Devizes was a constituency in Wiltshire, England, which included four towns and many villages in the middle and east of the county. The seat was held by members of the Conservative Party continuously for a century from 1924.
Further to the completion of the 2023 Periodic Review of Westminster constituencies, the seat was subject to boundary changes which entailed the loss of the town of Devizes to the newly created constituency of Melksham and Devizes. As a consequence, it was renamed East Wiltshire, and first contested under its new name at the 2024 general election.
History Until 1885 Devizes was a parliamentary borough, electing two Members of Parliament (MPs) by the bloc vote system until the 1868 election, when the Reform Act 1867 reduced its representation to one MP, elected by the first-past-the-post system of election. The Redistribution of Seats Act 1885 abolished the parliamentary borough, and created a new county constituency of the same name, covering a wider area and electing one member. It returned a Conservative MP at every election from 1924, though between the 1950 and 1970 general elections, the seat often had narrow and marginal majorities over the Labour Party.
Its most notable MP was Henry Addington, who held the seat during his term as Prime Minister, as well as when he was Speaker of the House of Commons.
Boundaries
1885–1918: The Boroughs of Devizes and Marlborough, the Sessional Divisions of Devizes, Everley, and Marlborough and Ramsbury, and part of the Sessional Division of Pewsey.
1918–1950: The Boroughs of Devizes and Marlborough, the Rural Districts of Devizes, Marlborough, Pewsey, and Ramsbury, and part of the Rural District of Highworth.
1950–1983: The Boroughs of Devizes and Marlborough, and the Rural Districts of Devizes, Highworth, Marlborough and Ramsbury, and Pewsey.
1983–1997: The District of Kennet, and the Borough of Thamesdown wards of Blunsdon, Chiseldon, Covingham, Highworth, Ridgeway, St Margaret, St Philip, and Wroughton.
1997–2010: The District of Kennet, the District of North Wiltshire wards of Calne Abberd, Calne Central, Calne North, Calne North East, Calne South, and Calne Without, and the District of West Wiltshire wards of Blackmore Forest, Melksham Forest, Melksham Lambourne, Melksham Roundpoint, Melksham Town, and Melksham Woodrow.
2010–2024: The District of Kennet, and the District of Salisbury wards of Bulford and Durrington.
The constituency covered Devizes in Wiltshire and the surrounding former Kennet district, which included the towns of Marlborough, Ludgershall and Tidworth, together with the large villages of Bulford, Durrington and Pewsey.
Members of Parliament 1295–1640 ParliamentFirst memberSecond member 1386 Richard Gobet William Salter 1388 (Feb) Richard Cardmaker William Salter 1388 (Sep) Richard Cardmaker William Spicer 1390 (Jan) Richard Gobet William Spicer 1390 (Nov) 1391 1393 William Coventre I William Spicer 1394 John Tapener Richard Brunker 1395 Richard Cardmaker William Spicer 1397 (Jan) William Salter Henry Webbe 1397 (Sep) William Salter John Peyntour 1399 Richard Cardmaker William Salter 1401 1402 Simon Skinner Richard Smith 1404 (Jan) 1404 (Oct) 1406 John Huwet John Kingston 1407 John Peyntour Simon Skinner 1410 1411 1413 (Feb) 1413 (May) John Coventre Simon Skinner 1414 (Apr) Thomas Coventre Robert Smith 1414 (Nov) William Coventre III Thomas Coventre 1415 William Coventre III Roger Barbour 1416 (Mar) Richard Litelcote John Peyntour 1416 (Oct) 1417 William Coventre III Robert Tyndale 1419 Robert Tyndale William Hendelove 1420 John Coventre I Robert Chandler 1421 (May) William Coventre III Robert Smith 1421 (Dec) John Baker John Fauconer 1425 Robert Chandler 1429 Robert Chandler 1442 Henry Long 1492 Richard Pudsey 1510–1523No names known 1529 John Poyntz Richard Mytton 1536 ? 1539 ? 1542 ? 1545 Clement Throckmorton Geoffrey Danielle 1547 Sir George Howard Nicholas Throckmorton 1553 (Mar) ? 1553 (Oct) William Rede Thomas Hull 1554 (Apr) Thomas Highgate Henry Leke 1554 (Nov) Thomas Hull Edward Heynes 1555 Thomas Hull James Webbe 1558 Thomas Hull Henry Morris 1558 John Young Edward Heynes 1562–3 Hugh Powell Edward Heynes 1571 Edward Baynton William Clerke 1572 George Reynolds, died and replaced 1580 by John Snell Henry Grube 1584 Edward Baynton I Henry Brouncker 1586 Edward Baynton I Henry Brouncker 1588 Henry Brouncker John Delabere 1593 Henry Baynton I or Henry Baynton II Richard Mompesson 1597 John Kent Robert Drew 1601 Giles Fettiplace Robert Drew 1604 Sir Henry Baynton Robert Drew 1614 Sir Edward Baynton William Kent 1621 Sir Henry Ley John Kent 1624 Edward Bayntun John Kent 1625 Edward Bayntun Robert Drew 1626 Robert Long Sir Henry Ley 1628 Robert Long Thomas Kent 1629–1640 No Parliaments summoned
