Knaresborough (UK Parliament constituency)

Parliamentary constituency in the United Kingdom, 1868–1885

Knaresborough

Former Borough constituency
for the House of Commons
1553–1885
Seats| two until 1868, then one
Replaced by| Ripon

Knaresborough was a parliamentary constituency which returned two Members of Parliament (MPs) to the Parliament of England, Parliament of Great Britain and the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom until 1868, and then one MP until its abolition in 1885.

## History[edit]

### Before the Great Reform Act[edit]

Knaresborough was a parliamentary borough, first enfranchised by Mary I in 1553. The borough consisted of part of the town of Knaresborough, a market town in the West Riding of Yorkshire. In 1831, the population of the borough was approximately 4,852, and contained 970 houses.

Knaresborough was a burgage borough, meaning that the right to vote was confined to the proprietors of certain specific properties (or "burgage tenements") in the borough; in Knaresborough there was no requirement for these proprietors to be resident, and normally the majority were not. This meant that the right to vote in Knaresborough could be legitimately bought and sold, and, for most of its history until the Great Reform Act of 1832 reformed the franchise, the majority of the burgages were concentrated in the hands of a single owner who could therefore nominate both MPs without opposition. Nevertheless, contested elections were possible, and in 1830, when there were theoretically about 90 qualified voters, 45 people actually voted. But the landowners had other resources beyond the votes they owned, as the bailiff of the lord of the manor was also the returning officer, and of the 45 who attempted to vote in 1830 the bailiff rejected the votes of 23.

In the 16th and 17th century, the main landowners in the area were the Slingsby family, who on occasion occupied both seats themselves, though usually they found it more advantageous to allow one of their fellow county magnates to have at least one of the seats. During the latter part of the Elizabethan period, the Duchy of Lancaster also seems to have been influential – the historian Sir John Neale considered that the Duchy probably nominated at least one of the two members in each Parliament from 1584 to 1597 – but the influence of the Slingsbys was consolidated later. By the mid-18th century, ownership had passed to the Dukes of Devonshire,[1] who retained it until the Reform Act.

### After the Great Reform Act[edit]

The Reform Act extended Knaresborough's boundaries, bringing in the remainder of the town and coinciding with the boundaries established during the previous decade for policing purposes. This increased the population by nearly a third, to 6,253. Nevertheless, Knaresborough was one of the smaller boroughs to retain both its seats, and the registered electorate for the first reformed election was only 278. In subsequent years this fell further, though by the 1860s it had recovered to reach around 270 once more, and inevitably Knaresborough's representation was reduced to one MP under the Representation of the People Act 1867. The extension of the franchise by the same Act trebled the electorate.

In 1880, after a disputed election with suspicion of corrupt practices, the result was declared void and the constituency's right to representation suspended while a Royal Commission investigated; however, unlike the investigations in some other constituencies at around the same period, nothing too damning was uncovered, and a by-election to fill the vacancies was held in 1881. It proved, nevertheless, to be Knaresborough's last Parliament, for its electorate was still too low and the borough was abolished by the Redistribution of Seats Act 1885. Its electors were transferred to the new Ripon division of the West Riding, a county constituency.

## Members of Parliament[edit]

### 1553–1640[edit]

Parliament | First member | Second member

|
|

1553 (Oct) | Reginald Beseley | Ralph Scrope[2]
1554 (Apr) | Edward Napper | John Long[2]
1554 (Nov) | Sir Thomas Chaloner | Ralph Scrope[2]
1555 | Henry Fisher | ?Sir Thomas Chaloner or George Eden[2]
1558 | Henry Darcy | Thomas Colshill[2]
1558/9 | Laurence Nowell | William Byrnand[3]
1562/3 | William Strickland, sat for Scarborough
repl. by Christopher Tamworth | Sir Henry Gate, sat for Scarborough
repl. by Robert Bowes[4][3]
1571 | Sir George Bowes | John Cade[3]
1572 (Apr) | Francis Slingsby | Richard Banks[3]
1584 | Edmund Poley | Francis Slingsby[3]
1586 | Francis Palmes | William Davison[3]
1588/9 | Thomas Preston | Francis Harvey[3]
1593 | Samuel Foxe | Simon Willis[3]
1597 (Sep) | Hugh Beeston | William Slingsby[3]
1601 (Oct) | Henry Slingsby | William Slingsby[3]
1604–1611 | Sir Henry Slingsby | Sir William Slingsby
1614 | Sir Henry Slingsby | William Beecher
1620–1622 | Sir Henry Slingsby | Sir Richard Hutton
1624 | Sir Henry Slingsby
1625 | Sir Henry Slingsby
1626 | Sir Richard Hutton | Henry Benson
1628 | Sir Richard Hutton | Henry Benson
1629–1640 | No Parliaments convened

