# Bridport (UK Parliament constituency)

Bridport was a parliamentary borough in Dorset, England, which elected two Members of Parliament (MP) to the House of Commons from 1295 until 1868, and then one member from 1868 until 1885, when the borough was abolished.

## History

Bridport was continuously represented in Parliament from the first. The medieval borough consisted of the parish of Bridport, a small port and market town, where the main economic interests were sailcloth and rope-making, as well as some fishing. (For some time in the 16th century, the town had a monopoly of making all cordage for the navy.) By 1831, the population of the borough was 4,242, and the town contained 678 houses.
The right to vote was at one period reserved to the town corporation (consisting of two bailiffs and 13 "capital burgesses"), but from 1628 it was exercised by all inhabitant householders paying scot and lot. This was a relatively liberal franchise for the period but nevertheless meant that only a fraction of the townsmen could vote: in 1806, the general election at which Bridport had the highest turnout in the last few years before the Reform Act, a total of 260 residents voted.
Bridport never reached the status of a pocket borough with an openly recognised "patron": the voters retained their freedom of choice and generally expected to extort a price for their votes, so much so that Oldfield recorded of one election in the early 19th century that "several candidates left them at the last election, in consequence of their demanding payment beforehand". Nevertheless, at various periods the borough came under the influence of local grandees and would usually return at least one of their nominees as MPs: the Russells (Dukes of Bedford) in the Elizabethan period and the Sturts in the latter half of the 18th century could normally rely on choosing one member. In 1572 the then Earl of Bedford made use of this influence to have his oldest son elected in defiance of the convention that the heirs of peers could not be members of the House of Commons; the only previous instance had been that of the Earl himself, who had remained an MP when he became heir to the Earldom in 1555. By vote of the House, the young Lord Russell was allowed to keep his seat for Bridport, and the precedent allowed other peers' heirs to sit from that point onwards.
Bridport retained both its seats under the Reform Act, the boundaries being extended to give it the requisite population - parts of the neighbouring parishes of Bradpole, Allington and Walditch, as well as Bridport Harbour, were brought in, increasing the population to about 6,000; in the election of 1832, the first after Reform, the registered electorate was 425. However, the constituency was too small to survive for long. One of its members was removed after the election of 1868 by the Second Reform Act; and the borough was abolished altogether in 1885, the town being incorporated into the Western Dorset county division.

