(Much) Wenlock (UK Parliament constituency)

Parliamentary constituency in the United Kingdom, 1801–1885

Much Wenlock

Former borough constituency
for the House of Commons
1468–1885
Replaced by| Ludlow

Much Wenlock, often called simply Wenlock, was a constituency of the House of Commons of the Parliament of England until 1707, then of the Parliament of Great Britain from 1707 to 1800, and finally of the Parliament of the United Kingdom from 1801 to 1885, when it was abolished. It was named after the town of that name in Shropshire.

The seat was founded in 1468 as a borough constituency and was represented throughout its history by two burgesses.

## Boundaries

[edit]

Much Wenlock's constituency boundaries ran from Leighton to just west of Dawley, to Ironbridge, and finally to just east of Madeley along the northern border; travelling eastwards, the boundaries ran from just east of Madeley to the bend in the River Severn, following the river thereafter. The far southern border, commencing in the east, travelled along the southern part of the Severn across to Easthope; the western border, running northwards, going from Easthope through to Benthall, and onwards back to Leighton.

## Members of Parliament

[edit]

This list is incomplete; you can help by adding missing items. (August 2008)

|

* Constituency created (1468)

Parliament | First member | Second member

|
|

1510–1523 | No names known[1]
1529 | John Foster | Edward Hall[1]
1536 | ?
1539 | ?
1542 | William Blount | Reginald Corbet[1]
1545 | Richard Cornwall | Richard Lawley[1]
1547 | Richard Lawley | Thomas Lawley[1]
1553 (Mar) | John Herbert | Thomas Lawley[1]
1553 (Oct) | Richard Lee | Robert Eyton[1]
1554 (Apr) | Thomas Foster | Edward Lacon[1]
1554 (Nov) | Sir George Blount | John Evans[1]
1555 | Sir George Blount | Thomas Ridley[1]
1558 | Sir George Blount | George Bromley[1]
1558–9 | Roland Lacon | George Bromley[2]
1562–3 | Sir George Blount | Charles Foxe[2]
1571 | William Lacon | Thomas Eyton[2]
1572 | Sir George Blount | Thomas Lawley[2]
1584 | Thomas Lawley | William Baynham[2]
1586 | Thomas Lawley | William Baynham[2]
1588 | William Baynham | Robert Lawley[2]
1593 | William Baynham | Sir John Poole[2]
1597 | William Baynham, died
and replaced by Thomas Fanshawe | William Lacon[2]
1601 | John Brett | William Leighton[2]
1604 | Robert Lawley | George Lawley
1614 | Rowland Lacon | Edward Lawley
1621 | Sir Edward Lawley | Thomas Wolryche
1624 | Henry Mytton | Thomas Wolryche
1625 | Thomas Lawley | Thomas Wolryche
1626 | Thomas Lawley | Francis Smallman
1628 | Thomas Lawley | George Bridgmant
1629–1640 | No Parliaments summoned
Year | First member | First party | Second member | Second party

|
|
|
|

|  | 1640 (Apr)  | Sir Thomas Littleton |  | Richard Cresset |
|  | 1640 (Nov)  | William Pierrepont |  | Sir Thomas Littleton |
|  | 1645  | William Pierrepont |  | Humphrey Bridges |
|  | 1653, 1654, 1656  | Much Wenlock excluded from Barebones and 1st & 2nd Protectorate Parliaments |
|  | 1659  | Thomas Whitmore |  | Sir Francis Lawley |
|  | 1660  | Sir Francis Lawley |  | Thomas Whitmore |
|  | 1661  | Sir Thomas Littleton, Bt |  | George Weld |
|  | Feb 1679  | Sir John Weld |  | William Forester |
| Aug 1679  | John Wolryche |
|  | 1685  | Thomas Lawley |  | George Weld |
| 1689  | Sir William Forester |
| 1701  | George Weld |
| 1708  | Thomas Weld |
| 1710  | George Weld |
| 1713  | William Whitmore |
| 1714  | Richard Newport |
|  | 1715  | Thomas Newport |  | William Forester II |
| 1716  | Sir Humphrey Briggs |
| 1722  | Samuel Edwards |
| 1727  | John Sambrooke |
| 1734  | William Forester II |
| 1739  | Brooke Forester |
| 1741  | Sir Brian Broughton-Delves, Bt |
| 1744  | Isaac Hawkins Browne |
| 1754  | William Forester II |
| 1758  | George Forester |
| 1761  | Cecil Forester |
|  | 1768  | Sir Henry Bridgeman | Tory[3] | George Forester | Tory[3]
| Sept. 1780  | Thomas Whitmore | Tory[3]
| Dec. 1780  | George Forester | Tory[3]
| 1784  | John Bridgeman (later Simpson) | Tory[3]
| 1785  | George Forester | Tory[3]
| 1790  | Cecil Forester
(from 1811 Weld-Forester) | Tory[3]
| 1794  | John Simpson | Tory[3]
|  | 1820  | Francis Forester | Tory[3] | William Lacon Childe | Tory[3]
|  | 1826  | John Weld-Forester | Tory[3] | Paul Thompson | Whig[3]
| 1828  | George Weld-Forester | Tory[3]
| 1832  | James Milnes Gaskell | Tory[3]
|  | 1834 | Conservative[3] | Conservative[3]
| 1868  | Alexander Brown | Liberal
| 1874  | Cecil Weld-Forester | Conservative

