Rutland was a parliamentary constituency covering the county of Rutland. It was represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom until 1918, when it became part of the Rutland and Stamford constituency, along with Stamford in Lincolnshire. Since 1983, Rutland has formed part of the Rutland and Melton constituency along with Melton Mowbray from Leicestershire.
The constituency elected two Members of Parliament (MPs), traditionally known as Knights of the Shire, until 1885, when it was reduced to one Member.
Boundaries The constituency comprised the whole of the historic county of Rutland, in the East Midlands. Rutland, the smallest of the historic counties of England, never had any Parliamentary borough constituencies within its borders.
The place of election for the county was at Oakham. This was where the hustings were held; at which candidates were nominated (before the Ballot Act 1872), polling took place (before the introduction of multiple polling places in county constituencies) and where the result was announced.
Pelling in his Social Geography of British Elections 1885–1910 describes most of the people in this county as "engaged in or dependent upon agriculture". The constituency was a safe Conservative one and was rarely contested in the period covered by the book. G. H. Finch MP had personally owned almost one tenth of the county he represented.
Members of Parliament 1295–1640
ParliamentFirst memberSecond member 1295 (Nov) Robert de Flixthorpe Simon de Bokminster 1297 (Sep) William Murdak Adam de Jernemuta 1298 (May) John Folville William de Berck 1301 (Jan) William Blount John Folville 1302 (Oct) John de Seyton Robert de Flixthorpe 1310 Ralf de Beaufoy 1312 William de St Liz 1313 (Mar) William de Hellewell Alan de Frankton 1318 John de Beaufoy 1328 Richard de St Liz 1330 Richard de St Liz 1335 Richard de St Liz 1336 Richard de St Liz 1337 John de Seyton 1340 (Jan) Robert de Hellewell no Second member 1363 William Beaufoy 1365 William Beaufoy 1368 Walter Scarle 1369 William Beaufoy 1372 John Wittlebury 1377 Thomas de Burton 1378 Walter Scarle 1380 (Jan) Walter Scarle 1380 (Nov) John Wittlebury 1380 Thomas de Burton 1381 John Wittlebury 1382 Thomas de Burton 1383 John Calveley 1383 (Oct) John Wittlebury 1384Robert Harrington 1385 Hugh Calveley Walter Scarle 1386 John Wittlebury Walter Scarle 1388 (Feb) Sir Hugh Browe Sir Oliver Mauleverer 1388 (Sep) Sir John Daneys Walter Scarle 1390 (Jan) Hugh Calveley Sir Oliver Mauleverer 1390 (Nov) Sir Hugh Browe Sir John Calveley 1391 Sir John Bussy Sir Hugh Greenham 1393 Sir Walter Scarle Sir John Elme 1394 Sir John Daneys Sir John Elme 1395 John Wittlebury Sir Walter Scarle 1397 (Jan) Sir Robert Plesington Roger Flore 1397 (Sep) Sir Oliver Mauleverer Sir Thomas Oudeby 1399 John Durant- 1401 John Durant William Oudeby 1402 Sir Thomas Oudeby Roger Flore 1404 (Jan) Thomas Thorpe John Pensax 1404 (Oct) Sir Thomas Oudeby Roger Flore 1406 John Pensax Robert Scarle 1407 Robert Browe William Sheffield 1410 1411 1413 (Feb) 1413 (May) John Pensax John Burgh 1414 (Apr) Roger Flore Robert Browe 1414 (Nov) Roger Flore John Newbold 1415 Roger Flore John Burgh 1416 (Mar) Roger Flore Geoffrey Paynell 1416 (Oct) Roger Flore 1417 Roger Flore ? 1419 Roger Flore Robert Browe 1420 Sir Thomas Burton Sir Henry Pleasington 1421 (May) John Pensax William Sheffield 1421 (Dec) John Culpepper Thomas Greenham 1422 Roger Flore Sir Henry Pleasington 1423 Robert Browe 1425 Sir Thomas Burton Sir Henry Pleasington 1427 Sir Thomas Burton 1429 Robert Browe 1431 Robert Browe 1432 Thomas Flore 1433 William Beaufoy 1434 William Beaufoy 1439–40 Robert Browe Hugh Boivyle 1445 Thomas Flore 1447 Hugh Boyvyle Everard Dygby 1449 Everard Digby John Browe 1450 Thomas Palmer Everard Digby 1510–1523 No names known 1529 Sir Everard Digby John Harington 1536 1539 John Harington Edward Sapcote 1542 John Harington Simon Digby 1545 Kenelm Digby Anthony Colly 1547 Kenelm Digby Anthony Colly 1553 (Mar) Kenelm Digby Anthony Colly 1553 (Oct) Andrew Nowell Kenelm Digby 1554 (Apr) Anthony Colly John Hunt 1554 (Nov) James Harington Anthony Colly 1555 James Harington Kenelm Digby 1558 Kenelm Digby James Harington 1558–1559 James Harington Kenelm Digby 1562–1563 Anthony Colly John Flower 1571 Kenelm Digby John Harington 1572 (Apr) Sir James Harington Kenelm Digby 1584 Kenelm Digby (Sir) Andrew Noel 1586 (Oct) Sir James Harington (Sir) Andrew Noel 1588 Sir James Harington (Sir) Andrew Noel 1593 Sir John Harington (Sir) Andrew Noel 1597 William Cecil Sir James Harington 1601 (Oct) Sir John Harington (Sir) Andrew Noel, declared void, Nov 1601 Sir Andrew Noel was elected despite being ineligible, being Sheriff of Rutland|| the Commons annulled his election and issued a new writ replaced by Edward NoelEdward Noel was returned despite being ineligible to sit|| he was underage, and owned no freeholds in the county. The controversial election, conducted by the candidate's father in his capacity as Sheriff, led to a suit in the Court of Star Chamber 1604–1611 Sir James Harington Sir William Bulstrode 1614 Sir Guy Palmes Basil Fielding 1621–1622 Sir Guy PalmesSir William Bulstrode 1624 Sir Guy PalmesSir William Bulstrode 1625 Sir Guy PalmesSir William Bulstrode 1626 Sir William Bulstrode Sir Francis Bodenham 1628 Sir Guy PalmesSir William Bulstrode 1629–1640No Parliaments convened
