# Gloucestershire (UK Parliament constituency)

The constituency of Gloucestershire was a UK Parliamentary constituency. After it was abolished under the 1832 Electoral Reform Act, two new constituencies, West Gloucestershire and East Gloucestershire, were created.
Gloucestershire was a constituency of the House of Commons of the Parliament of England, 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 Knights of the Shire.

## Boundaries

The constituency consisted of the historic county of Gloucestershire, excluding the part of the city of Bristol in the geographical county. Bristol had the status of a county of itself after 1373. Although Gloucestershire contained a number of other parliamentary boroughs, each of which elected two MPs in its own right for part of the period when Gloucestershire was a constituency, these were not excluded from the county constituency. Owning property within such boroughs could confer a vote at the county election. This was not the case, though, for Bristol.

## Members of Parliament

Roman numerals are used to differentiate MPs with the same name, who are not holders of a title with different succession numbers. It is not suggested that the people involved would have used Roman numerals in this way.

## 1290–1339

Constituency created (1290)
* 1290: Richard de la More and Giles de Berkeley
* 1295: Walter de Helyon and Robert de Berkeley
* 1296: Sir John de Sancto Laudo and Sir Richard de Croupes
* 1298: Robert de Berkeley and John de Langley
* 1301: John de Acton and Sir Richard de Croupes
* 1302: Peter Crok and William de Wauton
* 1305: Thomas de Botiler (or Botteley) and John Bisshop
* 1306: Nicholas de Kyngeston and John de Bradenstok
* 1307: (Jan) Sir William Mansel and Nicholas de Bathonia
* 1309: Sir John Bisshop and Sir John de Vivonia
* 1313: (Mar) Nicholas de Sancto Mauro (or Seymour) and William Tracy.
* 1313: (Sep) Sir John Bisshop and William Mansel
* 1311: (Aug and Nov) John de Langley and Sir William Mansel
* 1314: (Sep) Richard de la Riviere and William Mansel
* 1315: Sir Nicholas de Kyngeston and Sir John de Rous
* 1316: (Jan) (One Member only) Roger Gacelyn
* 1316: (Apr) Stephen de la More and John de Langley
* 1316: (Jul) (One Member) Stephen de la More
* 1318: Sir William Corbet and Sir Walter Gacelyn
* 1319: Sir John de Sancto Laudo and Sir William Corbet
* 1320: William Corbet (MP fl.1318) and Henry de Preyers
* 1321: William Mansel and John de Selers
* 1322: (May) Sir Richard de la Riviere and Sir William Tracy
* 1322: (Nov) John de Sancto Laudo and Fulk de Penebrugg
* 1324: (Jan) John le Botiler and William de Bradewell
* 1324: (Oct) Henry de Brockworth and Walter de Ocle
* 1325: Walter de Cirencester and William de Cheltenham
* 1326: Sir Richard de la Riviere and William de Arches
* 1327: William de Whitenton and Andrew de Pendok
* 1328: (Feb) John de Sevenhampton and Robert Dastyn
* 1328: (Apr) William de Cheltenham and Robert Dastyn
* 1328: (Jul) John de Gyse and John de Berkeley
* 1330: (Mar) John de Cromhale and William de Tyderinton
* 1330: (Nov) Henry de Brockworth and Robert Dapetot
* 1331: William de Cheltenham and William de Bradewell
* 1332: (Mar) John le Botiller and William de Bradewell
* 1332: (Sep) William de Cheltenham and Henry de Brockworth
* 1332: (Dec) William de Cheltenham and William de Bradewell
* 1334: (Feb) William de Cheltenham and Richard de la Hale
* 1334: (Sep) William de Cheltenham and Henry de Brockworth
* 1335: William de Cheltenham and John de Cromhale
* 1336: (Mar) Henry de Brockworth and John de Chadderley
* 1336: (Sep) Walter de Combe and William de Cheltenham
* 1337: (Jan) Thomas de Seymour and John Golafre
* 1338: (Feb) Henry de Clifford and Richard Fraunceys
* 1338: (Jul) William de Cheltenham and Henry de Clifford
* 1339: (Jan) John de Cheltenham and Henry de Corsham
* 1339: (Oct) William de Insula and John le Botiller

