# Knaresborough (UK Parliament constituency)

Knaresborough was a parliamentary constituency which returned two Members of Parliament (MPs) to the Parliament of England, Parliament of Great Britain and the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom until 1868, and then one MP until its abolition in 1885.

## History
### Before the Reform Act 1832

Knaresborough was a parliamentary borough, first enfranchised by Mary I in 1553. The borough consisted of part of the town of Knaresborough, a market town in the West Riding of Yorkshire. In 1831, the population of the borough was approximately 4,852, and contained 970 houses.
Knaresborough was a burgage borough, meaning that the right to vote was confined to the proprietors of certain specific properties (or "burgage tenements") in the borough; in Knaresborough there was no requirement for these proprietors to be resident, and normally the majority were not. This meant that the right to vote in Knaresborough could be legitimately bought and sold, and, for most of its history until the Reform Act 1832 reformed the franchise, the majority of the burgages were concentrated in the hands of a single owner who could therefore nominate both MPs without opposition. Nevertheless, contested elections were possible, and in 1830, when there were theoretically about 90 qualified voters, 45 people actually voted. But the landowners had other resources beyond the votes they owned, as the bailiff of the lord of the manor was also the returning officer, and of the 45 who attempted to vote in 1830 the bailiff rejected the votes of 23.
In the 16th and 17th century, the main landowners in the area were the Slingsby family, who on occasion occupied both seats themselves, though usually they found it more advantageous to allow one of their fellow county magnates to have at least one of the seats. During the latter part of the Elizabethan period, the Duchy of Lancaster also seems to have been influential – the historian Sir John Neale considered that the Duchy probably nominated at least one of the two members in each parliament from 1584 to 1597 – but the influence of the Slingsbys was consolidated later. By the mid-18th century, ownership had passed to the Dukes of Devonshire, who retained it until the Reform Act.

### After the Great Reform Act

The Reform Act extended Knaresborough's boundaries, bringing in the remainder of the town and coinciding with the boundaries established during the previous decade for policing purposes. This increased the population by nearly a third, to 6,253. Nevertheless, Knaresborough was one of the smaller boroughs to retain both its seats, and the registered electorate for the first reformed election was only 278. In subsequent years this fell further, though by the 1860s it had recovered to reach around 270 once more, and inevitably Knaresborough's representation was reduced to one MP under the Representation of the People Act 1867. The extension of the franchise by the same Act trebled the electorate.
In 1880, after a disputed election with suspicion of corrupt practices, the result was declared void and the constituency's right to representation suspended while a Royal Commission investigated; however, unlike the investigations in some other constituencies at around the same period, nothing too damning was uncovered, and a by-election to fill the vacancies was held in 1881. It proved, nevertheless, to be Knaresborough's last Parliament, for its electorate was still too low and the borough was abolished by the Redistribution of Seats Act 1885. Its electors were transferred to the new Ripon division of the West Riding, a county constituency.

## Members of Parliament
### 1553–1640

| Parliament | First member | Second member |
| 1553 (Oct) | Reginald Beseley | Ralph Scrope |
| 1554 (Apr) | Edward Napper | John Long |
| 1554 (Nov) | Sir Thomas Chaloner | Ralph Scrope |
| 1555 | Henry Fisher | ?Sir Thomas Chaloner or George Eden |
| 1558 | Henry Darcy | Thomas Colshill |
| 1558/9 | Laurence Nowell | William Byrnand |
| 1562/3 | William Strickland, sat for Scarborough repl. by Christopher Tamworth | Sir Henry Gate, sat for Scarborough repl. by Robert Bowes |
| 1571 | Sir George Bowes | John Cade |
| 1572 (Apr) | Francis Slingsby | Richard Banks |
| 1584 | Edmund Poley | Francis Slingsby |
| 1586 | Francis Palmes | William Davison |
| 1588/9 | Thomas Preston | Francis Harvey |
| 1593 | Samuel Foxe | Simon Willis |
| 1597 (Sep) | Hugh Beeston | William Slingsby |
| 1601 (Oct) | Henry Slingsby | William Slingsby |
| 1604–1611 | Sir Henry Slingsby | Sir William Slingsby |
| 1614 | Sir Henry Slingsby | William Beecher |
| 1620–1622 | Sir Henry Slingsby | Sir Richard Hutton |
| 1624 | Sir Henry Slingsby | Sir Richard Hutton |
| 1625 | Sir Henry Slingsby | Sir Richard Hutton |
| 1626 | Sir Richard Hutton | Henry Benson |
| 1628 | Sir Richard Hutton | Henry Benson |
| 1629–1640 | No Parliaments convened | No Parliaments convened |

