City of London (UK Parliament constituency)

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The City of London is a former United Kingdom Parliamentary constituency. It was a 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 1950.

Boundaries and boundary changes

This borough constituency consisted of the City of London, which was the historic core of the modern Greater London. In the twenty-first century the city forms part of the London Region of England.

The southern boundary of the City is the north bank of the River Thames. The City of Westminster is situated to the west. The districts of Holborn and Finsbury are to the north, Shoreditch to the north-east and Whitechapel to the east.

London is first known to have been enfranchised and represented in Parliament in 1298. Because it was the most important city in England it received four seats in Parliament instead of the normal two for a constituency. Previous to 1298 the area would have been represented as part of the county constituency of Middlesex. The City formed part of the geographic county, even though from early times it was not administered as part of Middlesex.

The City was represented by four MPs until 1885 and two thereafter until 1950.

London was originally a densely populated area. Before the Reform Act 1832 the composition of the City electorate was not as democratic as that of some other borough constituencies, such as neighbouring Westminster. The right of election was held by members of the Livery Companies. However the size and wealth of the community meant that it had more voters than most if not all other constituencies.

During the course of the nineteenth and twentieth centuries the metroplitan area of London expanded enormously. The resident population of the City fell as people moved to the new suburbs. However the City authorities did not want to extend their jurisdiction beyond the traditional "square mile", so the Parliamentary constituency was left unchanged as its resident population fell. By the twentieth century almost all electors in the City qualified as business voters, due to the ownership of shop or office premises in the City. The business voters were a type of plural voter so when that voting qualification was abolished by the Representation of the People Act 1948 the City had far too few voters to remain a Parliamentary constituency.

In 1950 the area was merged for Parliamentary purposes with the neighbouring City of Westminster, to form a new single-member constituency of Cities of London and Westminster.

There are special provisions concerning the City and Parliamentary boundaries. Rule 3 of the Rules for Redistributuion of Seats, used by the Boundary Commission for England in its General Review of Parliamentary Constituency Boundaries starting in 2000, provided that:-

"There shall continue to be a constituency which shall include the whole of the City of London and the name of which shall refer to the City of London".

Members of Parliament 1660-1950

Key to parties: C Conservative, L Liberal.

From	To	Name (Party)	Born	Died
1660	1660	William Wilde	c. 1611	23 November 1679
1660	1660	Richard Browne	...	24 September 1669
1660	1660	John Robinson	10 January 1615	February 1680
1660	1660	William Vincent	c. 1615	1661
1661	1662	John Fowke	c. 1596	22 April 1662
1661	1679	Sir William Thompson	10 April 1614	c. April 1681
1661	1681	William Love	c. 1620	1 May 1689
1661	1679	John Jones	c. 1610	21 May 1692
1663	1679	Sir John Frederick	25 October 1601	19 March 1685
1679	1681	Sir Robert Clayton	29 September 1629	16 July 1707
1679	1681	Sir Thomas Player	...	14 June 1686
1679	1681	Thomas Pilkington	30 March 1628	16 November 1691
1685	1687	Sir John Moore	11 June 1620	2 June 1702
1685	1687	Sir William Prichard	c. 1632	18 February 1705
1685	1687	Sir Samuel Dashwood	c. 1643	12 August 1705
1685	1687	Sir Peter Rich	c. 1630	26 August 1692
1689	1690	Sir Patience Ward	7 December 1629	10 July 1696
1689	1690	Sir Robert Clayton	29 September 1629	16 July 1707
1689	1689	William Love	c. 1620	1 May 1689
1689	1690	Thomas Pilkington	30 March 1628	16 November 1691
1689	1690	Sir William Ashhurst	26 April 1647	12 January 1720
1690	1695	Sir William Prichard	c. 1632	18 February 1705
1690	1695	Sir Samuel Dashwood	c. 1643	12 August 1705
1690	1693	Sir William Turner	12 September 1615	9 February 1693
1690	1695	Sir Thomas Vernon	10 December 1631	10 February 1711
1693	1701	Sir John Fleet	18 March 1648	6 July 1712
1695	1698	Sir Robert Clayton	29 September 1629	16 July 1707
1695	1702	Sir William Ashhurst	26 April 1647	12 January 1720
1695	1701	Thomas Papillon	6 September 1623	5 May 1702
1698	1701	Sir James Houblon	26 July 1629	October 1700
1701	1702	Sir Robert Clayton	29 September 1629	16 July 1707
1701	1701	Sir William Withers	c. 1654	31 January 1721
1701	1701	Gilbert Heathcote (a)	2 January 1652	25 January 1733
1701	1701	Sir John Fleet	18 March 1648	6 July 1712
1701	1702	Sir Thomas Abney	January 1640	6 February 1722
1701	1710	Sir Gilbert Heathcote	2 January 1652	25 January 1733
1702	1705	Sir William Prichard	c. 1632	18 February 1705
1702	1705	Sir John Fleet	18 March 1648	6 July 1712
1702	1705	Sir Francis Child	14 December 1642	4 October 1713
1705	1707	Sir Robert Clayton	29 September 1629	16 July 1707
1705	1708	Samuel Shepheard	c. 1648	4 January 1719
1705	1710	Sir William Ashhurst	26 April 1647	12 January 1720
1707	1715	Sir William Withers	c. 1654	31 January 1721
1708	1710	Sir John Ward	c. 1650	12 March 1726
1710	1715	Sir Richard Hoare	8 September 1649	6 January 1719
1710	1713	Sir George Newland	c. 1646	26 March 1714
1710	1715	Sir John Cass	28 February 1661	5 July 1718

