# Helston (UK Parliament constituency)

Helston, sometimes known as Helleston, was a parliamentary borough centred on the small town of Helston in Cornwall.
Using the block vote system of election, it returned two Members of Parliament (MPs) to the House of Commons of England until 1707, then to the House of Commons of Great Britain until 1800, and to the House of Commons of the United Kingdom until the 1832 general election.
The Reform Act 1832 reduced its representation to one member, elected by the first-past-the-post system. Under the Redistribution of Seats Act 1885, it was abolished with effect from the 1885 general election.

## Members of Parliament
### MPs before 1640

* Constituency created (1298)
| Parliament | First member | Second member |
| 1298 | R de Rosemayn | I de Kellyhellan |
| 1318 | J Jerveys | |
| 1323–24 | John Tremayne |
| 1325 | David De Autrenon |
| 1332 | J Jerveys | |
| 1338 | J Jerveys | |
| 1341–42 | John Tremayne |
| 1351–52 | Johannes De Tremayn |
| 1358 | John Hamely | |
| 1360 | T Jerveys | |
| 1361 | John Hamely |
| 1363 | T Jerveys | |
| 1384 | William Bodrugan |
| Parliament of 1386 | Roger Trewythenick | John Urban |
| First Parliament of 1388 (Feb) | Thomas Tregadereth | Roger Trewythenick |
| Second Parliament of 1388 (Sep) | Thomas Bray | John Symon |
| First Parliament of 1390 (Jan) | Roger Trewythenick | John Urban |
| Second Parliament of 1390 (Nov) | ? | ? |
| Parliament of 1391 | Roger Trewythenick | William Glasen |
| Parliament of 1393 | John Trereise | Michael Trereise |
| Parliament of 1394 | ? | ? |
| Parliament of 1395 | Roger Trewythenick | Roger Skewys |
| First Parliament of 1397 (Jan) | Thomas Beville | John Urban |
| Second Parliament of 1397 (Sep) | John Pengersick | John Skewys |
| Parliament of 1399 | Roger Trewythenick | John Pengersick |
| Parliament of 1401 | ? | ? |
| Parliament of 1402 | Roger Trewythenick | John Masselegh |
| First Parliament of 1404 (Jan) | | |
| Second Parliament of 1404 (Oct) | | |
| Parliament of 1406 | Walter Badrygy | William Penalewy |
| Parliament of 1407 | John Pengersick | Matthew Skewys |
| Parliament of 1410 | M Jerveys | |
| Parliament of 1411 | John Glasen | Thomas Pellour |
| First Parliament of 1413 (Feb) | | |
| Second Parliament of 1413 (May) | Thomas Treffidowe | Thomas Polglas |
| First Parliament of 1414 (Apr) | | |
| Second Parliament of 1414 (Nov) | John Clink | John Baker |
| Parliament of 1415 or 1416 (Mar) | John Glasen | Robert Treage |
| Parliament of 1416 (Oct) | | |
| Parliament of 1417 | John Glasen | Thomas Gurtaboys |
| Parliament of 1419 | Robert Treage | John Cork |
| Parliament of 1420 | William Richard | William Trethake II |
| First Parliament of 1421 (May) | Thomas Carathyn | John Treffridowe |
| Second Parliament of 1421 (Dec) | William Penpons | Adam Vivian\ |
| 1422 | Nicholas Aysshton |
| 1423 | Nicholas Aysshton |
| 1425 | Nicholas Aysshton |
| 1427 | Nicholas Aysshton |
| 1435 | Nicholas Aysshton |
| 1491–92 | William Antron |
| Parliament of 1529 | Edmund Smith | John Holdiche |
| Parliament of 1542 | William Trewynnard | ? |
| Parliament of 1545 | John Arundell | Richard Heywood |
| Parliament of 1547 | Thomas Mildmay | John Trengove |
| First Parliament of 1553 (Mar) | Thomas Mildmay | Robert Docatt |
| Second Parliament of 1553 (Oct) | William Bendlowes | Henry Trengove alias Nance |
| First Parliament of 1554 (Apr) | William St Aubyn | John Kyme |
| Second Parliament of 1554 (Nov) | Reginald Mohun | William St Aubin |
| Parliament of 1555 | Thomas Mildmay | Edward Neville |
| Parliament of 1558 | Thomas Mildmay | Peter Martyn |
| Parliament of 1559 | John Trendeneck | Francis Goldsmith |
| Parliament of 1562–1567 | William Porter | John Dudley |
| Parliament of 1571 | Sir Edward Bray | John Gayer |
| Parliament of 1572–1581 | William Killigrew | John Vivian (died c.1578) |
| Parliament of 1584–1585 | Humphrey Prideaux | William Lewis |
| Parliament of 1586–1587 | Hannibal Vyvyan | William Godolphin |
| Parliament of 1588–1589 | William Buggin | Christopher Osborne |
| Parliament of 1593 | William Gardiner | Ralph Knevitt |
| Parliament of 1597–1598 | William Cooke | Nicholas Saunders |
| Parliament of 1601 | William Twysden | Hannibal Vyvyan |
| Parliament of 1604–1611 | Sir John Leigh | John Bogans (died) Robert Naunton (from 1606) |
| Addled Parliament (1614) | Sir Robert Killigrew | Henry Bulstrode |
| Parliament of 1621–1622 | Sir Thomas Stafford | William Noy |
| Happy Parliament (1624–1625) | Thomas Carey | Francis Carew |
| Useless Parliament (1625) | Thomas Carey | Francis Carew |
| Parliament of 1625–1626 | Francis Godolphin | Francis Carew |
| Parliament of 1628–1629 | Sidney Godolphin | William Noy |
| No Parliament summoned 1629–1640 |||