## Members of Parliament
### MPs 1295–1640

* Constituency created (1295)
| Parliament | First member | Second member |
| 1386 | John Hayward | John Tracy |
| 1388 (Feb.) | John Hayward | John Tracy |
| 1388 (Sep) | John Tracy | William Cordell |
| 1390 (Jan) | John Tracy | John Hayward |
| 1390 (Nov) | |
| 1391 | |
| 1393 | John Tracy | John Hayward |
| 1394 | John Tracy | Gilbert Draper |
| 1395 | John Roger | John Hayward |
| 1397 (Jan) | John Palmer | John Crouk |
| 1397 (Sep) | John Hayward | John Crouk |
| 1399 | John Hayward | John Tracy |
| 1401 | |
| 1402 | Simon atte Ford | Nicholas Tracy |
| 1404 (Jan) | |
| 1404 (Oct) | |
| 1406 | Henry Rauf | Roger Stikelane |
| 1407 | Henry Rauf | Walter Batcok |
| 1410 | Thomas Lovell | John Roger I |
| 1411 | |
| 1413 (Feb) | |
| 1413 (May) | William Mountfort II | John Roger I |
| 1414 (Apr) | Simon atte Ford | John Stampe |
| 1414 (Nov) | Simon atte Ford | Andrew Forshey |
| 1415 | |
| 1416 (Mar) | |
| 1416 (Oct) | |
| 1417 | Simon atte Ford | Edward Stikelane |
| 1419 | Walter Tracy | William Mountfort II |
| 1420 | Simon atte Ford | John Stampe |
| 1421 (May) | Simon atte Ford | John Hore |
| 1421 (Dec) | Simon atte Ford | William Pernham |
| 1422 | Simon atte Ford | |
| 1423 | Simon atte Ford | |
| 1425 | Simon atte Ford | |
| 1426 | John Hore | Simon atte Ford |
| 1437 | John Hore |
| 1529 | William Chard | Richard Furloke |
| 1545 | John Lympany | Richard Watkins |
| 1547 | Sir Henry Gates | William Grimston |
| First Parliament of 1553 | ? | ? |
| Second Parliament of 1553 | Christopher Smith | William Pole |
| Parliament of 1554 | Robert Neyl | Edward Prout |
| Parliament of 1554-1555 | John Alferd | John Moyne or Moon |
| Parliament of 1555 | Robert Fowkes | Thomas Chard |
| Parliament of 1558 | John Hippisley | Thomas Welshe |
| Parliament of 1559 | William Page | Robert Moon |
| Parliament of 1563-1567 | John Hastings | Richard Inkpenne |
| Parliament of 1571 | Thomas Parry | George Trenchard |
| Parliament of 1572-1581 | Miles Sandys | Lord Russell (Summoned to the Lords) 1581: Hugh Vaughan |
| Parliament of 1584-1585 | Dr Peter Turner | Morgan Moon |
| Parliament of 1586-1587 | Dr Peter Turner | Morgan Moon |
| Parliament of 1588-1589 | George Pawlet | Gregory Sprint |
| Parliament of 1593 | Christopher Lambert | John Fortescue |
| Parliament of 1597-1598 | Leweston Fitzjames | Adrian Gilbert |
| Parliament of 1601 | Sir Robert Napier | Richard Warburton |
| Parliament of 1604-1611 | Robert Meller | John Pitt |
| Addled Parliament (1614) | Sir William Bampfield | John Jeffrey |
| Parliament of 1621-1622 | John Strode | John Browne |
| Happy Parliament (1624-1625) | William Muschamp | Robert Browne |
| Useless Parliament (1625) | Sir Lewis Dyve | Sir John Strode |
| Parliament of 1625-1626 | Sir Lewis Dyve | Sir Richard Strode |
| Parliament of 1628-1629 | Thomas Pawlet | Bampfield Chafin |
| No Parliament summoned 1629-1640 |||
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### MPs 1640–1868

