Downton (UK Parliament constituency)

Downton was a parliamentary borough in Wiltshire, which elected two Members of Parliament (MPs) to the House of Commons from 1295 until 1832, when it was abolished by the Great Reform Act.

Downton
Former Borough constituency for the House of Commons
1295–1832
Number of members	Two

History

The borough consisted of part of the parish of Downton, a small town six miles south of Salisbury. By the 19th century, only about half of the town was within the boundaries of the borough, and the more prosperous section was excluded: at the 1831 census the borough had 166 houses and a tax assessment of £70, whereas the whole town consisted of 314 houses, and was assessed at £273.

Downton was a burgage borough, meaning that the right to vote rested solely with the freeholders of 100 specified properties or "burgage tenements"; it was not necessary to be resident on the tenement, or even in the borough, to exercise this right. Indeed, some of the tenements could not realistically be occupied, and one was in the middle of a watercourse. At the time of the Great Reform Act, The Earl of Radnor (who supported the Reform) told the House of Lords that he owned 99 of the 100 tenements — which, of course, gave him absolute power in choosing both the borough's MPs. Earlier, in the 18th century, the Duncombe family had been the owners.

Corruption was rife at 18th century elections in Downton, and the House of Commons at one point proposed to "throw it into the hundred", that is to extend the boundaries to include the whole of the Hundred of Downton and to abolish the restrictive franchise — one of the earliest examples of such a proposal being debated; however, the proposal was not adopted.

Although there was supposedly a property qualification to become an MP (borough MPs were required to have an annual income of at least £300 derived from the ownership of land), this was routinely ignored or evaded, and Downton offers a rare example of an English election being re-run because the victor lacked the qualification. On 11 June 1826 the poet Southey was elected MP for Downton, but he did not take his seat when Parliament assembled in July, and in November wrote to the Speaker: ''"Having while I was on the continent been, without my knowledge, elected a burgess to serve in the present Parliament for the borough of Downton, it has become my duty to take the earliest opportunity of requesting you to inform the honourable House that I am not qualified to take a seat therein, inasmuch as I am not possessed of such an estate as is required by the Act passed in the ninth year of Queen Anne."'' A by-election had to be held to replace him.

By 1831 the parish of Downton had a population of around 450, too small to retain representation after the Reform Act, and yet in the original Reform Bill it was proposed that Downton should lose only one of its two members, its boundaries being extended to include Fordingbridge, over the county border in Hampshire. However, the Earl of Radnor pushed for its complete disfranchisement as it would be too difficult to make even an extended borough free of the influence of himself and his family. (He also made it a condition of becoming MP for Downton that its members should vote for its abolition.) As this abolition of a Whig-owned borough was useful to the Whig government in demonstrating their even-handedness, they backed an amendment to move Downton into Schedule A, the list of boroughs that were to lose both seats; but the government majority in the Commons fell to 30 in the vote on the amendment, the narrowest of all the votes on the details of the eventual Act.

The Reform Act being passed, Downton ceased to be represented from the 1832 general election, those of its residents who were qualified voting instead in the county constituency of Southern Wiltshire.

Members of Parliament

MPs 1295–1640

This list is incomplete; you can help by expanding it.

