# Cumberland (UK Parliament constituency)

Cumberland is a former United Kingdom Parliamentary constituency. It was a constituency of the House of Commons of the Parliament of England then of the Parliament of Great Britain from 1707 to 1800 and of the Parliament of the United Kingdom from 1801 to 1832. It was represented by two Knights of the Shire. It was divided between the constituencies of Cumberland East and Cumberland West in 1832. Mike Jenkinson, Conservative, served as the local MP in Workington from 2019 until the dissolution of parliament in 2024.

## Members of Parliament

* Constituency created 1290

### MPs 1290–1640

| Parliament | First member | Second member |
| 1301 | Sir John Wigton | |
| 1305 | Sir John Wigton | |
| 1306 | Sir John de Lucy | |
| 1312 | Andrew Harclay | |
| 1313 | Sir John Wigton | |
| 1316 | John de Skelton | |
| 1324 | Hugh de Lowther | |
| 1325 | Robert Parning |
| 1327 | Robert Parning |
| 1328 | Robert Parning |
| 1331 | Robert Parning |
| 1332 | Robert Parning |
| 1337 | Thomas de Skelton | |
| 1342 | Hugh de Lowther | Peter de Tylliol |
| 1344 | Hugh de Lowther | John de Orreton |
| 1345 | Hugh de Lowther | Henry de Malton |
| 1368 | James Pickering | |
| 1377 | Richard de Sandys | Sir Richard Moubray |
| 1377 | John FitzHugh de Lowther | |
| 1378 | Peter Tilliol |
| 1380 (Jan) | Sir William Curwen |
| 1380 (Nov) | Peter Tilliol |
| 1383 | John de Burgham | John de Kirby |
| 1385 | Sir Richard de Beaulieu | Sir Peter Tilliol |
| 1386 | Amand Monceaux | John Thirlwall |
| 1388 (Feb) | Sir John de Derwentwater | Sir John Ireby |
| 1388 (Sep) | Amand Monceaux | Sir Robert Muncaster |
| 1390 (Jan) | Amand Monceaux | William de Threlkeld |
| 1390 (Nov) | William Stapleton | Thomas Sands |
| 1391 | Sir Peter Tilliol | Robert Lowther |
| 1393 | Geoffrey Tilliol | William Lowther |
| 1394 | Sir Clement Skelton | Robert Lowther |
| 1395 | William Stapleton | Thomas Sands |
| 1397 (Jan) | Sir John Ireby | Sir Clement Skelton |
| 1397 (Sep) | Sir Peter Tilliol | William Osmundlaw |
| 1399 | Sir William Leigh | Roland Vaux |
| 1401 | Robert Lowther | William Stapleton |
| 1402 | Sir Peter Tilliol | John Skelton |
| 1404 (Jan) | Sir Robert Lowther | William Lowther I |
| 1404 (Oct) | John More I | William Bewley |
| 1406 | Sir Robert Lowther | Sir John Skelton |
| 1407 | William Stapleton | William More |
| 1410 | Sir Peter Tilliol | Christopher Moresby |
| 1411 | | |
| 1413 (Feb) | |
| 1413 (May) | Sir Peter Tilliol | William Bewley |
| 1414 (Apr) | (Sir) Robert Lowther | Sir William Leigh |
| 1414 (Nov) | Sir Christopher Curwen | John Eaglesfield |
| 1415 | |
| 1416 (Mar) | (Sir) John Lancaster | William Stapleton |
| 1416 (Oct) | |
| 1417 | Sir Peter Tilliol | (Sir) Robert Lowther |
| 1419 | Sir Peter Tilliol | Richard Restwold I |
| 1420 | Sir Peter Tilliol | Thomas de la More |
| 1421 (May) | Sir John Lamplugh | Richard Restwold II |
| 1421 (Dec) | Sir Peter Tilliol | Sir Nicholas Radcliffe |
| 1422 | Sir Peter Tilliol | Sir John Skelton |
| 1423 | Sir Christopher Curwen | |
| 1425 | Sir Christopher Curwen | Sir Peter Tilliol |
| 1426 | Sir Peter Tilliol |
| 1427 | Sir Christopher Curwen | Sir Nicholas Ratcliffe of Derwentwater |
| 1431 | Sir Christopher Curwen | |
| 1432 | Sir Christopher Curwen | |
| 1445 | Sir Thomas Parr | |
| 1446 | Sir John Penington | |
| 1467 | Sir John Huddleston | |
| 1491 | Sir Christopher Dacre | |
| 1510–1515 | No Names Known |
| 1523 | ?Sir Christopher Dacre | ? |
| 1529 | Sir Christopher Dacre | John Lee I |
| 1536 | |
| 1539 | |
| 1542 | ?Sir Thomas Wharton | ?Hon. Sir Thomas Wharton |
| 1545 | Hon. Sir Thomas Wharton | Cuthbert Hutton |
| 1547 | Hon. Sir Thomas Wharton | Richard Musgrave |
| 1553 (Mar) | (Sir) Richard Musgrave | Henry Curwen |
| 1553 (Oct) | Hon. Sir Thomas Wharton | Thomas Dacre |
| 1554 (Apr) | John Lee II | Robert Penruddock |
| 1554 (Nov) | John Lee II | Robert Penruddock |
| 1555 | Thomas Threlkeld | Henry Curwen |
| 1558 | Leonard Dacre | John Dalston |
| 1558–1559 | Leonard Dacre | William Musgrave |
| 1563 (Jan) | Leonard Dacre | Henry Curwen |
| 1571 | Sir Henry Percy, sat for Northumberland and repl. by ? | Sir Simon Musgrave |
| 1572 | Sir Simon Musgrave | Edward Scrope, died and repl. Nov 1580 by Sir Thomas Boynton? |
| 1584 | Thomas Scrope | Robert Bowes I |
| 1586 | Robert Bowes I | Henry Leigh |
| 1588–9 | Sir Thomas Scrope | Robert Bowes I |
| 1593 | Nicholas Curwen | Wilfred Lawson |
| 1597 | Joseph Pennington (MP) | Christopher Pickering |
| 1601 (Oct) | William Huddleston | Gerard Lowther II |
| 1604–1611 | Sir Wilfred Lawson | Edward Musgrave |
| 1614 | Sir Wilfred Lawson | Sir Thomas Penruddock |
| 1621–2 | Sir George Dalston | Sir Henry Curwen |
| 1624 | Sir George Dalston | Ferdinando Huddleston |
| 1625 | Sir George Dalston | Patricius Curwen |
| 1626 | Sir George Dalston | Patricius Curwen |
| 1628 | Sir George Dalston | Sir Patricius Curwen, Bt |
| 1629–1640 | No Parliament summoned |

