# Winchelsea (UK Parliament constituency)

Winchelsea was a parliamentary constituency in Sussex, which elected two Members of Parliament (MPs) to the House of Commons from 1366 until 1832, when it was abolished by the Great Reform Act.

## History
### Boundaries

Winchelsea was a Cinque Port, rather than a parliamentary borough, but the difference was purely a nominal one, and it was considered an egregious example of a rotten borough. The constituency consisted of the town and parish of Winchelsea, once a market town and port but by the 19th century much reduced in importance, a mile-and-a-half inland with its harbour destroyed. In 1831, the population of the constituency was estimated at 772, and the town contained 148 houses.

### History of corruption

The right to vote was exercised by the freemen of the town, of whom by 1831 there were just 11, even though in theory the custom was that every son of a freeman and every freeholder in the town was entitled to his freedom. With so few voters, bribery was the rule rather than the exception, though occasionally it became so blatant that the authorities were able to take steps against it. In 1700 an election at Winchelsea was declared void, an agent of one of the candidates arrested for bribery by order of the House of Commons, and the representation of the borough suspended until the end of the session. At another controversial election in 1712, the Commons committee which investigated was told that voters had been bribed with £30 each to vote for the sitting MPs, and their female connections received additional payments of half a guinea (10s. 6d.) each.
Nor was the expense confined to bribing the voters. Oldfield records that in 1811, with only 11 voters to poll, the Mayor demanded – and received – a fee of £200 for his services as returning officer. However, he presumably carried out his duties more satisfactorily than his predecessor in 1624, who was "brought to the bar [of the House of Commons], and on his knees severely reprimanded, and sentenced to be committed to prison" for threatening some of the voters and corruptly excluding some others from casting their votes.
Almost as troublesome was the election of 1667, when it was alleged that the Mayor had not taken the sacrament – being a communicating member of the Church of England was then a requirement for holding civic office – and that therefore the election he had conducted was void. The committee agreed, and proposed a motion that the MP who had been returned was not duly elected, but the whole House voted it down, and the election was allowed to stand. In 1702, again, the Mayor was taken into custody for corrupt practices, and expelled from all his offices in the Customs by resolution of the Commons, against the opposition of government ministers, in whose interests the corruption had been executed.

### Patronage

Winchelsea affords an unusual instance of a sitting MP wresting control of a pocket borough from its "patrons", so as to be able to be sure of securing re-election on his own account. In the first half of the 18th century, Winchelsea was a "treasury borough", that is one where the influence of the government was so strong that ministers were able to consider themselves the patrons and were sure of the power to choose both MPs. In 1754, however, one of the government candidates was an Irishman named Arnold Nesbitt. Once elected, Nesbitt began to buy houses in Winchelsea so as to secure influence over the freemen, and was so far successful that by the time of the next election it was accepted that he had the absolute command of one of the seats; indeed, when he stood well with the Treasury he was also allowed to nominate for the other. For the rest of his life he successfully defended his control of Winchelsea from the free-spending of the Treasury's agents; on one occasion, it appears that the town clerk was directing the government campaign and finding himself needing more funds for the purpose than had been provided pawned the town's charters and civic regalia.
However, in 1779 Nesbitt died £100,000 in debt, and the Court of Chancery made a decree to auction his property for the relief of his creditors, but his nephew anticipating this managed to sell the Nesbitt interest in the borough back to the government's supporters (in the person of The Earl of Darlington) for the very considerable sum of £15,000, shortly before the court's decree came into force. Ministers were free once more to consider both seats at the ministry's disposal. However, Oldfield notes that Nesbitt's power in the borough was one of influence rather than of any direct property in the votes (as might have been the case in a burgage borough where the right to vote could literally be bought and sold) – and that whatever the bargain between Nesbitt's nephew and Darlington, the voters themselves were not a party to it and had still to be persuaded to co-operate. Therefore, what was sold, in effect, was the unhindered right to bribe the voters without interference, the customary price by this time being apparently £100 per vote.

### Abolition

Winchelsea was abolished as a separate constituency by the Reform Act, but the nearby Cinque Port of Rye retained one of its two MPs, and Rye's parliamentary boundaries were extended to include Winchelsea from 1832.