* Constituency abolished (1885)

## Election results

[edit]

### Elections in the 1830s

[edit]

Weld-Forester was appointed Groom of the Bedchamber to William IV, requiring a by-election.

By-election, 20 February 1830: Wenlock[3][4] Party  | Candidate  | Votes  | %

|
|
|

| Tory | George Weld-Forester | Unopposed
| Tory hold
General election 1830: Wenlock[3][4] Party  | Candidate  | Votes  | %

|
|
|

| Tory | George Weld-Forester | Unopposed
| Whig | Paul Thompson | Unopposed
Registered electors | c. 500 |
| Tory hold
| Whig hold
General election 1831: Wenlock[3][4] Party  | Candidate  | Votes  | %

|
|
|

| Tory | George Weld-Forester | Unopposed
| Whig | Paul Thompson | Unopposed
Registered electors | c. 500 |
| Tory hold
| Whig hold
General election 1832: Wenlock[3][5] Party  | Candidate  | Votes  | %

|
|
|

| Tory | George Weld-Forester | 448  | 41.3
| Tory | James Milnes Gaskell | 330  | 30.4
| Radical | Matthew Bridges  | 308  | 28.4
Majority  | 22  | 2.0
Turnout | 635  | 91.9
Registered electors | 691  |
| Tory hold
| Tory gain from Whig
General election 1835: Wenlock[3][5] Party  | Candidate  | Votes  | %  | ±%

|
|
|
|

| Conservative | George Weld-Forester | 519  | 41.1  | −0.2
| Conservative | James Milnes Gaskell | 422  | 33.4  | +3.0
| Whig | William Somerville | 323  | 25.6  | −2.8
Majority | 99  | 7.8  | +5.8
Turnout | c. 632 | c. 78.1 | c. −13.8
Registered electors | 809  |  |
| Conservative hold | Swing | +0.6  |
| Conservative hold | Swing | +2.2  |
General election 1837: Wenlock[5][3] Party  | Candidate  | Votes  | %

|
|
|

| Conservative | George Weld-Forester | Unopposed
| Conservative | James Milnes Gaskell | Unopposed
Registered electors | 906  |
| Conservative hold
| Conservative hold

### Elections in the 1840s

[edit]

General election 1841: Wenlock[5][3] Party  | Candidate  | Votes  | %  | ±%

|
|
|
|

| Conservative | George Weld-Forester | Unopposed
| Conservative | James Milnes Gaskell | Unopposed
Registered electors | 961  |  |
| Conservative hold
| Conservative hold

Gaskell was appointed a Lord Commissioner of the Treasury, requiring a by-election.

By-election, 14 September 1841: Wenlock[5][3] Party  | Candidate  | Votes  | %  | ±%

|
|
|
|

| Conservative | James Milnes Gaskell | Unopposed
Registered electors | 949  |  |
| Conservative hold
General election 1847: Wenlock[5] Party  | Candidate  | Votes  | %  | ±%

|
|
|
|

| Conservative | George Weld-Forester | Unopposed
| Conservative | James Milnes Gaskell | Unopposed
Registered electors | 857  |  |
| Conservative hold
| Conservative hold

### Elections in the 1850s

[edit]

Weld-Forester was appointed Comptroller of the Household, requiring a by-election.

By-election, 3 March 1852: Wenlock[5] Party  | Candidate  | Votes  | %  | ±%

|
|
|
|

| Conservative | George Weld-Forester | Unopposed
| Conservative hold
General election 1852: Wenlock[5] Party  | Candidate  | Votes  | %  | ±%

|
|
|
|

| Conservative | George Weld-Forester | Unopposed
| Conservative | James Milnes Gaskell | Unopposed
Registered electors | 905  |  |
| Conservative hold
| Conservative hold
General election 1857: Wenlock[5] Party  | Candidate  | Votes  | %  | ±%

|
|
|
|

| Conservative | George Weld-Forester | Unopposed
| Conservative | James Milnes Gaskell | Unopposed
Registered electors | 871  |  |
| Conservative hold
| Conservative hold

Gaskell was appointed Comptroller of the Household, requiring a by-election.

