1702 English general election

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1702 English general election
Flag of England.svg
  Nov 1701 July – August 1702 1705  

All 513 seats in the House of Commons
257 seats needed for a majority
 First partySecond party
 
John Churchill, 1st Duke of Marlborough, Captain-General of the English forces and Master-General of the Ordnance, 1702 (c), attributed to Michael Dahl 91996.jpg
Sidney Godolphin, 1st Earl of Godolphin by Sir Godfrey Kneller, Bt (2).jpg
Portrait of John Somers, Baron Somers.jpg
1stEarlOfHalifax.jpg
Gibson, Edward Russell.jpg
Leader Duke of Marlborough
Earl of Godolphin
Whig Junto

(Baron Somers, Charles Montagu, Thomas Wharton)

Party Tory Whig
Seats won298184
Seat changeIncrease2.svg58Decrease2.svg64
English Parliament of General Election 1702 English 1702.svg
English Parliament of General Election 1702

The 1702 English general election was the first to be held during the reign of Queen Anne, and was necessitated by the demise of William III. The new government dominated by the Tories gained ground in the election, with the Tory party winning a substantial majority over the Whigs, owing to the popularity of the new monarch and a burst of patriotism following the coronation. Despite this, the government found the new Parliament difficult to manage, as its leading figures Godolphin and Marlborough were not sympathetic to the more extreme Tories. Contests occurred in 89 constituencies in England and Wales.

Contents

Summary of the constituencies

See 1796 British general election for details. The constituencies used in England and Wales were the same throughout the period. In 1707 alone the 45 Scottish members were not elected from the constituencies, but were returned by co-option of a part of the membership of the last Parliament of Scotland elected before the Union.

Party strengths are an approximation, with many MPs' allegiances being unknown.

See also

References