### 1640–1868[edit]

Year | 1st Member | 1st Party | 2nd Member | 2nd Party

|
|
|
|

April 1640 |  | Sir Henry Slingsby | Royalist |  | ? |
November 1640 |  | Henry Benson[n 1] | Royalist
1641  |  | William Deerlove[n 2] |
March 1642  |  | Sir William Constable, Bt. | Parliamentarian
September 1642  | Slingsby disabled from sitting – seat vacant
1645  |  | Thomas Stockdale |
1653  | Knaresborough was unrepresented in the Barebones Parliament and the First and Second Parliaments of the Protectorate
January 1659 |  | Slingsby Bethel |  |  | Robert Walters |
May 1659 | Not represented in the restored Rump (Constable had died in the interim)
April 1660  |  | William Stockdale |  |  | Henry Bethell |
1661  |  | Sir John Talbot |
1679  |  | Sir Thomas Slingsby, Bt |
1685  |  | Henry Slingsby |
1689  |  | Thomas Fawkes |
1693  |  | Christopher Stockdale |
1695  |  | Robert Byerley |
Mar 1714  |  | Francis Fawkes |
May 1714  |  | Henry Slingsby |
1715  |  | Henry Coote[n 3] | Whig |  | Robert Hitch |
1720  |  | Hon. Richard Arundell |
1722  |  | Sir Henry Slingsby, Bt |
1758  |  | Hon Robert Walsingham |
1761  |  | Lord John Cavendish | Rockingham Whig
1763  |  | Sir Anthony Abdy, Bt | Rockingham Whig
1768  |  | Captain The Hon Robert Walsingham, RN  |
1775  |  | Lord George Cavendish |
1780  |  | Frederick Ponsonby | Whig[5]
1781  |  | James Hare | Whig[5]
1793  |  | Lord John Townshend | Whig[5]
1804  |  | William Cavendish | Whig[5]
1805  |  | John Ponsonby[n 4] | Whig[5]
1806  |  | Charles Bennet | Whig[5]
1818  |  | Sir James Mackintosh | Whig |  | George Tierney | Whig[5]
Feb 1830  |  | Henry Brougham[n 5] | Whig[5]
Dec 1830  |  | Henry Cavendish | Whig[5]
Jun 1832  |  | William Ponsonby | Whig[5]
Dec 1832  |  | John Richards | Whig[5] |  | Benjamin Rotch | Whig[5]
1835  |  | Andrew Lawson | Conservative[5]
1837  |  | Henry Rich | Whig[5][6][7] |  | Hon Charles Langdale | Whig[5][8]
1841  |  | Andrew Lawson | Conservative[5] |  | William Ferrand | Conservative[5]
1847  |  | William Lascelles | Peelite[9][10] |  | Joshua Westhead | Whig
1851  |  | Thomas Collins | Conservative
1852[n 6] |  | Basil Thomas Woodd | Conservative |  | John Dent | Whig[11]
1853[n 6] |  | John Dent | Whig[11]
1857  |  | Thomas Collins | Conservative
1865  |  | Isaac Holden | Liberal

### 1868–1885[edit]

Election | Member | Party

|
|

| 1868 | Alfred Illingworth | Liberal
| 1874 | Basil Thomas Woodd | Conservative
| 1880 | Sir Henry Meysey-Thompson, Bt.  | Liberal
| 1881 | Thomas Collins | Conservative
| 1884 | Robert Gunter | Conservative
1885 | constituency abolished

## Election results[edit]

### Elections in the 1830s[edit]

Tierney's death caused a by-election.

By-election, 16 February 1830: Knaresborough[5][12] Party  | Candidate  | Votes  | %

|
|
|

| Whig | Henry Brougham | Unopposed
| Whig hold
General election 1830: Knaresborough[5][12] Party  | Candidate  | Votes  | %

|
|
|

| Whig | James Mackintosh | Unopposed
| Whig | Henry Brougham | Unopposed
Registered electors | c. 88 |
| Whig hold
| Whig hold

Mackintosh was appointed a commissioner of the India Board, requiring a by-election.

By-election, 2 December 1830: Knaresborough[5][12] Party  | Candidate  | Votes  | %

|
|
|

| Whig | James Mackintosh | Unopposed
Registered electors | c. 88 |
| Whig hold

Brougham was called to the House of Lords' Lords Temporal, causing a by-election.

