# Devon (UK Parliament constituency)

Devon was a parliamentary constituency covering the county of Devon in England. It was represented by two Knights of the Shire, in the House of Commons of England until 1707, then of the House of Commons of Great Britain from 1707 to 1800 and finally the House of Commons of the United Kingdom from 1801 to 1832. Elections were held using the bloc vote system of elections.
Under the Reform Act 1832, it was split into two divisions, North Devon and South Devon, for the 1832 general election.

## Boundaries

The constituency consisted of the historic county of Devon, excluding the city of Exeter which had the status of a county in itself after 1537. (Although Devon contained a number of other parliamentary boroughs, each of which elected two MPs in its own right for part of the period when Devon 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 Exeter.)

## Members of Parliament
### 1290–1640

Constituency created 1290, during the reign of King Edward I (1272–1307).
Parliaments of Edward I (1272–1307) :
| Year | First member | Second member |
| 1290 (Jul) | Sir Robert de Wodeton | Sir Andrew Trelosk of Dunterton |
| 1294 (Nov) | unknown |
| 1295 (Nov), the Model Parliament | Sir Robert de Wodeton | Sir William Prous of Gidleigh (1245–1315) |
| 1297 (Oct) | Sir Henry Ralegh of Strete Ralegh in Whimple | Sir Hugh Prous of Gatcombe in Colyton |
| 1298 (May) | Sir John Umfraville of Lapford | Sir William Champernowne (c.1240–1304) of Ilfracombe |
| 1300 (Mar) | Sir Robert Beaple of Knowstone | Sir Reginald Ferrers of Bere and Newton Ferrers |
Parliaments of Edward III (1327–1377) :
| Year | First member | Second member |
| 1331 | Sir Roger de Pridias (Prideaux) of Orcheton, Modbury |
| 1340 | Adam de Branscombe |
| 1356/7 | John Daubernon of Dunsland |
| 1364 | Sir John Cary (d. 1395) of Cockington, Devon, Chief Baron of the Exchequer | Sir William Cary (brother) |
| 1348 | Adam de Branscombe |
| 1369 | Sir John Cary (d. 1395) of Cockington, Devon, Chief Baron of the Exchequer | Sir William Cary (brother) |
| 1371 | Sir William Bonville |
| Sir William Bonville |
Parliaments of Richard II :
| Year | First member | Second member |
| 1377 (Oct) | Sir William Bonville |
| 1378 | Sir William Bonville |
| 1379 | Sir William Bonville |
| 1379 | John Beaumont (d. 1379/80) |
| 1380 | John Beaumont (d. 1379/80) |
| 1380 (Nov) | Sir William Bonville |
| 1381 | Sir William Bonville |
| 1382 (May) | Sir William Bonville |
| 1382 (Oct) | Sir William Bonville |
| 1383 | Sir Philip Courtenay |
| 1383 | Ivo FitzWarin |
| 1384 (Apr) | Sir William Bonville |
| 1385 | Sir John Stretch |
| 1386 | Sir Philip Courtenay | Sir John Stretch |
| 1388 (Feb) | Sir Philip Courtenay | Sir John Prideaux |
| 1388 (Sep) | Sir John Stretch | Sir John Grenville |
| 1390 (Jan) | Sir Philip Courtenay | Sir James de Chudleigh |
| 1390 (Nov) | Sir James de Chudleigh | John Prescott |
| 1391 | Sir James de Chudleigh | Sir William Sturmy |
| 1393 | Sir Philip Courtenay | Sir James de Chudleigh |
| 1394 | Sir John Grenville | Sir James de Chudleigh |
| 1395 | Sir Philip Courtenay | Sir Hugh Courtenay |
| 1397 (Jan) | Sir William Bonville | Sir John Grenville |
| 1397 (Sep) | Sir Hugh Courtenay | Sir William Bonville |
Parliaments of Henry IV :
| Year | First member | Second member |
| 1399 | Sir Philip Courtenay | John Stretch |
| 1401 | Sir Philip Courtenay | Sir John Wadham |
| 1402 | Sir William Bonville | Sir John Grenville |
