Wallingford was a parliamentary constituency in England, represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of England until 1707, then of the Parliament of Great Britain from 1707 to 1800 and of the Parliament of the United Kingdom from 1801 to 1885.
It was a parliamentary borough created in 1295, centred on the market town Wallingford in Berkshire (now in Oxfordshire). It used to return two Members of Parliament (MPs) to the House of Commons; this was cut to one in 1832, and the constituency was abolished in 1885. The town of Wallingford is now within the constituency of Didcot and Wantage.
History Before 1832 the borough consisted only of the town of Wallingford, which by the 19th century was divided into four parishes. The franchise was limited to (male) inhabitants paying scot and lot, a local tax. Namier and Brooke estimated that the number of electors in the mid-18th century was about 200; but the number fluctuated considerably with the fortunes of the town, which had no manufacturing interests and considerable unemployment at some periods. There were never enough voters to avoid the risk of corruption, and systematic bribery generally prevailed, with anything up to 150 votes being bought and sold at any one election. (In 1754, Thomas Sewell, one of the Whig candidates, spent over £1000 of his own money and not only was this reimbursed from the "secret service" funds but the government spent further money unsuccessfully attempting to secure him a seat in Wallingford.Page 198, Lewis Namier, The Structure of Politics at the Accession of George III (2nd edition – London: St Martin's Press, 1957)) By the 19th century Wallingford was regarded as one of the worst of the rotten boroughs, and Oldfield recorded in 1816 that the price of a vote was 40 guineas.
The 1831 census found the borough had a population of about 2,500, and 485 houses. Under the Reform Act 1832, the constituency was allowed to survive and to keep one of its two MPs, but the boundaries were considerably extended, taking in the Wallingford Castle precincts, which had previously been excluded, and all or part of a dozen neighbouring parishes including Benson and Crowmarsh, and part of Cholsey. This change of boundaries almost trebled the population, but the effect on the electorate was much smaller. According to the reports on which the Reform Act was based, Wallingford had about 300 men qualified to vote in 1831 (though no more than 230 had ever voted in the previous thirty years). Yet despite the widening of the right to vote, which preserved the ancient right voters of the borough while adding new electors on an occupation franchise, there were only 453 names on the 1832 electoral register for the extended borough. (Stooks Smith records that 166 of these claimed their vote as scot and lot payers, while 287 qualified as £10 occupiers; but many of the latter group presumably paid scot and lot within the old boundaries and could have voted before the Reform Act.)
In 1868 the franchise was further extended and there were 942 registered electors, but the constituency was much too small to survive the Third Reform Act, and was abolished with effect from the general election of 1885. The constituency was mostly included in the new Berkshire North or Abingdon county constituency, but Benson and the other parts of the extended borough on the Oxfordshire side of the Thames were placed in the Oxfordshire South or Henley division of that county.
Members of Parliament
1295–1640
