# Staffordshire (UK Parliament constituency)

Staffordshire was a county 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 Members of Parliament until 1832.

## History
### Boundaries and franchise

The constituency, which first returned members to Parliament in 1290, consisted of the historic county of Staffordshire, excluding the city of Lichfield which had the status of a county in itself after 1556. (Although Staffordshire also contained the boroughs of Stafford and Newcastle-under-Lyme, and part of the borough of Tamworth, each of which elected two MPs in its own right for part of the period when Staffordshire was a constituency, these were not excluded from the county constituency, and owning property within the borough could confer a vote at the county election. This was not the case, though, for Lichfield.)
As in other county constituencies the franchise between 1430 and 1832 was defined by the Forty Shilling Freeholder Act, which gave the right to vote to every man who possessed freehold property within the county valued at £2 or more per year for the purposes of land tax; it was not necessary for the freeholder to occupy his land, nor even in later years to be resident in the county at all.
Except briefly during the period of the Commonwealth, Staffordshire had two MPs, traditionally known as Knights of the Shire, elected by the bloc vote method, under which each voter had two votes. (In the First and Second Parliaments of Oliver Cromwell's Protectorate, there was a general redistribution of seats and Staffordshire elected three members; the traditional arrangements were restored from 1659.)

### Character

In the Middle Ages Staffordshire was mainly an agricultural county, but was transformed by the Industrial Revolution and had become significantly urbanised. By the time of the Reform Act 1832, Staffordshire had a population of approximately 410,000, of which around 65,000 were in Wolverhampton, 60,000 in the urban area round Stoke-on-Trent, and 15,000 in Walsall. Its principal industries were hardware and pottery manufacture, and it also drew prosperity from the importance of the River Trent as a means of transport and from the extensive canal network constructed in the county in the 18th century.
Nevertheless, the urban and industrial interests had no opportunity to develop political leverage in Staffordshire. Although the qualified electorate numbered some 5,000 in the 18th century, control of the representation was entirely in the hands of a small number of aristocratic families, most notably the Leveson-Gowers (Marquesses of Stafford) and the Bagots. As in most counties of any size, contested elections were avoided whenever possible because of the expense. Elections were held at a single polling place, Stafford, and voters from the rest of the county had to travel to the county town to exercise their franchise; candidates were expected to meet the expenses of their supporters in travelling to the poll and to entertain them lavishly with food and drink when they got there. The MPs were generally chosen by and from among the principal families of the county, and it would have been futile as well as ruinously expensive for an outsider to fight an election. In fact there were only three contested elections in Staffordshire between 1700 and 1747, and none at all afterwards: in 1753, the Leveson Gowers and the Bagots, despite their political differences (the former being Whigs and the latter Tories) reached a satisfactory compromise, and thereafter the Leveson Gowers nominated one MP and the remaining county gentry the other (who was frequently a Bagot).

### Abolition

The constituency was abolished by the Reform Act 1832, which divided the county into two new two-member divisions, Northern Staffordshire and Southern Staffordshire, and also created new boroughs from three of the larger towns previously in the county constituency (Stoke-upon-Trent, Walsall and Wolverhampton).

