Rye was a parliamentary constituency centred on the town of Rye in East Sussex. It returned two Members of Parliament to the Parliament of England before 1707, Parliament of Great Britain until 1801 and the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom until its representation was halved under the Reform Act 1832.
From the 1832 general election, Rye returned one Member of Parliament until its abolition for the 1950 general election, when the town of Rye itself was transferred to the redrawn Hastings constituency.
The constituency was re-created for the 1955 general election, and abolished again for the 1983 general election when it was largely replaced by the Bexhill and Battle parliamentary constituency.
Boundaries 1885–1918: The Municipal Boroughs of Hastings and Rye, the Sessional Divisions of Battle, Burwash, Frant, Hastings, and Rye, the ancient town of Winchelsea, and the Liberty of the Sluice and Petit Iham.
1918–1950: The Municipal Boroughs of Bexhill and Rye, the Urban District of Battle, the Rural Districts of Battle, Hastings, Rye, and Ticehurst, and in the Rural District of Hailsham the civil parishes of Heathfield, Herstmonceux, Hooe, Ninfield, Warbleton, and Wartling.
1955–1983: The Municipal Boroughs of Bexhill and Rye, the Rural District of Battle, and part of the Rural District of Hailsham.
Members of Parliament
MPs 1366–1640
ParliamentFirst MemberSecond Member1372John Salerne1373John Salerne1381Simon LuncefordLUNCEFORD, Simon (d.c.1390), of Rye, Suss. and New Romney, Kent. History of Parliament Online1386 Stephen Elyot John Baddyng1388 (Feb) Stephen Elyot William Marchaunt1388 (Sep) William atte Vawte John Macop1390 (Jan) Laurence Lunceford Laurence Corboyle1390 (Nov)1391 John Salerne Laurence Lunceford1393 John Baddyng John Bertelot13941395 John Baddyng William Ormed1397 (Jan) Richard Tichebourne John Langeport1397 (Sep)1399 John BaddyngWilliam atte Vawte14011402 John Baddyng John Roberd1404 (Jan)1404 (Oct)1406 William atte VawteLaurence Mersey1407 John Baddyng Thomas Long1410 John Shelley William Long14111413 (Feb)1413 (May) William Long Robert Onewyn1414 (Apr)1414 (Nov) William Long Robert Onewyn14151416 (Mar)1416 (Oct)1417 John Shelley Richard Posterf1419 Robert Onewyn William Long1420 John Shelley William Long1421 (May) Robert Onewyn Thomas Piers1421 (Dec) William ThirlwallJohn Shelley1504 Richard Berkeley1510 Nicholas Sutton Richard Berkeley1512 Nicholas Sutton Robert Mede1515 Robert MedeNicholas Sutton1523 Thomas Cheseman alias Baker Thomas Basseden1529 Nicholas Sutton, died and replaced by 1534 by Richard Inglet John Fletcher1536 Richard Inglet John Fletcher1539 Thomas Birchet William Mede1542 John Fletcher William Oxenbridge1545 Alexander Welles Robert Wymond1547 Alexander Welles George Reynolds1553 (Mar) Richard Fletcher John Holmes1553 (Oct) Clement Heigham John Holmes1554 (Apr) John Holmes Richard Fletcher1554 (Nov) John HolmesThomas Smith1555 John Holmes Reginald Mohun1558 Thomas FletcherThomas Cheyne1559 Richard Fletcher IRobert Marche1562–3 George Reynolds I John Bredes1571 John Donning Thomas Fanshawe1572 Clement Cobbe, died and replaced July 1575 by Robert Carpenter Henry Gaymer1584 John Hammond Robert Carpenter1586 Henry Gaymer Robert Carpenter1588–9Audley Dannett Robert Carpenter1593 Henry GaymerRobert Carpenter1597 Sampson Lennard Thomas Hamon1601 Sir Arthur Gorges Thomas Colepeper1604–1611 Thomas Hamon, died and replaced by Heneage Finch John Young1614 Edward Hendon Thomas Watson1621–1622 Emanuel Gifford John Angell1624 Thomas Conway Sir Edward Conway, sat for Warwick and replaced by John Angel1625 Thomas Fotherley Sir John Sackville1626 Thomas Fotherley Sir John Sackville1628 Richard Tufton Thomas Fotherley1629–1640No Parliaments summoned
MPs 1640–1832 YearFirst memberFirst partySecond memberSecond partyApril 1640John CulpepperNovember 1640Sir John JacobExpelled 1641 for being a tobacco monopolistRoyalist John WhiteRoyalist1641 William HayParliamentarianFebruary 1644White disabled from sitting - seat vacant1645John Fagg1653Rye was unrepresented in the Barebones Parliament1654Herbert Morley Rye had only one seat in the First and Second Parliaments of the Protectorate1656 William Hay January 1659Mark ThomasMay 1659Not represented in the restored RumpApril 1660 Herbert Morley William Hay May 1661 Richard Spencer November 1661 Sir John Robinson, 1st Baronet 1667 Sir John Austen, 2nd Baronet February 1679 Thomas Frewen October 1679 Sir John Darrel 1685 Sir Thomas Jenner January 1689 Sir John Darrel April 