### MPs 1640–1832

| Year | First member | First party | Second member | Second party |
| April 1640 | Sir Patricius Curwen, Bt | | Sir George Dalston | |
| November 1640 | Sir Patricius Curwen, Bt | | Sir George Dalston | Royalist |
| March 1643 | Curwen and Dalston disabled to sit – both seats vacant | Curwen and Dalston disabled to sit – both seats vacant | Curwen and Dalston disabled to sit – both seats vacant | Curwen and Dalston disabled to sit – both seats vacant |
| 1646 | William Armine | | Richard Tolson | |
| December 1648 | William Armine | | Tolson excluded in Pride's Purge – seat vacant | Tolson excluded in Pride's Purge – seat vacant |
| 1653 | Cumberland was not separately represented in the Barebones Parliament. The following were nominated for The Four Northern Counties collectively: Major-General Charles Howard, Robert Fenwick, Henry Dawson, Henry Ogle | Cumberland was not separately represented in the Barebones Parliament. The following were nominated for The Four Northern Counties collectively: Major-General Charles Howard, Robert Fenwick, Henry Dawson, Henry Ogle | Cumberland was not separately represented in the Barebones Parliament. The following were nominated for The Four Northern Counties collectively: Major-General Charles Howard, Robert Fenwick, Henry Dawson, Henry Ogle | Cumberland was not separately represented in the Barebones Parliament. The following were nominated for The Four Northern Counties collectively: Major-General Charles Howard, Robert Fenwick, Henry Dawson, Henry Ogle |
| 1654 | Colonel William Briscoe | | Major-General Charles Howard | |
| 1656 | Colonel William Briscoe | | Major-General Charles Howard | |
| January 1659 | Colonel William Briscoe | | Sir Wilfrid Lawson | |
| May 1659 | Not represented in the restored Rump, Armine having died in the interim | Not represented in the restored Rump, Armine having died in the interim | Not represented in the restored Rump, Armine having died in the interim | Not represented in the restored Rump, Armine having died in the interim |
| April 1660 | Sir Wilfrid Lawson | | Charles Howard | |
| 1661 | Sir Patricius Curwen, Bt | | Sir George Fletcher, Bt | |
| 1665 | Sir John Lowther, Bt | | Sir George Fletcher, Bt | |
| February 1679 | Sir John Lowther, Bt | | Richard Lamplugh | |
| August 1679 | Sir John Lowther, Bt | | Viscount Morpeth | |
| 1681 | Sir John Lowther, Bt | | Sir George Fletcher, Bt | |
| 1685 | Sir John Lowther, Bt | | The Viscount Preston | |
| 1689 | Sir John Lowther, Bt | | Sir George Fletcher, Bt | |
| January 1701 | Richard Musgrave | | Gilfrid Lawson | |
| December 1701 | Sir Edward Hasell | | George Fletcher | Whig |
| 1702 | Richard Musgrave | | Gilfrid Lawson | |
| 1705 | Richard Musgrave | | George Fletcher | Whig |
| 1708 | James Lowther | | Gilfrid Lawson | |
| 1722 | Sir Christopher Musgrave, Bt | | Gilfrid Lawson | |
| 1727 | James Lowther | | Gilfrid Lawson | |
| 1734 | James Lowther | | Sir Joseph Pennington, Bt | |
| 1745 | James Lowther | | Sir John Pennington, Bt | |
| 1755 | Sir William Lowther, Bt | | Sir John Pennington, Bt | |
| 1756 | Sir William Fleming | | Sir John Pennington, Bt | |
| 1757 | Sir James Lowther, Bt | | Sir John Pennington, Bt | |
| 1761 | Sir Wilfrid Lawson, Bt | | Sir John Pennington, Bt | |
| 1762 | Sir James Lowther, Bt | Tory | Sir John Pennington, Bt | |
| March 1768 | Sir James Lowther, Bt | Tory | Henry Curwen | Whig |
| December 1768 | Sir Henry Fletcher, Bt | Whig | Henry Curwen | Whig |
| 1774 | Sir Henry Fletcher, Bt | Whig | Sir James Lowther, Bt | Tory |
| 1784 | Sir Henry Fletcher, Bt | Whig | Sir William Lowther, Bt | Tory |
| 1790 | Sir Henry Fletcher, Bt | Whig | Humphrey Senhouse | Tory |
| 1796 | Sir Henry Fletcher, Bt | Whig | John Lowther | Tory |
| 1806 | Viscount Morpeth | Tory | John Lowther | Tory |
| 1820 | John Christian Curwen | Whig | John Lowther | Tory |
| 1829 | Sir James Graham, Bt | Whig | John Lowther | Tory |
| 1831 | Sir James Graham, Bt | Whig | William Blamire | Whig |
* Constituency abolished (1832)
Notes
* 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 "History of Parliament". Retrieved 1 September 2011.
* 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 "History of Parliament". Retrieved 1 September 2011.
* 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 "History of Parliament". Retrieved 1 September 2011.
* ↑ Sir William Armine, Bt., from 1651
* ↑ At the general election of 1768, Lowther defeated Fletcher by two votes, but on petition the result was overturned and Fletcher declared elected
* ↑ Created a baronet as Sir John Lowther, 1824