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

| Parliament | First member | Second member |
| 1295 | Richard de Caverswall | |
| 1324 | Sir John de Arderne | |
| 1332 | Philip de Lutley |
| 1336 | Sir Robert de Mauveysin | |
| 1341 | Adam de Peshale or Peshall |
| 1378 | Robert Stafford | Sir Robert de Swynnerton |
| 1380 | Robert Stafford |
| 1380 | Sir Robert Peshall |
| 1382 | Robert Stafford |
| 1382 | John Basset |
| 1383 | Robert Stafford |
| 1383 | Sir Robert Peshall |
| 1386 | Sir William Shareshull | Aymer Lichfield |
| 1388 (Feb) | Sir John Ipstones | Roger Longridge |
| 1388 (Sep) | Sir Thomas Aston | John Delves |
| 1389 | William Chetwynd? |
| 1390 (Jan) | Sir Nicholas Stafford | John Delves |
| 1390 (Nov) | Sir Nicholas Stafford | John Delves |
| 1391 | Sir John Bagot | William Walsall |
| 1393 | Sir Thomas Aston | William Walsall I |
| 1394 | Sir John Ipstones (murdered on arrival in London February 1394) | William Walsall |
| 1395 | Sir William Shareshull | Aymer Lichfield |
| 1397 (Jan) | Sir John Bagot | Sir Robert Francis |
| 1397 (Sep) | Sir John Bagot | Rustin Villeneuve |
| 1399 | Sir Thomas Aston | Sir Robert Francis |
| 1401 | Sir John Bagot | Sir Robert Francis |
| 1402 | John Swynnerton | William Walsall |
| 1404 (Jan) | Ralph Stafford | William Walsall |
| 1404 (Oct) | Sir John Bagot | Sir Robert Francis |
| 1406 | Sir Thomas Aston | Sir Humphrey Stafford |
| 1407 | Sir John Bagot | Sir William Newport |
| 1410 | |
| 1411 | Sir John Bagot | Sir William Newport |
| 1413 (Feb) | |
| 1413 (May) | Sir Thomas Gresley | Hugh Erdeswyk |
| 1414 (Apr) | John Meverel | William Walsall |
| 1414 (Nov) | John Meverel | Sir William Newport |
| 1415 | |
| 1416 (Mar) | Humphrey Haughton | Roger Bradshaw |
| 1416 (Oct) | |
| 1417 | |
| 1419 | Sir Thomas Gresley | Sir Richard Vernon |
| 1420 | William Lee II | John Mynors |
| 1421 (May) | Sir John Bagot | Richard Lane |
| 1421 (Dec) | Hugh Erdeswyk | Richard Lane |
| 1422 | Sir Thomas Stanley | Sir John Gresley |
| 1431 | John Mynors | John Harpour |
| 1437 | John Hampton | John Mynors |
| 1439 | John Hampton | |
| 1442 | John Hampton | |
| 1445 | Robert Whitgreve |
| 1449 (Feb) | John Hampton | |
| 1449 (Nov) | Robert Whitgreve | John Hampton |
| 1455 | Sir William Vernon |
| 1467 | Sir John Delves |
| 1491 | William Chetwynd |
| 1504 | Sir Edmond Dudley |
| 1510–1523 | No Names Known | No Names Known |
| 1529 | Sir John Giffard | Edward Littleton |
| 1536 | |
| 1539 | Edward Littleton | Thomas Giffard |
| 1542 | Sir John Dudley | Sir Philip Draycott |
| 1545 | Sir George Griffith | Thomas Fitzherbert |
| 1547 | Sir William Paget, ennobled and replaced Jan 1552 by Sir Ralph Bagnall | Sir John Harcourt |
| 1553 (Mar) | William Devereux | Walter Aston |
| 1553 (Oct) | Sir Thomas Giffard | Edward Littleton |
| 1554 (Apr) | Sir Philip Draycott | Thomas Grey |
| 1554 (Nov) | Sir Philip Draycott | (Sir) Edward Littleton |
| 1555 | Sir Thomas Giffard | (Sir) Edward Littleton |
| 1558 | Brian Fowler | Francis Meverell |
| 1559 (Jan) | Sir Ralph Bagnall | Simon Harcourt |
| 1562–1563 | Simon Harcourt | John Grey |
| 1571 | John Grey | Thomas Trentham |
| 1572 (Apr) | John Fleetwood | Thomas Whorwood |
| 1584 (Nov) | Hon. Edward Dudley (alias Sutton) | Edward Legh |
| 1586 | John Grey | William Bassett |
| 1588-1589 | (Sir) Walter Harcourt | Thomas Gerard |
| 1593 | (Sir) Walter Harcourt | Sir Christopher Blount |
| 1597-1598 | Hon. John Dudley | Sir Christopher Blount |
| 1601 | Sir Thomas Gerard | Sir John Egerton |
| 1604-1611 | Sir Edward Littleton Littleton dying 1610 - replaced by Francis Trentham | Robert Stanford Stanford died 1597 - replaced by Sir John Egerton |
| Addled Parliament (1614) | Sir Walter Chetwynd | Thomas Crompton |
| 1621-1622 | Sir William Bowyer | Thomas Crompton |
| Happy Parliament (1624-1625) | Sir William Bowyer | Sir Edward Littleton |
| Useless Parliament (1625) | Richard Erdeswicke | Sir Simon Weston |
| 1625-1626 | Sir William Bowyer | Sir Simon Weston |
| 1628-1629 | Sir Hervey Bagot | Thomas Crompton |
| 1629-1640 | No Parliaments summoned | No Parliaments summoned |

