Taunton was a constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom and its predecessors from 1295 to 2010, taking its name from the town of Taunton in Somerset. Until 1918, it was a parliamentary borough, electing two Member of Parliaments (MPs) between 1295 and 1885 and one from 1885 to 1918; the name was then transferred to a county constituency, electing one MP.
In the boundary changes that came into effect at the 2010 UK general election, the Boundary Commission for England replaced Taunton with a modified constituency called Taunton Deane to reflect the district name. The new constituency's boundaries are coterminous with the local government district of the same name.
History Famous MPs for the borough include Thomas Cromwell. The 1754 Taunton by-election was so fiercely contested that rioting broke out in which two people died. In the 2005 UK general election, the victorious Liberal Democrats candidate in Taunton required the smallest percentage swing from the Conservative Party MP for them to take the seat.
Boundaries 1918–1950: the Borough of Taunton, the Urban Districts of Wellington and Wiveliscombe, and the Rural Districts of Dulverton, Taunton, and Wellington. 1950–1974: as 1918 but without Wiveliscombe Urban District, which had been absorbed by Wellington Rural District in 1933. The constituency boundaries remained unchanged. 1974–1983: as 1950 but with redrawn boundaries. 1983–2010: the Borough of Taunton Deane, and the District of West Somerset wards of Dulverton and Brushford, Exmoor, Haddon, and Quarme.
Members of Parliament MPs 1295–1640 Constituency created (1295)
ParliamentFirst memberSecond member 1362William Portman ? 1363, 1365, 1366,1368, 1369, 1371Unknown 1372William Portman ? 1373, 1376, 1377 (Jan),1377 (Oct), 1378Unknown 1379William Portman ? 1380 (Jan) ? 1380 (Nov), 1381, 1382 (May),1382 (Oct), 1383 (Feb), 1383 (Oct), 1384 (Apr)Unknown 1384 (Nov)William Portman ? 1385 ?1386William Marchaunt1388 (Feb)1388 (Sep)William Damarle1390 (Jan)John Porter1390 (Nov)Unknown1391William PortmanWilliam Marchaunt1393John Porter13941395Walter Puryham1397 (Jan)Robert CoullyngRobert Eysel1397 (Sept)Richard MarchauntJohn Northmore1399Walter PuryhamEdmund Rokes1401Unknown1402William PortmanRalph Sargor1404 (Jan), 1404 (Oct)Unknown1406William PortmanRobert Bathe1407Richard MarchauntJohn Northmore1410Thomas BacotThomas Edward1411, 1413 (Feb)Unknown1413 (May)John RydonLewis John1414 (Apr)John MarchauntEdmund Dyer1414 (Nov)1415, 1416 (Mar), 1416 (Oct)Unknown1417John RydonWalter Portman1419Walter PortmanRobert Croke1420Robert CrokeWilliam Borde1421 (May)Walter Portman1421 (Dec)John Bowe 1422 ? 1423Unknown 1425Walter Portman ? 1426 ? 1427 ? 1429Unknown 1431Walter Portman ? 1432, 1433Unknown 1435Walter Portman ? 1437, 1439, 1442,1445, 1447, 1449 (Feb),1449 (Nov), 1450, 1453Unknown 1455Ralph Legh ? 1459, 1460, 1461, 1463Unknown1467Sir William DanversRobert Ashetill1470Sir William DanversEdward Aysshton1472Sir William Danvers ?1478Edward AysshtonRobert Lovelord1483–1523Unknown1529Thomas CromwellWilliam Portman1536?Richard Pollard?William Portman1547Sir Nicholas HareJohn Caryll1553 (Mar)John Mason?1553 (Oct)James BassetJacques Wingfield1554 (Apr)William BarneOliver Vachell1554 (Nov)Thomas EdenJohn Norres1555Dr Valentine Dale?1558Richard Myrfield1559?1563–7Miles SandysAnthony Leigh1571Robert HillRichard Blount1572–81Roger HillRichard BlountBlount died during the 1572 Parliament, and Hodges was elected in his place in 1575.Edmund Hodges1584–5Alexander PymPym died in January 1585.Maurice HornerWilliam Goldwell1586–7Francis BaconJohn Goldwell1588–9Thomas Fisher1593William Aubrey, DCLJohn Davidge1597–8Edward BarkerEdward Hext1601John BondDaniel Donne, DCL1604–11Edward HextAddled Parliament (1614)James ClarkeJohn Donne1621–2Lewis PopeThomas BreretonHappy Parliament (1624–5)Roger ProwseUseless Parliament (1625)Hugh PortmanThomas Brereton1625–6Sir Robert GorgesGeorge Browne1628Hugh Portman1629–40No Parliament summoned
