Amersham (constituency)

{{short description|Parliamentary constituency in the United Kingdom, 1624 to 1832}} {{for|constituency created in 1974|Chesham and Amersham (UK Parliament constituency)}} {{Use dmy dates|date=October 2019}} {{Infobox UK constituency |name = Amersham |type = borough |parliament = uk |year = 1624 |abolished = 1832 |elects_howmany = 2 |borough = [[Amersham]] |previous = |next = [[Buckinghamshire (UK Parliament constituency)|Buckinghamshire]] |}}

'''Amersham''', often spelt as '''Agmondesham''', was a [[United Kingdom constituencies|constituency]] of the [[House of Commons of England]] until 1707, then in the [[House of Commons of Great Britain]] from 1707 to 1800 and finally in the [[House of Commons of the United Kingdom]] from 1801 to 1832. It was represented by two [[Member of Parliament (United Kingdom)|Members of Parliament]] (MPs), elected by the [[Plurality-at-large voting|bloc-vote]] system.

==Boundaries== The constituency was a [[parliamentary borough]] in [[Buckinghamshire]], covering part of the small town of [[Amersham]]. It is located 2 miles north west of London, in the Chiltern Hills of England. Davis describes it as "a thriving little market town".

Before the borough was re-enfranchised in 1624 and after it was disenfranchised in 1832, the area was represented as part of the [[county constituency]] of [[Buckinghamshire (UK Parliament constituency)|Buckinghamshire]].

==History== The borough was first enfranchised in 1300, but only seems to have sent burgesses to Parliament for a short time. By 1307 it was no longer included in the list of [[Parliamentary borough]]s. In the 17th century a solicitor named [[William Hakewill]], of Lincoln's Inn, rediscovered ancient writs confirming that Amersham, Great Marlow, and Wendover had all sent members to Parliament in the past, and succeeded in re-establishing their privileges (despite the opposition of James I), so that they resumed electing members from the Parliament of 1624. Hakewill himself was elected for Amersham in 1624.<ref name = HOP1604>{{cite web| url = http://www.historyofparliamentonline.org/volume/1604-1629/constituencies/amersham | title=Amersham | publisher= History of Parliament Online (1604-1629)| access-date = 27 March 2019 }}</ref>

The right of election was held by householders paying [[scot and lot]], a local tax. This was one of the most democratic franchises used in elections to the [[Unreformed House of Commons]]. However, because this was a small borough, from the seventeenth to the nineteenth centuries, it was under the patronage of the Drake family of Shardeloes (an estate about a mile from the town).

In the early eighteenth century, there were about 150 electors. Although, at this period, the Drakes did not own most of the houses, they were able to nominate candidates for both seats. An anti-Drake element in the electorate supported a candidate in opposition to the Tory candidates promoted by the Drake interest, at elections in 1728, 1734 and 1735. That opposition proved to represent about a third of the electorate.

Thereafter the Drakes enjoyed unchallenged possession of their [[pocket borough]]. There was no further sign of the sort of resistance to the dominant interest that broke out from time to time in many similar boroughs.

By the latter half of the eighteenth century, the Drakes owned most of the town. The number of voters were reduced to about 70. Elections were all uncontested.

The borough was treated with respect by its patrons. Uncontested elections were accompanied by generous expenditure, estimated by Davis as £350 in the eighteenth century and £600 in the 1820s.

