List of stewards of the Manor of Northstead

Procedural device to allow British MPs to resign From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

The office of Crown Steward and Bailiff of the Manor of Northstead functions as a procedural device to allow a member of Parliament (MP) to resign from the House of Commons of the United Kingdom. As members of the House of Commons are forbidden from formally resigning, a legal fiction is used to circumvent this prohibition: appointment to an "office of profit under The Crown" disqualifies an individual from sitting as an MP. As such, several such positions are maintained to allow MPs to resign.[1] Currently, the offices of Steward of the Manor of Northstead and Steward of the Chiltern Hundreds are used, and are specifically designated for this purpose under the House of Commons Disqualification Act 1975; several other offices have also been used historically.[1] The appointment is traditionally made by the chancellor of the Exchequer. The position was reworked in 1861 by William Ewart Gladstone, who was worried about the honour conferred by appointment to people such as Edwin James, who had fled to the United States over £100,000 in debt. As such, the letter by the chancellor was rewritten to omit any references to honour.

Quick facts Crown Steward and Bailiff of the Manor of Northstead, Appointer ...
Crown Steward and Bailiff of the Manor of Northstead
Incumbent
Andrew Gwynne
since 23 January 2026
AppointerChancellor of the Exchequer
Close

The office was first used in this way on 20 March 1844 to allow Sir George Henry Rose, MP for Christchurch, to resign his seat. Appointees to the offices of Steward of the Manor of Northstead and Steward of the Chiltern Hundreds are alternated so that two MPs can resign at once (as happened on 23 January 2017 when Tristram Hunt and Jamie Reed resigned). However, every new appointment revokes the previous one, so there is no difficulty in situations in which more than two resign, such as the 1985 walkout of Ulster Unionist MPs when several separate appointments were made on a single day.[1] If a resigning MP wishes to contest the following by-election, as Douglas Carswell did in 2014, they need to resign the stewardship to avoid further disqualification.[2]

The incumbent steward of the Manor of Northstead is Andrew Gwynne, formerly the independent (elected Labour) MP for Gorton and Denton.[3]

