Parliamentary representation from Devon

The historic county of Devon in south west England was represented in Parliament from the 13th century. This article provides a list of constituencies constituting the Parliamentary representation from Devon.

In 1889 Devon became an administrative county. Unlike many other counties there has been no major change between the historic and administrative county boundaries. The first part of this article covers the constituencies wholly or predominantly within the area of the historic county. The second part refers to constituencies mostly in another historic county, which included some territory from the historic county of Devon (if any). The summaries section only refers to the constituencies included in the first section of the constituency list.

List of constituencies Article names are followed by (UK Parliament constituency). The constituencies which existed in 1707 were those previously represented in the Parliament of England.

Key to abbreviations:- (Type) BC: Borough constituency, CC: County constituency.

Constituencies wholly or predominantly in the historic county ConstituencyTypeFromToMPsNotes Ashburton BC 1298 1301 2 Unrepresented 1654-1659 BC 1640 1868 2 (1640–1832) 1 (1832–1868) CC 1885 1918 1 Barnstaple BC (1295-1885) 1295 1950 2 (1295-1654) 1 (1654–1659) 2 (1659–1885) CC (1885–1950) 1 (1885–1950)Bere Alston BC 1584 1832 2 Also spelt Beeralston. Unrepresented 1654-1659 Dartmouth BC 1298 1301 2 Includes Clifton, Dartmouth, Hardness 1654-1659 BC 1351 1868 2 (1351-1654) 1 (1654–1659) 2 (1659–1832) 1 (1832–1868)Central Devon CC next * 1 Devon CC 1290 1832 2 (1290-1654) 11 (1654–1659) 2 (1659–1832) East Devon CC 1868 1885 2 CC 1997 * 1 North Devon CC 1832 1885 2 CC 1950 * 1South Devon CC 1832 1885 2 South West Devon CC 1997 * 1 West Devon CC 1974 1983 1 Devonport BC 1832 1918 2 Exeter BC 1295 * 2 (1295-1885) 1 (1885-*) Honiton BC 1301 1307 2 BC (1640–1885) 1640 1997 2 (1640–1654) 1 (1654–1659) 2 (1659–1885) CC (1885–1997) 1 (1885–1997)Newton Abbot CC next * 1 Okehampton BC 1301 1307 2 Unrepresented 1654-1659 BC 1640 1832 2 Plymouth BC 1298 1301 2 BC 1442 1918 2Plymouth Devonport BC 1918 next 1 Plymouth Drake BC 1918 1950 1 BC 1974 1997 1Plymouth Moor View BC next * 1 Plymouth Sutton BC 1918 next 1 Plymouth Sutton and Devonport BC next * 1 Plympton Erle BC 1295 1832 2 Unrepresented 1654-1659South Hams CC 1983 1997 1 South Molton CC 1885 1950 1 Tavistock BC 1295 1296 2 Unrepresented 1654-1659 BC (1330-1885) 1330 1974 2 (1330-1868) CC (1885–1974) 1 (1868–1974)Teignbridge CC 1983 next 1 Tiverton BC (1621–1885) 1621 1997 2 (1621–1654) 1 (1654–1659) 2 (1659–1885) CC (1885–1997) 1 (1885–1997)Tiverton and Honiton CC 1997 * 1 Torbay BC 1974 * 1 Torquay CC (1885–1950) 1885 1974 1 BC (1950–1974)Torridge and West Devon CC 1983 * 1 Torrington BC 1295 1307 2 CC 1950 1974 1 Totnes BC 1295 1868 2 (1295-1654) 1 (1654–1659) 2 (1659–1868) CC 1885 1983 1 CC 1997 * 1

Constituencies mostly in another historic county ConstituencyTypeFromToMPsNotes

Periods constituencies represented  1290–12951295–12961296–12981298–13011301–13071307–13301330–13511351–14421442–15841584–1621 Ashburton  1298–1301  Barnstaple  1295–1950 Bere Alston  1584–1654 Dartmouth  1298–1301  1351–1868 Devon 1290–1832 Exeter  1295–* Honiton  1301–1307  Okehampton  1301–1307  Plymouth  1298–1301  1442–1918 Plympton Erle  1295–1654 Tavistock  1295–1296  1330–1654 Torrington  1295–1307  Totnes  1295–1868