| 1404 (Jan) | Sir Thomas Pomeroy | Edmund Pyne |
| 1404 (Oct) | Sir William Sturmy | Walter Reynell |
| 1406 | Sir Hugh Luttrell | Sir Thomas Pomeroy |
| 1407 | Sir Hugh Luttrell | Robert Cary |
| 1410 | Sir Thomas Pomeroy | Robert Cary |
| 1411 | Edmund Pyne | Robert Cary |
Parliaments of Henry V :
| Year | First member | Second member |
| 1413 (Feb) | |
| 1413 (May) | Sir Thomas Pomeroy | Robert Cary |
| 1414 (Apr) | John St. Aubyn | Robert Cary |
| 1414 (Nov) | Richard I Hankford | John Arundell |
| 1415 | |
| 1416 (Mar) | Richard I Hankford | Robert Cary |
| 1416 (Oct) | |
| 1417 | John Cole | Robert Cary |
| 1419 | Edward Pomeroy | Robert Cary |
| 1420 | Sir Robert Chalons | Thomas Archdeacon |
| 1421 (May) | Sir Hugh Courtenay | Robert Cary |
| 1421 (Dec) | John Copplestone | Henry Fortescue |
Parliaments of Henry VI :
| No | Year | First member | Second member |
| 1st | 1422 | William Bonville, 1st Baron Bonville | Robert Cary |
| 2nd | 1423 | Richard Hankeford | John Cole |
| 3rd | 1425 | William Bonville, 1st Baron Bonville | Robert Cary |
| 4th | 1426 | Robert Cary | James Chuddelegh |
| 5th | 1427 | Philip Courtenay | William Bonville, 1st Baron Bonville (& John Reynell 1427/8) |
| 6th | 1429 | | |
| 7th | 1430 | | |
| 8th | 1432 | | |
| 9th | 1433 | Sir Philip Cary | |
| 10th | 1435 | Nicholas Radford | John Copplestone |
| 17 | 1439 | John Copplestone | |
| 33 | 1454/5 | Walter Reynell (died 1478) of Malston in the parish of Sherford, Devon |
Parliaments of Edward IV :
| Year | First member | Second member |
| 1491 | John Crocker |
| Year | First member | Second member |
| 1510–1523 | No names known | No names known |
| 1529 | Sir William Courtenay (d. 1535) of Powderham, died Nov.1535 and repl. Jan 1536 by George Carew | Sir Thomas Denys |
| 1536 | |
| 1539 | Sir Thomas Denys | Richard Pollard |
| 1542 | Richard Pollard | ?Gawain Carew |
| 1545 | ? | Sir Gawain Carew |
Parliaments of Edward VII :
| Year | First member | Second member |
| 1547 | Sir Gawain Carew | John Chichester |
| 1553 (Mar) | Sir Peter Carew | John Fulford |
Parliaments of Mary I :
| Year | First member | Second member |
| 1553 (Oct) | Sir Peter Carew | Sir Thomas Denys |
| 1554 (Apr) | Sir John Chichester | John Prideaux |
| 1554 (Nov) | James Bassett | James Courtenay |
| 1555 | James Bassett | Robert Denys |
Parliaments of Elizabeth I :
| Year | First member | Second member |
| 1558 | James Bassett | George Kirkham |
| 1559 | Sir Peter Carew | Sir John St Leger |
| 1563–1567 | John Chichester | Gawin Carew |
| 1571 | Sir John St Leger | Peter Edgcumbe |
| 1572–1583 | Sir John St Leger | Arthur Bassett |
| 1584–1585 | Walter Raleigh | William Courtenay |
| 1586–1587 | Walter Raleigh | John Chudleigh |
| 1588–1589 | William Courtenay | George Cary |
| 1593 | Sir Thomas Denys | Sir Edward Seymour, 1st Baronet |
| 1597–1598 | William Strode | Amias Bampfield |
| 1601 | William Courtenay | Sir Edward Seymour, 1st Baronet |
Parliaments of James I :
| Year | First member | Second member |
| 1604–1611 | Sir Edward Seymour, 1st Baronet | Thomas Ridgeway |
| (from 1607) | Sir Edward Seymour, 1st Baronet | Sir John Acland |
| 1614 | John Drake | Sir Edward Giles |
| 1621–1622 | John Drake | Sir Edward Seymour, 2nd Baronet |
| 1624–1625 | John Drake | Sir William Strode |
Parliaments of Charles I :
| Year | First member | Second member |
| 1625 | Francis Fulford | Francis Courtenay |
| 1626 | John Drake | John Pole |
| 1628–1629 | John Bampfield | Sir Francis Drake, Bt |