### MPs 1640–1832

| Year | First member | First member | First party | Second member | Second member | Second party |
| April 1640 | | Sidney Godolphin | Royalist | | William Godolphin | Royalist |
| November 1640 | | Sidney Godolphin | Royalist | | Francis Godolphin | Royalist |
| February 1643 | Sidney Godolphin killed in battle – seat vacant | Sidney Godolphin killed in battle – seat vacant | Sidney Godolphin killed in battle – seat vacant | | | | Francis Godolphin | Royalist |
| January 1644 | Sidney Godolphin killed in battle – seat vacant | Sidney Godolphin killed in battle – seat vacant | Sidney Godolphin killed in battle – seat vacant | Francis Godolphin disabled from sitting – seat vacant | Francis Godolphin disabled from sitting – seat vacant | Francis Godolphin disabled from sitting – seat vacant |
| 1646 | | John Penrose | | | John Thomas | |
| December 1648 | Penrose not recorded as having sat after Pride's Purge | Penrose not recorded as having sat after Pride's Purge | Penrose not recorded as having sat after Pride's Purge | Thomas excluded in Pride's Purge – seat vacant | Thomas excluded in Pride's Purge – seat vacant | Thomas excluded in Pride's Purge – seat vacant |
| 1653 | Unrepresented in the Barebones Parliament and the First and Second Parliaments of the Protectorate | Unrepresented in the Barebones Parliament and the First and Second Parliaments of the Protectorate | Unrepresented in the Barebones Parliament and the First and Second Parliaments of the Protectorate | Unrepresented in the Barebones Parliament and the First and Second Parliaments of the Protectorate | Unrepresented in the Barebones Parliament and the First and Second Parliaments of the Protectorate | Unrepresented in the Barebones Parliament and the First and Second Parliaments of the Protectorate |
| January 1659 | | Robert Rous | | | Thomas Juxon | |
| May 1659 | Helston was unrepresented in the restored Rump | Helston was unrepresented in the restored Rump | Helston was unrepresented in the restored Rump | Helston was unrepresented in the restored Rump | Helston was unrepresented in the restored Rump | Helston was unrepresented in the restored Rump |
| April 1660 | | Anthony Rous | | | Alexander Penhellick | |
| July 1660 | | Thomas Robinson | | | (Sir) Francis Godolphin | |
| 1661 | | Thomas Robinson | | | Sir Peter Killigrew | |
| 1665 | | Sir William Godolphin, Bt | | | Sir Peter Killigrew | |
| 1668 | | Sir William Godolphin, Bt | | | Sidney Godolphin | Tory |
| Feb 1679 | | Sir William Godolphin, Bt | | | Sir Vyell Vyvyan, Bt | |
| Sep 1679 | | Sidney Godolphin | Tory | | Sir Vyell Vyvyan, Bt | |
| 1681 | | Sidney Godolphin | Tory | | Charles Godolphin | |
| 1685 | | Sidney Godolphin | | | Charles Godolphin | |
| 1689 | | Sir John St Aubyn, Bt | | | Charles Godolphin | |
| 1695 | | Francis Godolphin | | | Charles Godolphin | |
| 1698 | | Sidney Godolphin | | | Charles Godolphin | |
| 1701 | | Sidney Godolphin | | | Francis Godolphin | |
| 1708 | | Sidney Godolphin | | | John Evelyn | |
| Oct 1710 | | Sidney Godolphin | | | George Granville | Tory |
| Dec 1710 | | Sidney Godolphin | | | Robert Child | |
| 1713 | | Henry Campion | | | Charles Coxe | |
| 1714 | | Thomas Tonkin | | | Alexander Pendarves | Tory |
| 1715 | | Sir Gilbert Heathcote, Bt | Whig | | Sidney Godolphin | |
| 1722 | | Sir Robert Raymond | Tory | | Walter Carey | |
| 1724 | | Sir Clement Wearg | Whig | | Walter Carey | |
| 1726 | | Exton Sayer | | | Walter Carey | |
| 1727 | | John Evelyn | | | John Harris | |
| 1741 | | Francis Godolphin | | | Thomas Walker | Whig |
| 1747 | | Francis Godolphin | | | (Sir) John Evelyn | |
| 1766 | | William Windham | | | (Sir) John Evelyn | |
| 1767 | | William Windham | | | William Evelyn | |
| 1768 | | The Earl of Clanbrassil | | | William Evelyn | |
| 1774 | | Marquess of Carmarthen | Tory | | Francis Owen | |
| 1775 | | Francis Cust | | | Philip Yorke | |
| 1780 | | Jocelyn Deane | | | Philip Yorke | |
| March 1781 | | Richard Barwell | | | Philip Yorke | |
| June 1781 | | Richard Barwell | | | Lord Hyde | Tory |
| 1784 | | John Rogers | | | Lord Hyde | Tory |
| 1786 | | Roger Wilbraham | | | Lord Hyde | Tory |
| 1787 | | Roger Wilbraham | | | James Burges | |
| 1790 | | Sir Gilbert Elliot, Bt | Whig | | Stephen Lushington | Whig |
| 1795 | | Charles Abbot | Tory | | Stephen Lushington | Whig |
| 1796 | | Charles Abbot | Tory | | Richard Richards | |
| 1799 | | Charles Abbot | Tory | | Lord Francis Osborne | |
| 1802 | | Viscount Fitzharris | | | John Penn | |
| 1804 | | Davies Giddy | | | John Penn | |
| 1805 | | Davies Giddy | | | Viscount Primrose | |
| April 1806 | | Sir John Shelley, Bt | | | Viscount Primrose | |
| November 1806 | | Nicholas Vansittart | Tory | | John de Ponthieu | |
| January 1807 | | Thomas Brand | Whig | | John de Ponthieu | |
| May 1807 | | Sir John St Aubyn, Bt | | | Richard Richards | |
| July 1807 | | Sir John St Aubyn, Bt | | | The Lord Dufferin and Claneboye | |
| 1812 | | William Horne | Whig | | Hugh Hammersley | |
| 1818 | | Lord James Townshend | Tory | | Harrington Hudson | |
| 1826 | | Lord James Townshend | Tory | | The Marquess of Carmarthen | Tory |
| 1830 | | Lord James Townshend | Tory | | Sir Samuel Brooke-Pechell, Bt | Whig |
| 1831 | | Lord James Townshend | Tory | | Sackville Lane-Fox | Tory |
| 1832 | Representation reduced to one member | Representation reduced to one member | Representation reduced to one member | Representation reduced to one member | Representation reduced to one member | Representation reduced to one member |

