Knocktopher (Parliament of Ireland constituency)

Knocktopher
Former borough constituency for the Irish House of Commons
County	County Kilkenny
Borough	Knocktopher
–1801 (1801)
Seats	2
Replaced by	Disfranchised

Knocktopher was a potwalloper constituency represented in the Irish House of Commons until 1800, based on the parliamentary borough of Knocktopher in County Kilkenny.

History

In the Patriot Parliament of 1689 summoned by James II, Knocktopher was represented with two members. ^[1] Thereafter electors had to be Protestant and an inhabitant six months resident before the election. The person in the office of potreeve rather than the seneschal of the manor made the return. In the eighteenth century two prominent families nominated the constituency's two parliamentary members; the Langrishes of Knocktopher Abbey, and the Ponsonbys, who paid them £500 for the privilege. This arrangement lasted up to 1783. Knocktopher had Sir Hercules Langrishe as the one qualified voter in 1783-4. He contrived to possess or manage control of all the properties with houses in the town, ensuring they were not let to potential Protestants voters, and so the right of election was concentrated in his family and their immediate connections.

Members of Parliament

• 1661–1666 Sir Patrick Weymes (died and replaced 1661 by James Weymes) and Oliver Jones (died and replaced 1664 by Sir Maurice Eustace, junior, representative to 1666) ^[2]

1689–1801

Election	First MP			Second MP
1689		Harvy Morris			Henry Meagh
1689					Redmond Purcell
1692		William Robinson			Anthony Maude [note 1]
1695		Edward Worth			Blayney Sandford
1713					Roscarrick Dunkin
1715					William Wall
1741		Benjamin Burton
1747					Richard Ponsonby
1761		Sir William Fownes, 2nd Bt			Hercules Langrishe [note 2]
1776		Andrew Caldwell
1783		Robert Langrishe
1796		Richard Hardinge
1798		Sir George Shee, 1st Bt
March 1800					Thomas Staples [note 3]
April 1800					Stephen Mahon
1801		Disenfranchised

Notes

1. Declared not duly elected in 1692
2. Created a baronet in 1777
3. Last surviving member of the Irish House of Commons

References

1. O'Hart 2007, p. 502.
2. Parliamentary Papers, Volume 62, Part 2. p. 621.

Bibliography

• O'Hart, John (2007). The Irish and Anglo-Irish Landed Gentry: When Cromwell came to Ireland. Vol. II. Heritage Books. ISBN   978-0-7884-1927-0.
• Leigh Rayment's historical List of Members of the Irish House of Commons . Cites: Johnston-Liik, Edith Mary (2002). The History of the Irish Parliament 1692-1800 (6 volumes). Ulster Historical Foundation.