Amersham was one of the boroughs totally disenfranchised by the [[Reform Act 1832]]. The 1831 census had shown that the population of the borough was 1,347, and there were 247 houses (although the whole town of Amersham had 360 houses).<ref name = HOP1640>{{cite web| url = http://www.historyofparliamentonline.org/research/constituencies/constituencies-1640-1660 | title= Amersham | publisher= History of Parliament Online (1640-1660)| access-date = 27 March 2019 }}(currently unavailable )</ref> <ref name = HOP1660>{{cite web| url = http://www.historyofparliamentonline.org/volume/1660-1690/constituencies/amersham | title= Amersham | publisher= History of Parliament Online (1660-1690)| access-date = 27 March 2019 }}</ref> <ref name = HOP1690>{{cite web| url = http://www.historyofparliamentonline.org/volume/1690-1715/constituencies/amersham | title=Amersham | publisher= History of Parliament Online (1690-1715)| access-date = 27 March 2019 }}</ref> <ref name = HOP1715>{{cite web| url = http://www.historyofparliamentonline.org/volume/1715-1754/constituencies/amersham | title= Amersham | publisher= History of Parliament Online (1715-1754)| access-date = 27 March 2019 }}</ref> <ref name = HOP1754>{{cite web| url = http://www.historyofparliamentonline.org/volume/1754-1790/constituencies/amersham | title= Amersham | publisher= History of Parliament Online (1754-1790)| access-date = 27 March 2019 }}</ref> <ref name = HOP1790>{{cite web| url = http://www.historyofparliamentonline.org/volume/1790-1820/constituencies/amersham | title= Amersham | publisher= History of Parliament Online (1790-1820)| access-date = 27 March 2019 }}</ref> <ref name = HOP1820>{{cite web| url = http://www.historyofparliamentonline.org/volume/1820-1832/constituencies/amersham | title= Amersham | publisher= History of Parliament Online (1820-1832)| access-date = 27 March 2019 }}</ref>