### MPs 1640–1832

| Election | | First member | First party | | Second member | Second party |
| April 1640 | | Sir Edward Littleton | Parliamentarian | | Sir William Bowyer | |
| November 1640 | | Sir Edward Littleton | Parliamentarian | | Sir William Bowyer | Parliamentarian |
| 1641 | | Sir Edward Littleton | Parliamentarian | | Sir Hervey Bagot | Royalist |
| November 1642 | | Sir Edward Littleton | Parliamentarian | Bagot disabled from sitting - seat vacant | Bagot disabled from sitting - seat vacant | Bagot disabled from sitting - seat vacant |
| March 1644 | Littleton disabled from sitting - seat vacant | Littleton disabled from sitting - seat vacant | Littleton disabled from sitting - seat vacant | | | Bagot disabled from sitting - seat vacant | Bagot disabled from sitting - seat vacant | Bagot disabled from sitting - seat vacant |
| 1646 | | John Bowyer | | | Sir Richard Skeffington | |
| 1647 | | John Bowyer | | | Thomas Crompton | |
| December 1648 | Bowyer excluded in Pride's Purge - seat vacant | Bowyer excluded in Pride's Purge - seat vacant | Bowyer excluded in Pride's Purge - seat vacant | | | | Thomas Crompton | |
| 1653 | | George Bellot | | | John Chetwood | |
| Staffordshire's representation was increased to three Members in the First and Second Parliaments of the Protectorate |||||||
| 1654 | Sir Charles Wolseley, Thomas Crompton, Thomas Whitgrave | Sir Charles Wolseley, Thomas Crompton, Thomas Whitgrave | Sir Charles Wolseley, Thomas Crompton, Thomas Whitgrave | Sir Charles Wolseley, Thomas Crompton, Thomas Whitgrave | Sir Charles Wolseley, Thomas Crompton, Thomas Whitgrave | Sir Charles Wolseley, Thomas Crompton, Thomas Whitgrave |
| 1656 | Sir Charles Wolseley, Thomas Crompton, Thomas Whitgrave | Sir Charles Wolseley, Thomas Crompton, Thomas Whitgrave | Sir Charles Wolseley, Thomas Crompton, Thomas Whitgrave | Sir Charles Wolseley, Thomas Crompton, Thomas Whitgrave | Sir Charles Wolseley, Thomas Crompton, Thomas Whitgrave | Sir Charles Wolseley, Thomas Crompton, Thomas Whitgrave |
| Staffordshire's representation reverted to two Members in the Third Protectorate Parliament |||||||
| January 1659 | | Thomas Crompton | | | Sir Thomas Whitgrave | |
| May 1659 | | Thomas Crompton | | | | |
| April 1660 | | Edward Bagot | | | William Sneyd | |
| 1661 | | Sir Thomas Leigh | | | Randolph Egerton | |
| 1663 | | Sir Edward Littleton | | | Randolph Egerton | |
| 1679 | | Sir Walter Bagot | | | Sir John Bowyer | |
| 1685 | | Sir Walter Bagot | | | Edward Littleton | |
| 1689 | | Sir Walter Bagot | | | John Grey | |
| 1690 | | Walter Chetwynd | | | John Grey | |
| 1693 | | Sir Walter Bagot | | | John Grey | |
| 1695 | | Henry Paget | Tory | | John Grey | |
| 1698 | | Henry Paget | Tory | | (Sir) Edward Bagot | |
| 1708 | | Henry Paget | Tory | | John Wrottesley | |
| 1710 | | Henry Paget | Tory | | William Ward | |
| 1712 | | Charles Bagot | | | William Ward | |
| 1713 | | Ralph Sneyd | | | Henry Vernon | |
| 1715 | | Lord Paget | Tory | | William Ward | |
| 1720 by-election | | Lord Paget | Tory | | Hon. William Leveson-Gower | |
| 1727 | | Sir Walter Wagstaffe Bagot | Tory | | Hon. William Leveson-Gower | |
| 1754 | | (Sir) William Bagot | Tory | | Hon. William Leveson-Gower | |
| 1757 by-election | | (Sir) William Bagot | Tory | | Hon. Henry Thynne | |
| 1761 | | (Sir) William Bagot | Tory | | Lord Grey | Whig |
| May 1768 by-election | | (Sir) William Bagot | Tory | | Captain (Sir) John Wrottesley | Whig |
| 1780 | | Viscount Lewisham | Tory | | Captain (Sir) John Wrottesley | Whig |
| 1784 | | Sir Edward Littleton | Whig | | Captain (Sir) John Wrottesley | Whig |
| 1787 by-election | | Sir Edward Littleton | Whig | | Earl Gower | Whig |
| 1799 by-election | | Sir Edward Littleton | Whig | | Lord Granville Leveson-Gower | Whig |
| May 1812 by-election | | Edward Littleton | Canningite Tory | | Lord Granville Leveson-Gower | Whig |
| 1815 by-election | | Edward Littleton | Canningite Tory | | Earl Gower | Whig |
| 1820 | | Edward Littleton | Canningite Tory | | Sir John Fenton Boughey | Whig |
| 1823 by-election | | Edward Littleton | Canningite Tory | | Major-General Sir John Wrottesley | Whig |
| c. 1830 | | Edward Littleton | Whig | | Major-General Sir John Wrottesley | Whig |
| 1832 | Constituency abolished: replaced by North Staffordshire and South Staffordshire | Constituency abolished: replaced by North Staffordshire and South Staffordshire | Constituency abolished: replaced by North Staffordshire and South Staffordshire | Constituency abolished: replaced by North Staffordshire and South Staffordshire | Constituency abolished: replaced by North Staffordshire and South Staffordshire | Constituency abolished: replaced by North Staffordshire and South Staffordshire |