Portsmouth was a borough constituency based upon the borough of Portsmouth in Hampshire. It returned two members of parliament (MPs) to the Parliaments of England, Great Britain and from 1801 the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom, elected by the bloc vote system.
History
The constituency first elected MPs in 1295. It was abolished at the 1918 general election, when the Representation of the People Act 1918 divided it into three new constituencies; Portsmouth North, Portsmouth South and Portsmouth Central.
According to Namier and Brooke in The House of Commons 1754–1790, the right of election was in the freemen of the borough who numbered about 100. The town was known as an Admiralty borough and at least one MP was usually an Admiral.
The Earl of Sandwich was First Lord of the Admiralty from 1771 to 1782. He imposed tighter Admiralty control over the borough. This change of policy led to an independent element of the local Council supporting challengers to the Admiralty candidates between 1774 and 1780.
When party politics re-emerged in the late 18th and early 19th centuries, Portsmouth was a predominantly Whig constituency. It only once elected a Tory Member of Parliament between 1790 and 1832.
The Reform Act 1832 considerably expanded the electorate of the borough. The freemen retained their ancient right franchise, but were outnumbered by the new occupier voters amongst the 1,295 electors registered in 1832. As a result of the expanded electorate the borough became more competitive. Contested elections became the norm rather than the exception, as they had been before the Reform Act.
Candidates with naval connections continued to be frequent in Portsmouth, after the Reform Act. The borough developed into a marginal constituency, particularly in the last half century of its existence.
Boundaries The parliamentary borough of Portsmouth was (as the area remains in the 21st century) a major seaport and naval base on the south coast of England. It is situated in the county of Hampshire.
From the 1885 general election until the dissolution before the 1918 election the constituency was surrounded (on the landward side) by the Fareham seat.
Members of Parliament
1295–1640
ParliamentFirst memberSecond member1357 John Pounde 1372 Richard Abraham ?January 1377 Richard Abraham ?February 1383 Richard Abraham ? 1386 William Bristowe Richard Mautravers 1388 (Feb) John atte Mede ? 1388 (Sep) Richard Gay William Bristowe 1390 (Jan) Richard Robust William atte Pury 1390 (Nov) 1391 William atte Pury Henry Seys 1393 William atte Pury Richard Whiliare 1394 William Hicche I Henry Seys 1395 Richard Gay Stephen Agulon 1397 (Jan) William Hicche II Henry Seys 1397 (Sep) William Hicche II Henry Seys 1399 William atte Pury William Balchief 1401 1402 Richard Spicer alias Newport William Hicche II 1404 (Jan) 1404 (Oct) 1406 William atte Pury Richard Gay 1407 1410 Henry Abraham 1411 William Balchief William atte Pury 1413 (Feb) 1413 (May) William atte Pury William Balchief 1414 (Apr) 1414 (Nov) William Balchief William atte Pury 1415 William atte Pury Henry Abraham 1416 (Mar) William atte Pury Thomas Robust 1416 (Oct) 1417 William atte Pury Richard Gay 1419 William Balchief John Serle 1420 William Balchief John Versy 1421 (May) Simon Stubbere Henry Abraham 1421 (Dec) William Balchief Richard Hert1422 Henry Abraham 1433 Robert Abraham UnknownWedgwood, J.C., History of Parliament: Biographies of the Members of the Commons House, 1439–1509 (London, 1936), 1.1437 Richard AbrahamUnknown 1467 Henry Uvedale Unknown 1449-1450 Robert Abraham Unknown 1510–1523 No names known 1529 Geoffrey Lee Francis Dignely 1536 ? 1539 ?John Chaderton ? 