# Malmesbury (UK Parliament constituency)

Malmesbury was a parliamentary borough in Wiltshire, which elected two Members of Parliament (MPs) to the House of Commons from 1275 until 1832, and then one member from 1832 until 1885, when the borough was abolished.

## History

The borough was represented in Parliament from 1275. The constituency originally returned two members, but representation was reduced to one in the Great Reform Act 1832 until the constituency was finally abolished in 1885.
In the 17th century the constituency was dominated by the Earls of Suffolk, based in the family seat at nearby Charlton Park.

## Members of Parliament
### MPs 1275–1508

From History of Parliament
| Parliament | First member | Second member |
| 1386 | Nicholas Weston | Alexander Oxenford |
| 1388 (Feb) | John Parker | Alexander Oxenford |
| 1388 (Sep) | |
| 1390 (Jan) | John Parker | William Blankpayn |
| 1390 (Nov) | |
| 1391 | |
| 1393 | William Blankpayn | William Chaloner |
| 1394 | Richard Parker | William Blankpayn |
| 1395 | Nicholas Sambourn | Thomas Froud |
| 1397 (Jan) | Robert Newman | William Blankpayn |
| 1397 (Sep) | John Stowell | William Blankpayn |
| 1399 | Robert Newman | Robert Salman |
| 1401 | |
| 1402 | John Tanner | Thomas Bonde |
| 1404 (Jan) | |
| 1404 (Oct) | |
| 1406 | Thomas Hyweye | John Charlton |
| 1407 | |
| 1410 | |
| 1411 | |
| 1413 (Feb) | |
| 1413 (May) | |
| 1414 (Apr) | John Charlton | John Randolf |
| 1414 (Nov) | Thomas Hyweye | John Gore |
| 1415 | Thomas Hyweye | Richard Stenysham |
| 1416 (Mar) | John Gore | Thomas Corbyn |
| 1416 (Oct) | |
| 1417 | William Palmer | Thomas Corbyn |
| 1419 | William Palmer | |
| 1420 | William Palmer | John Charlton |
| 1421 (May) | William Palmer |
| 1421 (Dec) | William Palmer | John Gore |

### MPs 1509–1558

(Source: Bindoff (1982))
| Parliament | First member | Second member |
| Parliament of 1510–23 | No names known | No names known |
| Parliament of 1529 | Thomas Edgar | William Stumpe |
| Parliament of 1536 | Not known | Not known |
| Parliament of 1539 | Not known | Not known |
| Parliament of 1542 | Not known | Not known |
| Parliament of 1545 | Not known | Not known |
| Parliament of 1547 | Sir Maurice Denys | William Stumpe |
| Parliament of 1553(Mar) | Not known | Not known |
| Parliament of 1553(Oct) | John Hedges | Matthew King |
| Parliament of 1554(Apr) | John Hedges | Matthew King |
| Parliament of 1554(Nov) | Edward Unton | John Hedges |
| Parliament of 1555 | Sir James Stumpe | Matthew King |
| Parliament of 1558 | Matthew King | Griffin Curteys |

### MPs 1559–1603

Source:History of Parliament
| Parliament | First member | Second member |
| 1559 | Lawrence Hyde (died 1590) | David Cerney |
| 1562–3 | Sir Thomas Ragland | Edward Poole |
| 1571 | Nicholas Snell | Ambrose Button |
| 1572 | John Danvers | Nicholas Snell, died and repl. Jan 1562 by Henry Baynton |
| 1584 | Sir Henry Knyvet | John Stumpe |
| 1586 | Sir Henry Knyvet | Henry Bayly |
| 1589 | Thomas Vavasour | Henry Bayly |
| 1593 | Sir Henry Knyvet | Thomas Lake |
| 1597 | Sir Henry Knyvet | Thomas Estcourt |
| 1601 | Sir William Monson | Sidney Montagu |

### MPs 1604–1640

| Parliament | First member | Second member |
| Parliament of 1604–1611 | Sir Roger Dallison | Sir Thomas Dallison |
| Parliament of 1614–1621 | Sir Roger Dallison | Sir Neville Poole |
| Parliament of 1621–1622 | Sir Henry Poole | Sir Edward Wardour |
| Parliament of 1624–1625 | Sir Edward Wardour | Thomas Hatton |
| Parliament of 1625–1626 | Sir Henry Moody, Bt | Sir Edward Wardour |
| Parliament of 1626–1628 | Sir Henry Moody, Bt | Sir William Croft |
| Parliament of 1628–1629 | Sir Henry Moody, Bt | Sir William Croft |
| 1629–1640 | No Parliaments convened | No Parliaments convened |

