Lancashire was a county constituency of the House of Commons of the Parliament of England from 1290, then of the Parliament of Great Britain from 1707 to 1800, and of the Parliament of the United Kingdom from 1801 to 1832. It was represented by two Members of Parliament, traditionally known as Knights of the Shire until 1832.
The ancient county of Lancashire covered a much larger area than the modern county of Lancashire. The county town of Lancaster was in the north of the county. The county boundary was further north beyond Carnforth and followed approximately the same boundary as the modern county. The old county of Lancashire also included land on the opposite side of Morecambe Bay. Barrow and Furness and the area between Lake Windermere and the River Duddon, and the area west of the River Winster were considered parts of Lancashire. Most of the modern district of Ribble Valley was at this time part of Yorkshire. In the south the county extended to the River Mersey and Liverpool and followed the Mersey and the River Tame to Ashton-under-Lyne. Most of the southern area of the ancient county now forms the modern metropolitan counties of Merseyside and Greater Manchester.
The people of the ancient county of Lancashire had been represented in Parliament since at least the 13th Century. It was this period that saw the practice of returning two knights from the shire counties to Parliaments summoned by writ to meet. These were generally regarded as the first assemblies of representatives. At that time Westminster, within the county of Middlesex, had yet to become the permanent home of Parliament. It was the King who decided when and where a Parliament should assemble, and although Westminster was the usual venue, sometimes special circumstances in this period meant Parliaments were summoned to other cities. Early returns have not survived, but the first named representatives of Lancashire, Mattheus de Redman and Johannes de Ewyas are shown in the returns to the Parliament of England summoned to meet at Westminster on 27 November 1295 in the reign of Edward I.
In this early period of Parliamentary history not all Parliaments summoned just shire Knights. Some also required the presence of two representatives of each city and borough. In the 1295 Parliament the two county Members for Lancashire were joined by two Members from each of the four boroughs of Lancaster, Liverpool, Preston and Wigan.
Preston occasionally sent Members to subsequent Parliaments but it was not until the sixteenth century that all four boroughs regularly returned Members to Parliament. At this time Clitheroe and Newton-le-Willows also gained the status of Parliamentary boroughs with each returning two Members. Manchester was granted a town charter in 1301 but had no municipal authority and did not achieve the status of a Parliamentary borough. This was despite the parish of Manchester having a population larger than Liverpool parish by over 100,000 by 1831. Manchester appears in the returns once in the Parliament 1656. This was the second Protectorate Parliament that followed Oliver Cromwell’s Instrument of Government that declared Cromwell Lord Protector. The Instrument was an attempt to redistribute seats on a more equitable basis and towns such as Leeds and Manchester gained representation as a result, but this ended following the Restoration.
Lancashire had a total of fourteen Members in the unreformed House of Commons, and this remained the pattern
The constituency was split into two two-member divisions, for Parliamentary purposes, in 1832. The county was then represented by the North Lancashire and South Lancashire constituencies : the latter representing the hundreds of Salford and West Derby, and the former the hundreds of Amounderness, Blackburn, Leyland and Lonsdale.
Boundaries
The constituency comprised the whole historic county of Lancashire, except for the Parliamentary boroughs of Clitheroe, Lancaster, Liverpool, Newton, Preston and Wigan.
