Denbighshire was a county constituency in Denbighshire, in north Wales, from 1542 to 1885.

History From 1542, it returned one Member of Parliament (MP), traditionally known as the knight of the shire, to the House of Commons of the Parliament of England until 1707, then to the Parliament of Great Britain until 1800, and to the Parliament of the United Kingdom from 1801. These MPs were elected by the first past the post voting system.

Under the Reform Act 1832, the constituency's representation was increased to two members, elected by the bloc vote system.

The constituency was abolished by the Redistribution of Seats Act 1885 for the 1885 general election, when Denbighshire was split into two single-member constituencies: the Eastern and Western divisions, each returning one Member of Parliament.

Members of Parliament MPs 1542–1604 ParliamentMember1542 John Salusbury the elder1545 John Salusbury the younger1547 Sir John Salusbury the younger1553 (Mar) Robert Puleston1553 (Oct) Sir John Salusbury the younger1554 (Apr) Sir John Salusbury the younger1554 (Nov) Sir John Salusbury the younger1555 Edward Almer1558 Sir John Salusbury the younger1558–1559 John Salusbury the younger 1562–1563 Simon Thelwall1571 Robert Puleston1572 William Almer1584 Evan Lloyd1586 Robert Salesbury1588–1589 John Edwards / William Almer1593 Roger Puleston1597 John Lloyd1601 Sir John Salusbury

MPs 1604–1832 YearMemberParty 1604 Peter Mutton 1614 Simon Thelwall1621 Sir John Trevor1624Sir Eubulus Thelwall1625 Thomas Myddelton1626 Sir Eubulus Thelwall1628 Sir Eubulus Thelwall1629–1640No Parliaments convenedApril 1640 Sir Thomas Salusbury, 2nd Baronet November 1640 Sir Thomas Myddelton

YearFirst MemberSecond Member 1653Not represented in Barebones ParliamentTwo members in first and second protectorate parliaments 1654 Simon Thelwall John Carter 1656 John Carter John Jones Lumley Thelwall

YearMemberParty1659 John Carter 1659 Not represented 1660 Sir Thomas Myddelton 1661 Sir Thomas Myddelton, 1st Baronet 1664 John Wynne 1679 Sir Thomas Myddelton, 2nd Baronet 1681 Sir John Trevor Tory 1685 Sir Richard Myddelton, 3rd Baronet Tory 1716 Sir Watkin Williams-Wynn, 3rd Baronet Tory 1727 Sir Watkin Williams-Wynn, 3rd Baronet Tory 1741 John Myddelton 1742 Sir Watkin Williams-Wynn, 3rd Baronet Tory 1749 Sir Lynch Cotton, 4th Baronet 1774 Sir Watkin Williams-Wynn, 4th Baronet 1789 Robert Watkin Wynne 1796 Sir Watkin Williams-Wynn, 5th Baronet Tory 1832 Great Reform Act: Representation increased to two members

MPs 1832–1885 ElectionFirst memberFirst partySecond memberSecond party 1832 Sir Watkin Williams-Wynn, 5th BaronetTory Robert Myddleton-Biddulph Whig 1834 Conservative 1835 William Bagot Conservative 1840 Hugh Cholmondeley Conservative 1841 Sir Watkin Williams-Wynn, 6th Baronet Conservative 1852 Robert Myddleton-Biddulph Whig 1859Liberal 1868 George Osborne Morgan Liberal May 1885 Sir Herbert Williams-Wynn, 7th Baronet Conservative Nov. 1885 Redistribution of Seats Act: Constituency abolished: see East Denbighshire and West Denbighshire

Election results Elections in the 1830s

Elections in the 1840s Williams-Wynn's death caused a by-election.

Williams-Wynn was appointed Steward of the Queen's Lordships and Manors of Bromfield and Yale, requiring a by-election.

Elections in the 1850s

Elections in the 1860s

Elections in the 1870s

Elections in the 1880s

Morgan was appointed Judge Advocate General of the Armed Forces, requiring a by-election.

Wynn's death caused a by-election.

References