### MPs 1640–1832

| Year | | First member | First party | | Second member | Second party |
| April 1640 | | Anthony Hungerford | Royalist | | Sir Neville Poole | |
| November 1640 | | Anthony Hungerford | Royalist | | Sir Neville Poole | Parliamentarian |
| June 1644 | Hungerford disabled from sitting – seat vacant | Hungerford disabled from sitting – seat vacant | Hungerford disabled from sitting – seat vacant | | | | Sir Neville Poole | Parliamentarian |
| 1645 | | Sir John Danvers | | | Sir Neville Poole | Parliamentarian |
| December 1648 | | Sir John Danvers | | Poole excluded in Pride's Purge – seat vacant | Poole excluded in Pride's Purge – seat vacant | Poole excluded in Pride's Purge – seat vacant |
| 1653 | Malmesbury was unrepresented in the Barebones Parliament and the First and Second Parliaments of the Protectorate | Malmesbury was unrepresented in the Barebones Parliament and the First and Second Parliaments of the Protectorate | Malmesbury was unrepresented in the Barebones Parliament and the First and Second Parliaments of the Protectorate | Malmesbury was unrepresented in the Barebones Parliament and the First and Second Parliaments of the Protectorate | Malmesbury was unrepresented in the Barebones Parliament and the First and Second Parliaments of the Protectorate | Malmesbury was unrepresented in the Barebones Parliament and the First and Second Parliaments of the Protectorate |
| January 1659 | | Sir Henry Lee | | | Thomas Higgons | |
| May 1659 | Malmesbury was not represented in the restored Rump | Malmesbury was not represented in the restored Rump | Malmesbury was not represented in the restored Rump | Malmesbury was not represented in the restored Rump | Malmesbury was not represented in the restored Rump | Malmesbury was not represented in the restored Rump |
| April 1660 | | Robert Danvers | | | Sir Francis Lee, Bt | |
| 1661 | | Lawrence Washington | | | Sir Francis Lee, Bt | |
| 1662 | | Philip Howard | | | Sir Francis Lee, Bt | |
| 1668 | | Philip Howard | | | Sir Edward Poole | |
| 1673 | | Philip Howard | | | Thomas Estcourt | |
| February 1679 | | Sir William Estcourt, Bt | | | Sir James Long, Bt | |
| 1685 | | Sir Thomas Estcourt | | | John Fitzherbert | |
| 1689 | | Thomas Tollemache | | | Charles Godfrey | |
| 1690 | | Goodwin Wharton | | | Sir James Long, Bt | |
| 1692 | | Goodwin Wharton | | | George Booth | |
| 1695 | | Goodwin Wharton | | | Craven Howard | |
| 1696 | | Sir Thomas Skipwith, Bt | | | Craven Howard | |
| 1698 | | Michael Wicks | | | Edward Pauncefort | |
| January 1701 | | Samuel Shepheard | | | Edward Pauncefort | |
| November 1701 | | Sir Charles Hedges | | | Edward Pauncefort | |
| 1702 | | Thomas Boucher | | | Edward Pauncefort | |
| 1705 | | Thomas Farrington | | | Henry Mordaunt | |
| 1710 | | Thomas Farrington | | | Joseph Addison | Whig |
| 1713 | | Sir John Rushout, Bt | | | Joseph Addison | Whig |
| 1719 by-election | | Sir John Rushout, Bt | | | Fleetwood Dormer | |
| March 1722 | | Sir John Rushout, Bt | | | The Viscount Hillsborough | |
| December 1722 | | Giles Earle | | | John Fermor | |
| 1723 by-election | | Giles Earle | | | Charles Stewart | |
| 1727 | | Giles Earle | | | William Rawlinson Earle | |
| 1747 | | John Lee | | | James Douglas | |
| 1751 by-election | | John Lee | | | Lord Edward Digby | |
| 1754 | | Lord George Bentinck | | | Brice Fisher | |
| 1759 by-election | | Thomas Conolly | | | Brice Fisher | |
| 1761 | | Thomas Conolly | | | The Earl Tylney | |
| 1768 | | The Earl of Donegall | | | Hon. Thomas Howard | |
| 1774 | | Hon. Charles James Fox | Whig | | William Strahan | Tory |
| September 1780 | | Viscount Lewisham | | | Viscount Fairford | |
| November 1780 by-election | | John Calvert | | | Viscount Fairford | |
| 1784 | | The Viscount Melbourne | | | Viscount Maitland | |
| February 1790 by-election | | The Viscount Melbourne | | | Paul Benfield | |
| June 1790 | | Benjamin Bond-Hopkins | | | Paul Benfield | |
| 1792 by-election | | Benjamin Bond-Hopkins | | | Sir James Sanderson | |
| 1794 by-election | | Francis Glanville | | | Sir James Sanderson | |
| May 1796 | | Samuel Smith | | | Peter Thellusson | |
| November 1796 by-election | | Philip Metcalfe | | | Peter Thellusson | |
| 1802 | | Claude Scott | | | Sir Samuel Scott, Bt | |
| 1806 | | Robert Ladbroke | | | Nicholas Ridley-Colborne | |
| 1807 | | Sir George Bowyer, Bt | Tory | | Philip Gell | Tory |
| 1810 by-election | | Abel Smith | Tory | | Philip Gell | Tory |
| 1812 | | William Hicks-Beach | Tory | | Sir Charles Saxton, Bt | Tory |
| 1813 by-election | | William Hicks-Beach | Tory | | Peter Patten | Tory |
| 1817 by-election | | Sir William Abdy, Bt | | | Peter Patten | Tory |
| 1818 | | (Sir) Charles Forbes | Tory | | Kirkman Finlay | Tory |
| 1820 by-election | | (Sir) Charles Forbes | Tory | | William Leake | |
| 1826 | | (Sir) Charles Forbes | Tory | | John Forbes | 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 | | Member | Party |
| 1832 | | Charles Howard | Whig |
| 1841 | | Hon. James Howard | Whig |
| 1852 | | Thomas Luce | Whig |
| 1859 | | Henry Howard | Liberal |
| 1868 | | Walter Powell | Conservative |
| 1882 by-election | | Charles William Miles | Conservative |
| 1885 | Constituency abolished | Constituency abolished | Constituency abolished |

