Newcastle-upon-Tyne was a parliamentary borough in the county of Northumberland of the House of Commons of England from 1283 to 1706, then of the House of Commons of Great Britain from 1707 to 1800 and of the House of Commons of the United Kingdom from 1801 to 1918. It returned two Members of Parliament (MPs), elected by the bloc vote system.

Newcastle first sent Members to Parliament in 1283, although it was not always possible to act upon the writ of summons, which was disregarded on at least four occasions (1315, 1327, 1332 and 1337) because of warfare with the Scots.

The constituency was abolished in 1918, being split into four divisions; Newcastle upon Tyne Central, Newcastle upon Tyne East, Newcastle upon Tyne North and Newcastle upon Tyne West.

Boundaries The constituency was based upon the town, later city, of Newcastle upon Tyne in the historic county of Northumberland in North East England. In 1848, the constituency boundaries were described in A Topographical Dictionary of England.'Newbottle - Newcastle-upon-Tyne', A Topographical Dictionary of England (1848), pp. 379-389. URL: http://www.british-history.ac.uk/report.aspx?compid=51171 Date accessed: 15 December 2008.

The borough first exercised the elective franchise in the 23rd of Edward the First, since which time it has returned two members to parliament: the present electoral limits are co-extensive with those of the county of the town, comprising 5730 acres; the old boundaries, which were abrogated in 1832, included 2700 acres only.

When the House of Commons debated the boundaries to be used from 1832, the Tory Party suggested including Gateshead (to the south) and South Shields (to the east) within the Newcastle-upon-Tyne constituency. The Whigs resisted this idea, so these two neighbouring settlements were not incorporated into this seat.Seymour Electoral Reform in England and Wales

The contents of the parliamentary borough, as defined by the Parliamentary Boundaries Act 1832 (2 and 3 Wm. 4, c. 64) were:The Town and County of the Town of Newcastle and the several Townships of Byker, Heaton, Jesmond, Westgate, and Elswick.The boundaries remained unchanged from 1832 until the area was divided into single member constituencies in 1918. These were not necessarily identical to the boundaries used for local government purposes.

In the period after 1885, the constituency was surrounded by Wansbeck to the west and north, Tyneside to the north east and east, Jarrow to the south east, Gateshead to the south, and Chester-le-Street to the south west.

Members of Parliament Party affiliations are derived from Stook Smith and Craig (see reference section below). Tory is used prior to the 1835 general election and Conservative from that time. Liberal candidates (as listed by Craig) before the formal creation of the party, shortly after the 1859 general election, are listed as Whig or Radical if the information is available in the work by Stooks Smith.

MPs, who were known by the same name, are distinguished in the table below and the election results by a number in brackets after the name. It is not suggested that such numbers were used by contemporaries of the individuals so numbered.