MPs 1640–1885 YearFirst member First partySecond member Second partyApril 1640 Sir William Portman RoyalistRoger HillParliamentarianNovember 1640 George SearleParliamentarianFebruary 1644Portman disabled from sitting — seat vacant1645John Palmer, MDCobbett records Admiral Robert Blake as being elected for Taunton and Palmer for Bridgwater; but Brunton & Pennington agree with the Dictionary of National Biography that Blake was MP for Bridgwater and Palmer for Taunton.1653Taunton was unrepresented in the Barebone's Parliament1654Colonel Thomas GorgesJohn Gorges1656Admiral Robert BlakeJanuary 1659Sir William WyndhamMay 1659John Palmer, MDOne seat vacantMarch 1660 Thomas Gorges Sir William Wyndham 1661 Sir William Portman February 1679 John Trenchard WhigSeptember 1679 Sir John Cutler Bt 1680 Edmund Prideaux 1685 Sir William Portman Tory John Sanford ToryMarch 1690 Edward Clarke WhigApril 1690 John Speke Whig 1698 Henry Seymour Portman Tory 1701 by-election Sir Francis Warre Tory 1710 Henry Seymour Portman Tory 1715 At the general election of 1715, Warre and Portman were initially declared re-elected, but on petition (in a dispute over the franchise) they were adjudged not to have been duly elected and their opponents, Pynsent and Smith, were seated in their place William Pynsent Whig James Smith Whig 1722 John Trenchard Whig 1724 by-election Abraham Elton Whig 1727 George Speke Whig Francis Fane Whig 1734 Henry William Berkeley Portman Tory 1741 Sir John Chapman Whig John Buck Tory 1745 Percy Wyndham-O'Brien Whig 1747 Sir Charles WyndhamStyled Lord Cockermouth from October 1749 Whig Robert Webb Whig 1750 Admiral William Rowley Whig 1754 The Lord CarpenterCreated Earl of Tyrconnell (in the Peerage of Ireland), May 1761 Whig John Halliday Whig 1754 by-election Robert MaxwellSucceeded as The Lord Farnham, August 1759; created Viscount Farnham, September 1760 and Earl of Farnham, May 1763 (all these titles being in the Peerage of Ireland). Whig 1762 Laurence Sulivan Whig 1768 Alexander Popham Nathaniel Webb 1774 On petition, Stratford and Webb were adjudged not to have been duly elected, and their opponents, Halliday and Popham, were seated in their place Hon. Edward Stratford Whig 1775 John Halliday Alexander Popham 1780 Major-General John Roberts 1782 by-election (Sir) Benjamin Hammet 1784 Alexander Popham 1796 William Morland 1800 John Hammet 1806 Alexander Baring Whig 1812 Henry Powell Collins Tory 1818 Sir William Burroughs, Bt Whig 1819 Henry Powell Collins Tory 1820 John Ashley Warre Whig 1826 Henry Seymour Tory William Peachey Tory 1830 Henry Labouchere Whig Edward Thomas Bainbridge Whig 1842 by-election Sir Edward Colebrooke Whig 1852 Arthur MillsOn petition, Mills' election was declared void and a by-election was held Conservative 1853 by-election Sir John Ramsden Whig 1857 Arthur Mills Conservative 1859 Liberal 1859 by-election George Cavendish-Bentinck Conservative 1865 Alexander Charles Barclay Liberal Lord William Hay Liberal 1868 Edward William CoxOn petition, the election of Cox was declared void and after scrutiny of the votes his opponent, James, was declared to have been duly elected Conservative 1869 (Sir) Henry James Liberal 1873 by-election 1880 Sir William Palliser Conservative 1882 by-election Samuel Allsopp Conservative1885 Representation reduced to one Member