1640–1885 YearFirst memberFirst partySecond memberSecond partyNovember 1640Hon. Baptist NoelRoyalistSir Guy PalmesRoyalist1643Noel succeeded to peerage, August 1643 – seat vacantPalmes disabled from sitting, September 1643 – seat vacant1646James HaringtonThomas Waite1653Edward Horseman Rutland had only one representative in the Barebones Parliament1654William Shield 1656Abel BarkerJanuary 1659Edward HorsemanMay 1659Sir James HaringtonThomas Waite not recorded as participating in the restored RumpApril 1660 Philip Sherard Samuel Browne 1661 Edward Noel February 1679 Sir Thomas Mackworth August 1679 Sir Abel Barker 1680 Sir Thomas Mackworth 1681 Edward Fawkener 1685 Baptist Noel Tory Sir Thomas Mackworth 1689 Bennet Sherard 1694 Sir Thomas Mackworth 1695 Lord Burghley 1698 Richard Halford 1701 Sir Thomas Mackworth 1708 Philip Sherard 1710 Lord Finch John NoelOn petition, Noel was declared not to have been duly elected 1711 Richard Halford 1713 The Lord Sherard 1715 John Noel 1719 Marquess of Granby Whig 1721 Sir Thomas Mackworth 1727 John Noel 1728 Thomas Noel 1730 William Burton 1734 James Noel 1741 John Finch 1747 Lord Burghley 1753 Thomas Noel 1754 George Bridges Brudenell 1761 Hon. Thomas Chambers Cecil 1768 George Bridges Brudenell 1788 Gerard EdwardesAdopted the surname Noel on succeeding to his uncle's estates in 1798 Tory 1790 John Heathcote Tory 1795 Lord Sherard Tory 1796 Sir William Lowther, Bt Tory 1802 The Lord Carbery Tory 1805 The Lord Henniker Tory 1808 Charles Noel Tory 1812 Sir Gilbert Heathcote, Bt Whig 1814 Sir Gerard Noel, Bt Tory 1830 1834 Conservative 1838 Hon. William Noel Conservative 1840 Hon. Charles Noel Whig 1841 Sir Gilbert Heathcote, Bt Whig Hon. William Dawnay Conservative 1846 George Finch Conservative 1847 Hon. Gerard Noel Conservative 1856 Hon. Gilbert Heathcote Whig 1859 Liberal 1867 George Finch Conservative 1883 James Lowther Conservative1885 Representation reduced to one member
1885–1918 YearMember of ParliamentParty 1885 George Finch Conservative 1907 John Gretton Conservative1918 Constituency abolished: see Rutland and Stamford
Elections Population in 1831: 19,380
General Election 1832 (14 December) Registered Electors: 1,296 G N Noel, Bart. Conservative G Heathcote Whig
General Election 1835 (10 January) G N Noel, Bart. Conservative G Heathcote Whig
General Election 1837 (29 July) G N Noel, Bart. Conservative G Heathcote Whig
Following the death of Sir G N Noel:
By-Election 1838 (13 March) W M Noel Conservative
Elections in the 1830s
Noel's death caused a by-election.
Elections in the 1840s Noel resigned by accepting the office of Steward of the Chiltern Hundreds, causing a by-election.
Dawnay resigned by accepting the office of Steward of the Chiltern Hundreds, causing a by-election.
Elections in the 1850s
Heathcote was elevated to the peerage, becoming 1st Baron Aveland and causing a by-election.
Elections in the 1860s
Noel was appointed a Lord Commissioner of the Treasury, requiring a by-election.
Heathcote succeeded to the peerage, becoming Lord Aveland and causing a by-election.
Elections in the 1870s
Noel was appointed First Commissioner of Works.
Elections in the 1880s
Noel's resignation caused a by-election, which was the first contest in the constituency for 42 years.
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 and by July 1914, the following candidates had been selected; Unionist: John Gretton Liberal:
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) Digital Bodleian F W S Craig, Boundaries of Parliamentary Constituencies 1885–1972 (Parliamentary Reference Publications 1972) F W S Craig, British Parliamentary Election Results 1832–1885 (2nd edition, Aldershot: Parliamentary Research Services, 1989) M Kinnear, The British Voter (London: Batsford, 1968) McCalmont's Parliamentary Poll Book of All Elections 1832–1918 Lewis Namier & John Brooke, The History of Parliament: The House of Commons 1754–1790 (London: HMSO, 1964) J E Neale, The Elizabethan House of Commons (London: Jonathan Cape, 1949) Henry Pelling, Social Geography of British Elections 1885–1910 (Macmillan, 1967) Henry Stooks Smith, The Parliaments of England (1st edition published in three volumes 1844–50), second edition edited (in one volume) by F.W.S. Craig (Political Reference Publications 1973)