Westbury was a parliamentary constituency in Wiltshire from 1449 to 2010. It was represented in the House of Commons of England until 1707, and then in the House of Commons of Great Britain from 1707 to 1800, and finally in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom from 1801 until 2010.
Until 1885, it was a parliamentary borough, returning two Members of Parliament (MPs) until 1832 and only one from 1832 to 1885. The parliamentary borough was abolished in 1885, when the name was transferred to a county constituency returning one MP. Elections used the bloc vote system when two MPs were returned, and the first-past-the-post system of election when one seat was contested.
Westbury returned a Conservative Member at every election after 1924.
Boundaries
Originally a small pocket borough, covering only a small part of the parish of Westbury, the Reform Act 1832 expanded it to take in the whole parish, which then included Bratton, Heywood, Dilton Marsh, Dilton, and most of today's Chapmanslade. In 1885, the Westbury parliamentary borough was abolished, and a new county constituency of Westbury was created, with the same name, but covering a much larger area. The boundaries of that changed over the years, until in 2010 the Westbury constituency was abolished and replaced by South-West Wiltshire.
1885–1918: The Sessional Divisions of Bradford-on-Avon, Melksham, Trowbridge, Westbury, and Whorwellsdown, and part of the Sessional Division of Warminster.
1918–1950: The Urban Districts of Bradford-on-Avon, Melksham, Trowbridge, Warminster, and Westbury, and the Rural Districts of Bradford-on-Avon, Melksham, Mere, Warminster, and Westbury with Whorwellsdown.
1950–1974: The Urban Districts of Bradford-on-Avon, Melksham, Trowbridge, Warminster, and Westbury, and the Rural Districts of Bradford-on-Avon and Melksham, Mere and Tisbury, and Warminster and Westbury.
1974–1983: As before but with redrawn boundaries as a result of the Local Government Act 1972.
1983–1997: The District of West Wiltshire, and the District of Salisbury wards of Knoyle, Mere, and Western.
1997–2010: The District of West Wiltshire wards of Adcroft, Bradford-on-Avon North, Bradford-on-Avon South, College, Corsley, Dilton Marsh, Drynham, Ethandune, Holt, John O'Gaunt, Manor Vale, Mid Wylye Valley, Park, Paxcroft, Shearwater, Summerham, Warminster East, Warminster West, Weavers, Westbrook, Westbury with Storridge, and Wylye Valley, and the District of Salisbury wards of Knoyle, Mere, and Western.
Following a review of parliamentary representation in Wiltshire, the Boundary Commission for England created two new constituencies in the county. Chippenham, mostly from the adjoining North Wiltshire, plus the town of Bradford-on-Avon at the northern end of the Westbury constituency, while the rest of Westbury saw minor changes to its composition and was renamed South West Wiltshire. These changes were approved in 2005, to take effect at the following general election, which took place in 2010.
