The constituency of Gloucestershire was a UK Parliamentary constituency. After it was abolished under the 1832 Electoral Reform Act, two new constituencies, West Gloucestershire and East Gloucestershire, were created.
Gloucestershire was a constituency of the House of Commons of the Parliament of England, then of the Parliament of Great Britain from 1707 to 1800 and of the Parliament of the United Kingdom from 1801 to 1832. It was represented by two Knights of the Shire.
Boundaries The constituency consisted of the historic county of Gloucestershire, excluding the part of the city of Bristol in the geographical county. Bristol had the status of a county of itself after 1373. Although Gloucestershire contained a number of other parliamentary boroughs, each of which elected two MPs in its own right for part of the period when Gloucestershire was a constituency, these were not excluded from the county constituency. Owning property within such boroughs could confer a vote at the county election. This was not the case, though, for Bristol.
Members of Parliament Roman numerals are used to differentiate MPs with the same name, who are not holders of a title with different succession numbers. It is not suggested that the people involved would have used Roman numerals in this way.
1290–1339
Constituency created (1290)
1340–1385
1386–1421 (Source: Roskell, 1992)Roskell, J.S. (ed.), The History of Parliament; The House of Commons 1386-1421, 4 vols., Stroud, 1992. Vol.1, p.398
ElectionFirst MemberSecond Member1386Sir Thomas FitzNicholWilliam Hervy1388 (Feb)Sir John BerkeleyWilliam Heyberer1388 (Sept)Sir John BerkeleySir Laurence Sebrooke1390 (Jan)Sir John CheyneSir Laurence Sebrooke1390 (Nov)Sir Gilbert DenysThomas Berkeley1391Sir Maurice BerkeleyRobert Whittington1393Sir John CheyneSir Thomas FitzNichol1394Sir John CheyneSir Henry de la River1395Sir Thomas FitzNicholSir Gilbert Denys1397 (Jan)Sir Thomas ButlerSir John Berkeley1397 (Sept)Hugh MortimerJohn Browning1399Sir John CheyneSir Thomas FitzNichol1401John BrowningSir Thomas FitzNichol1402Sir Maurice RussellSir Thomas FitzNichol1404 (Jan)Sir Maurice RussellRobert Whittington1404 (Oct)Richard MawardenJames Clifford1406Sir Thomas FitzNicholRobert Whittington1407Sir Thomas FitzNicholThomas Mille1410Sir John Draytonunknown1411Thomas MilleRobert Whittington1413 (Feb)unknownunknown1413 (May)Sir Thomas FitzNicholSir John Pauncefoot1414 (April)Robert WhittingtonJohn Greville1414 (Nov)Sir Thomas FitzNicholJohn Browning1415Sir Thomas FitzNicholRobert Poyntz1416 (Mar)unknownunknown1416 (Oct)unknownunknown1417Robert PoyntzRobert Greyndore1419John GrevilleWilliam Tracy1420Robert GreyndoreGuy Whittington1421 (May)John GrevilleGuy Whittington1421 (Dec)(Sir) John BlaketSir John Pauncefoot
1422–1508 ParliamentFirst MemberSecond Member1422 (Oct) John GrevellRobert Stranshawe1423 (Oct) John GrevellRobert Stranshawe1425 (Apr) Sir Maurice BerkeleySir Maurice Berkeley (9 Feb 1401-1464) of Stoke Gifford, MP for Gloucestershire in 1425 and 1429. Born posthumously. "He was made a ward of one of the ‘King’s knights’, Sir Francis Court, and was destined to be even wealthier than his father, for in 1407, when his father's first cousin Joyce, Lady Burnell (wife of Hugh Burnell, Baron Burnell and daughter of John de Botetourt (dvp.1369), son and heir apparent of the 2nd Baron) suo jure Baroness Botetourt, died childless, he inherited a third