• Note:-
• (a) Expelled

• Constituency abolished (1950)
• Leigh Rayment's Peerage Pages

      1715  Robert Heysham 16 Aug 1663 25 Feb 1723 59 
 Sir John Ward     c 1650 12 Mar 1726  
 Peter Godfrey  (to 1724)        1665 10 Nov 1724 59 
 Sir Thomas Scawen     c 1650 22 Sep 1730  
     
9 May 1722  Richard Lockwood  (to 1727)        1676 30 Aug 1756 80 
 Sir John Barnard  (to 1761)     c 1685 29 Aug 1764  
 Francis Child  (to 1727)     c 1684 20 Apr 1740  
     

11 Dec 1724 Sir Richard Hopkins 2 Jan 1736

24 Nov 1727 Sir John Eyles 1683 11 Mar 1745 61

 Micajah Perry  (to 1741)  22 Jan 1753  
 Humphry Parsons  (to 1741)     c 1676 21 Mar 1741  
     

10 May 1734 Robert Willimot 19 Dec 1746

13 May 1741 George Heathcote (to 1747) 7 Dec 1700 7 Jun 1768 67

 Daniel Lambert  (to 1747)  7 Sep 1685 13 May 1750 64 
 Sir Robert Godschall     c 1692 26 Jun 1742  
     

13 Jul 1742 Sir William Calvert (to 1754) c 1703 3 May 1761

10 Jul 1747 Slingsby Bethell (to 1758) 16 Mar 1695 1 Nov 1758 63

 Stephen Theodore Janssen   7 Apr 1777  
     
7 May 1754  Sir Robert Ladbroke  (to 1773)     c 1713 31 Oct 1773  
 William Beckford  (to 1770) 19 Dec 1709 21 Jun 1770 60 
     

