Somerset (UK Parliament constituency)

Somerset was a parliamentary constituency in Somerset, which returned two Members of Parliament (MPs), known traditionally as knights of the shire, to the House of Commons of England until 1707, the House of Commons of Great Britain from 1707 to 1800, and the House of Commons of the United Kingdom from 1801 to 1832.

Elections were held by the bloc vote system.

Members of Parliament MPs 1290–1629

Constituency created (1290)

ParliamentFirst memberSecond memberParliament of 1366Hugh de DurboroughJohn Collinson, Edmund Rack, The History and Antiquities of the County of Somerset: Collected from Authentic Records, and an Actual Survey Made by the Late Mr. Edmund Rack. Adorned with a Map of the County, and Engravings of Roman and Other Reliques, Town-seals, Baths, Churches, and Gentlemen's Seats, Volume 1, R. Cutwell, 1791, p. xxx online William BonvilleParliament of 1368Hugh de DurboroughWalter BlewetParliament of 1369Edward CheneyMatthew de ClevedonParliament of 1371John Beauchamp of LillisdonParliament of 1372Hugh de DurboroughJohn ReynonParliament of 1373Sir John DelamareS. E. Rigold, Nunney Castle, Somerset (HMSO, 1967), p. 4 (online Walter BlewetParliament of 1376Thomas MarshallParliament of 1377Sir John DelamareSir Thomas HungerfordParliament of 1379Sir John BurghershParliament of 1382Sir John DelamareSir Thomas HungerfordParliament of 1383 (Oct)Sir William BonvilleParliament of 1384 (Apr)Sir William BonvilleParliament of 1384 (Nov)Sir William BonvilleParliament of 1386Sir William BonvilleSir Thomas BrookeFirst Parliament of 1388Sir William BonvilleSir Thomas BrookeSecond Parliament of 1388Sir Thomas HungerfordSir John BurghershFirst Parliament of 1390Sir Stephen DerbyThomas BeaupineSecond Parliament of 1390Sir John BerkeleySir Thomas HungerfordParliament of 1391Sir John RodneySir Thomas BrookeParliament of 1393Sir Thomas BrookeSir William BonvilleParliament of 1394Sir Humphrey Stafford ISir John BerkeleyParliament of 1395Sir William BonvilleSir Thomas BrookeFirst Parliament of 1397Sir Thomas BrookeSir Thomas ArthurSecond Parliament of 1397Sir Ivo FitzwarynSir Thomas BrookeParliament of 1399Sir Thomas BrookeSir William BonvilleParliament of 1401Sir Thomas BeauchampWilliam StourtonParliament of 1402Sir Thomas BrookeWilliam StourtonFirst Parliament of 1404Sir Thomas BrookeWilliam StourtonSecond Parliament of 1404Sir Hugh LutrellSir Leonard HakluytParliament of 1406Sir Walter RodneySir Leonard HakluytParliament of 1407Sir Thomas BrookeRichard CheddarParliament of 1410Walter HungerfordSir Thomas BrookeSecond Parliament of 1413Sir Thomas BrookeRichard CheddarFirst Parliament of 1414Sir John TiptoftSir Hugh LuttrellSecond Parliament of 1414Sir Hugh LuttrellRobert HillParliament of 1415Sir Hugh LuttrellRobert HillFirst Parliament of 1416Robert HillRichard BoytonParliament of 1417Thomas BrookeRichard CheddarParliament of 1419Robert HillJohn StourtonParliament of 1420Sir Thomas StawellJohn StourtonFirst Parliament of 1421Sir William BonvilleSir Thomas BrookeSecond Parliament of 1421Richard CheddarJohn StourtonParliament of 1424Giles DaubeneyParliament of 1429Giles DaubeneyParliament of 1433John HodyParliament of 1435John HodyParliament of 1437John HodyParliament of 1455William CourtenayParliament of 1529Sir Nicholas WadhamSir William StourtonParliament of 1539Sir Hugh PauletSir Thomas SpekeParliament of 1545Sir Thomas SpekeSir John St LoeParliament of 1547Sir Maurice BerkeleySir Henry CapellFirst Parliament of 1553Sir Ralph HoptonSir Edward RogersSecond Parliament of 1553Sir Edward RogersSir Ralph HoptonFirst Parliament of 1554Sir Edward WaldegraveSir John SydenhamSecond Parliament of 1554Sir Edward WaldegraveHumphrey CollesParliament of 1555?Sir Ralph Hopton?Sir John St LoeParliament of 1558Sir Edward RogersJohn WalsheParliament of 1559Sir William St LoeParliament of 1562–1567Sir Maurice BerkeleyParliament of 1571Amias PauletGeorge RogersParliament of 1572–1581Sir Hugh Paulet diedSir George SpekeSir Maurice BerkeleyParliament of 1584–1585Thomas Horner(Sir) Henry BerkeleyParliament of 1586–1587Parliament of 1588–1589(Sir) Francis HastingsEdward DyerParliament of 1593Parliament of 1597–1598Sir Francis PophamSir Hugh PortmanParliament of 1601(Sir) Edward PhelipsSir Maurice BerkeleyParliament of 1604–1611Sir Francis Hastings died 1610In his place John PoulettAddled Parliament (1614)Sir Maurice BerkeleyParliament of 1621–1622Robert HoptonSir Henry Portman died 1621In his place Charles BerkeleyHappy Parliament (1624–1625)Sir Robert PhelipsJohn SymesUseless Parliament (1625)John StawellParliament of 1625–1626Sir Henry BerkeleySir John HornerParliament of 1628–1629Sir Robert PhelipsSir Edward RodneyNo Parliament summoned 1629–1640

