Montgomery (UK Parliament constituency)

For the county constituency called Montgomery until the 1990s, see Montgomeryshire (UK Parliament constituency).

Montgomery was a constituency in the House of Commons of England, House of Commons of Great Britain and later in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. It elected one MP, but was abolished in 1918.

Montgomery
Former constituency for the House of Commons
1542–1918
Seats	one
Replaced by	Montgomeryshire

After 1832 the constituency was more usually called the Montgomery Boroughs or Montgomery District of Boroughs.

Boundaries

1885–1918

The constituency comprised the boroughs of Montgomery, Llanfyllin, Llanidloes, Newtown and Welshpool.

Members of Parliament

1542–1640

Parliament	Member
1542	William Herbert II[1]
1545	William Herbert II[1]
1547	William Herbert II[1]
1553 (Mar)	Richard Herbert[1]
1553 (Oct)	John ap Edmund[1]
1554 (Apr)	Richard Lloyd[1]
1554 (Nov)	Richard Lloyd[1]
1555	not known
1558	William Herbert II[1]
1559	John Man[2]
1562/3	John Price
1571	Arthur Price
1572	Rowland Pugh, thought to be dead repl. 1581 by Richard Herbert I
1584	Richard Herbert II
1586	Matthew Herbert
1588	Rowland Pugh
1593	Richard Morgan
1597	Thomas Jukes
1601	John Harris

1601–1918

Election		Member	Party
1601		John Harris
1604–1611		Edward Whittingham
1614		Sir John Danvers
1621–1622:		Edward Herbert
1624		George Herbert
1625		George Herbert
1626		Sir Henry Herbert
1628		Sir Richard Lloyd
November 1640		Richard Herbert	Royalist
September 1642	Herbert disabled from sitting – seat vacant
1646		George Devereux[3]
1653	Not represented in the Barebones Parliament and the First and Second Parliaments of the Protectorate
January 1659		Charles Lloyd
May 1659	Not represented in the restored Rump
April 1660		(Sir) Thomas Myddelton[4]
1661		John Purcell
1665		Henry Herbert
1679		Matthew Pryce
April 1685		William Williams
July 1685		Charles Herbert
1691		Price Devereux
1701		John Vaughan
1705		Charles Mason
1708		John Pugh
1727		(Sir) William Corbet[5]
1741		James Cholmondeley
1747		Henry Herbert
1748		Francis Herbert
1754		William Bodvell
1759		Richard Clive
1771		Captain Frederick Cornewall
1774		Whitshed Keene
1818		Henry Clive	Tory[6]
1832		David Pugh[7]	Tory[6]
1833 by-election		John Edwards	Whig[6][8]
1841		Hon. Hugh Cholmondeley	Conservative[6]
1847		David Pugh[9]	Conservative[6]
1861 by-election		John Willes-Johnson	Conservative
1863 by-election		Hon. Charles Hanbury-Tracy	Liberal
1877 by-election		Hon. Frederick Hanbury-Tracy	Liberal
1885		Pryce Pryce-Jones	Conservative
1886		Hon. Frederick Hanbury-Tracy	Liberal
1892		Sir Pryce Pryce-Jones	Conservative
1895		Major Edward Pryce-Jones	Conservative
1906		John Rees	Liberal
Dec 1910		Colonel Edward Pryce-Jones	Conservative

Elections

Elections in the 1830s

General election 1830: Montgomery Boroughs ^[6][10]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Tory	Henry Clive (MP)	Unopposed
Registered electors			c. 135
	Tory hold

General election 1831: Montgomery Boroughs ^[6][10]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Tory	Henry Clive (MP)	Unopposed
Registered electors			c. 135
	Tory hold

General election 1832: Montgomery Boroughs ^[6][11]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Tory	David Pugh	335	51.1
	Whig	John Edwards	321	48.9
Majority			14	2.2
Turnout			656	90.7
Registered electors			723
	Tory hold

The election was declared void on petition, causing a by-election.