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

General election 1830: Malmesbury :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Tory | Charles Forbes | Unopposed | Unopposed |
| | Tory | John Forbes (1801-1840) | Unopposed | Unopposed |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 13 | |
| | Tory hold | Tory hold | Tory hold | Tory hold |
| | Tory hold | Tory hold | Tory hold | Tory hold |
General election 1831: Malmesbury :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Tory | Charles Forbes | 13 | 50.0 |
| | Tory | John Forbes (1801-1840) | 13 | 50.0 |
| | Whig | George Julius Poulett Scrope | 0 | 0.0 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 13 | 50.0 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 13 | 100.0 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 13 | |
| | Tory hold | Tory hold | Tory hold | Tory hold |
| | Tory hold | Tory hold | Tory hold | Tory hold |
General election 1832: Malmesbury :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Whig | James Howard | Unopposed | Unopposed |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 291 | |
| | Whig gain from Tory | Whig gain from Tory | Whig gain from Tory | Whig gain from Tory |
General election 1835: Malmesbury :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Whig | James Howard | Unopposed | Unopposed |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 292 | |
| | Whig hold | Whig hold | Whig hold | Whig hold |
General election 1837: Malmesbury :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Whig | James Howard | 112 | 54.1 |
| | Conservative | Isaac Salter | 95 | 45.9 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 17 | 8.2 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 207 | 79.6 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 260 | |
| | Whig hold | Whig hold | Whig hold | Whig hold |

### Elections in the 1840s

General election 1841: Malmesbury :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Whig | James Howard | 125 | 54.3 | +0.2 |
| | Conservative | Lancelot Archer Burton | 105 | 45.7 | −0.2 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 20 | 8.6 | +0.4 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 230 | 73.0 | −6.6 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 315 | | |
| | Whig hold | Whig hold | Swing | +0.2 | |
General election 1847: Malmesbury :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Whig | James Howard | Unopposed | Unopposed | Unopposed |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 320 | | |
| | Whig hold | Whig hold | Whig hold | Whig hold | Whig hold |

### Elections in the 1850s

General election 1852: Malmesbury :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Whig | Thomas Luce | 137 | 51.7 | N/A |
| | Conservative | Peter Audley Lovell | 128 | 48.3 | New |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 9 | 3.4 | N/A |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 265 | 85.8 | N/A |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 309 | | |
| | Whig hold | Whig hold | Whig hold | Whig hold | Whig hold |
General election 1857: Malmesbury :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Whig | Thomas Luce | Unopposed | Unopposed | Unopposed |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 315 | | |
| | Whig hold | Whig hold | Whig hold | Whig hold | Whig hold |
General election 1859: Malmesbury :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal | Henry Howard | Unopposed | Unopposed | Unopposed |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 343 | | |
| | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Liberal hold |

### Elections in the 1860s

General election 1865: Malmesbury :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal | Henry Howard | 157 | 53.6 | N/A |
| | Conservative | John Gilbert Talbot | 136 | 46.4 | New |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 21 | 7.2 | N/A |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 293 | 89.1 | N/A |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 329 | | |
| | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Liberal hold |
General election 1868: Malmesbury :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Walter Powell | 337 | 51.8 | +5.4 |
| | Liberal | Henry Howard | 314 | 48.2 | −5.4 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 23 | 3.6 | N/A |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 651 | 82.9 | −6.2 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 785 | | |
| | Conservative gain from Liberal | Conservative gain from Liberal | Swing | +5.4 | |

### Elections in the 1870s

General election 1874: Malmesbury :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Walter Powell | Unopposed | Unopposed | Unopposed |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 1,053 | | |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Conservative hold |

### Elections in the 1880s

General election 1880: Malmesbury :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Walter Powell | 602 | 66.0 | N/A |
| | Liberal | Arthur Kitching | 310 | 34.0 | New |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 292 | 32.0 | N/A |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 912 | 84.5 | N/A |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 1,079 | | |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | | |
Powell was declared dead after he disappeared when a hydrogen balloon he was travelling in was blown out into the English Channel and never seen again.
By-election, 7 Mar 1882: Malmesbury :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Charles William Miles | 491 | 53.0 | −13.0 |
| | Liberal | Charles Richard Luce | 435 | 47.0 | +13.0 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 56 | 6.0 | −26.0 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 926 | 86.9 | +2.4 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 1,066 | | |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | −13.0 | |