| County Down | |
| Type: | county |
| County: | County Down |
| Region: | Ireland |
| Parliament: | ihc |
| Abolished: | 1801 |
| Next: | Down (UKHC) |
| Seats: | 2 |
County Down was a constituency represented in the Irish House of Commons until 1800.
In the Patriot Parliament of 1689 summoned by James II, Down was represented with two members.
| Election | First member | First party | Second member | Second party | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1585 | Sir Nicholas Bagnoll of The Newry, County Down | Sir Hugh Magennies of Rathfriland, County Down | |||||
| 1613 | Sir James Hamilton of Bangor and Killileagh, County Down | Sir Hugh Montgomery of Newtown, County Down | |||||
| 1634 | Sir Hugh Montgomery of Newtown, County Down | Sir James Hamilton of Bangor and Killileagh, County Down | |||||
| 1639 | Sir Edward Trevor of Rosetrevor, County Down | Sir James Montgomery of Rosemount, Greyabbey, County Down | |||||
| 1661 | Marcus Trevor of Rosetrevor, County Down | Arthur Hill of Hillsborough, County Down | < | -- party --> | |||
| 1662 by-election[1] | Vere Essex Cromwell | < | -- party --> | ||||
| 1665 by-election[2] | Marcus Trevor of Rosetrevor, County Down[3] | ||||||
| 1689 Patriot Parliament | Murtagh Magennis of Greencastle, County Down | Ever Magennis of Castlewellan, County Down | |||||
| 1692 | James Hamilton | Sir Arthur Rawdon, 2nd Bt | < | -- party --> | |||
| 1695 | James Hamilton | ||||||
| 1695 by-election[4] | Nicholas Price | < | -- party --> | ||||
| 1703 | John Hawkins Magill | ||||||
| 1713 | Michael Ward | < | -- party --> | ||||
| 1715 | Trevor Hill | ||||||
| 1717 by-election[5] | Sir John Rawdon, 3rd Bt | ||||||
| 1724 by-election[6] | Robert Hawkins Magill | < | -- party --> | ||||
| 1727 | Arthur Hill[7] | < | -- party --> | ||||
| 1745 by-election[8] | Bernard Ward | < | -- party --> | ||||
| 1761 | |||||||
| 1766 by-election[9] | Henry Seymour-Conway[10] | ||||||
| 1768 | Roger Hall | < | -- party --> | ||||
| 1771 by-election[11] | Robert Stewart | < | -- party --> | ||||
| 1776 | Arthur Hill, Viscount Kilwarlin[12] | < | -- party --> | ||||
| 1783 | Hon. Edward Ward | ||||||
| 1790 | Hon. Robert Stewart[13] | < | -- party --> | ||||
| 1794 by-election[14] | Francis Savage | ||||||
| 1801 | Succeeded by the Westminster constituency Down | ||||||
At the 1797 general election Francis Savage and Robert Stewart, Viscount Castlereagh were elected unopposed.[15]
At the by-election in 1793 following Hill's succession as second Marquess of Downshire, Francis Savage was returned unopposed.[16]
At the 1776 general election Arthur Hill, Viscount Kilwarlin and Robert Stewart were elected unopposed.
At the by-election in 1771 following Ward's creation as Baron Bangor
At the 1768 general election Roger Hall and Bernard Ward were elected unopposed.
"In the co. of Down, May-day was the county court day for the election, which the sheriff held at Newry, at which day the sheriff proceeding to the election, moved the freeholders to choose Sir Richard Wingfield and Sir James Hamilton, being recommended to him by the Lord Deputy; but the natives named Sir Arthur Magenisse and Rowland Savage; whereupon all the British freeholders, being 131, cried “Hamilton and Montgomery”, omitting Wingfield; and the Irish, to the number of 101, cried “Magenisse and Savage”. Exception being presently taken to divers of the British for want of freehold, 14 were examined on oath by the sheriff and deposed they were freeholders, and thereupon the sheriff returned Hamilton and Montgomery; to which some of the Irish made objections, which were found partly untrue, and partly frivolous."