### 1640–1832

| Year | Year | First member | First party | Second member | Second party |
| | April 1640 | Sir Edward Seymour, 3rd Baronet | Royalist | Thomas Wyse | |
| | November 1640 | Sir Edward Seymour, 3rd Baronet | Royalist | Thomas Wyse | |
| | 1641 | Sir Edward Seymour, 3rd Baronet | Royalist | Sir Samuel Rolle | Parliamentarian |
| | January 1643 | Seymour disabled to sit – seat vacant | Seymour disabled to sit – seat vacant | | Sir Samuel Rolle | Parliamentarian |
| | 1646 | Sir Nicholas Martyn | | Sir Samuel Rolle | Parliamentarian |
| | 1648 | Sir Nicholas Martyn | | William Morice | |
| | December 1648 | Morice and Martyn excluded in Pride's Purge – both seats vacant. | Morice and Martyn excluded in Pride's Purge – both seats vacant. | Morice and Martyn excluded in Pride's Purge – both seats vacant. | Morice and Martyn excluded in Pride's Purge – both seats vacant. |
| | 1653 | Seven nominated members in the Barebones Parliament: George Monck, John Carew, Thomas Saunders, Christopher Martyn, James Erisey, Francis Rous, Richard Sweet | Seven nominated members in the Barebones Parliament: George Monck, John Carew, Thomas Saunders, Christopher Martyn, James Erisey, Francis Rous, Richard Sweet | Seven nominated members in the Barebones Parliament: George Monck, John Carew, Thomas Saunders, Christopher Martyn, James Erisey, Francis Rous, Richard Sweet | Seven nominated members in the Barebones Parliament: George Monck, John Carew, Thomas Saunders, Christopher Martyn, James Erisey, Francis Rous, Richard Sweet |
| Devon's representation was increased to 11 MPs in the First and Second Parliaments of the Protectorate |||||||
| | 1654 | Thomas Saunders, Robert Rolle, Arthur Upton, Thomas Reynell, William Morice, John Hale, William Bastard, William Fry, Sir John Northcote, Bt, Henry Hatsell, John Quick | Thomas Saunders, Robert Rolle, Arthur Upton, Thomas Reynell, William Morice, John Hale, William Bastard, William Fry, Sir John Northcote, Bt, Henry Hatsell, John Quick | Thomas Saunders, Robert Rolle, Arthur Upton, Thomas Reynell, William Morice, John Hale, William Bastard, William Fry, Sir John Northcote, Bt, Henry Hatsell, John Quick | Thomas Saunders, Robert Rolle, Arthur Upton, Thomas Reynell, William Morice, John Hale, William Bastard, William Fry, Sir John Northcote, Bt, Henry Hatsell, John Quick |
| | 1656 | Thomas Saunders, Robert Rolle, Arthur Upton, Thomas Reynell, William Morice, John Hale, Sir John Northcote, Bt, Captain Henry Hatsell, Sir John Yonge, Edmund Fowell, John Doddridge | Thomas Saunders, Robert Rolle, Arthur Upton, Thomas Reynell, William Morice, John Hale, Sir John Northcote, Bt, Captain Henry Hatsell, Sir John Yonge, Edmund Fowell, John Doddridge | Thomas Saunders, Robert Rolle, Arthur Upton, Thomas Reynell, William Morice, John Hale, Sir John Northcote, Bt, Captain Henry Hatsell, Sir John Yonge, Edmund Fowell, John Doddridge | Thomas Saunders, Robert Rolle, Arthur Upton, Thomas Reynell, William Morice, John Hale, Sir John Northcote, Bt, Captain Henry Hatsell, Sir John Yonge, Edmund Fowell, John Doddridge |