30 Nov 1758 Sir Richard Glyn (to 1768) 13 Jun 1711 1 Jan 1773 61

4 Apr 1761  Thomas Harley  (to 1774) 24 Aug 1730  1 Dec 1804 74 
     

25 Mar 1768 Barlow Trecothick (to 1774) c 1718 28 May 1775

11 Jul 1770 Richard Oliver (to Sep 1780) 7 Jan 1735 16 Apr 1784 49

23 Dec 1773 Frederick Bull (to Jan 1784) c 1714 10 Jan 1784

18 Oct 1774 John Sawbridge 1732 21 Feb 1795 62

 George Hayley  (to 1781)  30 Aug 1781  
     

19 Sep 1780 John Kirkman 1741 19 Sep 1780 39

 Nathaniel Newnham  (to 1790)     c 1741 26 Dec 1809  
     

28 Nov 1780 John Sawbridge (to 1795) 1732 21 Feb 1795 62

2 Oct 1781  Sir Watkin Lewes  (to 1796)     c 1740 13 Jul 1821  
     

26 Jan 1784 Brook Watson (to 1793) 11 Feb 1735 2 Oct 1807 72

26 Jun 1790 Sir William Curtis (to 1818) 25 Jan 1752 18 Jan 1829 76

6 Mar 1793  Sir John William Anderson  (to 1806)     c 1735 21 May 1813  
     

12 Mar 1795 William Lushington (to 1802) 18 Jan 1747 11 Sep 1823 76

2 Jun 1796  Harvey Christian Combe  (to 1817)        1752  4 Jul 1818 66 
     
6 Jul 1802  Sir Charles Price  (to 1812) 25 Jan 1748 19 Jul 1818 70 
     

31 Oct 1806 Sir James Shaw (to 1818) 26 Aug 1764 22 Oct 1843 79

5 Oct 1812  John Atkins  (to 1818)     c 1760 26 Oct 1838  
     

10 Jun 1817 Sir Matthew Wood (to 1843) 2 Jun 1768 25 Sep 1843 75

16 Jun 1818 Thomas Wilson (to 1826) c 1767 10 Oct 1852

 Robert Waithman     c 1764  6 Feb 1833  
 John Thomas Thorp 16 Jan 1776  6 Nov 1835 59 
     

7 Mar 1820 Sir William Curtis 25 Jan 1752 18 Jan 1829 76

 George Bridges c 1763 1840  
     

9 Jun 1826 William Thompson (to 1832) 1793 10 Mar 1854 60

 Robert Waithman  (to Feb 1833)     c 1764  6 Mar 1833   
 William Ward Jul 1787 30 Jun 1849 61 
     

29 Apr 1831 William Venables c 1786 1840

12 Dec 1832 George Grote (to 1841) 17 Nov 1794 18 Jun 1871 76

 Sir John Key  (to Aug 1833)        1795 15 Jul 1858 63 
     

27 Feb 1833 George Lyall (to 1835) 1784 1 Sep 1853 69

12 Aug 1833 William Crawford (to 1841)

5 Jan 1835  James Pattison        1786    Jun 1849 62 
     

28 Jun 1841 John Masterman (to 1857) 23 Jan 1862

 George Lyall  (to 1847)        1784  1 Sep 1853 69 
 Lord John Russell,later Earl Russell    
 (to 1861) 19 Aug 1792 28 May 1878 85 
     

20 Oct 1843 James Pattison (to 1849) 1786 Jun 1849 62

28 Jul 1847 Baron Lionel Nathan de Rothschild

 (to 1868) 22 Nov 1808  3 Jun 1879 70 
     

27 Jul 1849 Sir James Duke (to 1865) 31 Jan 1792 8 May 1873 81

27 Mar 1857 Robert Wigram Crawford (to 1874) 1813 30 Jul 1889 76

29 Jul 1861 Western Wood 4 Jan 1804 17 May 1863 59

2 Jun 1863  George Joachim Goschen,later Viscount    
 Goschen  (to 1880) 10 Aug 1831  7 Feb 1907 75 
     

10 Jul 1865 William Lawrence (to 1874) 1818 Apr 1897 78

16 Nov 1868 Charles Bell 1805 9 Feb 1869 63

22 Feb 1869 Baron Lionel Nathan de Rothschild 22 Nov 1808 3 Jun 1879 70

10 Feb 1874 William James Richmond Cotton (to 1885) 1822 4 Jun 1902 79

 Philip Twells        1808  8 May 1880 71 
 John Gellibrand Hubbard,later Baron    
 Addington  (to 1887) 21 Mar 1805 28 Aug 1889 84 
     

3 Apr 1880 Sir Robert Nicholas Fowler

 (to Jun 1891) 12 Sep 1828 22 May 1891 62 
 William Lawrence        1818    Apr 1897 78 
     
 RESPRESENTATION REDUCED    
 TO TWO MEMBERS 1885    
     

27 Jul 1887 Thomas Charles Baring 1831 2 Apr 1891 59

18 Apr 1891 Henry Hucks Gibbs,later Baron

 Aldenham  (to 1892) 31 Aug 1819 13 Sep 1907 88 
     
3 Jun 1891  Sir Reginald Hanson  (to 1900) 31 May 1840 18 Apr 1905 64 
     
  Jul 1892  Alban George Henry Gibbs,later Baron    
 Aldenham  (to Feb 1906) 23 Apr 1846  9 May 1936 90 
     

