Rye (UK Parliament constituency)

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Rye
Former County constituency
for the House of Commons
County East Sussex
Major settlements Rye
19551983
Number of members One
Replaced by Hastings and Rye, Bexhill and Battle
Created from Hastings
18851950
Type of constituency County constituency
Replaced by Hastings
1366–1885
Number of members 1366–1640: One
1640–1832: Two
1832–1885: One
Type of constituency Borough constituency

Rye was a parliamentary constituency centred on the town of Rye in East Sussex. It returned two Members of Parliament to the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom until its representation was halved under the Reform Act 1832.

From the 1832 general election, Rye returned one Member of Parliament until its abolition for the 1950 general election, when the town of Rye itself was transferred to the redrawn Hastings constituency where it remained until 1955 when it returned to the re-created Rye seat.

The constituency was re-created for the 1955 general election, and abolished again for the 1983 general election.

Boundaries

1885-1918: The Municipal Boroughs of Rye and Hastings, the Sessional Divisions of Rye, Battle, Burwash, Frant, and Hastings, the ancient town of Winchelsea, and the Liberty of the Sluice and Petit Iham.

1918-1950: The Municipal Boroughs of Rye and Bexhill, the Urban District of Battle, the Rural Districts of Battle, Hastings, Rye, and Ticehurst, and the part of the Rural District of Hailsham which was not included in the Eastbourne constituency.

Members of Parliament

MPs 1366–1640

Parliament First Member Second Member
1372 John Salerne
1373 John Salerne
1381 Simon Lunceford[1]
1386 Stephen Elyot John Baddyng [2]
1388 (Feb) Stephen Elyot William Marchaunt II [2]
1388 (Sep) William atte Vawte John Macop [2]
1390 (Jan) Laurence Lunceford Laurence Corboyle [2]
1390 (Nov)
1391 John Salerne I Laurence Lunceford [2]
1393 John Baddyng John Bertelot [2]
1394
1395 John Baddyng William Ormed [2]
1397 (Jan) Richard Tichebourne John Langeport [2]
1397 (Sep)
1399 John Baddyng William atte Vawte [2]
1401
1402 John Baddyng John Roberd [2]
1404 (Jan)
1404 (Oct)
1406 William atte Vawte Laurence Mersey [2]
1407 John Baddyng Thomas Long [2]
1410 John Shelley William Long II
1411
1413 (Feb)
1413 (May) William Long II Robert Onewyn [2]
1414 (Apr)
1414 (Nov) William Long II Robert Onewyn [2]
1415
1416 (Mar)
1416 (Oct)
1417 John Shelley Richard Posterf [2]
1419 Robert Onewyn William Long II [2]
1420 John Shelley William Long II [2]
1421 (May) Robert Onewyn Thomas Piers [2]
1421 (Dec) William Thirlwall John Shelley [2]
1504 Richard Berkeley
1510 Nicholas Sutton Richard Berkeley [2]
1512 Nicholas Sutton Robert Mede [2]
1515 Robert Mede Nicholas Sutton [2]
1523 Thomas Cheseman alias Baker Thomas Basseden [2]
1529 Nicholas Sutton, died
and replaced by 1534 by
Richard Inglet
John Fletcher [2]
1536 Richard Inglet John Fletcher [2]
1539 Thomas Birchet William Mede [2]
1542 John Fletcher William Oxenbridge [2]
1545 Alexander Welles Robert Wymond [2]
1547 Alexander Welles George Reynolds [2]
1553 (Mar) Richard Fletcher John Holmes I [2]
1553 (Oct) Clement Heigham John Holmes I [2]
1554 (Apr) John Holmes I Richard Fletcher [2]
1554 (Nov) John Holmes I Thomas Smith [2]
1555 John Holmes I Reginald Mohun [2]
1558 Thomas Fletcher Thomas Cheyne [2]
1559 Richard Fletcher I Robert Marche[3]
1562/3 George Reynolds I John Bredes [3]
1571 John Donning Thomas Fanshawe [3]
1572 Clement Cobbe, died
and replaced July 1575 by
Robert Carpenter
Henry Gaymer [3]
1584 John Hammond Robert Carpenter [3]
1586 Henry Gaymer Robert Carpenter [3]
1588/9 Audley Dannett Robert Carpenter [3]
1593 Henry Gaymer Robert Carpenter [3]
1597 Sampson Lennard Thomas Hamon [3]
1601 Sir Arthur Gorges Thomas Colepeper [3]
1604–1611 Thomas Hamon, died
and replaced by ?Heneage Finch
John Young
1614 Edward Hendon Thomas Watson
1621–1622 Emmanuel Gifford John Angell
1624 Thomas Conway Sir Edward Conway, sat for Warwick
and replaced by
John Angel
1625 Thomas Fotherley Sir John Sackville
1626 Thomas Fotherley Sir John Sackville
1628 Richard Tufton Thomas Fotherley
1629–1640 No Parliaments summoned

