Parliamentary representation from Cornwall

The historic county of Cornwall in south-west England was represented in Parliament from the 13th century. This article provides a list of constituencies constituting the Parliamentary representation from Cornwall.

In 1889 an administrative county of Cornwall was created. Unlike many other counties there has been no major change between the historic and administrative county boundaries. The first part of this article covers the constituencies wholly or predominantly within the area of the historic county. The second part refers to constituencies mostly in another historic county, which included some territory from the historic county of Cornwall (if any). The summaries section only refers to the constituencies included in the first section of the constituency list.

List of constituencies

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The constituencies which existed in 1707 were those previously represented in the Parliament of England.

Key to abbreviations:-

  • (Type) BC Borough constituency, CC County constituency.

Constituencies wholly or predominantly in the historic county

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Constituency Type From To MPs Notes
Bodmin BC (1295–1885) 1295 1983 2 (1295–1868) Unrepresented 1654–1659
CC (1885–1983) 1 (1868–1983)
Bossiney BC 1552 1832 2 Unrepresented 1654–1659
Callington BC 1584 1832 2 Unrepresented 1654–1659
Camborne CC 1885 1950 1
Camborne and Redruth CC 2010 * 1
Camelford BC 1547 1832 2 Unrepresented 1654–1659
Cornwall CC 1290 1832 2 (1290–1654)
8 (1654–1659)
2 (1659–1832)
East Cornwall CC 1832 1885 2
North Cornwall CC 1918 * 1
South East Cornwall CC 1983 * 1
West Cornwall CC 1832 1885 2
East Looe BC 1571 1832 2 Unrepresented 1654–1659
East Looe and West Looe BC 1654 1659 1
Falmouth and Camborne CC 1950 2010 1
Fowey BC 1571 1832 2 Unrepresented 1654–1659
Grampound BC 1547 1821 2 Unrepresented 1654–1659
Helston BC 1298 1885 2 (1298–1832) Unrepresented 1654–1659
1 (1832–1885)
Launceston BC (1295–1885) 1295 1918 2 (1295–1654) Also called Dunheved
1 (1654–1659)
2 (1659–1832)
1 (1832–1918)
CC (1885–1918)
Liskeard BC 1295 1885 2 (1295–1832) Unrepresented 1654–1659
1 (1832–1885)
Lostwithiel BC 1305 1832 2 Unrepresented 1654–1659
Mitchell BC 1547 1832 2 Unrepresented 1654–1659. Also called St. Michael's.
Newport (Cornwall) BC 1529 1832 2 Unrepresented 1654–1659. Also called Newport Iuxta Launceston.
Penryn BC 1547 1832 2 (1547–1654)
1 (1654–1659)
2 (1659–1832)
Penryn and Falmouth BC (1832–1918) 1832 1950 2 (1832–1885)
CC (1918–1950) 1 (1885–1950)
St Austell CC 1885 1918 1
St Austell and Newquay CC 2010 * 1
St Germans BC 1563 1832 2 Unrepresented 1654–1659
St Ives BC (1558–1885) 1558 * 2 (1558–1832) Unrepresented 1654–1659
CC (1885–*) 1 (1832–*)
St Mawes BC 1563 1832 2 Unrepresented 1654–1659
Saltash BC 1547 1832 2 Unrepresented 1654–1659
Tregony BC 1295 1296 2 Unrepresented 1654–1659
1559 1832
Truro BC (1295–1885) 1295 1918 2 (1295–1654)
1 (1654–1659)
2 (1659–1885)
CC (1885–1918) 1 (1885–1918)
CC 1950 1997 1
Truro and Falmouth CC 2010 * 1
Truro and St Austell CC 1997 2010 1
West Looe BC 1553 1832 2 Unrepresented 1654–1659

Constituencies mostly in another historic county

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Constituency Type From To MPs Notes