| Year | | First member | First party | | Second member | Second party |
| April 1640 | | Thomas Trenchard | | | Sir John Meller | |
| November 1640 | | Roger Hill | Parliamentarian | | Giles Strangways | Royalist |
| January 1644 | | Roger Hill | Parliamentarian | Strangways disabled from sitting - seat vacant | Strangways disabled from sitting - seat vacant | Strangways disabled from sitting - seat vacant |
| 1645 | | Roger Hill | Parliamentarian | | Thomas Ceeley | |
| December 1648 | | Roger Hill | Parliamentarian | Ceeley excluded in Pride's Purge - seat vacant | Ceeley excluded in Pride's Purge - seat vacant | Ceeley excluded in Pride's Purge - seat vacant |
| 1653 | Bridport was unrepresented in the Barebones Parliament and the First and Second Parliaments of the Protectorate | Bridport was unrepresented in the Barebones Parliament and the First and Second Parliaments of the Protectorate | Bridport was unrepresented in the Barebones Parliament and the First and Second Parliaments of the Protectorate | Bridport was unrepresented in the Barebones Parliament and the First and Second Parliaments of the Protectorate | Bridport was unrepresented in the Barebones Parliament and the First and Second Parliaments of the Protectorate | Bridport was unrepresented in the Barebones Parliament and the First and Second Parliaments of the Protectorate |
| January 1659 | | Edward Cheek | | | John Lee | |
| May 1659 | | Roger Hill | | One seat vacant | One seat vacant | One seat vacant |
| April 1660 | | John Drake | | | Henry Henley | |
| 1661 | | Humphrey Bishop | | | John Strangways | |
| February 1677 | | George Bowerman | | | John Strangways | |
| February 1677 | | George Bowerman | | | Wadham Strangways | |
| February 1679 | | John Every | | | Wadham Strangways | |
| August 1679 | | Sir Robert Henley, Bt | | | William Bragge | |
| 1681 | | John Michell | | | William Bragge | |
| 1685 | | Hugh Hodges | | | Thomas Chafe | |
| 1689 | | Richard Brodrepp | | | John Manley | |
| 1690 | | John Michell | | | Sir Stephen Evance | |
| 1695 | | Nicholas Carey | | | Sir Stephen Evance | |
| 1697 | | Peter Battiscombe | | | Sir Stephen Evance | |
| 1698 | | Peter Battiscombe | | | Alexander Pitfield | |
| 1701 | | William Gulston | | | Alexander Pitfield | |
| 1702 | | Richard Bingham | | | Alexander Pitfield | |
| 1705 | | Thomas Strangways | | | Alexander Pitfield | |
| 1708 | | Thomas Strangways | | | William Coventry | |
| 1713 | | John Hoskins Gifford | | | William Coventry | |
| February 1715 | | John Strangways | | | William Coventry | |
| May 1715 | | Peter Walter | | | William Coventry | |
| 1719 | | Peter Walter | | | Sir Dewey Bulkeley | |
| 1727 | | William Bowles | | | James Pelham | |
| 1730 | | William Bowles | | | John Jewkes | |
| 1734 | | William Bowles | | | Solomon Ashley | |
| 1741 | | William Bowles | | | George Richards | |
| 1742 | | Viscount Deerhurst | Tory | | George Richards | |
| 1744 | | Viscount Deerhurst | Tory | | George Richards | |
| 1746 | | Viscount Deerhurst | Tory | | Thomas Grenville |
| May 1747 | | Viscount Deerhurst | Tory | | James Grenville | |
| July 1747 | | John Frederick Pinney | | | James Grenville | |
| 1754 | | John Frederick Pinney | | | Thomas Coventry | |
| 1761 | | Sir Gerard Napier, 6th Baronet | | | Thomas Coventry | |
| 1765 | | Benjamin Way | | | Thomas Coventry | |
| 1768 | | Sambrooke Freeman | | | Thomas Coventry | |
| 1774 | | Hon. Lucius Cary | | | Thomas Coventry | |
| 1780 | | Thomas Scott | Whig | | Richard Beckford | |
| 1784 | | Thomas Scott | Whig | | Charles Sturt | Whig |
| 1790 | | James Watson | Whig | | Charles Sturt | Whig |
| 1795 | | George Barclay | Whig | | Charles Sturt | Whig |
| 1802 | | George Barclay | Whig | | Sir Evan Nepean, Bt | Tory |
| 1807 | | Sir Samuel Hood, Bt | Tory | | Sir Evan Nepean, Bt | Tory |
| 1812 | | William Best | Whig | | Sir Horace St Paul, Bt | Tory |
| 1817 | | Henry Sturt | Tory | | Sir Horace St Paul, Bt | Tory |
| March 1820 | | James Scott | Whig | | Christopher Spurrier | Whig |
| June 1820 | | James Scott | Whig | | Sir Horace St Paul, Bt | Tory |
| 1826 | | Henry Warburton | Radical | | Sir Horace St Paul, Bt | Tory |
| 1832 | | Henry Warburton | Radical | | John Romilly | Whig |
| 1835 | | Henry Warburton | Radical | | Horace Twiss | Conservative |
| 1837 | | Henry Warburton | Radical | | Swynfen Jervis | Radical |
| June 1841 | | Henry Warburton | Radical | | Thomas Alexander Mitchell | Radical |
| September 1841 by-election | | Alexander Baillie-Cochrane | Conservative | | Thomas Alexander Mitchell | Radical |
| 1846 by-election | | John Romilly | Whig | | Thomas Alexander Mitchell | Radical |
| 1847 | | Alexander Baillie-Cochrane | Conservative | | Thomas Alexander Mitchell | Radical |
| 1852 | | John Patrick Murrough | Radical | | Thomas Alexander Mitchell | Radical |
| 1857 | | Kirkman Hodgson | Whig | | Thomas Alexander Mitchell | Radical |
| 1859 | | Kirkman Hodgson | Liberal | | Thomas Alexander Mitchell | Liberal |
| 1868 | 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 |
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### MPs 1868–1885

| Year | | Member | Party |
| 1868 | | Thomas Alexander Mitchell | Liberal |
| 1875 by-election | | Pandeli Ralli | Liberal |
| 1880 | | Charles Warton | Conservative |
| 1885 | Constituency abolished | Constituency abolished | Constituency abolished |
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## Elections
### Elections in the 1830s

