# Malton (UK Parliament constituency)

Malton, also called New Malton, was a constituency of the House of Commons of the Parliament of England in 1295 and 1298, and again from 1640, then of the Parliament of Great Britain from 1707 to 1800 and of the Parliament of the United Kingdom from 1801 to 1885. It was represented by two Members of Parliament until 1868, among them the political philosopher Edmund Burke, and by one member from 1868 to 1885.
The constituency was divided between the new Thirsk and Malton division of the North Riding of Yorkshire and the Buckrose division of the East Riding of Yorkshire from 1885.

## Boundaries

The constituency consisted of parts of the St Leonard's and St Michael's parishes of New Malton in the North Riding until the Great Reform Act 1832; the borough at that point included 791 houses and had a population of 4,173 in the 1831 census. The Reform Act 1832 expanded the boundaries to include the whole of those two parishes, as well as that of Old Malton and of the adjoining town of Norton in the East Riding, increasing the population to 7,192 and encompassing 1,401 houses.

## Franchise

The right of election in Malton was vested in the scot and lot householders of the borough, of whom there were about 800 in 1832. In practice the seats were generally in the gift of the landowner, Earl Fitzwilliam (and were frequently held by one of that family, often by the heir to the Earldom who had the courtesy title Viscount Milton); at an earlier period the borough was similarly dominated by the Watson-Wentworth family, and was used as a form of government patronage when the Marquess of Rockingham was Prime Minister.