By-election, 2 December 1830: Knaresborough[5][12] Party  | Candidate  | Votes  | %

|
|
|

| Whig | Henry Cavendish | 20  | 44.4
| Tory | John Entwistle | 25  | 55.6
Majority  | −5.0  | −11.2
Turnout | 45  | c. 51.1
Registered electors | c. 88 |
| Whig hold

* The majority (23) of Entwisle's votes were challenged and the returning officer upheld the complaints. A similar challenge was laid against Cavendish, but parliament was dissolved the following day.[12]

General election 1831: Knaresborough[5][12] Party  | Candidate  | Votes  | %

|
|
|

| Whig | James Mackintosh | Unopposed
| Whig | Henry Cavendish | Unopposed
Registered electors | c. 88 |
| Whig hold
| Whig hold

Mackintosh's death caused a by-election.

By-election, 28 June 1832: Knaresborough[5][12] Party  | Candidate  | Votes  | %

|
|
|

| Whig | William Ponsonby | Unopposed
Registered electors | c. 88 |
| Whig hold
General election 1832: Knaresborough[5][13] Party  | Candidate  | Votes  | %

|
|
|

| Whig | John Richards | 187  | 39.4
| Whig | Benjamin Rotch | 116  | 24.4
| Whig | Henry Rich | 96  | 20.2
| Tory | Andrew Lawson | 76  | 16.0
Majority  | 20  | 4.2
Turnout | 260  | 93.5
Registered electors | 278  |
| Whig hold
| Whig hold
General election 1835: Knaresborough[5][13] Party  | Candidate  | Votes  | %  | ±%

|
|
|
|

| Conservative | Andrew Lawson | 179  | 40.3  | +24.3
| Whig | John Richards | 134  | 30.2  | −9.2
| Whig | Henry Rich | 111  | 25.0  | +4.8
| Conservative | Gregory Allnutt Lewin  | 20  | 4.5  | N/A
Turnout | 239  | 90.5  | −3.0
Registered electors | 264  |  |
Majority  | 68  | 15.3  | N/A
| Conservative gain from Whig | Swing | +13.3  |
Majority  | 114  | 25.7  | +21.5
| Whig hold | Swing | −10.7  |
General election 1837: Knaresborough[5][13] Party  | Candidate  | Votes  | %  | ±%

|
|
|
|

| Whig | Henry Rich | 172  | 41.5  | +16.5
| Whig | Charles Langdale | 124  | 30.0  | −0.2
| Conservative | Andrew Lawson | 118  | 28.5  | −16.3
Majority  | 6  | 1.5  | N/A
Turnout | 236  | 87.1  | −3.4
Registered electors | 271  |  |
| Whig hold | Swing | +12.3  |
| Whig gain from Conservative | Swing | +4.0  |

### Elections in the 1840s[edit]

General election 1841: Knaresborough[13][5] Party  | Candidate  | Votes  | %  | ±%

|
|
|
|

| Conservative | Andrew Lawson | 150  | 42.0  | +27.8
| Conservative | William Ferrand | 122  | 34.2  | +20.0
| Whig | Charles Sturgeon  | 85  | 23.8  | −47.7
Majority  | 37  | 10.4  | N/A
Turnout | 208  | 86.3  | −0.8
Registered electors | 241  |  |
| Conservative gain from Whig | Swing | +25.8  |
| Conservative gain from Whig | Swing | +21.9  |
General election 1847: Knaresborough[13] Party  | Candidate  | Votes  | %  | ±%

|
|
|
|

| Peelite | William Lascelles | 158  | 39.5  | +5.3
| Whig | Joshua Westhead | 128  | 32.0  | +8.2
| Conservative | Andrew Lawson | 114  | 28.5  | −13.5
Turnout | 200 (est)  | 82.6 (est)  | −3.7
Registered electors | 242  |  |
Majority  | 44  | 11.0  | N/A
| Peelite gain from Conservative | Swing | +6.0  |
Majority  | 14  | 3.5  | N/A
| Whig gain from Conservative | Swing | +7.5  |

### Elections in the 1850s[edit]

Lascelle's death caused a by-election.

