Minehead was a parliamentary borough in Somerset, forming part of the town of Minehead, which elected two Members of Parliament (MPs) to the House of Commons from 1563 until 1832, when the borough was abolished by the Great Reform Act.
Members of Parliament
MPs 1563–1629
Constituency probably established 1563Most sources date Minehead's enfranchisement from 1563, which seems clearly implied by the House of Commons Journals, but Browne Willis gives two names (Thomas Fitzwilliams and John Fowler) as the town's representatives in the 1559 Parliament. Sir John Neale notes that the names differ from those given for 1563 "which normally is a sign of reliability"
ParliamentFirst memberSecond memberParliament of 1563-1567Thomas LuttrellThomas FitzwilliamsParliament of 1571John CollesThomas MallettParliament of 1572-1581Dominick ChesterRichard Cabell1578Andrew Hemmerford1582George LuttrellParliament of 1584-1585George LuttrellEdward RogersParliament of 1586-1587John LuttrellRobert CrosseParliament of 1588-1589Benedict BarnhamParliament of 1593Richard HanburyJames QuirkeParliament of 1597-1598Amias Bampfield (sat for Devon, replaced)Conrad ProwseParliament of 1601Dr Francis JamesLewis LashbrookeParliament of 1604-1611Sir Ambrose TurvilleSir Maurice BerkeleyAddled Parliament (1614)No return madeParliament of 1621-1622Francis PearceSir Robert LloydThis is the name given by Cobbett, whereas Browne Willis lists "Tho. Wentworth, Kt". There were two Thomas Wentworths in the House, but both sat for other constituencies, as Browne Willis correctly also records - "Tho. Wentworth, Kt. and Bart." for Yorkshire and "Tho. Wentworth Esq" for Oxford City. While it is possible that either of these might also have been elected for Minehead and chosen to sit for their other constituency, allowing Lloyd to be elected in their place, Browne Willis usually records this, and neither could correctly be described as "Tho. Wentworth, Kt" at that time, although of course an error is perfectly possible.Happy Parliament (1624-1625)Dr Arthur DuckSir Arthur LakeUseless Parliament (1625)Thomas LuttrellCharles PyneParliament of 1625-1626John GillThomas HornerParliament of 1628-1629Thomas HornerEdward WyndhamNo Parliament summoned 1629-1640
MPs 1640–1832
YearFirst memberFirst partySecond memberSecond partyApril 1640Francis WyndhamAlexander PophamPopham was also elected for Bath, which he chose to represent, and never sat for Minehead1640Dr Arthur DuckNovember 1640Alexander Luttrell IDied June 1642Parliamentarian Sir Francis Popham Parliamentarian1642Thomas HanhamRoyalistJanuary 1644Hanham disabled from sitting — seat vacantAugust 1644Popham died — seat vacant1645 Walter StricklandEdward PophamDecember 1648Popham not recorded as sitting after Pride's Purge1653Minehead was unrepresented in the Barebones Parliament and the First and Second Parliaments of the ProtectorateJanuary 1659Richard HutchinsonColonel Alexander PophamMay 1659Walter StricklandOne seat vacant 1660 Francis Luttrell I Charles Pym 1661 Sir Hugh Wyndham 1666 by-election Sir John Malet 1673 by-election Thomas Wyndham February 1679 Francis Luttrell II September 1679 Thomas Palmer 1685 Nathaniel Palmer September 1690 by-election John Sanford October 1690 by-election Alexander Luttrell II 1698 Sir Jacob Banks 1708 Sir John Trevelyan 1715The election of 1715 was declared void on petition, and Wyndham and Trevelyan declared not duly elected. A by-election was held 1717 Sir William Wyndham April 1717 by-electionThe by-election of 1717 was declared void on petition (in a dispute over the franchise), and Edwin and Gage declared not duly elected. Trevelyan and Milner were declared elected in their place Samuel Edwin Thomas Gage May 1717 (on petition) Sir John Trevelyan James Milner 1721 by-election Sir Richard LaneLane was declared not to have been duly elected January 1722 (on petition) Robert Mansel March 1722 Thomas Hales 1723 by-election Francis Whitworth 1727 Alexander Luttrell III 1737 by-election Sir William Codrington 1739 by-election Thomas Carew 1742 by-election John Periam 1747 Percy Wyndham-O'Brien Charles Whitworth 1754 Daniel Boone 1761 Henry Shiffner The Earl of Thomond 1768 Henry Fownes Luttrell I Sir Charles Whitworth October 1774 John Fownes Luttrell ToryDecember 1774 by-election Thomas Pownall 1780 Francis Fownes Luttrell 1783 by-election Henry BeaufoyBeaufoy was re-elected in 1784, but had also been elected for Great Yarmouth, which he chose to represent, and did not sit again for Minehead June 1784 by-election Captain the Hon. Charles Phipps 1786 by-election Robert Wood 1790 Viscount Parker Tory 1795 by-election Thomas Fownes Luttrell Tory 1796 John Langston Tory 1802 John Patteson Tory 1806 The Lord Rancliffe Whig Sir John Lethbridge, 1st Baronet ToryJanuary 1807 by-election John Fownes Luttrell Tory May 1807 John Denison Tory 1812 John Fownes Luttrell Tory 1816 by-election Henry Fownes Luttrell II Tory 1822 by-election John Douglas Tory 1826 James Blair Tory 1830 William Edward Tomline Tory 1831 Viscount Villiers Tory1832 Constituency abolished
Notes
References Robert Beatson, A Chronological Register of Both Houses of Parliament (London: Longman, Hurst, Res & Orme, 1807) 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) 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" (2nd edition, edited by FWS Craig — Chichester: Parliamentary Reference Publications, 1973)