Evesham was a
parliamentary constituency
An electoral (congressional, legislative, etc.) district, sometimes called a constituency, riding, or ward, is a geographical portion of a political unit, such as a country, state or province, city, or administrative region, created to provi ...
in
Worcestershire
Worcestershire ( , ; written abbreviation: Worcs) is a Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in the West Midlands (region), West Midlands of England. It is bordered by Shropshire, Staffordshire, and the West Midlands (county), West ...
which was represented in the English and later
British House of Commons
The House of Commons is the lower house of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. Like the upper house, the House of Lords, it meets in the Palace of Westminster in London, England. The House of Commons is an elected body consisting of 650 memb ...
. Originally a
parliamentary borough
A borough is an administrative division in various English language, English-speaking countries. In principle, the term ''borough'' designates a self-governing walled town, although in practice, official use of the term varies widely.
History
...
consisting of the town of
Evesham
Evesham () is a market town and Civil parishes in England, parish in the Wychavon district of Worcestershire, in the West Midlands (region), West Midlands region of England. It is located roughly equidistant between Worcester, England, Worceste ...
, it was first represented in 1295. After this its franchise lapsed for several centuries, but it then returned two
Members of Parliament (MPs) from 1604 until 1868, when its representation was reduced to one member under the
Representation of the People Act 1867
The Representation of the People Act 1867 ( 30 & 31 Vict. c. 102), known as the Reform Act 1867 or the Second Reform Act, is an act of the British Parliament that enfranchised part of the urban male working class in England and Wales for the f ...
.
From the
1885 general election, Evesham was abolished as a borough but the name was transferred to a larger
county constituency
In the United Kingdom (UK), each of the electoral areas or divisions called constituencies elects one member to the House of Commons.
Within the United Kingdom there are five bodies with members elected by electoral districts called " constituen ...
electing one MP. This constituency was abolished for the
1950 general election, with the town of Evesham itself being transferred to the new seat of
South Worcestershire. Between 1885 and 1918 the constituency had the full name of the Southern, or Evesham, Division of Worcestershire (not to be confused with the 1950 seat).
Boundaries
* 1604–1885: The parishes of All Saints,
Evesham
Evesham () is a market town and Civil parishes in England, parish in the Wychavon district of Worcestershire, in the West Midlands (region), West Midlands region of England. It is located roughly equidistant between Worcester, England, Worceste ...
, St Lawrence, Evesham and
Bengeworth
* 1885–1918: The petty sessional divisions of
Blockley, Evesham,
Pershore
Pershore () is a market town and civil parish in the Wychavon district in Worcestershire, England, on the banks of the River Avon, Warwickshire, River Avon. At the 2011 UK census, census, the population was 7,125. The town is best known for Per ...
and
Upton-on-Severn
Upton-upon-Severn (or Upton on Severn, etc. and locally simply Upton) is a small riverside town and Civil parishes in England, civil parish in the Malvern Hills District of Worcestershire, England. Lying on the A4104 (formerly A440), the 2021 c ...
, and parts of the petty sessional divisions of
Malvern and
Redditch
Redditch is a town and non-metropolitan district with borough status in Worcestershire, England. It is located south of Birmingham, east of Bromsgrove, north-west of Alcester and north-east of Worcester. In 2021, the town had a population of ...
* 1918–1950: The municipal boroughs of
Droitwich and
Evesham
Evesham () is a market town and Civil parishes in England, parish in the Wychavon district of Worcestershire, in the West Midlands (region), West Midlands region of England. It is located roughly equidistant between Worcester, England, Worceste ...
, the rural districts of
Droitwich,
Evesham
Evesham () is a market town and Civil parishes in England, parish in the Wychavon district of Worcestershire, in the West Midlands (region), West Midlands region of England. It is located roughly equidistant between Worcester, England, Worceste ...
,
Feckenham,
Pershore
Pershore () is a market town and civil parish in the Wychavon district in Worcestershire, England, on the banks of the River Avon, Warwickshire, River Avon. At the 2011 UK census, census, the population was 7,125. The town is best known for Per ...
and
Shipston-on-Stour
Shipston-on-Stour is a town and civil parish in the Stratford-on-Avon District in southern Warwickshire, England. It is located on the banks of the River Stour, Warwickshire, River Stour, points of the compass, south-southeast of Stratford-up ...
, the parishes of Bredon, Bredon's Norton, Conderton, Overbury and Teddington from the
rural district of Tewkesbury and the parts of the rural districts of
Stow on the Wold and
Winchcombe
Winchcombe () is a market town and civil parish in the Borough of Tewkesbury in the county of Gloucestershire, England, situated northeast of Cheltenham. The population was recorded as 4,538 in the 2011 United Kingdom census, 2011 census and ...
within the administrative county of Worcestershire
Members of Parliament
1604-1640
1640-1868
1868-1950
Elections
Elections in the 1830s
The 1830 election was declared void on 13 December 1830, but no new writ was issued before dissolution ahead of the 1831 election.
Cockerell's death caused a by-election.
On petition, Borthwick was unseated and Hill declared elected instead.
Elections in the 1840s
Hill was appointed
Comptroller of the Household
The Comptroller of the Household is an ancient position in the British royal household, nominally the second-ranking member of the Lord Steward's department after the Treasurer of the Household. The Comptroller was an ''ex officio'' member of ...
, requiring a by-election.
Elections in the 1850s
Berkeley resigned to contest the
1855 by-election in
Cheltenham
Cheltenham () is a historic spa town and borough adjacent to the Cotswolds in Gloucestershire, England. Cheltenham became known as a health and holiday spa town resort following the discovery of mineral springs in 1716, and claims to be the mo ...
, causing a by-election.
Elections in the 1860s
Willoughby's death caused a by-election.
''Seat reduced to one member''
Elections in the 1870s
Elections in the 1880s
The 1880 election was declared void on account of bribery of electors, causing a by-election.
Lehmann's election was declared void, on account of bribery and corruption, and Hartland was then elected after scrutiny.
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:
Bolton Eyres-Monsell
*Liberal: William Pearce Ellis
Elections in the 1920s
Elections in the 1930s
*withdrew
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:
Rupert de la Bere
*Liberal: W F Newnes
[The Liberal Magazine, 1939]
*
British Union: John Dowty
Elections in the 1940s
References
*
Robert Beatson
Robert Beatson, LL.D. FRSE FSA (1741–1818) was a Scottish compiler and miscellaneous writer.
Life
He was born on 25 June 1741 at Dysart in Fife, Scotland, the son of David Beatson of Vicarsgrange.
He was educated for the military profession, ...
, ''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
* ''The Constitutional Year Book for 1913'' (London: National Union of Conservative and Unionist Associations, 1913)
*F W S Craig, ''British Parliamentary Election Results 1832-1885'' (2nd edition, Aldershot: Parliamentary Research Services, 1989)
*
*
T. H. B. Oldfield, ''The Representative History of Great Britain and Ireland'' (London: Baldwin, Cradock & Joy, 1816)
* Frederic A Youngs, jr, ''Guide to the Local Administrative Units of England, Vol II'' (London:
Royal Historical Society
The Royal Historical Society (RHS), founded in 1868, is a learned society of the United Kingdom which advances scholarly studies of history.
Origins
The society was founded and received its royal charter in 1868. Until 1872 it was known as the H ...
, 1991)
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Evesham (Uk Parliament Constituency)
Parliamentary constituencies in Worcestershire (historic)
Constituencies of the Parliament of the United Kingdom established in 1604
Constituencies of the Parliament of the United Kingdom established in 1295
Constituencies of the Parliament of the United Kingdom disestablished in 1950