part of the abeyant barony of Botetourt. On proving his age in 1423 he took possession of both the Berkeley and his share of the Botetourt estates, and as Sir Maurice Berkeley he was returned for Gloucestershire to the Parliaments of 1425 and 1429". (History of Parliament biog of his father Sir Maurice Berkeley (1358-1400), of Uley and Stoke Gifford, MP for Gloucestershire in 1391 ). He married Ellen Montfort dau of William MontfortJohn Grevell1426 (Jan) Robert StranshaweRobert Greyndore1427 (Sep) John GrevellGuy Whittington1429 (July) John LangleySir Maurice BerkeleySir Maurice Berkeley (9 Feb 1401-1464) of Stoke Gifford, MP for Gloucestershire in 1425 and 14291430 (Dec) Nicholas PoyntzGiles Brugges or Bridges1432 (Apr) John LangleyGuy Whittington1433 (Jun) Robert GreyndoreRobert Stranshawe1435 (Jul) John LangleyThomas Mill1436 (Dec) John LangleyJohn Cassy1442 (Jan) William TracyJohn Langley1447 (Jan) Thomas PauncefootJohn Cassy1449 (Jan) Thomas MillThomas Pauncefoot1449 (Oct) William GyffordThomas Derehurst1450 (Oct) John BarreJohn Kemmyse1455 (Jun) Giles Brugges or BridgesWilliam Whittington1460 (Sep) Thomas YongeThomas Bridges1467 (May) Maurice BerkeleyThomas Herbert senior1472 (Aug) Sir Richard BeauchampThomas Lymryk1476 John TwynyhoHolt, Anne D., & Wedgwood, Josiah Clement, History of Parliament: Biographies of the Members of the Commons House, 1439–1509, Vol. 1, London: HMSO, 1936-1938, p.886-7, biography of John Twynyho1478 (Jan) Thomas CokeseyJohn Twynyho1491 (Sep) Sir Edmond MontfortThomas Morton
1509–1558 (Source: Bindoff (1982))Bindoff S.T. (ed.) The History of Parliament: The House of Commons 1509-1558, London, 1982, pp. 91–92
Parliament of 1510–23No names known No names knownParliament of 1529Sir William KingstonSir John BrydgesParliament of 1536Not knownNot knownParliament of 1539Sir William KingstonAnthony KingstonParliament of 1542?Sir Anthony KingstonNot knownParliament of 1545Sir Anthony KingstonNicholas ArnoldParliament of 1547Sir Anthony KingstonSir Nicholas PoyntzParliament of 1553 (Mar)Sir Anthony KingstonSir Nicholas ArnoldParliament of 1553 (Oct)Sir Edmund BrydgesSir Anthony HungerfordParliament of 1554 (Apr)Sir Giles PooleNicholas WykesParliament of 1554 (Nov)Arthur PorterWilliam RedeParliament of 1555Sir Anthony KingstonSir Nicholas ArnoldParliament of 1558Sir Henry JerninghamSir Walter Denys
1559–1639 ParliamentFirst MemberSecond Member1563 (Jan) Nicholas Walshe Richard Denys1571 (Apr) Sir Giles Poole Sir Nicholas Poyntz1572 (Apr) Hon. Giles Bridges Sir Nicholas Arnold1576 Thomas Chester1581 Sir Thomas Porter1584 (Nov) Sir John Darcy Hon. William Bruges or Bridges1586 (Oct) Hon. William Bridges Sir William Wynter1588 (Dec) Sir Thomas Throckmorton Edward Wynter1593 (Jan) Sir Henry Poole Sir John Pointz1597 (Sep) Sir John Tracy Sir John Hungerford1601 (Sep) Sir Edward Wynter John Throckmorton1604 (Mar) Hon. Sir Thomas Berkeley Sir Richard Berkeley, died in office and replaced 30 May 1604 by John Throckmorton1614 (Mar) Sir William Cooke Richard Berkeley 1620 (Dec) Sir Robert Tracy Maurice Berkeley 1624 (Feb) Sir Thomas Estcourt, died in office and replaced 20 Oct 1624 by Sir Maurice Berkeley John Dutton1625 (May) Sir Maurice Berkeley John Dutton1626 (Jan) Sir Robert Tracy Sir Robert Pointz1628 (Mar) Sir Robert Pointz Nathaniel Stephens1629–1640 No Parliaments summoned