==Members of Parliament== {| class="wikitable" |- !Year!!First member!!Second member |- |colspan = "3"|''Constituency re-enfranchised by Parliament in 1624'' |- |1624|| [[John Crew, 1st Baron Crew|John Crew]] || [[William Hakewill]] |- |1625|| [[John Crew, 1st Baron Crew|John Crew]] || [[Francis Drake (died 1634)|Francis Drake]] |- |1626|| [[William Clarke (MP for Amersham)|William Clarke]] || [[Francis Drake (died 1634)|Francis Drake]] |- |1628|| [[William Hakewill]] || [[Edmund Waller]] |- |1629–1640||colspan = "2"| ''No Parliaments summoned'' |- |[[Short Parliament|1640]]|| [[Sir William Drake, 1st Baronet|William Drake]] || [[Edmund Waller]] |- |[[Long Parliament|1640]]||rowspan="2"|[[Francis Drake (MP for Surrey)|Francis Drake]] || [[William Cheyney]] ''(d. April 1641)'' |- |1641|| [[Sir William Drake, 1st Baronet|William Drake]] |- |1648|| colspan="2"|''Both members excluded in [[Pride's Purge]]'' |} *''Not represented in the [[First Protectorate Parliament|First]] and [[Second Protectorate Parliament]]s; returned two members for the [[Third Protectorate Parliament]].'' {| class="wikitable" |- !colspan="3"|Year!!First member!!First party!!Second member!!Second party |- |style="color:inherit;background-color: white" | || style="color:inherit;background-color: white" | |[[Third Protectorate Parliament|1659]]|| Francis Drake <ref>Drake returned both for this seat and [[Surrey (UK Parliament constituency)|Surrey]]. He elected to sit for Surrey.</ref> || | [[John Biscoe (MP)|John Biscoe]] || |- |style="color:inherit;background-color: white" | || style="color:inherit;background-color: white" rowspan="3"| |1660 || [[Charles Cheyne, 1st Viscount Newhaven|Charles Cheyne]] || |rowspan="3"| [[Thomas Proby]] || rowspan="3"| |- |style="color:inherit;background-color: white" | |1661 ||[[Sir William Drake, 1st Baronet|Sir William Drake, Bt]] || |- |style="color:inherit;background-color: white" rowspan="4"| |1669 |rowspan="4"|[[William Drake (died 1690)|Sir William Drake]] || rowspan="4"| |- |style="color:inherit;background-color: white" | |1679 ||[[Roger Hill (of Denham)|Sir Roger Hill]] || | |- |style="color:inherit;background-color: white" | |1681 ||[[William Cheyne, 2nd Viscount Newhaven|Hon. William Cheyne]] || | |- |style="color:inherit;background-color: white" rowspan="3"| |1689 |rowspan="3"|[[Edmund Waller (1652–1700)|Edmund Waller]] || rowspan="3" | |- |style="color:inherit;background-color: white" | |1690 ||[[William Montagu (judge)|William Montagu]] || | |- |style="color:inherit;background-color: white" | |1695 ||[[Montagu Drake]] || | |- |style="color:inherit;background-color: white"| ||style="color:inherit;background-color: white" rowspan="3"| |1698 |[[William Cheyne, 2nd Viscount Newhaven|The 2nd Viscount Newhaven]] || |rowspan="3"|[[Sir John Garrard, 3rd Baronet|Sir John Garrard, Bt]] || rowspan="3"| |- |style="color:inherit;background-color: white" | |1699 ||[[John Drake (MP)|John Drake]] || | |- |style="color:inherit;background-color: white" rowspan="2"| |1701 |rowspan="2"|[[William Cheyne, 2nd Viscount Newhaven|The 2nd Viscount Newhaven]] || rowspan="2"| |- |style="color:inherit;background-color: white" rowspan="4"| |1701 |rowspan="4"|[[John Drake (MP)|John Drake]] || rowspan="4"| |- |style="color:inherit;background-color: white" | |1701 ||[[Sir Samuel Garrard, 4th Baronet|Sir Samuel Garrard, Bt]] || | |- |style="color:inherit;background-color: white" | |1701 ||[[William Cheyne, 2nd Viscount Newhaven|The 2nd Viscount Newhaven]] || | |- |style="color:inherit;background-color: white" rowspan="4"| |1702 |rowspan="4"|[[Sir Samuel Garrard, 4th Baronet|Sir Samuel Garrard, Bt]] || rowspan="4"| |- |style="color:inherit;background-color: white" | |1705 ||[[William Cheyne, 2nd Viscount Newhaven|The 2nd Viscount Newhaven]] || | |- |style="color:inherit;background-color: white" | |1707 ||[[John Drake (MP)|John Drake]] || | |- |style="color:inherit;background-color: white" rowspan="2"| |1708 |rowspan="2"|[[Francis Duncombe (MP)|Francis