Weymouth and Melcombe Regis (constituency)

Weymouth and Melcombe Regis was a parliamentary borough in Dorset represented in the English House of Commons, later in that of Great Britain, and finally in the Parliament of the United Kingdom. It was formed by the (13 Eliz. 1. c. 9 ) which amalgamated the existing boroughs of Weymouth and Melcombe Regis. Until 1832, the combined borough continued to elect the four Members of Parliament (MPs) to which its constituent parts had previously been entitled; the Great Reform Act reduced its representation to two Members, and the constituency was abolished altogether in 1885, becoming part of the new South Dorset constituency.

Members of Parliament

Members for Weymouth (1348–1570)

ParliamentFirst memberSecond member 1386 John Gosselyn John Hughelot 1388 (Feb) John Wake Henry Hert 1388 (Sep) Thomas Dovere John James 1390 (Jan) Philip Brice Robert Gilbert 1390 (Nov) 1391 Philip Brice John James 1393 Henry Badecok John Avery 1394 John Bassingbourne William Glover 1395 John Bassingbourne Stephen Russell 1397 (Jan) Thomas Cole John Fleet 1397 (Sep) William Ford Nicholas Crabbe 1399 John Brice William Clerk 1401 1402 Robert Penne William Faringdon 1404 (Jan) 1404 (Oct) 1406 Peter Dille William Rose I 1407 John Alday John Bassingbourne 1410 Thomas Payn John Bassingbourne 1411 1413 (Feb) 1413 (May) Robert Penne John Wydeford 1414 (Apr) Thomas Payn John Wodham 1414 (Nov) John James John Wodham 1415 1416 (Mar) 1416 (Oct) 1417 John Brice Robert Penne 1419 Robert Hillary Robert Penne 1420 Robert Hillary Robert Penne 1421 (May) John Bassingbourne Robert Penne 1421 (Dec) William Payn John Penne1423 John AbbotABBOT, John, of Melcombe Regis, Dorset. , History of Parliament Online1442 Henry Russell Walter CheverellWedgwood, "History of Parliament (1439-1509)", page 180 1450 John Troutbeck 1472-5 William TwynyhoBiographical notes by I.S. Rogers, 2005 1510–1523 No names known 1529 William Bond Robert Aley 1536 ? 1539 ? 1542 William Aubrey Richard Jenour 1545 Roger Stourton Richard Duke 1547 John Cornelius alias Johnson alias Welbored John Brace 1553 (Mar) ?Richard Phelips ? 1553 (Oct) Thomas Samways John Jordan alias Blancombe 1554 (Apr) John Wadham John Williams 1554 (Nov) John Phelips William Randall 1555 John Buller Thomas Hobbs 1558 Thomas Keynell John Cattell 1559 Thomas Fitzwilliams John Fowler 1562–3 Robert Eyre Reginald Gray

Members for Melcombe Regis (1319–1570)

ParliamentFirst memberSecond member 1386 Henry Ford John Northovere 1388 (Feb) Henry Ford Thomas Russell 1388 (Sep) Thomas Walsh Richard Morys 1390 (Jan) John Northovere Thomas Russell 1390 (Nov) 1391 John Northovere John Kete 1393 John Abbot Robert Veel 1394 Robert Calche Robert Veel 1395 Robert Calche William Helier 1397 (Jan) Robert Calche Henry Ford 1397 (Sep) William Helier William Coventre II 1399 Thomas Cole Eustace Kymer 1401 1402 John Wyot William Fowler 1404 (Jan) Robert Penne William Helier 1404 (Oct) 1406 Richard Hurst William Clerk 1407 Thomas Cole Eustace Kymer 1410 John Ford (_) Lane 1411 1413 (Feb) 1413 (May) Ralph Burnage Thomas Lond 1414 (Apr) Henry Barbour Ralph Burnage 1414 (Nov) William Pyne William Helier 1415 1416 (Mar) 1416 (Oct) 1417 Nicholas Pury John Gardener 1419 Ralph Burnage Walter Reson 1420 William Walkeden Robert Abbot 1421 (May) William Benefeld Robert Abbot 1421 (Dec) William Walkeden or Nicholas Moigne John Alysaundre1437 William Abbot 1510–1523 No names known 1529 Richard Phelips Oliver Lawrence 1536 ? 1539 ? 1542 ? 1545 Anthony Cokett Thomas Poley 1547 Thomas Phelips John Leweston 1553 (Mar) John Wadham ?Owen Reynolds 1553 (Oct) John Leweston Owen Reynolds 1554 (Apr) Richard Mitchell Thomas Samways 1554 (Nov) Thomas Phelips John Hannam 1555 John Leweston William Crowche 1558 John Mill Richard Shaw 1559 John Maynes Richard Shaw 1563-7 Thomas Colby William Mere

