Bramber (UK Parliament constituency)
Bramber | |
---|---|
Former Borough constituency for the House of Commons | |
1472–1832 | |
Seats | Two |
Replaced by | New Shoreham |
Bramber was a
History
The borough consisted of the former market town of
Bramber was a burgage borough – the vote was restricted to inhabitants of ancient houses in the borough, or those built on ancient foundations, who paid scot and lot. In 1816 this amounted to only 20 voters, although as in 1831 the borough contained 35 houses and a population of approximately 170, this was a much higher proportion of the residents than in most burgage boroughs.
Bramber was slightly unusual in that the vote was accorded to the occupier rather than the owner of the burgage tenements, but in practice the owners had total control over the votes of their tenants – by bribery if not by threats – and therefore of elections in the borough. In Tudor times, the Dukes of Norfolk seem to have held sway. By the first half of the 18th century Bramber was wholly owned by Sir Harry Gough, who leased it (and the right to nominate its MPs) to Lord Archer;[1] Lord Archer sold this right onwards in his turn, apparently being paid £1000 by the government to allow Lord Malpas to be elected in 1754. In 1768 the Duke of Rutland gained control, but Gough later regained power over one of the two seats and it was inherited by his descendants (who held the title Lord Calthorpe). These two families still shared the representation at the time of the Reform Act.
Bramber was abolished as a separate constituency with effect from the 1832 general election. However, the nearby borough of New Shoreham had already been expanded to include the whole of the Rape of Bramber as an antidote to its corruption, and survived the Reform Act with both its MPs intact. Bramber therefore formed part of the New Shoreham constituency from 1832.
Members of Parliament
before 1640
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1640–1832
Notes
- ^ Page 144 note 1, Lewis Namier, The Structure of Politics at the Accession of George III (2nd edition – London: St Martin's Press, 1957)
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l "History of Parliament". History of Parliament Trust. Retrieved 28 October 2011.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j "History of Parliament". History of Parliament Trust. Retrieved 28 October 2011.
- ^ Son in law of Sir Thomas Shirley
- ^ Bishopp and Onslow were initially elected but their election was declared void. Bishopp was barred from standing again, but Onslow was re-elected
- ^ Expelled from the House of Commons, 1699, for holding an office incompatible with membership
- ^ Expelled from the House of Commons, 1707, for his controversial writings on religion
- ^ On petition, Middleton's election was declared void following a dispute over the franchise
- ^ At the general election of 1708, Windsor and Shippen were initially declared re-elected, but on petition the election was declared void
- ^ The Viscount Windsor was also elected for Monmouthshire, which he chose to represent, and never sat for Bramber
- ^ On petition (a dispute over the franchise), Style was found not to have been duly elected, and a by-election was held
- ^ On petition, Gumley was found not to have been duly elected, and a by-election was held
- ^ Archer was also elected for Coventry, which he chose to represent, and never sat for Bramber
- ^ The Earl Winterton from 1766
- ^ At the election of 1768, Winterton and Lowndes were initially declared elected, but on petition the result was reversed and their opponents Thoroton and Ambler were seated instead
- ^ Adopted the surname Calthorpe in 1788
- ^ Sir Thomas Coxhead from 1793
References
- Robert Beatson, "A Chronological Register of Both Houses of Parliament" (London: Longman, Hurst, Res & Orme, 1807) [1]
- D Brunton & D H Pennington, Members of the Long Parliament (London: George Allen & Unwin, 1954)
- Cobbett's Parliamentary history of England, from the Norman Conquest in 1066 to the year 1803 (London: Thomas Hansard, 1808) [2]
- J. E. Neale, The Elizabethan House of Commons (London: Jonathan Cape, 1949)
- T. H. B. Oldfield, The Representative History of Great Britain and Ireland (London: Baldwin, Cradock & Joy, 1816)
- J Holladay Philbin, Parliamentary Representation 1832 – England and Wales (New Haven: Yale University Press, 1965)
- Edward Porritt and Annie G Porritt, The Unreformed House of Commons (Cambridge University Press, 1903)
- Frederic A Youngs, jr, "Guide to the Local Administrative Units of England, Vol I" (London: Royal Historical Society, 1979)
- Leigh Rayment's Historical List of MPs – Constituencies beginning with "B" (part 5)