MPs 1336–1660 ParliamentFirst memberSecond member 1336 William Acton (senior)1378 William Bishopdale 1381 William Bishopdale 1386 John Howell Laurence Acton 1388 (February) William Bishopdale Sampson Hardyng 1388 (September) Henry Carlisle Stephen Whitgray 1390 (January) William Bishopdale Stephen Whitgray 1390 (November) 1391 William Bishopdale Laurence Acton 1393 John Morton Richard/William Langton 1394 Henry Carlisle Thomas Diringdon 1395 John Morton William Langton 1397 (January) William Redmarshall Sampson Hardyng 1397 (September) William Redmarshall Laurence Acton 1399 Roger Thornton Laurence Acton 1401 1402 Robert Darcy Richard Beverley 1404 (January) 1404 (October) 1406 John Paulyn Robert Hebburn 1407 William Johnson William Langton 1410 1411 Roger Thornton Roger Booth 1413 (February) 1413 (May) Richard Dalton Robert Whelpington 1414 (April) William Middleton Robert Swinburne 1414 (November) William Johnson Robert Whelpington 1415 Roger Booth Robert Whelpington 1416 (March) Roger Booth Thomas Hebburn 1416 (October) 1417 Roger Thornton John Strother 1419 Roger Thornton John Strother 1420 Roger Booth John Wall 1421 (May) Emericus Hering John Strother 1421 (December) Roger Booth William Ellerby 1510-1523 No names known 1529 Sir Thomas Tempest Henry Anderson 1536 ?Sir Thomas Tempest ? 1539 ? 1542 ? 1545 Sir Robert Bowes Robert Brandling 1547 Sir Francis Leke Sir Robert Brandling 1553 (March) Robert Lewen Bertram Anderson 1553 (October) Sir Robert Brandling Edward Hall 1554 (April) Bertram Anderson Cuthbert Horsley 1554 (November) Bertram Anderson John Watson 1555 Sir Robert Brandling Cuthbert Blount 1558 Bertram Anderson Robert Lewen 1559 (January) Robert Lewen Cuthbert Blount 1562 (December) Sir Robert Brandling Bertram Anderson 1571 William Carr William Jenison I 1572 (April) William Jenison I William Selby 1584 William Jenison I Henry Anderson 1586 Henry Anderson Edward Lewen 1588 (October) Henry Anderson Henry Mitford 1593 Henry Anderson Henry Mitford 1597 (October) Henry Chapman Henry Lindley 1601 (October) William Jenison II George Selby 1604 George Selby Henry Chapman 1614 Henry Anderson William Jenison II 1621 Henry Anderson Sir Thomas Ridell 1624 Sir Peter Riddel Sir Henry Anderson 1625 Sir Thomas Ridell Sir Henry Anderson 1626 Sir Peter Riddel Sir Henry Anderson 1628 Sir Peter Riddel Sir Thomas Ridell 1629–1640 No Parliaments convened 1640 (April) Sir Peter Riddel Thomas Liddel 1640 (November) Sir Henry Anderson, disabled 1643 John Blakiston 1645 Sir Henry Anderson John Blakiston, replaced 1647 by Robert Ellison) 1648 Robert EllisonJohn Blakiston, died 1649 1654 Sir Arthur Hesilrige (One seat only) 1656 Walter Strickland (One seat only) 1659 Mark Shaftoe (of Newcastle) Thomas Lilburne

MPs 1660–1918 Election1st member1st party2nd member2nd party 1660 Robert Ellison Sir Francis Anderson 1661 Sir John Marlay 1673 Sir William Blackett, Bt (1) 1679 Sir Ralph Carr 1680 Sir Nathaniel Johnson 1685 Sir William Blackett, Bt (2) 1689 Sir Ralph Carr Tory 1690 William Carr (1) Tory 1695 Sir William Blackett, Bt (2) Whig 1700 Sir Henry Liddell, Bt Whig 1705 Sir William Blackett, Bt (2) Whig 1706 Sir Henry Liddell, Bt Whig 1710 Sir William Blackett, Bt (3)died 1728; declared not duly electedin 1727, in 1729 William Wrightson 1722 William Carr (2) 1727The 1727 election was disputed. As a result of an election petition, the House of Commons decided to seat Carr vice Blackett (who had died in 1728) in 1729. Nicholas Fenwick 1729 on petition William Carr (2) 1734 Sir Walter Calverley-Blackett, Bt 1747Pages 95 to 99,Lewis Namier, The Structure of Politics at the Accession of George III (2nd edition - London: St Martin's Press, 1957) Matthew Ridley 1774 Sir Matthew White Ridley, Bt (1) 1777 Sir John Trevelyan, Bt 1780 Andrew Robinson Stoney 1784 Charles Brandling Tory Whig 1798 by-election Charles John Brandling Tory 1812 Sir Matthew White Ridley, Bt (2) Whig Cuthbert Ellison Whig 1830 John Hodgson Tory 1834 Conservative 1835 William Ord Whig 1836 by-election John HodgsonJohn Hodgson-Hinde from August 1836 Conservative 1847 Thomas Emerson Headlam Whig 1852 John Blackett Whig 1856 by-election George Ridley Whig 1859 LiberalLiberal 1860 Somerset Beaumont Liberal 1865 Sir Joseph Cowen (1) Liberal 1874 by-election Joseph Cowen (2) Liberal 1874 Charles Frederick Hamond Conservative 1880 Ashton Wentworth Dilke Liberal 1883 by-election John Morley Liberal 1885 Independent Liberal 1886 James Craig Liberal 1892 Sir Charles Frederick Hamond Conservative 1895 William Cruddas Conservative 1900 Sir Walter Richard Plummer Conservative George Renwick Conservative 1906 Walter Hudson Labour Thomas Cairns Liberal 1908 by-election George Renwick Conservative 1910 (January) Edward Shortt Liberal 1916 Coalition Liberal1918Constituency abolished