 1621–16401640–16541654–16591659–18321832–18681868–18851885–19181918–19501950–1974 Ashburton  1640–1654  1659–1868  Barnstaple 1295–1950  Bere Alston 1584–1654  1659–1832  Dartmouth 1351–1868  Devon 1290–1832  East Devon  1868–1885  North Devon  1832–1885  1950–* South Devon  1832–1885  Devonport  1832–1918  Exeter 1295–* Honiton  1640–1997 Okehampton  1640–1654  1659–1832  Plymouth 1442–1918  Plymouth Devonport  1918–next Plymouth Drake  1918–1950  Plymouth Sutton  1918–next Plympton Erle 1295–1654  1659–1832  South Molton  1885–1950  Tavistock 1330–1654  1659–1974 Tiverton 1621–1997 Torquay  1885–1974 Torrington  1950–1974 Totnes 1295–1868  1885–1983

 1974–19831983–19971997–nextnext–* Central Devon  next–* East Devon  1997–* North Devon 1950–* South West Devon  1997–* West Devon 1974–1983  Exeter 1295–* Honiton 1640–1997  Newton Abbot  next–* Plymouth Devonport 1918–next  Plymouth Drake 1974–1997  Plymouth Moor View  next–* Plymouth Sutton 1974–next  Plymouth Sutton and Devonport  next–* South Hams  1983–1997  Teignbridge  1983–next  Tiverton 1621–1997  Tiverton and Honiton  1997–* Torbay 1974–* Torridge and West Devon  1983–* Totnes 1885–1983  1997–*

Summaries Summary of constituencies by type and period Note: Dates of representation prior to 1509 are provisional.

Type129012951296129813011307133013511442158416211640165416591832186818851918195019741983Borough - 6 5 8 7 4 5 6 7 8 9 12 7 12 10 7 3 4 4 5 5County 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 2 3 8 7 6 5 5Total 1 7 6 9 8 5 6 7 8 9 10 13 8 13 12 10 11 11 10 10 10

Type1997nextBorough 4 4County 7 8Total 11 12

Summary of members of parliament by type and period Type129012951296129813011307133013511442158416211640165416591832186818851918195019741983Borough - 12 10 16 14 8 10 12 14 16 18 24 9 24 18 13 5 4 4 5 5County 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 11 2 4 6 8 7 6 5 5Total 2 14 12 18 16 10 12 14 16 18 20 26 20 26 22 19 13 11 10 10 10

Type1997nextBorough 4 4County 7 8Total 11 12

See also Wikipedia:Index of article on UK Parliament constituencies in England Wikipedia:Index of articles on UK Parliament constituencies in England N-Z Parliamentary representation by historic counties First Protectorate Parliament Unreformed House of Commons

References Boundaries of Parliamentary Constituencies 1885-1972, compiled and edited by F.W.S. Craig (Parliamentary Reference Publications 1972) British Parliamentary Constituencies: A Statistical Compendium, by Ivor Crewe and Anthony Fox (Faber and Faber 1984) British Parliamentary Election Results 1832-1885, compiled and edited by F.W.S. Craig (The Macmillan Press 1977) The House of Commons 1509-1558, by S.T. Bindoff (Secker & Warburg 1982) The House of Commons 1558-1603, by P.W. Hasler (HMSO 1981) The House of Commons 1660-1690, by Basil Duke Henning (Secker & Warburg 1983) The House of Commons 1715-1754, by Romney Sedgwick (HMSO 1970) The House of Commons 1754-1790, by Sir Lewis Namier and John Brooke (HMSO 1964) The House of Commons 1790-1820, by R.G. Thorne (Secker & Warburg 1986) The Parliaments of England by Henry Stooks Smith (1st edition published in three volumes 1844–50), second edition edited (in one volume) by F.W.S. Craig (Political Reference Publications 1973) out of copyright