By-election, 12 July 1851: Knaresborough[13] Party  | Candidate  | Votes  | %  | ±%

|
|
|
|

| Conservative | Thomas Collins | 95  | 59.7  | N/A
| Conservative | Andrew Lawson | 64  | 40.3  | +11.8
Majority  | 31  | 19.4  | N/A
Turnout | 159  | 73.3  | −9.3
Registered electors | 217  |  |
| Conservative gain from Peelite | Swing | N/A |
General election 1852: Knaresborough[13] Party  | Candidate  | Votes  | %  | ±%

|
|
|
|

| Conservative | Basil Thomas Woodd | 113  | 25.3  | −14.2
| Whig | John Dent | 113  | 25.3  | +9.3
| Whig | Joshua Westhead | 113  | 25.3  | +9.3
| Conservative | Thomas Collins | 107  | 24.0  | −4.5
Majority  | 6  | 1.3  | N/A
Turnout | 223 (est)  | 92.1 (est)  | +9.5
Registered electors | 242  |  |
| Conservative gain from Peelite | Swing | −11.8  |
| Whig hold | Swing | +9.3  |
| Whig win

As Woodd, Dent and Westhead received the same number of votes, they were all elected. However, in April 1853, after scrutiny, one vote was taken from Westhead and he was declared unduly elected.

General election 1857: Knaresborough[13] Party  | Candidate  | Votes  | %  | ±%

|
|
|
|

| Conservative | Basil Thomas Woodd | 174  | 42.2  | +16.9
| Conservative | Thomas Collins | 138  | 33.5  | +9.5
| Whig | Robert Campbell[14] | 100  | 24.3  | −26.3
Majority  | 38  | 9.2  | +7.9
Turnout | 206 (est)  | 76.3 (est)  | −15.8
Registered electors | 270  |  |
| Conservative hold | Swing | +15.0  |
| Conservative gain from Whig | Swing | +11.3  |
General election 1859: Knaresborough[13] Party  | Candidate  | Votes  | %  | ±%

|
|
|
|

| Conservative | Basil Thomas Woodd | 173  | 39.3  | −2.9
| Conservative | Thomas Collins | 140  | 31.8  | −1.7
| Liberal | Harry Thompson[15] | 127  | 28.9  | +4.6
Majority  | 13  | 2.9  | −6.3
Turnout | 220 (est)  | 76.9 (est)  | +0.6
Registered electors | 286  |  |
| Conservative hold | Swing | −2.6  |
| Conservative hold | Swing | −2.0  |

### Elections in the 1860s[edit]

General election 1865: Knaresborough[13] Party  | Candidate  | Votes  | %  | ±%

|
|
|
|

| Conservative | Basil Thomas Woodd | 156  | 38.4  | −0.9
| Liberal | Isaac Holden | 127  | 31.3  | +2.4
| Conservative | Thomas Collins | 123  | 30.3  | −1.5
Turnout | 267 (est)  | 98.0 (est)  | +21.1
Registered electors | 272  |  |
Majority  | 29  | 7.1  | +4.2
| Conservative hold | Swing | −1.1  |
Majority  | 4  | 1.0  | N/A
| Liberal gain from Conservative | Swing | +2.4  |

Seat reduced to one member

General election 1868: Knaresborough[13] Party  | Candidate  | Votes  | %  | ±%

|
|
|
|

| Liberal | Alfred Illingworth | 362  | 51.1  | +19.8
| Conservative | Andrew Sherlock Lawson[16] | 347  | 48.9  | −19.8
Majority  | 15  | 2.2  | +1.2
Turnout | 709  | 92.2  | −5.8
Registered electors | 769  |  |
| Liberal hold | Swing | +19.8  |

### Elections in the 1870s[edit]

General election 1874: Knaresborough[13] Party  | Candidate  | Votes  | %  | ±%

|
|
|
|

| Conservative | Basil Thomas Woodd | 397  | 56.2  | +7.3
| Liberal | Andrew Fairbairn[17] | 309  | 43.8  | −7.3
Majority  | 88  | 12.4  | N/A
Turnout | 706  | 91.7  | −0.5
Registered electors | 770  |  |
| Conservative gain from Liberal | Swing | +7.3  |

### Elections in the 1880s[edit]

General election 1880: Knaresborough[13] Party  | Candidate  | Votes  | %  | ±%

|
|
|
|

| Liberal | Henry Meysey-Thompson | 357  | 51.1  | +7.3
| Conservative | Basil Thomas Woodd[18] | 341  | 48.9  | −7.3
Majority  | 16  | 2.2  | N/A
Turnout | 698  | 91.6  | −0.1
Registered electors | 762  |  |
| Liberal gain from Conservative | Swing | +7.3  |

The election was declared void on petition, causing a by-election.

By-election, 13 May 1881: Knaresborough[13] Party  | Candidate  | Votes  | %  | ±%

|
|
|
|

| Conservative | Thomas Collins | 374  | 52.9  | +4.0
| Liberal | Charles Milnes Gaskell | 333  | 47.1  | −4.0
Majority  | 41  | 5.8  | N/A
Turnout | 707  | 93.3  | +1.7
Registered electors | 758  |  |
| Conservative gain from Liberal | Swing | +4.0  |

Collins' death caused a by-election.