Parliament	First member	Second member
1295–1298	John Spede	Richard de la Sale
1298–1300	Reginald Dt. Aula	John Whitthorn
1300–1304	Roger de Portsmouth	Wh. Leicester
1304–1306	Roger le Large	John Ervye
1306	John de Downton
1306–1311	Randolph Lavering	John Spede
1311–1312	Robert le Wryere	William Osgod
1312–1313	John le Cove	John Arny
1313–1314	Walter Nymethalf	Roger de Portsmouth
1314–1318	Nicholas de Mareshal	William de Whytham
1318–1319	William Rotarius	Henry le Drapier
1319–1323	? Norreys	Walter le Whlere
1323–1326	John Curtoys
1323–1325	Nicholas Laveryng
1325–1326	Nicholas de Cove
1326–1328	Edward de Tarante	Nicholas de Becklesnade
1328	Henricus le Meyre
1328–1329	Stephanus de Regate	Edwardus Taraunt
1360–1361	Ricardus Whithorn	Johannes Meyer
1362–1364	Johannes Dryewods	Willielmus Benert
1364–1365	Willielmus Wartier	Johannes Willeymn
1413 (May)	Johannes Brut	Thomas Knyf
1441–1442	Johannes Whitesmede	Ralph Legh
1446–1447	Johannes Brekenok	Johannes Bailey
1448–1449	Johannes Lawley	Andreas Sparowe
1449–1450	Johannes Rokes	Robertus Tilleney
1450–1452	Walterus Bergn	Johannes Wynge
1452–1455	Ralph Legh	Thomas Wells
1455–1459	Edwardus Asshewell	Willielmus Brigg
1459	Johannes Wolfe	Thomas Danvers
1467	Thomas Wells	Ralph Legh
1472–1477	Thomas Danvers	Richard Jaye
1529	Nicholas Hare	William Whorwood
1547	William Morice	William Green
1553 (Mar)	William Thomas	Robert Warner
1553 (Oct)	John Norris	John Bekynsale
1554 (Apr)	James Bassit	John Norris
1554 (Nov)	John Bekynsale	William Barnes
1555	Henry White	Thomas White
1558	Thomas White	Thomas Girdler
1559	John Story	Thomas Girdler
1562	Tristram Matthew	Henry Kingsmill
1571	George Penruddocke	Sir Henry Cocke
1572	William Darrell	Edward St Loe
1584	Thomas Wilkes	Richard Cosin
1586	Thomas Gorges	Thomas Wilkes
1588	Richard Cosin	Lawrence Tompson
1593	John Goldwell	Thomas Willoughby
1597	Robert Turner	George Powell
1601	Thomas Penruddock	Sir Edward Barker
1604	Carew Raleigh	William Stockman
1614	Gilbert Raleigh	John Ryves
1621	Carew Raleigh	Thomas Hinton
1624	Sir Clipsby Crew	Sir William Dodington
1625	Sir Clipsby Crew	Edward Herbert
1626	Edward Herbert	Sir William Tremhall
1628–1629	Sir Benjamin Rudyerd	Edward Herbert
1629–1640	No Parliaments summoned

MPs 1640–1832

Year		First member	First party		Second member	Second party
Apr 1640		Sir Edward Griffin	Royalist		William Eyre
November 1640		Sir Edward Griffin	Royalist		Seat vacant pending resolution of disputed election[1]
February 1644	Griffin disabled from sitting - seat vacant
1645		Alexander Thistlethwaite
December 1648	Thistlethwaite excluded in Pride's Purge - seat vacant
1653	Downton was unrepresented in the Barebones Parliament and the First and Second Parliaments of the Protectorate
January 1659		Colonel Thomas Fitzjames			William Coles
May 1659	One seat vacant				Vacant pending resolution of disputed election
January 1660					Sir Anthony Ashley Cooper
April 1660		Thomas Fitzjames			William Coles
May 1660		Giles Eyre			John Elliott
1661		Gilbert Raleigh			Walter Bockland
1670					Sir Joseph Ashe
1675		Henry Eyre
February 1679		Maurice Bocland
1685					Sir Charles Raleigh
1695		Charles Duncombe	Tory
February 1698		Maurice Bocland
May 1698					John Eyre	Whig
July 1698		Carew Raleigh
1701					Sir James Ashe, 2nd Bt	Whig
1702		Sir Charles Duncombe	Tory
1705					John Eyre	Whig
1711		Thomas Duncombe	Tory
1713		John Sawyer
January 1715		Charles Longueville	Tory
December 1715 by-election[2]					Giles Eyre
1722		John Verney
1734		Anthony Duncombe			Joseph Windham-Ashe
1741					John Verney
1742 by-election[3]					Joseph Windham-Ashe
November 1746 by-election[4]					George Proctor
June 1747		George Lyttelton[5]
December 1747 by-election[5]		Richard Temple
November 1749 by-election[6]		Colonel Henry Vane
April 1751 by-election[7]					Thomas Duncombe
May 1753 by-election[8]		James Hayes
1754					James Cope
1756 by-election[9]					Edward Poore
1757 by-election[10]		Charles Pratt
1761					James Hayes
February 1762 by-election[11]		Thomas Pym Hales[12]
1768		Thomas Duncombe			Richard Croftes
1771 by-election					James Hayes
1774[13]					Thomas Dummer
1775[13]		John Cooper			Sir Philip Hales
September 1779 by-election		Thomas Duncombe
December 1779 by-election		Hon. Bartholomew Bouverie[14]
February 1780[14]		Bobby Shafto
September 1780					Hon. Henry Seymour-Conway
1784[15]					Hon. William Seymour-Conway
1790		Hon. Bartholomew Bouverie			Sir William Scott
1796		Hon. Edward Bouverie
March 1801 by-election[16]					Viscount Folkestone
1802					Hon. John Ward	Tory
June 1803 by-election[17]		The Lord de Blaquiere	Tory
August 1803 by-election					Viscount Marsham	Tory
1806		Hon. Bartholomew Bouverie	Whig		Hon. Duncombe Pleydell-Bouverie	Whig
1807					Sir Thomas Plumer	Tory
1812		Charles Henry Bouverie	Whig
1813 by-election[18]		Sir Thomas Brooke-Pechell			Edward Golding
1818[19]		Viscount Folkestone	Whig		Sir William Scott	Tory
Feb 1819 by-election[19]		Hon. Bartholomew Bouverie	Whig		Sir Thomas Brooke-Pechell	Tory
June 1826		Thomas Grimston Estcourt[20]	Tory		Robert Southey[21]	Tory
December 1826 by-election		Hon. Bartholomew Bouverie	Whig		Alexander Powell	Tory
1830		James Brougham	Whig		Charles Shaw-Lefevre	Whig
May 1831					Thomas Creevey	Whig
July 1831 by-election[22]		Hon. Philip Pleydell-Bouverie	Whig
1832	Constituency abolished

