| Taunton | |
| Parliament: | uk |
| Map1: | Taunton |
| Map2: | EnglandSomerset |
| Map Year: | 1997-2010 |
| Year2: | 1295 |
| Abolished2: | 1918 |
| Type2: | Borough |
| Elects Howmany2: | Two (1295-1885), One (1885-1918) |
| Year: | 1918 |
| Abolished: | 2010 |
| Type: | County |
| Elects Howmany: | One |
| Region: | England |
| Towns: | Taunton |
Taunton was a constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom and its predecessors from 1295 to 2010, taking its name from the town of Taunton in Somerset. Until 1918, it was a parliamentary borough, electing two Member of Parliaments (MPs) between 1295 and 1885 and one from 1885 to 1918; the name was then transferred to a county constituency, electing one MP.
In the boundary changes that came into effect at the general election of 2010, the Boundary Commission for England replaced Taunton with a modified constituency called Taunton Deane, to reflect the district name. The new constituency's boundaries are coterminous with the local government district of the same name.
Famous MPs for the borough include Thomas Cromwell.
The 1754 by-election was so fiercely contested that rioting broke out in which two people died.
In the 2005 general election, the victorious Liberal Democrats candidate in Taunton required the smallest percentage swing from the Conservative MP for them to take the seat.
1918–1950: The Borough of Taunton, the Urban Districts of Wellington and Wiveliscombe, and the Rural Districts of Dulverton, Taunton, and Wellington.
1950–1974: As above less Wiveliscombe Urban District. This had been absorbed by Wellington Rural District in 1933. The constituency boundaries remained unchanged.
1974–1983: As 1950 but with redrawn boundaries.
1983–2010: The Borough of Taunton Deane, and the District of West Somerset wards of Dulverton and Brushford, Exmoor, Haddon, and Quarme.
| Parliament | First member | Second member | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1362 | William Portman | ? | ||
| 1363, 1365, 1366, 1368, 1369, 1371 | Unknown | |||
| 1372 | William Portman | ? | ||
| 1373, 1376, 1377 (Jan), 1377 (Oct), 1378 | Unknown | |||
| 1379 | William Portman | ? | ||
| 1380 (Jan) | ? | |||
| 1380 (Nov), 1381, 1382 (May), 1382 (Oct), 1383 (Feb), 1383 (Oct), 1384 (Apr) | Unknown | |||
| 1384 (Nov) | William Portman | ? | ||
| 1385 | ? | |||
| 1386 | William Marchaunt | |||
| 1388 (Feb) | ||||
| 1388 (Sep) | William Damarle | |||
| 1390 (Jan) | John Porter | |||
| 1390 (Nov) | Unknown | |||
| 1391 | William Portman | William Marchaunt | ||
| 1393 | John Porter | |||
| 1394 | ||||
| 1395 | Walter Puryham | |||
| 1397 (Jan) | Robert Coullyng | Robert Eysel | ||
| 1397 (Sept) | Richard Marchaunt | John Northmore | ||
| 1399 | Walter Puryham | Edmund Rokes | ||
| 1401 | Unknown | |||
| 1402 | William Portman | Ralph Sargor | ||
| 1404 (Jan), 1404 (Oct) | Unknown | |||
| 1406 | William Portman | Robert Bathe | ||
| 1407 | Richard Marchaunt | John Northmore | ||
| 1410 | Thomas Bacot | Thomas Edward | ||
| 1411, 1413 (Feb) | Unknown | |||
| 1413 (May) | John Rydon | Lewis John | ||
| 1414 (Apr) | John Marchaunt | Edmund Dyer | ||
| 1414 (Nov) | ||||
| 1415, 1416 (Mar), 1416 (Oct) | Unknown | |||
| 1417 | John Rydon | Walter Portman | ||
| 1419 | Walter Portman | Robert Croke | ||
| 1420 | Robert Croke | William Borde | ||
| 1421 (May) | Walter Portman | |||
| 1421 (Dec) | John Bowe | |||
| 1422 | ? | |||
| 1423 | Unknown | |||
| 1425 | Walter Portman | ? | ||
| 1426 | ? | |||
| 1427 | ? | |||
| 1429 | Unknown | |||
| 1431 | Walter Portman | ? | ||
| 1432, 1433 | Unknown | |||
| 1435 | Walter Portman | ? | ||
| 1437, 1439, 1442, 1445, 1447, 1449 (Feb), 1449 (Nov), 1450, 1453 | Unknown | |||
| 1455 | Ralph Legh | ? | ||
| 1459, 1460, 1461, 1463 | Unknown | |||
| 1467 | Sir William Danvers | Robert Ashetill | ||
| 1470 | Sir William Danvers | Edward Aysshton | ||
| 1472 | Sir William Danvers | ? | ||