1542 Christopher Staverton ?John Chaderton 1545 John Fryer Michael Gore 1547 Robert Blount Henry Knollys 1553 (Mar) Sir Richard Wingfield John Chaderton 1553 (Oct) John Chaderton Henry Bickley 1554 (Apr) Richard Sackville William Cooke 1554 (Nov) Edmund Cockerell John de Vic 1555 Ralph Henslowe Edmund Cockerell 1558 Edward Cordell Edmund Cockerell 1559 William Wynter George Brooke alias Cobham 1563 William Wynter Thomas Smythe 1571 Lawrence Blundestone Henry Slater 1572 Sir Henry Radclyffe Robert Colshill 1584 Thomas Bodley Thomas Radcliffe 1586 Thomas Harris Thomas Thorney 1588 Thomas Harris Thomas Thorney 1593 Edward Radclyffe Thomas Thorney 1597 William Greene Thomas Thorney 1601 John Moore Edward Jones 1604 Sir Oliver St John Sir Richard Jenvoy 1614 John Griffith George Thorpe 1621–1622 Sir Daniel Norton Sir Benjamin Rudyerd 1624 Sir William Uvedale Sir Benjamin Rudyerd 1625 Sir Benjamin Rudyerd Sir Daniel Norton 1626 Sir James Fullerton Thomas Whatman 1628 Owen Jennens William Towerson 1629–1640No Parliaments summoned
1640–1918
YearFirst memberFirst partySecond memberSecond partyApril 1640The Earl of Lanark Hon. Henry PercyPercy was re-elected to serve in the Long Parliament but was also elected for Northumberland, which he chose to represent, and did not sit again for Portsmouth RoyalistNovember 1640 Hon. George Goring Royalist1640 (?)Edward DowseThis list follows that given by Brunton & Pennington. Cobbett lists Dowse as elected after the Civil War to replace Nicholas Weston, disabled from sitting in 1642, but Brunton & Pennington's more recent research records Weston as MP for Newtown (Isle of Wight).ParliamentarianAugust 1642Goring disabled from sitting – seat vacant1646Edward BooteDecember 1648Boote not recorded as sitting after Pride's PurgeDowce died late 1648 – seat left vacant1653Portsmouth was unrepresented in the Barebones Parliament and the First and Second Parliaments of the Protectorate1654 Nathaniel Whetham Portsmouth had only one seat in the First and Second Parliaments of the Protectorate1656 Thomas SmithJanuary 1659 Francis WilloughbyJohn ChildMay 1659Portsmouth was not represented in the restored RumpApril 1660 Richard Norton Henry Whithed May 1660 Andrew Henley 1661 Richard Norton Sir George Carteret, Bt February 1679 George Legge Sir John Kempthorne August 1679 Richard Norton 1685 William Legge Henry Slingsby 1689 Richard Norton 1690 Edward Russell Nicholas Hedger 1695 Matthew Aylmer 1696 John Gibson 1698 Thomas Erle Sir George Rooke January 1702 John Gibson July 1702 Thomas ErleErle was also elected for Wareham, which he chose to represent, and did not for Portsmouth in this Parliament December 1702 William Gifford May 1708 Thomas Erle George ChurchillToryDecember 1708 Sir Thomas Littleton, Bt January 1710On petition, the result of the 1710 election was overturned, and Wager and Jennings were declared not to have been duly elected Sir Charles Wager October 1710 Sir John Jennings 1711 Admiral Sir James Wishart Sir William Gifford 1713 Sir Thomas Mackworth, Bt 1715 Sir Charles Wager Sir Edward Ernle, Bt 1722 Sir John Norris 1734 Thomas Lewis Philip Cavendish 1737 Charles Stewart February 1741 Edward Vernon May 1741 Martin Bladen 1743 Sir Charles Hardy 1744 Isaac Townsend 1746 Thomas GoreGore was re-elected in 1747, but had also been elected for Bedford, which he chose to represent, and did not sit again for Portsmouth 15 December 1747 Hon. Edward LeggeIt was soon afterwards discovered that Legge, who had been elected while on naval service overseas, had been dead 87 days before his election, which was declared void Whig 28 December 1747 Sir Edward HawkeAdmiral from 1757 1754 Sir William Rowley 1761 Sir Matthew Fetherstonhaugh, Bt 1774 Peter Taylor 1776 Maurice Suckling 1777 Sir William Gordon 1778 Hon. Robert Monckton 1782 Sir Henry Fetherstonhaugh, Bt Non-partisan 