Key to party abbreviations

Up to 1899

William Ewart Gladstone, who reformed the process to omit references to the position being one of honour in 1861
More information Date, Member ...
Date Member Constituency Party Reason for resignation Ref
20 March 1844George Henry RoseChristchurch Con
21 January 1846Francis MurphyCork City Whig
5 February 1846The Lord HennikerEast Suffolk ConIn anticipation of being raised to the peerage as Baron Hartismere[4]
22 November 1852James Emerson TennentLisburn ConAppointed secretary to the Board of Trade[5]
27 December 1852Edward HowardMorpeth Whig
15 August 1853John Charles HerriesStamford ConIll-health[6]
27 January 1854Robert InglisOxford University ConIll-health[7]
13 February 1854William Edward PowellCeredigion Con
5 May 1854Henry TufnellPlymouth Devonport WhigIll-health[8]
July 1854Francis Charles LawleyBeverley WhigFound to have been using his position as secretary to the Chancellor of the Exchequer for insider trading[9]
26 March 1855William Philip PriceGloucester WhigResigned to accept a contract for supplying huts to the army in the Crimea[10]
25 May 1855Thomas PhinnBath WhigAppointed Second Secretary to the Admiralty[11]
22 January 1856John BlackettNewcastle-upon-Tyne WhigIll-health[12]
23 January 1856Viscount DalrympleWigtownshire Whig
23 May 1856The Lord WaterparkLichfield Whig
5 January 1857Robert PriceHereford Whig
23 February 1857John MacGregorGlasgow Whig
27 July 1857William EgertonNorth Cheshire Con
26 August 1857George ByngTavistock WhigTo allow him to stand for the vacant Middlesex parliamentary seat[13]
1 December 1857Edward DeringEast Kent WhigIll-health[14]
December 1857Charles Compton CavendishBuckinghamshire WhigIn anticipation of being raised to the peerage as Baron Chesham
2 February 1859George Alexander HamiltonDublin University ConAppointed Assistant Secretary to the Treasury[15]
8 February 1859John TownsendGreenwich WhigBankruptcy[16]
16 February 1859Viscount EbringtonMarylebone Whig[17]
25 February 1859Samuel WarrenMidhurst ConAppointed a Master in Lunacy under the Lunacy Act 1845[18]
6 August 1859William MichellBodmin Lib
12 August 1859Ralph GreyLiskeard Lib
25 July 1860John Arthur WynneSligo Borough Con
10 April 1861Edwin JamesMarylebone LibResigned and fled to the United States with massive debts[19]
18 June 1861Henry WhiteLongford Lib
24 July 1861Lord John RussellCity of London LibIn anticipation of being raised to the peerage as Earl Russell[20]
27 January 1862Henry Butler-JohnstoneCanterbury ConFollowing an interview with his leading supporters[21]
25 April 1862William Johnson FoxOldham LibIll-health[22]
23 January 1863Charles MoodyWest Somerset Con
11 February 1863Jonathan RichardsonLisburn Con
8 May 1863Daniel O'ConnellTralee Lib
28 July 1863Richard Monckton MilnesPontefract LibIn anticipation of being raised to the peerage as Baron Houghton[23]
6 February 1864William ConinghamBrighton LibIll-health
6 April 1864William GarnettLancaster Con
6 March 1865T. H. S. Sotheron-EstcourtNorth Wiltshire ConIll-health[24]
21 February 1866Charles WoodRipon LibRetired following a hunting accident[25]
20 March 1866James LindsayWigan ConDue to prolonged service in Canada in the British Army[26]
2 May 1866Stafford NorthcoteStamford ConResigned to contest North Devon[27]
19 July 1866Edward KerrisonEye ConTo allow him to stand for election to one of the East Suffolk parliamentary seats; he resigned again in 1867 becoming a Steward of the Chiltern Hundreds[31]
5 February 1867Taverner MillerColchester Con
8 March 1867Meaburn StanilandBoston Lib
6 June 1867Henry GridleyWeymouth and Melcombe Regis LibIll-health[32]
12 August 1867George Julius Poulett ScropeStroud Lib
12 February 1868Alexander Beresford HopeStoke-on-Trent Con
3 April 1868Alexander Henry CampbellLaunceston Con
14 April 1868Arthur WalshLeominster Con
22 April 1868Samuel Morton PetoBristol LibGave up his seat after being declared bankrupt; had previously resigned from Norwich in 1854 by becoming Steward of Hempholme[35]
9 August 1869George TraillCaithness Lib
7 February 1870Anthony LefroyDublin University Con
15 February 1870William ScottRoxburghshire Lib
9 February 1871Joshua WestheadCity of York Lib
6 February 1872George LochWick Burghs Lib
5 February 1875George ElliotChatham ConAppointed Commander-in-Chief of HMNB Portsmouth[36]
8 February 1876Richard Fellowes BenyonBerkshire Con
9 February 1876John Burgess KarslakeHuntingdon Con
4 August 1876Robert Meek CarterLeeds Lib
23 February 1877James Henry DeakinLaunceston Con
17 January 1878Donald Robert MacgregorLeith Burghs Lib