1689 Sir John Austen, 2nd Baronet 1694 Thomas Frewen 1698 Joseph Offley Country Whig 1699 Sir Robert Austen, 3rd Baronet 1701 Thomas Fagg 1702 Edward Southwell Tory 1705 Philip Herbert 1707 Phillips Gybbon Whig 1708 Admiral Sir John Norris 1722 The Lord Aylmer 1727 John Norris 1733 Matthew Norris 1734 Admiral Sir John Norris 1749 Thomas Pelham 1754 George Onslow 1761 Captain John Bentinck 1762 John Norris 1768 Rose Fuller 1774 Middleton Onslow 1775 Hon. Thomas Onslow 1777 William Dickinson 1784 Charles Wolfran Cornwall 1789 Charles Long Tory 1790 Hon. Robert JenkinsonStyled Lord Hawkesbury from 1796 Tory 1796 Robert Dundas Tory 1801 The Lord de Blaquiere Tory1802 Thomas Davis Lamb Tory 1803 by-election Sir Charles Talbot ToryApril 1806 by-election Major General the Hon. Sir Arthur Wellesley ToryNovember 1806 Patrick Craufurd Bruce Whig Michael Angelo Taylor WhigMay 1807 Sir John Nicholl Tory The Earl of Clancarty ToryJuly 1807 by-election Sir William Elford Tory Stephen Rumbold Lushington Tory 1808 by-election William Jacob ToryOctober 1812 Thomas Phillipps Lamb Tory Sir Henry Sullivanalso elected at Lincoln ToryDecember 1812 by-election Charles Wetherell Tory 1813 by-election Richard Arkwright Tory 1816 by-election John Maberly Whig1818 Charles ArbuthnotArbuthnot was also elected for St Germans, which he chose to represent, and never sat for Rye Tory Peter Browne ToryFebruary 1819 by-election Thomas Phillipps Lamb ToryJuly 1819 John Dodson Tory 1823 by-election Robert Knight Whig1826 Richard Arkwright Tory Henry Bonham ToryMarch 1830 by-election Philip PuseyPusey was originally declared elected, but by an order of the House of Commons on 17 May 1830 his name was erased from the return and that of De Lacy Evans was substituted ToryMay 1830 De Lacy Evans RadicalAugust 1830 Hugh Duncan Baillie Whig Francis Robert Bonham Tory1831 Thomas Pemberton Tory De Lacy Evans Radical1832 Representation reduced to one member
MPs 1832–1950 ElectionMemberParty1832 Edward Barrett Curteis Whig1837 Thomas Gybbon Monypenny Conservative1841 Herbert Barrett Curteis Whig1847 by-election Herbert Mascall Curteis Whig1852 William Alexander Mackinnon (younger) Whig1853 by-election William Alexander Mackinnon (elder) Peelite1859 Liberal1865 Lauchlan Bellingham Mackinnon Liberal1868 John Gathorne-Hardy Conservative1880 Frederick Inderwick Liberal1885 Arthur Montagu Brookfield Conservative1903 by-election Charles Frederick Hutchinson Liberal1906 George Courthope Conservative1945 William Cuthbert Conservative1950 constituency abolished
MPs 1955–1983 ElectionMemberParty 1955 Godman Irvine Conservative1983 constituency abolished
Elections Elections in the 1830s Bonham resigned, causing a by-election.
15 votes for De Lacy Evans were rejected but, after petition, he was declared elected on 17 May 1830 and Pusey's election was declared void.
200 inhabitants voted for Evans and Smith, but these were rejected
A riot broke out during the poll and it was then agreed that Pusey withdrew from the contest on the condition that De Lacy Evan's party would protect the peace of the town. Just three electors polled on the second day.
Elections in the 1840s
Curteis' death caused a by-election.
Curteis' election was declared void on petition on 27 March 1848, due to insufficient notice being given of the election, causing a by-election.
Elections in the 1850s
Mackinnon was unseated when his election was declared void on petition due to bribery and treating, causing a by-election. £220 was left behind a sofa cushion at the Red Lion to pay for a dinner.Morning Chronicle 3 March 1854
Elections in the 1860s
Elections in the 1870s
Elections in the 1880s
Elections in the 1890s
Elections in the 1900s
Elections in the 1910s
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: George Courthope Independent Progressive: John Langdon-DaviesBexhill-on-Sea Observer, 22 July 1939
Elections in the 1950s
Elections in the 1960s
Elections in the 1970s
See also Bexhill and Battle parliamentary constituency Notes
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) titles A-Z F W S Craig, British Parliamentary Election Results 1832–1885 (Aldershot, UK: Parliamentary Research Services, 1989, 2nd edition) J E Neale, The Elizabethan House of Commons (London: Jonathan Cape, 1949) J Holladay Philbin, Parliamentary Representation 1832 – England and Wales (New Haven, CT: Yale University Press, 1965) Robert Walcott, English Politics in the Early Eighteenth Century (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1956)