Pembroke (UK Parliament constituency) explained

Pembroke
Type:Borough
Parliament:uk
Year:1542
Abolished:1885
Elects Howmany:one
Next:Pembroke and Haverfordwest

Pembroke (or Pembroke Boroughs) was a parliamentary constituency centred on the town of Pembroke in West Wales. It returned one Member of Parliament (MP) to the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom, elected by the first past the post system.

History

For the creation and early history of the seat, see the Boundaries section below.

The constituency was abolished by the Redistribution of Seats Act 1885 for the 1885 general election, when it was replaced by the new Pembroke and Haverfordwest constituency.

For much of the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries the constituency was dominated by the Owen family of Orielton, the last of whom, Sir Hugh Owen, was defeated at the 1868 general election.

Boundaries

From its first known general election in 1542 until 1885, the constituency consisted of a number of boroughs within the historic county of Pembrokeshire in Wales.

Pembroke 1535–1832

On the basis of information from several volumes of the History of Parliament, it is apparent that the history of the borough representation from Wales and Monmouthshire is more complicated than that of the English boroughs.

The Laws in Wales Act 1535 (26 Hen. 8. c. 26) provided for a single borough seat for each of 11 of the 12 Welsh counties and Monmouthshire. The legislation was ambiguous as to which communities were enfranchised. The county towns were awarded a seat, but this in some fashion represented all the ancient boroughs of the county, as the other boroughs were required to contribute to the member's wages. It was not clear if the burgesses of the contributing boroughs could take part in the election. The only election under the original scheme was for the 1542 parliament. It seems that only burgesses from the county towns actually took part. The Parliament Act 1543 (35 Hen. 8. c. 11) confirmed that the contributing boroughs could send representatives to take part in the election at the county town. As far as can be told from surviving indentures of returns, the degree to which the "out boroughs" participated varied, but by the end of the sixteenth century all the seats had some participation from them, at some elections at least.

The original scheme was modified by later legislation and decisions of the House of Commons (which were sometimes made with no regard to precedent or evidence: for example in 1728 it was decided that only the freemen of the borough of Montgomery could participate in the election for that seat, thus disenfranchising the freemen of Llanidloes, Welshpool and Llanfyllin).

In the case of Pembrokeshire, the number of boroughs involved gradually decreased. The county town was Pembroke. The out boroughs which continued to participate were Tenby and Wiston. Haverfordwest was involved in 1542 only, as it became a separate constituency in 1545. Narberth, New Moat, and Templeton had dropped out by 1558. Newport, Cilgerran, and Llawhaden ceased to participate between 1603 and 1690.

In 1690–1832 the freemen of the three remaining boroughs of Pembroke, Tenby, and Wiston were entitled to vote. There was a dispute in 1702–1712 about the right of the Wiston freemen to vote. The Whig family of Owen of Orielton, which had the dominant influence in Pembroke, had the Pembroke Corporation bar the participation of the Wiston men (who were influenced by the Tory Wogan family). In 1712 Parliament upheld the rights of the freemen of Wiston.

There were 331 electors in 1710 (including non-resident freemen). The electorate increased to about 500 in the 1754–1790 period.

Pembroke Boroughs 1832–1885

This was a district of boroughs constituency, which grouped a number of parliamentary boroughs in Pembrokeshire into one single member constituency. The voters from each participating borough cast ballots, which were added together over the whole district to decide the result of the poll. In addition to the ancient right freemen voters, who retained the franchise after 1832, there was a new householder franchise applicable to all boroughs. The enfranchised communities in this district, from 1832, were the four boroughs of Pembroke, Milford, Tenby, and Wiston.

Members of Parliament

The Roman numerals after some names are to distinguish different members for this constituency, with the same name. It is not suggested this use of Roman numerals was applied at the time.

MPs in the Parliament of England 1542–1707

As there were sometimes significant gaps between Parliaments held in this period, the dates of first assembly and dissolution are given. Where the name of the member has not yet been ascertained or (before 1558) is not recorded in a surviving document, unknown is entered in the table.