Duncombe]] || rowspan="2"| |- |style="color:inherit;background-color: white" | |1710 ||[[John Drake (MP)|John Drake]] || | |- |style="color:inherit;background-color: {{party color|Tories (British political party)}}" rowspan="2"| |style="color:inherit;background-color: {{party color|Tories (British political party)}}" | |1713 |rowspan="2"|[[Montague Garrard Drake]] || rowspan="2"| Tory ||[[John Verney, 1st Viscount Fermanagh|The 1st Viscount Fermanagh]] || | Tory |- |style="color:inherit;background-color: {{party color|Tories (British political party)}}" rowspan="2"| |1717 |rowspan="2"|[[Ralph Verney, 1st Earl Verney|The 2nd Viscount Fermanagh]] || rowspan="2"| Tory |- |style="color:inherit;background-color: {{party color|Tories (British political party)}}" | |1722 ||[[Thomas Chapman (MP)|Thomas Chapman]] || | Tory |- |style="color:inherit;background-color: {{party color|Tories (British political party)}}" rowspan="2"| |style="color:inherit;background-color: {{party color|Tories (British political party)}}" | |1727 |rowspan="2"|[[Montague Garrard Drake]] || rowspan="2"| Tory ||[[Baptist Leveson-Gower]] || | Tory |- |style="color:inherit;background-color: {{party color|Tories (British political party)}}" rowspan="3"| |1728 |rowspan="3"|[[Thomas Lutwyche]] || rowspan="3"| Tory |- |style="color:inherit;background-color: {{party color|Tories (British political party)}}" | |1728 ||[[Marmaduke Alington]] || | Tory |- |style="color:inherit;background-color: {{party color|Tories (British political party)}}" rowspan="3"| |1734 |rowspan="3"|[[Henry Marshall (MP)|Sir Henry Marshall]] || rowspan="3"| Tory |- |style="color:inherit;background-color: {{party color|Tories (British political party)}}" | |1735 ||[[Thomas Gore (MP)|Thomas Gore]] || | Tory |- |style="color:inherit;background-color: white" rowspan="6"| |1746 |rowspan="6"|[[William Drake (1723–1796)|William Drake, Sr]]|| rowspan="6"| No Party<ref>"File:Inscription on the tomb of Sir William Drake Esq, Member of Parliament for Amersham 1746-1796.jpg." Wikimedia Commons. 9 Aug 2025, 11:02 UTC. <https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=File:Inscription_on_the_tomb_of_Sir_William_Drake_Esq,_Member_of_Parliament_for_Amersham_1746-1796.jpg&oldid=1068910177> 9 Aug 2025, 11:03.</ref> |- |style="color:inherit;background-color: {{party color|Tories (British political party)}}" | |1754 ||[[Isaac Whittington]] || | Tory |- |style="color:inherit;background-color: white" | |1761 ||[[Benet Garrard]] || | |- |style="color:inherit;background-color: {{party color|Tories (British political party)}}" | |1767 ||[[John Affleck (politician)|John Affleck]] || | Tory |- |style="color:inherit;background-color: {{party color|Tories (British political party)}}" | |1768 ||[[William Drake (1747–1795)|William Drake, Jr]]|| | Tory |- |style="color:inherit;background-color: {{party color|Tories (British political party)}}" rowspan="3"| |1795 |rowspan="3"|[[Thomas Drake Tyrwhitt-Drake]]|| rowspan="3"| Tory |- |style="color:inherit;background-color: {{party color|Tories (British political party)}}" | |1796 ||[[Charles Drake Garrard]]|| | Tory |- |style="color:inherit;background-color: {{party color|Tories (British political party)}}" rowspan="2"| |1805 |rowspan="2"|[[Thomas Tyrwhitt-Drake]]|| rowspan="2"| Tory<ref>{{cite web |last1=Fisher |first1=David R. |title=TYRWHITT DRAKE, Thomas (1783-1852), of Shardeloes, nr. Amersham, Bucks. and St. Donat's Castle, Glam. |url=https://www.historyofparliamentonline.org/volume/1820-1832/member/tyrwhitt-drake-thomas-1783-1852 |website=The History of Parliament |access-date=25 May 2020}}</ref> |- |style="color:inherit;background-color: {{party color|Tories (British political party)}}" | |1810 ||[[William Tyrwhitt-Drake]]|| | Tory<ref>{{cite web |last1=Fisher |first1=David R. |title=TYRWHITT DRAKE, William (1785-1848), of Shardeloes, nr. Amersham, Bucks. |url=https://www.historyofparliamentonline.org/volume/1820-1832/member/tyrwhitt-drake-william-1785-1848 |website=The History of Parliament |access-date=25 May 2020}}</ref> |- |}