## Members of Parliament

New Malton re-enfranchised by Parliament in November 1640

### MPs 1640–1868

| Year | Year | Year | First member | First party | Second member | Second party |
| | | November 1640 | Thomas Hebblethwaite | Royalist | Henry Cholmley | Parliamentarian |
| | | November 1644 | Hebblethwaite disabled to sit – seat vacant | Hebblethwaite disabled to sit – seat vacant | | Henry Cholmley | Parliamentarian |
| | | 1645 | Richard Darley | | Henry Cholmley | Parliamentarian |
| | | December 1648 | Richard Darley | | Cholmley excluded in Pride's Purge – seat vacant | Cholmley excluded in Pride's Purge – seat vacant |
| | | 1653 | Malton was unrepresented in the Barebones Parliament | Malton was unrepresented in the Barebones Parliament | Malton was unrepresented in the Barebones Parliament | Malton was unrepresented in the Barebones Parliament |
| | | 1654,1656 | Malton was unrepresented in the First and Second Parliaments of the Protectorate | Malton was unrepresented in the First and Second Parliaments of the Protectorate | Malton was unrepresented in the First and Second Parliaments of the Protectorate | Malton was unrepresented in the First and Second Parliaments of the Protectorate |
| | | January 1659 | Philip Howard | | George Marwood | |
| | | May 1659 | Richard Darley | | One seat vacant | One seat vacant |
| | | April 1660 | Thomas Hebblethwaite | | Philip Howard | |
| | | April (?) 1661 | Thomas Hebblethwaite | | Thomas Danby | |
| | | December 1661 | Thomas Hebblethwaite | | Sir Thomas Gower | |
| | | 1668 | William Palmes | | Sir Thomas Gower | |
| | | 1673 | William Palmes | | James Hebblethwaite | |
| | | 1679 | William Palmes | | Sir Watkinson Payler | |
| | | 1685 | Hon. Thomas Fairfax | | Thomas Worsley | |
| | | 1689 | William Palmes | Junto Whig | Sir William Strickland | Junto Whig |
| | | 1698 | William Palmes | Junto Whig | Thomas Worsley | |
| | | 1701 | William Palmes | Junto Whig | Sir William Strickland | Junto Whig |
| | | 1708 | William Palmes | Junto Whig | William Strickland | Whig |
| | | 1713 | Thomas Watson-Wentworth | | William Strickland | Whig |
| | | 1715 | Thomas Watson-Wentworth | | Thomas Watson-Wentworth (the younger) | |
| | | 1722 | Sir William Strickland | Whig | Thomas Watson-Wentworth (the younger) | |
| | | 1724 by-election | Henry Finch | | Thomas Watson-Wentworth (the younger) | |
| | | 1727 | Henry Finch | | Wardell Westby | |
| | | 1731 by-election | Henry Finch | | Sir William Wentworth | |
| | | May 1741 | Henry Finch | | Lord James Cavendish | |
| | | Dec 1741 by-election | Henry Finch | | John Mostyn | |
| | | 1761 by-election | Savile Finch | Whig | John Mostyn | |
| | | 1768 | Savile Finch | Whig | The Viscount Downe | |
| | | 1774 | Savile Finch | Whig | Edmund Burke | Rockinghamite Whig |
| | | 1775 by-election | Savile Finch | Whig | William Weddell | Whig |
| | | 1780 by-election | Edmund Burke | Whig | William Weddell | Whig |
| | | April 1784 | Edmund Burke | Whig | Sir Thomas Gascoigne | Whig |
| | | Aug 1784 by-election | Edmund Burke | Whig | William Weddell | Whig |
| | | 1792 by-election | Edmund Burke | Whig | Hon. George Damer | Whig |
| | | 1794 by-election | Richard Burke (died 1794) | Whig | Hon. George Damer | Whig |
| | | 1795 by-election | William Baldwin | Whig | Hon. George Damer | Whig |
| | | 1798 by-election | William Baldwin | Whig | Bryan Cooke | Whig |
| | | 1798 by-election | Charles Lawrence Dundas | Whig | Bryan Cooke | Whig |
| | | 1805 by-election | Henry Grattan | Whig | Bryan Cooke | Whig |
| | | 1806 | Viscount Milton | Whig | Bryan Cooke | Whig |
| | | 1807 | Hon. Charles Winn-Allanson | Tory | Robert Lawrence Dundas | Whig |
| | | Mar 1808 by-election | Bryan Cooke | Whig | Robert Lawrence Dundas | Whig |
| | | 1812 | John Ramsden | Whig | Viscount Duncannon | Whig |
| | | 1826 | John Ramsden | Whig | Viscount Normanby | Canningite Tory |
| | | 1830 | John Ramsden | Whig | Sir James Scarlett | Whig |
| | | April 1831 by-election | John Ramsden | Whig | Francis Jeffrey | Whig |
| | | May 1831 | Henry Gally Knight | Whig | Francis Jeffrey | Whig |
| | | Jul 1831 by-election | Henry Gally Knight | Whig | William Cavendish | Whig |
| | | Sep. 1831 by-election | Henry Gally Knight | Whig | Charles Pepys | Whig |
| | | 1832 | William Fitzwilliam | Whig | Charles Pepys | Whig |
| | | 1833 by-election | John Ramsden | Whig | Charles Pepys | Whig |
| | | 1836 by-election | John Ramsden | Whig | John Walbanke-Childers | Whig |
| | | 1837 by-election | Viscount Milton | Whig | John Walbanke-Childers | Whig |
| | | 1841 | Evelyn Denison | Whig | John Walbanke-Childers | Whig |
| | | 1846 by-election | Evelyn Denison | Whig | Viscount Milton | Whig |
| | | 1847 | Evelyn Denison | Whig | John Walbanke-Childers | Whig |
| | | 1852 | Evelyn Denison | Whig | Hon. Charles Wentworth-Fitzwilliam | Whig |
| | | 1857 | James Brown | Whig | Hon. Charles Wentworth-Fitzwilliam | Whig |
| | | 1859 | James Brown | Liberal | Hon. Charles Wentworth-Fitzwilliam | Liberal |
| 1868 | 1868 | 1868 | Representation reduced to one member | Representation reduced to one member | Representation reduced to one member | Representation reduced to one member |

### MPs 1868–1885

| Year | Year | Member | Party |
| | 1868 | Hon. Charles Wentworth-FitzWilliam | Liberal |
| 1885 | 1885 | constituency abolished | constituency abolished |