25 February 1878Henry Munro-Butler-JohnstoneCanterbury Con
8 March 1878Ralph Neville-GrenvilleMid Somerset Con
4 May 1878John Gilbert TalbotWest Kent Con
20 July 1878Henry Ferguson DavieHaddington Burghs Lib
3 August 1878John MalcolmBoston Con
5 December 1878George SandfordMaldon Con
10 March 1879Ralph Shuttleworth AllenEast Somerset Con
18 February 1880Benjamin WhitworthKilkenny City HRL
4 May 1880Edward Knatchbull-HugessenSandwich Lib
18 May 1880Alexander Martin SullivanCounty Louth HRL
20 May 1880Percy BernardBandon Con
24 July 1880John George DodsonCity of Chester LibResigned to contest Scarborough, which was vacated via the Chiltern Hundreds the previous day, in anticipation of his election being declared void on petition (as happened in August 1880)[37]
22 January 1881Joseph FoleyNew Ross HRL
24 August 1881Benjamin RodwellCambridgeshire Con
6 February 1882Charles RussellWestminster Con
11 August 1882David WedderburnHaddington Burghs Lib
15 September 1882James Lysaght FineganEnnis HRL
16 February 1883Ashton Wentworth DilkeNewcastle-upon-Tyne LibIll-health[38]
1 March 1883William CaringtonChipping Wycombe Lib
13 June 1883Hampden WhalleyPeterborough Lib
20 June 1883Charles James MurrayHastings Con
14 August 1883Samuel Ruggles-BriseEast Essex Con
16 November 1883Mordaunt BissetWest Somerset ConIll-health[39]
11 February 1884John DalyCork City NatTo concentrate on business activities[40]
20 February 1884William Welby-GregorySouth Lincolnshire Con
5 June 1884Lord Henry Douglas-Scott-MontaguSouth Hampshire Con
20 June 1884Peter Alfred TaylorLeicester LibIll-health[41]
6 August 1884Alexander MathesonRoss and Cromarty Lib
23 October 1884Samuel WilliamsNew Radnor Lib
14 November 1884James StewartGreenock Lib
6 March 1885George AndersonGlasgow Lib
24 February 1886Octavius Vaughan MorganBattersea Lib
7 August 1886Michael BassBurton Lib
31 January 1887Lord Algernon PercySt. George's, Hanover Square Con
4 July 1887Henry EatonCoventry Con
12 July 1887Ernest BaggallayBrixton Con
24 July 1887Edward RussellGlasgow Bridgeton Lib
7 February 1888Arthur CohenSouthwark West Lib
9 February 1888Thomas BuchananEdinburgh West Lib
18 February 1888William EvelynDeptford Con
7 March 1888Charles JamesMerthyr Tydvil Lib
16 April 1888Stephen MasonMid Lanarkshire Lib
14 June 1888Edward Joseph KennedySouth Sligo Nat
4 August 1888Lord Claud HamiltonLiverpool West Derby Con
14 December 1888Joseph DoddsStockton Lib
25 February 1889Courtney Stanhope KennyBarnsley Lib
11 March 1889John HooperSouth East Cork IPPRetirement from politics[42]
21 June 1889Robert Preston BruceWest Fife Lib
17 February 1890Thomas MayneMid Tipperary IPP
12 March 1890John SinclairAyr Burghs Lib
19 May 1890Patrick O'HeaWest Donegal IPP
24 June 1890William Sproston CaineBarrow-in-Furness LibResigned in protest of a scheme that gave compensation to public licence holders[43]
22 October 1891John RedmondNorth Wexford IPP
27 February 1893Henri JosseGreat Grimsby LibPressure of business interests; he died a few months later in July 1893[44]
2 June 1893Peter McLaganLinlithgowshire Lib
17 July 1893John DeasyWest Mayo INF
30 October 1893John BarrySouth Wexford INF
15 March 1894Stuart RendelMontgomeryshire Lib
26 April 1894Charles RussellHackney South Lib
10 August 1894Lord Walter Gordon-LennoxChichester Con
17 August 1894James WhiteheadLeicester Lib
2 February 1895Herbert Naylor-LeylandColchester Con
8 April 1895John SweetmanEast Wicklow IPP
22 May 1895Donald MacGregorInverness-shire Lib
22 June 1895J. F. X. O'BrienSouth Mayo INF
5 February 1896John Shiress WillMontrose Burghs LibResigned so that John Morley could be elected[45]
22 March 1896J. E. KennyDublin College Green IPPCould no longer attend Parliament regularly due to other commitments[46]
16 May 1896John PenderWick Burghs LUIll-health; he died on 9 July 1896 aged 80[47]
16 January 1897Edward HulseSalisbury Con
20 February 1897William Rawson ShawHalifax Lib
15 March 1898Frederick Seager HuntMaidstone Con
30 April 1898Harold Finch-HattonNewark ConDisagreement with party policy[48]
9 July 1898Lord Arthur HillWest Down IUA
10 August 1898George CurzonSouthport Con
9 December 1898Edmund Vesey KnoxLondonderry City IPP
1 February 1899Arthur Dyke AclandRotherham LibIll-health[49]
11 February 1899Hugh McCalmontNorth Antrim IUA
16 June 1899James Bevan EdwardsHythe Con
26 June 1899James Francis OswaldOldham Con
16 October 1899Lionel HollandBow and Bromley ConIll-health[50]
26 October 1899Michael DavittSouth Mayo INFResigned as he opposed the government's South Africa policy
Close

