Launceston, also known at some periods as Dunheved, was a parliamentary constituency in Cornwall which returned two Members of Parliament to the British House of Commons from 1295 until 1832, and one member from 1832 until 1918. It was a parliamentary borough until 1885, and a county constituency thereafter.
Boundaries 1832–1885: The old Borough of Launceston and the Parish of St Stephen, and all such parts of the several Parishes of Lawhitton, St Thomas the Apostle, and South Petherwin as are without the old Borough of Launceston.The Parliamentary Boundary Act 1832
1885–1918: The Sessional Division of East Middle, East North, Lesnewth, and Stratton, and part of the Sessional Division of Trigg.
History Launceston was one of 21 parliamentary boroughs in Cornwall between the 16th and 19th centuries; unlike many of these, which had been little more than villages even when established and were rotten boroughs from the start, Launceston had been a town of reasonable size and importance though much in decline by the 19th century. The borough consisted of only part of the present town, as Newport was a separate borough in itself from 1554, though Newport and Launceston were joined as Dunheved, collectively returning members, earlier in that century.
The right to vote was vested theoretically in the mayor, aldermen and those freemen of the borough who were resident at the time they became freemen; but in practice the vote was exercised only by members of the corporation, who were chosen mainly with a view to maintaining the influence of the "patron". Up to 1775, this was generally the head of the Morice family,Page 147, Lewis Namier, The Structure of Politics at the Accession of George III (2nd edition – London: St Martin's Press, 1957) who also controlled Newport, but in that year Humphry Morice sold his interest in both boroughs to the Duke of Newcastle, whose family retained hold on both until the Great Reform Act 1832. There were about 17 voters in Launceston in 1831, by which time the borough was as rotten as any of the others in Cornwall.
In 1831 the borough had a population of 2,669 and 429 houses. Under the Great Reform Act 1832 the boundaries were extended to encompass the whole town (including Newport, which was abolished as a separate borough), bringing the population up to 5,394. This was sufficient for Launceston to retain one of its two seats.
The borough was eventually abolished in 1885, but the name of the town was transferred to the new county constituency in which it was placed, strictly the North-Eastern or Launceston Division of Cornwall, which also elected a single member. This covered a much larger, rural, area including Callington, Calstock and Bude-Stratton. This constituency in its turn was abolished in 1918, being absorbed mostly into the new Cornwall North constituency.
A list of MPs for Launceston appears in "The Histories of Launceston and Dunheved, in the County of Cornwall." by Richard Peter and Otho Bathurst Peter. 1885. p.387, and many of the names differ from those in the list below.The Histories of Launceston and Dunheved, in the County of Cornwall by Richard Peter and Otho Bathurst Peter. 1885.
Members of Parliament Launceston borough MPs 1295–1629
Constituency created (1295) ParliamentFirst memberSecond member 1358 John Hamely 1386John Cokeworthy I Roger Leye 1388 (Feb) John Cokeworthy I William Bodrugan 1388 (Sep) Thomas Trereise Thomas Treuref 1390 (Jan) John Cokeworthy I John Syreston 1390 (Nov) 1391John Cokeworthy I Richard Lovyn 1393John Cokeworthy I Richard Lovyn 1394 1395John Cokeworthy I Richard Lovyn 1397 (Jan) John Cokeworthy I Richard Tolle 1397 (Sep) Roger Menwenick William Holt 1399John Cokeworthy I John Goly 1401 1402Thomas Colyn Richard Raddow 1404 (Jan) 1404 (Oct) 1406Walter Tregarya John Colet 1407Richard Brackish ?John Pengersick 1410Edward Burnebury John Cory 1411Edward Burnebury Richard Trelawny 1413 (Feb) 1413 (May) Edward Burnebury John Mayhew 1414 (Apr) 1414 (Nov) Edward Burnebury John Cory 1415 1416 (Mar) Oliver Wyse Edward Burnebury 1416 (Oct) 1417Edward Burnebury John Cory 1419Edward Burnebury Edward Burnebury 1420Simon Yurle Edward Burnebury 1421 (May) Simon Yurle John Cory 1421 (Dec) John Treffriowe Edward Burnebury1431 Nicholas Aysshton1432 Nicholas Aysshton 1510–1523 No names known 1529Sir Edward Ryngley John Rastell 1536 ? 1539 ? 1542 ? 1545William Cordell Robert Taverner 1547William Cordell Nicholas Carminowe First Parliament of 1553William Ley alias KempthorneJohn Ley alias Kempthorne ISecond Parliament of 1553Robert MonsonParliament of 1554Arthur WelshParliament of 1554–1555William BendlowParliament of 1555Robert GrenvilleJohn Ley alias Kempthorne IIParliament of 1558Thomas RoperRobert MonsonJohn HeydonParliament of 1559George BassetAyshton AylworthWilliam GibbesParliament of 1563–1567Richard GrenvilleHenry ChivertonParliament of 1571George GrenvilleSampson LennardParliament of 1572–1581George BlythGeorge GrenvilleParliament of 1584–1585Roland WatsonJohn GlanvilleParliament of 1586–1587John SpurlingParliament of 1588–1589Parliament of 1593George GrenvilleParliament of 1597–1598 Herbert Croft Sir William BowyerParliament of 1601John ParkerGregory DownhallParliament of 1604–1611Sir Thomas LakeAmbrose RousAddled Parliament (1614)Sir Charles WilmotWilliam CroftParliament of 1621–1622John HarrisThomas BondHappy Parliament (1624–1625)Sir Francis CraneMiles FleetwoodUseless Parliament (1625) Sir Bevil GrenvilleRichard ScottParliament of 1625–1626 Parliament of 1628–1629No Parliament summoned 1629–1640