*''Constituency disenfranchised'' (1832)

==Elections== ===General notes=== In multi-member elections the [[Plurality-at-large voting|bloc voting]] system was used. Voters could cast a vote for one or two candidates, as they chose. The leading candidates with the largest number of votes were elected.

In [[by-elections]], to fill a single seat, the [[first past the post]] system applied.

Where a party had more than one candidate in one or both of a pair of successive elections change is calculated for each individual candidate, otherwise change is based on the party vote. Change figures at by-elections are from the preceding general election or the last intervening by-election. Change figures at general elections are from the last general election.

Candidates for whom no party has been identified are classified as Non Partisan. The candidate might have been associated with a party or faction in Parliament or considered himself to belong to a particular political tradition. Political parties before the nineteenth century were not as cohesive or organised as they later became. Contemporary commentators (even the reputed leaders of parties or factions) in the eighteenth century did not necessarily agree who the party supporters were. The traditional parties, which had arisen in the late seventeenth century, became increasingly irrelevant to politics in the eighteenth century (particularly after 1760), although for some contests in some constituencies party labels were still used. It was only towards the end of the century that party labels began to acquire some meaning again, although this process was by no means complete for several more generations.

Sources: The results for elections before 1790 were taken from the History of Parliament Trust publications on the House of Commons. The results from 1790 until 1832 are based on Stooks Smith. Where Stooks Smith gives additional information to the other sources this is indicated in a note.

===Dates of elections 1660–1715=== * April 1660 General election * 23 March 1661 General election * 1 November 1669 By-election * 4 February 1679 General election * (unknown date) 1679 General election * 29 January 1681 General election * 23 March 1685 General election * 5 January 1689 General election * (unknown date) 1690 General election * 8 October 1690 By-election * 9 November 1691 By-election * 21 October 1695 General election * 21 July 1698 General election * 2 January 1699 By-election * 7 January 1701 General election * 19 February 1701 By-election * 10 March 1701 By-election * 21 November 1701 General election * 14 November 1702 General election * 8 May 1705 General election * 21 November 1707 By-election * 4 May 1708 General election * 3 October 1710 General election * 27 August 1713 General election * 18 March 1714 By-election

===Election results 1715–1832=== As with most boroughs in the unreformed House of Commons, Amersham was uncontested at most elections. The only known contested elections after 1715 were those of 1728, 1735 and 1736.

{{Election box begin |title=[[1715 British general election|General election 26 January 1715]]: Amersham (2 seats)}} {{Election box candidate with party link |party = Tories (British political party) |candidate = '''[[Montague Garrard Drake]]''' |votes = Unopposed |percentage = ''N/A'' |change = ''N/A'' }} {{Election box candidate with party link |party = Tories (British political party) |candidate = '''[[John Verney, 1st Viscount Fermanagh|The 1st Viscount Fermanagh]]''' |votes = Unopposed |percentage = ''N/A'' |change = ''N/A'' }} {{Election box end}} *''Death of Fermanagh 23 June 1717''

{{Election box begin |title=[[1717 United Kingdom by-elections|By-election 10 July 1717]]: Amersham}} {{Election box candidate with party link |party = Tories (British political party) |candidate = '''[[Ralph Verney, 1st Earl Verney|The 2nd Viscount Fermanagh]]''' |votes = Unopposed |percentage = ''N/A'' |change = ''N/A'' }} {{Election box hold with party link |winner = Tories (British political party) |swing = ''N/A'' }} {{Election box end}}

{{Election box begin |title=[[1722 British general election|General election 21 March 1722]]: Amersham (2 seats)}} {{Election box candidate with party link |party = Tories (British political party) |candidate = '''[[Montague Garrard Drake]]''' |votes = Unopposed |percentage = ''N/A'' |change = ''N/A'' }} {{Election box candidate with party link |party = Tories (British political party) |candidate = '''[[Ralph Verney, 1st Earl Verney|The 2nd Viscount Fermanagh]]''' |votes = Unopposed |percentage = ''N/A'' |change = ''N/A'' }} {{Election box end}} *''Choice of Drake to sit for [[Buckinghamshire (UK Parliament constituency)|Buckinghamshire]]''

{{Election box begin |title=[[1722 United Kingdom by-elections|By-election 27 October 1722]]: Amersham}} {{Election box candidate with party link |party = Tories (British political party) |candidate = '''[[Thomas Chapman (MP)|Thomas Chapman]]''' |votes = Unopposed |percentage = ''N/A'' |change = ''N/A'' }} {{Election box hold with party link |winner = Tories (British political party) |swing = ''N/A'' }} {{Election box end}}