Elections

The bloc vote electoral system was used in elections to fill two seats and first past the post for single member by-elections. Each voter had up to as many votes as there were seats to be filled. Votes had to be cast by a spoken declaration, in public, at the hustings (until the secret ballot was introduced in 1872).

Note on percentage change calculations: Where there was only one candidate of a party in successive elections, for the same number of seats, change is calculated on the party percentage 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 (if applicable).

The reference to some candidates as Non Partisan does not, necessarily, mean that they did not have a party allegiance. It means that the sources consulted did not specify a party allegiance.

Before the Representation of the People Act 1832, the borough had an electorate limited to its freemen. There were about 2,500 voters in the second half of the 18th century.Namier and Brooke The House of Commons 1754-1790

1710s – 1720s – 1730s – 1740s – 1750s – 1760s – 1770s – 1780s – 1790s – 1800s – 1810s – 1820s – 1830s

Elections of the 1710s

Elections of the 1720s

Death of Blackett, in 1728 On petition Carr vice Blackett

Elections of the 1730s

Elections of the 1740s

Elections of the 1750s

Elections of the 1760s

Elections of the 1770s

Death of Blackett

Elections of the 1780s

Elections of the 1790s

Resignation of Brandling in December 1797

Elections of the 1800s

Elections of the 1810s

Ridley succeeded as the 3rd Baronet, upon the death of his father (and predecessor as MP) in 1813

Elections of the 1820s

Elections of the 1830s

Ridley's death caused a by-election.

Elections in the 1840s

Elections in the 1850s

Blackett resigned due to ill health, causing a by-election.

Headlam was appointed Judge-Advocate General of the Armed Forces, requiring a by-election.

Elections in the 1860s Ridley resigned after being appointed a Copyhold, Inclosure and Tithe Commissioner.

Elections in the 1870s Cowen's death caused a by-election, at which his son was elected.

Elections in the 1880s

Dilke's resignation caused a by-election.

Cowen lost the support of the local Liberal Association during the campaign period, and Liberal supporters were urged to only vote for Morley.

Morley was appointed Chief Secretary to the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland, requiring a by-election.

Elections in the 1890s

Morley is appointed Chief Secretary to the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland, requiring a by-election.

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: Edward Shortt Labour: Walter Hudson Unionist: Walter Richard Plummer,Newcastle Journal 3 Jun 1914 Nicholas Grattan-DoyleYorkshire Post and Leeds Intelligencer 14 Sep 1914

See also History of parliamentary constituencies and boundaries in Northumberland

Notes

References Boundaries of Parliamentary Constituencies 1885-1972, compiled and edited by F. W. S. Craig (Parliamentary Reference Publications 1972) British Parliamentary Election Results 1832-1885, compiled and edited by F. W. S. Craig (Macmillan Press 1977) British Parliamentary Election Results 1885-1918, compiled and edited by F. W. S. Craig (Macmillan Press 1974) Electoral Reform in England and Wales, by Charles Seymour (David & Charles Reprints 1970) The House of Commons 1754-1790, by Sir Lewis Namier and John Brooke (HMSO 1964) The Parliaments of England by Henry Stooks Smith (1st edition published in three volumes 1844–50), second edition edited (in one volume) by F. W. S. Craig (Political Reference Publications 1973)