1640–1832 ElectionFirst memberFirst partySecond memberSecond party March 1640 Edward Bayntun Henry Danvers November 1640 Edward Bayntun Robert Nicholas 1653 Devizes not represented in Barebones Parliament September 1654 Edward Bayntun One seat only September 1656 Edward Scotton One seat only January 1659 Chaloner Chute jnr Edward Scotton March 1660 William Lewis Robert Aldworth April 1661 William Yorke John Kent December 1666 John Norden October 1669 Edward Lewis George Johnson April 1675 Sir Edward Bayntun February 1679 Sir Walter Ernle September 1679 Sir Giles Hungerford John Eyles February 1681 Sir Walter Ernle George Johnson March 1685 John Talbot of Lacock Walter Grubbe January 1689 Sir William Pynsent March 1690 Sir Thomas Fowle December 1690 John Methuen November 1695 Sir Edward Ernle July 1698 Sir Francis Child January 1701 Francis Merewether November 1701 John Methuen November 1702 John Child March 1703 Francis Merewether May 1705 Sir Francis Child December 1706 Josiah Diston May 1708 Paul Methuen October 1710 Sir Francis Child Thomas Richmond Webb August 1713 Robert Child John Nicholas January 1715 Josiah Diston Francis Eyles (expelled) February 1721 Benjamin Haskins-Stiles March 1722 Sir Joseph Eyles Whig August 1727 Francis Eyles Whig April 1734 Sir Joseph Eyles Whig February 1740 John Garth Whig July 1742 George Lee Whig July 1747 William Willy January 1765 Charles Garth June 1765 James Sutton September 1780 Sir James Tylney-Long, 7th Bt. November 1780 Henry Jones April 1784 Tory Henry Addington Tory December 1788 Joshua Smith Tory January 1805 Thomas Grimston Estcourt Tory June 1818 John Pearse Tory March 1826 George Watson-Taylor Tory
1832–1868 ElectionFirst memberFirst partySecond memberSecond party 1832 Wadham Locke Whig Montague Gore Whig February 1834 Admiral Sir Philip Charles Durham Tories December 1834 Conservative November 1835 T. H. S. Sotheron-Estcourt Conservative February 1836 James Whitley Deans Dundas Whig May 1838 George Heneage Walker Heneage Conservative February 1844 William Heald Ludlow Bruges Conservative February 1848 James Bucknall Bucknall-Estcourt Conservative 1852 John Neilson Gladstone Conservative 1857 Simon Watson Taylor Peelite Christopher Darby Griffith Conservative 1859 John Neilson Gladstone Conservative Feb 1863 William Addington Conservative Apr 1864 Sir Thomas Bateson, Bt. Conservative 1868 Second Reform Act: representation reduced to one member
Since 1868 Devizes has been a safe Conservative seat since 1945. The last Member of Parliament was Danny Kruger who had been first elected at the 2019 general election, succeeding Claire Perry O'Neill, who stood down at that election after nine years of holding the seat. ElectionMemberParty 1868Sir Thomas Bateson Conservative 1885 Walter Long Conservative 1892 Charles Hobhouse Liberal 1895 Edward Goulding Conservative 1906 Francis Rogers Liberal 1910 Basil Peto Unionist 1918Cory BellUnionist 1923 Eric Macfadyen Liberal 1924 Percy Hurd Conservative 1945 Christopher Hollis Conservative 1955 Percivall Pott Conservative 1964 by-election Charles Morrison Conservative 1992 Michael Ancram Conservative 2010 Claire Perry Conservative 2019 Danny Kruger Conservative
Elections Elections in the 2010s
Elections in the 2000s
Elections in the 1990s
Elections in the 1980s
Elections in the 1970s
Elections in the 1960s
Elections in the 1950s
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: Percy Hurd, Liberal: Frances Josephy
Elections in the 1930s
Elections in the 1920s
Elections in the 1910s
Election results 1885–1918 Elections in the 1880s
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: Basil Peto Liberal: James CurrieWestern Daily Press 20 July 1914.
Election results 1868–1880 Elections in the 1860s
Seat reduced to one member
Elections in the 1870s
Elections in the 1880s
Election results 1832–1868
Gore resigned after defecting to the Tories, causing a by-election.
Locke's death caused a by-election.
Durham resigned, causing a by-election.
Dundas was appointed as Clerk of the Ordnance, requiring a by-election.
Following the by-election, Dundas was unseated due to bribery and Heneage was declared elected in his place
Elections in the 1840s
Sotheron resigned, by accepting the office of Steward of the Chiltern Hundreds, in order to contest a by-election at North Wiltshire, causing a by-election.
Bruges resigned by accepting the office of Steward of the Chiltern Hundreds, causing a by-election.
Elections in the 1850s
Elections in the 1860s Gladstone's death caused a by-election.
Addington succeeded to the peerage, causing a by-election.
Curling retired before polling day.
Election results before 1832
Some sources, including the corporation minutes, do not list Locke or Salmon as candidates. However, they are included here as per Stooks Smith.
See also List of parliamentary constituencies in Wiltshire
Notes
References
External links Craig, F. W. S. (1983). British parliamentary election results 1918–1949 (3 ed.). Chichester: Parliamentary Research Services. . Devizes UK Parliament constituency (boundaries April 1997 – April 2010) at MapIt UK Devizes UK Parliament constituency (boundaries April 2010 – May 2024) at MapIt UK