### 1640–1868

| Year | 1st Member | 1st Member | 1st Party | 2nd Member | 2nd Member | 2nd Party |
| April 1640 | | Sir Henry Slingsby | Royalist | | ? | |
| November 1640 | | Sir Henry Slingsby | Royalist | | Henry Benson | Royalist |
| 1641 | | Sir Henry Slingsby | Royalist | | William Deerlove | |
| March 1642 | | Sir Henry Slingsby | Royalist | | Sir William Constable, Bt. | Parliamentarian |
| September 1642 | Slingsby disabled from sitting – seat vacant | Slingsby disabled from sitting – seat vacant | Slingsby disabled from sitting – seat vacant | | | | Sir William Constable, Bt. | Parliamentarian |
| 1645 | | Thomas Stockdale | | | Sir William Constable, Bt. | Parliamentarian |
| 1653 | Knaresborough was unrepresented in the Barebones Parliament and the First and Second Parliaments of the Protectorate | Knaresborough was unrepresented in the Barebones Parliament and the First and Second Parliaments of the Protectorate | Knaresborough was unrepresented in the Barebones Parliament and the First and Second Parliaments of the Protectorate | Knaresborough was unrepresented in the Barebones Parliament and the First and Second Parliaments of the Protectorate | Knaresborough was unrepresented in the Barebones Parliament and the First and Second Parliaments of the Protectorate | Knaresborough was unrepresented in the Barebones Parliament and the First and Second Parliaments of the Protectorate |
| January 1659 | | Slingsby Bethel | | | Robert Walters | |
| May 1659 | Not represented in the restored Rump (Constable had died in the interim) | Not represented in the restored Rump (Constable had died in the interim) | Not represented in the restored Rump (Constable had died in the interim) | Not represented in the restored Rump (Constable had died in the interim) | Not represented in the restored Rump (Constable had died in the interim) | Not represented in the restored Rump (Constable had died in the interim) |
| April 1660 | | William Stockdale | | | Henry Bethell | |
| 1661 | | William Stockdale | | | Sir John Talbot | |
| 1679 | | William Stockdale | | | Sir Thomas Slingsby, Bt | |
| 1685 | | William Stockdale | | | Henry Slingsby | |
| 1689 | | William Stockdale | | | Thomas Fawkes | |
