Tavistock was a parliamentary constituency in Devon, England between 1330 and 1974. Until the 1885 election it was a parliamentary borough, consisting solely of the town of Tavistock; it returned two Members of Parliament to the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom until 1868, when its representation was reduced to one member. From 1885, the name was transferred to a single-member county constituency covering a much larger area. (Between 1885 and 1918, the constituency had the alternative name of West Devon.)
The constituency was abolished for the February 1974 general election, when it was largely replaced by the new West Devon constituency.
Boundaries 1885–1918: The Municipal Boroughs of Devonport and Plymouth, and the Sessional Divisions of Hatherleigh, Holsworthy, Lifton, Midland Roborough, and Tavistock.
1918–1950: The Urban Districts of Holsworthy, Ivybridge, and Tavistock, the Rural Districts of Broadwoodwidger, Plympton St Mary, and Tavistock, and part of the Rural District of Holsworthy.
1950–1951: The Urban Districts of Holsworthy and Tavistock, the Rural Districts of Broadwoodwidger, Holsworthy, and Tavistock, and the Rural District of Plympton St Mary except the parishes of Bickleigh and Tamerton Foliot.
1951–1974: The Urban Districts of Holsworthy and Tavistock, the Rural Districts of Broadwoodwidger, Holsworthy, and Tavistock, and the Rural District of Plympton St Mary less the parts of the parishes of Bickleigh and Tamerton Foliot added to the county borough of Plymouth by the Plymouth Extension Act 1950.
In 1965 Tavistock was one of the largest seats in England, in terms of land area. It included the towns of Plympton and Plymstock (effectively eastern suburbs of Plymouth). It also included a great deal of rural land, including two-thirds of Dartmoor.Crick 1997, pp117-8
Members of Parliament MPs 1330–1640
ParliamentFirst memberSecond member1335Richard CrockerOct. 1377Thomas Raymond1381 Peter Hadley1384Thomas Raymond 1386 John Wyndout John Tryll 1388 (Feb) Ranulph Hunt John atte Pole 1388 (Sep) John Ford William Walreddon 1390 (Jan) Walter Milemead John Bithewater 1390 (Nov) 1391 Ranulph Hunt John Whitham 1393 Ranulph Hunt Matthew Row 1394 Ranulph Hunt John Crocker 1395 Ranulph Hunt Walter Dimmock 1397 (Jan) William Whitham John Plenty 1397 (Sep) 1399 1401 1402 Ranulph Hunt John Kene 1404 (Jan) 1404 (Oct) 1406 John Plenty Roger Baker 1407 John Godfrey William Brit 1410 1411 John Lopynford Richard Secheville 1413 (Feb) 1413 (May) William May John Julkin 1414 (Apr) 1414 (Nov) William May John Julkin 1415 1416 (Mar) 1416 (Oct) 1417 1419 Richard Secheville ? 1420 Richard Secheville William Bentley 1421 (May) John Fortescue William May 1421 (Dec) John Fortescue Nicholas Fitzherbert 1467–1468 Richard Edgcumbe 1472 John Say 1485 Richard Edgcumbe 1510-1512 No names known 1515 Richard Lybbe John Amadas 1523 ? 1529 William Honychurch John Dynham 1536 ? 1539 ? 1542 ? 1545 Sir Peter Carew Richard Fortescue 1547 Sir Edward Rogers John Gale 1553 (Mar) Edward Underhill Anthony Lyte 1553 (Nov)Richard WilbrahamThomas SmythParliament of 1554Richard MayoJohn Fitz, juniorParliament of 1554–1555John OnebycheParliament of 1555Richard MayoThomas SouthcoteParliament of 1558Thomas BrowneGeorge SouthcoteParliament of 1559Unknown: the return has been lostParliament of 1563–1567Sir Nicholas ThrockmortonRichard CookeParliament of 1571Nathaniel BaconRobert Ferrers died after 1572In his place Charles MorisonParliament of 1572–1581Parliament of 1584–1585Edward BaconValentine KnightleyParliament of 1586–1587John GlanvilleParliament of 1588–1589Michael HeneageAnthony AshleyParliament of 1593Hugh VaughanRichard CodringtonParliament of 1597–1598Edward MontaguValentine KnightleyParliament of 1601Henry GreyWalter WentworthParliament of 1604–1611Sir George FleetwoodEdward DuncombeAddled Parliament (1614)(Sir) Francis GlanvilleParliament of 1621–1622Sir Baptist Hicks, BtHappy Parliament (1624–1625)Sampson HeleJohn PymUseless Parliament (1625) Sir Francis GlanvilleParliament of 1625–1626Sir John RatcliffeParliament of 1628–1629Sir Francis GlanvilleNo Parliament summoned 1629-1640
MPs 1640–1868 YearFirst memberFirst partySecond memberSecond partyApril 1640 Lord RussellRoyalist John Pym Parliamentarian November 16401641 Hon. John RussellRoyalist December 1643Pym died - seat vacantJanuary 1644Russell disabled from sitting - seat vacant1646Elisha CrimesEdward FowellDecember 1648Crimes and Fowell excluded in Pride's Purge - both seats vacant1653Tavistock was unrepresented in the Barebones Parliament and the First and Second Parliaments of the ProtectorateJanuary 1659 Henry Hatsell Edmund FowellMay 1659Not represented in the restored RumpApril 1660William Russell Whig George Howard April 1661Sir John Davie, 2nd Baronet December 1661 Lord Russell Whig1673 Sir Francis Drake, 3rd Baronet 1679Edward Russell Whig1685Sir James Butler John Beare 1689 Lord Robert Russell Sir Francis Drake, Bt1695Lord James Russell March 1696Ambrose Manaton November 1696Sir Francis Drake, Bt 1701Lord Edward Russell Whig1702 Lord James Russell November 1703 James Bulteel December 1703 Henry ManatonManaton was initially returned as re-elected in 1710, but on petition he was adjudged not to have been duly elected Tory1708 Sir John Cope, BtCope was re-elected in 1727, but had also been elected for Hampshire, which he chose to represent, and did not sit again for Tavistock Whig1711James Bulteel 1715 Sir Francis Henry Drake, Bt 1728Sir Humphrey Monoux, Bt Tory1734 Hon. Charles FaneSucceeded as The Viscount Fane (in the Peerage of Ireland), July 1744 WhigSidney Meadows1741Lord Sherard Manners 1742The Viscount of Limerick July 1747Richard Leveson-GowerLeveson-Gower was also elected for Lichfield, which he chose to represent, and never sat for Tavistock Thomas Brand December 1747Sir Richard Wrottesley, Bt April 1754 Richard Rigby WhigJeffrey FrenchDecember 1754Richard Vernon 1761Richard Neville Aldworth 1774 Hon. Richard FitzPatrickWhig1788Lord John Russell WhigJune 1790Hon. Charles WyndhamWyndham was also elected for Midhurst, which he chose to represent, and never sat for TavistockWhigDecember 1790Lord John Russell Whig1802Lord Robert SpencerWhigMay 1807 Lord William Russell WhigJuly 1807Viscount Howick Whig1808George Ponsonby Whig1812Richard FitzPatrickWhig1813Lord John Russell Whig1817Lord Robert Spencer Whig1818 Lord John Russell Whig1819 John Peter Grant WhigMarch 1820John Nicholas Fazakerly WhigMay 1820 Viscount EbringtonEbrington was re-elected in 1830, but had also been elected for Devon, which he chose to represent, and did not sit again for Tavistock Whig1826Lord William Russell WhigAugust 1830 Lord Russell WhigNovember 1830Lord John RussellRussell was re-elected in 1831, but had also been elected for Devon, which he chose to represent, and did not sit again for Tavistock WhigJuly 1831 John Heywood Hawkins WhigOctober 1831Lieutenant Colonel Francis Russell Whig1832 Lord RussellStyled Marquess of Tavistock from 1839 WhigCharles Richard FoxWhig1835 John RundleWhig1841 Lord Edward Russell Whig1843 John Salusbury Trelawny Radical1847 Hon. Edward Russell WhigApril 1852 Samuel CarterCarter's re-election in 1853 was declared void and his opponent, Phillimore, was seated in his place. RadicalJuly 1852 Hon. George Byng Whig1853Robert Phillimore PeeliteMarch 1857 Sir John Salusbury Trelawny RadicalSeptember 1857 Arthur Russell Whig1859 LiberalLiberal1865Joseph d'Aguilar Samuda Liberal1868 Representation reduced to one member