1900 to 1949

More information Date, Member ...
DateMemberConstituencyPartyReason for resignation
26 January 1900[51]Sir John MadenRossendale Lib"... circumstances have arisen that render it impossible for me any longer to retain the trust which you have generously reposed in me ..."[52][full citation needed]
10 February 1900[53]Sir Edward ClarkePlymouth ConRequested to resign by his constituents in a disagreement over his views expressed[54][full citation needed]
23 April 1900Walter CloughPortsmouth LibFollowing a judgement against him in the Law Courts[55][full citation needed]
3 July 1901Oliver YoungWokingham Con
13 January 1902[56]Mark OldroydDewsbury LibTo concentrate on business interests[57]
4 February 1902Patrick McDermottNorth Kilkenny IPP
10 April 1902[58]James BoyleWest Donegal IPP
29 April 1902[59]James KenyonBury ConIll-health[60][full citation needed]
21 October 1902[61]Alfred PeaseCleveland LibIll-health[62]
12 February 1903[63]Sir John Kinloch, BtEast Perthshire Lib
26 February 1903Lord Charles BeresfordWoolwich ConAppointed Commander of the Channel Fleet[64]
12 May 1903Matthew MinchSouth Kildare IPP
8 March 1904Sir William MatherRossendale Lib
1 June 1904John William LoganHarborough Lib
15 June 1904John William MellorSowerby Lib
28 July 1904George William PalmerReading Lib
11 February 1905Richard RiggAppleby LibChange of his political opinions different from the leadership of the Liberal Party[65][full citation needed]
14 February 1906Hon. Alban GibbsCity of London Con
19 March 1906Francis Seymour StevensonEye Lib
7 June 1906Sir Edward ClarkeCity of London Con
13 October 1906Charles Ramsay DevlinGalway City IPPIn order to travel to Canada[66]
12 February 1907James BryceAberdeen South LibAppointed Ambassador to the United States[67]
27 April 1907Charles Eric HambroWimbledon ConTo concentrate on business interests[68][full citation needed]
28 May 1907Charles Barrington BalfourHornsey Con
10 June 1907Patrick O'HareNorth Monaghan IPP
4 July 1907Sir James Kitson, BtColne Valley Lib
21 August 1907Harry LiddellWest Down IUA
30 January 1908Charles DolanNorth Leitrim IPP
28 February 1908Lord Arthur HillWest Down IUA
27 April 1908John MorleyMontrose Burghs Lib
1 June 1908George WhiteleyPudsey Lib
17 November 1908Sir Carne Rasch, BtSouth East Essex ConIll-health[69][full citation needed]
11 February 1909Sir Edward Boyle, BtTaunton ConIll health.[70][full citation needed]
8 April 1909Thomas Kincaid-SmithStratford-on-Avon LibTo seek the decision of his constituents on the question of the adoption of military training.[71][full citation needed]
12 May 1909Sir Lewis McIver, BtEdinburgh West LU
21 February 1910Sir Balthazar FosterIlkeston LibIn order to allow J. E. B. Seely to return to Parliament[72]
3 February 1911Sir John Fuller, BtWestbury LibAppointed Governor of Victoria[73]
13 March 1911Thomas SandysBootle Con
15 April 1911Ernest SoaresBarnstaple Lib
26 June 1911Archibald CorbettGlasgow Tradeston LibOn being created 1st Baron Rowallan[74][full citation needed]
28 June 1911Aretas Akers-DouglasSt Augustine's ConOn being created Viscount Chilston[74]
5 July 1911Moreton FrewenNorth East Cork AFILObjection to the Parliament Bill[75][full citation needed]
20 July 1911Edward PickersgillBethnal Green South West LibOn appointment as a stipendiary magistrate[76][full citation needed]
1 March 1912John ArkwrightHereford Con
8 March 1912William KeswickEpsom Con
10 April 1912James MorrisonNottingham East Con
4 June 1912Henry WilsonHolmfirth LibIll health.[77][full citation needed]
4 November 1912Hon. William PeelTaunton ConOn becoming the 2nd Viscount Peel on the death of his father[78][full citation needed]
20 January 1913The Marquess of HamiltonLondonderry City IUAOn becoming the 3rd Duke of Abercorn on the death of his father[79][full citation needed]
1 May 1913John Kebty-FletcherAltrincham ConIll health.[80][full citation needed]
17 June 1913Eliot Crawshay-WilliamsLeicester LibOn being divorced[81][full citation needed]
11 February 1914Ronald Munro-FergusonLeith Burghs LibAppointed Governor-General of Australia[82]
23 June 1914John GordonBrighton ConIll-health[83][full citation needed]