General election 1830: Bridport :
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| Radical | Henry Warburton | Unopposed | Unopposed | Unopposed |
| Tory | Sir Horace St Paul, 1st Baronet | Unopposed | Unopposed | Unopposed |
| Radical hold | Radical hold | Radical hold | Radical hold | Radical hold |
| Tory hold | Tory hold | Tory hold | Tory hold | Tory hold |
General election 1831: Bridport :
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| Radical | Henry Warburton | Unopposed | Unopposed | Unopposed |
| Tory | Sir Horace St Paul, 1st Baronet | Unopposed | Unopposed | Unopposed |
| Radical hold | Radical hold | Radical hold | Radical hold | Radical hold |
| Tory hold | Tory hold | Tory hold | Tory hold | Tory hold |
General election 1832: Bridport :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Radical | Henry Warburton | 271 | 40.3 | N/A |
| | Whig | John Romilly | 219 | 32.6 | N/A |
| | Tory | Richard William Astell | 182 | 27.1 | N/A |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 400 | 94.1 | N/A |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 425 | | |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 52 | 7.7 | N/A |
| | Radical hold | Radical hold | Swing | N/A | |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 37 | 5.5 | N/A |
| | Whig gain from Tory | Whig gain from Tory | Swing | N/A | |
General election 1835: Bridport :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Radical | Henry Warburton | 244 | 37.5 | −2.8 |
| | Conservative | Horace Twiss | 207 | 31.8 | +4.7 |
| | Whig | John Romilly | 199 | 30.6 | −2.0 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 394 | 93.8 | −0.3 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 420 | | |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 37 | 5.7 | −2.0 |
| | Radical hold | Radical hold | Swing | −2.6 | |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 8 | 1.2 | N/A |
| | Conservative gain from Whig | Conservative gain from Whig | Swing | +3.4 | |
General election 1837: Bridport :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Radical | Henry Warburton | 283 | 38.9 | +20.2 |
| | Radical | Swynfen Jervis | 232 | 31.9 | +13.2 |
| | Conservative | Henry Baillie | 212 | 29.2 | −2.6 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 20 | 2.7 | −3.0 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 445 | 88.1 | −5.7 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 505 | | |
| | Radical hold | Radical hold | Swing | +10.8 | |
| | Radical gain from Conservative | Radical gain from Conservative | Swing | +7.3 | |

### Elections in the 1840s

General election 1841: Bridport :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Radical | Henry Warburton | 304 | 36.6 | −2.3 |
| | Radical | Thomas Alexander Mitchell | 282 | 34.0 | +2.1 |
| | Conservative | Alexander Baillie-Cochrane | 244 | 29.4 | +0.2 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 38 | 4.6 | +1.9 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 506 | 90.8 | +2.7 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 557 | | |
| | Radical hold | Radical hold | Swing | −1.2 | |
| | Radical hold | Radical hold | Swing | +1.0 | |
Warburton resigned by accepting the office of Steward of the Chiltern Hundreds, causing a by-election.
By-election, 15 September 1841: Bridport :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Alexander Baillie-Cochrane | Unopposed | Unopposed | Unopposed |
| | Conservative gain from Radical | Conservative gain from Radical | Conservative gain from Radical | Conservative gain from Radical | Conservative gain from Radical |
Baillie-Cochrane resigned by accepting the office of Steward of the Chiltern Hundreds in order to seek re-election as a supporter of free trade.
By-election, 7 March 1846: Bridport :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Alexander Baillie-Cochrane | 240 | 50.1 | +20.7 |
| | Whig | John Romilly | 239 | 49.9 | N/A |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 1 | 0.2 | N/A |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 479 | 83.9 | −6.9 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 571 | | |
| | Conservative gain from Radical | Conservative gain from Radical | Swing | N/A | |
After scrutiny, Baillie-Cochrane's election was declared void and Romilly was declared elected on 28 April 1846.
General election 1847: Bridport :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Alexander Baillie-Cochrane | 276 | 35.6 | +6.2 |
| | Radical | Thomas Alexander Mitchell | 267 | 34.4 | −36.2 |
| | Whig | Edward Richard Petre | 222 | 28.6 | N/A |
| | Conservative | Robert Montgomery Martin | 11 | 1.4 | N/A |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 388 (est) | 58.5 (est) | −32.3 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 663 | | |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 9 | 1.2 | N/A |
| | Conservative gain from Radical | Conservative gain from Radical | Swing | +21.2 | |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 45 | 5.8 | +1.2 |
| | Radical hold | Radical hold | Swing | −21.2 | |
Martin withdrew his name early into polling.
Back to Elections

