New Shoreham (UK Parliament constituency)
New Shoreham, sometimes simply called Shoreham, was a parliamentary borough centred on the town of Shoreham-by-Sea in what is now West Sussex. It returned two Members of Parliament to the House of Commons of England from 1295 to 1707, then to then House of Commons of Great Britain until 1800, and finally to the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom from 1801 until it was abolished by the Redistribution of Seats Act 1885, with effect from the 1885 general election.
A modern constituency called Shoreham existed from 1974 to 1997.
Boundaries, franchise and boundary changes
New Shoreham is a part of Shoreham-by-Sea, located around its port. The borough, in 1800, had about 1,000 electors. The qualification for the vote before 1832, unusually for a borough, was the possession of a 40 shilling freehold which was the normal franchise for a county constituency.The explanation for the franchise qualification was the result of a disputed by-election in 1770. At that time all the electors qualified by paying scot and lot, a local property tax. Stooks Smith provides two notes on what happened, following a result in which Thomas Rumbold received 87 votes and John Purling had 37 votes.
The Returning Officer on the ground that nearly all the 87 were bribed declared Mr. Purling elected, but Mr. Rumbold was seated on petition. On the 14th Feb. 1771, Mr. Roberts the Returning Officer was brought to the Bar of the House, and on his knees received a very severe reprimand from the Speaker for having taken upon himself to return Mr. Purling.
However, as a result of Mr. Roberts action there had been an investigation.
The evidence given by the Returning Officer, Mr. Hugh Roberts, before the Committee, was the means of bringing to light a most singular system of wholesale bribery, carried on by a body of Electors, who styled themselves, the "Christian Society", and who had for some time being in the habit of selling seats to the highest bidders. By 11th Geo. III. C. 55, the whole of the members, amounting to 81, were deprived of the right of again voting at any Parliamentary Election, and the old class of voters disfranchised, the right of election being extended to the 40s. freeholders of the Rape of Bramber.
The rapes were traditional subdivisions of Sussex. The six rapes each consisted of a strip of territory from the northern border of the county to its southern coast, so the area involved was considerably larger than that of the normal Parliamentary borough.
As a result of the extension of the boundaries the constituency became more like a county one than a typical borough of the era.
When an electoral register was first compiled, before the 1832 election, the 1,925 electors included 701 freeholders and 189 scot and lot voters. The remaining electors would have qualified under the occupation franchise introduced for all boroughs by the Reform Act 1832, which also preserved the ancient right franchises of the existing electors.
Members of Parliament
1295–1640
| Parliament | First member | Second member |
| 1295 | Roger de Beauchamp | Thomas Pontoyse |
| 1298 | Godfrey atte Curt | Roger le Wake |
| 1300 | Roger de Beauchamp | Richard de Bokyngeham |
| 1303 | Henry de Burne | Roger de Beauchamp |
| 1304 | Richard Serle | Simon Iveny |
| 1307 | Richard Must | Richard Serle |
| 1309 | John Virley | John Frewyn |
| 1311 | John Virley | John Frewyn |
| 1313 | Henry de Bourne | William de Pevense |
| 1319 | John Loute | John Baudefait |
| 1325 | William Vyvyan | Thomas Moraunt |
| 1327 | Ralph Bovet | John le Blake |
| 1328 | Henry de Whitewei | John Swele |
| 1328 | Anselm atte Putte | John Swele |
| 1328 | Anselm atte Putte | John Swele |
| 1329 | Robert Apetot | Robert le Kenne |
| 1331 | John de Beauchamp | Anselm ante Putte |
| 1332 | Anselm atte Putte | Richard ?1VIoust |
| 1332 | Anselm atte Putte | John atto Grene |
| 1333 | Anselm atte Putte | David Fynian |
| 1334 | John Beauchamp | Germanus Hobelyt |
| 1335 | Robert le Puffare | John Beauchamp |
| 1336 | John de Beauchamp | John atte Crone |
| 1336 | Robert Puffer/Simon 1'houto | Thomas Fynian |
| 1337 | John Beauchamp | John Bernard |
| 1339 | Robert Puffaro | John Bernard |
| 1339 | Robert le Puffare | John Bernard |
| 1340 | John Beauchamp | Robert le Puffare |
| 1341 | John Beauchamp | Hugo de Coumbes |
| 1344 | John Beauchamp | Robert Puffero |
| 1346 | Robert Puffere | William L... |
| 1348 | John Beauchamp | Henry le Puffare |
| 1350 | John Bernard | Thomas Fynian |
| 1354 | Walter Woxebrugge | Thomas Finyan |
