Nottinghamshire (UK Parliament constituency)

Nottinghamshire was a county constituency of the House of Commons of the Parliament of England, then of the Parliament of Great Britain from 1707 to 1800 and of the Parliament of the United Kingdom from 1801 to 1832. It was represented by two Members of Parliament (MPs), traditionally known as Knights of the Shire.

The constituency was split into two two-member divisions, for Parliamentary purposes, by the Reform Act 1832. The county was then represented by the North Nottinghamshire and South Nottinghamshire constituencies.

Boundaries
The county of Nottinghamshire is located in the East Midlands of England. The county is known to have been represented in Parliament from 1290, although it probably sent knights of the shire to earlier meetings.

From 1295 the county and the town of Nottingham each returned two members to parliament. In 1572 East Retford was represented by two members, and in 1672 Newark-upon-Trent also. Under the Reform Act of 1832 the county returned four members in two divisions. By the act of 1885 it returned four members in four divisions; Newark and East Retford were disfranchised, and Nottingham returned three members in three divisions.

1290–1640
1305 Sir Hugh de Hercy and Thomas Malet

1316 Sir Hugh de Hercy and Lawrence Chaworth

Election notes
The county franchise, from 1430, was held by the adult male owners of freehold land valued at 40 shillings or more. Each elector had as many votes as there were seats to be filled. Votes had to be cast by a spoken declaration, in public, at the hustings, which took place in Nottingham. The expense and difficulty of voting at only one location in the county, together with the lack of a secret ballot contributed to the corruption and intimidation of electors, which was widespread in the unreformed British political system.

The expense, to candidates and their supporters, of contested elections encouraged the leading families of the county to agree on the candidates to be returned unopposed whenever possible. Contested county elections were therefore unusual. Three families; the Duke of Newcastle, the Duke of Portland and the Pierreponts, all Whigs, dominated the county until well into the 19th century, which was why there was no contest after 1722.

The bloc vote electoral system was used in two seat elections and first past the post for single member by-elections. Each voter had up to as many votes as there were seats to be filled. Votes had to be cast by a spoken declaration, in public, at the hustings.

Note on percentage change calculations: Where there was only one candidate of a party in successive elections, for the same number of seats, change is calculated on the party percentage vote. Where there was more than one candidate, in one or both successive elections for the same number of seats, then change is calculated on the individual percentage vote.

Note on sources: The information for the election results given below is taken from Stooks Smith 1715–1754, Namier and Brooke 1754–1790 and Stooks Smith 1790–1832.

Elections in the 1720s

 * Howe was a Peer of Ireland

Elections in the 1730s

 * Seats vacated on Howe being appointed Governor of Barbados and Sutton being expelled from the House.


 * Death of Bennet

Elections in the 1740s

 * Sutton adopted the new surname of Manners-Sutton

Elections in the 1750s

 * John Thornhagh adopted the new surname of Hewett

Elections in the 1760s

 * Death of Manners-Sutton

Elections in the 1770s

 * Succession of Willoughby as the 4th Baron Middleton


 * Death of Lincoln

Elections in the 1780s

 * Charles Medows adopted the surname of Pierrepont in 1788

Elections in the 1790s

 * Note (1796): Stooks Smith incorrectly has Lord Edward Bentinck returned at this election rather than Lord William Bentinck

Elections in the 1800s

 * Death of Pierrepont


 * Resignation of Bentinck


 * Pierrepont became known by the courtesy title of Viscount Newark, when his father was advanced in the peerage by being created Earl Manvers in 1806.

Elections in the 1810s

 * Resignation of Bentinck


 * Succession of Newark as 2nd Earl Manvers


 * Frank adopted the new surname of Sotheron

Elections in the 1830s

 * Constituency divided in (1832)