MPs 1640–1832

Year First member First party Second member Second party
April 1640 John Culpepper
November 1640 Sir John Jacob [4] Royalist John White Royalist
1641 William Hay Parliamentarian
February 1644 White disabled from sitting - seat vacant
1645 John Fagg
1653 Rye was unrepresented in the Barebones Parliament
1654 Herbert Morley Rye had only one seat in the First and
Second Parliaments of the Protectorate
1656 William Hay
January 1659 Mark Thomas
May 1659 Not represented in the restored Rump
April 1660 Herbert Morley William Hay
May 1661 Richard Spencer
November 1661 Sir John Robinson, 1st Baronet
1667 Sir John Austen, 2nd Baronet
February 1679 Thomas Frewen
October 1679 Sir John Darrel
1685 Sir Thomas Jenner
January 1689 Sir John Darrel
April 1689 Sir John Austen, 2nd Baronet
1694 Thomas Frewen
1698 Joseph Offley Country Whig
1699 Sir Robert Austen, 3rd Baronet
1701 Thomas Fagg
1702 Edward Southwell
1705 Philip Herbert
1707 Phillips Gybbon
1708 Admiral Sir John Norris
1722 The Lord Aylmer
1727 John Norris
1733 Matthew Norris
1734 Admiral Sir John Norris
1749 Thomas Pelham
1754 George Onslow
1761 Captain John Bentinck
1762 John Norris
1768 Rose Fuller
1774 Middleton Onslow
1775 Hon. Thomas Onslow
1777 William Dickinson
1784 Charles Wolfran Cornwall
1789 Charles Long Tory
1790 Hon. Robert Banks Jenkinson [5] Tory
1796 Robert Saunders Dundas Tory
1801 The Lord de Blaquiere
1802 Thomas Davis Lamb Tory
1803 by-election Sir Charles Talbot
April 1806 by-election Major General the Hon. Sir Arthur Wellesley Tory
November 1806 Patrick Crauford Bruce Michael Angelo Taylor
May 1807 Sir John Nicholl The Earl of Clancarty
July 1807 by-election Sir William Elford Stephen Rumbold Lushington
1808 by-election William Jacob
October 1812 Thomas Phillipps Lamb Sir Henry Sullivan
December 1812 by-election Charles Wetherell
1813 by-election Richard Arkwright
1816 by-election John Maberly
1818 Charles Arbuthnot [6] Tory Peter Browne
February 1819 by-election Thomas Phillipps Lamb
July 1819 John Dodson
1823 by-election Robert Knight
1826 Richard Arkwright Henry Bonham
March 1830 by-election Philip Pusey [7]
May 1830 De Lacy Evans
August 1830 Hugh Duncan Baillie Francis Robert Bonham
1831 Thomas Pemberton De Lacy Evans
1832 Representation reduced to one member

MPs 1832–1950

Election Member Party
1832 Edward Barrett Curteis Whig
1837 Thomas Gybbon Monypenny Conservative
1841 Herbert Barrett Curteis Whig
1847 by-election Herbert Mascall Curteis Whig
1852 William Alexander Mackinnon (younger) Whig
1853 by-election William Alexander Mackinnon (elder) Whig
1859 Liberal
1865 Lauchlan Bellingham Mackinnon Liberal
1868 John Stewart Gathorne-Hardy Conservative
1880 Frederick Andrew Inderwick Liberal
1885 Arthur Montagu Brookfield Conservative
1903 by-election Charles Frederick Hutchinson Liberal
1906 George Courthope Conservative
1945 William Nicolson Cuthbert Conservative
1950 constituency abolished

MPs 1955–1983

Election Member Party
1955 Bryant Godman Irvine Conservative
1983 constituency abolished

