# Bere Alston (UK Parliament constituency)

Bere Alston or Beeralston was a parliamentary borough in Devon, which elected two Members of Parliament (MPs) to the House of Commons from 1584 until 1832, when the constituency was abolished by the Great Reform Act as a rotten borough.

## History

Bere Alston was first summoned to return MPs in 1584; like many of the boroughs over the county boundary in Cornwall that were enfranchised during the reign of Elizabeth I, it had never been of much size and was a rotten borough from the start. Indeed, its first return of members specifically states that they had been elected at the request of the Marquess of Winchester and Lord Mountjoy, the chief landowners in the borough, and its enfranchisement plainly designed to allow them to nominate MPs.
The borough consisted of most of the village of Bere Alston in the parish of Bere Ferris, 10 miles north of Plymouth. By the time of the Great Reform Act there were 112 houses within the borough boundaries, and 139 in the whole village. The population was not separately recorded in the census. It was customary for elections to be conducted under a great tree in the centre of the village; there was no equivalent of a town hall, and indeed no municipal corporation.
Bere Alston was a burgage borough, the right to vote resting with the freehold tenants of a number of specified properties within the town of which there appears to have been only 30. For much of the eighteenth century most, if not all, of these burgage properties were owned by the Drake and Hobart families (the latter becoming the Earls of Buckinghamshire in 1746). Only one contested election therefore occurred in the eighteenth century, when the two families failed to compromise. In the 1770s the borough was acquired by the 1st Duke of Northumberland, and was retained by his descendants until the borough was disenfranchised.
In the debates before the passing of the Reform Act, Bere Alston was held up as one of the most notorious examples of a rotten borough, vilified in more than one of the pro-Reform newspapers. The Times carried the following report of what happened in Bere Alston in the general election there in 1830:
   "Dr Butler [the Portreeve, who was Returning Officer for the borough] ... met the voters under a great tree, the place usually chosen for the purpose of election. During the time the Portreeve was reading the acts of Parliament usually read on such occasions, one of the voters handed in to him a card containing the names of two candidates, proposed by himself and seconded by his friend. He was told ... this was too early. Before the reading was completed, the voter on the other side handed in a card corresponding with the former, which he was told was too late. The meeting broke up. The Portreeve and assistants adjourned to a public house in the neighbourhood, and then and there made a return of Lord Lovaine and Mr Blackett, which was not signed by a single person having a vote."
The election return actually bears seven signatures - individuals who were probably made temporary burgage holders to qualify as electors for the day of the election but none of whom probably resided in the borough. The two "voters" who sought to nominate candidates were probably unqualified but were actual residents. Otherwise the report is probably truthful.
The borough was disenfranchised by the Reform Act.

## Members of Parliament
### 1584-1640

| Parliament | First member | Second member |
| Parliament of 1584-1585 | Edward Montagu | Edward Phelips |
| Parliament of 1586-1587 | (Sir) Charles Blount | Nicholas Martin |
| Parliament of 1588-1589 | Richard Spencer | Ferdinand Clarke |
| Parliament of 1593 | Sir Charles Blount | Thomas Burgoyne |
| Parliament of 1597-1598 | Sir Jocelyn Blount | George Crooke |
| Parliament of 1601 | Charles Lister | John Langford |
| Parliament of 1604-1611 | Sir Arthur Atye 1604 Humphrey May from 1605 | Sir Richard Strode |
| Addled Parliament (1614) | Thomas Crewe | Sir Richard White |
| Parliament of 1621-1622 | Thomas Keightley | Sir Thomas Wise |
| Happy Parliament (1624-1625) | Thomas Jermyn | Sir Thomas Cheke |
| Useless Parliament (1625) | Sir Thomas Cheke | William Strode |
| Parliament of 1626-1627 | William Strode | Thomas Wise |
| Parliament of 1628-1629 | William Strode | Thomas Wise |
| No Parliament summoned 1629-1640 |||