ParliamentFirst memberSecond member 1302 Osbert de Notele William Clericus 1304 Nicholas de la Barre William Mareschal 1306 Nicholas de la Barre Richard de Cippenham 1306 John Mariot Osbert de Notele 1307 Nicholas de la Barre John Mariot 1309 Thomas de Morton Thomas Bene 1311 Nicholas de la Barre Osbert de Notele 1311 Nicholas de la Barre Osbert de Notele 1312 Nicholas de la Barre Richard de Cippenham 1313 Nicholas de la Barre William Butty 1314 Walter at Russhe William Butty 1314–5 Osbert de Notele Thomas Bone 1318 Thomas Garston Thomas Bone 1327 John Osbern Richard Grotard 1320 Thomas Bone Thomas Bortorat 1321 Nicholas de la Barre John Osbern 1322 Reginald de Bradebourn Alexander le Vacher 1322 Thomas at Gaston Alexander le Vacher 1323 Osbert de NoteleReginald de Bradebourn 1325 Robert Butty Richard Reswald 1327 John Osbern Roger de Saucer 1328 Thomas Bone John Osbern 1328 John Osbern John Breton 1329 John Mariot William Arnyot 1330 John Mariot Robert Butty 1331 John Mariot Robert Butty 1331 Thomas Bone William de Dene 1333 John Mariot John de Preston 1335 William de Cornwall Philip Preston 1335 William de Cornwall Thomas Bone 1336 William de Cornwall Edmund Bonham 1336 William de Cornwall Thomas Bone 1337 John Mariot William de Cornwall 1337 John Mariot William de Cornwall 1338 William le Goldsmith John Berewyk 1338 John Mariot William Arnyat 1339 John Stacy Thomas Batheshall 1339 Robert Butty William le Goldsmith 1341 John Mariot Robert Butty 1344 Roger Tylewyne John Berewyk 1347 John atte Ruysshe John at Barston 1348 Philip de Preston William le Goldsmith 1350–1 William Harewell Thomas Reynald 1355 John Louch John Brightwalton 1357–8 Robert Berot John Heronn 1360 John Louch John Andrew 1360 Nicholas Payable Roger Preston 1362 William Harewell Henry Redyng 1363 William Harewell Alexander Absolan 1364 John James Roger Preston 1366 John James Nicholas Payable 1368 Nicholas Tanner 1369 John James Nicholas Tanner 1370 John James Richard Attefelde 1371 John James Richard Attefelde 1372 Richard Attefelde Roger Melbourne 1373 Thomas Grove Roger Arnyate 1375 John James Richard Attefelde 1376 Thomas Beneshef Henry de Bedyng 1377 Thomas Reynald Richard Attefelde 1378 Roger Arnyate 1379–80 Roger Melbourne Walter Hervy 1381 Roger Melbourne 1383 Thomas Grove Robert Oxenford 1383 Roger Melbourne John Kerre 1383 Roger Arnyate John Kerre 1384 Thomas Grove John Lyttel 1384 Thomas Grove Walter Harby 1385 Thomas Beneshef Robert Oxenford 1386 Thomas Beneshef John Derby 1387 Thomas Beneshef Roger Melbourne 1388 Richard de Brugge John Bernard 1389 John Cotterell Roger Melbourne 1391 Richard Hovelock William Hende 1392 John Cotterell William Cary 1393 John Cotterell John Derby 1394 John Cotterell John Derby 1396 John Cotterell Robert Oxenford 1397 John Cotterell Walter Colete 1399 Walter Hervy John Culham 1405–6 William Essex Walter Hyndon 1407 John Culham William Clowd 1409–10 John Cotterell William Cotterell 1413 Thomas Ravening Lewis John 1413–4 Robert Deffonte Robert Carswell 1419 John Denby Richard Algate 1420 John Cotterell Richard Algate 1421 John Cotterell John Mercham 1421 John Warfeld William Bodyngton 1422 John Warfeld Laurence Haweman 1423 Laurence Haweman Henry Payne 1429 John Mercham Thomas Jones 1425–6 Laurence Haweman John Denby 1427 John Warfeld William Borde 1429 John Warfeld Laurence Haweman 1430–1 John Warfeld Thomas Ramsey 1432 John Warfeld William Bodyngton 1433 John Warfeld William Bodyngton 1435 John Warfeld William Borde 1436–7 John Warfeld William Borde 1441–2 John Bruggewater John Stoke 1446 John Stoke Robert Dalby 1448 Thomas Carlyll Henry Herleton 1449 Robert Hopton Thomas Browne 1450 Henry Spencer Richard Bulstrode 1452–3 Thomas Preston John Burgh 1459 Richard Houghton Henry Spencer 1460 William Bedeston John Bydon 1467 John Colynggrugge Robert Hopton 1472 Thomas Roos Thomas Ashynden 1477–8 Thomas Wode Thomas Vynsent 1529 Edward Chamberlain Godelacius Overton 1536 Thomas Denton 1547 Sir Thomas Parry Henry Hontley 1552-3 Sir Thomas Parry George Wright 1553 George Wright Edmund Plowden 1554 Edmund Ashfield Anthony Butler 1554 Edmund Ashfield Robert Cockson 1555 Sir Thomas Parry Thomas Mynde 1557 Thomas Mynde Radulphus Pollyngton 1558-9 Thomas Mynde John Fortesque 1563 William Dunch Thomas Browne 1571 Sir Edmund Dunch Thomas Dudley 1572 Thomas Digges John Fortesque 1584 Christopher Edmonds Richard Knollys 1586 Richard Knollys Thomas Stampe 1588–9 Michael Molyns Thomas Stampe 1592–3 Thomas Fortescue Anthony Bacon 1597 Thomas Fortescue Owen Oglethorpe 1601 (Sir John Herbert)sat for Glamorganand replaced byThomas Fortescue Henry Doyley 1604 Sir William Dunch Griffith Payne 1614 Sir Carew Reynell Sir George Simeon 1621–1622 Sir George Simeon Samuel Dunch 1624 (Sir Edward Howard)sat for Calne, Wiltshireand replaced bySir Anthony Forrest Sir George Simeon 1625 Sir Anthony Forrest Michael Molyns 1625 Sir Anthony Forrest Unton Croke 1628–1629 Sir Robert Knollys Edmund Dunch 1629–1640No parliaments summoned
