Surrey was a constituency of the House of Commons of the Parliament of England, then of the Parliament of Great Britain from 1707 to 1800 and of the Parliament of the United Kingdom from 1801 to 1832. It was represented by two Members of Parliament until 1832.
The constituency was split into two two-member divisions, for Parliamentary purposes, in 1832. The county was then represented by the East Surrey and West Surrey constituencies.
Boundaries Surrey is one of the historic counties of England, located south of the River Thames, in south east England. The constituency comprised the whole county but had six towns which were boroughs for some of when it was a constituency: Bletchingley, Gatton, Guildford, Haslemere, Reigate and Southwark - each of which elected two MPs in their own right, these were not excluded from the county constituency, and owning property within the boroughs could confer a vote at the county election.)
Members of Parliament 1290-1640
ParliamentFirst memberSecond member 1290 Roland of Oxted 1360 Nicholas Carew 1377 (Oct) Nicholas Carew 1378 John Hathersham I 1379 John Legh 1380 (Nov) William Weston I 1381 John Hathersham I 1382 (May) John Hathersham I 1383 (Oct) John Hathersham I 1386 Sir James Berners John Newdigate 1388 (Feb) John Hathersham I Hugh Quecche 1388 (Sep) John Thorpe Thomas Kynnersley 1390 (Jan) John Thorpe John Hathersham I 1390 (Nov) William Weston I John Bentley 1391 Sir Thomas Brewes Ralph Cuddington 1393 Sir Thomas Brewes William Weston I 1394 Nicholas Carew William Weston I 1395 Nicholas Carew Robert Loxley 1397 (Jan) Nicholas Carew William Weston I 1397 (Sep) Nicholas Carew Thomas Wintershall 1399 John Hathersham II Ralph Cuddington 1401 William Weston I John Wintershall 1402 John Waterton Ralph Cuddington 1404 (Jan) Sir William Brantingham John Wintershall 1404 (Oct) Sir William Brantingham William Croyser 1406 John Wintershall John Gravesend 1407 Ralph Cuddington Robert Bussebridge 1410 1411 1413 (Feb) 1413 (May) John Burgh II William Yerde 1414 (Apr) John Bonet John Clipsham 1414 (Nov) John Burgh II John Wintershall 1415 John Burgh II William Weston I 1416 (Mar) John Burgh II William Yerde 1416 (Oct) 1417 Nicholas Carew John Clipsham 1419 William Weston I William Yerde 1420 Robert Skerne William Ottworth 1421 (May) John Clipsham John Bonet 1421 (Dec) John Clipsham William Ottworth 1422 Robert Skerne 1423 John Clipsham 1425 John Wintershall 1426 John Clipsham 1427 John Clipsham 1433 John Wintershall 1441 Anthony Brocas 1459 Ralph Legh 1460John Wood 1478John Wood 1510–1523 No names known 1529 Sir William Fitzwilliam Sir Nicholas Carew 1536 ?Sir William Fitzwilliam ? 1539 Sir Anthony Browne Sir Christopher More 1542 Sir Anthony Browne Robert Southwell 1545 Sir Anthony Browne Sir Edmund Walsingham 1547 Sir Anthony Browne, died 1548 and repl. Jan 1552 by Sir Thomas Cawarden Sir Christopher More, died 1549 and repl. Feb 1552 by John Vaughan 1553 (Mar) Sir Thomas Cawarden Sir Thomas Saunders 1553 (Oct) Sir Edward Bray William Saunders 1554 (Apr) Sir Anthony Browne Sir Edward Bray 1554 (Nov) Sir Thomas Cawarden William Saunders 1555 William Saunders John Skinner 1558Sir Thomas Saunders John SkinnerParliament of 1559Sir Thomas CawardenThomas BrowneParliament of 1563-1567Hon. Charles HowardWilliam MoreParliament of 1571Sir Henry WestonParliament of 1572-1583Hon. (Sir) Charles Howard, ennobled 1573 Thomas LyfieldBy-election 1574 Sir Francis WalsinghamParliament of 1584-1585 Sir William MoreParliament of 1586-1587Parliament of 1588-1589 William HowardParliament of 1593 Sir John Wolley Sir William MoreParliament of 1597-1598 Lord Howard of Effingham (1597)Sir William Howard was elected in 1597 but before Parliament met his father was elevated to an Earldom and he thus acquired the courtesy title Lord Howard of Effingham. It seems to have been mistakenly supposed that this disqualified him from sitting in the House of Commons, and his younger brother was nominated to replace him. See Neale, op. cit., p 47 Hon. Charles Howard (1597-8) (Sir) George MoreParliament of 1601 Lord Howard of EffinghamParliament of 1604-1611 Sir Edmund Bowyer Sir Robert MoreAddled Parliament (1614) Sir George MoreParliament of 1621-1622 Sir Nicholas CarewHappy Parliament (1624-1625) Sir Robert More Sir Thomas GrimesUseless Parliament (1625) Sir Francis Leigh Sir George MoreParliament of 1625-1626Sir Francis VincentParliament of 1628-1629Sir Ambrose BrowneSir Richard OnslowNo Parliament summoned 1629-1640