ElectedAssembledDissolvedMemberNote
1542 16 January 1542 28 March 1544
1545 23 November 1545 31 January 1547
1547 4 November 1547 15 April 1552
1553 1 March 1553 31 March 1553
1553 5 October 1553 5 December 1553
1554 2 April 1554 3 May 1554
1554 12 November 1554 16 January 1555
1555 21 October 1555 9 December 1555
1558 20 January 1558 17 November 1558
1559 23 January 1559 8 May 1559
1562 or 1563 11 January 1563 2 January 1567
1571 2 April 1571 29 May 1571
1572 8 May 1572 19 April 1583
1584 23 November 1584 14 September 1585
1586 13 October 1586 23 March 1587
1588 4 February 1589 29 March 1589
1593 18 February 1593 10 April 1593 Sir Conyers Clifford[1]
1597 24 October 1597 9 February 1598
1601 27 October 1601 19 December 1601
1604 19 March 1604 9 February 1611
1614 5 April 1614 7 June 1614
1620 or 1621 16 January 1621 8 February 1622
1623 or 1624 12 February 1624 27 March 1625
1625 17 May 1625 12 August 1625 Lewis Powell
1626 6 February 1626 15 June 1626
1628 17 March 1628 10 March 1629
1640 13 April 1640 5 May 1640
3 November 1640 5 December 1648 Sir Hugh Owen, 1st Baronet [2] Parliamentarian
6 December 1648[3] 20 April 1653[4] vacant
1653[5] 4 July 1653 12 December 1653 unrepresented
1654[6] 3 September 1654 22 January 1655 unrepresented
1656[7] 17 September 1656 4 February 1658 unrepresented
1658 or 1659 27 January 1659 22 April 1659
N/A[8] 7 May 1659 20 February 1660 vacant
21 February 1660 16 March 1660
25 April 1660 29 December 1660
8 May 1661 24 January 1679 Died 16 November 1675
By-election
6 March 1679 12 July 1679
21 October 1680 18 January 1681
21 March 1681 28 March 1681
19 May 1685 2 June 1687
22 January 1689 6 February 1690
20 March 1690 11 October 1695
22 November 1695 6 July 1698 Ceased to be MP
By-election
24 August 1698 19 December 1700
6 February 1701 11 November 1701
30 December 1701 2 July 1702
20 August 1702 5 April 1705 Tory
14 June 1705 1707[9] Tory

MPs 1707–1885

ElectionMemberPartyNote
1707, 23 OctoberToryCo-opted, not elected, to the Parliament of Great Britain
1708, 17 MayWhigUnseated, on petition, 23 February 1712
1712, 23 FebruaryToryDeclared duly elected on petition; died 28 November 1714
1715, 14 FebruaryWhig
1722, 27 NovemberBy-election; 1747: Chose to sit for Pembrokeshire
1747, 21 DecemberBy-election
1761, 2 April
1774, 14 OctoberWhig[10] Changed name 1789; died 23 January 1809
1809, 9 FebruaryToryBy-election; died 8 August 1809
1809, 13 SeptemberToryBy-election; 1812: Chose to sit for Pembrokeshire
1813, 19 MarchWhigBy-election; died in action, at the Battle of Waterloo
1815, 3 JulyToryBy-election
1818, 19 JuneWhig
1826, 13 JuneHugh Owen Owen <-- 1803 5 Sep 1891 -->ToryRe-elected as a Conservative candidate
1834Conservative
1838, 20 FebruaryConservativeBy-election
1841, 3 JulySir John Owen, Bt <-- 1776 6 Feb 1861 -->Conservative
1846Peelite[11] [12]
1859Liberal
1861, 22 FebruaryLiberalBy-election
1868, 18 NovemberConservative
1874, 12 FebruaryLiberal
1880, 7 AprilLiberal
1885constituency abolished: see Pembroke & Haverfordwest

Elections

Elections in the 1830s

Owen resigned, causing a by-election.

Elections in the 1860s

Owen's death caused a by-election.

Elections in the 1880s

Sources

Notes and References

  1. [:s:Clifford, Sir Conyers (DNB00)]
  2. Excluded in Pride's Purge
  3. Date of Pride's Purge, which converted the Long Parliament into the Rump Parliament.
  4. Date when Oliver Cromwell dissolved the Rump Parliament by force.
  5. Date when the members of the nominated or Barebones Parliament were selected. Pembroke was not represented in this body.
  6. Date when the members of the First Protectorate Parliament were elected. Pembroke was not represented in this body. Pembroke formed part of the county constituency of Pembrokeshire for this Parliament.
  7. Date when the members of the Second Protectorate Parliament were elected. Pembroke was not represented in this body. Pembroke formed part of the county constituency of Pembrokeshire for this Parliament.
  8. The Rump Parliament was recalled and subsequently Pride's Purge was reversed, allowing the full Long Parliament to meet until it agreed to dissolve itself.
  9. The MPs of the last Parliament of England and 45 members co-opted from the former Parliament of Scotland, became the House of Commons of the 1st Parliament of Great Britain which assembled on 23 October 1707 (see below for the members in that Parliament).
  10. Book: Stooks Smith . Henry . The Parliaments of England, from 1st George I., to the Present Time. Vol II: Oxfordshire to Wales Inclusive . 1845 . Simpkin, Marshall, & Co. . London . 199–200 . . 5 May 2020.
  11. News: Election Talk . 22 August 2018 . The Spectator . 6 March 1852 . 6.
  12. News: Pembrokeshire (Boroughs) . 22 August 2018 . Evening Mail . 9 July 1852 . 6–7 . British Newspaper Archive. subscription .