# Aldeburgh (UK Parliament constituency)

Aldeburgh in Suffolk, was a parliamentary borough represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom and its predecessor bodies.

## History

The town was enfranchised in 1571 as a borough constituency in the House of Commons of the Parliament of England and continued in the Parliaments of Great Britain and the United Kingdom until it was abolished in 1832 as a rotten borough.
It was represented by two burgesses. The right to vote was vested in the town's freemen, although the electoral roll was controlled by the Corporation of Aldeburgh which consisted of two bailiffs (the returning officers), 12 aldermen, and 24 common councilmen. Originally it had been strongly influenced by the Howard family and although the family lost some power due to their Catholicism the Arundel family were still nominating MPs in the seventeenth century. It gradually fell under the control of the Tory Henry Johnson who with his brother represented it for 30 years from 1689 although Whig political influence was growing and after unsuccessful challenges in 1708 and 1713 the borough was captured after the brothers' death by the Whigs at a reputed cost of £9,000. By the mid-18th century it had been "stolen" from being a Government influenced seat by a City of London merchant, Thomas Fonnereau: and later came under the control of his cousin Philip Champion Crespigny who sold it for £39,000 and eventually it devolved to the control of the Marquess of Hertford.
It was described as "a venal little borough in Suffolk".

## Boundaries

The constituency comprised the parliamentary borough of Aldeburgh, in the county of Suffolk in Eastern England.

## Members of Parliament
### MPs 1571–1640

| Parliament | First member | Second member |
| 1571 | Roger Woodhouse | Robert Higford |
| 1572 | Francis Beaumont | Charles Seckford |
| 1584 | Peter Osborne | John Foxe |
| 1586 | Peter Osborne | Edmond Bell |
| 1588 | Edward Coke | William Bence |
| 1593 | Thomas Knyvet | William Bence |
| 1597 | Francis Harvey | Francis Johnson |
| 1601 | Martin Stutteville | Francis Corbet |
| 1604–1611 | Sir William Woodhouse | Thomas Ryvett |
| 1614 | Sir William Woodhouse | Sir Henry Glemham |
| 1621–1622 | Sir Henry Glemham | Charles Glemham |
| 1624 | Nicholas Ryvett | John Bence |
| 1625 | Sir Thomas Glemham | Charles Glemham |
| 1626 | Sir Thomas Glemham | William Mason |
| 1628 | Sir Simon Steward | Marmaduke Rawden |
| 1629–1640 | No Parliaments summoned | No Parliaments summoned |

