Manchester was a Parliamentary borough constituency in the county of Lancashire which was represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. Its territory consisted of the city of Manchester.
History Manchester had first been represented in Parliament in 1654, when it was granted one seat in the First Protectorate Parliament. However, as with other boroughs enfranchised during the Commonwealth, it was disenfranchised at the Restoration of the monarchy in 1660.
The subsequent growth of Manchester into a major industrial city left its lack of representation a major anomaly, and demands for a seat in Parliament led to a mass public meeting in August 1819. This peaceful rally of 60,000 pro-democracy reformers, men, women and children, was attacked by armed cavalry resulting in 15 deaths and over 600 injuries, and became known as the Peterloo Massacre.
Reform was attempted unsuccessfully by Lord John Russell, whose bills in 1828 and 1830 were rejected by the Commons. The city was finally enfranchised by the Reform Act 1832, and at the 1832 general election, Manchester returned two Members of Parliament (MPs). The Reform Act 1867 increased this in 1868 to three Members of Parliament.
Under the Redistribution of Seats Act 1885, the constituency was abolished with effect from the 1885 general election, when the city was split into six new single-member divisions: East, North, North East, North West, South, and South West.
Members of Parliament MPs 1654–1660
ElectionFirst member 1654 Charles Worsley 1656 Richard Radcliffe
MPs 1832–1885
ElectionFirst memberFirst partySecond memberSecond partyThird memberThird party 1832 Mark Philips Whig Charles Poulett-Thomson Whig 2 seats until 18683 seats from 1868 to 1885 1839 by-election Robert Hyde Greg Whig 1841 Thomas Milner Gibson Radical 1847 John Bright Radical 1857 John Potter Whig James Aspinall Turner Whig 1858 by-election Thomas Bazley Whig 1859 LiberalLiberal 1865 Edward James Liberal 1867 by-election Jacob Bright Liberal 1868 Hugh Birley Conservative 1874 William Romaine Callender Conservative 1876 by-election Jacob Bright Liberal 1880 John Slagg Liberal 1883 by-election William Houldsworth Conservative 1885 Constituency abolished (1885)
Elections
Elections in the 1880s
Caused by Birley's death.
Elections in the 1870s
Caused by Callender's death.
Elections in the 1860s
Seat increased to three members.
James' death caused a by-election. Bright was an advanced Liberal, and Henry was a Whig liberal.
Elections in the 1850s
Caused by Potter's death.
Elections in the 1840s
Caused by Gibson's appointment as Vice-President of the Board of Trade
Elections in the 1830s
Caused by Poulett-Thomson's resignation after being appointed Governor-General of Canada
Caused by Poulett-Thomson's appointment as President of the Board of Trade
Sources Manchester City Council Archive
References