## 1340–1385

* 1340: (Jan) Sir John de Suydle and Sir Philip Joce
* 1340: (Mar) Thomas le Botiller and John de Berkeley, of Dursley
* 1341: John FitzNichol de Hulle and Edmund Blount
* 1343: Henry de Clifford and William de Westhale
* 1344: Michael de Assh' and William de Westhale
* 1346: Elias de Fylton and John de Clopton
* 1348: (Jan) Simon Basset and John de Weston
* 1348: (Mar) Sir William Whittington and Thomas de la Mare
* 1351: Robert Palet and John Serjaunt
* 1352: (Jan) John de Weston and Nicholas Crykkelade
* 1352: (Aug) (One Member). Edward de Cardiff
* 1353: (One Member). Thomas le Botiller
* 1354: Thomas le Botiller and Thomas de la Mare
* 1355: William Mansel and Peter Crook
* 1357: Robert de Shareshull and Richard de Hildesley
* 1358: Thomas de Berkeley and Sir John Tracy, chevalier
* 1360: Sir Adam de Shareshull, chevalier and Maurice de Cheltenham
* 1361: Sir Simon Basset, miles and Sir Thomas Moigne, miles
* 1362: Simon Basset and Thomas Moigne
* 1363: John Tracy and Nicholas Berkeley
* 1365: John de Bromwich and John Slaughter
* 1366: John Tracy and John Slaughter
* 1368: John Tracy and John Pointz
* 1369: (Apr) John Pointz and John Tracy
* 1371: {Feb} John Pointz and Robert Palet
* 1371: {Jun} (One Member) John Pointz
* 1372: John Clifford and John Lucy
* 1373: John Giffard and Thomas Hathewy
* 1376: Sir John Thorp, chevalier and Sir John Giffard, chevalier
* 1377: {Jan} Peter de Veel and Edmund de Bradeston
* 1377: (Oct) John Thorp and William Whitenton
* 1378: {Oct} Peter le Veel and Edmund de Bradeston
* 1379: Edmund de Bradeston and John Giffard
* 1380: {Jan} Maurice Wythe and John Thorp
* 1380: {Nov} Thomas Berkeley and William Heyberer
* 1381: John Thorp and Peter Veel
* 1382: (May) John Thorp and Peter Veel
* 1382: (Oct) Thomas FitzNicol and Laurence Sebrok
* 1383: (Feb) Thomas FitzNichol and Ralph Waleys
* 1383: (Oct) Thomas FitzNichol and Ralph Waleys
* 1384: {Apr} Edmund de Bradeston and William Heyberer
* 1384: {Nov} Robert de Whittington and William Heyberer
* 1385: Sir Thomas FitzNichol and William Heyberer