29 Sep 1900 Sir Joseph Cockfield Dimsdale 19 Jan 1849 9 Aug 1912 63

16 Jan 1906 Sir Edward George Clarke (to Jun 1906) 15 Feb 1841 26 Apr 1931 90

27 Feb 1906 Arthur James Balfour,later Earl

 Balfour  (to May 1922) 25 Jul 1848 19 Mar 1930 81 
     

15 Jun 1906 Sir Frederick George Banbury,later

 Baron Banbury of Southam  (to Feb 1924)  2 Dec 1850 13 Aug 1936 85 
     

19 May 1922 Edward Charles Grenfell,later Baron

 St.Just  (to 1935) 29 May 1870 26 Nov 1941 71 
     
1 Feb 1924  Sir Thomas Vansittart Bowater    
 (to 1938) 20 Oct 1862 28 Mar 1938 75 
     
  Jun 1935  Sir Alan Garrett Anderson  (to 1940)  9 Mar 1877  4 May 1952 75 
     
6 Apr 1938  Sir George Thomas Broadbridge,later    
 Baron Broadbridge  (to 1945) 13 Feb 1869 16 Apr 1952 83 
     
5 Feb 1940  Sir Andrew Rae Duncan  (to 1950)  3 Jun 1884 30 Mar 1952 67 
     

26 Jul 1945 Ralph Assheton,later Baron Clitheroe 24 Feb 1901 18 Sep 1984

Elections

Dates of general and by elections from 1660 (excluding elections at which no new MP was returned)

27 Mar 1660 19 Mar 1661 10 Feb 1663 17 Feb 1679 15 May 1685 9 Jan 1689 14 May 1689 11 Mar 1690 2 Mar 1693 25 Oct 1695 30 Jul 1698 1 Feb 1701 20 Mar 1701 24 Nov 1701 18 Aug 1702 17 May 1705

16 Dec 1707 14 May 1708 16 Nov 1710 1715 9 May 1722 11 Dec 1724 24 Nov 1727 10 May 1734 13 May 1741 13 Jul 1742 10 Jul 1747 7 May 1754 30 Nov 1758 4 Apr 1761 25 Mar 1768 11 Jul 1770

23 Dec 1773 18 Oct 1774 19 Sep 1780 28 Nov 1780 2 Oct 1781 26 Jan 1784 26 Jun 1790 6 Mar 1793 12 Mar 1795 2 Jun 1796 6 Jul 1802 31 Oct 1806 5 Oct 1812 10 Jun 1817 16 Jun 1818 7 Mar 1820

9 Jun 1826 29 Apr 1831 12 Dec 1832 27 Feb 1833 12 Aug 1833 5 Jan 1835 28 Jun 1841 20 Oct 1843 28 Jul 1847 27 Jul 1849 27 Mar 1857 29 Jul 1861 2 Jun 1863 10 Jul 1865 16 Nov 1868 22 Feb 1869

10 Feb 1874 3 Apr 1880 27 Jul 1887 18 Apr 1891 3 Jun 1891 Jul 1892 29 Sep 1900 16 Jan 1906 27 Feb 1906 15 Jun 1906 19 May 1922 1 Feb 1924 Jun 1935 6 Apr 1938 5 Feb 1940 26 Jul 1945

General Election 7 May 1754: City of London (4 seats)

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Nonpartisan	Sir John Barnard	3,553	18.96	N/A
	Nonpartisan	Slingsby Bethell	3,547	18.93	N/A
	Nonpartisan	Sir Robert Ladbroke	3,390	18.09	N/A
	Nonpartisan	William Beckford	2,941	15.70	N/A
	Nonpartisan	Sir Richard Glyn	2,655	14.17	N/A
	Nonpartisan	Sir William Calvert	2,650	14.14	N/A

• Death of Bethell

• Constituency abolished 1950

See also

• List of Parliamentary constituencies in Greater London

References

• The House of Commons 1754-1790, by Sir Lewis Namier and John Brooke (HMSO 1964)
• Who's Who of British Members of Parliament: Volume I 1832-1885, edited by M. Stenton (The Harvester Press 1976)
• British Parliamentary Election Results 1832-1885, compiled and edited by F.W.S. Craig (The Macmillan Press 1977)
• British Parliamentary Election Results 1885-1918, compiled and edited by F.W.S. Craig (The Macmillan Press 1974)
• British Parliamentary Election Results 1918-1949, compiled and edited by F.W.S. Craig (The Macmillan Press 1977)
• Boundaries of Parliamentary Constituencies 1885-1972, compiled and edited by F.W.S. Craig (Political Reference Publications 1972)