Notes

1. Sir Anthony Ashley Cooper was elected in 1640, but the election was disputed, and resolution of the dispute was delayed by the English Civil War. Cooper was not admitted to sit until January 1660.
2. The by-election in December 1715 was caused by the death of John Eyre
3. The by-election in 1742 was caused by the death of John Verney
4. The by-election in November 1746 was caused by the death of Joseph Windham-Ashe
5. At the 1747 general election, George Lyttelton was also elected for Okehampton, which he chose to represent, and never sat for Downton. A by-election was held in Downton in December 1747
6. The by-election in November 1749 was caused by the death of Richard Temple
7. The by-election in April 1751 was caused by the death of George Proctor
8. The by-election in May 1753 was caused by the resignation of Colonel Henry Vane to contest a by-election for County Durham
9. The by-election in December 1756 was caused by the death of James Cope
10. The by-election in July 1757 was caused by the resignation of James Hayes
11. The by-election in February 1762 was caused by the resignation of Charles Pratt, who had been appointed as Lord Chief Justice
12. Thomas Pym Hales succeeded as baronet in December 1762
13. At the 1774 general election, Duncombe and Dummer were initially declared the victors, but on petition it was decided that they had not been duly elected and their opponents, Cooper and Hales, were declared elected in their place
14. On petition it was decided that Bouverie had not been duly elected and his opponent, Shafto, was declared elected in his place
15. At the general election in April 1784, there was a double return. Seymour-Conway, Bouverie and Scott were declared not elected on 19 July 1784 with only Shafto being declared duly elected. A by-election for the vacant seat was held on 26 July 1784, when another double return was made: Seymour-Conway and Bouverie. Seymour-Conway was declared elected on 11 March 1785
16. The by-election in March 1801 was caused by the resignation of Sir William Scott to stand at a by-election for Oxford University
17. The by-election in June 1803 was caused by the resignation of Hon. Edward Bouverie
18. The by-election in April 1813 was caused by the resignation of Bouverie and the appointment of Plumer as Vice Chancellor
19. At the 1818 general election, both of the successful candidates in Downton were also returned for other sears, for which they chose to sit: Viscount Folkestone for Salisbury and Scott for Oxford University. A by-election was held for both seats in February 1819
20. At the general election in June 1826 Estcourt was also elected for Oxford University and chose to sit for the university
21. The poet laureate Robert Southey was proposed and elected without his knowledge, and declined to sit on the grounds that he did not meet the property qualification to be a borough MP
22. The July 1831 by-election was caused by the resignation of Brougham to contest a by-election for Winchelsea

References

• Robert Beatson, A Chronological Register of Both Houses of Parliament (London: Longman, Hurst, Res & Orme, 1807)
• Michael Brock, The Great Reform Act (London: Hutchinson, 1973)
• 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)
• Lewis Namier, The Structure of Politics at the Accession of George III (2nd edition, London: St Martin's Press, 1961)
• J Holladay Philbin, Parliamentary Representation 1832 — England and Wales (New Haven: Yale University Press, 1965)
• Edward Porritt and Annie G Porritt, The Unreformed House of Commons (Cambridge University Press, 1903)
• Woodford, A.R. Notes on the history of Downton, collected and arranged (Downton, nd)
• Leigh Rayment's Historical List of MPs – Constituencies beginning with "D" (part 3)