11 February 1915[84]Gerald Kyffin-TaylorLiverpool Kirkdale ConMilitary commitments in the 1st West Lancs. Brigade Royal Field Artillery[85]
13 October 1915Sir Lancelot SandersonAppleby ConOn appointment as Chief Justice of the High Court of Judicature in Calcutta.[86][full citation needed]
3 January 1916Cecil NortonNewington West LibOn becoming the 1st Baron Rathcreedan.[87][full citation needed]
8 January 1916Lord Charles BeresfordPortsmouth ConOn becoming the 1st Baron Beresford.[88][full citation needed]
18 February 1916Hon. John LytteltonDroitwich LU
23 February 1916Sir Wilfrid Lawson, BtCockermouth Lib
24 February 1916Thomas TaylorBolton Lib
13 March 1916Francis NeilsonHyde Lib
7 July 1916Sir Edward Grey, BtBerwick-upon-Tweed Lib
21 August 1916Hon. Harold HendersonAbingdon ConAppointed military secretary to the Duke of Devonshire, who was to become Governor General of Canada in November 1916[89]
16 October 1916Godfrey FetherstonhaughNorth Fermanagh IUAIll-health[90][full citation needed]
16 December 1916Sir Max Aitken, BtAshton-under-Lyne LU
21 December 1916Sir Thomas RoeDerby LibOn becoming the 1st Baron Roe.[91][full citation needed]
21 December 1916Sir Stuart Samuel, BtWhitechapel Lib
14 February 1917Francis NewdegateTamworth ConAppointed Governor of Tasmania[92]
24 March 1917George EsslemontAberdeen South LibIll health[93][full citation needed]
18 June 1917Richard ChalonerLiverpool Abercromby ConOn becoming Baron Gisborough.[94][full citation needed]
19 July 1917Almeric PagetCambridge Con
15 January 1918Sir Frederick Cawley, BtPrestwich LibOn becoming Baron Cawley[95][full citation needed]
27 May 1918Sir Gilbert Parker, BtGravesend ConIll-health[95]
15 October 1918Cecil Cochrane Lib
13 February 1919Hugh AndersonNorth Londonderry IUA
18 August 1919William WalkerWidnes Co Con
28 October 1919Sir Ian MalcolmCroydon South Co Con
20 November 1919Sir Hildred Carlile, BtSt Albans Co ConIll-health[96]
2 February 1920Archibald WeigallHorncastle Co ConOn appointment as Governor of South Australia[97][full citation needed]
11 February 1920Sir Hallewell RogersBirmingham Moseley Co Con
16 February 1920Sir Henry Dalziel, BtKirkcaldy Co Lib
15 March 1920Sir Auckland GeddesBasingstoke Co ConAppointed Ambassador to the United States[98]
2 June 1920Albert SmithNelson and Colne Lab
14 July 1920Thomas RichardsEbbw Vale Lab
30 November 1920William AbrahamRhondda, West Lab
22 December 1920Charles PulleyHereford Co Con"owing to the pressing demands of his own business on the Stock Exchange"[99]
13 April 1921Laurance LyonHastings Co Con
27 April 1921Hon. James LowtherPenrith and Cockermouth Co Con
24 May 1921Albert IllingworthHeywood and Radcliffe Co Lib
27 May 1921Noel Pemberton BillingHertford Ind
23 February 1922Sir Eric Campbell GeddesCambridge Co Con
2 May 1922Sir Arthur Du Cros, BtWandsworth, Clapham Co Con
12 June 1922Sir Archibald Williamson, BtMoray and Nairn Co Lib
12 February 1923Herbert PeaseDarlington Con
14 February 1923Sir Harry Mallaby-Deeley, BtWillesden, East Con
26 July 1923Leslie WilsonPortsmouth, South ConAppointed Governor of Bombay[100]
18 January 1924Sir Frederick Banbury, BtCity of London Con
18 June 1924William CampionLewes ConAppointed Governor of Western Australia[101]
25 May 1925Sir George Ambrose LloydEastbourne Con
11 November 1925Hon. E. F. L. WoodRipon Con
14 April 1926Sir Guy GauntBuckrose ConCited as co-respondent in the divorce case between Sir Richard Cruise and his wife[102]
29 June 1926Sir Patrick HastingsWallsend Lab
3 November 1926Hon. Stanley JacksonHowdenshire Con
4 November 1926Sir Henry Curtis-BennettChelmsford ConSued for divorce by his wife[103]
15 February 1927William Wedgwood BennEdinburgh Leith LibLeaving the Liberal Party
9 May 1927Robert GeeBosworth Con
4 November 1927Ronald McNeillCanterbury Con
8 June 1928Sir James Remnant, BtHolborn Co Con
20 June 1928John Henry WhitleyHalifax Lib
11 November 1929Sir Edward IliffeTamworth Con
7 May 1930Sir Albert BennettNottingham, Central Con
16 January 1931Hon. Henry MondLiverpool, East Toxteth Con
4 February 1931Thomas Mardy JonesPontypridd LabFound to have allowed his wife and daughter to use House of Commons rail travel vouchers[104]