### Elections in the 1850s

General election 1852: Bridport :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Radical | Thomas Alexander Mitchell | 366 | 45.4 | +28.2 |
| | Radical | John Patrick Murrough | 249 | 30.9 | +13.7 |
| | Conservative | John Rolt | 191 | 23.7 | −13.3 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 58 | 7.2 | +1.4 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 403 (est) | 76.9 (est) | +18.4 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 524 | | |
| | Radical hold | Radical hold | Swing | +17.4 | |
| | Radical gain from Conservative | Radical gain from Conservative | Swing | +10.2 | |
General election 1857: Bridport :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Radical | Thomas Alexander Mitchell | 330 | 45.3 | −0.1 |
| | Whig | Kirkman Hodgson | 290 | 39.8 | N/A |
| | Conservative | William Unwin Heygate | 109 | 15.0 | −8.7 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 365 (est) | 76.4 (est) | −0.5 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 478 | | |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 40 | 5.5 | −1.7 |
| | Radical hold | Radical hold | Swing | +4.3 | |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 181 | 24.8 | N/A |
| | Whig gain from Radical | Whig gain from Radical | Swing | N/A | |
General election 1859: Bridport :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal | Thomas Alexander Mitchell | 334 | 42.1 | −3.2 |
| | Liberal | Kirkman Hodgson | 290 | 36.5 | −3.3 |
| | Conservative | Henry Hyde Nugent Bankes | 170 | 21.4 | +6.4 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 120 | 15.1 | +9.6 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 397 (est) | 79.2 (est) | +2.8 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 501 | | |
| | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Swing | −3.2 | |
| | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Swing | −3.2 | |
Back to Elections

### Elections in the 1860s

General election 1865: Bridport :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal | Thomas Alexander Mitchell | Unopposed | Unopposed | Unopposed |
| | Liberal | Kirkman Hodgson | Unopposed | Unopposed | Unopposed |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 472 | | |
| | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Liberal hold |
| | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Liberal hold |
The seat was reduced to one member.
General election 1868: Bridport :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal | Thomas Alexander Mitchell | Unopposed | Unopposed | Unopposed |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 1,027 | | |
| | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Liberal hold |
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### Elections in the 1870s

General election 1874: Bridport :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal | Thomas Alexander Mitchell | Unopposed | Unopposed | Unopposed |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 1,045 | | |
| | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Liberal hold |
Mitchell's death caused a by-election.
By-election, 31 Mar 1875: Bridport :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal | Pandeli Ralli | 620 | 76.6 | N/A |
| | Conservative | Charles Whetham | 189 | 23.4 | New |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 431 | 53.2 | N/A |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 809 | 80.0 | N/A |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 1,011 | | |
| | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Swing | N/A | |
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### Elections in the 1880s

General election 1880: Bridport :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Charles Warton | 468 | 50.5 | N/A |
| | Liberal | Pandeli Ralli | 459 | 49.5 | N/A |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 9 | 1.0 | N/A |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 927 | 85.4 | N/A |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 1,085 | | |
| | Conservative gain from Liberal | Conservative gain from Liberal | Swing | N/A | |
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