# Northamptonshire (UK Parliament constituency)

The county constituency of Northamptonshire, in the East Midlands of England 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 and was represented in Parliament by two MPs, traditionally known as Knights of the Shire.
After 1832 the county was split into two new constituencies, North Northamptonshire and South Northamptonshire.

## Boundaries

The constituency consisted of the historic county of Northamptonshire. Although the county contained a number of parliamentary boroughs, each of which elected one or two MPs in its own right for parts of the period when Northamptonshire was a constituency, these areas were not excluded from the county constituency. Owning freehold property of the required value, within such boroughs, could confer a vote at the county election. (After 1832, only non-resident owners of forty shilling freeholds situated in borough seats could qualify for a county vote on the basis of that property.)

## Members of Parliament
### 1290–1640

Constituency created (1290)
| Parliament | First member | Second member |
| 1305 (Feb) | Oliver la Zouch | John de Seyton |
| 1319 | John de Longeville | William Trussell |
| 1324 | Henry de Trailly |
| 1330 (Nov) | Robert de Daventry | Edmund Trussell |
| 1337 | John de Seyton |
| 1343 | Sir William Brabazon |
| 1351 | Sir Peter Mallore |
| 1369 | John de Verdon | William de Quenton |
| 1380 (Jan) | John Tyndale |
| 1382 (Oct) | John Wydeville | John Tyndale |
| 1383 (Feb) | John Wydeville | John Tyndale |
| 1383 (Oct) | John Wydeville |
| 1384 (Apr) | Roger de la Chamber | John Tyndale |
| 1384 (Nov) | Roger de la Chamber | John Tyndale |
| 1385 | Sir Giles Mallore |
| 1386 | Roger de la Chamber | John Tyndale |
| 1388 (Feb) | Sir Giles Mallore | John Wydeville |
| 1388 (Sep) | John Harrowden | John Mulsho |
| 1390 (Jan) | Roger de la Chamber | John Mulsho |
| 1390 (Nov) | John Wydeville | John Mulsho |
| 1391 | Roger de la Chamber | Sir Nicholas Lilling |
| 1393 | Sir Giles Mallore | John Tyndale |
| 1394 | Sir Henry Green | Sir Giles Mallor4 |
| 1395 | Roger de la Chamber | Robert Chiselden |
| 1397 (Jan) | Sir Henry Green | John Cope |
| 1397 (Sep) | Hugh Northborough | John Mulsho |
| 1399 | John Cope | Robert Chiselden |
| 1401 | Sir Giles Mallore | John Warwick |
| 1402 | Sir Giles Mallore | John Cope |
| 1404 (Jan) | Sir John Trussell | Ralph Parles |
| 1404 (Oct) | Ralph Green | John Cope |
| 1406 | Ralph Parles / John Cope | John Warwick |
| 1407 | John Tyndale | Thomas Wake |
| 1410 | Sir John St. John | Ralph Green |
| 1411 | Sir John St. John | William Huddlestone |
| 1413 (Feb) |
| 1413 (May) | Nicholas Merbury | Thomas Wake |
| 1414 (Apr) | Thomas Wydeville | Nicholas Merbury |
| 1414 (Nov) | Sir John Trussell | John Mortimer |
| 1415 | |
| 1416 (Mar) | Sir John St. John | William Huddlestone |
| 1416 (Oct) | |
| 1417 | Thomas Mulsho | Thomas Wake |
| 1419 | Thomas Strange | John Boseno |
| 1420 | Sir John Beaufo | Richard Knightley |
| 1421 (May) | Sir John St. John | Thomas Strange |
| 1421 (Dec) | Sir John Knyvet | Simon Kynnesman |
| 1423 | William Tresham | Richard Knightley |
| 1425 | John Catesby |
| 1427 | William Tresham |