Members of Parliament
1290–1653
| Parliament |
First member |
Second member
|
| 1294 |
Mathew de Redman
|
| 1295 |
Mathew de ?Sechnan |
John de ?Evyas [1]
|
| 1297 |
Henry de Keighley |
Henry de Boteler [1]
|
| 1298 |
Henry de Keighley |
John Denyas [1]
|
| 1300 |
Gilbert de Singleton |
Egbert de Haydock [1]
|
| 1301 |
Henry de Keighley |
Thomas Travers [1]
|
| 1302 |
William de Clifton |
Gilbert de Singleton [1]
|
| 1305 |
William de Clifton |
William Banastre [1]
|
| 1307 (Jan) |
Gilbert de Singleton |
John Travers [1]
|
| 1307 (Oct) |
Mathew de Redman |
William le Gentil [1]
|
| 1311 |
William le Gentil |
Thomas de Betham [1]
|
| 1312 |
Henry de Trafford |
Sir Richard le Molyneux [1]
|
| 1313 (Mar) |
William de Bradshaigh |
Edmund de Daere [1]
|
| 1313 (Jul) |
Ralph de Bickerstaff |
William de Slene [1]
|
| 1313 (Sep) |
Henry de ?Vegherby |
Thomas de Thornton [1]
|
| 1314 |
Thomas Banastre |
William de Slene [1]
|
| 1316 (Jan) |
William de Bradshaigh |
Adam de Hoghton [1]
|
| 1316 (Jun) |
John de Lancaster |
William de Walton [1]
|
| 1316 (Jul) |
Sir Roger de Pilkington |
Sir John de Pilkington [1]
|
| 1318 (Oct) |
Edmund de Neville |
John de Hornby [1]
|
| 1319 |
William de Walton |
William de Slene [1]
|
| 1320 |
Gilbert de Haydock |
Thomas de Thornton [1]
|
| 1321 |
John de Hornby |
Gilbert de Haydock [1]
|
| 1322 |
Richard de Hoghton |
John de Lancaster [1]
|
| 1324 (Jan) |
Edmund de Nevill |
Gilbert de Haydock
repl. by Thomas de Lathom [1]
|
| 1324 (Oct) |
William de Slene |
Nicholas de Norreys [1]
|
| 1325 |
William de Bradshaigh |
John de Hornby [1]
|
| 1326 |
Edmund de Neville |
Richard de Hoghton [1]
|
| 1327 (Sep) |
Michael de Haverington |
William Lawrence [1]
|
| 1328 (Feb) |
William de Bradshaigh |
Edmund de Neville [1]
|
| 1328 (Apr) |
Thomas de Thornton |
John de Hornby [1]
|
| 1328 (Jul) |
William Lawrence |
Thomas de Thornton [1]
|
| 1328 (Oct) |
Nicholas de Norreys |
Henry de Haydock [1]
|
| 1329 (Feb) |
Nicholas de Norreys |
Henry de Haydock [1]
|
| 1329/30 (Mar) |
William de Saperton |
Henry de Haydock [1]
|
| 1330 |
William de Bradshaigh |
John de Lancaster [1]
|
| 1331 |
William de Bradshaigh |
Oliver de Stansmeld [1]
|
| 1332 |
Robert de Dalton |
Adam de Banastre [1]
|
| 1332 (Sep) |
John de Hornby, jnr |
Robert de Dalton [1]
|
| 1332/3 (Jan) |
Edmund de Neville |
John de Hornby, jnr [1]
|
| 1333/4 (Feb) |
Edmund de Nevill |
Robert de Dalton [1]
|
| 1334 |
Robert de Radcliffe |
Henry de Haydock [1]
|
| 1335 (May) |
Robert de Sherburne |
Edmund de Neville [1]
|
| 1336 (Mar) |
John de Sherburne |
Henry de Haydock [1]
|
| 1336 (Sep) |
John de Hornby, jnr |
Henry de Haydock [1]
|
| 1336/7 (Mar) |
Robert de Ireland |
Sir Henry de Haydock [1]
|
| 1337 (Sep) |
Richard de Hoghton |
Edmund de Neville [1]
|
| 1337/8 (Feb) |
Robert de Billisthorpe |
Robert de Radcliffe [1]
|
| 1338 (Jul) |
John de Hornby |
John de Clyderhow [1]
|
| 1339 |
Robert de Clyderhowe |
Henry de Bickerstaff [1]
|
| 1339 (Oct) |
Nicholas de Hulme |
Robert de Prescot [1]
|
| 1339/40 (Jan) |
John de Radcliffe |
Robert de Radcliffe [1]
|
| 1340 (Mar) |
John de Dalton |
Robert de Dalton [1]
|
| 1343 (Apr) |
John de Haverington |
John Ungoun [1]
|
| 1344 |
Nicholas le Boteler |
William de Radcliffe [1]
|
| 1346 |
John de Clyderhow |
Adam de Bradkirk [1]
|
| 1347/8 (Jan) |
Adam de Hoghton |
John Cockayne [1]
|
| 1348 (Apr) |
Robert de Plesington |
Robert de Prescot [1]
|
| 1351 |
Otho de Halsall |
William de Radcliffe [1]
|
| 1351/2 (Jan) |
?