By-election, 8 April 1833: Montgomery Boroughs ^[6][11]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Whig	John Edwards	331	50.8	+1.9
	Tory	Panton Corbett	321	49.2	−1.9
Majority			10	1.6	N/A
Turnout			652	90.2	−0.5
Registered electors			723
	Whig gain from Tory		Swing	+1.9

General election 1835: Montgomery Boroughs ^[6][11]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Whig	John Edwards	Unopposed
Registered electors			899
	Whig gain from Conservative

General election 1837: Montgomery Boroughs ^[6][11]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Whig	John Edwards	472	51.6
	Conservative	Panton Corbett	443	48.4
Majority			29	3.2
Turnout			915	88.2
Registered electors			1,037
	Whig hold

Elections in the 1840s

General election 1841: Montgomery Boroughs ^[11]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	Hugh Cholmondeley	464	51.5	+3.1
	Whig	John Edwards	437	48.5	−3.1
Majority			27	3.0	N/A
Turnout			901	90.6	+2.4
Registered electors			995
	Conservative gain from Whig		Swing	+3.1

General election 1847: Montgomery Boroughs ^[11]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	David Pugh	389	50.0	N/A
	Conservative	Hugh Cholmondeley	389	50.0	−1.5
Majority			0	0.0	N/A
Turnout			778	79.2	−11.4
Registered electors			982
	Conservative hold		Swing	N/A

With both Cholmondeley and Pugh receiving the same number of votes, both were declared elected by the returning officer. However, Cholmondeley decided against defending his claim for the seat and Pugh was declared the only elected candidate.

Elections in the 1850s

General election 1852: Montgomery Boroughs ^[11]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	David Pugh	435	59.2	+9.2
	Radical	George Hammond Whalley[12][13]	300	40.8	New
Majority			135	18.4	+18.4
Turnout			735	73.3	−5.9
Registered electors			1,003
	Conservative hold

General election 1857: Montgomery Boroughs ^[11]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	David Pugh	Unopposed
Registered electors			927
	Conservative hold

General election 1859: Montgomery Boroughs ^[11]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	David Pugh	Unopposed
Registered electors			900
	Conservative hold

Elections in the 1860s

Pugh's death caused a by-election.

By-election, 4 May 1861: Montgomery Boroughs ^[11]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	John Willes-Johnson	Unopposed
	Conservative hold

Willes-Johnson's death caused a by-election.

By-election, 20 August 1863: Montgomery Boroughs ^[11]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Liberal	Charles Hanbury-Tracy	439	57.1	New
	Conservative	Charles Vaughan Pugh[14]	330	42.9	N/A
Majority			109	14.2	N/A
Turnout			769	82.4	N/A
Registered electors			933
	Liberal gain from Conservative

General election 1865: Montgomery Boroughs ^[11]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Liberal	Charles Hanbury-Tracy	437	54.0	N/A
	Conservative	Thomas Lewis Hampton[15]	372	46.0	N/A
Majority			65	8.0	N/A
Turnout			809	83.8	N/A
Registered electors			965
	Liberal gain from Conservative

General election 1868: Montgomery Boroughs ^[11]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Liberal	Charles Hanbury-Tracy	Unopposed
Registered electors			2,559
	Liberal hold

Elections in the 1870s

General election 1874: Montgomery Boroughs ^[11]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Liberal	Charles Hanbury-Tracy	Unopposed
Registered electors			2,839
	Liberal hold

Hanbury-Tracy succeeded to the peerage, becoming Lord Sudeley.

By-election, 17 May 1877: Montgomery Boroughs ^[11]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Liberal	Frederick Hanbury-Tracy	1,447	56.4	N/A
	Conservative	Charles Vane-Tempest	1,118	43.6	New
Majority			329	12.8	N/A
Turnout			2,565	88.0	N/A
Registered electors			2,914
	Liberal hold		Swing	N/A

Elections in the 1880s

General election 1880: Montgomery Boroughs ^[11]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Liberal	Frederick Hanbury-Tracy	1,572	56.5	N/A
	Conservative	Pryce Pryce-Jones	1,211	43.5	N/A
Majority			361	13.0	N/A
Turnout			2,783	89.2	N/A
Registered electors			3,120
	Liberal hold		Swing	N/A

Pryce-Jones

General election 1885: Montgomery Boroughs ^[16][17]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	Pryce Pryce-Jones	1,409	51.5	+8.0
	Liberal	Frederick Hanbury-Tracy	1,326	48.5	−8.0
Majority			83	3.0	N/A
Turnout			2,735	91.2	+2.0
Registered electors			2,999
	Conservative gain from Liberal		Swing	+8.0

General election 1886: Montgomery Boroughs ^[16][17]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Liberal	Frederick Hanbury-Tracy	1,424	53.2	+4.7
	Conservative	Pryce Pryce-Jones	1,251	46.8	−4.7
Majority			173	6.4	N/A
Turnout			2,675	89.2	−2.0
Registered electors			2,999
	Liberal gain from Conservative		Swing	+4.7

Elections in the 1890s

General election 1892: Montgomery Boroughs ^[16][17]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	Pryce Pryce-Jones	1,406	52.2	+5.4
	Liberal	Frederick Hanbury-Tracy	1,288	47.8	−5.4
Majority			118	4.4	N/A
Turnout			2,694	91.8	+2.6
Registered electors			2,936
	Conservative gain from Liberal		Swing