19 March 1931Henry SnellWoolwich, East Lab
1 May 1931Sir Frank NelsonStroud ConTo focus on business interests[105]
25 February 1932John ThomDunbartonshire UPOn appointment as Puisne Judge of the High Court of Judicature of Allahabad[106][full citation needed]
11 April 1932Sir Rennell RoddSt. Marylebone ConDecided to "retire from the strenuous life of Parliament"; he was aged in his early 70s[107][full citation needed]
4 July 1932Otho NicholsonWestminster, Abbey Con
9 August 1933The Earl Castle StewartHarborough ConIll health.[108][full citation needed]
23 April 1934Alfred ChotznerUpton ConIll health.[109][full citation needed]
28 January 1935Godfrey WilsonCambridge University Con
17 June 1935Edward GrenfellCity of London Con
18 February 1936Hon. Archibald CochraneDunbartonshire UP
11 June 1936Sir Alfred Butt, BtWandsworth, Balham and Tooting Con
1 July 1936Sir Henry Cautley, BtEast Grinstead Con
13 January 1937William RayRichmond Con
29 January 1937Lord Hugh CecilOxford University Con
14 April 1937Roger LumleyYork ConOn appointment as Governor of Bombay[110][full citation needed]
27 May 1937Sir Walter PrestonCheltenham ConIll-health[111][full citation needed]
1 June 1937Sir J. C. C. DavidsonHemel Hempstead ConRetired following the resignation of Prime Minister Stanley Baldwin[112][full citation needed]
7 June 1937George HamiltonIlford ConIll health.[113][full citation needed]
2 May 1938Michael BeaumontAylesbury Con
8 March 1939Malcolm Barclay-HarveyKincardine and Western Aberdeenshire UPOn appointment as Governor of South Australia[114][full citation needed]
29 June 1939Sir Herbert Cayzer, BtPortsmouth, South ConOn being created Baron Rotherwick[115][full citation needed]
11 October 1939Sir Sam Tom RosbothamOrmskirk N LabOn reaching the age of 75[116][full citation needed]
28 November 1939Sir William Lane-MitchellWandsworth, Streatham ConOn reaching the age of 79[117][full citation needed]
26 January 1940David WilliamsSwansea East Lab
7 February 1940John Joseph JonesWest Ham, Silvertown LabIll health and failing eyesight.[118][full citation needed]
2 April 1940William SandersBattersea, North LabIll health.[119][full citation needed]
1 June 1940Hon. Glyn MasonCroydon, North Con
24 June 1940Charles KerrMontrose Burghs L Nat
12 July 1940William KellyRochdale LabIll health.[120][full citation needed]
11 November 1940Sir Mervyn Manningham-Buller, BtNorthampton Con
10 February 1941Sir Reginald Dorman-SmithPetersfield ConOn appointment as Governor of Burma.[121][full citation needed]
9 June 1941Sir Philip Colfox, BtDorset, Western Con
18 August 1941Sir Paul Latham, BtScarborough and Whitby ConOn being arrested and sent for court-martial[122][full citation needed]
24 November 1941James GuyEdinburgh Central Con
9 April 1942David MargessonRugby ConOn being created Viscount Margesson[123]
6 July 1942Joseph BateySpennymoor LabIll-health[124]
14 January 1943Sir Patrick SpensAshford ConOn appointment as Chief Justice of India[125]
3 June 1943John GrettonBurton ConOn being created Baron Gretton[126]
17 January 1944Sir Alfred Cooper RawsonBrighton ConIll-health[127]
24 January 1944Henry HunlokeWest Derbyshire Con"Too busy" serving with his Regiment to attend properly to parliamentary duties[128]
6 March 1945George MorrisonCombined Scottish Universities L Nat
10 May 1946Jennie AdamsonBexley LabAppointed Deputy Chairman of the Unemployment Assistance Board[129]
12 September 1946Sir Benjamin SmithRotherhithe LabAppointed Chairman of the West Midlands Divisional Coal Board, under the National Coal Board[130]
11 October 1946Tom SmithNormanton LabAppointed Labour director of the North-Eastern Divisional Coal Board, under the National Coal Board[131]
22 October 1946Noel Mason-MacFarlanePaddington, North LabIll health[132]
20 October 1947Clifford GlossopHowdenshire ConIll health[133]
29 January 1948Henry WillinkCroydon, North ConAppointed Master of Magdalene College, Cambridge[134]
6 April 1948John Hanbury MartinSouthwark Central LabIll-health[135]
8 February 1949John BelcherSowerby LabFound to have accepted gifts from a "fixer" to influence his conduct as a minister[136]
Close