## Members of Parliament
### 1366–1640

| Parliament | First Member | Second Member |
| 1366 | Vincent Fynch (I) |
| 1373 | Robert Harry I | |
| 1377 | Robert Arnold | |
| 1378 | Roger Dover | William Skele I |
| 1381 | William Skele I | |
| 1382 (May) | Robert Harry I |
| 1382 (Oct) | Henry Sely | |
| 1383 (Feb) | John Pulham | William Skele I |
| 1383 (Oct) | John Pulham | |
| 1384 (Apr) | William Skele I | |
| 1385 | John Pulham | |
| 1386 | William Skele I | John Pulham |
| 1388 (Feb) | William Skele I | John Pulham or Robert Harry I |
| 1388 (Sep) | Henry Sely | Matthew Goldyve |
| 1390 (Jan) | William Skele I | Roger Dover |
| 1390 (Nov) | |
| 1391 | William Skele I | Vincent Ewell |
| 1393 | Robert Arnold | Thomas Bette |
| 1394 | |
| 1395 | Vincent Fynch (II) | William Skele II |
| 1397 (Jan) | Vincent Fynch (II) | John Helde |
| 1397 (Sep) | |
| 1399 | Roger atte Gate | William Skele II |
| 1401 | |
| 1402 | Vincent Fynch (II) | John Salerne II |
| 1403 | Walter Young | |
| 1404 (Jan) | |
| 1404 (Oct) | |
| 1406 | Vincent Fynch (III) | John Worton |
| 1407 | John Salerne II | Robert Fishlake |
| 1410 | Roger atte Gate | John Tunstall |
| 1411 | |
| 1413 (Feb) | |
| 1413 (May) | Roger atte Gate | Thomas Young |
| 1414 (Apr) | |
| 1414 (Nov) | Roger atte Gate | William Catton |
| 1415 | |
| 1416 (Mar) | |
| 1416 (Oct) | |
| 1417 | John French | William Catton |
| 1419 | John French | John Tamwroth |
| 1420 | Edward Hopyere | Roger atte Gate |
| 1421 (May) | Thomas Thunder | William Catton |
| 1421 (Dec) | Alexander Beuley | Roger atte Gate |
| 1425 | Thomas Young | |
| 1426 | Vincent Fynch (III) | |
| 1449–1450 | John Greenford | |
| 1495 | Richard Barkeley | |
| 1497 | Richard Barkeley | |
| 1510 | Thomas Ashburnham | Robert Sparrow |
| 1512 | ?John Ashburnham I | ?Robert Sparrow |
| 1515 | ?John Ashburnham I | ?Robert Sparrow |
| 1523 | Thomas Ashburnham | Robert Sparrow |
| 1529 | Thomas Ensing | George Lowys |
| 1536 | ?Thomas Ensing | ?George Lowys |
| 1539 | not known | not known |
| 1542 | John Bell | Philip Chute |
| 1545 | Philip Chute | Thomas Hynxstend |
| 1547 | John Rowland | John More |
| 1553 (Mar) | William Egleston | Michael Blount |
| 1553 (Oct) | Sir Henry Crispe | William Roper |
| 1554 (Apr) | Cyriak Petyt | Joseph Beverleey |
| 1554 (Nov) | William Egleston | John Cheyne II |
| 1555 | Thomas Smith | John Peyton |
| 1558 | Sir George Howard | John Fowler |
| 1559 | Goddard White | Henry Fane |
| 1562–3 | Richard Chambers | Henry Fane |
| 1566 | Henry Cobham replaced ?Chambers, ?deceased | Henry Cobham replaced ?Chambers, ?deceased |
| 1571 | Thomas Wilford | Robert Eyre |
| 1572 | Thomas Wilford | Richard Barry |
| 1584 | Giles Fletcher | Herbert Pelham |
| 1586 | Adam Moyle | Thomas Egleston |
| 1588–9 | Adam Moyle | Herbert Morley |
| 1593 | Adam Ashburnham | Ashburnham Pecke |
| 1597 | Ralph Ewens | Thomas Colepeper |
| 1601 | Moyle Finch | Hugh Beeston |
| 1604 | Adam White | Thomas Unton |
| 1614 | William Binge | Thomas Godfrey |
| 1621 | Thomas Finch | Edward Nicholas |
| 1624 | John Finch | Edward Nicholas |
| 1625 | Roger Twysden | Sir Ralph Freeman |
| 1626 | Roger Twysden | Sir Nicholas Saunders |
| 1628 | Sir William Twysden | Sir Ralph Freeman |
| 1629–1640 | No parliaments summoned | No parliaments summoned |