Elections

Elections in the 1880s

General Election 1885: Rye [8]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Arthur Montagu Brookfield 4,526
Liberal Frederick Andrew Inderwick 4,303
Majority 223
Turnout
Conservative gain from Liberal Swing
General Election 1886: Rye [8]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Arthur Montagu Brookfield 4,592
Liberal G J de Reuter 3,094
Majority 1,498
Turnout
Conservative hold Swing

Elections in the 1890s

General Election 1892: Rye [8]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Arthur Montagu Brookfield 4,699
Liberal G M Ball 3,988
Majority 711
Turnout
Conservative hold Swing
General Election 1895: Rye [8]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Arthur Montagu Brookfield unopposed n/a n/a
Conservative hold Swing n/a

Elections in the 1900s

General Election 1900: Rye [8]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Arthur Montagu Brookfield 5,376 65.1 n/a
Liberal Charles Frederick Hutchinson 2,887 34.9 n/a
Majority 2,489 n/a
Turnout n/a
Conservative hold Swing n/a
Rye by-election, 1903[8]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Charles Frederick Hutchinson 4,910 52.9
Conservative Edward Gurney Boyle 4,376 47.1
Majority 534 5.8
Turnout
Liberal gain from Conservative Swing
General Election 1906: Rye [8]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative George Loyd Courthope 6,122
Liberal Charles Frederick Hutchinson 4,964
Majority 1,158
Turnout
Conservative gain from Liberal Swing

Elections in the 1910s

General Election January 1910: Rye [9]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative George Loyd Courthope 7,352
Liberal St John Hutchinson 4,750
Majority 2,602
Turnout
Conservative hold Swing
General Election December 1910: Rye [9]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative George Loyd Courthope 6,673
Liberal St John Hutchinson 4,461
Majority 2,212
Turnout
Conservative hold Swing
General Election 1918: Rye [10]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Unionist 10,378
Liberal George Ellis 4,034
Majority
Turnout
Unionist hold Swing
  • candidate endorsed by the Coalition Government

Elections in the 1920s

General Election 1922: Rye [10]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Unionist George Loyd Courthope 10,922
Liberal George Ellis 7,485
Majority
Turnout
Unionist hold Swing
General Election 1923: Rye [10]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Unionist George Loyd Courthope 11,167
Liberal George Ellis 9,651
Majority
Turnout
Unionist hold Swing
General Election 1924: Rye [10]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Unionist George Loyd Courthope 14,871
Liberal George Ellis 7,289
Majority
Turnout
Unionist hold Swing
General Election 1929: Rye [10]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Unionist Sir George Loyd Courthope 18,061 56.9
Liberal William S. Osborn 10,198 32.1
Labour George A. Greenwood 3,505 11.0 n/a
Majority 7,863 24.8
Turnout
Unionist hold Swing

Elections in the 1930s

General Election 1931: Rye [10]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Sir George Loyd Courthope Unopposed n/a n/a
Conservative hold Swing n/a
General Election 1935: Rye [10]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Sir George Loyd Courthope 22,604 71.2 n/a
Liberal Miss Dorothy Frances Osborn 9,162 28.8 n/a
Majority 13,442 42.3 n/a
Turnout 31,766 64.2 n/a
Conservative hold Swing n/a

Elections in the 1940s

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 from 1939 and by the end of this year, the following candidates had been selected;

General Election 1945: Rye [10]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative William Nicolson Cuthbert 19,701 58.6
Labour B Simmons 7,414 22.0
Liberal Ronald Ogden 6,530 19.4
Majority 12,287 36.5
Turnout 70.8
Conservative hold Swing

Elections in the 1950s

General Election 1955: Rye[12]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Bryant Godman Irvine 28,500 72.96
Labour Trevor L Payne 10,560 27.04
Majority 17,940 45.93
Turnout 39,060 73.39
Conservative hold Swing
General Election 1959: Rye[13]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Bryant Godman Irvine 27,465 64.8
Liberal John R Murray 7,549 17.8 n/a
Labour Douglas Sidney Tilbé 7,359 17.4
Majority 19,916 47.0
Turnout 42,373
Conservative hold Swing

