| Newcastle-upon-Tyne | |
| Parliament: | uk |
| Year: | 1283 |
| Abolished: | 1918 |
| Type: | Borough |
| Elects Howmany: | Two |
| Region: | England |
| Towns: | Newcastle upon Tyne |
Newcastle-upon-Tyne was a parliamentary borough in the county of Northumberland of the House of Commons of England from 1283 to 1706, then of the House of Commons of Great Britain from 1707 to 1800 and of the House of Commons of the United Kingdom from 1801 to 1918. It returned two Members of Parliament (MPs), elected by the bloc vote system.
Newcastle first sent Members to Parliament in 1283, although it was not always possible to act upon the writ of summons, which was disregarded on at least four occasions (1315, 1327, 1332 and 1337) because of warfare with the Scots.[1]
The constituency was abolished in 1918, being split into four divisions; Newcastle-upon-Tyne Central, Newcastle-upon-Tyne East, Newcastle-upon-Tyne North and Newcastle-upon-Tyne West.[2]
The constituency was based upon the town, later city, of Newcastle upon Tyne in the historic county of Northumberland in North East England. In 1848, the constituency boundaries were described in A Topographical Dictionary of England.[3]
The borough first exercised the elective franchise in the 23rd of Edward the First, since which time it has returned two members to parliament: the present electoral limits are co-extensive with those of the county of the town, comprising 5730 acres; the old boundaries, which were abrogated in 1832, included 2700 acres only.
When the House of Commons debated the boundaries to be used from 1832, the Tory Party suggested including Gateshead (to the south) and South Shields (to the east) within the Newcastle-upon-Tyne constituency. The Whigs resisted this idea, so these two neighbouring settlements were not incorporated into this seat.[4]
The contents of the parliamentary borough, as defined by the Parliamentary Boundaries Act 1832 (2 and 3 Wm. 4, c. 64) were:
The Town and County of the Town of Newcastle and the several Townships of Byker, Heaton, Jesmond, Westgate, and Elswick.[5] [6]The boundaries remained unchanged from 1832 until the area was divided into single member constituencies in 1918.[7] These were not necessarily identical to the boundaries used for local government purposes.
In the period after 1885, the constituency was surrounded by Wansbeck to the west and north, Tyneside to the north east and east, Jarrow to the south east, Gateshead to the south, and Chester-le-Street to the south west.[8]
Party affiliations are derived from Stook Smith and Craig (see reference section below). Tory is used prior to the 1835 general election and Conservative from that time. Liberal candidates (as listed by Craig) before the formal creation of the party, shortly after the 1859 general election, are listed as Whig or Radical if the information is available in the work by Stooks Smith.
MPs, who were known by the same name, are distinguished in the table below and the election results by a number in brackets after the name. It is not suggested that such numbers were used by contemporaries of the individuals so numbered.