| 1355 | John Bernard | Walter Bailiff |
| 1357 | Walter Woxebrugg | Thomas Fynyan |
| 1357 | Thomas Bokyngham | William Snellyng |
| 1360 | John Bernard | Walter Bailiff |
| 1360 | John Bernard | Walter Woxebrugge |
| 1362 | Thomas Fynyan | Thomas Bokyngham |
| 1363 | John Bernard | William Snellyng |
| 1366 | Ralph Iver | William Snellyng |
| 1368 | John Bernard | John Barbour |
| 1369 | Richard Combo | John Barbour |
| 1371 | William Snellyng | - |
| 1372 | William Snellyng | John Barbour |
| 1373 | William Taillour | Ralph Frore |
| 1376 | William Taillour | Ralph Frere |
| 1377 | Richard Bernard | John Barbour |
| 1378 | John Barbour | William Taillour |
| 1379 | John Barbour | Gregory Fromond |
| 1381 | Richard Bernard | Simon Benefeld |
| 1382 | William Shirford | Richard Bernard |
| 1382 | John Barbour | John Skully |
| 1382 | John Lynton | Simon Benefeld |
| 1383 | John Lynton | Simon Benefeld |
| 1384 | Simon Benefeld | John Lynton |
| 1384 | Simon Benefeld | Richard Bernard |
| 1385 | Robert Frye | John Lenton |
| 1386 | Richard Bernard | William Corveysor |
| 1388 | Richard Bernard | Simon Benefeld |
| 1388 | Richard Bernard | John Skully |
| 1390 | Richard Bernard | Simon Benefeld |
| 1390 | - | |
| 1391 | Robert Frye | John Skully |
| 1393 | Richard Bernard | John Skully |
| 1394 | - | |
| 1395 | Richard Bernard | Simon Benefeld |
| 1397 | Robert Frye | Simon Benefeld |
| 1397 | Gregory Fromond | William Hulle |
| 1399 | Robert Frye | John Soper |
| 1401 | - | |
| 1402 | William Ede | Roger Farmcombe |
| 1404 | - | |
| 1404 | - | |
| 1406 | William Hokere | William Peck |
| 1407 | John atte Gate | John Skully |
| 1410 | - | |
| 1411 | - | |
| 1413 | - | |
| 1413 | William Ede | John Draper |
| 1414 | - | |
| 1414 | William Ede | Robert Benefeld |
| 1415 | - | |
| 1416 | William Askewith | John Draper |
| 1416 | - | |
| 1417 | Richard Dammer | Adam Feret |
| 1419 | - | |
| 1420 | - | |
| 1421 | - | |
| 1421 | John Findon | Richard Roger |
| 1423 | Richard Dammer | William Langlegh |
| 1426 | Richard Roger | Adam Feret |
| 1427 | John Wrvthere | John Waleys |
| 1429 | William Snellyng | William Yongge |
| 1430 | Adam Feret | John Furly |
| 1432 | Richard Jay | Richard Dammer |
| 1433 | Thomas Hille | John Ham |
| 1435 | Richard Jay | John Furly |
| 1436 | Richard Jay | ?John Iiempe |
| 1441 | Richard Jay | Thomas Grevet |
| 1446 | John Veske | John Weston |
| 1448 | William Redston | John Beckwith |
| 1449 | William Bury | John Gloucestre |
| 1411 | Thomas Gvnnour | Edward Raffe |
| 1452 | Edward Raffe | William Say |
| 1459 | Hugo Till | Richard Awger |
| 1460 | Robert Spert | Nicholas Morley |
| 1467 | Richard Lewkenor | William Brandon |
| 1472 | Peter Veske | Richard Farnefold |
| 1477 | Peter Veske | John Cookson |
| 1482–1523 | No names known | No names known |
| 1529 | John Covert | John Michell |
| 1536 | ? | - |
| 1539 | ? | - |
| 1542 | ? | - |
| 1545 | John Gates | Henry Gates |
| 1547 | William Fitzwilliam | Anthony Bourchier, died and repl. by Jan 1552 by Sir Henry Hussey |
| 1553 | John Fowler | Thomas Harvey |
| 1553 | Thomas Roper | Thomas Elrington |
| 1554 | Leonard West | William Mody |
| 1554 | Simon Lowe alias Fyfield | William Mody |
| 1555 | Francis Shirley | Thomas Hogan |
| 1558 | Anthony Hussey | Richard Baker |
| 1558/9 | Richard Fulmerston | John Hussey |
| 1562/3 | Henry Knollys | Nicholas Mynn |
| 1571 | William Dix | John Bowles |
| 1572 | Edward Lewknor | Edward Fenner |
| 1584 | William Necton | Thomas Fenner |
| 1586 | William Necton | John Young |
| 1588 | William Necton | John Young |
| 1593 | William Necton | Herbert Morley |
| 1597 | William Necton | John Young |
| 1601 | John Morley | Robert Booth |
| 1604–1611 | Sir Bernard Whetston | Sir Hugh Beeston |
| 1614 | Lord Howard of Effingham | Thomas Shelley |
| 1621 | Sir John Morley, died 1622 | Sir John Leedes |
| 1624 | Anthony Stapley | William Marlott |
| 1625 | Anthony Stapley | William Marlott |
| 1626 | John Alford | William Marlott |
| 1628 | Robert Morley | William Marlott |
| 1629–1640 | No Parliaments summoned | No Parliaments summoned |
1640–1885
Election results
Elections in the 1830s
Elections in the 1840s
Goring's death caused a by-election.Elections in the 1850s
Elections in the 1860s
Burrell's death caused a by-election.Cave was appointed Vice-President of the Board of Trade, requiring a by-election.
Elections in the 1870s
Cave was appointed Judge Advocate General of the Armed Forces and Paymaster General, requiring a by-election.Burrell's death caused a by-election.