Leicester was a parliamentary borough in Leicestershire, which elected two members of parliament (MPs) to the House of Commons from 1295 until 1918, when it was split into three single-member divisions.

History Leicester sent burgesses to Parliament for the first time in 1295.

Members of Parliament

1295–1640

ParliamentFirst memberSecond member 1294 Ralph NormanRobert de Scarnford 1299 Robert Knythtecote Roger de Glenne ?1299 Richard Donnington Roger de Glenne 1301 Ralph Tewe 1304 Richard Soning Nicholas de Glenne 1306 Ralph Norman Henry de Carleton 1307 William Lyndrych William le Palmer 1308 Henry Erdington Richard Eggbaston 1310 William Lyndrych Peter de Kent 1311 William Lyndrych Robert de Leicester 1312 William Clowne Richard Leverych ?1312 Robert Hereward Nicholas Mercer 1313 Roger de Glenne John Stocton 1314 William de Benham Simon de Lyndrych ?1314 Roger Pickering William le Palmer 1318 Thomas Fox William le Palmer, jnr ?1318 Henry Palmer John Derby 1321 Geoffrey de Staunton John Derby 1322 Ralph Burton Walter Busseby 1326 William Reddington William Jolly 1327 John FitzHenry of Leicester John Geryn1328Richard ClaverJohn Leverich 1328 Richard Claver John Geryn1328Rad de SecchevilleRobert de Waltham 1329 John de Glenne Willim Petlyng 1330 Richard de Bonyngton Robert de Gryndon or William Wareyn 1330 John de Leverych Thomas Dawbenny 1332 Henry Merlins Richard de Donnington1332William de ClouneRichard Leverich 1333 John Leverych John FitzHenry or John de Garthorp 1334 Richard Foxton Richard Clerk1334John LeverichRobert de Foston 1336 John Leverych John Querndon ?1336 William Rodington William le Palmer 1337 Richard de Donnington Richard Leycester 1337 Richard de Donnington John Martyn 1338 Richard de Donnington John Querndon 1338 Richard de Donnington John Turvey ?1338 William Palmer Thomas Fox ?1338 John Harding Robert Bonyng 1339 William Warryn Thomas Fitz Robert1339William LeverichRichard de Walcote 1340 Nicholas Radding William Fitz Richard ?1340 Richard Walcote William Brad ?1340 Ralph Burton John Blake 1341 John le Clerk William Donnington 1343 Walter Busseby William Reddington 1346 Richard Walcot William Dunstable 1347 Richard Beby Allan Sutton 1348 John Recenour William Wakefield 1350 William Dunstable Thomas Beby 1351 William Dunstable Thomas Beby 1354 John Martin John de Hodynges 1355 Thomas Beby 1357 John de Petlyng Thomas de Crom. 1360 Thomas Beby Roger Belgrave ?1360 Roger Knyghton Thomas Beby 1362 Richard Knyghton William Burton 1363 John Peterburgh Roger Kilby 1365 William Tabb John Stafford 1368 Walter Lynd Roger de Belgrave 1369 William Burton William atte Greene 1371 William Taillard Richard de Knyghton 1372 William atte Greene Roger Beby 1373 John Stafford John Peterburgh 1375 Henry de Petlyng Henry de Clipstone 1377 William Huntedon John Stafford ?1377 William Humberstone William de Thornton 1378 John Chapman Andrew Glasewright 1379 John de Stafford William Ferrour 1380 John Sherote Richard Boyes 1381 Stephen Chambre Robert Norton 1382 John Stafford Thomas Wakefield ?1382 Roger Belgrave Richard Braunston 1383 Geoffrey Clerk John Fode 1386 Geoffrey Clerk William Morton 1388 (Feb) Geoffrey Clerk William Morton 1388 (Sep) Geoffrey Clerk John Cook 1390 (Jan) ?Geoffrey Clerk 1390 (Nov) 1391 Geoffrey Clerk Henry Beeby 1393 Thomas Wakefield John Houghton 1394 ?Geoffrey Clerk Henry Beeby 1395 Robert Skillington Henry Beeby 1397 (Jan) Thomas Wakefield Roger Humberston 1397 (Sep) Thomas Bailly Richard Falconer 1399 William Bispham John Church 1401 John London Peter Clerk 1402 1404 (Jan) 1404 (Oct) 1406 John Donyngton Roger Goldsmith 1407 Thomas Denton John Tonge 1410 Robert Evington John Church 1411 Robert Evington Ralph Brasier 1413 (Feb) 1413 (May) John Hewet John Church 1414 (Apr) Ralph Brasier Thomas Denton 1414 (Nov) Henry Forster Robert Evington 1415 1416 (Mar) 1416 (Oct) 1417 1419 Henry Forster Ralph Brasier 1420 John Pykwell John Church 1421 (May) Ralph Brasier John Church 1421 (Dec) Henry Forster John Nightingale 1423 Ralph Brasier 1426 Ralph Brasier 1432 Ralph Brasier 1455–1456 Thomas Dalton 1510–1515 No names known 1523 William Bolt Roger Wigston 1529 Thomas Brokesby Robert Harward 1536 ? 1539 John Beaumont William Wigston 1542 Robert Burdett ?John Beaumont 1545 Edward Hastings John Throckmorton 1547 George Swillington Ralph Skinner 1553 (Mar) George Swillington Robert Cotton 1553 (Oct) William Faunt Thomas Farnham 1554 (Apr) Francis Farnham Thomas Jenkinson 1554 (Nov) Francis Farnham Hugh Aston 1555 Francis Farnham ? 1558 Robert Breham Maurice Tyttell 1559 (Jan) John Hastings Robert Breham 1562–1563 Robert Breham Rubert Brokesby 1571 Thomas Cave Stephen Hales 1572 (Apr) Robert Breham John Stanford I 1584 (Nov) Henry Skipwith Thomas Johnson 1586 (Oct) Henry Skipwith Thomas Johnson 1588 (Oct) John Chippendale Robert Heyrick 1593John Stanford I James Clarke 1597 (Sep) George Parkins John Stanford II 1601 (Oct) George Belgrave William Herrick 1604 William Skipwith, died 1610 and replaced by Henry Rich)Henry Beaumont 1614 Henry Rich Sir Francis Leigh 1621–1622 Sir Richard Moryson Sir William Herrick 1624 Sir Humphrey May William Ive 1625 Thomas Jermyn Sir Humphrey May, sat for Lancaster and repl. by Sir George Hastings) 1626 Sir Humphrey May Sir George Hastings 1628 Sir Humphrey May Sir John Stanhope 1629–1640 No parliaments summoned