| 1429 | William Tresham | John Catesby |
| 1431 | ? |
| 1432 | William Tresham |
| 1433 | William Tresham |
| 1435 | William Tresham |
| 1437 | ? |
| 1439 | William Tresham | Richard Knightley |
| 1442 | William Tresham |
| 1445 | William Tresham |
| 1447 | William Tresham | Henry Green |
| 1449 (Feb) | William Tresham | William Catesby |
| 1449 (Oct) | William Tresham | Thomas Thorpe |
| 1450 (Nov) | Thomas Mulsho | |
| 1453 | Sir Thomas Tresham | William Catesby |
| 1459 | Sir Thomas Tresham | |
| 1484 | William Catesby | |
| 1486 | Sir Thomas Lovell | |
| 1491 | Richard Empson | Davy Philip |
| 1510–1512 | No names known | No names known |
| 1515 | ?Sir Nicholas Vaux | ? |
| 1523 | |
| 1529 | Sir William Parr | Richard Knightley |
| 1536 | |
| 1539 | Sir William Parr | Sir Thomas Tresham |
| 1542 | Sir Thomas Tresham | Sir William Newenham |
| 1545 | |
| 1547 | Henry Williams | Sir John Cope |
| 1553 (Mar) | Sir Nicholas Throckmorton | Robert Lane |
| 1553 (Oct) | Sir John Fermor | William Chauncy |
| 1554 (Apr) | Sir Thomas Tresham | Sir John Spencer |
| 1554 (Nov) | Sir Thomas Tresham | William Chauncy |
| 1555 | Sir John Fermor | William Chauncy |
As there were sometimes significant gaps between Parliaments, the dates of first assembly and dissolution are given for those up to 1640. Where the name of the member has not yet been ascertained or is not recorded in a surviving document, the entry unknown is entered in the table.
| Elected | Assembled | Dissolved | First Member | Second Member |
| 1558 | 20 January 1558 | 17 November 1558 | Sir Walter Mildmay | Sir John Spencer |
| 1559 | 23 January 1559 | 8 May 1559 | Sir Walter Mildmay | Edward Montagu |
| 1563 | 11 January 1563 | 2 January 1567 | Sir Walter Mildmay | Sir William Cecil |
| 1571 | 2 April 1571 | 29 May 1571 | Sir Walter Mildmay | Sir Robert Lane |
| 1572 | 8 May 1572 | 19 April 1583 | Sir Walter Mildmay | (Sir) Christopher Hatton |
| 1584 | 23 November 1584 | 14 September 1585 | Sir Walter Mildmay | (Sir) Christopher Hatton |
| 1586 | 15 October 1586 | 23 March 1587 | Sir Walter Mildmay | (Sir) Christopher Hatton |
| 1588 | 4 February 1589 | 29 March 1589 | Sir Walter Mildmay | Sir Richard Knightley |
| 1593 | 18 February 1593 | 10 April 1593 | Sir Thomas Cecil | Christopher Yelverton |
| 1597 | 24 October 1597 | 9 February 1598 | Sir Thomas Cecil | Sir Richard Knightley |
| 1601 | 27 October 1601 | 19 December 1601 | Sir John Stanhope | Sir William Lane |
| 1604 | 19 March 1604 | 9 February 1611 | Sir Valentine Knightley | Sir Edward Montagu |
| 1614 | 5 April 1614 | 7 June 1614 | Sir William Tate | Sir Edward Montagu |
| 1620 | 16 January 1621 | 8 February 1622 | Sir William Spencer | Sir Edward Montagu |
| (1621) | 16 January 1621 | 8 February 1622 | Sir William Spencer | Richard Knightley |
| 1624 | 12 February 1624 | 27 March 1625 | Sir William Spencer | Richard Knightley |
| 1625 | 17 May 1625 | 12 August 1625 | Sir William Spencer | Richard Knightley |
| 1626 | 6 February 1626 | 15 June 1626 | Sir William Spencer | Sir John Pickering |
| 1628 | 17 March 1628 | 10 March 1629 | Francis Nicolls | Richard Knightley |
| 1629–1640 | No Parliaments convened |

