Devon (UK Parliament constituency)

Devon
Devon
Former County constituency ; for the House of Commons
County	Devon
1290–1832
Seats	Two
Replaced by	North Devon ; South Devon

Last updated January 11, 2024

Devon was a parliamentary constituency covering the county of Devon in England. It was represented by two Knights of the Shire, in the House of Commons of England until 1707, then of the House of Commons of Great Britain from 1707 to 1800 and finally the House of Commons of the United Kingdom from 1801 to 1832. Elections were held using the bloc vote system of elections.

Boundaries

The constituency consisted of the historic county of Devon, excluding the city of Exeter which had the status of a county in itself after 1537. (Although Devon contained a number of other parliamentary boroughs, each of which elected two MPs in its own right for part of the period when Devon was a constituency, these were not excluded from the county constituency, and owning property within the borough could confer a vote at the county election. This was not the case, though, for Exeter.)

Members of Parliament

1290–1640

Constituency created 1290, during the reign of King Edward I (1272–1307).

Parliaments of Edward I (1272–1307)
Year	First member	Second member
1290 (Jul)	Sir Robert de Wodeton	Sir Andrew Trelosk of Dunterton^[1]
1294 (Nov)	unknown^[1]
1295 (Nov), the Model Parliament	Sir Robert de Wodeton	Sir William Prous of Gidleigh (1245–1315)^[1]
1297 (Oct)	Sir Henry Ralegh of Strete Ralegh in Whimple	Sir Hugh Prous of Gatcombe in Colyton^[1]
1298 (May)	Sir John Umfraville of Lapford	Sir William Champernowne (c.1240–1304) of Ilfracombe ^[1]
1300 (Mar)	Sir Robert Beaple of Knowstone	Sir Reginald Ferrers of Bere and Newton Ferrers^[1]

Parliaments of Edward III (1327–1377)
Year	First member	Second member
1331	Sir Roger de Pridias (Prideaux) of Orcheton, Modbury ^[2]
1340	Adam de Branscombe
1356/7	John Daubernon of Dunsland ^[3]
1364	Sir John Cary (d. 1395) of Cockington, Devon, Chief Baron of the Exchequer ^[4]	Sir William Cary (brother)^[5]
1348	Adam de Branscombe
1369	Sir John Cary (d. 1395) of Cockington, Devon, Chief Baron of the Exchequer ^[6]	Sir William Cary (brother)^[6]
1371	Sir William Bonville
Sir William Bonville

Parliaments of Richard II
Year	First member	Second member
1377 (Oct)	Sir William Bonville
1378	Sir William Bonville
1379	Sir William Bonville
1379	John Beaumont (d. 1379/80)^[7]
1380	John Beaumont (d. 1379/80)^[7]
1380 (Nov)	Sir William Bonville
1381	Sir William Bonville
1382 (May)	Sir William Bonville
1382 (Oct)	Sir William Bonville
1383	Sir Philip Courtenay
1383	Ivo FitzWarin
1384 (Apr)	Sir William Bonville
1385	Sir John Stretch ^[8]
1386	Sir Philip Courtenay	Sir John Stretch ^[9]
1388 (Feb)	Sir Philip Courtenay	Sir John Prideaux ^[9]
1388 (Sep)	Sir John Stretch	Sir John Grenville ^[9]
1390 (Jan)	Sir Philip Courtenay	Sir James de Chudleigh ^[9]
1390 (Nov)	Sir James de Chudleigh	John Prescott ^[9]
1391	Sir James de Chudleigh	Sir William Sturmy ^[9]
1393	Sir Philip Courtenay	Sir James de Chudleigh ^[9]
1394	Sir John Grenville	Sir James de Chudleigh ^[9]
1395	Sir Philip Courtenay	Sir Hugh Courtenay ^[9]
1397 (Jan)	Sir William Bonville	Sir John Grenville ^[9]
1397 (Sep)	Sir Hugh Courtenay	Sir William Bonville ^[9]