| | January 1659 | Sir John Northcote, Bt | | Robert Rolle | |
| | May 1659 | Not represented in the restored Rump | Not represented in the restored Rump | Not represented in the restored Rump | Not represented in the restored Rump |
| | April 1660 | George Monck | | Sir John Northcote, Bt | |
| | July 1660 | Sir Edward Seymour, 3rd Baronet | | Sir John Northcote, Bt | |
| | 1661 | Sir Hugh Pollard, Bt | | Sir John Rolle | |
| | 1667 | Earl of Torrington | | Sir John Rolle | |
| | 1671 | Sir Coplestone Bampfylde, Bt | | Sir John Rolle | |
| | February 1679 | Sir Edward Seymour, 4th Baronet | Tory | Sir William Courtenay, Bt | |
| | September 1679 | Samuel Rolle | | Sir William Courtenay, Bt | |
| | 1685 | Sir Bourchier Wrey, Bt | | Sir Coplestone Bampfylde, Bt | |
| | 1689 | Francis Courtenay | | Samuel Rolle | |
| | September 1699 | Thomas Drewe | | Samuel Rolle | |
| | January 1701 | Sir William Courtenay, Bt | | Samuel Rolle | |
| | December 1701 | Sir William Courtenay, Bt | | Sir John Pole, Bt | |
| | 1702 | Sir William Courtenay, Bt | | Robert Rolle | |
| | 1710 | Sir William Pole | | John Rolle | Tory |
| | 1712 | Sir William Courtenay, Bt | Tory | John Rolle | Tory |
| | 1713 | Sir William Courtenay, Bt | Tory | Sir Coplestone Bampfylde, Bt | Tory |
| | 1727 | Sir William Courtenay, Bt | Tory | John Rolle | Tory |
| | 1730 | Sir William Courtenay, Bt | Tory | Henry Rolle | |
| | 1736 | John Bampfylde | | Henry Rolle | |
| | 1741 | Sir William Courtenay, Bt | | Theophilus Fortescue | |
| | 1746 | Sir William Courtenay, Bt | | Sir Thomas Dyke-Acland, Bt | |
| | 1747 | Sir William Courtenay, Bt | | Sir Richard Bampfylde, Bt | |
| | 1762 | John Parker | | Sir Richard Bampfylde, Bt | |
| | 1776 | John Parker | | John Rolle Walter | |
| | 1780 | John Parker | | John Rolle | |
| | 1784 | John Pollexfen Bastard | Tory | John Rolle | |
| | 1796 | John Pollexfen Bastard | Tory | Sir Lawrence Palk, Bt | |
| | 1812 | John Pollexfen Bastard | Tory | Sir Thomas Dyke-Acland, Bt | Tory |
| | 1816 | Edmund Pollexfen Bastard | | Sir Thomas Dyke-Acland, Bt | Tory |
| | 1818 | Edmund Pollexfen Bastard | | Viscount Ebrington | Whig |
| | 1820 | Edmund Pollexfen Bastard | | Sir Thomas Dyke-Acland, Bt | Tory |
| | 1830 | Viscount Ebrington | Whig | Sir Thomas Dyke-Acland, Bt | Tory |
| | 1831 | Viscount Ebrington | Whig | Lord John Russell | Whig |
* Constituency abolished (1832)