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

General election 1830: Malton :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Whig | John Charles Ramsden | Unopposed | Unopposed | Unopposed |
| | Whig | James Scarlett | Unopposed | Unopposed | Unopposed |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | c. 500 | | |
| | Whig hold | Whig hold | Whig hold | Whig hold | Whig hold |
| | Whig hold | Whig hold | Whig hold | Whig hold | Whig hold |
Scarlett resigned, causing a by-election.
By-election, 6 April 1831: Malton :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Whig | Francis Jeffrey | Unopposed | Unopposed | Unopposed |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | c. 500 | | |
| | Whig hold | Whig hold | Whig hold | Whig hold | Whig hold |
General election 1831: Malton :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Whig | Francis Jeffrey | Unopposed | Unopposed | Unopposed |
| | Whig | Henry Gally Knight | Unopposed | Unopposed | Unopposed |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | c. 500 | | |
| | Whig hold | Whig hold | Whig hold | Whig hold | Whig hold |
| | Whig hold | Whig hold | Whig hold | Whig hold | Whig hold |
Jeffrey was also elected for Perth Burghs and opted to sit there, causing a by-election.
By-election, 13 July 1831: Malton :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Whig | William Cavendish | Unopposed | Unopposed | Unopposed |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | c. 500 | | |
| | Whig hold | Whig hold | Whig hold | Whig hold | Whig hold |
Cavendish resigned, causing a by-election.
By-election, 30 September 1831: Malton :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Whig | Charles Pepys | Unopposed | Unopposed | Unopposed |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | c. 500 | | |
| | Whig hold | Whig hold | Whig hold | Whig hold | Whig hold |
General election 1832: Malton :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Whig | William Charles Wentworth-FitzWilliam | Unopposed | Unopposed | Unopposed |
| | Whig | Charles Pepys | Unopposed | Unopposed | Unopposed |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 667 | | |
| | Whig hold | Whig hold | Whig hold | Whig hold | Whig hold |
| | Whig hold | Whig hold | Whig hold | Whig hold | Whig hold |
Wentworth-FitzWilliam resigned in order to contest a by-election at North Northamptonshire, causing a by-election.
By-election, 8 March 1833: Malton :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Whig | John Charles Ramsden | Unopposed | Unopposed | Unopposed |
| | Whig hold | Whig hold | Whig hold | Whig hold | Whig hold |
Pepys was appointed as Solicitor General for England and Wales, requiring a by-election.
By-election, 4 March 1834: Malton :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Whig | Charles Pepys | Unopposed | Unopposed | Unopposed |
| | Whig hold | Whig hold | Whig hold | Whig hold | Whig hold |
General election 1835: Malton :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Whig | John Charles Ramsden | Unopposed | Unopposed | Unopposed |
| | Whig | Charles Pepys | Unopposed | Unopposed | Unopposed |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 616 | | |
| | Whig hold | Whig hold | Whig hold | Whig hold | Whig hold |
| | Whig hold | Whig hold | Whig hold | Whig hold | Whig hold |
Pepys was appointed as First Lord Commissioner for the Custody of the Great Seal, requiring a by-election.
By-election, 19 May 1835: Malton :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Whig | Charles Pepys | Unopposed | Unopposed | Unopposed |
| | Whig hold | Whig hold | Whig hold | Whig hold | Whig hold |
Pepys resigned after being appointed as Lord Chancellor and being elevated to the peerage, becoming 1st Earl of Cottenham, requiring a by-election.
By-election, 12 February 1836: Malton :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Whig | John Walbanke-Childers | Unopposed | Unopposed | Unopposed |
| | Whig hold | Whig hold | Whig hold | Whig hold | Whig hold |
Ramsden's death caused a by-election.
By-election, 27 January 1837: Malton :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Whig | William Wentworth-Fitzwilliam | Unopposed | Unopposed | Unopposed |
| | Whig hold | Whig hold | Whig hold | Whig hold | Whig hold |
General election 1837: Malton :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Whig | John Walbanke-Childers | Unopposed | Unopposed | Unopposed |
| | Whig | William Wentworth-Fitzwilliam | Unopposed | Unopposed | Unopposed |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 603 | | |
| | Whig hold | Whig hold | Whig hold | Whig hold | Whig hold |
| | Whig hold | Whig hold | Whig hold | Whig hold | Whig hold |