Parliaments of Henry IV
Year	First member	Second member
1399	Sir Philip Courtenay	John Stretch ^[9]
1401	Sir Philip Courtenay	Sir John Wadham ^[9]
1402	Sir William Bonville	Sir John Grenville ^[9]
1404 (Jan)	Sir Thomas Pomeroy	Edmund Pyne ^[9]
1404 (Oct)	Sir William Sturmy	Walter Reynell ^[9]
1406	Sir Hugh Luttrell	Sir Thomas Pomeroy ^[9]
1407	Sir Hugh Luttrell	Robert Cary ^[9]
1410	Sir Thomas Pomeroy	Robert Cary ^[9]
1411	Edmund Pyne	Robert Cary ^[9]

Parliaments of Henry V
Year	First member	Second member
1413 (Feb)
1413 (May)	Sir Thomas Pomeroy	Robert Cary ^[9]
1414 (Apr)	John St. Aubyn	Robert Cary ^[9]
1414 (Nov)	Richard I Hankford	John Arundell ^[9]
1415
1416 (Mar)	Richard I Hankford	Robert Cary ^[9]
1416 (Oct)
1417	John Cole	Robert Cary ^[9]
1419	Edward Pomeroy	Robert Cary ^[9]
1420	Sir Robert Chalons	Thomas Archdeacon ^[9]
1421 (May)	Sir Hugh Courtenay	Robert Cary ^[9]
1421 (Dec)	John Copplestone	Henry Fortescue ^[9]

Parliaments of Henry VI
No	Year	First member	Second member
1st	1422	William Bonville, 1st Baron Bonville	Robert Cary ^[10]
2nd	1423	Richard Hankeford	John Cole ^[10]
3rd	1425	William Bonville, 1st Baron Bonville	Robert Cary ^[10]
4th	1426	Robert Cary	James Chuddelegh^[10]^[9]
5th	1427	Philip Courtenay	William Bonville, 1st Baron Bonville ^[10] (& John Reynell 1427/8^[11])
6th	1429
7th	1430
8th	1432
9th	1433	Sir Philip Cary
10th	1435	Nicholas Radford ^[12]	John Copplestone
17	1439	John Copplestone ^[13]
33	1454/5	Walter Reynell (died 1478) of Malston in the parish of Sherford, Devon^[14]

Parliaments of Edward IV
Year	First member	Second member
1491	John Crocker


Year	First member	Second member
1510–1523	No names known^[9]
1529	Sir William Courtenay (d. 1535) of Powderham, died Nov.1535 and repl. Jan 1536 by George Carew	Sir Thomas Denys ^[9]
1536
1539	Sir Thomas Denys	Richard Pollard ^[9]
1542	Richard Pollard	?Gawain Carew ^[9]
1545	?	Sir Gawain Carew ^[9]

Parliaments of Edward VII
Year	First member	Second member
1547	Sir Gawain Carew	John Chichester ^[9]
1553 (Mar)	Sir Peter Carew	John Fulford ^[9]

Parliaments of Mary I
Year	First member	Second member
1553 (Oct)	Sir Peter Carew	Sir Thomas Denys ^[9]
1554 (Apr)	Sir John Chichester	John Prideaux ^[9]
1554 (Nov)	James Bassett	James Courtenay ^[9]
1555	James Bassett	Robert Denys ^[9]

Parliaments of Elizabeth I
Year	First member	Second member
1558	James Bassett	George Kirkham ^[9]
1559^[9]	Sir Peter Carew	Sir John St Leger
1563–1567^[15]	John Chichester	Gawin Carew
1571^[15]	Sir John St Leger	Peter Edgcumbe
1572–1583^[15]	Sir John St Leger	Arthur Bassett
1584–1585^[15]	Walter Raleigh	William Courtenay
1586–1587^[15]	Walter Raleigh	John Chudleigh
1588–1589^[15]	William Courtenay	George Cary
1593^[15]	Sir Thomas Denys	Sir Edward Seymour, 1st Baronet
1597–1598^[15]	William Strode	Amias Bampfield
1601^[15]	William Courtenay	Sir Edward Seymour, 1st Baronet