Members for Weymouth and Melcombe Regis (1570–1885)

1570–1629

ParliamentFirst memberSecond memberThird memberFourth memberParliament of 1571Thomas Hussey d. by 1581Then replaced by Laurence ThompsonRichard TomlinsonRalph BrowneGwyn ReynoldsParliament of 1572–1581John WolleyRichard Bedell died1576 replaced by Moyle FinchThomas HanhamParliament of 1584–1585Francis BaconFrancis Bacon was re-elected in 1586, but had also been elected for Taunton, which he chose to represent replaced by 1586 Edward BaconGeorge GrenvilleEdward PenruddockParliament of 1586–1587William SpryntEdward PhelipsParliament of 1588–1589William MillRobert GregoryArthur MessengerWilliam HodyParliament of 1593William WestonThomas StaffordThomas StevensParliament of 1597–1598Browne Willis, working from the Parliamentary records, gives two names for Weymouth and four for Melcombe, remarking of these "Double return, as it seems to me". But it may equally be that two of the six were recorded against the wrong constituency (especially as, in the same Parliament, he has the same pair of the names with only minor variations for Corfe Castle and Wareham.Richard SwayneFrancis Leigh John Mockett John BrookeParliament of 1601John PeytonWalter CopeRichard SwayneEdward ReynoldsParliament of 1604–1611Thomas Barefoot died replaced 1610 by Viscount CranborneRobert MyddeltonRobert White Vacated seatreplaced 1610 by Barnard MichellSir John HanhamAddled Parliament (1614)Sir Charles CaesarRobert BatemanJohn RoyParliament of 1621–1622Matthew PittMatthew Pitt was re-elected to the Happy Parliament in January 1624, but died on 18 April. (Sir) Thomas Myddelton was returned in his stead on 10 May 1624.Died 1624replaced in 1624 by (Sir) Thomas MyddeltonGiles GreenJohn FrekeChristopher ErleListed in some sources as Walter Erle; Alumni Oxonienses allocates Christopher to the seatHappy Parliament (1624–1625)Arthur PyneThomas GiearUseless Parliament (1625) Barnard Michell(Sir) John StrangwaysGiles GreenSir Thomas Myddelton was re-elected to the Useless Parliament, but had also been elected for Denbighshire, which he chose to represent. Giles Green was returned in his stead.Parliament of 1625–1626 Parliament of 1628–1629Browne Willis suggests Thomas Gyard represented the boroughs in this Parliament, but other sources, including the official History of Parliament, confirm Sir Robert Napier was the representativeHugh PyneSir Robert NapierLewis DyveHenry WalthamNo Parliament summoned 1629–1640

