Coventry was a borough constituency which was represented in the House of Commons of England and its successors, the House of Commons of Great Britain and the House of Commons of the United Kingdom.

Centred on the City of Coventry in Warwickshire, it returned two Members of Parliament (MPs) from 1295 until the Redistribution of Seats Act 1885, when its representation was reduced to one. The Coventry constituency was abolished for the 1945 general election, when it was split into two new constituencies: Coventry East and Coventry West.

Elections were held using the bloc vote system when electing two MPs (until 1885), and then first-past-the-post to elect one MP thereafter.

Boundaries

1832–1868: The City of Coventry and the suburbs thereof.

1868–1918: The existing parliamentary borough and the Parish of Stoke.

The constituency was unchanged by the Representation of the People Act 1884.Debrett's House of Commons & Judicial Bench, 1886 By the time its boundaries were revised in 1918, it was defined as consisting of the city of Coventry, the parishes of St. Michael Without and Holy Trinity Without, the parish of Stoke, and part of the parish of Wyken.

1918–1945: The county borough of Coventry.

History

In the eighteenth century Coventry was, despite its size, known as a corrupt borough.Pages 102 to 105,Lewis Namier, The Structure of Politics at the Accession of George III (2nd edition - London: St Martin's Press, 1957)

Members of Parliament

MPs before 1660 ParliamentFirst memberSecond member 1295 Anketil de Coleshull Richard de Weston 1298 Robert Russell Robert Kelle 1301 Thomas Ballard Lawrence de Schepey 1302 Ralph Tewe John Russell 1305 Henry Bagot Peter Baron 1306 Alexander de Moubray Henry Bagot 1315 Richard de Spicer John de Langley 1346 John de Percy Nicholas de Hunt 1353 Nicholas MichelRichard de Stoke 1354–1449No representation 1450 Thomas Lyttelton ? 1453 William Elton ? 1460 Henry Butler Richard Braytoft 1467 Henry Butler Richard Braytoft 1472 Henry Butler John Wildegryse 1478 Henry Butler John Wildegryse 1485 Sir Robert Onley 1491 Richard Cook John Smith 1495 Henry Marlar 1510-1515 No names known 1523 Ralph Swyllyngton Richard Marlar 1529 Roger Wigston John Bond 1536 ?Roger Wigston ? 1539 Roger Wigston Baldwin Porter 1542 Roger Wigston, died and replaced Jan 1544 by Edward Saunders Henry Over alias Waver 1545 Christopher Warren Henry Porter 1547 Christopher Warren Henry Porter 1553 (Mar) James Rogers John Talonts 1553 (Oct) John Nethermill Thomas Bond 1554 (Apr) Thomas Keyvet Edward Davenport 1554 (Nov) John Throckmorton John Harford 1555 John Throckmorton Henry Porter 1558 John Throckmorton John Talonts 1558–1559 John Throckmorton John Nethermill 1562–1563 Thomas Dudley Richard Grafton 1571 Henry Goodere Edmund Brownell 1572 Edmund Brownell, died and replaced Apr 1573 by Bartholemew Tate Thomas Wight 1584 (Oct) Edward Boughton Thomas Wight 1586 Thomas Saunders Henry Breres 1588 (Oct) Thomas Saunders Henry Breres 1593 Thomas Saunders John Myles 1597 (Sep) Henry Kervyn Thomas Saunders 1601 (Oct) Henry Breres Thomas Saunders 1604 Henry Breres John Rogerson, taken ill and replaced by Sir John Harington 1614 Sir Robert Coke Sampson Hopkins 1621 Sampson Hopkins Henry Sewall 1624 Sir Edward Coke Henry Harwell 1626 Henry Harwell Isaac Walden 1628 William Purefoy of Caldecote Richard Green of Wyken 1629–1640 No Parliaments summoned 1640 (Apr) William Jesson Simon Norton 1640 (Nov) Simon Norton, died 1641 and replaced by William Jesson John Barker excluded in 1648 in Pride's Purge 1649 John Barker (readmitted 1649) (one seat only) 1653Coventry not represented in the Barebones Parliament 1654 William Purefoy Robert Beake 1656 William Purefoy Robert Beake 1659 William Purefoy Robert Beake