Parliaments of James I
Year	First member	Second member
1604–1611^[16]	Sir Edward Seymour, 1st Baronet	Thomas Ridgeway ^[17]
(from 1607)^[16]	Sir Edward Seymour, 1st Baronet	Sir John Acland
1614^[16]	John Drake	Sir Edward Giles
1621–1622^[16]		Sir Edward Seymour, 2nd Baronet
1624–1625^[16]		Sir William Strode

Parliaments of Charles I
Year	First member	Second member
1625^[16]	Francis Fulford	Francis Courtenay
1626^[16]	John Drake	John Pole
1628–1629^[16]	John Bampfield	Sir Francis Drake, Bt ^[18]

1640–1832

Year		First member	First party	Second member	Second party
	April 1640 ^[16]	Sir Edward Seymour, 3rd Baronet	Royalist	Thomas Wyse ^[19]
	November 1640 ^[16]			Thomas Wyse ^[19]
	1641^[16]			Sir Samuel Rolle ^[20]	Parliamentarian
	January 1643	Seymour disabled to sit – seat vacant
	1646	Sir Nicholas Martyn
	1648	Sir Nicholas Martyn		William Morice ^[21]
	December 1648	Morice and Martyn excluded in Pride's Purge – both seats vacant.
	1653	Seven nominated members in the Barebones Parliament: George Monck, John Carew, Thomas Saunders, Christopher Martyn, James Erisey, Francis Rous, Richard Sweet
Devon's representation was increased to 11 MPs in the First and Second Parliaments of the Protectorate
	1654	Thomas Saunders, Robert Rolle, Arthur Upton, Thomas Reynell, William Morice, John Hale, William Bastard, William Fry, Sir John Northcote, Bt, Henry Hatsell, John Quick
	1656	Thomas Saunders, Robert Rolle, Arthur Upton, Thomas Reynell, William Morice, John Hale, Sir John Northcote, Bt, Captain Henry Hatsell, Sir John Yonge, Edmund Fowell, John Doddridge
	January 1659	Sir John Northcote, Bt		Robert Rolle
	May 1659	Not represented in the restored Rump
	April 1660	George Monck		Sir John Northcote, Bt
	July 1660	Sir Edward Seymour, 3rd Baronet		Sir John Northcote, Bt
	1661	Sir Hugh Pollard, Bt		Sir John Rolle
	1667	Earl of Torrington
	1671	Sir Coplestone Bampfylde, Bt
	February 1679	Sir Edward Seymour, 4th Baronet	Tory	Sir William Courtenay, Bt
	September 1679	Samuel Rolle		Sir William Courtenay, Bt
	1685	Sir Bourchier Wrey, Bt		Sir Coplestone Bampfylde, Bt
	1689	Francis Courtenay		Samuel Rolle
	September 1699	Thomas Drewe
	January 1701	Sir William Courtenay, Bt
	December 1701			Sir John Pole, Bt
	1702			Robert Rolle
	1710	Sir William Pole		John Rolle	Tory
	1712	Sir William Courtenay, Bt	Tory	John Rolle	Tory
	1713			Sir Coplestone Bampfylde, Bt	Tory
	1727			John Rolle	Tory
	1730			Henry Rolle
	1736	John Bampfylde		Henry Rolle
	1741	Sir William Courtenay, Bt		Theophilus Fortescue
	1746			Sir Thomas Dyke-Acland, Bt
	1747			Sir Richard Bampfylde, Bt
	1762	John Parker		Sir Richard Bampfylde, Bt
	1776			John Rolle Walter
	1780			John Rolle
	1784	John Pollexfen Bastard	Tory	John Rolle
	1796			Sir Lawrence Palk, Bt
	1812			Sir Thomas Dyke-Acland, Bt	Tory
	1816	Edmund Pollexfen Bastard		Sir Thomas Dyke-Acland, Bt	Tory
	1818			Viscount Ebrington	Whig
	1820			Sir Thomas Dyke-Acland, Bt	Tory
	1830	Viscount Ebrington	Whig	Sir Thomas Dyke-Acland, Bt	Tory
	1831	Viscount Ebrington	Whig	Lord John Russell	Whig