### 1640-1832

| Year | | First member | First party | | Second member | Second party |
| April 1640 | | William Strode | Parliamentarian | | John Harris | |
| November 1640 | | William Strode | Parliamentarian | | Sir Thomas Cheek | Parliamentarian |
| December 1640 | | William Strode | Parliamentarian | | Hugh Pollard | Royalist |
| 1641 | | William Strode | Parliamentarian | | Charles Pym | Parliamentarian |
| 1646 | | Sir Francis Drake | Parliamentarian | | Charles Pym | Parliamentarian |
| December 1648 | Drake and Pym excluded in Pride's Purge - both seats vacant | Drake and Pym excluded in Pride's Purge - both seats vacant | Drake and Pym excluded in Pride's Purge - both seats vacant | Drake and Pym excluded in Pride's Purge - both seats vacant | Drake and Pym excluded in Pride's Purge - both seats vacant | Drake and Pym excluded in Pride's Purge - both seats vacant |
| 1653 | Bere Alston was unrepresented in the Barebones Parliament and the First and Second Parliaments of the Protectorate | Bere Alston was unrepresented in the Barebones Parliament and the First and Second Parliaments of the Protectorate | Bere Alston was unrepresented in the Barebones Parliament and the First and Second Parliaments of the Protectorate | Bere Alston was unrepresented in the Barebones Parliament and the First and Second Parliaments of the Protectorate | Bere Alston was unrepresented in the Barebones Parliament and the First and Second Parliaments of the Protectorate | Bere Alston was unrepresented in the Barebones Parliament and the First and Second Parliaments of the Protectorate |
| January 1659 | | Sir John Maynard | Parliamentarian | | Elisha Crymes | Parliamentarian |
| May 1659 | Bere Alston was not represented in the restored Rump | Bere Alston was not represented in the restored Rump | Bere Alston was not represented in the restored Rump | Bere Alston was not represented in the restored Rump | Bere Alston was not represented in the restored Rump | Bere Alston was not represented in the restored Rump |
| April 1660 | | John Maynard | Parliamentarian | | George Howard | Cavalier |
| June 1660 | | John Maynard | Parliamentarian | | Richard Arundell | Cavalier |
| 1661 | | Sir John Maynard | Parliamentarian | | George Howard | Cavalier |
| 1662 | | Sir John Maynard | Parliamentarian | | Richard Arundell | Cavalier |
| 1665 | | Sir John Maynard | Parliamentarian | | Joseph Maynard | Parliamentarian |
| February 1679 | | Sir John Maynard | Parliamentarian | | Sir William Bastard | Whig |
| March 1679 | | Sir John Trevor | Tory | | Sir William Bastard | Whig |
| 1681 | | Sir Duncombe Colchester | Tory | | John Elwill | Whig |
| 1685 | | Sir John Maynard | Whig | | Sir Benjamin Bathurst | Tory |
| 19 January 1689 | | Sir John Maynard | Whig | | John Elwill | Whig |
| 31 January 1689 | | Sir John Holt | Tory | | John Elwill | Whig |
| May 1689 | | Sir John Trevor | Tory | | John Elwill | Whig |
| 1690 | | Sir Francis Drake | Whig | | John Swinfen | Whig |
| 1691 | | John Smith | Whig | | John Swinfen | Whig |
| 1694 | | John Smith | Whig | | Sir Henry Hobart | Whig |
| November 1695 | | John Elwill | Whig | | Sir Henry Hobart | Whig |
| December 1695 | | John Elwill | Whig | | Sir Rowland Gwynne | Whig |
| 1698 | | John Hawles | Whig | | Sir Rowland Gwynne | Whig |
| 1698 | | John Hawles | Whig | | James Montagu | Whig |
| January 1701 | | Sir Rowland Gwynne | Whig | | Sir Peter King | Whig |
| March 1701 | | William Cowper | Whig | | Sir Peter King | Whig |
| 1705 | | Spencer Cowper | Whig | | Sir Peter King | Whig |
| 1710 | | Lawrence Carter | Whig | | Sir Peter King | Whig |