MPs since 1885 ElectionMemberParty 1885 Samuel Allsopp Conservative 1887 by-election Alfred Percy Allsopp Conservative 1895 Sir Alfred Welby Conservative 1906 Sir Edward Boyle Conservative 1909 by-election William Peel Conservative 1912 by-election Sir Gilbert Wills Unionist 1918 Dennis BolesUnionist 1921 by-election Sir Arthur Griffith-BoscawenUnionist 1922 Sir John Hope Simpson Liberal 1924 Hamilton GaultUnionist 1935Edward Wickham Conservative 1945 Victor Collins Labour 1950 Henry Hopkinson Conservative 1956 by-electionSir Edward du Cann Conservative 1987 David Nicholson Conservative 1997 Jackie Ballard Liberal Democrat 2001 Adrian Flook Conservative 2005 Jeremy Browne Liberal Democrat2010Constituency abolished
Elections Elections in the 1830s
Labouchere was appointed as a Lord of the Admiralty, causing a by-election.
Labouchere was appointed as vice-president of the Board of Trade, and Master of the Mint, requiring a by-election.
Elections in the 1840s
Bainbridge resigned by accepting the office of Steward of the Chiltern Hundreds, causing a by-election.
Labouchere was appointed Chief Secretary to the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland, requiring a by-election.
Elections in the 1850s
Mills' election was declared void on petition.
Labouchere was appointed Secretary of State for the Colonies, requiring a by-election.
Labouchere was elevated to the peerage, becoming Lord 1st Baron Taunton and causing a by-election.
Elections in the 1860s
On petition, Cox's election was scrutinised, and some of his votes were found to have been acquired by bribery, and were then struck off. This caused him to be unseated on 8 March 1869 and James was declared elected. While a petition was then lodged against James, the court ruled a petitioner who had been seated on petition could not then be petitioned against.
Elections in the 1870s James was appointed Solicitor General for England and Wales, causing a by-election.
Elections in the 1880s
James was appointed Attorney General for England and Wales, requiring a by-election.
Palliser's death caused a by-election.
Allsopp succeeded to the peerage, becoming Lord Hindlip, causing 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 and by the July 1914, the following candidates had been selected; Unionist: Gilbert Wills Liberal: James Bromley Eames
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 and by the Autumn of 1939, the following candidates had been selected; Conservative: Edward Wickham Labour: Charles W. GottReport of the Annual Conference of the Labour Party, 1939
Elections in the 1950s
Elections in the 1960s
Elections in the 1970s
Elections in the 1980s
Elections in the 1990s
Elections in the 2000s
See also List of parliamentary constituencies in Somerset
Notes and 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) Craig, F. W. S. (1983). British parliamentary election results 1918–1949 (3 ed.). Chichester: Parliamentary Research Services. . F W S Craig, British Parliamentary Election Results 1832–1885 (2nd edition, Aldershot: Parliamentary Research Services, 1989) Maija Jansson (ed.), Proceedings in Parliament, 1614 (House of Commons) (Philadelphia: American Philosophical Society, 1988) J E Neale, The Elizabethan House of Commons (London: Jonathan Cape, 1949)
Frederic A Youngs, jr, Guide to the Local Administrative Units of England, Vol I (London: Royal Historical Society, 1979) The BBC/ITN Guide to the New Parliamentary Constituencies (Chichester: Parliamentary Research Services, 1983) Concise Dictionary of National Biography List of speakers: Parliaments of 1656 and 1658-9, Diary of Thomas Burton esq, volume 4: March – April 1659 (1828) at British History Online
External links UK Constituency Maps BBC Vote 2001 BBC Election 2005 Taunton UK Parliament constituency (boundaries April 1997 – April 2010) at MapIt UK