## 1386–1421

(Source: Roskell, 1992)
| Election | First Member | Second Member |
| 1386 | Sir Thomas FitzNichol | William Hervy |
| 1388 (Feb) | Sir John Berkeley | William Heyberer |
| 1388 (Sept) | Sir John Berkeley | Sir Laurence Sebrooke |
| 1390 (Jan) | Sir John Cheyne | Sir Laurence Sebrooke |
| 1390 (Nov) | Sir Gilbert Denys | Thomas Berkeley |
| 1391 | Sir Maurice Berkeley | Robert Whittington |
| 1393 | Sir John Cheyne | Sir Thomas FitzNichol |
| 1394 | Sir John Cheyne | Sir Henry de la River |
| 1395 | Sir Thomas FitzNichol | Sir Gilbert Denys |
| 1397 (Jan) | Sir Thomas Butler | Sir John Berkeley |
| 1397 (Sept) | Hugh Mortimer | John Browning |
| 1399 | Sir John Cheyne | Sir Thomas FitzNichol |
| 1401 | John Browning | Sir Thomas FitzNichol |
| 1402 | Sir Maurice Russell | Sir Thomas FitzNichol |
| 1404 (Jan) | Sir Maurice Russell | Robert Whittington |
| 1404 (Oct) | Richard Mawarden | James Clifford |
| 1406 | Sir Thomas FitzNichol | Robert Whittington |
| 1407 | Sir Thomas FitzNichol | Thomas Mille |
| 1410 | Sir John Drayton | unknown |
| 1411 | Thomas Mille | Robert Whittington |
| 1413 (Feb) | unknown | unknown |
| 1413 (May) | Sir Thomas FitzNichol | Sir John Pauncefoot |
| 1414 (April) | Robert Whittington | John Greville |
| 1414 (Nov) | Sir Thomas FitzNichol | John Browning |
| 1415 | Sir Thomas FitzNichol | Robert Poyntz |
| 1416 (Mar) | unknown | unknown |
| 1416 (Oct) | unknown | unknown |
| 1417 | Robert Poyntz | Robert Greyndore |
| 1419 | John Greville | William Tracy |
| 1420 | Robert Greyndore | Guy Whittington |
| 1421 (May) | John Greville | Guy Whittington |
| 1421 (Dec) | (Sir) John Blaket | Sir John Pauncefoot |

## 1422–1508

| Parliament | First Member | Second Member |
| 1422 (Oct) | John Grevell | Robert Stranshawe |
| 1423 (Oct) | John Grevell | Robert Stranshawe |
| 1425 (Apr) | Sir Maurice Berkeley | John Grevell |
| 1426 (Jan) | Robert Stranshawe | Robert Greyndore |
| 1427 (Sep) | John Grevell | Guy Whittington |
| 1429 (July) | John Langley | Sir Maurice Berkeley |
| 1430 (Dec) | Nicholas Poyntz | Giles Brugges or Bridges |
| 1432 (Apr) | John Langley | Guy Whittington |
| 1433 (Jun) | Robert Greyndore | Robert Stranshawe |
| 1435 (Jul) | John Langley | Thomas Mill |
| 1436 (Dec) | John Langley | John Cassy |
| 1442 (Jan) | William Tracy | John Langley |
| 1447 (Jan) | Thomas Pauncefoot | John Cassy |
| 1449 (Jan) | Thomas Mill | Thomas Pauncefoot |
| 1449 (Oct) | William Gyfford | Thomas Derehurst |
| 1450 (Oct) | John Barre | John Kemmyse |
| 1455 (Jun) | Giles Brugges or Bridges | William Whittington |
| 1460 (Sep) | Thomas Yonge | Thomas Bridges |
| 1467 (May) | Maurice Berkeley | Thomas Herbert senior |
| 1472 (Aug) | Sir Richard Beauchamp | Thomas Lymryk |
| 1476 | John Twynyho |
| 1478 (Jan) | Thomas Cokesey | John Twynyho |
| 1491 (Sep) | Sir Edmond Montfort | Thomas Morton |

## 1509–1558

(Source: Bindoff (1982))
| Parliament of 1510–23 | No names known | No names known |
| Parliament of 1529 | Sir William Kingston | Sir John Brydges |
| Parliament of 1536 | Not known | Not known |
| Parliament of 1539 | Sir William Kingston | Anthony Kingston |
| Parliament of 1542 | ?Sir Anthony Kingston | Not known |
| Parliament of 1545 | Sir Anthony Kingston | Nicholas Arnold |
| Parliament of 1547 | Sir Anthony Kingston | Sir Nicholas Poyntz |
| Parliament of 1553 (Mar) | Sir Anthony Kingston | Sir Nicholas Arnold |
| Parliament of 1553 (Oct) | Sir Edmund Brydges | Sir Anthony Hungerford |
| Parliament of 1554 (Apr) | Sir Giles Poole | Nicholas Wykes |
| Parliament of 1554 (Nov) | Arthur Porter | William Rede |
| Parliament of 1555 | Sir Anthony Kingston | Sir Nicholas Arnold |
| Parliament of 1558 | Sir Henry Jerningham | Sir Walter Denys |

