Parliamentary representation from Devon
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The historic county of Devon in south west England was represented in Parliament from the 13th century. This article provides a list of constituencies constituting the Parliamentary representation from Devon.
In 1889 Devon became an administrative county. Unlike many other counties there has been no major change between the historic and administrative county boundaries. The first part of this article covers the constituencies wholly or predominantly within the area of the historic county. The second part refers to constituencies mostly in another historic county, which included some territory from the historic county of Devon (if any). The summaries section only refers to the constituencies included in the first section of the constituency list.
List of constituencies
Article names are followed by (UK Parliament constituency). The constituencies which existed in 1707 were those previously represented in the Parliament of England.
Key to abbreviations:-
- (Type) BC: Borough constituency, CC: County constituency.
Constituencies wholly or predominantly in the historic county
| Constituency | Type | From | To | MPs | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ashburton | BC | 1298 | 1301 | 2 | Unrepresented 1654-1659 |
| BC | 1640 | 1868 | 2 (1640–1832) | ||
| 1 (1832–1868) | |||||
| CC | 1885 | 1918 | 1 | ||
| Barnstaple | BC (1295-1885) | 1295 | 1950 | 2 (1295-1654) | |
| 1 (1654–1659) | |||||
| 2 (1659–1885) | |||||
| CC (1885–1950) | 1 (1885–1950) | ||||
| Bere Alston | BC | 1584 | 1832 | 2 | Also spelt Beeralston. Unrepresented 1654-1659 |
| Dartmouth | BC | 1298 | 1301 | 2 | Includes Clifton, Dartmouth, Hardness 1654-1659 |
| BC | 1351 | 1868 | 2 (1351-1654) | ||
| 1 (1654–1659) | |||||
| 2 (1659–1832) | |||||
| 1 (1832–1868) | |||||
| Central Devon | CC | next | * | 1 | |
| Devon | CC | 1290 | 1832 | 2 (1290-1654) | |
| 11 (1654–1659) | |||||
| 2 (1659–1832) | |||||
| East Devon | CC | 1868 | 1885 | 2 | |
| CC | 1997 | * | 1 | ||
| North Devon | CC | 1832 | 1885 | 2 | |
| CC | 1950 | * | 1 | ||
| South Devon | CC | 1832 | 1885 | 2 | |
| South West Devon | CC | 1997 | * | 1 | |
| West Devon | CC | 1974 | 1983 | 1 | |
| Devonport | BC | 1832 | 1918 | 2 | |
| Exeter | BC | 1295 | * | 2 (1295-1885) | |
| 1 (1885-*) | |||||
| Honiton | BC | 1301 | 1307 | 2 | |
| BC (1640–1885) | 1640 | 1997 | 2 (1640–1654) | ||
| 1 (1654–1659) | |||||
| 2 (1659–1885) | |||||
| CC (1885–1997) | 1 (1885–1997) | ||||
| Newton Abbot | CC | next | * | 1 | |
| Okehampton | BC | 1301 | 1307 | 2 | Unrepresented 1654-1659 |
| BC | 1640 | 1832 | 2 | ||
| Plymouth | BC | 1298 | 1301 | 2 | |
| BC | 1442 | 1918 | 2 | ||
| Plymouth Devonport | BC | 1918 | next | 1 | |
| Plymouth Drake | BC | 1918 | 1950 | 1 | |
| BC | 1974 | 1997 | 1 | ||
| Plymouth Moor View | BC | next | * | 1 | |
| Plymouth Sutton | BC | 1918 | next | 1 | |
| Plymouth Sutton and Devonport | BC | next | * | 1 | |
| Plympton Erle | BC | 1295 | 1832 | 2 | Unrepresented 1654-1659 |
| South Hams | CC | 1983 | 1997 | 1 | |
| South Molton | CC | 1885 | 1950 | 1 | |
| Tavistock | BC | 1295 | 1296 | 2 | Unrepresented 1654-1659 |
| BC (1330-1885) | 1330 | 1974 | 2 (1330-1868) | ||
| CC (1885–1974) | 1 (1868–1974) | ||||
| Teignbridge | CC | 1983 | next | 1 | |