### 1640–1832

| Election | Election | First member | First party | Second member | Second party |
| Northamptonshire was represented by 2 elected Knights of the Shire |||||||
| | 1640, April | John Crew | | Sir Gilbert Pickering, Bt | |
| | 1640, November | Sir Gilbert Pickering, Bt | Parliamentarian | Sir John Dryden, Bt | Parliamentarian |
| Northamptonshire was represented by 2 nominated MPs in Barebones Parliament |||||||
| | 1653 | Sir Gilbert Pickering, Bt | | Thomas Brooke | |
| Northamptonshire's representation was increased to 6 elected MPs in the First and Second Parliaments of the Protectorate |||||||
| | 1654 | (1) Sir Gilbert Pickering, Bt | | (2) John Crew | |
| | 1654 | (3) Sir John Norwich, Bt | | (4) John Claypole, senior | |
| | 1654 | (5) Sir John Dryden, Bt | | (6) Thomas Brooke | |
| | 1656 | (1) Sir Gilbert Pickering, Bt | | (2) John Claypole | |
| | 1656 | (3) William Boteler | | (4) James Langham | |
| | 1656 | (5) Thomas Crew | | (6) Alexander Blake | |
| Northamptonshire's representation was decreased to 2 MPs in the Third Parliament of the Protectorate and thereafter |||||||
| | 1659, January | Richard Knightley | | Philip Holman | |
| | 1659, May | Sir Gilbert Pickering, Bt | | vacant | |
| | 1660, April 22 | John Crew | | Sir Henry Yelverton, Bt | |
| | 21 March 1661 | Sir Justinian Isham, 2nd Bt | | George Clerke | |
| | 29 April 1675 | Lord Burghley | | George Clerke | |
| | 28 February 1678 | Miles Fleetwood | | George Clerke | |
| | 6 February 1679 | Sir Roger Norwich, Bt | | John Parkhurst | |
| | 21 August 1679 | Miles Fleetwood | | John Parkhurst | |
| | 12 May 1685 | Sir Roger Norwich, Bt | | Edward Montagu | Tory |
| | 14 January 1689 | Edward Harby | Whig | Edward Montagu | Tory |
| | 13 June 1689 | Sir Thomas Samwell, Bt | | Edward Montagu | Tory |
| | 20 February 1690 | Sir St Andrew St John, Bt | Whig | John Parkhurst | Whig |
| | 14 November 1695 | Sir St Andrew St John, Bt | Whig | Thomas Cartwright | Tory |
| | 21 July 1698 | Sir Justinian Isham, 4th Bt | Tory | John Parkhurst | Whig |
| | 4 December 1701 | Sir Justinian Isham, 4th Bt | Tory | Thomas Cartwright | Tory |
| | 21 May 1730 | Sir Justinian Isham, 5th Bt | | Thomas Cartwright | Tory |
| | 31 March 1737 | Sir Edmund Isham, Bt | | Thomas Cartwright | Tory |
| | 14 April 1748 | Sir Edmund Isham, Bt | | Valentine Knightley | |
| | 26 December 1754 | Sir Edmund Isham, Bt | | William Cartwright | |
| | 31 March 1768 | Sir Edmund Isham, Bt | | Sir William Dolben, Bt | |
| | 14 January 1773 | Lucy Knightley | | Sir William Dolben, Bt | |
| | 18 October 1774 | Lucy Knightley | | Thomas Powys | |
| | 15 April 1784 | Sir James Langham, Bt | | Thomas Powys | |
| | 23 June 1790 | Francis Dickins | | Thomas Powys | |
| | 2 August 1797 | Francis Dickins | | William Ralph Cartwright | Tory |
| | 12 November 1806 | Viscount Althorp | Whig | William Ralph Cartwright | Tory |
| | 23 May 1831 | Viscount Althorp | Whig | Viscount Milton | Whig |
| Constituency abolished 1832: see North Northamptonshire and South Northamptonshire. |||||||
Notes
* 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Members of Parliament 1213-1702. London: House of Commons. 1878.
* 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 "History of Parliament". Retrieved 8 September 2011.
* 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 "History of Parliament". Retrieved 8 September 2011.
* ↑ "TATE, Sir William (1559/60-1617), of Delapré Abbey, Northants". History of Parliament Online. Retrieved 11 April 2013.
* ↑ Elected following the elevation of Sir Edward Montagu to the peerage in 1621
* ↑ From: 'List of members nominated for Parliament of 1653', Diary of Thomas Burton esq, volume 4: March - April 1659 (1828), pp. 499-500. URL: http://www.british-history.ac.uk/report.aspx?compid=36965. Date accessed: 27 January 2008.
* ↑ Appointed to Cromwell's Upper House, which first sat on 20 January 1658.
* ↑ Claypole was also elected for Carmarthenshire and chose Northamptonshire.