1950 to 1999

More information Date, Member ...
DateMemberConstituencyPartyReason for resignation
20 March 1950Harry MorrisSheffield, Neepsend LabVacating his seat so that Solicitor-General Sir Frank Soskice could return to Parliament[137]
3 February 1951Sir Ronald Cross, BtOrmskirk ConAppointed Governor of Tasmania[138]
30 March 1951Norman BowerHarrow, West ConIll-health[139]
8 October 1952Conolly GageBelfast South UUPIll-health[140]
12 January 1953John Baker WhiteCanterbury ConIll-health[141]
31 January 1953Walter AylesHayes and Harlington LabIll-health[142]
3 June 1953Sir Ralph Glyn, BtAbingdon ConCreated a Baron (coronation honours list); vacating his seat to allow an early election[143]
14 October 1953Malcolm BullockCrosby ConIll-health[144]
8 January 1954Viscount CranborneBournemouth, West ConIll-health[145]
12 February 1954Christopher YorkHarrogate ConIll-health[146]
5 November 1954Richard HardenArmagh UUPGiving up a political career in order to concentrate on farming the family estate[147]
22 March 1955Sir Richard Acland, BtGravesend LabSeeking re-election as a candidate opposed to British development of the hydrogen bomb[148]
16 November 1956Anthony NuttingMelton ConOpposed to Government policy on the Suez Crisis[149]
11 January 1957Sir Anthony EdenWarwick and Leamington ConIll-health; had retired as Prime Minister[150]
29 October 1957Charles WaterhouseLeicester, South East ConConcentrating on business life involving frequent visits to Africa[151]
1 April 1958Sir Hartley ShawcrossSt. Helens LabUnable to devote his full time to Parliamentary activities[152]
24 November 1958Ian HarveyHarrow, East ConCharged with gross indecency with a Coldstream guardsman in St James's Park[153]
8 June 1961James CarmichaelGlasgow, Bridgeton LabIll-health[154]
13 December 1961Sir Geoffrey de FreitasLincoln LabAppointed High Commissioner to Ghana[155]
7 March 1962Edward WakefieldWest Derbyshire ConAppointed High Commissioner to Malta[156]
30 July 1963Malcolm St ClairBristol, South East ConTo allow Tony Benn, who won the previous election but was disqualified due to inheriting an unwanted peerage, to regain his seat after being allowed to disclaim the peerage[157]
19 March 1965Aubrey JonesBirmingham, Hall Green ConAppointed Chairman of the Prices and Incomes Board[158]
5 December 1966Frank CousinsNuneaton LabConcentrating on work as General Secretary of the Transport and General Workers' Union
25 October 1967Aidan CrawleyWest Derbyshire ConAppointed Chairman of London Weekend Television[159]
25 July 1968Oliver Crosthwaite-EyreNew Forest ConIll-health[160]
2 April 1970Will OwenMorpeth LabCharged under the Official Secrets Act
3 February 1971Walter AlldrittLiverpool, Scotland LabAppointed Regional Secretary, National Union of General and Municipal Workers[161]
16 October 1972Dick TaverneLincoln LabSeeking re-election on leaving the Labour Party[162]
16 February 1973Maurice FoleyWest Bromwich LabAppointed Deputy Director General for Development by the European Community[163]
11 February 1976Selwyn LloydWirral SpeakerRetiring as Speaker of the House of Commons[164]
12 October 1976Edward ShortNewcastle-upon-Tyne, Central LabAppointed Chairman of Cable & Wireless[165]
5 January 1977Christopher TugendhatCity of London and Westminster South ConAppointed a European Commissioner[166]
5 April 1977David MarquandAshfield LabAppointed Chief Advisor to the President of the European Commission[167]
25 July 1977John CordleBournemouth East ConFound in contempt of the House (Poulson scandal)[168]
6 November 1978John DaviesKnutsford ConIll-health[169]
5 May 1982Bruce Douglas-MannMitcham and Morden LabSeeking re-election on joining the Social Democratic Party[170]
19 January 1984Eric VarleyChesterfield LabAppointed Executive Deputy Chairman of Coalite plc[171]
17 December 1985Ian PaisleyNorth Antrim DUPSeeking re-election in protest at the Anglo-Irish Agreement[172]
17 December 1985Clifford ForsytheSouth Antrim UUPSeeking re-election in protest at the Anglo-Irish Agreement[172]
17 December 1985Ken MaginnisFermanagh and South Tyrone UUPSeeking re-election in protest at the Anglo-Irish Agreement[172]
17 December 1985Peter RobinsonBelfast East DUPSeeking re-election in protest at the Anglo-Irish Agreement[172]
17 December 1985Martin SmythBelfast South UUPSeeking re-election in protest at the Anglo-Irish Agreement[172]
17 December 1985Cecil WalkerBelfast North UUPSeeking re-election in protest at the Anglo-Irish Agreement[172]
17 December 1985Enoch PowellSouth Down UUPSeeking re-election in protest at the Anglo-Irish Agreement[172]
17 April 1986Matthew ParrisWest Derbyshire ConAppointed as a presenter of Weekend World
1 October 1986Robert Kilroy-SilkKnowsley North LabAppointed as a presenter of Day To Day
31 December 1988Leon BrittanRichmond ConAppointed a European Commissioner
16 May 1994Bryan GouldDagenham LabAppointed Vice-Chancellor of the University of Waikato[173]
27 October 1997Piers MerchantBeckenham ConRevelations of an affair with a 17-year-old nightclub hostess[174]
Close