|
| 1352 (Aug) |
John de Haverington |
One knight only summoned [1]
|
| 1353 |
William Cables |
One knight only summoned [1]
|
| 1354 (Apr) |
William Cables |
Richard Nowell [1]
|
| 1355 |
Robert de Hornby |
Roger de Farington [1]
|
| 1357 (Apr) |
John de Haverington |
Robert de Singleton [1]
|
| 1357/8 (Feb) |
Robert de Farington |
Robert de Hornby [1]
|
| 1360 |
William de Hesketh |
Roger de Farington [1]
|
| 1360/1 (Jan) |
William de Radcliffe |
Richard de Towneley [1]
|
| 1362 (Oct) |
Edmund Lawrence |
Matthew de Rixton of Rixton Hall [1]
|
|
Result set aside as unlawful
|
| 1363 (Oct) |
Adam de Hoghton |
Roger de Pilkington [1]
|
| 1364/5 (Jan) |
Sir Adam de Houghton |
Sir Roger de Pilkington [1]
|
| 1366 (May) |
Sir John le Boteler |
William de Radcliffe [1]
|
| 1368 |
Sir Roger de Pilkington |
Roger de Ratcliffe [1]
|
| 1369 (Jun) |
Sir John de Dalton |
John de Ipres [1]
|
| 1370/1 (Feb) |
John de Ipres |
Richard de Towneley [1]
|
| 1371 (Jun) |
John de Ipres |
One knight only summoned [1]
|
| 1372 (Nov) |
Sir Nicholas Haryngton |
Sir John le Boteler [1]
|
| 1373 (Nov) |
William de Atherton |
John de Holcroft [1]
|
| 1376 (Apr) |
Sir John le Boteler |
Roger de Brockholes [1]
|
| 1376/7 (Jan) |
Sir John le Boteler |
Roger de Pilkington [1]
|
| 1377 (Oct) |
Sir John le Boteler |
Sir Nicholas Haryngton [1]
|
| 1378 |
Ralph de Ypres |
Sir John le Boteler [1]
|
| 1379 |
Sir Nicholas Haryngton |
Robert Urswyk [1]
|
| 1380 (Jan) |
Sir John le Boteler |
Thomas Southworth [1]
|
| 1380 (Nov) |
Sir John le Boteler |
Thomas Southworth [1]
|
| 1381 (Sep) |
Sir William de Atherton |
Robert Urswyk [1]
|
| 1382 (May) |
Sir Roger de Pilkington |
Robert de Clifton [1]
|
| 1382 (Oct) |
Sir John de Assheton |
Robert Urswyck [1]
|
| 1382/3 (Feb) |
Sir Richard de Hoghton |
Robert Clifton [1]
|
| 1383 (Oct) |
John de Holcroft |
Sir Walter de Urswyk [1]
|
| 1384 (Apr) |
Sir Roger Pilkington |
Thomas Gerard [1]
|
| 1384 (Nov) |
Robert Urswyk |
William de Tunstall [1]
|
| 1385 |
Robert Urswyk |
Thomas de Radcliffe [1]
|
| 1386 (Oct) |
Sir Nicholas Haryngton |
Robert Worsley [2]
|
| 1388 (Feb) |
Sir John le Boteler |
Sir Thomas Gerard [2]
|
| 1388 (Sep) |
Sir John Assheton |
Sir John Croft [2]
|
| 1390 (Jan) |
Sir John Assheton |
Sir Ralph de Ypres [2]
|
| 1390 (Nov) |
Sir Robert Urswyk |
Sir John Croft [2]
|
| 1391 |
Sir Robert Urswyk |
Robert Worsley [2]
|
| 1393 |
Sir Robert Urswyk |
Sir Ralph de Ypres [2]
|
| 1394 |
Sir Robert Urswyk |
