Cockermouth (UK Parliament constituency) explained
Cockermouth was the name of a constituency of the House of Commons of the Parliament of England in 1295, and again from 1641, then of the Parliament of Great Britain from 1707 to 1800 and of the Parliament of the United Kingdom from 1801 to 1918. It was a parliamentary borough represented by two Members of Parliament until 1868, and by one member from 1868 to 1885. The name was then transferred to a county constituency electing one MP from 1885 until 1918.
Notable MPs have included the regicide, Francis Allen.
The borough constituency (until 1885)
Until the Great Reform Act of 1832, the constituency consisted solely of the market town of Cockermouth in Cumberland. It first returned members to the Model Parliament of 1295, but its franchise then seems to have lapsed until 1641, when the Long Parliament passed a resolution (15 February 1641) to restore its ancient privileges.
The right of election in Cockermouth was vested in the burgage tenants of the borough, of whom there were about 300 in 1832. Cockermouth was considered a pocket borough, with the vast majority of the voters being under the influence of the Lowther family.
At the time of the 1831 census, the borough included just over 1,000 houses and had a population of 4,536. The Reform Act expanded the boundaries to bring in the neighbouring parishes of Eaglesfield, Brigham, Papcastle and Bridekirk, and part of Dovenby, increasing the population to 6,022 and encompassing 1,325 houses. This made the borough big enough to retain both its members. However, in the next wave of reform, introduced at the 1868 general election, one of Cockermouth's two seats was withdrawn, and in 1885 the borough was abolished altogether, although the name was transferred to the surrounding county constituency.
The county constituency (1885-1918)
The Cockermouth constituency created in 1885, strictly speaking The Cockermouth Division of Cumberland, was a compact division stretching westwards from Cockermouth to the sea, and including the much larger town of Workington. There was a significant Irish vote, and the Conservative victory in 1885 and subsequent Liberal gain of the seat in 1886 have been attributed to Parnell's shift of support from the one party to the other.
The constituency was divided between the new Workington and Penrith and Cockermouth divisions of Cumberland from 1918.
Members of Parliament
Cockermouth re-enfranchised by Parliament in Nov 1640
MPs 1641–1868
MPs 1868–1885
MPs 1885–1918
Cockermouth Division of Cumberland
Elections
Elections in the 1830s
Dykes resigned, causing a by-election.
Elections in the 1840s
Horsman was appointed a Lord Commissioner of the Treasury, requiring a by-election.
Elections in the 1850s
Aglionby's death caused a by-election.
Bourke was appointed Chief Secretary to the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland, requiring a by-election.
Elections in the 1860s
Bourke was appointed Chief Secretary to the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland, requiring a by-election.
Steel's death caused a by-election.
Seat reduced to one member
Elections in the 1870s
Fletcher's suicide caused a by-election.
Elections in the 1910s
General Election 1914–15:
Another General Election was required to take place before the end of 1915. The political parties had been making preparations for an election to take place and by July 1914, the following candidates had been selected;
References
- 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) https://web.archive.org/web/20150904125310/http://www2.odl.ox.ac.uk/gsdl/cgi-bin/library?e=p-000-00---0modhis06--00-0-0-0prompt-10---4------0-1l--1-en-50---20-about---00001-001-1-1isoZz-8859Zz-1-0&a=d&cl=CL1
- F W S Craig, "British Parliamentary Election Results 1832-1885" (2nd edition, Aldershot: Parliamentary Research Services, 1989)
- Michael Kinnear, "The British Voter" (London: Batsford, 1968)
- J Holladay Philbin, "Parliamentary Representation 1832 - England and Wales" (New Haven: Yale University Press, 1965)
- Henry Stooks Smith, "The Parliaments of England from 1715 to 1847" (2nd edition, edited by FWS Craig - Chichester: Parliamentary Reference Publications, 1973)
- Frederic A Youngs, jr, "Guide to the Local Administrative Units of England, Vol II" (London: Royal Historical Society, 1991)
- "The Constitutional Yearbook, 1913" (London: National Unionist Association, 1913)
Notes and References
- Fenwick was later elected for Northumberland, which he chose to represent, and ceased to sit for Cockermouth
- The election to replace Fenwick was disputed, and the Returning Officer made a double return, i.e. reported both candidates - Sir Thomas Sandford, Bt and Francis Allen - as elected, leaving Parliament to decide. The dispute was still unresolved when Sandford was declared disabled from sitting because of his Royalist sympathies in January 1644; Allen was admitted to sit in 1645.
- In a by-election in 1717, Seymour was defeated by Sir Wilfrid Lawson by 90 votes to 84, but Lawson was underage, and on petition Seymour was declared elected
- Wyndham was also elected for Taunton, which he chose to represent, and never sat for Cockermouth
- Created Earl of Thomond (in the peerage of Ireland), 1756
- Jenkinson was also elected for Appleby, which he chose to represent, and did not sit for Cockermouth in this parliament
- Johnstone was re-elected at the general election of 1774, but was also elected for Appleby, which he chose to represent, and did not sit for Cockermouth in this parliament
- Norton was also elected for Carlisle, which he chose to represent, and never sat for Cockermouth
- Book: Stooks Smith
, Henry.
. Craig, F. W. S. . F. W. S. Craig . The Parliaments of England . 1844-1850 . 2nd . 1973 . Parliamentary Research Services . Chichester . 978-0-900178-13-9 . 54–57 .
- Web site: Kingsley. Nick. (55) Aglionby of Nunnery and Drawdykes Castle. Landed families of Britain and Ireland. 3 May 2018. 14 July 2013.
- Book: Ward. J. T.. Sir James Graham. 1967. Palgrave Macmillan. London. 978-1-349-00079-1. 26. https://books.google.com/books?id=wxmwCwAAQBAJ&pg=PA26. 3 May 2018. The Making of a Whig.
- News: Cockermouth. 3 May 2018. Morning Post. 14 December 1832. 2. British Newspaper Archive. subscription .
- Book: Hawkins. Angus. Victorian Political Culture: 'Habits of Heart & Mind'. 2015. Oxford University Press. Oxford. 978-0-19-872848-1. 172. https://books.google.com/books?id=-PcJCAAAQBAJ&pg=PA172. Notions of Representation.
- Book: The Illustrated London News, Volume 6. 1845. Elm House. 184. 3 May 2018.
- Book: Edward. Churton. Edward Churton. The Assembled Commons or Parliamentary Biographer: 1836. 1836. vii, 3.
- Book: Mosse. Richard Bartholomew. The Parliamentary Guide: a concise history of the Members of both Houses, etc. 1838. 134, 186. 3 May 2018.
- Book: Cragg. David. Cragg Family Origins: Great Britain 1770–1859. 2016. David Cragg. 9780994519207. 98. https://books.google.com/books?id=PT4yDAAAQBAJ&pg=PA98. 3 May 2018. Chapter 8 — Joseph Cragg (1803–1878) and Hannah Grave (1803–1878).
- Coohill. Joseph. Free Trade Agendas: The Construction of an Article of Faith, 1837–50. Texts & Studies 5: Ideas of the Liberal Party: Perceptions, Agendas and Liberal Politics in the House of Commons, 1832–52. 17 October 2011. 30. 170–203. s2. 10.1111/j.1750-0206.2011.00262.x.
- News: Cockermouth. 3 May 2018. Carlisle Patriot. 12 August 1854. 4–5. British Newspaper Archive. subscription .
- Book: Dod, Charles Roger. Dod, Robert Phipps. Charles Roger Dod. Dod's Parliamentary Companion. 1855. Dod's Parliamentary Companion. 279.