Since 2000

More information Date, Member ...
Date Member Constituency Party Reason for resignation
10 January 2000 Cynog Dafis Ceredigion PC Elected a member of the National Assembly for Wales[175]
21 November 2000 Dennis Canavan Falkirk West Lab Elected a Member of the Scottish Parliament[176]
8 September 2004 Peter Mandelson Hartlepool Lab Appointed a European commissioner[177]
4 June 2008 Boris Johnson Henley Con Elected Mayor of London[178]
30 June 2008 David Marshall Glasgow East Lab Ill health[179]
22 June 2009 Michael Martin Glasgow North East Speaker Retiring as Speaker of the House of Commons[180]
26 January 2011 Gerry Adams Belfast West SF To stand in the 2011 Irish general election[181][182][183]
1 April 2011 Peter Soulsby Leicester South Lab To stand for election as Mayor of Leicester[184][185]
29 August 2012 Louise Mensch Corby Con To join her family in New York[186][187]
22 October 2012[188] Tony Lloyd Manchester Central Lab To stand for election as Police and crime commissioner for the Greater Manchester Police Force Area[189]
2 January 2013[190] Martin McGuinness Mid Ulster SF To end double-jobbing as Member of Parliament and Member of the Northern Ireland Assembly[191]
15 April 2013[192] David Miliband South Shields Lab To become head of the International Rescue Committee in New York
29 August 2014[193] Douglas Carswell Clacton Con Seeking re-election, having joined the UK Independence Party
23 March 2016[194] Huw Irranca-Davies Ogmore Lab To contest the 2016 Welsh Assembly election
12 September 2016[195] David Cameron Witney Con Due to concerns that remaining a backbench MP following his resignation as Prime Minister on 13 July 2016 would be "a big distraction and a big diversion" from the work of the new government[196]
4 November 2016[197] Stephen Phillips Sleaford and North Hykeham Con "Significant policy differences" with the government regarding their approach to the UK leaving the European Union[198]
23 January 2017[199] Jamie Reed Copeland Lab To become Head of Development and Community Relations for Sellafield Ltd
9 May 2018[200] Heidi Alexander Lewisham East Lab To become Deputy Mayor of London for Transport[201]
4 November 2019[202] John Bercow Buckingham Speaker Retiring as Speaker of the House of Commons
24 March 2021[203] Neil Gray Airdrie and Shotts SNP To seek election at the 2021 Scottish Parliament election
5 November 2021[204] Owen Paterson North Shropshire Con Breaching the rules against paid advocacy
4 May 2022[205][206] Neil Parish Tiverton and Honiton Con Viewed pornography in the Palace of Westminster
10 November 2022[207] Kate Green Stretford and Urmston Lab To become Deputy Mayor of Greater Manchester[208]
12 June 2023[209] Nigel Adams Selby and Ainsty Con Resignation in solidarity with Boris Johnson
19 June 2023[210] David Warburton Somerton and Frome Con Allegations of sexual harassment and drug abuse
7 September 2023[211] Chris Pincher Tamworth Con Allegations of sexual misconduct
25 March 2024[212] Scott Benton Blackpool South Con Filmed appearing to offer lobbying favours for payment[3]
23 January 2026[213] Andrew Gwynne Gorton and Denton Lab Following his suspension from the Labour Party, he resigned due to "significant ill-health" [214]
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Dual appointments

Some former MPs have held both offices of Steward of the Manor of Northstead and of the Chiltern Hundreds. These include:

See also

References

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