King's Lynn was a constituency in Norfolk which was represented continuously in the House of Commons of England from 1298 to 1707, in the House of Commons of Great Britain from 1707 to 1800, and in the House of Commons of the United Kingdom from 1801 until it was abolished for the February 1974 general election.
History The Parliamentary Borough of King's Lynn, which was known as Lynn or Bishop's Lynn prior to 1537, returned two Members of Parliament until 1885, when its representation was reduced to one member by the Redistribution of Seats Act 1885. It was abolished as a Borough under the Representation of the People Act 1918 and was reconstituted as a Division of the Parliamentary County of Norfolk (from 1950, a County Constituency), absorbing the bulk of the abolished North Western Division. It was abolished for the February 1974 general election, being replaced by the re-established constituency of North West Norfolk.
Sir Robert Walpole, the first Prime Minister, was an MP for the constituency for almost the entirety of his parliamentary career, from 1702 to 1742.
Boundaries and boundary changes 1885–1918
The existing parliamentary borough, and so much of the municipal borough of King's Lynn as was not already included in the parliamentary borough.
1918–1950
The Borough of King's Lynn; The Urban Districts of New Hunstanton and Walsoken; The Rural Districts of Docking, Freebridge Lynn, King's Lynn, and Marshland (except the parishes of Outwell and Upwell); and The Rural District of Downham parishes of Wiggenhall St Germans, Wiggenhall St Mary the Virgin, Wiggenhall St Mary Magdalen, and Wiggenhall St Peter.
1950–1974
The Municipal Borough of King's Lynn; The Urban District of New Hunstanton; and The Rural Districts of Docking, Freebridge Lynn, and Marshland.
Minor changes to the boundary with South West Norfolk to align with boundaries of local authorities, which had been rationalised. Also marginal changes to county boundaries with Isle of Ely and Parts of Holland.
Members of Parliament MPs before 1640
ParliamentFirst memberSecond member1328 John de Swerdeston Roger de Buttele1335 William de Brinton1337 John de Swerdeston William de Secheford1338 Roger de Buttele Geoffrey Drewe1339 Thomas de Melcheburne1375 Robert Bathe John WarynThe Manuscripts of the Corporations of Southampton and King's Lynn, Historical Manuscripts Commission 18871377 John Dockyngg Thomas ...1378 Nicholas de Swerdeston Hugh de Ellyngham1379 John Brunham Thomas de Morton1380 Richard de Honton Henry de Betele1381 Thomas Drewe Thomas de Morton1382 John Brunham John Waryn1385 John de Brandon Thomas de Morton1386 Edmund Beleyeter Thomas Morton1388 (Feb) Henry Betley Thomas Morton1388 (Sep) Edmund Beleyeter Thomas Drew1390 (Jan) Robert Waterden John Wace1390 (Nov) John Wentworth Thomas Waterden1391 Robert Botkesham John Kepe1393 Thomas Morton Thomas Brigge1394 Thomas Morton Thomas Drew1395 Thomas Waterden John Brandon1397 (Jan) Thomas Drew John Brandon1397 (Sep) John Wentworth Roger Rawlin1399 Robert Botkesham Thomas Waterden1401 Robert Botkesham Thomas Waterden1402 Thomas Fawkes Robert Brunham1404 (Jan)Thomas Drew John Wentworth1404 (Oct) John Brandon Thomas Drew1406 Thomas Brigge Thomas Derham1407 William Lok John Wesenham1410 John Spicer John Brown1411 Bartholomew Sistern Philip Frank1413 (Feb)William Halyate John Tilney1413 (May) William Halyate John Tilney1414 (Apr) John Bilney John Tilney1414 (Nov) John Spicer Andrew Swanton1415 Thomas Brigge John Tilney1416 (Mar) John SpicerThomas Brigge1416 (Oct) William Herford John Warner1417 Robert Brunham Thomas Hunt1419 Philip FrankWalter Curson1420 Thomas Brigge Andrew Swanton1421 (May)Bartholomew Sistern John Parmenter1421 (Dec) John Waterden Robert Brandon 1510 Thomas Gibbon Francis Monford 1512 Francis Monford Thomas Wythe 1515 Robert Soome Thomas Wythe 1523 Thomas Miller Richard Bewcher 1529 Thomas Miller Richard Bewcher replaced Oct 1535 by Robert Southwell 1536 Robert Southwell William Coningsby 1539 Thomas Waters Robert Southwell 1542 Thomas Waters Thomas Miller 1545 Edmund Grey Thomas Miller 1547 Thomas Gawdy William Overend replaced Jan 1549 by George Amyas 1553 (Mar) Sir Richard Corbet John Walpole 1553 (Oct) John Walpole Thomas Waters 1554 (Apr) Thomas Waters William Overend 1554 (Nov) Sir Thomas Moyle Thomas Waters 1555 Sir Nicholas L'Estrange Thomas Waters 1558 Ambrose Gilberd, died and replaced Sep 1558 by William Telverton Thomas Waters 1558/9 Thomas Hogan Thomas Waters 1562/3 (Sir) Robert Bell Richard L'Estrange 1571 (Sir) Robert Bell John Kynne 1572 (Sir) Robert Bell, died and replaced Jan 1580 by John Peyton John Pell 1584 (Mar) John Peyton Richard Clarke 1586 (Oct) Richard Clarke Thomas Oxborough 1588/9 Richard Clarke Thomas Boston 1593 Sir John Peyton William Lewis 1597 (Sep) Thomas Oxborough Nathaniel Bacon 1601 Sir Robert MansellThomas Oxborough 1604 Thomas Oxborough Robert Hitcham 1614 Matthew Clerke Thomas Oxborough 1621–1622 Matthew Clerke John Wallis 1624 John Wallis William Doughty 1625Thomas Gurling John Cooke 1626 Thomas Gurling John Cooke 1628 William Doughty Sir John Hare 1629–1640No Parliaments summoned
