Wilton (UK Parliament constituency)


Wilton was the name of a parliamentary borough in Wiltshire. It was represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of England from 1295 to 1707, then in the Parliament of Great Britain from 1707 to 1800 and finally in the House of Commons of the United Kingdom of the Parliament of the United Kingdom from 1801 to 1918. It had two Members of Parliament until 1832, but from 1832 to 1885 only one member, as a result of the Reform Act 1832. In 1885 the borough was abolished, but the name of the constituency was then transferred to a new county constituency electing one Member from 1885 until 1918.

Boundaries

1885–1918: The Borough of Salisbury, the Sessional Divisions of Amesbury, Hindon, and Salisbury, and the civil parishes of Figheldean, Fisherton-de-la-Mere, Milston, and Wily.
Stonehenge was within the constituency from 1885 until the seat disappeared in 1918, since when it has been in the Salisbury seat.

Members of Parliament

Wilton borough

MPs 1295–1640

ParliamentFirst memberSecond member
1386Thomas CuttyngThomas Moleyns
1388 Thomas CuttyngWilliam Chitterne
1388 Thomas CuttyngJohn Hulle
1390 Thomas CuttyngWilliam Chitterne
1390 -
1391-
1393John ColeHenry Bont
1394Thomas CuttyngJohn Cole
1395Thomas CuttyngJohn Hardy
1397 John HardyWilliam Chitterne
1397 John HardyThomas Cuttyng
1399Thomas CuttyngWilliam Chitterne
1401-
1402John BottenhamWilliam Chitterne
1404 -
1404 -
1406 Robert FryeJohn Hardy-
1407 Robert FryeRobert Lardiner-
1410 Robert FryeJohn Harleston-
1411 Robert FryeJohn Harleston-
1413 -
1413 Robert FryeJohn Lambarde
1414 John ValeysJohn Harleston
1414 John HarlestonJohn Whithorne
1415John HarlestonJohn Whithorne
1416 -
1416 -
1417John HarlestonJohn Whithorne
1419John HarlestonJohn Whithorne
1420John HarlestonJohn Whithorne
1421 John HarlestonJohn Whithorne
1421 John HarlestonJohn Whithorne
1510-1523No names known-
1529Geoffrey PoleEdmund Knightley
1536?-
1539?-
1542Sir Edward BayntunWilliam Herbert
1545Sir Thomas LeeChristopher Willoughby
1547Robert WatsonRobert Warner
1553 William DamsellWilliam Wightman
1553 Nicholas ChowneHenry Creed
1554 William ClerkeMatthew Colthurst
1554 William ClerkeHenry Creed
1555Henry CreedWilliam Clerke
1558William ClerkeHenry Creed
1559Henry BodenhamThomas Highgate
1562/3William WightmanThomas Highgate
1571William WightmanThomas Highgate
1572William ClerkeFrancis Vaughan
1584John PenruddockRoger Earthe
1586Edward PenruddockHenry Martyn
1588Thomas CavendishRobert Penruddock
1593Sir Thomas MorganRobert Penruddock
1597Thomas MuffetRobert Penruddock
1601Sir Edmund MorganHugh Sanford
1604-1611Sir Thomas EdmondsHugh Sandford
1614Sir Robert SidneyThomas Morgan
1621Henry Nevill, 9th Baron Bergavenny ennobled 1622
replaced by
Thomas Morgan
Sir Thomas Tracy
1624Sir Thomas MorganSir Percy Hobart
1625Sir Thomas MorganSir William Harrington
1626Sir Thomas MorganSir John Evelyn
1628John PooleySir Thomas Morgan
1629–1640No Parliaments summoned-

MPs 1640–1832

MPs 1832–1885

Wiltshire, Southern or Wilton Division

MPs 1885–1918

Election results

Elections in the 1830s

Elections in the 1840s

Harris succeeded to the peerage, becoming 3rd Earl of Malmesbury, causing a by-election.

Elections in the 1850s

A'Court resigned after being appointed a Special Commissioner of Property and Income Tax in Ireland, causing a by-election.

Elections in the 1860s

Elections in the 1870s

Antrobus resigned, causing a by-election.

Elections in the 1880s

Herbert was appointed a Lord Commissioner of the Treasury, requiring a by-election.

Elections in the 1890s

Elections in the 1900s

Elections in the 1910s

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;