### MPs 1832–1885

| Election | Election | Member | Party |
| 1832 | 1832 | Representation reduced to one member | Representation reduced to one member |
| | 1832 | Sackville Lane-Fox | Conservative |
| | 1835 | Lord James Townshend | Conservative |
| | 1837 | Viscount Cantelupe | Conservative |
| | 1840 by-election | John Basset | Conservative |
| | 1841 | Sir Richard Vyvyan, Bt | Conservative |
| | 1857 | Charles Trueman | Whig |
| | 1859 | John Jope Rogers | Conservative |
| | 1865 | Adolphus William Young | Liberal |
| | 1866 by-election | Robert Campbell | Liberal |
| | 1866 by-election | Sir William Brett | Conservative |
| | 1868 | Adolphus William Young | Liberal |
| | 1880 | William Molesworth-St Aubyn | Conservative |
| 1885 | 1885 | constituency abolished | constituency abolished |

## Elections
### Elections in the 1880s

General election 1880: Helston :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | William Molesworth-St Aubyn | 466 | 52.1 | +5.1 |
| | Liberal | Adolphus William Young | 429 | 47.9 | −5.1 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 37 | 4.2 | N/A |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 895 | 84.2 | −1.7 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 1,063 | | |
| | Conservative gain from Liberal | Conservative gain from Liberal | Swing | +5.1 | |

### Elections in the 1870s

General election 1874: Helston :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal | Adolphus William Young | 473 | 53.0 | −3.9 |
| | Conservative | William Nassau Lees | 420 | 47.0 | +3.9 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 53 | 5.0 | −7.8 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 893 | 85.9 | +1.5 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 1,040 | | |
| | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Swing | −3.9 | |