Sir Thomas Gerard [2]
|
| 1395 |
Sir Robert Urswyk |
Thomas Radcliffe [2]
|
| 1397 (Jan) |
Sir Robert Urswyk |
Richard Molyneux [2]
|
| 1397 (Sep) |
Sir John le Boteler |
Sir Ralph Radcliffe [2]
|
| 1399 |
Sir Robert Urswyk |
Sir Henry Hoghton [2]
|
| 1401 |
Sir Robert Urswyk |
Sir Nicholas Atherton [2]
|
| 1402 |
Sir Richard Houghton |
Sir Nicholas Haryngton[2]
|
| 1404 (Jan) |
Robert Laurence |
Sir Ralph Radcliffe[2]
|
| 1404 (Oct) |
Sir James Haryngton |
Sir Ralph Stavely[2]
|
| 1406 |
Robert Laurence |
Sir William Boteler[2]
|
| 1407 |
Sir Henry Hoghton |
Sir Ralph Stavely[2]
|
| 1410 |
|
| 1411 |
John de Ashton |
John Booth[2]
|
| 1413 (Feb) |
|
| 1413 (May) |
John de Ashton |
John Stanley[2]
|
| 1414 (Apr) |
Ralph Radcliffe |
Nicholas Blundell[2]
|
| 1414 (Nov) |
Robert Laurence |
John Stanley[2]
|
| 1415 |
|
| 1416 (Mar) |
John de Ashton |
John Morley[2]
|
| 1416 (Oct) |
|
| 1417 |
|
| 1419 |
Nicholas le Boteler |
John Laurence[2]
|
| 1420 |
Richard Shirburne |
John Booth[2]
|
| 1421 (May) |
Sir Thomas Radcliffe |
Thomas Urswick[2]
|
| 1421 (Dec) |
Richard Shirburne |
Sir John Byron[2]
|
| 1422 (Nov) |
Thomas Urswick |
John Gerard [1]
|
| 1423 (Oct) |
Sir Thomas de Radcliffe |
Ralph de Radcliffe [1]
|
| 1425 (Apr) |
Ralph Fitz Nicholas |
Richard de Radcliffe [1]
|
| 1425/6 (Feb) |
Sir John Boteler |
Nicholas Boteler [1]
|
| 1427 (Oct) |
Ralph de Radcliffe |
Thomas Stanley [1]
|
| 1429 (Sep) |
Sir John Byron |
Sir Robert Lawrence [1]
|
| 1430/1 (Jan) |
John de Morley |
William Gernet [1]
|
| 1432 (May) |
Sir William de Assheton |
Thomas de Harrington [1]
|
| 1433 (Jul) |
Sir Thomas Stanley |
Sir Thomas Radcliffe [1]
|
| 1435 (Oct) |
Henry de Halsall |
Thomas Lawrence [1]
|
| 1436/7 (Jan) |
Thomas de Harrington |
Henry de Halsall [1]
|
| 1439 (Nov) |
Thomas Stanley |
Thomas de Harrington [1]
|
| 1442 (Jan) |
Thomas Stanley |
Thomas de Harrington [1]
|
| 1447 |
Thomas Stanley |
Thomas de Harrington [1]
|
| 1448 |
Thomas Stanley |
Thomas de Harrington [1]
|
| 1450 |
Thomas Stanley |
Thomas de Harrington [1]
|
| 1455 |
Thomas Stanley |
Alexander Radcliffe [1]
|
| 1459 |
Sir Richard Harrington |
Henry Halsall [1]
|
| 1460 |
Sir Richard Harrington |
Henry Halsall [1]
|
| 1463 (Apr) |
?
|
| 1467 (Jun) |
Sir James Harrington |
Sir William Harrington [1]
|
| 1472 (Oct) |
Robert Harrington |
John Assheton (grandson of MP of 1413)
|
| 1477/8 (Jan) |
Sir George Stanley |
Sir James Harrington [1]
|
| 1482/3 (Jan) |
?