| Tiverton | BC (1621–1885) | 1621 | 1997 | 2 (1621–1654) | |
| 1 (1654–1659) | |||||
| 2 (1659–1885) | |||||
| CC (1885–1997) | 1 (1885–1997) | ||||
| Tiverton and Honiton | CC | 1997 | * | 1 | |
| Torbay | BC | 1974 | * | 1 | |
| Torquay | CC (1885–1950) | 1885 | 1974 | 1 | |
| BC (1950–1974) | |||||
| Torridge and West Devon | CC | 1983 | * | 1 | |
| Torrington | BC | 1295 | 1307 | 2 | |
| CC | 1950 | 1974 | 1 | ||
| Totnes | BC | 1295 | 1868 | 2 (1295-1654) | |
| 1 (1654–1659) | |||||
| 2 (1659–1868) | |||||
| CC | 1885 | 1983 | 1 | ||
| CC | 1997 | * | 1 | ||
Constituencies mostly in another historic county
| Constituency | Type | From | To | MPs | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Periods constituencies represented
| 1290–1295 | 1295–1296 | 1296–1298 | 1298–1301 | 1301–1307 | 1307–1330 | 1330–1351 | 1351–1442 | 1442–1584 | 1584–1621 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ashburton | 1298–1301 | |||||||||
| Barnstaple | 1295–1950 | |||||||||
| Bere Alston | 1584–1654 | |||||||||
| Dartmouth | 1298–1301 | 1351–1868 | ||||||||
| Devon | 1290–1832 | |||||||||
| Exeter | 1295–* | |||||||||
| Honiton | 1301–1307 | |||||||||
| Okehampton | 1301–1307 | |||||||||
| Plymouth | 1298–1301 | 1442–1918 | ||||||||
| Plympton Erle | 1295–1654 | |||||||||
| Tavistock | 1295–1296 | 1330–1654 | ||||||||
| Torrington | 1295–1307 | |||||||||
| Totnes | 1295–1868 | |||||||||
| 1621–1640 | 1640–1654 | 1654–1659 | 1659–1832 | 1832–1868 | 1868–1885 | 1885–1918 | 1918–1950 | 1950–1974 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ashburton | 1640–1654 | 1659–1868 | |||||||
| Barnstaple | 1295–1950 | ||||||||
| Bere Alston | 1584–1654 | 1659–1832 | |||||||
| Dartmouth | 1351–1868 | ||||||||
| Devon | 1290–1832 | ||||||||
| East Devon | 1868–1885 | ||||||||
| North Devon | 1832–1885 | 1950–* | |||||||
| South Devon | 1832–1885 | ||||||||
| Devonport | 1832–1918 | ||||||||
| Exeter | 1295–* | ||||||||
| Honiton | 1640–1997 | ||||||||
| Okehampton | 1640–1654 | 1659–1832 | |||||||
| Plymouth | 1442–1918 | ||||||||
| Plymouth Devonport | 1918–next | ||||||||
| Plymouth Drake | 1918–1950 | ||||||||
| Plymouth Sutton | 1918–next | ||||||||
| Plympton Erle | 1295–1654 | 1659–1832 | |||||||
| South Molton | 1885–1950 | ||||||||
| Tavistock | 1330–1654 | 1659–1974 | |||||||
| Tiverton | 1621–1997 | ||||||||
| Torquay | 1885–1974 | ||||||||
| Torrington | 1950–1974 | ||||||||
| Totnes | 1295–1868 | 1885–1983 | |||||||
| 1974–1983 | 1983–1997 | 1997–next | next–* | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Central Devon | next–* | |||
| East Devon | 1997–* | |||
| North Devon | 1950–* | |||
| South West Devon | 1997–* | |||
| West Devon | 1974–1983 | |||
| Exeter | 1295–* | |||
| Honiton | 1640–1997 | |||
| Newton Abbot | next–* | |||
| Plymouth Devonport | 1918–next | |||
| Plymouth Drake | 1974–1997 | |||
| Plymouth Moor View | next–* | |||
| Plymouth Sutton | 1974–next | |||
| Plymouth Sutton and Devonport | next–* | |||
| South Hams | 1983–1997 | |||
| Teignbridge | 1983–next | |||
| Tiverton | 1621–1997 | |||
| Tiverton and Honiton | 1997–* | |||
| Torbay | 1974–* | |||
| Torridge and West Devon | 1983–* | |||
| Totnes | 1885–1983 | 1997–* | ||
Summaries
Summary of constituencies by type and period
Note: Dates of representation prior to 1509 are provisional.