### Elections in the 1860s

General election 1868: Helston :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal | Adolphus William Young | 494 | 56.9 | +5.2 |
| | Conservative | Thomas Charles Bruce | 374 | 43.1 | −5.2 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 120 | 13.8 | +10.4 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 868 | 84.4 | −1.2 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 1,029 | | |
| | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Swing | +5.2 | |
By-election, 19 February 1868: Helston :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | William Brett | Unopposed | Unopposed | Unopposed |
| | Conservative gain from Liberal | Conservative gain from Liberal | Conservative gain from Liberal | Conservative gain from Liberal | Conservative gain from Liberal |
* Caused by Brett's appointment as Solicitor General for England and Wales
By-election, 1 May 1866: Helston :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | William Brett | 153 | 50.2 | +1.9 |
| | Liberal | Robert Campbell | 152 | 49.8 | −1.9 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 1 | 0.4 | N/A |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 305 | 87.6 | +2.0 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 348 | | |
| | Conservative gain from Liberal | Conservative gain from Liberal | Swing | +1.9 | |
* Caused by the 1865 election being declared void on petition, due to bribery. At the original count for the by-election, both candidates received 153 votes apiece, but Campbell was declared elected after the Returning officer (who was the father of his election agent) cast a vote for him, after consulting a legal textbook which suggested he could make the casting vote. A petition was lodged, and a committee decided the returning officer had no right to cast the vote and should have declared both candidates elected. However, on scrutiny one vote was taken from Campbell's total, leaving Brett elected alone. This election led to Parliament deciding that "according to the law and usage of Parliament, it is the duty of the sheriff or other returning officer in England, in the case of an equal number of votes being polled for two or more candidates at an election, to return all such candidates".
General election 1865: Helston :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal | Adolphus William Young | 154 | 51.7 | +6.9 |
| | Conservative | Shadwell Morley Grylls | 144 | 48.3 | −6.9 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 10 | 3.4 | N/A |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 298 | 85.6 | −4.3 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 348 | | |
| | Liberal gain from Conservative | Liberal gain from Conservative | Swing | +6.9 | |

### Elections in the 1850s

General election 1859: Helston :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | John Jope Rogers | 158 | 55.2 | New |
| | Liberal | Charles Trueman | 128 | 44.8 | N/A |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 30 | 10.4 | N/A |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 286 | 89.9 | N/A |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 318 | | |
| | Conservative gain from Liberal | Conservative gain from Liberal | Swing | N/A | |
General election 1857: Helston :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Whig | Charles Trueman | Unopposed | Unopposed | Unopposed |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 309 | | |
| | Whig gain from Conservative | Whig gain from Conservative | Whig gain from Conservative | Whig gain from Conservative | Whig gain from Conservative |
General election 1852: Helston :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Richard Vyvyan | Unopposed | Unopposed | Unopposed |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 317 | | |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Conservative hold |

### Elections in the 1840s

General election 1847: Helston :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Richard Vyvyan | Unopposed | Unopposed | Unopposed |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 385 | | |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Conservative hold |
General election 1841: Helston :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Richard Vyvyan | 159 | 54.5 | −1.6 |
| | Whig | William Revell Vigors | 133 | 45.5 | +1.6 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 26 | 9.0 | −3.2 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 292 | 73.4 | −4.5 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 398 | | |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | −1.6 | |
By-election, 12 March 1840: Helston :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | John Basset | Unopposed | Unopposed | Unopposed |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Conservative hold |
* Caused by West's resignation, by accepting the office of Steward of the Chiltern Hundreds, in order to contest a by-election at Lewes

### Elections in the 1830s

General election 1837: Helston :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Conservative | George West | 160 | 56.1 |
| | Whig | Arthur William Buller | 125 | 43.9 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 35 | 12.2 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 285 | 77.9 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 366 | |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Conservative hold |
General election 1835: Helston :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Conservative | James Townshend | Unopposed | Unopposed |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 356 | |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Conservative hold |
General election 1832: Helston :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Tory | Sackville Lane-Fox | Unopposed | Unopposed |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 341 | |
| | Tory hold | Tory hold | Tory hold | Tory hold |
General election 1831: Helston :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Tory | Sackville Lane-Fox | Unopposed | Unopposed |
| | Tory | James Townshend | Unopposed | Unopposed |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | c. 81 | |
| | Tory hold | Tory hold | Tory hold | Tory hold |
| | Tory gain from Whig | Tory gain from Whig | Tory gain from Whig | Tory gain from Whig |
By-election, 1 December 1830: Helston :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Whig | Samuel Pechell | Unopposed | Unopposed |
| | Whig hold | Whig hold | Whig hold | Whig hold |
* Caused by Pechell's appointment as a Lord of the Admiralty
General election 1830: Helston :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Tory | James Townshend | Unopposed | Unopposed |
| | Whig | Samuel Pechell | Unopposed | Unopposed |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | c. 81 | |
| | Tory hold | Tory hold | Tory hold | Tory hold |
| | Whig gain from Tory | Whig gain from Tory | Whig gain from Tory | Whig gain from Tory |