### MPs 1640–1832

| Year | | First member | First party | | Second member | Second party |
| April 1640 | | Nicholas Crisp | Royalist | | John Finch | |
| November 1640 | | Nicholas Crisp | Royalist | | John Finch | Parliamentarian |
| 1641 | | William Smith | Royalist | | John Finch | Parliamentarian |
| September 1642 | | William Smith | Royalist | Finch died – seat left vacant | Finch died – seat left vacant | Finch died – seat left vacant |
| January 1644 | Smith disabled from sitting – seat vacant | Smith disabled from sitting – seat vacant | Smith disabled from sitting – seat vacant | | | Finch died – seat left vacant | Finch died – seat left vacant | Finch died – seat left vacant |
| 1645 | | Henry Oxenden | | | Samuel Gott | |
| December 1648 | Oxenden and Gott excluded in Pride's Purge – both seats vacant | Oxenden and Gott excluded in Pride's Purge – both seats vacant | Oxenden and Gott excluded in Pride's Purge – both seats vacant | Oxenden and Gott excluded in Pride's Purge – both seats vacant | Oxenden and Gott excluded in Pride's Purge – both seats vacant | Oxenden and Gott excluded in Pride's Purge – both seats vacant |
| 1653 | Winchelsea was unrepresented in the Barebones Parliament and the First and Second Parliaments of the Protectorate | Winchelsea was unrepresented in the Barebones Parliament and the First and Second Parliaments of the Protectorate | Winchelsea was unrepresented in the Barebones Parliament and the First and Second Parliaments of the Protectorate | Winchelsea was unrepresented in the Barebones Parliament and the First and Second Parliaments of the Protectorate | Winchelsea was unrepresented in the Barebones Parliament and the First and Second Parliaments of the Protectorate | Winchelsea was unrepresented in the Barebones Parliament and the First and Second Parliaments of the Protectorate |
| January 1659 | | John Busbridge | | | Robert Fowle | |
| 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 | Not represented in the restored Rump | Not represented in the restored Rump |
| April 1660 | | William Howard | | | Samuel Gott | |
| 1661 | | Sir Nicholas Crisp | | | Francis Finch | |
| 1666 | | Robert Austen | | | Francis Finch | |
| February 1678 | | Robert Austen | | | Sir John Banks | |
| March 1678 | | Robert Austen | | | Cresheld Draper | |
| 1681 | | Sir Stephen Lennard | | | Cresheld Draper | |
| 1685 | | The Earl of Middleton | | | Cresheld Draper | |
| 1689 | | Robert Austen | | | Samuel Western | |
| 1696 | | Sir George Chute | | | Samuel Western | |
| 1698 | | John Hayes | | | Robert Bristow I | |
| January 1701 | | Thomas Newport | | | Robert Bristow I | |
| November 1701 | | John Hayes | | | Robert Austen | |
| 1702 | | George Clarke | | | James Hayes | |
| 1705 | | George Dodington | | | James Hayes | |
| May 1708 | | George Dodington | | | Sir Francis Dashwood | |
| December 1708 | | Robert Bristow II | | | Sir Francis Dashwood | |
| 1713 | | Robert Bristow II | | | George Dodington | |
| 1715 | | Robert Bristow II | | | George Bubb | |
| 1722 | | Robert Bristow II | | | Thomas Townshend | |
| 1727 | | Robert Bristow II | | | John Scrope | |
| February 1728 | | Robert Bristow II | | | Sir Archer Croft | |
| April 1728 | | Robert Bristow II | | | Peter Walter | |
| 1734 | | Robert Bristow II | | | Edmund Hungate Beaghan | |
| 1738 | | Robert Bristow III | | | Edmund Hungate Beaghan | |
| 1741 | | The Viscount Doneraile | | | Thomas Orby Hunter | |
| 1747 | | Lieutenant Colonel John Mordaunt | | | Thomas Orby Hunter | |
| 1754 | | Arnold Nesbitt | | | Thomas Orby Hunter | |
| 1759 | | Arnold Nesbitt | | | Lieutenant Colonel George Gray | |
| 1760 | | Arnold Nesbitt | | | Thomas Orby Hunter | |
| March 1761 | | The Earl of Thomond | | | Thomas Orby Hunter | |
| December 1761 | | (Sir) Thomas Sewell | | | Thomas Orby Hunter | |
| 1768 | | The Earl of Thomond | | | Thomas Orby Hunter | |