| 1478 | Edward Aysshton | Robert Lovelord | ||
| 1483–1523 | Unknown | |||
| 1529 | Thomas Cromwell | William Portman | ||
| 1536 | ?Richard Pollard | ?William Portman | ||
| 1547 | Sir Nicholas Hare | John Caryll | ||
| 1553 (Mar) | John Mason | ? | ||
| 1553 (Oct) | James Basset | Jacques Wingfield | ||
| 1554 (Apr) | William Barne | Oliver Vachell | ||
| 1554 (Nov) | Thomas Eden | John Norres | ||
| 1555 | Dr Valentine Dale | ? | ||
| 1558 | Richard Myrfield | |||
| 1559 | ? | |||
| 1563–7 | Miles Sandys | Anthony Leigh | ||
| 1571 | Robert Hill | Richard Blount | ||
| 1572–81 | Roger Hill | Richard Blount[1] Edmund Hodges | ||
| 1584–5 | Alexander Pym[2] Maurice Horner | William Goldwell | ||
| 1586–7 | Francis Bacon | John Goldwell | ||
| 1588–9 | Thomas Fisher | |||
| 1593 | William Aubrey, DCL | John Davidge | ||
| 1597–8 | Edward Barker | Edward Hext | ||
| 1601 | John Bond | Daniel Donne, DCL | ||
| 1604–11 | Edward Hext | |||
| Addled Parliament (1614) | James Clarke | John Donne | ||
| 1621–2 | Lewis Pope | Thomas Brereton | ||
| Happy Parliament (1624–5) | Roger Prowse | |||
| Useless Parliament (1625) | Hugh Portman | Thomas Brereton | ||
| 1625–6 | Sir Robert Gorges | George Browne | ||
| 1628 | Hugh Portman | |||
| 1629–40 | No Parliament summoned | |||
| Election | Member | Party | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1885 | Samuel Allsopp | Conservative | ||
| 1887 by-election | Alfred Percy Allsopp | Conservative | ||
| 1895 | Sir Alfred Welby | Conservative | ||
| 1906 | Sir Edward Boyle | Conservative | ||
| 1909 by-election | William Peel | Conservative | ||
| 1912 by-election | Sir Gilbert Wills | Unionist | ||
| 1918 | Dennis Boles | Unionist | ||
| 1921 by-election | Sir Arthur Griffith-Boscawen | Unionist | ||
| 1922 | Sir John Hope Simpson | Liberal | ||
| 1924 | Hamilton Gault | Unionist | ||
| 1935 | Edward Wickham | Conservative | ||
| 1945 | Victor Collins | Labour | ||
| 1950 | Henry Hopkinson | Conservative | ||
| 1956 by-election | Sir Edward du Cann | Conservative | ||
| 1987 | David Nicholson | Conservative | ||
| 1997 | Jackie Ballard | Liberal Democrat | ||
| 2001 | Adrian Flook | Conservative | ||
| 2005 | Jeremy Browne | Liberal Democrat | ||
| 2010 | Constituency abolished | |||
Labouchere was appointed as a Lord of the Admiralty, causing a by-election.
Labouchere was appointed as vice-president of the Board of Trade, and Master of the Mint, requiring a by-election.
Bainbridge resigned by accepting the office of Steward of the Chiltern Hundreds, causing a by-election.
Labouchere was appointed Chief Secretary to the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland, requiring a by-election.
Mills' election was declared void on petition.
Labouchere was appointed Secretary of State for the Colonies, requiring a by-election.
Labouchere was elevated to the peerage, becoming Lord 1st Baron Taunton and causing a by-election.
On petition, Cox's election was scrutinised, and some of his votes were found to have been acquired by bribery, and were then struck off. This caused him to be unseated on 8 March 1869 and James was declared elected.[20] While a petition was then lodged against James, the court ruled a petitioner who had been seated on petition could not then be petitioned against.
James was appointed Solicitor-General for England and Wales, causing a by-election.
James was appointed Attorney General for England and Wales, requiring a by-election.
Palliser's death caused a by-election.
Allsopp succeeded to the peerage, becoming Lord Hindlip, causing 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 the July 1914, the following candidates had been selected;
General Election 1939–40
Another General Election was required to take place before the end of 1940. The political parties had been making preparations for an election to take place and by the Autumn of 1939, the following candidates had been selected;