Wells was a constituency in Somerset in the House of Commons of the UK Parliament. Apart from between 2010–2015, Wells was represented by members of the Conservative Party since 1924.
Further to the completion of the 2023 Periodic Review of Westminster constituencies, the seat was abolished, with most of it being transferred to the new constituency of Wells and Mendip Hills, to be first contested at the 2024 general election.
History
The original two-member borough constituency was created in 1295, and abolished by the Reform Act 1867 with effect from the 1868 general election. Its revival saw a more comparable size of electorate across the country and across Somerset, with a large swathe of the county covered by this new seat, under the plans of the third Reform Act and the connected Redistribution of Seats Act 1885 which was enacted the following year.
Political history The seat was largely Conservative-held during the 20th century and has never elected a Labour MP. The only other political party to have been represented is the Liberal Democrats or their predecessor, the Liberal Party, who achieved a marginal victory in 2010, see marginal seat.
Prominent frontbenchers Sir William Hayter was chief government whip of the Commons under three Liberal Prime Ministers governing from the Lords, (Lord John) Russell, Aberdeen and Palmerston.
So too in this role was Lord Hylton from 1916 to 1922 alongside the Lord Colebrooke in the Conservative-Liberal National coalition.
Robert Sanders was Deputy Chief Whip in the House of Commons, 1918–1919, and Minister of Agriculture and Fisheries, 1922–1924.
Robert Boscawen was a government whip (1988–1989).
David Heathcoat-Amory was Minister for Europe (1993–1994) and later a Shadow Cabinet member (1997–2001).
Boundaries
1885–1918: The Borough of Wells, and the Sessional Divisions of Axbridge and Wells (except the parish of Binegar).
1918–1950: The Boroughs of Glastonbury and Wells, the Urban Districts of Shepton Mallet and Street, the Rural Districts of Shepton Mallet, Wells, and Wincanton, and in the Rural District of Frome the parishes of Cloford, Marston Bigot, Nunney, Wanstrow, Whatley, and Witharn Friary.
1950–1983: The Boroughs of Glastonbury and Wells, the Urban Districts of Frome, Shepton Mallet, and Street, and the Rural Districts of Frome, Shepton Mallet, Wells, and Wincanton.
1983–2010: The District of Mendip wards of Ashwick, Avalon, Chilcompton and Ston Easton, Ebbor, Glastonbury St Benedict's, Glastonbury St Edmund's, Glastonbury St John's, Glastonbury St Mary's, Moor, Nedge, Pylcombe, Rodney, Sheppey, Shepton Mallet, Street North, Street South, Wells Central, Wells St Cuthbert's, and Wells St Thomas, and the District of Sedgemoor wards of Axbridge, Axe Vale, Berrow, Brent, Burnham North, Burnham South, Cheddar, Highbridge, Mark, Shipham, and Wedmore.
2010–2024: The District of Mendip wards of Ashwick and Ston Easton, Avalon, Chilcompton, Glastonbury St Benedict's, Glastonbury St Edmund's, Glastonbury St John's, Glastonbury St Mary's, Knowle, Moor, Nedge, Pylcombe, Rodney and Priddy, St Cuthbert Out North and West, Shepton East, Shepton West, Street North, Street South, Street West, Wells Central, Wells St Cuthbert's, and Wells St Thomas, and the District of Sedgemoor wards of Axbridge, Axe Vale, Berrow, Brent North, Burnham North, Burnham South, Cheddar and Shipham, Highbridge, Knoll, and Wedmore and Mark.
Constituency profile Aside from energy, transportation, retail, and distribution, agriculture and tourism are important sectors in this part of Central Somerset.
The main settlements include the coastal resort of Burnham-on-Sea, the city of Wells, and contains several natural landmarks such as the Cheddar Gorge and Glastonbury Tor. The site of the Glastonbury Festival also lies within the constituency, which attracts large numbers of visitors every June. The founder of the festival, Michael Eavis, stood as the Labour candidate for the 1997 election, receiving 10,204 votes, Labour's highest total in the seat since 1974.