MPs 1660–1885 Year1st Member1st Party2nd Member2nd Party 1660, March Richard Hopkins Robert Beake 1660, August William Jesson 1661 Sir Clement Fisher, Bt Thomas Flynt 1670 Richard Hopkins 1679, Feb Robert Beake 1679, August John Stratford 1685 Sir Roger Cave, Bt Sir Thomas Norton 1689 John Stratford 1690 Richard Hopkins 1695 George Bohun Thomas Gery 1698 Sir Christopher Hales, Bt Richard Hopkins 1701, Jan Thomas Hopkins 1701, Dec Edward Hopkins 1702 Thomas Gery 1707 Sir Orlando Bridgeman, Bt Whig Edward Hopkins 1710, Oct Robert Craven Thomas Gery 1710, Dec Clobery Bromley 1711 Sir Christopher Hales, Bt 1713 Sir Fulwar Skipwith, Bt 1715 (Sir) Adolphus OughtonCreated a baronet, August 1718 Sir Thomas Samwell, Bt 1722The election of 1722 was declared void because of the "notorious and outrageous Riots, Tumults and Seditions ... in Defiance of the Civil Authority, and in Violation of the Freedom of Elections", and a new writ was issued, but the original victors (Oughton and Neale) were returned once more at the by-election. John Neale 1734 John Bird 1737, Feb John Neale 1737, Apr Earl of Euston 1741 William Grove 1747, Jun Viscount Petersham 1747, Dec Samuel Greatheed 1761 James Hewitt Hon. Andrew Archer 1766 Hon. Henry Seymour-Conway 1768 Sir Richard Glyn, Bt 1773 Walter Waring 1774 Edward Roe Yeo Tory 1780, Feb John Baker Holroyd Tory 1780, OctElection abandoned due to rioting; both seats vacant 1780, DecOn petition, the election of Hallifax and Rogers was declared void, and their opponents, Yeo and Seymour-Conway, were declared to have been duly elected and seated in their place Sir Thomas Hallifax Whig Thomas Rogers Whig 1781 Edward Roe Yeo Tory The Lord Sheffield Tory 1783 Hon. William Seymour-Conway 1784 Sir Sampson Gideon, BtChanged his surname to Eardley, July 1789; created The Lord Eardley (in the Peerage of Ireland, September 1789 John Eardley Wilmot 1796 William Wilberforce Bird Whig Nathaniel Jefferys Tory 1802 Francis William Barlow Tory 1803 Peter Moore Whig 1805 William Mills Whig 1812 Joseph Butterworth Whig 1818 Edward Ellice Whig 1826 Richard Edensor Heathcote Tory Thomas Bilcliffe Fyler Tory 1830 Edward Ellice Whig 1831 Henry Bulwer Whig 1835 William Williams Radical 1847 George James Turner Conservative 1851 Charles Geach Radical 1854 Sir Joseph Paxton Whig 1859Liberal Liberal 1863 Morgan Treherne Conservative 1865 Henry Eaton Conservative 1867 Henry Jackson Liberal 1868, March Samuel Carter Liberal 1868, November Alexander Staveley Hill Conservative 1874 Sir Henry Jackson, Bt Liberal 1880 William Wills Liberal 1881 Henry Eaton Conservative1885 representation reduced to one member

MPs 1885–1945 ElectionMemberParty 1885 Henry EatonConservative 1887 by-election William BallantineLiberal 1895 Charles James MurrayConservative 1906 A. E. W. Mason Liberal Jan 1910 Kenneth FosterConservative Dec 1910 David Marshall MasonLiberal 1918 Edward Manville Coalition Conservative 1923 A. A. Purcell Labour 1924 Archibald Boyd-Carpenter Conservative 1929 Philip Noel-Baker Labour 1931 William Strickland Conservative 1945 constituency abolished: see Coventry East & Coventry West

Election results Elections in the 1830s

Ellice was appointed Secretary at War, requiring a by-election.

Elections in the 1840s

Elections in the 1850s Turner resigned after being appointed Vice-Chancellor of the High Court, causing a by-election.

Geach's death caused a by-election.

Phillimore retired from the contest two hours into polling.

Elections in the 1860s Ellice's death caused a by-election.

Paxton's death caused a by-election.

Treherne's death caused a by-election.

The by-election was declared void on petition due to bribery by Jackson's agent.

Elections in the 1870s

Elections in the 1880s

Jackson resigned after being appointed a judge on the Queen's Bench Division of the High Court of Justice, causing a by-election.

Eaton was elevated to the peerage, becoming Lord Cheylesmore, causing a by-election.

Elections in the 1890s

Elections in the 1900s

Elections in the 1910s

Mason had opposed the war and was replaced as Liberal candidate by Mansel who supported the Coalition Government. Bannington was the candidate of the National Federation of Discharged and Demobilized Sailors and Soldiers.British Parliamentary Election Results 1918-1949, FWS Craig

Elections in the 1920s

Elections in the 1930s

References & Notes

References Robert Beatson, A Chronological Register of Both Houses of Parliament (London: Longman, Hurst, Res & Orme, 1807)

F W S Craig, "British Parliamentary Election Results 1832-1885" (2nd edition, Aldershot: Parliamentary Research Services, 1989) Lewis Namier & John Brooke, The History of Parliament: The House of Commons 1754-1790 (London: HMSO, 1964) "The Constitutional Yearbook, 1913" (London: National Unionist Association, 1913)