|
| 1483-1523 |
Not known [3]
|
| 1503 |
Sir Thomas Butler |
Sir John Booth [4]
|
| 1529 |
Henry Farington |
Andrew Barton [3]
|
| 1536 |
?
|
| 1539 |
?
|
| 1542 |
?
|
| 1545 |
Sir Thomas Holcroft |
John Kitchen [3]
|
| 1547 |
Thurstan Tyldesley |
John Kitchen [3]
|
| 1553 (Mar) |
Sir Richard Houghton sick 1553
and replaced by Sir Robert Worsley |
Thomas Butler [3]
|
| 1553 (Oct) |
Sir Richard Sherborn |
John Rigmayden [3]
|
| 1554 (Apr) |
Sir Thomas Stanley |
Sir Thomas Langton [3]
|
| 1554 (Nov) |
Sir Thomas Stanley |
Sir John Holcroft [3]
|
| 1555 |
Sir Thomas Stanley |
Sir William Stanley [3]
|
| 1558 |
Sir Thomas Talbot |
Sir John Holcroft [3]
|
| 1559 (Jan) |
Sir John Atherton |
Sir Robert Worsley[5]
|
| 1562–1563 |
Sir Thomas Gerard |
Sir John Southworth [5]
|
| 1571 |
John Ratcliffe |
Thomas Butler [5]
|
| 1572 |
John Ratcliffe |
Edmund Trafford [5]
|
| 1584 (Nov) |
Gilbert Gerard made Master of the Rolls
and replaced Jan 1585 by Richard Bold [6] |
Richard Molyneux [5]
|
| 1586 |
John Atherton |
Richard Holland [5]
|
| 1588 (Oct) |
Thomas Gerard, sat for Staffs
and repl. by ?) |
Thomas Walmsley [5]
|
| 1593 |
Sir Richard Molyneux |
Sir Thomas Gerard [5]
|
| 1597 (Nov) |
Sir Thomas Gerard |
Robert Hesketh [5]
|
| 1601 |
Sir Richard Hoghton |
Thomas Hesketh [5]
|
| 1604 |
Sir Richard Molyneux |
Sir Richard Hoghton
|
| 1614 |
Sir Thomas Gerard, 1st Baronet |
Sir Cuthbert Halsall
|
| 1621-1622 |
Sir John Ratcliffe |
Sir Gilbert Hoghton
|
| 1624 |
Sir John Ratcliffe |
Sir Thomas Walmsley
|
| 1625 |
Sir Richard Molyneux, Bt |
Sir John Ratcliffe
|
| 1626 |
Robert Stanley |
Sir Gilbert Hoghton
|
| 1628-1629 |
Sir Richard Molyneux |
Sir Alexander Radcliff
|
| 1629–1640 |
No Parliaments summoned
|
| 1640 (Apr) |
Sir Gilbert Hoghton, 2nd Baronet |
William Farrington
|
| 1640 (Nov) |
Ralph Assheton |
Roger Kirkby, disabled August 1642
|
| 1645 |
Ralph Assheton |
Sir Richard Hoghton, 3rd Baronet
|
| 1648 |
Ralph Assheton |
Sir Richard Hoghton, 3rd Baronet
|
1653–1659
1660–1832
- Constituency abolished (1832)
Elections
The county franchise, from 1430, was held by the adult male owners of freehold land valued at 40 shillings or more. Each elector had as many votes as there were seats to be filled. Votes had to be cast by a spoken declaration, in public, at the hustings, which took place in the county town of Lancaster. The expense and difficulty of voting at only one location in the county, together with the lack of a secret ballot contributed to the corruption and intimidation of electors, which was widespread in the unreformed British political system.
The expense, to candidates, of contested elections encouraged the leading families of the county to agree on the candidates to be returned unopposed whenever possible. Contested county elections were therefore unusual. The Stanleys, led by the Earl of Derby dominated the county. One seat was nearly always held by a Stanley relative, the second, by one of the other leading families.
See also
References