MPs 1640–1832 ElectionFirst memberFirst partySecond memberSecond partyApril 1640Sir Ralph HoptonRoyalistThomas SmithRoyalistNovember 1640Sir John PoulettRoyalistSir John StawellRoyalistAugust 1642Poulett and Stawell disabled from sitting – both seats vacant1645George HornerJohn HarringtonElection declared void and new writ issued1646George HornerJohn HarringtonDecember 1648Horner excluded in Pride's Purge – seat vacantHarrington did not sit after Pride's PurgeSomerset had four members in the Barebones Parliament1653General-at-sea Robert Blake, John Pine, Dennis Hollister, Henry HenleySomerset had eleven members in the First and Second Parliaments of the Protectorate1654Sir John Horner, John Buckland, General John Desborough, John Preston, John Harrington, John Ashe, Charles Steynings, Robert Long, Richard Jones, Thomas Hippisley, Samuel Perry1656 John Buckland, General John Desborough, John Harrington, John Ashe, Robert Long, Alexander Popham, Colonel John Gorges, Francis Luttrell, Sir Lislebone Long, William Wyndham, Francis RolleRepresentation reverted to two members for the Third Protectorate ParliamentJanuary 1659 John Buckland, Robert HuntMay 1659Not represented in the restored RumpApril 1660 George Horner Hugh Smith 1661Sir John Stawell Edward Phelips 1662 John Poulett 1665 Sir John Warre 1669 Sir John Sydenham February 1679Sir Hugh Smith August 1679 Sir William Portman George Speke 1685 Sir John Smith George Horner 1689 Edward Gorges 1690 Sir Edward Phelips Nathaniel Palmer 1695 Sir John Smith Sir John Trevelyan, Bt 1698 John Hunt Sir Edward Phelips 1699 Nathaniel Palmer January 1701 Sir John Trevelyan, Bt December 1701 Sir Philip Sydenham Nathaniel Palmer 1705 John Pigott 1708 Henry Seymour Portman John Prowse April 1710 Sir William Wyndham, Bt Tory October 1710Sir Thomas Wroth Tory 1713 Thomas Horner Tory 1715 William Helyar 1722 Edward Phelips 1727 Thomas Strangways Horner Tory 1740 Thomas Prowse 1741 Henry William Portman Tory 1747 Sir Charles Kemys Tynte 1767 Sir Thomas Dyke Acland, Bt 1768 Richard Hippisley Coxe 1774 Edward Phelips 1780 Sir John Trevelyan, Bt 1784 Edward Phelips 1792 Henry Hippisley Coxe 1795 William Gore-Langton Whig 1796 William Dickinson Tory June 1806 Thomas Lethbridge Tory November 1806 William Dickinson Tory 1812 William Gore-Langton Whig 1820 Sir Thomas Lethbridge Tory 1830 Edward Ayshford Sanford Whig 1831 William Gore-Langton Whig 1832 constituency divided into Eastern and Western divisions

References

Sources 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)

Henry Stooks Smith, The Parliaments of England from 1715 to 1847, Volume 2 (London: Simpkin, Marshall & Co, 1845)