## 1559–1639

| Parliament | First Member | Second Member |
| 1563 (Jan) | Nicholas Walshe | Richard Denys |
| 1571 (Apr) | Sir Giles Poole | Sir Nicholas Poyntz |
| 1572 (Apr) | Hon. Giles Bridges | Sir Nicholas Arnold |
| 1576 | Thomas Chester | Sir Nicholas Arnold |
| 1581 | Thomas Chester | Sir Thomas Porter |
| 1584 (Nov) | Sir John Darcy | Hon. William Bruges or Bridges |
| 1586 (Oct) | Hon. William Bridges | Sir William Wynter |
| 1588 (Dec) | Sir Thomas Throckmorton | Edward Wynter |
| 1593 (Jan) | Sir Henry Poole | Sir John Pointz |
| 1597 (Sep) | Sir John Tracy | Sir John Hungerford |
| 1601 (Sep) | Sir Edward Wynter | John Throckmorton |
| 1604 (Mar) | Hon. Sir Thomas Berkeley | Sir Richard Berkeley, died in office and replaced 30 May 1604 by John Throckmorton |
| 1614 (Mar) | Sir William Cooke | Richard Berkeley |
| 1620 (Dec) | Sir Robert Tracy | Maurice Berkeley |
| 1624 (Feb) | Sir Thomas Estcourt, died in office and replaced 20 Oct 1624 by Sir Maurice Berkeley | John Dutton |
| 1625 (May) | Sir Maurice Berkeley | John Dutton |
| 1626 (Jan) | Sir Robert Tracy | Sir Robert Pointz |
| 1628 (Mar) | Sir Robert Pointz | Nathaniel Stephens |
| 1629–1640 | No Parliaments summoned | No Parliaments summoned |