| Type | 1290 | 1295 | 1296 | 1298 | 1301 | 1307 | 1330 | 1351 | 1442 | 1584 | 1621 | 1640 | 1654 | 1659 | 1832 | 1868 | 1885 | 1918 | 1950 | 1974 | 1983 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Borough | - | 6 | 5 | 8 | 7 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 12 | 7 | 12 | 10 | 7 | 3 | 4 | 4 | 5 | 5 |
| County | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 8 | 7 | 6 | 5 | 5 |
| Total | 1 | 7 | 6 | 9 | 8 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 13 | 8 | 13 | 12 | 10 | 11 | 11 | 10 | 10 | 10 |
| Type | 1997 | next |
|---|---|---|
| Borough | 4 | 4 |
| County | 7 | 8 |
| Total | 11 | 12 |
Summary of members of parliament by type and period
| Type | 1290 | 1295 | 1296 | 1298 | 1301 | 1307 | 1330 | 1351 | 1442 | 1584 | 1621 | 1640 | 1654 | 1659 | 1832 | 1868 | 1885 | 1918 | 1950 | 1974 | 1983 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Borough | - | 12 | 10 | 16 | 14 | 8 | 10 | 12 | 14 | 16 | 18 | 24 | 9 | 24 | 18 | 13 | 5 | 4 | 4 | 5 | 5 |
| County | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 11 | 2 | 4 | 6 | 8 | 7 | 6 | 5 | 5 |
| Total | 2 | 14 | 12 | 18 | 16 | 10 | 12 | 14 | 16 | 18 | 20 | 26 | 20 | 26 | 22 | 19 | 13 | 11 | 10 | 10 | 10 |
| Type | 1997 | next |
|---|---|---|
| Borough | 4 | 4 |
| County | 7 | 8 |
| Total | 11 | 12 |
See also
References
- Boundaries of Parliamentary Constituencies 1885-1972, compiled and edited by F.W.S. Craig (Parliamentary Reference Publications 1972)
- British Parliamentary Constituencies: A Statistical Compendium, by Ivor Crewe and Anthony Fox (Faber and Faber 1984)
- British Parliamentary Election Results 1832-1885, compiled and edited by F.W.S. Craig (The Macmillan Press 1977)
- The House of Commons 1509-1558, by S.T. Bindoff (Secker & Warburg 1982)
- The House of Commons 1558-1603, by P.W. Hasler (HMSO 1981)
- The House of Commons 1660-1690, by Basil Duke Henning (Secker & Warburg 1983)
- The House of Commons 1715-1754, by Romney Sedgwick (HMSO 1970)
- The House of Commons 1754-1790, by Sir Lewis Namier and John Brooke (HMSO 1964)
- The House of Commons 1790-1820, by R.G. Thorne (Secker & Warburg 1986)
- The Parliaments of England by Henry Stooks Smith (1st edition published in three volumes 1844–50), second edition edited (in one volume) by F.W.S. Craig (Political Reference Publications 1973) out of copyright