## Elections

The county franchise, from 1430, was held by the adult male owners of freehold land valued at 40 shillings or more. Each elector had as many votes as there were seats to be filled. Votes had to be cast by a spoken declaration, in public, at the hustings, which took place in the town of Cockermouth. The expense and difficulty of voting at only one location in the county, together with the lack of a secret ballot contributed to the corruption and intimidation of electors, which was widespread in the unreformed British political system.
The expense, to candidates, of contested elections encouraged the leading families of the county to agree on the candidates to be returned unopposed whenever possible. Contested county elections were therefore unusual.

## Election results

Election results taken from the History of Parliament Trust series.

### Elections in the 18th century

General election 1715: Cumberland (2 seats) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Nonpartisan | James Lowther | Unopposed | N/A | N/A |
| | Nonpartisan | Gilfrid Lawson | Unopposed | N/A | N/A |
General election 1722: Cumberland (2 seats) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Nonpartisan | Christopher Musgrave | Unopposed | N/A | N/A |
| | Nonpartisan | Gilfrid Lawson | Unopposed | N/A | N/A |
General election 1727: Cumberland (2 seats) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Nonpartisan | James Lowther | Unopposed | N/A | N/A |
| | Nonpartisan | Gilfrid Lawson | Unopposed | N/A | N/A |
* Note: James Lowther succeeded his brother as baronet in 1731
General election 1734: Cumberland (2 seats) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Nonpartisan | James Lowther | Unopposed | N/A | N/A |
| | Nonpartisan | Joseph Pennington | Unopposed | N/A | N/A |
General election 1741: Cumberland (2 seats) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Nonpartisan | James Lowther | Unopposed | N/A | N/A |
| | Nonpartisan | Joseph Pennington | Unopposed | N/A | N/A |
* Death of Pennington
By-Election 8 January 1745: Cumberland :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Nonpartisan | John Pennington | Unopposed | N/A | N/A |
General election 1747: Cumberland (2 seats) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Nonpartisan | James Lowther | Unopposed | N/A | N/A |
| | Nonpartisan | John Pennington | Unopposed | N/A | N/A |
* incomplete
General election 1768: Cumberland (2 seats) :
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| Whig | Henry Curwen | 2,139 | 26.8 | N/A |
| Tory | James Lowther | 1,977 | 24.8 | N/A |
| Whig | Henry Fletcher | 1,975 | 24.7 | N/A |
| Tory | Humphrey Senhouse | 1,891 | 23.7 | N/A |
* On petition, Fletcher returned in place of Lowther, 16 December 1768
General election 1774: Cumberland (2 seats) :
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| Tory | James Lowther | 976 | 45.2 | N/A |
| Whig | Henry Fletcher | 876 | 40.6 | N/A |
| Tory | Joseph Pennington | 305 | 14.1 | N/A |
* incomplete
General election 1820: Cumberland (2 seats) :
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| Tory | John Lowther | 166 | 41.5 | N/A |
| Whig | John Christian Curwen | 138 | 34.5 | N/A |
| Tory | George Howard | 96 | 24.0 | N/A |