## 1640–1832

| Election | Election | First member | First party | Second member | Second party |
| | 1640, April | Sir Robert Tracy | Royalist | Sir Robert Cooke | Parliamentarian |
| | 1640, November | Nathaniel Stephens | Parliamentarian | John Dutton $^1$ | Royalist |
| | c. 1644 | Nathaniel Stephens | Parliamentarian | Sir John Seymour $^2$ | Parliamentarian |
| Gloucestershire's representation was increased to 3 nominated MPs in Barebones Parliament |||||||
| | 1653 | John Crofts; William Neast; Robert Holmes | John Crofts; William Neast; Robert Holmes | John Crofts; William Neast; Robert Holmes | John Crofts; William Neast; Robert Holmes |
| Gloucestershire's representation was increased to 5 elected MPs in the First and Second Parliaments of the Protectorate |||||||
| | 1654 | George Berkeley; Matthew Hale; John Howe; Christopher Guise; Sylvanus Wood | George Berkeley; Matthew Hale; John Howe; Christopher Guise; Sylvanus Wood | George Berkeley; Matthew Hale; John Howe; Christopher Guise; Sylvanus Wood | George Berkeley; Matthew Hale; John Howe; Christopher Guise; Sylvanus Wood |
| | 1656 | George Berkeley; John Howe; John Crofts; Baynham Throckmorton; William Neast | George Berkeley; John Howe; John Crofts; Baynham Throckmorton; William Neast | George Berkeley; John Howe; John Crofts; Baynham Throckmorton; William Neast | George Berkeley; John Howe; John Crofts; Baynham Throckmorton; William Neast |
| Gloucestershire's representation was decreased to 2 MPs in the Third Parliament of the Protectorate and thereafter |||||||
| | 1659, January | John Grobham Howe I | | John Stephens | |
| | 1659, May | unknown | | unknown | |
| | 1660, April 18 | Edward Stephens | | Matthew Hale | |
| | 17 April 1661 | John Grobham Howe I | | Sir Baynham Throckmorton, 2nd Bt $^3$ | |
| | 21 December 1664 | John Grobham Howe I | | Sir Baynham Throckmorton, 3rd Bt | |
| | 26 February 1679 | Sir John Guise, 2nd Bt | | Sir Ralph Dutton, Bt | |
| | 18 March 1685 | Marquess of Worcester | | Sir Robert Atkyns | |
| | 18 January 1689 | Sir John Guise, 2nd Bt | Whig | Sir Ralph Dutton, Bt | Whig |
| | 11 December 1695 | Thomas Stephens I | Whig | Sir Ralph Dutton, Bt | Whig |
| | 3 August 1698 | John Grobham Howe II | Tory | Sir Richard Cocks, Bt | Whig |
| | 3 December 1701 | Maynard Colchester | Whig | Sir Richard Cocks, Bt | Whig |
| | 6 August 1702 | Maynard Colchester | Whig | John Grobham Howe II | Tory |
| | 16 May 1705 | Maynard Colchester | Whig | Sir John Guise, 3rd Bt | Whig |
| | 12 May 1708 | Matthew Moreton | Whig | Sir John Guise, 3rd Bt | Whig |
| | 25 October 1710 | Matthew Moreton | Whig | John Symes Berkeley | Tory |
| | 23 September 1713 | Thomas Stephens II | Whig | John Symes Berkeley | Tory |
| | 9 February 1715 | Thomas Stephens II | Whig | Matthew Moreton | Whig |
| | 30 March 1720 | Hon. Henry Berkeley | | Matthew Moreton | Whig |
| | 22 June 1720 | Hon. Henry Berkeley | | Edmund Bray | |
| | 28 March 1722 | Hon. Henry Berkeley | | Kinard de la Bere | |
| | 6 September 1727 | Hon. Henry Berkeley | | Sir John Dutton, Bt | |
| | 8 May 1734 | Thomas Chester | Tory | Benjamin Bathurst | Tory |
| | 12 May 1741 | Thomas Chester | Tory | Norborne Berkeley | |
| | 27 April 1763 | Thomas Chester | Tory | Thomas Tracy | |
| | 23 November 1763 | Edward Southwell | | Thomas Tracy | |
| | 6 August 1770 | Edward Southwell | | Sir William Guise, Bt | |
| | 6 May 1776 | William Bromley-Chester | Tory $^4$ | Sir William Guise, Bt | |
| | 24 January 1781 | James Dutton | | Sir William Guise, Bt | |
| | 28 April 1783 | James Dutton | | Hon. George Cranfield Berkeley | Whig $^5$ |
| | 12 April 1784 | Thomas Master | Tory $^5$ | Hon. George Cranfield Berkeley | Whig $^5$ |
| | 2 June 1796 | Marquess of Worcester | Tory | Hon. George Cranfield Berkeley | Whig $^5$ |
| | 14 November 1803 | Lord Edward Somerset | Tory | Hon. George Cranfield Berkeley | Whig $^5$ |
| | 18 May 1810 | Lord Edward Somerset | Tory | Viscount Dursley | |
| | 7 February 1811 | Lord Edward Somerset | Tory | Sir Berkeley Guise, Bt | Whig |
| | 10 May 1831 | Hon. Henry Reynolds-Moreton | Whig | Sir Berkeley Guise, Bt | Whig |
| Constituency abolished (1832) |||||||
Notes:-
* $^1$ Dutton was disabled from sitting for adhering to the King and joining the King's Oxford Parliament, c. 1644.
* $^2$ Seymour was excluded from Parliament by the Army, c. 1648.
* $^3$ Father of the Baynham Throckmorton elected in 1656 and 1664.
* $^4$ Stooks Smith classifies Bromley-Chester as Tory in the 1776 by-election, but gives no label in subsequent elections.
* $^5$ Stooks Smith classifies Berkeley as Whig in the 1776 by-election (which he lost), but gives no label in subsequent elections before the general election of 1790. Both Berkeley and Master are classified by party from 1790.

## Elections

Gloucestershire by-election, May 1776 (1 seat) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Tory | William Bromley-Chester | 2,919 | 50.4 | n/a |
| | Whig | George Cranfield Berkeley | 2,873 | 49.6 | n/a |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 46 | 0.8 | n/a |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 5,792 | | n/a |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | | | |