Devon was a parliamentary constituency covering the county of Devon in England. It was represented by two Knights of the Shire, in the House of Commons of England until 1707, then of the House of Commons of Great Britain from 1707 to 1800 and finally the House of Commons of the United Kingdom from 1801 to 1832. Elections were held using the bloc vote system of elections.

Under the Reform Act 1832, it was split into two divisions, North Devon and South Devon, for the 1832 general election.

Boundaries The constituency consisted of the historic county of Devon, excluding the city of Exeter which had the status of a county in itself after 1537. (Although Devon contained a number of other parliamentary boroughs, each of which elected two MPs in its own right for part of the period when Devon was a constituency, these were not excluded from the county constituency, and owning property within the borough could confer a vote at the county election. This was not the case, though, for Exeter.)

Members of Parliament 1290–1640

Constituency created 1290, during the reign of King Edward I (1272–1307).

+Parliaments of Edward I (1272–1307)YearFirst memberSecond member1290 (Jul)Sir Robert de Wodeton Sir Andrew Trelosk of Dunterton1294 (Nov)unknown1295 (Nov), theModel ParliamentSir Robert de Wodeton Sir William Prous of Gidleigh (1245–1315)1297 (Oct)Sir Henry Ralegh of Strete Ralegh in Whimple Sir Hugh Prous of Gatcombe in Colyton1298 (May)Sir John Umfraville of Lapford Sir William Champernowne (c.1240–1304) of Ilfracombe1300 (Mar)Sir Robert Beaple of Knowstone Sir Reginald Ferrers of Bere and Newton Ferrers

+Parliaments of Edward III (1327–1377)YearFirst memberSecond member1331Sir Roger de Pridias (Prideaux) of Orcheton, ModburyVivian, Lt.Col. J. L., (ed.) The Visitations of the County of Devon: Comprising the Heralds' Visitations of 1531, 1564 & 1620, Exeter, 1895, p. 616, pedigree of Prideaux.1340Adam de Branscombe1356/7John Daubernon of DunslandRisdon, Tristram (d. 1640), Survey of Devon, 1811 edition, London, 1811, with 1810 Additions, p. 251.1364Sir John Cary (d. 1395) of Cockington, Devon, Chief Baron of the ExchequerVivian, Lt.Col. J. L., (ed.) The Visitations of the County of Devon: Comprising the Heralds' Visitations of 1531, 1564 & 1620, Exeter, 1895, p. 150, pedigree of Cary (regnal year 37 Edward III, i.e. 1363); see also biography of his son Sir Robert Cary in History of Parliament Sir William Cary (brother)Vivian, Lt.Col. J.L., (Ed.) The Visitations of the County of Devon: Comprising the Heralds' Visitations of 1531, 1564 & 1620, Exeter, 1895, p. 150, pedigree of Cary (regnal year 37 Edward III, i.e. 1363).1348Adam de Branscombe 1369 Sir John Cary (d. 1395) of Cockington, Devon, Chief Baron of the ExchequerVivian, p. 150 (regnal year 42 Edward III, i.e. 1368).Sir William Cary (brother) 1371 Sir William BonvilleSir William Bonville

+Parliaments of Richard IIYearFirst memberSecond member 1377 (Oct) Sir William Bonville 1378 Sir William Bonville 1379 Sir William Bonville 1379 John Beaumont (d. 1379/80)Beaumont, Edward T., The Beaumonts in History. A.D. 850-1850. Oxford, c. 1929, (privately published), Chapter 5, pp. 56–63, The Devonshire Family, p. 62 (term given as 1376–80). 1380 John Beaumont (d. 1379/80) 1380 (Nov) Sir William Bonville 1381 Sir William Bonville 1382 (May) Sir William Bonville 1382 (Oct) Sir William Bonville 1383 Sir Philip Courtenay 1383 Ivo FitzWarin 1384 (Apr) Sir William Bonville 1385 Sir John Stretch 1386 Sir Philip Courtenay Sir John Stretch 1388 (Feb) Sir Philip Courtenay Sir John Prideaux 1388 (Sep) Sir John Stretch Sir John Grenville 1390 (Jan) Sir Philip Courtenay Sir James de Chudleigh 1390 (Nov) Sir James de Chudleigh John Prescott 1391 Sir James de Chudleigh Sir William Sturmy 1393 Sir Philip Courtenay Sir James de Chudleigh 1394 Sir John Grenville Sir James de Chudleigh 1395 Sir Philip Courtenay Sir Hugh Courtenay 1397 (Jan) Sir William Bonville Sir John Grenville 1397 (Sep) Sir Hugh Courtenay Sir William Bonville

+Parliaments of Henry IVYearFirst memberSecond member 1399 Sir Philip Courtenay John Stretch 1401 Sir Philip Courtenay Sir John Wadham 1402 Sir William Bonville Sir John Grenville 1404 (Jan) Sir Thomas Pomeroy Edmund Pyne 1404 (Oct) Sir William Sturmy Walter Reynell 1406 Sir Hugh Luttrell Sir Thomas Pomeroy 1407 Sir Hugh Luttrell Robert Cary 1410 Sir Thomas Pomeroy Robert Cary 1411 Edmund Pyne Robert Cary

+Parliaments of Henry VYearFirst memberSecond member 1413 (Feb) 1413 (May) Sir Thomas PomeroyRobert Cary 1414 (Apr) John St. Aubyn Robert Cary 1414 (Nov) Richard I Hankford John Arundell 1415 1416 (Mar) Richard I HankfordRobert Cary 1416 (Oct) 1417 John Cole Robert Cary 1419 Edward Pomeroy Robert Cary 1420 Sir Robert Chalons Thomas Archdeacon 1421 (May) Sir Hugh Courtenay Robert Cary 1421 (Dec) John Copplestone Henry Fortescue

+Parliaments of Henry VINoYearFirst memberSecond member1st1422William Bonville, 1st Baron BonvilleRobert Cary2nd1423Richard Hankeford John Cole3rd1425William Bonville, 1st Baron BonvilleRobert Cary4th1426Robert CaryJames Chuddelegh5th1427Philip CourtenayWilliam Bonville, 1st Baron Bonville (& John Reynell 1427/8Vivian, Lt.Col. J. L., (ed.) The Visitations of the County of Devon: Comprising the Heralds' Visitations of 1531, 1564 & 1620, Exeter, 1895, p. 643: regnal date "6 Henry IV" (sic), probably "6 Henry VI" 1427/8; corrected date deduced as his brother was Walter Reynell (died 1478) of Malston (Vivian, p. 643) a Member of Parliament for Devon in 1454/5 (Vivian, p. 643).)6th14297th14308th14329th1433Sir Philip Cary10th1435Nicholas Radfordhttp://www.historyofparliamentonline.org/volume/1386-1421/member/radford-nicholas-1455 History of Parliament Online article.John Copplestone171439 John Copplestone331454/5Walter Reynell (died 1478) of Malston in the parish of Sherford, DevonRegnal date 33 Henry VI per Vivian, Lt.Col. J. L., (ed.) The Visitations of the County of Devon: Comprising the Heralds' Visitations of 1531, 1564 & 1620, Exeter, 1895, pp. 643–5, pedigree of Reynell, p. 643.

+Parliaments of Edward IVYearFirst memberSecond member 1491 John Crocker

YearFirst memberSecond member 1510–1523No names known 1529 Sir William Courtenay (d. 1535) of Powderham, died Nov.1535 and repl. Jan 1536 by George Carew Sir Thomas Denys 1536 1539 Sir Thomas Denys Richard Pollard 1542 Richard Pollard ?Gawain Carew 1545 ? Sir Gawain Carew

+Parliaments of Edward VIIYearFirst memberSecond member 1547 Sir Gawain Carew John Chichester 1553 (Mar) Sir Peter Carew John Fulford

+Parliaments of Mary IYearFirst memberSecond member 1553 (Oct) Sir Peter Carew Sir Thomas Denys 1554 (Apr) Sir John Chichester John Prideaux 1554 (Nov) James Bassett James Courtenay 1555 James Bassett Robert Denys