Members of Parliament
Westbury borough (before 1885)
MPs 1449–1640
ParliamentFirst memberSecond member 1491 Sir Thomas Long of Draycot 1510-1523 No names known 1529 Thomas Kirton Thomas Temys 1536 ? 1539 ? 1542 ? 1545 William Hartgill Geoffrey Carter 1547 John Stokes Kenelm Throckmorton 1553 (Mar) ? 1553 (Oct) Andrew Baynton Griffin Curteys 1554 (Apr) Griffin Curteys Peter Morgan 1554 (Nov) William Bennett Griffin Curteys 1555 Sir Thomas Throckmorton William Hoskins 1558 John Buckland William Allen Helyer 1559 Anthony Carleton Ralph Skinner 1562–3 Hugh Ryley John Dyster 1571 Francis Blount Thomas Long 1572 William Brouncker Henry Brouncker 1584 Edward Midwinter 1586 Robert Baynard Henry Whitaker 1588 Sir Henry Fanshawe John Bennett 1593 William Jordyn Sir Henry Fanshawe 1597Matthew Ley James LeyWilfrid Prest, ‘Ley, James, first earl of Marlborough (1550–1629)’, Oxford Dictionary of National Biography, Oxford University Press, Sept 2004|| online edn, Jan 2008 , accessed 22 Jan 2009. 1601 Henry Jackman 1604 James Ley 1605 Alexander Chocke 1609 James Ley 1614 Henry Ley 1621 Sir James Ley replaced by Walter Long Sir Miles Fleetwood 1624 Sir Henry Ley Sir Henry Mildmay 1625Sir Walter Long Gifford Long 1626 Thomas Hopton 1628 Maximilian Petty Charles Thynne 1629–1640 No Parliaments summoned
MPs 1640–1832 YearFirst memberFirst partySecond memberSecond partyApril 1640 Sir Thomas Penyston John Ashe November 1640 John AsheParliamentarian William WhelerParliamentarian December 1648Wheler excluded in Pride's Purge - seat vacant1653Westbury was unrepresented in the Barebones Parliament and the First and Second Parliaments of the ProtectorateJanuary 1659 Robert Villiers, alias Danvers William Eyre May 1659Not represented in the restored Rump, Ashe having died in the interimApril 1660 Richard Lewis William Brouncker 1661 Thomas WancklynExpelled from the House of Commons for corrupt misuse of Parliamentary Privilege 1678 Henry Bertie February 1679 William Trenchard August 1679 Henry Bertie 1680 Edward Norton William Trenchard 1681 John Ashe 1685 Richard Lewis James Herbert 1689 Peregrine Bertie 1695 Robert Bertie 1701 Henry Bertie July 1702 In December 1702,William Trenchard and Thomas Phipps were returned. A petition was lodged, and the result was overturned on 1 December 1702 in favour of Robert Bertie and Henry Bertie William Trenchard Thomas Phipps December 1702 Henry Bertie Robert Bertie 1708 Francis Annesley January 1715At the general election in January 1715, Willoughby Bertie and Francis Annesley were returned. A petition was lodged, and the result was overturned on 1 June 1715 in favour of the runners-up Lord Carbery and Charles Allanson Willoughby Bertie June 1715 The Lord Carbery Charles Allanson 1722 James BertieAt the 1722 general election, James Bertie was also elected for Middlesex, which he chose to represent, and never sat for Westbury. A by-election for his seat was held in March 1723 Francis Annesley March 1723 by-election The Lord Carbery 1727 John Hoskins Gifford 1734 Hon. George Evans John Bance 1741 Joseph Townsend 1747At the 1747 general election, John Bance and Paul Methuen were returned. A petition was lodged, and the result was overturned on 16 March 1748 in favour of the runners-up Chauncy Townsend and Paul Methuen John Bance Paul Methuen 1748 Chauncy Townsend Pro-Government Matthew Michell 1753 by-election The by-election in 1753 was caused by the death of Matthew Michell Peregrine Bertie 1768 William Blackstone 1770 by-election The by-election in 1770 was caused by the appointment of William Blackstone as a judge of the King's Bench Hon. Charles Dillon 1774 Hon. Thomas Wenmanlater Regius Professor of Civil Law at Oxford Nathaniel Bayly 1779 by-election Samuel Estwick I 1780 (Sir) John Whalley-GardinerCreated a baronet, December 1782 1784 Chaloner Arcedeckne 1786 by-election John Madocks 1790 Ewan Law January 1795 by-election Samuel Estwick II November 1795 by-election Edward Wilbraham-Bootle May 1796 Sir Henry St