Workless claimants who were registered jobseekers were in November 2012 significantly lower than the national average of 3.8%, at 2.1% of the population based on a statistical compilation by The Guardian.Unemployment claimants by constituency The Guardian
Members of Parliament MPs 1295–1640
ParliamentFirst memberSecond member 1386 Nicholas Cristesham Thomas Phelpes February 1388 Richard Ferrour Nicholas Cristesham September 1388 John Blithe Thomas Hore January 1390 Nicholas More Thomas Tanner November 1390 1391 John Newmaster Roger Chapman 1393 John Newmaster John Blithe 1394 John Newmaster Thomas Hore 1395 Nicholas Cristesham John Comelond January 1397 Nicholas More Thomas Wynchester September 1397 Roger Chapman William Greynton 1399 Thomas Tanner John Blithe 1401 1402 John Wycombe Roger Chapman January 1404 Roger Chapman Richard Groos October 1404 Walter Dyer John Bowyer 1406 Thomas Wey Thomas Jay 1407 Walter Duddesdon John Newmaster 1410 John Russell Luke Wilton 1411 February 1413 John Horewode I John PodmoreMay 1413 John Horewode I Luke Wilton April 1414 John Podmore Thomas Dynt November 1414 John Hynden Thomas Dynt 1415 March 1416 October 1416 Simon Bailly John Cutte 1417 Richard Setter Hildebrand Elwell 1419 Richard Perys Richard Langford 1420 Richard Setter Hildebrand Elwell May 1421 Hildebrand Elwell Richard Perys December 1421 Robert Elwell John Pedewell 1510 John Welshot John Mawdley I 1512 Walter Sarger Richard alias Robert Ruynon 1515 Walter Sarger Richard alias Robert Ruynon 1523 Walter Sarger John Mawdley I 1529 John Cutte John Mawdley II 1536 ? 1539 John Mawdley II John Godwin 1542 John Godwin James Dyer 1545 John Mawdley II Anthony Gilbert 1547 Thomas Clerke John AylworthFirst Parliament of 1553John AylworthWilliam GodwinSecond Parliament of 1553Thomas LewisJohn GodwinParliament of 1554John Mawdley IIParliament of 1554–1555William Gedney or GodwinParliament of 1555Maurice LlewellynParliament of 1558John Aylworth died during the 1572 ParliamentIn his place Ayshton AylworthJohn Mawdley IIParliament of 1559Parliament of 1563–1567John HippisleyParliament of 1571Henry NewtonParliament of 1572–1581William BowermanParliament of 1584–1585James BisseGeorge UptonParliament of 1586–1587Thomas GodwynWilliam SmithParliament of 1588–1589Thomas PurfreyJohn AysheParliament of 1593Richard GoodwinJames GoodwinParliament of 1597–1598Leonard CrosseWilliam WatkinsParliament of 1601James KirtonGeorge UptonParliament of 1604–1611Sir Robert Stapleton (Edward Forsett)Addled Parliament (1614)Sidney MontaguThomas SouthworthParliament of 1621–1622Sir Edward RodneyHappy Parliament (1624–1625)Useless Parliament (1625)Sir Thomas LakeParliament of 1625–1626Parliament of 1628–1629Sir Ralph HoptonJohn BaberNo Parliament summoned 1629–1640
MPs 1640–1832 ElectionFirst member First partySecond memberSecond partyApril 1640Sir Edward Rodney RoyalistJohn BaberNovember 1640Sir Ralph HoptonRoyalistAugust 1642Rodney and Hopton disabled from sitting – both seats vacant1645Lislebone LongRecruiterClement WalkerDecember 1648Walker excluded in Pride's Purge – seat vacant1653Wells was unrepresented in the Barebones Parliament1654Lislebone Long Wells had only one seat in the First and Second Parliaments of the Protectorate1656John JenkynJanuary 1659Sir Lislebone LongThomas WhiteMay 1659Not represented in the restored RumpApril 1660 Henry Bull Thomas White 1661 Sir Maurice Berkeley Lord Richard Butler 1673 John Hall 1679 Edward Berkeley William Coward 1680 John Hall 1685 Edward Berkeley Thomas Wyndham (died December 1689) January 1690 William Coward February 1690 Hopton Wyndham 1695 William Coward 1701 Henry Seymour Portman 1705 Maurice Berkeley 1708 Edward Colston William Coward 1710 Maurice Berkeley 1713 Sir Thomas Wroth Tory 1715 Thomas Strangways Horner Tory May 1716 William Coward William Piers Whig June 1716 Thomas Strangways Horner Tory 1717 John Dodd Whig 1719 Thomas Edwards 1722 Francis Gwyn 1727 Edward Prideaux Gwyn 1729 William Piers 1734 George Hamilton 1735 William Piers George Speke 1741 Francis Gwyn 1747 George Hamilton 1754 Lord Digby Charles Tudway 1757 Captain Robert Digby 1761 Lord Digby Clement Tudway 1765 Peter Taylor 1766 Robert Child 1782 John Curtis 1784 William Beckford 1790 Henry Berkeley Portman 1796 Sir Charles Taylor Whig 1815 John Paine Tudway Tory 1830 John Edwards-Vaughan Tory John Lee Lee Whig
MPs 1832–1868 ElectionFirst memberFirst partySecond memberSecond party 1832 Norman Lamont Whig John Lee Lee Whig 1834 by-election Nicholas Ridley-Colborne Whig 1837 Richard Blakemore Conservative William Hayter Whig 1852 Robert Tudway Conservative 1855 by-election Hedworth Jolliffe Conservative 1859 Liberal 1865 Arthur Hayter Liberal 1868 borough constituency abolished
MPs 1885–1918 ElectionMemberParty 1885 Sir Richard Paget, Bt. Conservative 1895 Hylton Jolliffe Conservative 1899 by-election Robert Edmund Dickinson Conservative 1906 Thomas Ball Silcock Liberal January 1910 George Sandys Conservative Parliamentary borough abolished, name transferred to a new county division
MPs 1918–2024 ElectionMemberPartyNotes 1918 Harry Greer Member for Clapham (1918) 1922 Robert Bruford 1923 Arthur Hobhouse 1924 Sir Robert Sanders, Bt. Member for Bridgwater (1910–1923) 1929 Anthony Muirhead Died October 1939 1939 by-election Lt. Col. Dennis Boles 1951 Lynch Maydon 1970 Robert Boscawen Contested Somerton and Frome following redistribution Constituency split, with the majority forming the new seat of Somerton and Frome with the minority joining with part of Weston-super-Mare 1983 David Heathcoat-Amory Paymaster General (1994–1996) 2010 Tessa Munt 2015 James Heappey Minister of State for the Armed Forces (2020–2024)2024 constituency abolished: see Wells and Mendip Hills
Election results 1983–2024
Elections in the 2010s
Elections in the 2000s
Elections in the 1990s
Elections in the 1980s
1979 notional result Party Vote % Conservative 23,587 53.1 Liberal 11,652 26.2 Labour 8,898 20.0 Others 267 0.6Turnout44,404Electorate
Election results 1918–1983 Elections in the 1970s
Elections in the 1960s
Elections in the 1950s
Election in the 1940s
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: Anthony Muirhead Liberal: James A Brown The Liberal Magazine, 1939 Labour:
Elections in the 1920s
Elections in the 1910s
Election results 1885–1918 Elections in the 1880s
Elections in the 1890s
Joliffe's elevation to the peerage, becoming Lord Hylton, caused a by-election.
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; Unionist: George Sandys Liberal: Charles Conybeare
Election results 1832–1868 Elections in the 1830s
Edwards-Vaughan resigned on the first day of polling
Lamont's death caused a by-election.
Elections in the 1840s
Hayter was appointed Judge Advocate General of the Armed Forces, requiring a by-election.
Elections in the 1850s
Tudway's death caused a by-election.
Elections in the 1860s
Elections before 1832 Elections in the 1830s
See also List of parliamentary constituencies in Somerset
Notes
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) titles A-Z