### MPs 1640–1832

| Year | | First member | First party | | Second member | Second party |
| April 1640 | | William Rainsborough | Parliamentarian | | Squire Bence | Parliamentarian |
| November 1640 | | William Rainsborough | Parliamentarian | | Alexander Bence | Parliamentarian |
| 1642 | | Squire Bence | Parliamentarian | | Alexander Bence | Parliamentarian |
| November 1648 | Squire Bence died, November 1648 - seat vacant | Squire Bence died, November 1648 - seat vacant | Squire Bence died, November 1648 - seat vacant | | | | Alexander Bence | Parliamentarian |
| December 1648 | Squire Bence died, November 1648 - seat vacant | Squire Bence died, November 1648 - seat vacant | Squire Bence died, November 1648 - seat vacant | Alexander Bence excluded in Pride's Purge - seat vacant | Alexander Bence excluded in Pride's Purge - seat vacant | Alexander Bence excluded in Pride's Purge - seat vacant |
| 1653 | Aldeburgh was unrepresented in the Barebones Parliament and the First and Second Parliaments of the Protectorate | Aldeburgh was unrepresented in the Barebones Parliament and the First and Second Parliaments of the Protectorate | Aldeburgh was unrepresented in the Barebones Parliament and the First and Second Parliaments of the Protectorate | Aldeburgh was unrepresented in the Barebones Parliament and the First and Second Parliaments of the Protectorate | Aldeburgh was unrepresented in the Barebones Parliament and the First and Second Parliaments of the Protectorate | Aldeburgh was unrepresented in the Barebones Parliament and the First and Second Parliaments of the Protectorate |
| January 1659 | | Laurence Oxburgh | | | John Bence | |
| May 1659 | Not represented in the restored Rump | Not represented in the restored Rump | Not represented in the restored Rump | Not represented in the restored Rump | Not represented in the restored Rump | Not represented in the restored Rump |
| April 1660 | | Sir Robert Brooke | | | Thomas Bacon | |
| 1661 | | Sir Robert Brooke | | | Sir John Holland, Bt | |
| 1669 | | John Bence | | | Sir John Holland, Bt | |
| February 1679 | | Sir Richard Haddock | | | Henry Johnson | |
| August 1679 | | John Bence | | | John Corrance | |
| 1685 | | John Bence | | | Sir Henry Bedingfield | Tory |
| 1689 | | Sir Henry Johnson | Tory | | William Johnson | Tory |
| 1718 by-election | | Sir Henry Johnson | Tory | | Samuel Lowe | Whig |
| 1719 by-election | | Walter Plumer | | | Samuel Lowe | Whig |
| 1727 | | William Windham | | | Samuel Lowe | Whig |
| 1730 by-election | | Sir John Williams | Tory | | Samuel Lowe | Whig |
| 1732 by-election | | Sir John Williams | Tory | | Captain George Purvis | Whig |
| 1734 | | William Conolly | Whig | | Captain George Purvis | Whig |
| March 1741 by-election | | William Conolly | Whig | | Francis Gashry | Whig |
| May 1741 | | William Conolly | Whig | | Richard Plumer | |
| 1747 | | William Windham | | | Zachary Philip Fonnereau | |
| 1761 | | Philip Fonnereau | | | Zachary Philip Fonnereau | |
| 1768 | | Nicholas Linwood | | | Zachary Philip Fonnereau | |
| 1773 by-election | | Thomas Fonnereau | | | Zachary Philip Fonnereau | |
| 1774 | | Thomas Fonnereau | | | Richard Combe | |
| 1779 by-election | | Martyn Fonnereau | | | Richard Combe | |
| 1780 | | Martyn Fonnereau | | | Philip Champion Crespigny | Whig |
| 1784 | | Samuel Salt | Whig | | Philip Champion Crespigny | Whig |
| 1790 | | Lord Grey of Groby | Whig | | Thomas Grenville | Whig |
| 1796 | | Sir John Aubrey, Bt | Whig | | Michael Angelo Taylor | Whig |
| 1800 by-election | | Sir John Aubrey, Bt | Whig | | George Johnstone | |
| 1802 | | Sir John Aubrey, Bt | Whig | | John McMahon | Tory |
| April 1812 by-election | | Sir John Aubrey, Bt | Whig | | Sandford Graham | |
| October 1812 | | The Lord Dufferin & Claneboye | Tory | | Andrew Strahan | Tory |
| 1818 | | Samuel Walker | Tory | | Joshua Walker | Tory |
| 1820 | | James Blair | Tory | | Joshua Walker | Tory |
| 1826 | | John Wilson Croker | Tory | | Joshua Walker | Tory |
| 1827 by-election | | Wyndham Lewis | Tory | | Joshua Walker | Tory |
| February 1829 by-election | | Marquess of Douro | Tory | | Joshua Walker | Tory |
| May 1829 by-election | | Marquess of Douro | Tory | | Spencer Horsey Kilderbee | Tory |
| 1830 | | Marquess of Douro | Tory | | John Wilson Croker | Tory |
| 1832 | Constituency abolished | Constituency abolished | Constituency abolished | Constituency abolished | Constituency abolished | Constituency abolished |

## Election results
### Elections in the 1830s

General election 1831: Aldeburgh :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Tory | Arthur Wellesley | Unopposed | Unopposed |
| | Tory | John Wilson Croker | Unopposed | Unopposed |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | c. 65 | |
| | Tory hold | Tory hold | Tory hold | Tory hold |
| | Tory hold | Tory hold | Tory hold | Tory hold |
General election 1830: Aldeburgh :
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| Tory | Arthur Wellesley | Unopposed | Unopposed |
| Tory | John Wilson Croker | Unopposed | Unopposed |
| Tory hold | Tory hold | Tory hold | Tory hold |
| Tory hold | Tory hold | Tory hold | Tory hold |