| 1693 | | Christopher Stockdale | | | Thomas Fawkes | |
| 1695 | | Christopher Stockdale | | | Robert Byerley | |
| Mar 1714 | | Francis Fawkes | | | Robert Byerley | |
| May 1714 | | Francis Fawkes | | | Henry Slingsby | |
| 1715 | | Henry Coote | Whig | | Robert Hitch | |
| 1720 | | Hon. Richard Arundell | | | Robert Hitch | |
| 1722 | | Hon. Richard Arundell | | | Sir Henry Slingsby, Bt | |
| 1758 | | Hon Robert Walsingham | | | Sir Henry Slingsby, Bt | |
| 1761 | | Lord John Cavendish | Rockingham Whig | | Sir Henry Slingsby, Bt | |
| 1763 | | Lord John Cavendish | Rockingham Whig | | Sir Anthony Abdy, Bt | Rockingham Whig |
| 1768 | | Captain The Hon Robert Walsingham, RN | | | Sir Anthony Abdy, Bt | Rockingham Whig |
| 1775 | | Captain The Hon Robert Walsingham, RN | | | Lord George Cavendish | |
| 1780 | | Captain The Hon Robert Walsingham, RN | | | Frederick Ponsonby | Whig |
| 1781 | | James Hare | Whig | | Frederick Ponsonby | Whig |
| 1793 | | James Hare | Whig | | Lord John Townshend | Whig |
| 1804 | | William Cavendish | Whig | | Lord John Townshend | Whig |
| 1805 | | John Ponsonby | Whig | | Lord John Townshend | Whig |
| 1806 | | Charles Bennet | Whig | | Lord John Townshend | Whig |
| 1818 | | Sir James Mackintosh | Whig | | George Tierney | Whig |
| Feb 1830 | | Sir James Mackintosh | Whig | | Henry Brougham | Whig |
| Dec 1830 | | Sir James Mackintosh | Whig | | Henry Cavendish | Whig |
| Jun 1832 | | William Ponsonby | Whig | | Henry Cavendish | Whig |
| Dec 1832 | | John Richards | Whig | | Benjamin Rotch | Whig |
| 1835 | | John Richards | Whig | | Andrew Lawson | Conservative |
| 1837 | | Henry Rich | Whig | | Hon Charles Langdale | Whig |
| 1841 | | Andrew Lawson | Conservative | | William Ferrand | Conservative |
| 1847 | | William Lascelles | Peelite | | Joshua Westhead | Whig |
| 1851 | | Thomas Collins | Conservative | | Joshua Westhead | Whig |
| 1852 | | Basil Thomas Woodd | Conservative | | Joshua Westhead | Whig | | John Dent | Whig |
| 1853 | | Basil Thomas Woodd | Conservative | | John Dent | Whig |
| 1857 | | Basil Thomas Woodd | Conservative | | Thomas Collins | Conservative |
| 1865 | | Basil Thomas Woodd | Conservative | | Isaac Holden | Liberal |

