# Northumberland (UK Parliament constituency)

Northumberland, was a county constituency of the House of Commons of the Parliament of England from 1290 to 1707, 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 Members of Parliament.
The constituency was split into two two-member divisions, for Parliamentary purposes, by the Reform Act 1832. The county was then represented by the North Numberland and South Northumberland constituencies.

## Members of Parliament
### MPs 1290–1640

| Parliament | First member | Second member |
| 1300 | Sir Luke Tailboys |
| 1311 | Guischard de Charron |
| 1311 | Roger Mauduit |
| 1314 | Roger Mauduit |
| 1331 | Roger Mauduit |
| 1334 | Roger Mauduit |
| 1371 | William Heron |
| 1372 | Thomas Surteys | John de Mitford |
| 1373 | Sir Bertram (II) Montbourcher |
| 1377 | Sir Bertram (II) Montbourcher |
| 1378 | Sir John Fenwick |
| 1379 | Sir John Heron |
| 1380 | Walter de Swinhoe | Sir Ralph Euer |
| 1381 | Adam de Athol (Sir Aymer de Strathbogie of Felton) | Sir Ralph Euer |
| 1382 | Sir Robert Clifford |
| 1386 | Sir Bertram Montbourcher | Sir Robert Clavering |
| 1388 (Feb) | Sir Thomas Umfraville | John de Mitford |
| 1388 (Sep) | John de Mitford |
| 1390 (Jan) | Sir Thomas Umfraville | John de Mitford |
| 1390 (Nov) | Sir John Felton | John de Mitford |
| 1391 | Sir Gerard Heron | John de Mitford |
| 1393 | Sir Gerard Heron | John de Mitford |
| 1394 | Sir Gerard Heron | John de Mitford |
| 1395 | Sir William Swinburne | Sampson Hardyng |
| 1397 (Jan) | Sir Thomas Gray | John de Mitford |
| 1397 (Sep) | Sir Gerard Heron | Sir Robert Lisle |
| 1399 | Sir Thomas Gray | Sampson Hardyng |
| 1401 | Sir Gerard Heron | John de Mitford |
| 1402 | Sir Gerard Heron | John de Mitford |
| 1404 (Jan) | Sir John Widdrington | Sampson Hardyng |
| 1404 (Oct) | Sir William Carnaby | Sir Robert Lisle |
| 1406 | Sir John Clavering | Sir Robert Lisle |
| 1407 | Sir Edmund Hastings | Robert Harbottle |
| 1410 | |
| 1411 | |
| 1413 (Feb) | |
| 1413 (May) | John Bertram | William Mitford |
| 1414 (Apr) | Sir John Middleton | Sir Robert Lisle |
| 1414 (Nov) | Sir John Widdrington | Sampson Hardyng |
| 1415 | |
| 1416 (Mar) | Sir Robert Ogle | William Mitford |
| 1416 (Oct) | |
| 1417 | Sir John Middleton | Sir Robert Lisle |
| 1417 | John Strother |
| 1419 | Sir Robert Ogle | William Mitford |
| 1420 | Sir Robert Ogle | Nicholas Turpin |
| 1421 (May) | John Manners | Sampson Hardyng |
| 1421 (Dec) | Sir Robert Ogle | William Mitford |
| 1425 | Sir Robert Ogle | |
| 1434 | Thomas Lilborn | John Cartyngton |
| 1435 | Sir Robert Ogle | |
| 1451 | Sir John Ogle | William Bertram |
| 1491 | Sir William Tyler | |
| 1510–1523 | No Names Known | No Names Known |
| 1529 | Cuthbert Radcliffe | Robert Collingwood |
| 1536 | |
| 1539 | |
| 1542 | |
| 1545 | |
| 1547 | Sir Thomas Hilton | John Bednall |
| 1553 (Mar) | |
| 1553 (Oct) | Sir Thomas Grey | Cuthbert Horsley |
| 1554 (Apr) | John Swinburne | Robert Horsley |
| 1554 (Nov) | Sir Thomas Grey | Cuthbert Horsley |
| 1555 | Sir Thomas Wharton | George Heron |
| 1558 | Sir Thomas Wharton | Sir Robert Ellerker |
| 1558–1589 | Sir Thomas Grey I | Cuthbert Horsley |
| 1562–1565 | John Vaughan | Robert Lawdon (died 1665) |
| 1571 | Sir Henry Percy | Sir William Hilton |
| 1572 (Apr) | Sir Francis Russell | Thomas Layton |
| 1584 | Sir Francis Russell | Edward Talbot |
| 1586 | Sir Thomas Grey II | Edward Talbot |
| 1588 (Oct) | William Carey | Robert Widdrington |
| 1593 | Sir William Reade alias Kynnerd | Robert Widdrington |
| 1597 | Sir Robert Carey | William Selby |
| 1601 (Oct) | Sir Robert Carey | William Selby |
| 1604–1611 | Sir Ralph Grey | Sir Henry Widdrington |
| 1614 | Sir Henry Widdrington | Sir George Selby, declared inelig. and repl. by Sir William Selby |
| 1621–1622 | Sir William Grey | Sir Henry Widdrington |
| 1624 | Sir John Fenwick | Sir Francis Brandling |
| 1625 | Sir John Fenwick | Sir Francis Brandling |
| 1626 | Sir John Fenwick | Sir John Delaval |
| 1628 | Sir John Fenwick | Sir William Carnaby |
| 1629–1640 | No Parliaments convened | No Parliaments convened |

