The City of York was a constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom until 2010. It elected two Members of Parliament (MPs) until 1918, and one thereafter by the first past the post system of election.
Boundaries
This constituency area tracked the municipal government area of York. Each general revision of English constituencies from 1885 would redefine the York constituency to include any changes to the city council area since the previous revision.
History
By virtue of its importance, York was regularly represented in Parliament from an early date: it had been required to send delegates to the assembly of 1265, but no actual returns survive until the end of the 13th century. The structure of the civic government of the city provided the basis by which it elected its Parliamentary representatives. In the years following the city's Royal Charter, granted in the 1150s, power was held by a Lord Mayor and associated bailiffs. Further expansion of governance saw the establishment of coroners, sheriffs and aldermen. The appointment of twelve aldermen in 1399 led to the establishment of the City Council. Subsequently, other tiers of governance, such as the probi homines and the communitas, would eventually provide the bodies for the election of MPs. Those who occupied such positions were all freemen of the city and frequently came form the mercantile classes rather than the nobility, and were considered the electorate of the city. In the beginnings of the constituency this electorate was about twenty four, but had risen to around seventy five by 1690. Early in the 18th century, the number of freemen being made had increased significantly and this further increased the electorate. By the election of 1830, there were about 3,800 registered voters.
There was a period between 1581 and 1597 where elections were a two-stage process. In the first stage, member of the common chamber of the council and 50 freeholders cast votes and the top four contenders would progress to a second ballot. This ballot was conducted by the Lord Mayor and the aldermen and the top two would be returned as MPs. In 1597 this process was reduced to a single ballot whereby all of those in both the commons and assembly of York would cast two votes. The two contenders with the most votes were returned as MP. From 1628 the process became fully open, as previously the process had an element of pre-approval by the Lord mayor and the aldermen.
A borough constituency consisting of the city of York has been represented in every Parliament since the Model Parliament of 1295. Until 1918, it returned two MPs; since then it has returned one. Until 1997, when its official name became City of York with no boundary changes, the constituency was usually simply called York.
Following their review of parliamentary representation in North Yorkshire, the Boundary Commission for England recommended the creation of two new seats for the City of York. Both the City of York and Vale of York seats were abolished in 2010 and replaced by two new constituencies, namely York Central and York Outer.
Members of Parliament
1265-1660
Short Parliament
1640: Sir Edward Osborne
1640: Sir Roger Jaques
Long Parliament
1640-1653: Sir William Allanson (Parliamentarian) 1640-1650: Thomas Hoyle (Parliamentarian) - died January 1650
Barebones Parliament
1653: Thomas St. Nicholas
First Protectorate Parliament
1654-1655: Sir Thomas Widdrington
1654-1655: Thomas Dickinson
Second Protectorate Parliament
1656: Sir Thomas Widdrington (Elected for more than one constituency, and did not sit for York in this Parliament) 1656-1658: John Geldart 1656-1658: Thomas Dickinson
Third Protectorate Parliament
1659: Christopher Topham
1659: Thomas Dickinson
Long Parliament (restored) 1659-1660: Sir William Allanson; Thomas Hoyle, died, one seat vacant
1660-1918
1918–2010
Elections
Elections in the 1830s
Bayntun's death caused a by-election.
Lowther was not present for the election, as he was in France
Elections in the 1840s
Yorke's death caused a by-election.
Elections in the 1850s
Elections in the 1860s
Elections in the 1870s
Westhead resigned, causing a by-election.
Lowther was appointed Chief Secretary to the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland, requiring a by-election.
Elections in the 1880s
Leeman's death caused a by-election.
Elections in the 1890s
Lockwood was appointed Solicitor General for England and Wales, requiring a by-election.