| 1715 | | Lawrence Carter | Whig | | Horatio Walpole | Whig |
| 1717 | | Lawrence Carter | Whig | | Edward Carteret | Whig |
| 1721 | | Lawrence Carter | Whig | | Philip Cavendish | Whig |
| 1721 | | Lawrence Carter | Whig | | St John Brodrick | Whig |
| 1722 | | Sir John Hobart | Whig | | St John Brodrick | Whig |
| 1724 | | Sir Robert Rich | Whig | | St John Brodrick | Whig |
| 1727 | | Sir John Hobart | Whig | | Sir Francis Drake | Whig |
| 1728 | | Sir Archer Croft | Whig | | Lord Walden | Tory |
| February 1734 | | Sir Archer Croft | Whig | | William Morden | Whig |
| May 1734 | | Sir Francis Drake | Whig | | John Bristow | Whig |
| 1740 | | Samuel Heathcote | Whig | | John Bristow | Whig |
| 1741 | | Samuel Heathcote | Whig | | Sir William Morden | Whig |
| 1747 | | Sir Francis Henry Drake | Whig | | Sir William Morden | Whig |
| 1754 | | Sir Francis Henry Drake | Whig | | John Bristow | Whigs |
| 1761 | | Sir Francis Henry Drake | Whig | | Hon. George Hobart | Whig |
| 1771 | | Francis William Drake | Whig | | Hon. George Hobart | Whig |
| 1774 | | Sir Francis Henry Drake | Whig | | Hon. George Hobart | Whig |
| September 1780 | | Lord Algernon Percy | Tory | | The Lord Macartney | Whig |
| December 1780 | | Viscount Feilding | Tory | | The Lord Macartney | Whig |
| 1781 | | Viscount Feilding | Tory | | Laurence Cox | Tory |
| 1784 | | Viscount Feilding | Tory | | The Earl of Mornington | Tory |
| 1787 | | Viscount Feilding | Tory | | Charles Rainsford | Tory |
| 1788 | | Viscount Feilding | Tory | | John Mitford | Tory |
| 1790 | | Sir George Beaumont | Tory | | John Mitford | Tory |
| 1796 | | William Mitford | Tory | | John Mitford | Tory |
| 1799 | | William Mitford | Tory | | Lord Lovaine | Tory |
| 1806 | | Hon. Josceline Percy | Tory | | Lord Lovaine | Tory |
| 1820 | | Henry Percy | Tory | | Lord Lovaine | Tory |
| 1825 | | Percy Ashburnham | Tory | | Lord Lovaine | Tory |
| 1830 | | Christopher Blackett | Tory | | Lord Lovaine | Tory |
| January 1831 | | Christopher Blackett | Tory | | David Lyon | Tory |
| May 1831 | | Lord Lovaine | Tory | | David Lyon | Tory |
| 1832 | Constituency abolished | Constituency abolished | Constituency abolished | Constituency abolished | Constituency abolished | Constituency abolished |

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

General election, 2 May 1831: Bere Alston :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Tory | Algernon Percy | 9 | 50.0 |
| | Tory | David Lyon | 9 | 50.0 |
| | Whig | Charles Wood | 0 | 0.0 |
| | Whig | James Mackintosh | 0 | 0.0 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 9 | 50.0 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | c. 9 | c. 30.0 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | c. 30 | |
| | Tory hold | Tory hold | Tory hold | Tory hold |
| | Tory hold | Tory hold | Tory hold | Tory hold |
By-election, 11 January 1831: Bere Alston :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Tory | David Lyon | 7 | 100.0 |
| | Non Partisan | John Attwood | 0 | 0.0 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 7 | 100.0 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | c. 7 | c. 23.3 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | c. 30 | |
| | Tory hold | Tory hold | Tory hold | Tory hold |
* Caused by Percy's succession to the peerage, becoming 5th Duke of Northumberland
General election, 31 July 1830: Bere Alston :
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| Tory | George Percy | Unopposed | Unopposed |
| Tory | Christopher Blackett | Unopposed | Unopposed |
| Tory hold | Tory hold | Tory hold | Tory hold |
| Tory hold | Tory hold | Tory hold | Tory hold |