{{Election box begin |title=[[1727 British general election|General election 17 August 1727]]: Amersham (2 seats)}} {{Election box candidate with party link |party = Tories (British political party) |candidate = '''[[Montague Garrard Drake]]''' |votes = Unopposed |percentage = ''N/A'' |change = ''N/A'' }} {{Election box candidate with party link |party = Tories (British political party) |candidate = '''[[Baptist Leveson-Gower]]''' |votes = Unopposed |percentage = ''N/A'' |change = ''N/A'' }} {{Election box end}} *''Choice of Leveson Gower to sit for [[Newcastle-under-Lyme (UK Parliament constituency)|Newcastle-under-Lyme]]''

{{Election box begin |title=[[1728 United Kingdom by-elections|By-election 23 February 1728]]: Amersham}} {{Election box candidate with party link |party = Tories (British political party) |candidate = '''[[Thomas Lutwyche]]''' |votes = Unopposed |percentage = ''N/A'' |change = ''N/A'' }} {{Election box hold with party link |winner = Tories (British political party) |swing = ''N/A'' }} {{Election box end}} *''Death of Drake 26 April 1728''

{{Election box begin |title=[[1728 United Kingdom by-elections|By-election 16 May 1728]]: Amersham}} {{Election box candidate with party link |party = Tories (British political party) |candidate = '''[[Marmaduke Alington]]''' |votes = 64 |percentage = 65.31 |change = ''N/A'' }} {{Election box candidate |party = Non Partisan |candidate = [[Charles Hayes (candidate)|Charles Hayes]] |votes = 34 |percentage = 34.69 |change = ''N/A'' }} {{Election box majority |votes = 30 |percentage = 30.61 |change = ''N/A'' }} {{Election box hold with party link |winner = Tories (British political party) |swing = ''N/A'' }} {{Election box end}} * ''(Note May 1728): Drake, the late MP, had been the owner of the largest interest in the constituency. His heir was a child and the anti-Drake element in the borough took advantage of the opportunity to contest the seat. Only about a third of the votes were cast for the challenger.''

{{Election box begin |title=[[1734 British general election|General election 25 April 1734]]: Amersham (2 seats)}} {{Election box candidate with party link |party = Tories (British political party) |candidate = '''[[Henry Marshall (MP)|Henry Marshall]]''' |votes = 106 |percentage = 44.73 |change = +44.73 }} {{Election box candidate with party link |party = Tories (British political party) |candidate = '''[[Thomas Lutwyche]]''' |votes = 81 |percentage = 34.18 |change = +34.18 }} {{Election box candidate |party = Non Partisan |candidate = [[Thomas Bladen (candidate)|Thomas Bladen]] |votes = 50 |percentage = 21.10 |change = -9.51 }} {{Election box end}} * ''(Note 1734): Thomas Bladen stood for the anti-Drake forces in the borough. The result again suggested that only about a third of the electorate opposed the borough's long term patrons.'' *''Death of Lutwyche 13 November 1734''

{{Election box begin |title=[[1735 United Kingdom by-elections|By-election 17 February 1735]]: Amersham}} {{Election box candidate with party link |party = Tories (British political party) |candidate = '''[[Thomas Gore (MP)|Thomas Gore]]''' |votes = Elected |percentage = ''N/A'' |change = ''N/A'' }} {{Election box candidate |party = Non Partisan |candidate = [[Thomas Bladen (candidate)|Thomas Bladen]] |votes = Defeated |percentage = ''N/A'' |change = ''N/A'' }} {{Election box hold with party link |winner = Tories (British political party) |swing = ''N/A'' }} {{Election box end}} * ''(Note 1735): The vote totals are unknown, but Gore won and no further contested elections took place during the remaining 97 years when the borough returned MPs.''