| Parliament | First member | Second member | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1336 | William Acton (senior)[9] | ||
| 1378 | William Bishopdale[10] | ||
| 1381 | William Bishopdale | ||
| 1386 | John Howell | Laurence Acton[11] | |
| 1388 (February) | William Bishopdale | Sampson Hardyng | |
| 1388 (September) | Henry Carlisle | Stephen Whitgray | |
| 1390 (January) | William Bishopdale | Stephen Whitgray | |
| 1390 (November) | |||
| 1391 | William Bishopdale | Laurence Acton | |
| 1393 | John Morton | Richard/William Langton | |
| 1394 | Thomas Diringdon | ||
| 1395 | John Morton | William Langton | |
| 1397 (January) | William Redmarshall | Sampson Hardyng | |
| 1397 (September) | William Redmarshall | Laurence Acton | |
| 1399 | Laurence Acton | ||
| 1401 | |||
| 1402 | Richard Beverley | ||
| 1404 (January) | |||
| 1404 (October) | |||
| 1406 | John Paulyn | Robert Hebburn | |
| 1407 | William Johnson | William Langton | |
| 1410 | |||
| 1411 | Roger Booth | ||
| 1413 (February) | |||
| 1413 (May) | Richard Dalton | Robert Whelpington | |
| 1414 (April) | William Middleton | Robert Swinburne | |
| 1414 (November) | William Johnson | Robert Whelpington | |
| 1415 | Roger Booth | Robert Whelpington | |
| 1416 (March) | Roger Booth | Thomas Hebburn | |
| 1416 (October) | |||
| 1417 | John Strother | ||
| 1419 | John Strother | ||
| 1420 | Roger Booth | John Wall | |
| 1421 (May) | Emericus Hering | John Strother | |
| 1421 (December) | Roger Booth | William Ellerby | |
| 1510-1523 | No names known[12] | ||
| 1529 | Sir Thomas Tempest | Henry Anderson | |
| 1536 | ?Sir Thomas Tempest | ? | |
| 1539 | ? | ||
| 1542 | ? | ||
| 1545 | Sir Robert Bowes | Robert Brandling | |
| 1547 | Sir Robert Brandling | ||
| 1553 (March) | Robert Lewen | Bertram Anderson | |
| 1553 (October) | Sir Robert Brandling | Edward Hall | |
| 1554 (April) | Bertram Anderson | Cuthbert Horsley | |
| 1554 (November) | Bertram Anderson | John Watson | |
| 1555 | Sir Robert Brandling | Cuthbert Blount | |
| 1558 | Bertram Anderson | Robert Lewen | |
| 1559 (January) | Robert Lewen | Cuthbert Blount[13] | |
| 1562 (December) | Sir Robert Brandling | Bertram Anderson | |
| 1571 | William Jenison I | ||
| 1572 (April) | William Selby | ||
| 1584 | William Jenison I | Henry Anderson | |
| 1586 | Henry Anderson | Edward Lewen | |
| 1588 (October) | Henry Anderson | Henry Mitford | |
| 1593 | Henry Anderson | Henry Mitford | |
| 1597 (October) | Henry Chapman | Henry Lindley | |
| 1601 (October) | George Selby | ||
| 1604 | Henry Chapman | ||
| 1614 | Henry Anderson | William Jenison II | |
| 1621 | Sir Thomas Ridell | ||
| 1624 | Sir Henry Anderson | ||
| 1625 | Sir Henry Anderson | ||
| 1626 | Sir Henry Anderson | ||
| 1628 | Sir Thomas Ridell | ||
| 1629–1640 | No Parliaments convened | ||
| 1640 (April) | |||
| 1640 (November) | Sir Henry Anderson, disabled 1643 | ||
| 1645 | Sir Henry Anderson | John Blakiston, replaced 1647 by Robert Ellison) | |
| 1648 | Robert Ellison) | John Blakiston, died 1649 | |
| 1654 | Sir Arthur Hesilrige | (One seat only) | |
| 1656 | Walter Strickland | (One seat only) | |
| 1659 | Mark Shaftoe (of Newcastle) | Thomas Lilburne | |
The bloc vote electoral system was used in elections to fill two seats 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 (until the secret ballot was introduced in 1872).
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 (if applicable).
The reference to some candidates as Non Partisan does not, necessarily, mean that they did not have a party allegiance. It means that the sources consulted did not specify a party allegiance.
Before the Representation of the People Act 1832, the borough had an electorate limited to its freemen. There were about 2,500 voters in the second half of the 18th century.[27]
| 1710s – 1720s – 1730s – 1740s – 1750s –1760s – 1770s – 1780s – 1790s – 1800s – 1810s – 1820s – 1830s |
Ridley's death caused a by-election.
Blackett resigned due to ill health, causing a by-election.[28]
Headlam was appointed Judge-Advocate General of the Armed Forces, requiring a by-election.
Ridley resigned after being appointed a Copyhold, Inclosure and Tithe Commissioner.
Cowen's death caused a by-election, at which his son was elected.
Dilke's resignation caused a by-election.
Morley was appointed Chief Secretary to the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland, requiring a by-election.
Morley is appointed Chief Secretary to the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland, requiring a by-election.
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;