MPs 1640–1832 YearFirst memberFirst partySecond memberSecond partyApril 1640 Sir Bevil GrenvilleRoyalist Ambrose Manaton Royalist November 1640 William CorytonExpelled from the House, August 1641. Coryton was Vice-Warden of the Stannaries and as such had the responsibility for making the return of members (officially notifying the House of Commons who had been elected) for some of the Cornish boroughs. He himself was returned as Member for both Launceston and Grampound, and initially sat for Launceston, but having been found guilty of falsifying the return for Bossiney the House resolved "That Mr. Coryton shall not be admitted to sit as a Member in this Parliament" on 18 August 1641 1641John HarrisParliamentarianJanuary 1644Manaton disabled from sitting – seat vacant1645Thomas Gewen December 1648Harris and Gewen excluded in Pride's Purge – both seats vacant1653Launceston was unrepresented in the Barebones Parliament1654 Robert Bennet Launceston had only one seat in the First and Second Parliaments of the Protectorate 1656 Thomas GewenJanuary 1659 Robert BennetMay 1659Not represented in the restored RumpApril 1660 Edward Eliot Thomas Gewen June 1660 John Cloberry 1661 Richard Edgcumbe Sir Charles Harbord February 1679 Bernard Granville September 1679 Sir John Coryton Sir Hugh Piper 1680 Lord Lansdowne 1681 William Harbord 1685 John Granville 1689 William Harbord Edward Russell Whig 1690 Bernard Granville 1692Lord HydeTory 1695 William Cary Tory 1710 Francis Scobell Tory 1711 George Clarke 1713 Edward Herle John Anstis 1721 Alexander Pendarves Tory 1722 John FreindOn petition concerning a dispute over who had the right to vote, Freind was found not to have been duly elected, and Willes was declared elected in his place 1724 John Willes 1725 John Freind 1726 Henry Vane Whig 1727 Hon. John King Arthur Tremayne 1734 Sir William Morice Tory 1735 Sir William Irby 1747 Sir John St Aubyn Tory 1750 Humphry Morice Whig 1754 Sir George Lee 1758 Sir John St Aubyn Tory 1759 Peter Burrell 1768 William Amherst 1774 John Buller September 1780 Viscount Cranborne Thomas Bowlby November 1780 Hon. Charles PercevalThe Lord Arden (in the peerage of Ireland) from 1784 Tory 1783 Sir John Jervis Whig 1784 George Rose Tory 1788 Sir John Swinburne, Bt 1790 Hon. John Rodney Tory Sir Henry Clinton Tory 1795 William Garthshore Tory 1796 Hon. John Rawdon Tory James Brogden Tory 1802 Richard Bennet Whig 1806 Earl Percy Tory 1807 Captain Richard Bennet WhigMay 1812 Jonathan Raine October 1812 Pownoll Pellew Tory 1830 Sir James Gordon Tory 1831 Sir John Malcolm Tory1832 Representation reduced to one member
MPs 1832–1885 ElectionMemberParty1832 Sir Henry Hardinge Conservative1844 by-election William Bowles Conservative1852 Hon. Josceline Percy Conservative1859 Thomas Chandler Haliburton Conservative1865 Alexander Henry Campbell Conservative1868 by-election Henry Lopes ConservativeFebruary 1874 James Deakin (senior)This election was held void on petition, and a by-election was held ConservativeJuly 1874 by-election James Deakin (junior) Conservative1877 by-election Sir Hardinge Giffard ConservativeJuly 1885 by-election Richard Webster Conservative1885 Borough abolished; name transferred to county constituency
North-Eastern or Launceston Division of Cornwall MPs 1885–1918 ElectionMemberPartyNotes1885 Thomas Dyke-Acland Liberal Member for East Cornwall (1882–1885)1892 Thomas Owen Liberal Died July 18981898 by-election John Moulton Liberal 1906 George Marks Liberal 1916 Coalition Liberal Contested North Cornwall following redistribution 1918 Constituency abolished
Elections
Elections in the 1830s
Gordon resigned, causing a by-election.
Elections in the 1840s
Hardinge was appointed Secretary at War, requiring a by-election.
Hardinge resigned after being appointed Governor-General of India, causing a by-election.
Elections in the 1850s
Elections in the 1860s
Campbell resigned, causing a by-election.
Elections in the 1870s
The election was declared void on petition, due to corrupt practices including Deakin allowing his tenants to "kill rabbits the eve of the election", causing a by-election.
Deakin's resignation caused a by-election.
Elections in the 1880s
Giffard resigned upon his appointment as Lord Chancellor and elevation to the peerage, becoming Lord Halsbury, causing a by-election.
Elections in the 1890s
Elections in the 1900s
Elections in the 1910s
General Election 1914/15:
Another General Election was required to take place before the end of 1915. The political parties had been making preparations for an election to take place and by July 1914, the following candidates had been selected; Liberal: George Marks Unionist: Edward TreffryWestern Times, 23 January 1914
Notes
References
D. Brunton & 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) 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) J. Holladay Philbin, Parliamentary Representation 1832 – England and Wales (New Haven: Yale University Press, 1965) Henry Stooks Smith, The Parliaments of England from 1715 to 1847, Volume 1 (London: Simpkin, Marshall & Co, 1844)
Frederic A. Youngs, jr, "Guide to the Local Administrative Units of England, Vol I" (London: Royal Historical Society, 1979) House of Commons journals and other records at British History Online The History of Parliament Trust, Launceston (Dunheved), Borough from 1386 to 1868