Philipps

General election 1895: Montgomery Boroughs ^[16][18]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	Edward Pryce-Jones	1,435	51.5	−0.7
	Liberal	Owen Philipps	1,351	48.5	+0.7
Majority			84	3.0	−1.4
Turnout			2,786	91.9	+0.1
Registered electors			3,030
	Conservative hold		Swing	−0.7

Elections in the 1900s

General election 1900: Montgomery Boroughs ^[16][18][17]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	Edward Pryce-Jones	1,478	53.0	+1.5
	Liberal	John Albert Bright	1,309	47.0	−1.5
Majority			169	6.0	+3.0
Turnout			2,787	86.3	−5.6
Registered electors			3,229
	Conservative hold		Swing	+1.5

Rees

General election 1906: Montgomery Boroughs ^[16][17]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Liberal	John Rees	1,541	51.4	+4.4
	Conservative	Edward Pryce-Jones	1,458	48.6	−4.4
Majority			83	2.8	N/A
Turnout			2,999	90.5	+4.2
Registered electors			3,313
	Liberal gain from Conservative		Swing	+4.4

Elections in the 1910s

General election January 1910: Montgomery Boroughs ^[19][17]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Liberal	John Rees	1,539	50.2	−1.2
	Conservative	Edward Pryce-Jones	1,526	49.8	+1.2
Majority			13	0.4	−2.4
Turnout			3,065	91.4	+0.9
Registered electors			3,354
	Liberal hold		Swing	−1.2

General election December 1910: Montgomery Boroughs ^[19][17]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	Edward Pryce-Jones	1,522	50.9	+1.1
	Liberal	John Rees	1,468	49.1	−1.1
Majority			54	1.8	N/A
Turnout			2,990	89.1	−2.3
Registered electors			3,354
	Conservative gain from Liberal		Swing	+1.1

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;

• Unionist: Edward Pryce-Jones
• Liberal: A E O Humphreys Owen

References

1. "History of Parliament". History of Parliament Trust. Retrieved 28 November 2011.
2. "History of Parliament". History of Parliament Trust. Retrieved 28 November 2011.
3. Devereux is not known ever to have taken his seat
4. Created a baronet, July 1660
5. Created a baronet, October 1740
6. Stooks Smith, Henry (1845). The Parliaments of England, from 1st George I., to the Present Time. Vol II: Oxfordshire to Wales Inclusive. London: Simpkin, Marshall, & Co. pp. 196–197. Retrieved 13 August 2019 – via Google Books.
7. On petition, the election of 1832 was declared void and a by-election held
8. Churton, Edward (1838). The Assembled Commons or Parliamentary Biographer. p. 80. Retrieved 13 August 2019 – via Google Books.
9. At the election of 1847, Hon. Hugh Cholmondeley and David Pugh tied, with 389 votes each, and the returning officer made a double return. However, when a petition was lodged against Cholmondeley he decided not to defend his claim, and Pugh took the seat.
10. Escott, Margaret. "Montgomery Boroughs". The History of Parliament. Retrieved 5 May 2020.
11. Craig, F. W. S., ed. (1977). British Parliamentary Election Results 1832–1885 (e-book) (1st ed.). London: Macmillan Press. ISBN 978-1-349-02349-3.
12. "Election Intelligence". Exeter and Plymouth Gazette. 17 July 1852. p. 7. Retrieved 22 August 2018 – via British Newspaper Archive.
13. "Montgomeryshire Boroughs". Evening Mail. 12 July 1852. p. 5. Retrieved 22 August 2018 – via British Newspaper Archive.
14. "Political Intelligence". Brighton Gazette. 6 August 1863. p. 7. Retrieved 5 March 2018 – via British Newspaper Archive.
15. "File NLW ex 1977 – Thomas L. Hampton Canvass Book". National Library of Wales. Retrieved 5 March 2018.
16. The Liberal Year Book, 1907
17. Craig, FWS, ed. (1974). British Parliamentary Election Results: 1885–1918. London: Macmillan Press. ISBN 9781349022984.
18. Debrett's House of Commons & Judicial Bench, 1901
19. Debrett's House of Commons & Judicial Bench, 1916

• 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)
• The Constitutional Year Book for 1913 (London: National Union of Conservative and Unionist Associations, 1913)
• F W S Craig, British Parliamentary Election Results 1832–1885 (2nd edition, Aldershot: Parliamentary Research Services, 1989)
• Leigh Rayment's Historical List of MPs – Constituencies beginning with "M" (part 3)