### 1868–1885

| Election | Election | Member | Party |
| | 1868 | Alfred Illingworth | Liberal |
| | 1874 | Basil Thomas Woodd | Conservative |
| | 1880 | Sir Henry Meysey-Thompson, Bt. | Liberal |
| | 1881 | Thomas Collins | Conservative |
| | 1884 | Robert Gunter | Conservative |
| 1885 | 1885 | constituency abolished | constituency abolished |

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

Tierney's death caused a by-election.
By-election, 16 February 1830: Knaresborough :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Whig | Henry Brougham | Unopposed | Unopposed |
| | Whig hold | Whig hold | Whig hold | Whig hold |
General election 1830: Knaresborough :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Whig | James Mackintosh | Unopposed | Unopposed |
| | Whig | Henry Brougham | Unopposed | Unopposed |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | c. 88 | |
| | Whig hold | Whig hold | Whig hold | Whig hold |
| | Whig hold | Whig hold | Whig hold | Whig hold |
Mackintosh was appointed a commissioner of the India Board, requiring a by-election.
By-election, 2 December 1830: Knaresborough :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Whig | James Mackintosh | Unopposed | Unopposed |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | c. 88 | |
| | Whig hold | Whig hold | Whig hold | Whig hold |
Brougham was called to the House of Lords' Lords Temporal, causing a by-election.
By-election, 2 December 1830: Knaresborough :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Whig | Henry Cavendish | 20 | 44.4 |
| | Tory | John Entwistle | 25 | 55.6 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | −5.0 | −11.2 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 45 | c. 51.1 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | c. 88 | |
| | Whig hold | Whig hold | Whig hold | Whig hold |
* The majority (23) of Entwisle's votes were challenged and the returning officer upheld the complaints. A similar challenge was laid against Cavendish, but parliament was dissolved the following day.
General election 1831: Knaresborough :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Whig | James Mackintosh | Unopposed | Unopposed |
| | Whig | Henry Cavendish | Unopposed | Unopposed |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | c. 88 | |
| | Whig hold | Whig hold | Whig hold | Whig hold |
| | Whig hold | Whig hold | Whig hold | Whig hold |
Mackintosh's death caused a by-election.
By-election, 28 June 1832: Knaresborough :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Whig | William Ponsonby | Unopposed | Unopposed |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | c. 88 | |
| | Whig hold | Whig hold | Whig hold | Whig hold |
General election 1832: Knaresborough :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Whig | John Richards | 187 | 39.4 |
| | Whig | Benjamin Rotch | 116 | 24.4 |
| | Whig | Henry Rich | 96 | 20.2 |
| | Tory | Andrew Lawson | 76 | 16.0 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 20 | 4.2 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 260 | 93.5 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 278 | |
| | Whig hold | Whig hold | Whig hold | Whig hold |
| | Whig hold | Whig hold | Whig hold | Whig hold |
General election 1835: Knaresborough :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Andrew Lawson | 179 | 40.3 | +24.3 |
| | Whig | John Richards | 134 | 30.2 | −9.2 |
| | Whig | Henry Rich | 111 | 25.0 | +4.8 |
| | Conservative | Gregory Allnutt Lewin | 20 | 4.5 | N/A |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 239 | 90.5 | −3.0 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 264 | | |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 68 | 15.3 | N/A |
| | Conservative gain from Whig | Conservative gain from Whig | Swing | +13.3 | |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 114 | 25.7 | +21.5 |
| | Whig hold | Whig hold | Swing | −10.7 | |
General election 1837: Knaresborough :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Whig | Henry Rich | 172 | 41.5 | +16.5 |
| | Whig | Charles Langdale | 124 | 30.0 | −0.2 |
| | Conservative | Andrew Lawson | 118 | 28.5 | −16.3 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 6 | 1.5 | N/A |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 236 | 87.1 | −3.4 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 271 | | |
| | Whig hold | Whig hold | Swing | +12.3 | |
| | Whig gain from Conservative | Whig gain from Conservative | Swing | +4.0 | |

### Elections in the 1840s

General election 1841: Knaresborough :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Andrew Lawson | 150 | 42.0 | +27.8 |
| | Conservative | William Ferrand | 122 | 34.2 | +20.0 |
| | Whig | Charles Sturgeon | 85 | 23.8 | −47.7 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 37 | 10.4 | N/A |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 208 | 86.3 | −0.8 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 241 | | |
| | Conservative gain from Whig | Conservative gain from Whig | Swing | +25.8 | |
| | Conservative gain from Whig | Conservative gain from Whig | Swing | +21.9 | |
General election 1847: Knaresborough :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Peelite | William Lascelles | 158 | 39.5 | +5.3 |
| | Whig | Joshua Westhead | 128 | 32.0 | +8.2 |
| | Conservative | Andrew Lawson | 114 | 28.5 | −13.5 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 200 (est) | 82.6 (est) | −3.7 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 242 | | |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 44 | 11.0 | N/A |
| | Peelite gain from Conservative | Peelite gain from Conservative | Swing | +6.0 | |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 14 | 3.5 | N/A |
| | Whig gain from Conservative | Whig gain from Conservative | Swing | +7.5 | |