By-election, 3 March 1858: Wenlock[5] Party  | Candidate  | Votes  | %  | ±%

|
|
|
|

| Conservative | James Milnes Gaskell | Unopposed
| Conservative hold
General election 1859: Wenlock[5] Party  | Candidate  | Votes  | %  | ±%

|
|
|
|

| Conservative | George Weld-Forester | Unopposed
| Conservative | James Milnes Gaskell | Unopposed
Registered electors | 881  |  |
| Conservative hold
| Conservative hold

### Elections in the 1860s

[edit]

General election 1865: Wenlock[5] Party  | Candidate  | Votes  | %  | ±%

|
|
|
|

| Conservative | George Weld-Forester | Unopposed
| Conservative | James Milnes Gaskell | Unopposed
Registered electors | 961  |  |
| Conservative hold
| Conservative hold
General election 1868: Wenlock[5] Party  | Candidate  | Votes  | %  | ±%

|
|
|
|

| Conservative | George Weld-Forester | Unopposed
| Liberal | Alexander Brown | Unopposed
Registered electors | 3,445  |  |
| Conservative hold
| Liberal gain from Conservative

### Elections in the 1870s

[edit]

General election 1874: Wenlock[5] Party  | Candidate  | Votes  | %  | ±%

|
|
|
|

| Conservative | George Weld-Forester | 1,708  | 41.4  | N/A
| Liberal | Alexander Brown | 1,575  | 38.1  | N/A
| Conservative | Charles Milnes Gaskell[6] | 846  | 20.5  | N/A
Turnout | 3,283 (est)  | 92.7 (est)  | N/A
Registered electors | 3,541  |  |
Majority | 133  | 3.3  | N/A
| Conservative hold | Swing | N/A |
Majority | 729  | 17.6  | N/A
| Liberal hold | Swing | N/A |

Forester succeeded to the peerage, becoming Lord Forester and causing a by-election.

1874 Wenlock by-election[5] Party  | Candidate  | Votes  | %  | ±%

|
|
|
|

| Conservative | Cecil Weld-Forester | 1,720  | 55.1  | −6.8
| Liberal | Beilby Lawley | 1,401  | 44.9  | +6.8
Majority | 319  | 10.2  | +6.9
Turnout | 3,121  | 88.1  | −4.6
Registered electors | 3,541  |  |
| Conservative hold | Swing | -6.8  |

### Elections in the 1880s

[edit]

General election 1880: Wenlock[5] Party  | Candidate  | Votes  | %  | ±%

|
|
|
|

| Liberal | Alexander Brown | 2,058  | 46.5  | +8.4
| Conservative | Cecil Weld-Forester | 1,358  | 30.7  | −10.7
| Conservative | Ralph Augustus Benson[7] | 1,013  | 22.9  | +2.4
Majority | 700  | 15.8  | −1.8
Turnout | 3,244 (est)  | 93.2 (est)  | +0.5
Registered electors | 3,481  |  |
| Liberal hold | Swing | +1.5  |
| Conservative hold | Swing | −7.5  |

This list is incomplete; you can help by adding missing items. (August 2008)

|

## See also

[edit]

* Parliamentary constituencies in Shropshire#Historical constituencies
* List of former United Kingdom Parliament constituencies
* Unreformed House of Commons

## References

[edit]

1. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k "History of Parliament". History of Parliament Trust. Retrieved 12 October 2011.
2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j "Much Wenlock (1559–1603)". History of Parliament Trust. Retrieved 12 October 2011.
3. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x Stooks Smith, Henry (1845). The Parliaments of England, from 1st George I., to the Present Time. Vol II: Oxfordshire to Wales Inclusive. London: Simpkin, Marshall, & Co. pp. 22–24.
4. ^ a b c Escott, Margaret. "Wenlock". The History of Parliament. Retrieved 30 April 2020.
5. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p Craig, F. W. S., ed. (1977). British Parliamentary Election Results 1832-1885 (e-book) (1 ed.). London: Macmillan Press. pp. 324–325\. ISBN 978-1-349-02349-3.
6. ^ "To the Electors of Wenlock". Eddowes's Journal, and General Advertiser for Shropshire, and the Principality of Wales. 28 January 1874. p. 4. Retrieved 22 January 2018 - via British Newspaper Archive.
7. ^ "Wenlock". Dudley Herald. 3 April 1880. p. 5. Retrieved 23 December 2017 - via British Newspaper Archive.

* Leigh Rayment's Historical List of MPs – Constituencies beginning with "W" (part 2)
* The History of Parliament Trust, Much Wenlock, Borough, from 1529 to 1714
* The History of Parliament Trust, Wenlock, Borough, from 1715 to 1831

*[c.]: circa