Helston, sometimes known as Helleston, was a parliamentary borough centred on the small town of Helston in Cornwall.
Using the block vote system of election, it returned two Members of Parliament (MPs) to the House of Commons of England until 1707, then to the House of Commons of Great Britain until 1800, and to the House of Commons of the United Kingdom until the 1832 general election.
The Reform Act 1832 reduced its representation to one member, elected by the first-past-the-post system. Under the Redistribution of Seats Act 1885, it was abolished with effect from the 1885 general election.
Members of Parliament MPs before 1640 Constituency created (1298)
ParliamentFirst memberSecond member 1298 R de Rosemayn I de Kellyhellan 1318 J Jerveys 1323–24 John Tremayne 1325 David De Autrenon 1332 J Jerveys 1338 J Jerveys 1341–42 John Tremayne 1351–52 Johannes De Tremayn 1358John Hamely 1360 T Jerveys1361John Hamely 1363 T Jerveys1384William BodruganParliament of 1386Roger Trewythenick John UrbanFirst Parliament of 1388 (Feb) Thomas TregaderethRoger TrewythenickSecond Parliament of 1388 (Sep) Thomas BrayJohn SymonFirst Parliament of 1390 (Jan) Roger TrewythenickJohn UrbanSecond Parliament of 1390 (Nov)??Parliament of 1391Roger TrewythenickWilliam GlasenParliament of 1393 John TrereiseMichael TrereiseParliament of 1394 ??Parliament of 1395Roger TrewythenickRoger SkewysFirst Parliament of 1397 (Jan) Thomas BevilleJohn UrbanSecond Parliament of 1397 (Sep) John PengersickJohn SkewysParliament of 1399 Roger TrewythenickJohn PengersickParliament of 1401??Parliament of 1402Roger TrewythenickJohn MasseleghFirst Parliament of 1404 (Jan) Second Parliament of 1404 (Oct) Parliament of 1406Walter BadrygyWilliam PenalewyParliament of 1407John PengersickMatthew SkewysParliament of 1410 M JerveysParliament of 1411John GlasenThomas PellourFirst Parliament of 1413 (Feb) Second Parliament of 1413 (May)Thomas TreffidoweThomas PolglasFirst Parliament of 1414 (Apr) Second Parliament of 1414 (Nov)John ClinkJohn BakerParliament of 1415 or 1416 (Mar) John GlasenRobert TreageParliament of 1416 (Oct) Parliament of 1417John GlasenThomas GurtaboysParliament of 1419 Robert TreageJohn CorkParliament of 1420William RichardWilliam Trethake IIFirst Parliament of 1421 (May)Thomas Carathyn John TreffridoweSecond Parliament of 1421 (Dec)William Penpons Adam Vivian\1422 Nicholas Aysshton1423 Nicholas Aysshton1425 Nicholas Aysshton1427 Nicholas Aysshton1435 Nicholas Aysshton 1491–92 William AntronParliament of 1529Edmund SmithJohn HoldicheParliament of 1542William Trewynnard ?Parliament of 1545John ArundellRichard HeywoodParliament of 1547Thomas MildmayJohn TrengoveFirst Parliament of 1553 (Mar)Thomas MildmayRobert DocattSecond Parliament of 1553 (Oct)William BendlowesHenry Trengove alias NanceFirst Parliament of 1554 (Apr)William St AubynJohn KymeSecond Parliament of 1554 (Nov)Reginald MohunWilliam St AubinParliament of 1555Thomas MildmayEdward NevilleParliament of 1558Peter MartynParliament of 1559John TrendeneckFrancis GoldsmithParliament of 1562–1567William PorterJohn DudleyParliament of 1571Sir Edward BrayJohn GayerParliament of 1572–1581William KilligrewJohn Vivian (died c.1578)Parliament of 1584–1585Humphrey PrideauxWilliam LewisParliament of 1586–1587Hannibal VyvyanWilliam GodolphinParliament of 1588–1589William BugginChristopher OsborneParliament of 1593William GardinerRalph KnevittParliament of 1597–1598William CookeNicholas SaundersParliament of 1601William TwysdenHannibal VyvyanParliament of 1604–1611Sir John LeighJohn Bogans (died)Robert Naunton (from 1606)Addled Parliament (1614)Sir Robert KilligrewHenry BulstrodeParliament of 1621–1622Sir Thomas StaffordWilliam NoyHappy Parliament (1624–1625)Thomas CareyFrancis CarewUseless Parliament (1625)Parliament of 1625–1626Francis GodolphinParliament of 1628–1629Sidney GodolphinWilliam NoyNo Parliament summoned 1629–1640
MPs 1640–1832 YearFirst memberFirst partySecond memberSecond partyApril 1640Sidney Godolphin RoyalistWilliam GodolphinRoyalistNovember 1640Francis GodolphinRoyalistFebruary 1643Sidney Godolphin killed in battle – seat vacantJanuary 1644Francis Godolphin disabled from sitting – seat vacant1646John PenroseJohn ThomasDecember 1648Penrose not recorded as having sat after Pride's PurgeThomas excluded in Pride's Purge – seat vacant1653Unrepresented in the Barebones Parliament and the First and Second Parliaments of the ProtectorateJanuary 1659Robert RousThomas JuxonMay 1659Helston was unrepresented in the restored Rump April 1660 Anthony Rous Alexander Penhellick July 1660 Thomas Robinson (Sir) Francis Godolphin 1661 Sir Peter Killigrew 1665 Sir William Godolphin, Bt 1668 Sidney Godolphin Tory Feb 1679 Sir Vyell Vyvyan, Bt Tory Sep 1679 Sidney Godolphin Tory 1681 Charles Godolphin Tory 1685 Sidney Godolphin Whig 1689 Sir John St Aubyn, Bt Tory 1695 Francis Godolphin 1698 Sidney Godolphin Whig 1701 Francis GodolphinStyled Viscount Rialton from 1706. He was re-elected for Helston in 1708, but had also been elected for Oxfordshire, which