1640–1918

YearFirst memberFirst partySecond memberSecond partyApril 1640 Thomas Coke Simon Every November 1640 Thomas Coke Royalist Lord Grey of Groby ParliamentarianJanuary 1644Coke disabled from sitting – seat vacant1645Peter Temple1653Leicester was unrepresented in the Barebones Parliament 1654Sir Arthur Hesilrige William Stanley 1656January 1659May 1659Peter TempleOne seat vacant through the death of Lord Grey of Groby 1660 Thomas Armeston John Grey 1661 Sir William Hartopp Sir John Pretyman 1677 John Grey 1679 Sir Henry Beaumont 1685 Thomas Babington 1689 Lawrence Carter 1690 Sir Edward Abney 1695 Archdale Palmer 1698 Sir William Villiers Lawrence Carter 1701 James Winstanley Lawrence Carter 1702 Sir George Beaumont 1719 Thomas Noble 1722 (Sir) Lawrence Carter January 1727 Thomas Boothby-Skrymsher August 1727 George Wrighte 1737 James Wigley 1765 Anthony James Keck 1766 John Darker 1768 Hon. Booth Grey Whig Eyre Coote Whig 1774 John Darker ToryFebruary 1784 Shukburgh Ashby April 1784 John Macnamara Charles Loraine-Smith 1790 Thomas Parkyns Whig Samuel Smith Tory 1800 Thomas Babington Tory 1818 John Mansfield Tory Thomas Pares Whig 1826 Sir Charles Abney-Hastings Tory Robert Otway-Cave Tory 1830 William Evans Whig 1831 Wynne Ellis Radical 1835 Edward Goulburn Conservative Thomas Gladstone Conservative 1837 Samuel Duckworth Radical Sir John Easthope Radical 1839 Wynne Ellis Radical 1847 The election of 1847 was declared void on petition and a by-election was heldSir Joshua WalmsleyRadical Richard Gardner Radical 1848 John Ellis Radical Richard Harris Radical 1852 Sir Joshua Walmsley Radical Richard Gardner Radical 1856 John Biggs Radical 1857 John Dove Harris Whig 1859 Joseph William Noble Liberal Liberal 1861 William Unwin Heygate Conservative 1862 Peter Alfred Taylor Liberal 1865 John Dove Harris Liberal 1874 Alexander McArthur Liberal 1884 James Allanson Picton Liberal 1892 Sir James Whitehead Liberal 1894 Henry Broadhurst Liberal Walter Hazell Liberal 1900 Sir John Rolleston ConservativeJanuary 1906 Ramsay MacDonald LabourMarch 1906 Franklin Thomasson Liberal 1910 Eliot Crawshay-Williams Liberal 1913 Sir Gordon Hewart Liberal1918 Constituency abolished: see Leicester East, Leicester South, Leicester West

Notes

Election results Elections in the 1830s

Duckworth resigned after being appointed as Master of the Court of Chancery.

Elections in the 1840s

The election was declared void on petition on 1 June 1848, due to bribery by Walmsley and Gardner's agents, causing a by-election.

Elections in the 1850s

Gardner's death caused a by-election.

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

Biggs resigned, causing a by-election.

Elections in the 1870s

Elections in the 1880s

Taylor resigned, causing a by-election.

Elections in the 1890s

Both Picton and Whitehead resigned. The House of Commons passed separate resolutions for two by-elections, and two separate election writs were issued to Leicester Corporation. However, Israel Hart, the mayor of Leicester, decided to economise by holding a single by-election for both vacancies. In 1895, a select committee of the Commons reported that this procedure was incorrect, but that since it was adopted in good faith and without objection from any of the candidates, the result would be allowed to stand.

Elections in the 1900s

Elections in the 1910s

Notes and references Notes

References

D. Brunton & D. H. Pennington, Members of the Long Parliament (London: George Allen & Unwin, 1954)

The Constitutional Year Book for 1913 (London: National Union of Conservative and Unionist Associations, 1913) F W S Craig, British Parliamentary Election Results 1832–1885 (2nd edition, Aldershot: Parliamentary Research Services, 1989) 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)