPs 1885–1983 ElectionMemberPartyNotes 1885 Sir Ughtred Kay-Shuttleworth Liberal 1902 by-election David Shackleton Labour 1910 Albert Smith Labour 1918 Alfred Davies Labour 1922 Sir William Brass Conservative 1945 Harry Randall Labour 1950 Richard Fort Conservative 1959 Sir Francis Pearson Conservative 1970 David Walder Conservative Died October 1978 1979 by-election David Waddington Conservative1983 constituency abolished: see Ribble Valley
Election results Elections in the 1970s
Elections in the 1960s
Elections in the 1950s
Elections in the 1940s
Elections in the 1930s
Elections in the 1920s
Elections in the 1910s
Elections in the 1900s
Elections in the 1890s
Elections in the 1880s
Caused by Kay-Shuttleworth's appointment as Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster.
Elections in the 1870s
Elections in the 1860s
Caused by Fort's death.
Elections in the 1850s
Caused by the previous by-election being declared void on petition, due to treating.
Caused by the previous election being declared void on petition, due to bribery, corruption and intimidation.
Elections in the 1840s
Wilson's election at the 1841 general election was declared void and Cardwell was declared elected on 21 March 1842.
Elections in the 1830s
References