1640–1832 YearFirst memberPartySecond memberPartyThird memberPartyFourth memberPartyApril 1640 (Sir) John Strangways RoyalistGiles StrangwaysRoyalist Richard King Royalist Thomas GyardNovember 1640 (Sir) Gerrard NapierCreated a baronet, June 1641Royalist Sir Walter ErleParliamentarian September 1642Strangways disabled from sitting – seat vacantFebruary 1643King disabled from sitting – seat vacantJanuary 1644Napier disabled from sitting – seat vacant1645William SydenhamJohn BondMatthew AllenDecember 1648Erle, Allen and Bond all excluded in Pride's Purge – seats vacant1653Weymouth and Melcombe Regis was unrepresented in the Barebones Parliament1654 Denis Bond Weymouth and Melcombe Regis had only one seat in the First and Second Parliaments of the Protectorate 1656 January 1659 John TrenchardWalden LagoeJohn ClarkPeter MiddletonMay 1659William Sydenham Three seats vacantApril 1660 Edward Montagu Sir William Penn Peter Middleton Henry Waltham June 1660 Bullen Reymes 1661 Winston Churchill Sir John Strangways 1667 Sir John Coventry 1670 Lord Ashley 1673 John Man February 1679 Thomas Browne Michael Harvey August 1679 Sir John Morton 1680 Henry Henning 1685 Francis Mohun George Strangways 1689 Michael Harvey Sir Robert Napier 1690 Nicholas Gould 1691 Thomas Freke 1695 Maurice Ashley John Knight March 1698 Philip Taylor August 1698 Arthur Shallett January 1701 Henry Thynne Charles Churchill Maurice Ashley November 1701 George St Loe Sir Christopher Wren February 1702 Anthony Henley July 1702 Henry Thynne 1705 Maurice Ashley 1709 Edward Clavell 1710On petition, the election of Littleton and Betts was declared void, and a writ for a by-election was issued. Both were returned at the by-election, but were once again declared not to have been duly elected. James Littleton Whig William Betts May 1711 Sir Thomas Hardy Tory William Harvey ToryDecember 1711 Reginald Marriott 1713On petition, Baker, Harvey and Betts were all declared not to have been duly elected John Baker Rear-Admiral James Littleton Whig Lieutenant-General Daniel Harvey Whig William Betts 1714 Sir Thomas Hardy Tory William Harvey Tory Reginald Marriott 1715 John Baker Thomas Littleton Lieutenant-General Daniel Harvey Whig William Betts 1717 Edward Harrison 1722 Sir James Thornhill Thomas Pearse John WardExpelled from the House of Commons 1726 following his conviction for forgery 1726 John Willes January 1727 Edward Tucker August 1727 Thomas PearseNews Weekly Journal or British Gazetteer, Saturday, 10 February 1728; Issue 142 1730 George Dodington 1734 George Bubb DodingtonDodington was also elected for Bridgwater, which he chose to represent, and did not sit in this parliament for Weymouth & Melcombe Regis 1735 John Tucker 1737 John Olmius 1741 Joseph Damer John Raymond James Steuart 1747 Welbore Ellis Richard Plumer George Dodington Edmund Hungate Beaghan 1751 Lord George Cavendish 1754 Lord John Cavendish George Dodington John Tucker 1761 Sir Francis Dashwood John OlmiusCreated The Lord Waltham (in the Peerage of Ireland), June 1762 Richard Glover 1762 Richard Jackson 1763 Charles Walcott 1768 The Lord Waltham Sir Charles Davers Jeremiah Dyson 1774 Welbore Ellis William Chaffin Grove John Purling 1778 Gabriel Steward September 1780 Warren Lisle November 1780 Gabriel Steward 1781 William Richard Rumbold 1784 Sir Thomas Rumbold 1786 George Jackson 1788 Gabriel Steward 1790 Colonel Sir James MurrayMajor-General from 1793, Lieutenant-General from 1799; adopted the surname Murray-Pulteney on his marriage in July 1794 Tory (Sir) Richard Bempde JohnstoneCreated a baronet, July 1795 Andrew Stuart Thomas Jones 1791 Lieutenant-Colonel Sir James Johnstone 1794 Gabriel Tucker Steward Tory 1796 William Garthshore Tory 1801 Charles Adams Tory 1806 Richard Augustus Tucker Steward Tory 1810 Sir John Lowther Johnstone 1811 General Sir John Murray January 1812 Joseph Hume ToryOctober 1812On petition, the election of Wallace, Broadhurst and Trail was declared void, and a by-election was held; Murray's election was not disturbed John Broadhurst Whig Thomas Wallace Henry Trail 1813 Viscount Cranborne Tory Christopher Idle Tory Masterton Ure Tory 1817 Adolphus Dalrymple Tory 1818 William Williams Whig Fowell Buxton Whig Thomas Wallace Tory 1826 Colonel John Gordon Tory 1828 Edward Sugden ToryMay 1831 Richard WeylandWeyland was also elected for Oxfordshire, which he chose to represent, and never sat for Weymouth & Melcombe Regis WhigAugust 1831 Charles Baring Wall Tory1832 Representation reduced to two Members

1832–1885 YearFirst memberFirst partySecond memberSecond party 1832 Sir Frederick Johnstone Tory Fowell Buxton Whig 1834 Conservative 1835 William Burdon Whig 1837 Viscount Villiers Conservative George William Hope Conservative 1842At the election of 1841, the two sitting Conservative members, Villiers and Hope, were initially declared re-elected, by margins of 5 votes and 3 votes respectively, but on petition the result was overturned and the opponents, Bernal and Christie, were seated in their place Ralph Bernal Whig William Dougal Christie WhigAugust 1847 William Freestun WhigDecember 1847 Hon. Frederick Child Villiers Conservative 1852 George Butt Conservative 1857 Robert Campbell Whig 1859 Robert Brooks Conservative Viscount Grey de Wilton Conservative 1865 Henry Gridley Liberal 1867 Henry Edwards Liberal 1868 Charles J. T. Hambro Conservative 1874 Sir Frederick Johnstone Conservative1885 Constituency abolished

Election results Elections in the 1830s

Weyland was also elected for Oxfordshire and opted to sit there, causing a by-election.

Representation reduced to two members.

Elections in the 1840s