Rochester (UK Parliament constituency)


Rochester was a parliamentary constituency in Kent. It returned two members of parliament to the House of Commons of England from 1295 to 1707, then to the House of Commons of Great Britain from 1708 to 1800, and finally to the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom from 1801 until the 1885 general election, when its representation was reduced to one seat.
In 1918, it was split between Chatham and Gillingham. The Chatham seat became Rochester and Chatham in 1950, and then Medway in 1983. When the boroughs of Rochester upon Medway and Gillingham merged to form the larger unitary Borough of Medway in 1998, the Parliamentary constituency of Medway only covered part of the new borough, so for the 2010 election it was renamed Rochester and Strood.

Members of Parliament

MPs 1295–1640

ParliamentFirst memberSecond member-
1386 John FlemingPeter Pope-
1388 William Gillingham IJohn Marchaunt I-
1388 Richard CrowboroughThomas White-
1390 Richard BolourJohn Mateshale-
1390 --
1391 Thomas DudmereWilliam Gillingham II-
1393 William ChylyndenWilliam Osbourne-
1394--
1395 Richard BrokeThomas Taverner-
1397 John Plomer IIJohn Precy-
1397 --
1399 William FrereJohn Precy-
1401 Richard BerdeReynold Shrewsbury-
1402 Thomas DudmereReynold Shrewsbury-
1404 Thomas DunstonWilliam Frere-
1404 Thomas DudmereRichard Lorkyn-
1406 Thomas ChertseyReynold Shrewsbury-
1407 John Everard IJohn Bosom-
1410 John AlcateThomas Chertsey-
1411 John Everard IRoger Landford-
1413 --
1413 John DeepingRoger Landford-
1414 --
1414 John DeepingRichard Lorkyn-
1415--
1416 Robert BuryJohn Potager-
1416 --
1417 Thomas BolourJohn Marchaunt III-
1419 William Hunt IRobert Kela-
1420 John DraperThomas Turner-
1421 --
1421 John DeepingJohn Marchaunt III-
1510–1523No names knownNo names known-
1529 Nicholas Hurleston, died
and repl. by 1533 by Edmund Page		Robert Fisher-
1536?--
1539?--
1542?--
1545 Sir Thomas MoyleWilliam Roper-
1547 Sir Thomas MoyleWilliam Roper-
1553 Sir John NortonChristopher Roper-
1553 Sir Thomas MoyleRobert Darknall-
1554 Sir Thomas MoyleWilliam Roper-
1554 William RoperEdward Baeshe-
1555 Sir George HowardWilliam Brooke, 10th Baron Cobham-
1558 Hugh CartwrightThomas Page-
1559Edward BaesheThomas Brooke alias Cobham-
1562/3Edward BaesheRichard Watts-
1571 William HolstockGeorge Catlyn-
1572 George CatelynWilliam Partridge, sick
and repl. 1579 by Samuel Coxe		-
1584 William Brooke alias CobhamGeorge Byng-
1586 William Brooke alias CobhamWilliam Lewin-
1588 William LewinJohn Stanhope-
1593 William LewinGeorge Chowne-
1597 Sir Edward HobySir Thomas Walsingham-
1601 Sir Edward HobySir Thomas Walsingham-
1604Sir Edward HobySir Thomas Walsingham-
1614Sir Edward HobySir Anthony Aucher refused to serve
and replaced by Sir Edwin Sandys
1621–1622Sir Thomas Walsingham Henry Clerke-
1624Maximilian DallisonSir Thomas Walsingham -
1625Henry ClerkeSir Thomas Walsingham -
1626Henry ClerkeSir Thomas Walsingham -
1628Sir Thomas Walsingham William Brooke-
1629–1640No Parliaments summonedNo Parliaments summoned-

MPs 1640–1885

MPs 1885–1918

Elections

Elections in the 1830s

Elections in the 1840s

Elections in the 1850s

Villiers resigned, causing a by-election.

Elections in the 1860s

Elections in the 1870s

Kinglake's death caused a by-election.
Martin's death caused a by-election.

Elections in the 1880s

Hughes-Hallett resigned, causing a by-election.

Elections in the 1890s

Davies was unseated on petition, causing a by-election.

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 the July 1914, the following candidates had been selected;