{{Election box begin |title=[[1741 British general election|General election 4 May 1741]]: Amersham (2 seats)}} {{Election box candidate with party link |party = Tories (British political party) |candidate = '''[[Henry Marshall (MP)|Sir Henry Marshall]]''' |votes = Unopposed |percentage = ''N/A'' |change = ''N/A'' }} {{Election box candidate with party link |party = Tories (British political party) |candidate = '''[[Thomas Gore (MP)|Thomas Gore]]''' |votes = Unopposed |percentage = ''N/A'' |change = ''N/A'' }} {{Election box end}} * ''Appointment of Gore as Commissary General of the Musters (he was returned for [[Portsmouth (UK Parliament constituency)|Portsmouth]])''

{{Election box begin |title=[[1746 United Kingdom by-elections|By-election 26 February 1746]]: Amersham}} {{Election box candidate |party = Non Partisan |candidate = '''[[William Drake (1723–1796)|William Drake, Sr]]'''<ref> "File:Inscription on the tomb of Sir William Drake Esq, Member of Parliament for Amersham 1746-1796.jpg." Wikimedia Commons. 9 Aug 2025, 11:02 UTC. <https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=File:Inscription_on_the_tomb_of_Sir_William_Drake_Esq,_Member_of_Parliament_for_Amersham_1746-1796.jpg&oldid=1068910177> 9 Aug 2025, 11:03.</ref> |votes = Unopposed |percentage = ''N/A'' |change = ''N/A'' }} {{Election box hold with party link |winner = Tories (British political party) |swing = ''N/A'' }} {{Election box end}}

{{Election box begin |title=[[1747 British general election|General election 27 June 1747]]: Amersham (2 seats)}} {{Election box candidate |party = Non Partisan |candidate = '''[[William Drake (1723–1796)|William Drake, Sr]]''' |votes = Unopposed |percentage = ''N/A'' |change = ''N/A'' }} {{Election box candidate with party link |party = Tories (British political party) |candidate = '''[[Henry Marshall (MP)|Sir Henry Marshall]]''' |votes = Unopposed |percentage = ''N/A'' |change = ''N/A'' }} {{Election box end}} * ''Death of Marshall 2 February 1754''

{{Election box begin |title=[[1754 United Kingdom by-elections|By-election 15 February 1754]]: Amersham}} {{Election box candidate with party link |party = Tories (British political party) |candidate = '''[[Isaac Whittington]]''' |votes = Unopposed |percentage = ''N/A'' |change = ''N/A'' }} {{Election box hold with party link |winner = Tories (British political party) |swing = ''N/A'' }} {{Election box end}}

{{Election box begin |title=[[1754 British general election|General election 16 April 1754]]: Amersham (2 seats)}} {{Election box candidate |party = Non Partisan |candidate = '''[[William Drake (1723–1796)|William Drake, Sr]]''' |votes = Unopposed |percentage = ''N/A'' |change = ''N/A'' }} {{Election box candidate with party link |party = Tories (British political party) |candidate = '''[[Isaac Whittington]]''' |votes = Unopposed |percentage = ''N/A'' |change = ''N/A'' }} {{Election box end}}

{{Election box begin |title=[[1761 British general election|General election 27 March 1761]]: Amersham (2 seats)}} {{Election box candidate |party = Non Partisan |candidate = '''[[William Drake (1723–1796)|William Drake, Sr]]''' |votes = Unopposed |percentage = ''N/A'' |change = ''N/A'' }} {{Election box candidate |party = Non Partisan |candidate = '''[[Benet Garrard]]''' |votes = Unopposed |percentage = ''N/A'' |change = ''N/A'' }} {{Election box end}} * ''Death of Garrard''

{{Election box begin |title=[[1767 Amersham by-election|By-election 4 December 1767]]: Amersham}} {{Election box candidate |party = Non Partisan |candidate = '''[[John Affleck (politician)|John Affleck]]''' |votes = Unopposed |percentage = ''N/A'' |change = ''N/A'' }} {{Election box hold |winner = Non Partisan |swing = ''N/A'' }} {{Election box end}}