Constituency abolished (1832)

Elections

Notes

1 2 3 4 5 6 J. J. Alexander (1912). "Devon County Members of Parliament. Part I. The early Plantagenet Period (1212–1327)". Report & Transactions of the Devonshire Association. 44: 366–381.
↑ Vivian, Lt.Col. J. L., (ed.) The Visitations of the County of Devon: Comprising the Heralds' Visitations of 1531, 1564 & 1620, Exeter, 1895, p. 616, pedigree of Prideaux.
↑ Risdon, Tristram (d. 1640), Survey of Devon, 1811 edition, London, 1811, with 1810 Additions, p. 251.
↑ Vivian, Lt.Col. J. L., (ed.) The Visitations of the County of Devon: Comprising the Heralds' Visitations of 1531, 1564 & 1620, Exeter, 1895, p. 150, pedigree of Cary (regnal year 37 Edward III, i.e. 1363); see also biography of his son Sir Robert Cary in History of Parliament
↑ Vivian, Lt.Col. J.L., (Ed.) The Visitations of the County of Devon: Comprising the Heralds' Visitations of 1531, 1564 & 1620, Exeter, 1895, p. 150, pedigree of Cary (regnal year 37 Edward III, i.e. 1363).
1 2 Vivian, p. 150 (regnal year 42 Edward III, i.e. 1368).
1 2 Beaumont, Edward T., The Beaumonts in History. A.D. 850-1850. Oxford, c. 1929, (privately published), Chapter 5, pp. 56–63, The Devonshire Family, p. 62 (term given as 1376–80).
↑ "STRETCH, Sir John (1341-90), of Pinhoe and Hempston Arundel (Little Hempston), Devon". History of Parliament Online. Retrieved 12 May 2013.
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 "History of Parliament" . Retrieved 12 September 2011.
1 2 3 4 5 Willis 1715, p. 252.
↑ Vivian, Lt.Col. J. L., (ed.) The Visitations of the County of Devon: Comprising the Heralds' Visitations of 1531, 1564 & 1620, Exeter, 1895, p. 643: regnal date "6 Henry IV" (sic), probably "6 Henry VI" 1427/8; corrected date deduced as his brother was Walter Reynell (died 1478) of Malston (Vivian, p. 643) a Member of Parliament for Devon in 1454/5 (Vivian, p. 643).
↑ http://www.historyofparliamentonline.org/volume/1386-1421/member/radford-nicholas-1455 History of Parliament Online article.
↑ "COPPLESTONE, John (D.1458), of Copplestone in Colebrooke, Devon. | History of Parliament Online".
↑ Regnal date 33 Henry VI per Vivian, Lt.Col. J. L., (ed.) The Visitations of the County of Devon: Comprising the Heralds' Visitations of 1531, 1564 & 1620, Exeter, 1895, pp. 643–5, pedigree of Reynell, p. 643.
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 J. J. Alexander (1915), "Devon Country Members of Parliament, Part IV, The Tudor Period (1485-1603)", Rep. Trans. Devon. Ass. Advmt Sci., XLVII: 365–370
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 J. J. Alexander (1916), "Devon Country Members of Parliament, Part V, The Stuart Period (1603-1688)", Rep. Trans. Devon. Ass. Advmt Sci., XLVIII: 330–332
↑ Appointed Treasurer in Ireland 1607.
↑ Youngest brother (1588–1637) of Francis Drake.
↑ Died March 1641.
↑ Died December 1647.
↑ Morice may not have taken his seat before being excluded in Pride's Purge.

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References

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)
J. E. Neale, The Elizabethan House of Commons (London: Jonathan Cape, 1949)
Leigh Rayment's Historical List of MPs – Constituencies beginning with "D" (part 2)
Willis, Browne (1715). Notitia parliamentaria: or, An history of the counties, cities, and boroughs in England and Wales: Cornwall, Cumberland, Darby, Devon, Dorset and Durham. Vol. II. Printed by Robert Gosling. p. 252.