MPs 1640–1885 YearFirst memberFirst partySecond memberSecond party 1640 (Apr) William Doughty Thomas Gurling 1640 (Nov)John PercevalParliamentarianThomas TollParliamentarian1644Perceval died – seat vacant1646Edmund HudsonJuly 1647Hudson expelled – seat vacant1649William Cecil (The Earl of Salisbury)Salisbury had been a peer, sitting in the House of Lords, since 1612, but became eligible to sit in the Commons after the House of Lords was abolished1653King's Lynn was unrepresented in the Barebones Parliament1654Major-General Philip SkipponGuybon Goddard1656Major-General John DesboroughDesborough was also elected for SomersetJanuary 1659Griffith LloydThomas TollMay 1659William Cecil (The Earl of Salisbury)One seat vacantApril 1660 Sir Ralph Hare Edward Walpole 1661 Sir William Hovell 1668 Robert Wright 1670 John Coke 1673 Sir Francis North 1675 Robert Coke 1679 John Turner Sir Simon Taylor 1681 Sir Henry Hobart Whig 1685 Sir John Turner 1689 Sigismund Trafford 1690 Daniel Bedingfeld 1695 Sir Charles Turner 1702 Sir Robert WalpoleWalpole was expelled from the House of Commons in January 1712 for "a high Breach of trust and notorious corruption". He was re-elected at the ensuing by-election, but the Commons resolved that having been expelled he was not capable of being re-elected to the House in the same session. Rather than awarding the election to his opponent, the election was declared void and a new writ was issued. Whig 1712 John Turner 1713 Sir Robert Walpole Whig 1738 Sir John Turner 1742 Edward Bacon 1747 Horatio Walpole, junior Whig 1757 Hon. Horace Walpole Whig 1768 Hon. Thomas Walpole 1774 Crisp Molineux 1784 Hon. Horatio WalpoleStyled Lord Walpole from 1806 1790 Sir Martin ffolkes Whig 1809 Horatio Walpole ToryJanuary 1822 William Cavendish-Scott-Bentinck ToryJune 1822 John Walpole Tory 1824 William Cavendish-Scott-Bentinck Tory 1826 Lord William Bentinck Tory 1828 Lord George Bentinck Whig 1831 Lord William Lennox Whig1834 Conservative1835 Sir Stratford Canning Conservative1842 by-election Robert Jocelyn Conservative1847 Peelite1848 by-election Hon. Edward StanleyStyled Lord Stanley from 1851 Conservative1854 by-election John Henry Gurney Whig1859 Liberal1865 Sir Thomas Buxton Liberal1868 Hon. Robert Bourke Conservative1869 by-election Lord Claud Hamilton Conservative1880 Sir William ffolkes Liberal1885 Representation reduced to one Member
MPs 1885–1974 ElectionMemberParty 1885 Hon. Robert Bourke, later Baron Connemara Conservative 1886 by-election Weston Jarvis Conservative 1892 Thomas Gibson Bowles Conservative 1906 Carlyon Bellairs Liberal 1906 Liberal Unionist January 1910 Thomas Gibson Bowles Liberal December 1910 Holcombe Ingleby Conservative 1918 Sir Neville Jodrell Conservative 1923 Graham Woodwark Liberal 1924 Maurice Roche, 4th Baron Fermoy Conservative 1935 Somerset Maxwell Conservative 1943 Maurice Roche, 4th Baron Fermoy Conservative 1945 Frederick Wise Labour 1951 Ronald Scott-Miller Conservative 1959 Denys Bullard Conservative 1964 Derek Page Labour 1970 Christopher Brocklebank-Fowler Conservative 1974 constituency abolished
Elections Elections in the 1830s
Elections in the 1840s
Canning resigned after being appointed the United Kingdom's ambassador to Turkey, causing a by-election.
Cavendish-Scott-Bentinck's death caused a by-election.
Elections in the 1850s
Jocelyn's death caused a by-election.
Stanley was appointed Secretary of State for the Colonies, requiring a by-election.
Stanley was appointed President of the Board of Control for the Affairs of India, requiring a by-election.
Elections in the 1860s
Stanley was appointed Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs, requiring a by-election.
Stanley succeed to the peerage, becoming 15th Earl of Derby and causing a by-election.
Elections in the 1870s
Elections in the 1880s
representation reduced to one member
Bourke's resignation on appointment as Governor of Madras caused a by-election.
Elections in the 1890s
Elections in the 1900s
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 from 1914 and by the end of this year, the following candidates had been selected; Unionist: Holcombe Ingleby Liberal:
Elections in the 1920s
Elections in the 1930s
Elections in the 1940s General Election 1939/40:
Another General Election was required to take place before the end of 1940. The political parties had been making preparations for an election to take place from 1939 and by the end of this year, the following candidates had been selected; Conservative: Somerset Maxwell Labour: Frederick Wise Liberal: Robert Hugh Kerkham British Union: A E Ilett
Elections in the 1950s
Elections in the 1960s
Elections in the 1970s
References
Sources Robert Beatson, A Chronological Register of Both Houses of Parliament (London: Longman, Hurst, Res & Orme, 1807) 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) F W S Craig, British Parliamentary Election Results 1832–1885 (2nd edition, Aldershot: Parliamentary Research Services, 1989)
The Constitutional Year Book for 1913 (London: National Union of Conservative and Unionist Associations, 1913) J E Neale, The Elizabethan House of Commons (London: Jonathan Cape, 1949)