+Parliaments of Elizabeth IYearFirst memberSecond member 1558 James Bassett George Kirkham1559Sir Peter CarewSir John St Leger1563–1567John ChichesterGawin Carew1571Sir John St LegerPeter Edgcumbe1572–1583Arthur Bassett1584–1585Walter RaleighWilliam Courtenay1586–1587John Chudleigh1588–1589William CourtenayGeorge Cary1593Sir Thomas DenysSir Edward Seymour, 1st Baronet1597–1598William StrodeAmias Bampfield1601William CourtenaySir Edward Seymour, 1st Baronet

+Parliaments of James IYearFirst memberSecond member1604–1611Sir Edward Seymour, 1st BaronetThomas RidgewayAppointed Treasurer in Ireland 1607.(from 1607)Sir John Acland1614John DrakeSir Edward Giles1621–1622Sir Edward Seymour, 2nd Baronet1624–1625Sir William Strode

+Parliaments of Charles IYearFirst memberSecond member1625Francis FulfordFrancis Courtenay1626John DrakeJohn Pole1628–1629John BampfieldSir Francis Drake, BtYoungest brother (1588–1637) of Francis Drake.

1640–1832 YearFirst memberFirst partySecond memberSecond partyApril 1640 Sir Edward Seymour, 3rd Baronet RoyalistThomas WyseDied March 1641.November 16401641Sir Samuel RolleDied December 1647. ParliamentarianJanuary 1643Seymour disabled to sit – seat vacant1646Sir Nicholas Martyn1648William MoriceMorice may not have taken his seat before being excluded in Pride's Purge.December 1648Morice and Martyn excluded in Pride's Purge – both seats vacant. 1653Seven nominated members in the Barebones Parliament: George Monck, John Carew, Thomas Saunders, Christopher Martyn, James Erisey, Francis Rous, Richard SweetDevon's representation was increased to 11 MPs in the First and Second Parliaments of the Protectorate1654 Thomas Saunders, Robert Rolle, Arthur Upton, Thomas Reynell, William Morice, John Hale, William Bastard, William Fry, Sir John Northcote, Bt, Henry Hatsell, John Quick1656 Thomas Saunders, Robert Rolle, Arthur Upton, Thomas Reynell, William Morice, John Hale, Sir John Northcote, Bt, Captain Henry Hatsell, Sir John Yonge, Edmund Fowell, John DoddridgeJanuary 1659 Sir John Northcote, Bt Robert Rolle May 1659Not represented in the restored Rump April 1660George Monck Sir John Northcote, Bt July 1660Sir Edward Seymour, 3rd Baronet 1661Sir Hugh Pollard, Bt Sir John Rolle 1667Earl of Torrington 1671Sir Coplestone Bampfylde, Bt February 1679Sir Edward Seymour, 4th Baronet TorySir William Courtenay, Bt September 1679Samuel Rolle 1685Sir Bourchier Wrey, Bt Sir Coplestone Bampfylde, Bt 1689Francis Courtenay Samuel RolleSeptember 1699Thomas DreweJanuary 1701Sir William Courtenay, Bt December 1701Sir John Pole, Bt1702Robert Rolle 1710Sir William Pole John Rolle Tory1712Sir William Courtenay, Bt Tory1713Sir Coplestone Bampfylde, Bt Tory1727John Rolle Tory1730Henry Rolle 1736John Bampfylde 1741Sir William Courtenay, Bt Theophilus Fortescue 1746Sir Thomas Dyke-Acland, Bt 1747Sir Richard Bampfylde, Bt 1762John Parker 1776John Rolle Walter 1780John Rolle 1784John Pollexfen Bastard Tory1796Sir Lawrence Palk, Bt1812Sir Thomas Dyke-Acland, Bt Tory1816Edmund Pollexfen Bastard 1818Viscount Ebrington Whig1820Sir Thomas Dyke-Acland, Bt Tory1830Viscount Ebrington Whig1831Lord John Russell Whig Constituency abolished (1832)

Elections

Notes

References 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) J. E. Neale, The Elizabethan House of Commons (London: Jonathan Cape, 1949)

See also List of former United Kingdom Parliament constituencies Unreformed House of Commons