1783 Hon. Thomas Erskine Whig 1784 Hon. William Cornwallis Non-partisan 1790Whig Hon. Thomas Erskine Whig 1796 Lord Hugh Seymour Non-partisan 1801 John Markham WhigFebruary 1806 Hon. David Erskine November 1806 Sir Thomas Miller, Bt Whig 1816 John Bonham Carter Whig 1818 Sir George Cockburn, Bt Tory 1820 John Markham Whig 1826 Francis Baring Whig 1838 Sir George Thomas Staunton Whig 1852 The Viscount Monck Whig 1857 Sir James Dalrymple-Horn-Elphinstone, Bt Conservative 1859 Liberal 1865 William Henry Stone Liberal Stephen Gaselee Liberal 1868 Sir James Dalrymple-Horn-Elphinstone, BtConservative 1874 Thomas Charles Bruce Conservative 1880 Sir Henry Drummond Wolff Conservative 1885 Sir William CrossmanLiberal Philip Vanderbyl Liberal 1886Liberal Unionist Sir Samuel Wilson Conservative 1892 Sir John Baker Liberal Walter Clough Liberal1900 Thomas Bramsdon Liberal1900 James Majendie Conservative Reginald Lucas Conservative1906 Sir John Baker Liberal Thomas Bramsdon Liberal 1910 Lord Charles Beresford Conservative Sir Bertram FalleLiberal Unionist1912Unionist1916 Sir Hedworth Meux Unionist1918 Constituency abolished
Notes
Election notes The bloc vote electoral system was used in two seat elections 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.
Note on sources: The information for the election results given below is taken from Sedgwick 1715–1754, Namier and Brooke 1754–1790, Stooks Smith 1790–1832 and from Craig thereafter. Where Stooks Smith gives additional information or differs from the other sources this is indicated in a note after the result.
Election results 1715–1800
1710s – 1720s – 1730s – 1740s – 1750s – 1760s – 1770s – 1780s – 1790s
Elections in the 1710s
Seat vacated when Wager was appointed to an office
Seat vacated when Wager was appointed to an office
Elections in the 1720s
Elections in the 1730s
Death of Lewis
Elections in the 1740s Death of Stewart
Seat vacated when Cavendish was appointed to an office
Death of Cavendish
Death of Hardy
Death of Bladen
Gore chose to sit for Bedford
Election declared void on 19 December 1747 as, unknown to anyone in England on 15 December, Legge had died on 19 September 1747.
Elections in the 1750s
Seat vacated when Rowley was appointed a Lord Commissioner of the Admiralty
Elections in the 1760s
Seat vacated when Hawke was appointed a Lord Commissioner of the Admiralty
Death of Fetherstonhaugh
Elections in the 1770s
Creation of Hawke as a peer
Death of Taylor
Death of Suckling
Elections in the 1780s
Death of Monckton
Seat vacated on the grant of a pension, at the pleasure of the Crown, to Gordon
Source for party: Stooks Smith
Elections in the 1790s
Seymour is referred to as Hugh Seymour-Conway in the above list of members of parliament
Election results 1801–1918
1800s – 1810s – 1820s – 1830s – 1840s – 1850s – 1860s – 1870s – 1880s – 1890s – 1900s – 1910s
Elections in the 1800s Death of Seymour
The above list of members of parliament includes David Montagu Erskine as an MP in 1806, in succession to his father Thomas Erskine (who became Lord Chancellor and was elevated to the peerage as the 1st Baron Erskine in 1806). Stooks Smith does not record this election
Elections in the 1810s
Death of Miller
Elections in the 1820s
Elections in the 1830s
Seat vacated on the appointment of Baring as a Lord Commissioner of the Treasury
Note (1837): Stooks Smith gives a registered electorate figure of 1,517; but Craig's figure is used to calculate turnout.
Death of Carter
Note (1838): Daniel Quarrier (Conservative) was a candidate for this by-election, but retired before the poll.
Seat vacated on the appointment of Baring as Chancellor of the Exchequer.
Elections in the 1840s
Seat vacated on the appointment of Baring as First Lord of the Admiralty..
Elections in the 1850s