Morpeth was a constituency centred on the town of Morpeth in Northumberland represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of England from 1553 to 1707, the Parliament of Great Britain from 1707 to 1800, and then the Parliament of the United Kingdom from 1800 to 1983.
The Parliamentary Borough of Morpeth first sent Members (MPs) to Parliament in 1553. It elected two MPs under the bloc vote system until the 1832 general election, when the Great Reform Act reduced its representation to one MP, elected under the first past the post system. The seat was redesignated as a county constituency for the 1950 general election and abolished for the 1983 general election.
Boundaries
1832–1868 The parliamentary borough, as defined by the Parliamentary Boundaries Act 1832, comprised the township of Morpeth and several surrounding townships, as well as the parish of Bedlington.
1868–1918 Under the Boundary Act 1868, the borough was expanded to include the townships of Cowpen and Newsham, which incorporated the town of Blyth.
No changes were made by the Redistribution of Seats Act 1885.
1918–1950
the Municipal Borough of Morpeth the Urban Districts of Ashington, Bedlingtonshire, and Blyth part of the Rural District of Morpeth
The boundaries were largely unchanged, except for the addition of Ashington.
1950–1983
the Municipal Borough of Morpeth the Urban Districts of Ashington and Newbiggin-by-the-Sea the Rural District of Morpeth.
Blyth and Bedlington formed the basis of the new constituency of Blyth. Newbiggin-by-the-Sea and the remainder (bulk) of the Rural District of Morpeth was transferred from Wansbeck, which was now abolished.
Abolition On abolition in 1983, 6 rural wards to the north of Morpeth were transferred to Berwick-upon-Tweed. The remainder of the seat formed the basis of the re-established constituency of Wansbeck.
Members of Parliament
1553–1640 ParliamentFirst memberSecond member 1553 (Oct)John WatsonWilliam Ward 1554 (Apr) Thomas BatesWilliam Ward 1554 (Nov)Sir Henry Percy William Ward 1555 ?Cuthbert Horsley ?Thomas Bates 1558 Robert Wheatley Thomas Bates 1558–9 William Ward Nicholas Purslow 1562 (Dec) William Ward Arthur Welshe 1571 Francis Gawdy Nicholas Mynn 1572 (Apr) Sir George Bowes died and replaced Dec 1580 by Richard Drake Richard Wroth 1584 William Carey George Gifford 1586 Robert Carey, 1st Earl of Monmouth Anthony Felton 1588–9 Robert Carey, 1st Earl of Monmouth Henry Noel 1593 Robert Carey, 1st Earl of Monmouth, sat for Callington, replaced by Edmund Bowyer Francis Tyndale 1597 (Sep) Robert Printis Thomas Carleton 1601 (Oct) George Savile John Browne 1604–1611 Sir Christopher Perkins John Hare 1614 William Button Arnold Herbert 1621–1622 Robert Brandling John Robson Robson declared ineligible, being a priest replaced by Ralph Fetherstonhaugh 1624 Sir Thomas Reynell Sir William Carnaby 1625 Sir Thomas Reynell Sir Anthony Herbert 1626 Sir Thomas Reynell John Bankes 1628 Sir Thomas Reynell John Bankes 1629–1640 No Parliaments convened
1640–1832 YearFirst memberFirst partySecond memberSecond partyNovember 1640Sir William CarnabyRoyalistJohn FenwickRoyalistAugust 1642Carnaby disabled from sitting – seat vacantJanuary 1643Fenwick disabled from sitting – seat vacant1645Hon. John Fiennes George FenwickDecember 1648Fiennes excluded in Pride's Purge – seat vacant1653Morpeth was unrepresented in the Barebones Parliament and the First and Second Parliaments of the ProtectorateJanuary 1659Robert Delaval Robert MitfordMay 1659Morpeth was unrepresented in the restored RumpApril 1660 Thomas Widdrington jnr (died May 1660) Ralph KnightJune 1660 Sir George Downing 1661 Henry Widdrington 1666 Edward Howard 1679 Daniel Collingwood 1685 Sir Henry Pickering Theophilus Oglethorpe 1689 Charles Howard Whig Roger Fenwick 1692 George Nicholas 1695 Sir Henry Belasyse 1698 Philip Howard WhigJanuary 1701 William Howard WhigMay 1701 Sir Richard SandfordDecember 1701 Emanuel Howe Whig Sir John Delaval Whig 1705 Sir Richard Sandford Edmund Maine 1708 Sir John Bennett 1710 Christopher Wandesford Whig 1713 Sir John Germain Oley Douglas 1715 Viscount Morpeth The Viscount CastlecomerCastlecomer was also elected for Ripon but there was a petition against his election there; he sat for Morpeth until the petition was withdraw, then chose to represent Ripon, a by-election was held for Morpeth Whig 1717 Hon. George Carpenter 1727 Thomas Robinson 1734 Sir Henry Liddell 1738 Henry Furnese 1741 Robert Ord 1747 Viscount Limerick 1754 Thomas DuncombeTory 1755 Sir Matthew Fetherstonhaugh 1761 Viscount GarliesWhig 1768 Peter Beckford Sir Matthew White Ridley 1774 Francis EyreOn petition, Eyre was declared not to have been duly elected, and his opponent Byron was seated in his place Peter Delmé 1775 Hon. William Byron 1776 Gilbert Elliot 1777 John EgertonTory 1780 Anthony Morris Storer 1784 Major Sir James ErskineAdopted the surname St Clair-Erskine, July 1789. Promoted to Lieutenant Colonel 1792, Colonel 1795.Whig 1790 Francis Gregg 1795 Viscount Morpeth Whig 1796 William HuskissonTory 1802 William OrdWhig 1806 Hon. William Howard Whig 1826 Viscount Morpeth Whig 1830 Hon. William Howard Whig1832 representation reduced to one member
1832–1983 YearMemberParty 1832 Frederick George Howard Whig 1834 Edward Howard Whig 1837 Granville Leveson-Gower Whig 1840 Edward Howard Whig 1853 Sir George Grey Whig 1874 Thomas Burt Lib-Lab 1918 John Cairns Labour 1923 Robert Smillie Labour 1929 Ebby Edwards Labour 1931 Godfrey Nicholson Conservative 1935 Robert Taylor Labour 1954 Will Owen Labour 1970 George Grant Labour1983 constituency abolished
Election results Elections in the 1830s
Howard's death caused a by-election.
Howard resigned, causing a by-election.
Elections in the 1840s Leveson-Gower resigned by accepting the office of Steward of the Chiltern Hundreds, causing a by-election.
Elections in the 1850s
Howard resigned, causing a by-election.
Grey was appointed Secretary of State for the Colonies, requiring a by-election.
Grey was appointed Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, requiring a by-election.
Elections in the 1860s Grey was appointed Home Secretary, requiring a by-election.
Elections in the 1870s
Elections in the 1880s
Elections in the 1890s
Elections in the 1900s
Elections in the 1910s
Newton received support from the local branch of the National Federation of Discharged and Demobilized Sailors and Soldiers
Elections in the 1920s
Elections in the 1930s
Elections in the 1940s
Elections in the 1950s
Elections in the 1960s
Elections in the 1970s
References
Robert Beatson, A Chronological Register of Both Houses of Parliament (London: Longman, Hurst, Res & Orme, 1807) 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)
See also History of parliamentary constituencies and boundaries in Northumberland 1923 Morpeth by-election