By-election, 10 Dec 1884: Knaresborough[13] Party  | Candidate  | Votes  | %  | ±%

|
|
|
|

| Conservative | Robert Gunter | 319  | 54.4  | +5.5
| Liberal | Angus Holden | 267  | 45.6  | −5.5
Majority  | 52  | 8.8  | N/A
Turnout | 586  | 90.0  | −1.6
Registered electors | 651  |  |
| Conservative gain from Liberal | Swing | +5.5  |

## Notes[edit]

1. ^ Expelled, November 1641
2. ^ Deerlove was returned in a disputed election; the House decided in favour of his opponent, Constable, in March 1642
3. ^ Succeeded as The Earl of Mountrath (in the Peerage of Ireland), September 1715
4. ^ A by-election to replace Cavendish was held in 1804 but abandoned due to rioting, and no return was made. At the by-election held in March 1805, Duncannon received 67 votes and T.E. Wynn Belayse (the Tory candidate) received 125, but Belayse's votes came from the residents whereas Duncannon's came from the (mostly non-resident) proprietors of the burgage tenancies, and Duncannon was returned as Member
5. ^ Brougham was re-elected at the general election in 1830 but was also returned for Yorkshire; he was elevated to the House of Lords before having chosen which constituency he would represent in the Commons
6. ^ a b Woodd, Dent and Westhead each received 113 votes, resulting in a triple election. However, after scrutiny, one vote was taken from Westhead and he was declared unduly elected in 1853

## References[edit]

1. ^ Page 144, Lewis Namier, The Structure of Politics at the Accession of George III (2nd edition – London: St Martin's Press, 1957)
2. ^ a b c d e Bindoff, S. T., ed. (1982). The History of Parliament: the House of Commons 1509-1558. Boydell and Brewer.
3. ^ a b c d e f g h i j Hasler, P. W., ed. (1981). The History of Parliament: the House of Commons 1558-1603. Boydel and Brewer.
4. ^ William Strickland and Sir Henry Gate were both also elected for Scarborough, which they chose to represent, and did not sit for Knaresborough
5. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z aa 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. 150–155.
6. ^ Churton, Edward (1838). The Assembled Commons or Parliamentary Biographer: 1838. p. 193.
7. ^ "General Election". Manchester Courier and Lancashire General Advertiser. 15 July 1837. p. 3 - via British Newspaper Archive.
8. ^ "Knaresborough". London Morning Post. 29 June 1841. p. 3.
9. ^ "Knaresbro'". Leeds Mercury. 31 July 1847. p. 5 - via British Newspaper Archive.
10. ^ "Election Movements". Inverness Courier. 10 August 1847. p. 2 - via British Newspaper Archive.
11. ^ a b Dod, Charles Roger; Dod, Robert Phipps (1854). Dod's Parliamentary Companion, Volume 22. Dod's Parliamentary Companion. pp. 166–167.
12. ^ a b c d e f g Casey, Martin. "Knaresborough". The History of Parliament. Retrieved 16 April 2020.
13. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o Craig, F. W. S., ed. (1977). British Parliamentary Election Results 1832-1885 (e-book) (1st ed.). London: Macmillan Press. pp. 171–172. ISBN 978-1-349-02349-3.
14. ^ "Knaresborough". Leeds Intelligencer. 28 March 1857. p. 5 - via British Newspaper Archive.
15. ^ "Knaresborough". Sheffield Daily News, and Morning Advertiser. 18 April 1859. p. 4 - via British Newspaper Archive.
16. ^ "Knaresborough". Knaresborough Post. 21 November 1868. p. 4 - via British Newspaper Archive.
17. ^ "Election Intelligence". Sheffield Daily Telegraph. 28 January 1874. p. 3 - via British Newspaper Archive.
18. ^ "London Letter". Western Daily Press. 13 May 1881. p. 3 - via British Newspaper Archive.

* 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)
* J E Neale, The Elizabethan House of Commons (London: Jonathan Cape, 1949)
* J Holladay Philbin, Parliamentary Representation 1832 – England and Wales (New Haven: Yale University Press, 1965)
* Henry Stooks Smith, The Parliaments of England from 1715 to 1847 (2nd edition, edited by FWS Craig – Chichester: Parliamentary Reference Publications, 1973)
* Leigh Rayment's Historical List of MPs – Constituencies beginning with "K" (part 2)

*[c.]: circa