John-Mildmay, Bt George EllisEllis was also elected for Seaford, which he chose to represent, and never sat for Westbury October 1796 by-election George Harcourt 1800 by-election John Simon Harcourt 1802 William Baldwin Charles Smith 1806 William Jacob John Woolmore May 1807 Edward Lascelles Tory Glynn Wynn ToryJuly 1807 by-election Henry Lascelles Tory 1809 by-election Francis Whittle Tory 1810 by-election John de Ponthieu 1812 Benjamin Hall WhigNational Library of Wales: National Library of Wales Journal, vol12, no 1, 1 July 1961, "The Halls of Pembrokeshire, ancestors of Benjamin Hall, afterwards Lord Llanover of Llanover and Abercarn", p11 https://journals.library.wales/view/1277425/1281562/20#?xywh=-2325%2C238%2C7784%2C2934 Benjamin Shaw 1814 by-election Ralph Franco Tory1818 Lord Francis Conyngham 1819 by-election William Leader Maberly WhigMarch 1820 Jonathan Elford Tory Nathaniel Barton ToryNovember 1820 by-election Sir Manasseh Masseh Lopes, Bt Tory Philip John Miles Tory1826 Sir George Warrender Canningite Tory 1829 by-election Robert Peel Tory1830 Sir Alexander Grant, Bt Tory Michael Prendergast ToryMay 1831 Sir Ralph Lopes, Bt Whig Henry Hanmer ToryJuly 1831 by-election Henry Frederick Stephenson Whig1832 Representation reduced to one MP
MPs 1832–1885 Election Member Party 1832 Sir Ralph Lopes Whig 1837 John Ivatt Briscoe Whig 1841 Sir Ralph Lopes Conservative 1847 James Wilson Whig 1857 Sir Massey Lopes Conservative 1868 John Lewis PhippsThe election of 1868 was held void on petition, and a by-election held Conservative 1869 by-election Charles Paul Phipps Conservative 1874 Abraham Laverton Liberal 1880 Charles N. P. Phipps Conservative 1885 Borough abolished - name transferred to a new county division
Westbury County constituency (1885–2010) Election Member Party 1885 George Fuller Liberal 1895 Richard Chaloner Conservative 1900 John Fuller Liberal 1911 by-election Hon. Geoffrey Howard Liberal 1918 George Palmer Coalition Conservative 1922 Charles Darbishire Liberal 1924 Captain W. W. Shaw Conservative 1927 by-election Richard Long Conservative 1931 Sir Robert GrimstonCreated a baronet, 1952 Conservative 1964 Sir Dennis Walters Conservative 1992 David Faber Conservative 2001 Andrew Murrison Conservative 2010 Constituency abolished: see South West Wiltshire and Chippenham
Elections
Elections in the 1830s
Hanmer resigned, causing a by-election.
Elections in the 1840s
Elections in the 1850s
Elections in the 1860s
The 1868 election was declared void on petition, due to intimidation of the electorate, causing a by-election.
Elections in the 1870s
Elections in the 1880s
Elections in the 1890s
Elections in the 1900s
Elections in the 1910s
General Election 1914–15
Another General Election was required to take place before the end of 1915. The political parties had been making preparations for an election to take place and by July 1914, the following candidates had been selected; Liberal Party: Geoffrey Howard Unionist Party:George Palmer
Elections in the 1920s
Elections in the 1930s
General Election 1939–40
Another General Election was required to take place before the end of 1940. The political parties had been making preparations for an election to take place and by the Autumn of 1939, the following candidates had been selected; Conservative: Robert Grimston Liberal: Harcourt JohnstoneThe Liberal Magazine, 1939 Labour: George WardReport of the Annual Conference of the Labour Party, 1939
Elections in the 1940s
Elections in the 1950s
Elections in the 1960s
Elections in the 1970s
Elections in the 1980s
Elections in the 1990s
Elections in the 2000s
Notes and references Craig, F. W. S. (1983). British parliamentary election results 1918-1949 (3 ed.). Chichester: Parliamentary Research Services. .
Sources Guardian Unlimited (2004). Ask Aristotle - Westbury. Retrieved 16 November 2004. 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)
External links Westbury UK Parliament constituency (boundaries April 1997 – April 2010) at MapIt UK