### Elections in the 1840s

General election 1841: Malton :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Whig | John Walbanke-Childers | Unopposed | Unopposed | Unopposed |
| | Whig | Evelyn Denison | Unopposed | Unopposed | Unopposed |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 572 | | |
| | Whig hold | Whig hold | Whig hold | Whig hold | Whig hold |
| | Whig hold | Whig hold | Whig hold | Whig hold | Whig hold |
Childers resigned by accepting the office of Steward of the Chiltern Hundreds, causing a by-election.
By-election, 15 April 1846: Malton :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Whig | William Wentworth-Fitzwilliam | Unopposed | Unopposed | Unopposed |
| | Whig hold | Whig hold | Whig hold | Whig hold | Whig hold |
General election 1847: Malton :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Whig | John Walbanke-Childers | Unopposed | Unopposed | Unopposed |
| | Whig | Evelyn Denison | Unopposed | Unopposed | Unopposed |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 535 | | |
| | Whig hold | Whig hold | Whig hold | Whig hold | Whig hold |
| | Whig hold | Whig hold | Whig hold | Whig hold | Whig hold |

### Elections in the 1850s

General election 1852: Malton :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Whig | Charles Wentworth-FitzWilliam | Unopposed | Unopposed | Unopposed |
| | Whig | Evelyn Denison | Unopposed | Unopposed | Unopposed |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 539 | | |
| | Whig hold | Whig hold | Whig hold | Whig hold | Whig hold |
| | Whig hold | Whig hold | Whig hold | Whig hold | Whig hold |
General election 1857: Malton :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Whig | Charles Wentworth-FitzWilliam | Unopposed | Unopposed | Unopposed |
| | Whig | James Brown | Unopposed | Unopposed | Unopposed |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 594 | | |
| | Whig hold | Whig hold | Whig hold | Whig hold | Whig hold |
| | Whig hold | Whig hold | Whig hold | Whig hold | Whig hold |
General election 1859: Malton :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal | Charles Wentworth-FitzWilliam | Unopposed | Unopposed | Unopposed |
| | Liberal | James Brown | Unopposed | Unopposed | Unopposed |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 595 | | |
| | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Liberal hold |
| | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Liberal hold |

### Elections in the 1860s

General election 1865: Malton :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal | Charles Wentworth-FitzWilliam | Unopposed | Unopposed | Unopposed |
| | Liberal | James Brown | Unopposed | Unopposed | Unopposed |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 600 | | |
| | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Liberal hold |
| | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Liberal hold |
Seat reduced to one member
General election 1868: Malton :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal | Charles Wentworth-FitzWilliam | Unopposed | Unopposed | Unopposed |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 1,218 | | |
| | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Liberal hold |

### Elections in the 1870s

General election 1874: Malton :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal | Charles Wentworth-FitzWilliam | 603 | 56.0 | N/A |
| | Conservative | Robert Hartley Bower | 474 | 44.0 | New |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 129 | 12.0 | N/A |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 1,077 | 86.9 | N/A |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 1,240 | | |
| | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Swing | N/A | |

### Elections in the 1880s

General election 1880: Malton :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal | Charles Wentworth-FitzWilliam | 809 | 64.5 | +8.5 |
| | Conservative | William Worsley | 445 | 35.5 | −8.5 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 364 | 29.0 | +17.0 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 1,254 | 90.9 | +4.0 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 1,379 | | |
| | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Swing | +8.5 | |