he chose to represent, and did not sit again for Helston 1708 John Evelyn Oct 1710 George GranvilleGranville was also elected for Cornwall, which he chose to represent, and never sat for Pontefract Tory Dec 1710 Robert Child 1713 Henry CampionCampion was also elected for Sussex, which he chose to represent, and never sat for Helston Charles CoxeCoxe was also elected for Gloucester, which he chose to represent, and never sat for Helston 1714 Thomas Tonkin Alexander Pendarves Tory 1715 Sir Gilbert Heathcote, Bt Whig Sidney Godolphin Whig 1722 Sir Robert Raymond Tory Walter Carey 1724 Sir Clement Wearg Whig 1726 Exton Sayer 1727 John Evelyn Whig John Harris Whig 1741 Francis Godolphin Thomas Walker Whig 1747 (Sir) John EvelynSucceeded to a baronetcy, 1763 Whig 1766 William Windham 1767 William EvelynMajor-General from 1770 1768 The Earl of Clanbrassil 1774 On petition, Carmarthen and Owen were adjudged not to have been duly elected, and their opponents, Cust and Yorke, were declared to have been duly elected instead Marquess of Carmarthen Tory Francis Owen 1775 Francis Cust Philip Yorke 1780 Jocelyn DeaneDean was elected at a disputed election where the returning officer made a double return. Although eventually adjudged to have been duly elected, he never sat as he had died before the case was heard. March 1781 Richard Barwell June 1781 Lord Hyde Tory 1784 John Rogers 1786 Roger Wilbraham 1787 James Burges 1790 Sir Gilbert Elliot, Bt Whig Stephen LushingtonSir Stephen Lushington from 1791 Whig 1795 Charles Abbot TorySpeaker from 1802 1796 Richard Richards 1799 Lord Francis Osborne 1802Viscount Fitzharris John Penn 1804 Davies Giddy 1805 Viscount Primrose April 1806 Sir John Shelley, Bt November 1806 Nicholas VansittartVansittart was also elected for Old Sarum, which he chose to represent, and never sat for Helston Tory John de Ponthieu January 1807 Thomas Brand Whig May 1807 Sir John St Aubyn, Bt Richard Richards July 1807 The Lord Dufferin and Claneboye 1812 William Horne Whig Hugh Hammersley 1818 Lord James Townshend Tory Harrington Hudson 1826 The Marquess of Carmarthen Tory 1830 Sir Samuel Brooke-Pechell, Bt Whig 1831 Sackville Lane-Fox Tory 1832 Representation reduced to one member
MPs 1832–1885 ElectionMemberParty 1832 Representation reduced to one member 1832 Sackville Lane-Fox Conservative 1835 Lord James Townshend Conservative 1837 Viscount Cantelupe Conservative 1840 by-election John Basset Conservative 1841 Sir Richard Vyvyan, Bt Conservative 1857 Charles Trueman Whig 1859 John Jope Rogers Conservative 1865 Adolphus William Young Liberal 1866 by-electionAt the Helston by-election, 1866, both candidates polled exactly the same number of votes. The mayor, as returning officer, gave his casting vote for the Liberal candidate Robert Campbell. As this vote was given after four o'clock, however, an appeal was lodged, and the House of Commons declared that the returning officer had no right to a casting vote, and that he should have returned the names of both tied candidates. On scrutiny of the votes, one vote was struck off Campbell's total, and the Conservative candidate Sir William Baliol Brett declared duly elected. Robert Campbell Liberal Sir William Brett Conservative 1868 Adolphus William Young Liberal 1880 William Molesworth-St Aubyn Conservative1885 constituency abolished
Elections Elections in the 1880s
Elections in the 1870s
Elections in the 1860s
Caused by Brett's appointment as Solicitor General for England and Wales
Caused by the 1865 election being declared void on petition, due to bribery. At the original count for the by-election, both candidates received 153 votes apiece, but Campbell was declared elected after the Returning officer (who was the father of his election agent) cast a vote for him, after consulting a legal textbook which suggested he could make the casting vote. A petition was lodged, and a committee decided the returning officer had no right to cast the vote and should have declared both candidates elected. However, on scrutiny one vote was taken from Campbell's total, leaving Brett elected alone. This election led to Parliament deciding that "according to the law and usage of Parliament, it is the duty of the sheriff or other returning officer in England, in the case of an equal number of votes being polled for two or more candidates at an election, to return all such candidates".
Elections in the 1850s
Elections in the 1840s
Caused by West's resignation, by accepting the office of Steward of the Chiltern Hundreds, in order to contest a by-election at Lewes
Elections in the 1830s
Caused by Pechell's appointment as a Lord of the Admiralty
Notes
References
Further reading The History of Parliament Trust, Helston, Borough from 1386 to 1868
D. Brunton and D. H. Pennington, Members of the Long Parliament (London: George Allen & Unwin, 1954)
F. W. S. Craig, "British Parliamentary Election Results 1832–1885" (2nd edition, Aldershot: Parliamentary Research Services, 1989) 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)