1640–1832 ElectionFirst memberFirst partySecond memberSecond party1640, April Sir Robert Tracy Royalist Sir Robert Cooke Parliamentarian 1640, November Nathaniel Stephens Parliamentarian John Dutton 1 Royalistc. 1644 Sir John Seymour 2 ParliamentarianGloucestershire's representation was increased to 3 nominated MPs in Barebones Parliament1653 John Crofts; William Neast; Robert HolmesGloucestershire's representation was increased to 5 elected MPs in the First and Second Parliaments of the Protectorate1654 George Berkeley; Matthew Hale; John Howe; Christopher Guise; Sylvanus Wood1656 George Berkeley; John Howe; John Crofts; Baynham Throckmorton; William NeastGloucestershire's representation was decreased to 2 MPs in the Third Parliament of the Protectorate and thereafter1659, January John Grobham Howe I John Stephens 1659, May unknown unknown 1660, April 18 Edward Stephens Matthew Hale 17 April 1661 John Grobham Howe I Sir Baynham Throckmorton, 2nd Bt 3 21 December 1664 Sir Baynham Throckmorton, 3rd Bt 26 February 1679 Sir John Guise, 2nd Bt Sir Ralph Dutton, Bt 18 March 1685 Marquess of Worcester Sir Robert Atkyns 18 January 1689 Sir John Guise, 2nd Bt Whig Sir Ralph Dutton, Bt Whig11 December 1695 Thomas Stephens I Whig 3 August 1698 John Grobham Howe II Tory Sir Richard Cocks, Bt Whig 3 December 1701 Maynard Colchester Whig6 August 1702 John Grobham Howe II Tory 16 May 1705 Sir John Guise, 3rd Bt Whig 12 May 1708 Matthew Moreton Whig 25 October 1710 John Symes Berkeley Tory 23 September 1713 Thomas Stephens II Whig 9 February 1715 Matthew Moreton Whig 30 March 1720 Hon. Henry Berkeley 22 June 1720 Edmund Bray 28 March 1722 Kinard de la Bere 6 September 1727 Sir John Dutton, Bt 8 May 1734 Thomas Chester Tory Benjamin Bathurst Tory12 May 1741 Norborne Berkeley 27 April 1763 Thomas Tracy 23 November 1763 Edward Southwell 6 August 1770 Sir William Guise, Bt 6 May 1776 William Bromley-Chester Tory 4 24 January 1781 James Dutton 28 April 1783 Hon. George Cranfield Berkeley Whig 512 April 1784 Thomas Master Tory 52 June 1796 Marquess of Worcester Tory 14 November 1803 Lord Edward Somerset Tory18 May 1810 Viscount Dursley 7 February 1811 Sir Berkeley Guise, Bt Whig 10 May 1831 Hon. Henry Reynolds-Moreton WhigConstituency abolished (1832)
Notes:- 1 Dutton was disabled from sitting for adhering to the King and joining the King's Oxford Parliament, c. 1644. 2 Seymour was excluded from Parliament by the Army, c. 1648. 3 Father of the Baynham Throckmorton elected in 1656 and 1664. 4 Stooks Smith classifies Bromley-Chester as Tory in the 1776 by-election, but gives no label in subsequent elections. 5 Stooks Smith classifies Berkeley as Whig in the 1776 by-election (which he lost), but gives no label in subsequent elections before the general election of 1790. Both Berkeley and Master are classified by party from 1790.
Elections
See also List of former United Kingdom Parliament constituencies Unreformed House of Commons
Sources Cobbett's Parliamentary history of England, from the Norman Conquest in 1066 to the year 1803 (London: Thomas Hansard, 1808) The House of Commons 1690-1715, by Eveline Cruickshanks, Stuart Handley and D.W. Hayton (Cambridge University Press 2002) 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))
Roskell, J.S. (ed.), The History of Parliament; The House of Commons 1386-1421, 4 vols., Stroud, 1992. Vol.1, p. 398 Williams, W.R., Parliamentary History of the County of Gloucester, Hereford, 1898
References