MPs 1640–1832 YearFirst memberFirst partySecond memberSecond partyApril 1640Sir Ambrose Browne ParliamentarianSir Richard Onslow ParliamentarianNovember 1640December 1648Browne and Onslow excluded in Pride's Purge - both seats vacant1653Samuel HighlandLawrence MarchSurrey's representation was increased to six members in the First and Second parliaments of the Protectorate1654Sir Richard Onslow, Arthur Onslow, Francis Drake, Major-General John Lambert,Lambert was also elected for the West Riding of Yorkshire Robert Holman, Colonel Robert Wood1656Sir Richard Onslow, Arthur Onslow, Francis Drake, Lewis Audley, George Duncombe, John BlackwellRepresentation reverted to two members in the Third Protectorate ParliamentJanuary 1659Arthur OnslowFrancis DrakeMay 1659Not represented in the restored RumpApril 1660 The Lord Aungier Daniel Harvey 1661 (Sir) Adam BrowneSucceeded to a baronetcy, August 1661 Sir Edmund Bowyer 1679 Arthur Onslow George Evelyn 1685 Sir Adam Browne Sir Edward Evelyn 1689 Sir Richard Onslow Whig George Evelyn 1690 Sir Francis Vincent 1695 Denzil Onslow Whig 1698 John Weston 1702 Leonard Wessell 1705 Sir William Scawen 1710 Hon. Heneage FinchStyled Lord Guernsey from 1714 Sir Francis Vincent 1713 Sir Richard Onslow Whig 1715 by-election Thomas Onslow Whig 1717 by-election Denzil Onslow Whig 1719 by-election John Walter 1721 by-election Sir William Scawen 1722 Sir Nicholas Carew April 1727 by-election Thomas Scawen August 1727 Arthur Onslow 1741 The Lord Baltimore 1751 by-election Thomas Budgen 1761 George Onslow Sir Francis Vincent 1774 James Scawen 1775 by-election Sir Joseph Mawbey, Bt Radical 1780 Admiral the Hon. Augustus Keppel 1782 by-election Viscount Althorp 1783 by-election Sir Robert Clayton 1784 Hon. William Norton 1789 by-election Lord William Russell Whig 1790 Captain the Hon. William FinchRear Admiral from 1794 1794 by-election Sir John Frederick Tory 1807 Samuel Thornton Tory George Holme Sumner Tory 1812 Sir Thomas Sutton Tory 1813 by-election Samuel Thornton Tory 1818 William Joseph Denison Whig 1826 Charles Nicholas Pallmer Whig 1830 John Ivatt Briscoe Whig1832 constituency divided
Notes
Elections The county franchise, from 1430, was held by the owners of freehold land valued at 40 shillings or more. Each voter had as many votes as there were seats to be filled. Votes had to be cast by a spoken declaration, in public, at the hustings, which took place in the county town of Guildford. The expense and difficulty of voting at only one location in the county, together with the lack of a secret ballot contributed to the corruption and intimidation of voters, which was widespread in the unreformed British political system.
The expense, to candidates, of contested elections encouraged the leading families of the county to agree on the candidates to be returned unopposed whenever possible. Contested county elections were therefore unusual.
Where there was only one candidate of a party in successive elections, for the same number of seats, change is calculated on the party 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.
Parliament of the United Kingdom 1801-1832
Seat vacated on appointment of Russell as a Lord of the Admiralty 10 February 1806
Note (1806 by-election): (Source: The Times edition of 24 February 1806)
Note (1806): Poll 2 days. "Although Mr. Thornton had lost his election for Hull, he resigned on the second day in favour of Sir J. Frederick, who was last on the poll". (Source: Stooks Smith)
Note (1807): Poll 9 days; 3,296 freeholders cast 4,732 votes. (Source: Stooks Smith) Death of Sutton
Note (1813 by-election): Poll 4 days; 1,641 freeholders voted. (Source: Stooks Smith)
Note (1826): Poll 5 days; 3,743 freeholders cast 5,740 votes. (Source: Stooks Smith)
Note (1830): Poll 3 days; 2,977 freeholders cast 4,898 votes. (Source: Stooks Smith)
Constituency abolished - county split into two divisions (1832)
See also List of former United Kingdom Parliament constituencies Unreformed House of Commons
References Robert Beatson, A Chronological Register of Both Houses of Parliament (London: Longman, Hurst, Res & Orme, 1807) D. Brunton and 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) 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) J. Holladay Philbin, Parliamentary Representation 1832 - England and Wales (New Haven: Yale University Press, 1965) Henry Stooks Smith, The Parliaments of England, 1st edition published in three volumes (1844–50), second edition edited (in one volume) by F. W. S. Craig (Political Reference Publications 1973) out of copyright Frederic A Youngs, Jr., Guide to the Local Administrative Units of England, Vol I (London: Royal Historical Society, 1979)