| 1770 | | The Earl of Thomond | | | Arnold Nesbitt | |
| August 1774 | | William Nedham | | | Arnold Nesbitt | |
| October 1774 | | Charles Wolfran Cornwall | | | Arnold Nesbitt | |
| 1775 | | Charles Wolfran Cornwall | | | William Nedham | |
| 1780 | | Charles Wolfran Cornwall | | | John Nesbitt | |
| 1784 | | William Nedham | | | John Nesbitt | |
| 1790 | | Viscount Barnard | | | Richard Barwell | |
| 1792 | | Sir Frederick Fletcher-Vane | | | Richard Barwell | |
| 1794 | | John Hiley Addington | Tory | | Richard Barwell | |
| May 1796 | | William Currie | | | Richard Barwell | |
| December 1796 | | William Currie | | | William Devaynes | |
| 1802 | | Robert Ladbroke | Whig | | William Moffat | Whig |
| 1806 | | Sir Frederick Fletcher-Vane | Whig | | Calverley Bewicke | Whig |
| 1807 | | Sir Oswald Mosley | Whig | | Calverley Bewicke | Whig |
| 1812 | | William Vane | Whig | | Calverley Bewicke | Whig |
| 1815 | | Henry Brougham | Whig | | Calverley Bewicke | Whig |
| 1816 | | Henry Brougham | Whig | | Viscount Barnard | Whig |
| 1818 | | Henry Brougham | Whig | | George Galway Mills | Whig |
| 1820 | | Henry Brougham | Whig | | Lucius Concannon | Whig |
| 1823 | | Henry Brougham | Whig | | William Leader | Whig |
| 1826 | | Henry Brougham | Whig | | Viscount Howick | Whig |
| February 1830 | | John Williams | Whig | | Viscount Howick | Whig |
| July 1830 | | John Williams | Whig | | Henry Dundas | Tory |
| April 1831 | | John Williams | Whig | | Stephen Lushington | Whig |
| July 1831 | | John Williams | Whig | | James Brougham | Whig |
| 1832 | Constituency abolished | Constituency abolished | Constituency abolished | Constituency abolished | Constituency abolished | Constituency abolished |
Notes
* ↑ The Representative History of Great Britain and Ireland. Vol. V. 1816. p. 405.
* ↑ "FYNCH, Vincent I, of Icklesham and Netherfield, Suss. | History of Parliament Online".
* 1 2 "HARRY, Robert I, of Winchelsea, Suss. | History of Parliament Online". www.historyofparliamentonline.org.
* ↑ "ARNOLD, Robert (d.c.1408), of Winchelsea, Suss. | History of Parliament Online". www.historyofparliamentonline.org.
* ↑ "DOVER, Roger, of Winchelsea, Suss. | History of Parliament Online". www.historyofparliamentonline.org.
* 1 2 3 4 "SKELE, William I (d.c.1410), of Winchelsea, Suss. | History of Parliament Online". www.historyofparliamentonline.org.
* ↑ "SELY (CELY), Henry, of Winchelsea, Suss. | History of Parliament Online". www.historyofparliamentonline.org.
* 1 2 3 "PULHAM, John, of Winchelsea, Suss. | History of Parliament Online". www.historyofparliamentonline.org.
* 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 "History of Parliament". History of Parliament Trust. Retrieved 29 November 2011.
* 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 "History of Parliament". History of Parliament Trust. Retrieved 29 November 2011.
* 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 "History of Parliament". History of Parliament Trust. Retrieved 29 November 2011.
* ↑ Expelled for being a monopolist, February 1641
* ↑ Dodington was re-elected in 1708, but had also been elected for Bridgwater, which he chose to represent, and did not sit for Winchelsea again
* ↑ Adopted the surname Dodington around 1720. He was re-elected in 1722, but had also been elected for Bridgwater, which he chose to represent, and did not sit for Winchelsea again
* ↑ Scrope was also elected for Bristol, which he chose to represent, and never sat for Winchelsea
* ↑ Croft was also elected for Bere Alston, which he chose to represent, and never sat for Winchelsea
* ↑ Knighted on being appointed Master of the Rolls, 1764
* ↑ Nesbitt was re-elected in 1774, but had also been elected for Cricklade, which he chose to represent, and did not sit for Winchelsea again
* ↑ Assumed the surname Powlett by Royal Licence in 1813
* ↑ Lushington was also elected for Ilchester, which he chose to represent, and never sat for Winchelsea