1640–1832 1640 (Apr): Edmund Dunch (Parliamentarian); Unton Croke 1640 (Nov): Edmund Dunch; Thomas Howard (Royalist) – disabled to sit, January 1644 1645: Edmund Dunch; Robert Packer – excluded in Pride's Purge, December 1648 1648: Edmund Dunch (one seat only) 1653: Wallingford not represented in Barebones Parliament 1654: Wallingford not represented in first Protectorate Parliament 1656: Wallingford not represented in second Protectorate Parliament 1659: William Cook; Walter Bigg
YearFirst memberFirst partySecond memberSecond partyApril 1660 Robert Packer Hungerford Dunch June 1660 Thomas Saunders 1661 Hon. George Fane 1663 Sir John Bennet February 1679 John Stone Scorey Barker August 1679 William Lenthall 1681 Taverner Harris 1685 John Stone John Holloway 1689 Thomas Tipping William Jennens 1690 John Wallis 1695 Sir Thomas Tipping 1698 Richard Pye 1701 William Jennens Thomas Renda 1705 Clement Kent 1708 Grey Neville 1709 Thomas Renda 1710 Simon Harcourt 1713 Richard Bigg 1714 Thomas Renda 1715 Edmund Dunch Whig William Hucks 1719 Henry Grey Whig 1722 Viscount Parker 1727 George Lewen 1734 Thomas Tower 1740 Joseph Townsend 1741 John Bance John Rush 1747 Joseph Townsend Richard Tonson 1754 John Hervey Richard Ashcroft Bedford Whig1761 Sir John Gibbons, Bt 1765Sir George Pigot, Bt 1768Robert Pigot John Aubrey 1772 John Cator 1774Sir Robert Barker 1780 Chaloner Arcedeckne John Aubrey 1784 Sir Francis Sykes, Bt 1784Thomas Aubrey 1790Nathaniel Wraxall 1794Francis Sykes Tory 1796The Lord Eardley Whig Tory 1802 William Hughes Whig 1804George Galway Mills 1806Richard Benyon Tory 1812Ebenezer Maitland Tory 1820George James Robarts Whig 1826 Robert Knight Whig 1831Thomas Leigh Whig Constituency reduced to one seat, (1832)
1832–1885 YearMemberPartyNote1832 William Seymour Blackstone Tory 1834 Conservative1852Richard Malins Conservative1865Sir Wentworth Dilke, Bt Liberal1868Stanley Vickers ConservativeDied 24 February 18721872Edward Wells Conservative1880Walter Wren LiberalElection declared void, on petition, 19 June 18801880Pandeli Ralli Liberal Constituency abolished (1885)
Elections Electoral system: The block vote electoral system was used in two seat elections and first past the post for single member elections. Each voter had up to as many votes as there were seats to be filled. Votes had to be cast by a spoken declaration, in public, at the hustings (until the secret ballot was introduced in 1872).
Percentage change calculations: Where there was only one candidate of a party in successive elections, for the same number of seats, change is calculated on the party percentage vote. Where there was more than one candidate, in one or both successive elections for the same number of seats, then change is calculated on the individual percentage vote.
Sources (unless otherwise indicated): (1754–1784) Namier and Brooke; (1790–1831) Stooks Smith; (1832–1880) Craig. Where Stooks Smith gives additional information or differs from the other sources this is indicated in a note after the result.
Swing: Positive swing is from Whig/Liberal to Tory/Conservative. Negative swing is from Tory/Conservative to Whig/Liberal.
1750-1760s – 1770-1780s – 1790s – 1800s – 1810s – 1820s – 1830s – 1840s – 1850s – 1860s – 1870s – 1880s
Elections in the 1750s and 1760s
Death of Hervey
Creation of Pigot as the 1st Baron Pigot in the Peerage of Ireland, 1766
Elections in the 1770s and 1780s