Elections in the 1960s

General Election 1964: Rye [13]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Bryant Godman Irvine 27,240 59.8 -5.0
Liberal Kenneth G. Wellings 10,264 22.6 +4.8
Labour Anthony E Arblaster 8,014 17.6 +0.2
Majority 16,976 37.2
Turnout 45,518
Conservative hold Swing -4.9
General Election 1966: Rye [12]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Bryant Godman Irvine 27,056 58.6 -1.2
Liberal Kenneth G Wellings 9,957 21.6 -1.0
Labour David R Collins 9,155 19.8 +2.2
Majority 17,099 37.0
Turnout 46,168 75.7 -1.8
Conservative hold Swing -0.1

Elections in the 1970s

General Election 1970: Rye [12]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Bryant Godman Irvine 32,300 64.2
Labour Harry A Fountain 9,031 18.0
Liberal Robin K J F Young 8,947 17.8
Majority 23,269 46.3
Turnout 50,278 73
Conservative hold Swing +3.6
General Election February 1974: Rye [14]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Bryant Godman Irvine 33.591 57.9
Liberal David R S Moore 17,456 30.1
Labour RW Harris 6,967 12.0
Majority 16,135 27.8
Turnout 80.8
Conservative hold Swing
General Election October 1974: Rye [14]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Bryant Godman Irvine 30,511 56.9 -1.0
Liberal David R S Moore 14,828 27.6 -2.5
Labour D W Threlfall 8,303 15.5 +3.5
Majority 15,683 29.3
Turnout 74.2
Conservative hold Swing +0.7
General Election 1979: Rye
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Bryant Godman Irvine 35,516 62.7 +6.2
Liberal David R. S. Moore 12,438 22.0 -5.6
Labour Derek Smyth 6,852 12.1 -3.4
Ecology Anne Rix 1,267 2.2 N/A
National Front T. Duesbury 552 1.0 N/A
Majority 23,078 40.7
Turnout 77.1 +2.9
Conservative hold Swing +5.9

Notes

  1. LUNCEFORD, Simon (d.c.1390), of Rye, Suss. and New Romney, Kent. | History of Parliament Online
  2. 2.00 2.01 2.02 2.03 2.04 2.05 2.06 2.07 2.08 2.09 2.10 2.11 2.12 2.13 2.14 2.15 2.16 2.17 2.18 2.19 2.20 2.21 2.22 2.23 2.24 2.25 2.26 2.27 2.28 2.29 2.30 2.31 2.32 2.33 2.34 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  3. 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 3.5 3.6 3.7 3.8 3.9 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  4. Expelled 1641 for being a tobacco monopolist
  5. Styled Lord Hawkesbury from 1796
  6. Arbuthnot was also elected for St Germans, which he chose to represent, and never sat for Rye
  7. Pusey was originally declared elected, but by an order of the House of Commons on 17 May 1830 his name was erased from the return and that of De Lacy Evans was substituted
  8. 8.0 8.1 8.2 8.3 8.4 8.5 8.6 British parliamentary election results, 1885-1918 (Craig)
  9. 9.0 9.1 British parliamentary election results 1885-1918, Craig, F.W.S.
  10. 10.0 10.1 10.2 10.3 10.4 10.5 10.6 10.7 British parliamentary election results, 1918-1949 (Craig)
  11. Report of the Annual Conference of the Labour Party, 1938
  12. 12.0 12.1 12.2 British parliamentary election results, 1950-1973 by FWS Craig
  13. 13.0 13.1 F W S Craig, British Parliamentary Election Results 1950-1973; Political Reference Publications, Glasgow 1973
  14. 14.0 14.1 British parliamentary election results, 1974-1977 by FWS Craig

References

  • Robert Beatson, A Chronological Register of Both Houses of Parliament (London: Longman, Hurst, Res & Orme, 1807) [1]
  • 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) titles A-Z
  • F W S Craig, British Parliamentary Election Results 1832–1885 (2nd edition, Aldershot: Parliamentary Research Services, 1989)
  • J E Neale, The Elizabethan House of Commons (London: Jonathan Cape, 1949)
  • J Holladay Philbin, Parliamentary Representation 1832 - England and Wales (New Haven: Yale University Press, 1965)
  • Robert Walcott, English Politics in the Early Eighteenth Century (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1956)
  • Leigh Rayment's Historical List of MPs – Constituencies beginning with "R" (part 2)[self-published source][better source needed]