MPs 1868–1974 ElectionMemberParty 1868 Arthur RussellStyled Lord Arthur Russell from 1872 Liberal 1885 Viscount Ebrington Liberal 1886 Liberal Unionist 1892 Hugh Luttrell Liberal 1900 John Spear Liberal Unionist 1906 Hugh Luttrell Liberal Dec. 1910 Sir John Spear Liberal Unionist 1918 Charles Williams Conservative 1922 Maxwell Ruthven Thornton Liberal 1924 Philip Kenyon-Slaney Unionist 1928 by-election Wallace Duffield Wright Conservative 1931 Colin Patrick Conservative 1942 by-election Sir Henry Studholme, Bt Conservative 1966 Michael Heseltine ConservativeFeb 1974 constituency abolished: see West Devon
Elections Elections in the 1830s
Fortescue chose to sit for Devon where he had also been elected, causing a by-election.
John Russell was also elected for Devon and opted to sit there, causing a by-election.
William Russell resigned, causing a by-election.
Elections in the 1840s
Rundle resigned by accepting the office of Steward of the Chiltern Hundreds, causing a by-election.
Elections in the 1850s Trelawny resigned to seek re-election after voting against the disestablishment of the Church of England when he had promised his constituents he would vote for it.
On petition, Carter was unseated in 1853 and Phillimore was declared elected in his place.
Byng resigned in order to contest a by-election in Middlesex, causing a by-election.
Elections in the 1860s
Seat reduced to one member
Elections in the 1870s
Elections in the 1880s
Elections in the 1890s
Elections in the 1900s
Elections in the 1910s
General Election 1914–15:
Another General Election was required to take place before the end of 1915. The political parties had been making preparations for an election to take place and by July 1914, the following candidates had been selected; Unionist: John Spear Liberal: Oliver BrettWestern Times 13 Mar 1914
Elections in the 1920s
Elections in the 1930s
Elections in the 1940s General Election 1939–40:
Another General Election was required to take place before the end of 1940. The political parties had been making preparations for an election to take place from 1939 and by the end of this year, the following candidates had been selected; Conservative: Colin Patrick Liberal: Frank Milton Labour: J Finnigan
Elections in the 1950s
Elections in the 1960s
Elections in the 1970s
References
Robert Beatson, A Chronological Register of Both Houses of Parliament (London: Longman, Hurst, Res & Orme, 1807) D Brunton & D H Pennington, Members of the Long Parliament (London: George Allen & Unwin, 1954) Cobbett's Parliamentary history of England, from the Norman Conquest in 1066 to the year 1803 (London: Thomas Hansard, 1808) The Constitutional Year Book for 1913 (London: National Union of Conservative and Unionist Associations, 1913) F W S Craig, British Parliamentary Election Results 1832-1885 (2nd edition, Aldershot: Parliamentary Research Services, 1989) F W S Craig, British Parliamentary Election Results 1918-1949 (Glasgow: Political Reference Publications, 1969) Michael Crick, Michael Heseltine: A Biography, Hamish Hamilton, 1997, . Maija Jansson (ed.), Proceedings in Parliament, 1614 (House of Commons) (Philadelphia: American Philosophical Society, 1988) J E Neale, The Elizabethan House of Commons (London: Jonathan Cape, 1949) J Holladay Philbin, Parliamentary Representation 1832 - England and Wales (New Haven: Yale University Press, 1965) Henry Stooks Smith, The Parliaments of England from 1715 to 1847 (2nd edition, edited by FWS Craig - Chichester: Parliamentary Reference Publications, 1973)