Periods constituencies represented

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  1290–1295 1295–1296 1296–1298 1298–1305 1305–1529 1529–1547 1547–1552 1552–1553 1553–1558 1558–1559
Bodmin   1295–1654
Bossiney   1552–1654
Camelford   1547–1654
Cornwall 1290–1832
Grampound   1547–1654
Helston   1298–1654
Launceston   1295–1918
Liskeard   1295–1654
Lostwithiel   1305–1654
Mitchell   1547–1654
Newport   1529–1654
Penryn   1547–1654
St Ives   1558–1654
Saltash   1547–1654
Tregony   1295–1296  
Truro   1295–1918
West Looe   1553–1654
  1559–1563 1563–1571 1571–1584 1584–1654 1654–1659 1659–1821 1821–1832 1832–1885 1885–1918
Bodmin 1295–1654   1659–1983
Bossiney 1552–1654   1659–1832  
Callington   1584–1654   1659–1832  
Camborne   18851950
Camelford 1547–1654   1659–1832  
Cornwall 1290–1832  
East Cornwall   18321885  
West Cornwall   1832–1885  
East Looe   1571–1654   1659–1832  
East Looe and West Looe   1654–1659  
Fowey   1571–1654   1659–1832  
Grampound 1547–1654   1659–1821  
Helston 1298–1654   1659–1885  
Launceston 1295–1918
Liskeard 1295–1654   1659–1885  
Lostwithiel 1547–1654   1659–1832  
Mitchell 1547–1654   1659–1832  
Newport 1529–1654   1659–1832  
Penryn 1547–1654   1659–1832  
Penryn and Falmouth   1832–1950
St Austell   1885–1918
St Germans   1563–1654   1659–1832  
St Ives 1558–1654   1659–*
St Mawes   1563–1654   1659–1832  
Saltash 1547–1654   1659–1832  
Tregony 1559–1654   1659–1832  
Truro 1295–1918
West Looe 1553–1654   1659–1832  
  1918–1950 1950–1983 1983–1997 1997–2010 2010–*
Bodmin 1659–1983  
Camborne 18851950  
Camborne and Redruth   2010–*
North Cornwall 1918–*
South East Cornwall   1983–*
Falmouth and Camborne   1950–2010  
Penryn and Falmouth 1832–1950  
St Austell and Newquay   2010–*
St Ives 1659–*
Truro   1950–1997  
Truro and Falmouth   2010–*
Truro and St Austell   1997–2010  

Summaries

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Summary of Constituencies by Type and Period

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Note: Dates of representation prior to 1509 are provisional.

Type 1290 1295 1296 1298 1305 1529 1547 1552 1553 1558 1559 1563 1571 1584 1654 1659 1821 1832 1885 1918 2010
Borough 5 4 5 6 7 12 13 14 15 17 19 21 22 3 22 21 7 1
County 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 2 6 5 6
Total 1 6 5 6 7 8 13 14 15 16 18 20 22 23 4 23 22 9 7 5 6

Summary of members of parliament by Type and Period

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Type 1290 1295 1296 1298 1305 1529 1547 1552 1553 1558 1559 1563 1571 1584 1654 1659 1821 1832 1868 1885 1918 2010
Borough 10 8 10 12 14 24 26 28 30 34 38 42 44 3 44 42 10 9 1
County 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 8 2 2 4 4 6 5 6
Total 2 12 10 12 14 16 26 28 30 32 36 40 44 46 11 46 44 14 13 7 5 6

See also

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Further reading

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  • Edwin Jaggard Cornwall politics in the age of reform 1790–1855, Royal Historical Society/Boydell Press, (1999), ISBN 0-86193-243-9

References

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  • Boundaries of Parliamentary Constituencies 1885–1972, compiled and edited by F.W.S. Craig (Parliamentary Reference Publications 1972)
  • British Parliamentary Constituencies: A Statistical Compendium, by Ivor Crewe and Anthony Fox (Faber and Faber 1984)
  • British Parliamentary Election Results 1832–1885, compiled and edited by F.W.S. Craig (The Macmillan Press 1977)
  • The House of Commons 1509–1558, by S.T. Bindoff (Secker & Warburg 1982)
  • The House of Commons 1558–1603, by P.W. Hasler (HMSO 1981)
  • The House of Commons 1660–1690, by Basil Duke Henning (Secker & Warburg 1983)
  • The House of Commons 1715–1754, by Romney Sedgwick (HMSO 1970)
  • The House of Commons 1754–1790, by Sir Lewis Namier and John Brooke (HMSO 1964)
  • The House of Commons 1790–1820, by R.G. Thorne (Secker & Warburg 1986)
  • The Parliaments of England by Henry Stooks Smith (1st edition published in three volumes 1844–50), second edition edited (in one volume) by F.W.S. Craig (Political Reference Publications 1973) out of copyright