### MPs 1640–1832

| Year | | First member | First party | | Second member | Second party |
| April 1640 | | Sir John Fenwick | | | Sir William Widdrington | Royalist |
| November 1640 | | Henry Percy | Royalist | | Sir William Widdrington | Royalist |
| 1642 | | Sir John Fenwick | Parliamentarian | | Sir William Widdrington | Royalist |
| August 1642 | | Sir John Fenwick | Parliamentarian | Widdrington disabled from sitting – seat vacant | Widdrington disabled from sitting – seat vacant | Widdrington disabled from sitting – seat vacant |
| 1645 | | Sir John Fenwick | Parliamentarian | | William Fenwick | |
| December 1648 | Both Fenwicks excluded in Pride's Purge – seats vacant | Both Fenwicks excluded in Pride's Purge – seats vacant | Both Fenwicks excluded in Pride's Purge – seats vacant | Both Fenwicks excluded in Pride's Purge – seats vacant | Both Fenwicks excluded in Pride's Purge – seats vacant | Both Fenwicks excluded in Pride's Purge – seats vacant |
| 1653 | Not separately represented in Barebone's Parliament | Not separately represented in Barebone's Parliament | Not separately represented in Barebone's Parliament | Not separately represented in Barebone's Parliament | Not separately represented in Barebone's Parliament | Not separately represented in Barebone's Parliament |
| Northumberland's representation was increased to three members in the First and Second Parliaments of the Protectorate |||||||
| 1654 | William Fenwick, Robert Fenwick, Henry Ogle | William Fenwick, Robert Fenwick, Henry Ogle | William Fenwick, Robert Fenwick, Henry Ogle | William Fenwick, Robert Fenwick, Henry Ogle | William Fenwick, Robert Fenwick, Henry Ogle | William Fenwick, Robert Fenwick, Henry Ogle |
| 1656 | William Fenwick, Robert Fenwick, Sir Thomas Widdrington | William Fenwick, Robert Fenwick, Sir Thomas Widdrington | William Fenwick, Robert Fenwick, Sir Thomas Widdrington | William Fenwick, Robert Fenwick, Sir Thomas Widdrington | William Fenwick, Robert Fenwick, Sir Thomas Widdrington | William Fenwick, Robert Fenwick, Sir Thomas Widdrington |
| Representation reverted to two members in the Third Protectorate Parliament |||||||
| January 1659 | | Sir William Fenwick | | | (Sir) Ralph Delaval | |
| 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 William Fenwick | | | (Sir) Ralph Delaval | |
| 1661 | | Sir William Fenwick | | | Viscount Mansfield | |
| 1677 | | Sir John Fenwick | | | Sir Ralph Delaval | |
| 1685 | | Sir John Fenwick | | | William Ogle | |
| 1689 | | William Forster | | | Philip Bickerstaffe | |
| 1698 | | William Forster | | | Sir Edward Blackett | |
| January 1701 | | Ferdinando Forster | | | Hon. William Howard | |
| December 1701 | | Sir Francis Blake | | | William Loraine | |
| 1702 | | Sir Francis Blake | | | Bertram Stote | |
| 1705 | | Thomas Forster | | | Sir John Delaval | |
| 1708 | | Thomas Forster, junior | Tory | | Earl of Hertford | |
| 1716 | | Francis Blake Delaval | | | Earl of Hertford | |
| 1722 | | Sir William Middleton, Bt | | | Earl of Hertford | |
| 1723 | | Sir William Middleton, Bt | | | William Wrightson | |
| 1724 | | Sir William Middleton, Bt | | | Ralph Jenison | |
| 1741 | | Sir William Middleton, Bt | | | John Fenwick | |
| 1748 | | Sir William Middleton, Bt | | | Lord Ossulston | |
| 1749 | | Sir William Middleton, Bt | | | Lancelot Allgood | |
| 1754 | | Sir William Middleton, Bt | | | Sir Henry Grey | |
| 1757 | | George Shafto Delaval | | | Sir Henry Grey | |
| 1768 | | George Shafto Delaval | | | Sir Edward Blackett | |
| 1774 | | Lord Algernon Percy | | | Sir William Middleton, Bt | |
| 1786 | | Hon. Charles Grey | | | Sir William Middleton, Bt | |
| 1795 | | Hon. Charles Grey | | | Thomas Richard Beaumont | Tory |
| 1807 | | Earl Percy | | | Thomas Richard Beaumont | Tory |
| 1812 | | Sir Charles Monck | | | Thomas Richard Beaumont | Tory |
| 1818 | | Sir Charles Monck | | | Thomas Wentworth Beaumont | Tory |
| 1820 | | Charles John Brandling | | | Thomas Wentworth Beaumont | Tory |
| February 1826 | | Matthew Bell | Tory | | Thomas Wentworth Beaumont | Tory |
| July 1826 | | Matthew Bell | Tory | | Hon. Henry Liddell | Tory |
| 1830 | | Matthew Bell | Tory | | Thomas Wentworth Beaumont | Whig |
| 1831 | | Henry Grey | Whig | | Thomas Wentworth Beaumont | Whig |
| 1832 | Constituency abolished – see North Northumberland and South Northumberland | Constituency abolished – see North Northumberland and South Northumberland | Constituency abolished – see North Northumberland and South Northumberland | Constituency abolished – see North Northumberland and South Northumberland | Constituency abolished – see North Northumberland and South Northumberland | Constituency abolished – see North Northumberland and South Northumberland |

## 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 Alnwick. 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. The Tory Percys, led by the Duke of Northumberland, shared the county representation with the Whig Grey Family.