### Elections in the 1850s

Lascelle's death caused a by-election.
By-election, 12 July 1851: Knaresborough :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Thomas Collins | 95 | 59.7 | N/A |
| | Conservative | Andrew Lawson | 64 | 40.3 | +11.8 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 31 | 19.4 | N/A |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 159 | 73.3 | −9.3 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 217 | | |
| | Conservative gain from Peelite | Conservative gain from Peelite | Swing | N/A | |
General election 1852: Knaresborough :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Basil Thomas Woodd | 113 | 25.3 | −14.2 |
| | Whig | John Dent | 113 | 25.3 | +9.3 |
| | Whig | Joshua Westhead | 113 | 25.3 | +9.3 |
| | Conservative | Thomas Collins | 107 | 24.0 | −4.5 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 6 | 1.3 | N/A |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 223 (est) | 92.1 (est) | +9.5 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 242 | | |
| | Conservative gain from Peelite | Conservative gain from Peelite | Swing | −11.8 | |
| | Whig hold | Whig hold | Swing | +9.3 | |
| | Whig win | Whig win | Whig win | Whig win | Whig win |
As Woodd, Dent and Westhead received the same number of votes, they were all elected. However, in April 1853, after scrutiny, one vote was taken from Westhead and he was declared unduly elected.
General election 1857: Knaresborough :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Basil Thomas Woodd | 174 | 42.2 | +16.9 |
| | Conservative | Thomas Collins | 138 | 33.5 | +9.5 |
| | Whig | Robert Campbell | 100 | 24.3 | −26.3 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 38 | 9.2 | +7.9 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 206 (est) | 76.3 (est) | −15.8 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 270 | | |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | +15.0 | |
| | Conservative gain from Whig | Conservative gain from Whig | Swing | +11.3 | |
General election 1859: Knaresborough :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Basil Thomas Woodd | 173 | 39.3 | −2.9 |
| | Conservative | Thomas Collins | 140 | 31.8 | −1.7 |
| | Liberal | Harry Thompson | 127 | 28.9 | +4.6 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 13 | 2.9 | −6.3 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 220 (est) | 76.9 (est) | +0.6 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 286 | | |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | −2.6 | |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | −2.0 | |

### Elections in the 1860s

General election 1865: Knaresborough :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Basil Thomas Woodd | 156 | 38.4 | −0.9 |
| | Liberal | Isaac Holden | 127 | 31.3 | +2.4 |
| | Conservative | Thomas Collins | 123 | 30.3 | −1.5 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 267 (est) | 98.0 (est) | +21.1 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 272 | | |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 29 | 7.1 | +4.2 |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | −1.1 | |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 4 | 1.0 | N/A |
| | Liberal gain from Conservative | Liberal gain from Conservative | Swing | +2.4 | |
Seat reduced to one member
General election 1868: Knaresborough :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal | Alfred Illingworth | 362 | 51.1 | +19.8 |
| | Conservative | Andrew Sherlock Lawson | 347 | 48.9 | −19.8 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 15 | 2.2 | +1.2 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 709 | 92.2 | −5.8 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 769 | | |
| | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Swing | +19.8 | |

### Elections in the 1870s

General election 1874: Knaresborough :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Basil Thomas Woodd | 397 | 56.2 | +7.3 |
| | Liberal | Andrew Fairbairn | 309 | 43.8 | −7.3 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 88 | 12.4 | N/A |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 706 | 91.7 | −0.5 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 770 | | |
| | Conservative gain from Liberal | Conservative gain from Liberal | Swing | +7.3 | |

### Elections in the 1880s

General election 1880: Knaresborough :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal | Henry Meysey-Thompson | 357 | 51.1 | +7.3 |
| | Conservative | Basil Thomas Woodd | 341 | 48.9 | −7.3 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 16 | 2.2 | N/A |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 698 | 91.6 | −0.1 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 762 | | |
| | Liberal gain from Conservative | Liberal gain from Conservative | Swing | +7.3 | |
The election was declared void on petition, causing a by-election.
By-election, 13 May 1881: Knaresborough :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Thomas Collins | 374 | 52.9 | +4.0 |
| | Liberal | Charles Milnes Gaskell | 333 | 47.1 | −4.0 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 41 | 5.8 | N/A |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 707 | 93.3 | +1.7 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 758 | | |
| | Conservative gain from Liberal | Conservative gain from Liberal | Swing | +4.0 | |
Collins' death caused a by-election.
By-election, 10 Dec 1884: Knaresborough :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Robert Gunter | 319 | 54.4 | +5.5 |
| | Liberal | Angus Holden | 267 | 45.6 | −5.5 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 52 | 8.8 | N/A |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 586 | 90.0 | −1.6 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 651 | | |
| | Conservative gain from Liberal | Conservative gain from Liberal | Swing | +5.5 | |