{{Election box begin |title=[[1768 British general election|General election 28 March 1768]]: Amersham (2 seats)}} {{Election box candidate |party = Non Partisan |candidate = '''[[William Drake (1723–1796)|William Drake, Sr]]''' |votes = Unopposed |percentage = ''N/A'' |change = ''N/A'' }} {{Election box candidate with party link |party = Tories (British political party) |candidate = '''[[William Drake (1747–1795)|William Drake, Jr]]''' |votes = Unopposed |percentage = ''N/A'' |change = ''N/A'' }} {{Election box end}}

{{Election box begin |title=[[1774 British general election|General election 7 October 1774]]: Amersham (2 seats)}} {{Election box candidate |party = Non Partisan |candidate = '''[[William Drake (1723–1796)|William Drake, Sr]]''' |votes = Unopposed |percentage = ''N/A'' |change = ''N/A'' }} {{Election box candidate with party link |party = Tories (British political party) |candidate = '''[[William Drake (1747–1795)|William Drake, Jr]]''' |votes = Unopposed |percentage = ''N/A'' |change = ''N/A'' }} {{Election box end}}

{{Election box begin |title=[[1780 British general election|General election 8 September 1780]]: Amersham (2 seats)}} {{Election box candidate |party = Non Partisan |candidate = '''[[William Drake (1723–1796)|William Drake, Sr]]''' |votes = Unopposed |percentage = ''N/A'' |change = ''N/A'' }} {{Election box candidate with party link |party = Tories (British political party) |candidate = '''[[William Drake (1747–1795)|William Drake, Jr]]''' |votes = Unopposed |percentage = ''N/A'' |change = ''N/A'' }} {{Election box end}}

{{Election box begin |title=[[1784 British general election|General election 31 March 1784]]: Amersham (2 seats)}} {{Election box candidate |party = Non Partisan |candidate = '''[[William Drake (1723–1796)|William Drake, Sr]]''' |votes = Unopposed |percentage = ''N/A'' |change = ''N/A'' }} {{Election box candidate with party link |party = Tories (British political party) |candidate = '''[[William Drake (1747–1795)|William Drake, Jr]]''' |votes = Unopposed |percentage = ''N/A'' |change = ''N/A'' }} {{Election box end}}

*-- --- 1790 GE *-4 Jun 1795 BE *26 May 1796 GE *-- --- 1802 GE *31 Jan 1805 BE *-- --- 1806 GE *-- --- 1807 GE *21 Nov 1810 BE *-- --- 1812 GE *-- --- 1818 GE *-- --- 1820 GE *-- --- 1826 GE

{{Election box begin no change | title=[[1830 United Kingdom general election|General election, 30 July 1830]]: Amersham<ref name = HOP1820 /> }} {{Election box winning candidate unopposed with party link |party = Tories (British political party) |candidate = William Tyrwhitt-Drake }} {{Election box winning candidate unopposed with party link |party = Tories (British political party) |candidate = [[Thomas Tyrwhitt-Drake]] }} {{Election box registered electors no change |reg. electors = {{circa|130}} }} {{Election box hold with party link no swing |winner = Tories (British political party) }} {{Election box hold with party link no swing |winner = Tories (British political party) }} {{Election box end}}

{{Election box begin no change | title=[[1831 United Kingdom general election|General election, 29 April 1831]]: Amersham<ref name = HOP1820 /> }} {{Election box winning candidate unopposed with party link |party = Tories (British political party) |candidate = William Tyrwhitt-Drake }} {{Election box winning candidate unopposed with party link |party = Tories (British political party) |candidate = [[Thomas Tyrwhitt-Drake]] }} {{Election box registered electors no change |reg. electors = {{circa|130}} }} {{Election box hold with party link no swing |winner = Tories (British political party) }} {{Election box hold with party link no swing |winner = Tories (British political party) }} {{Election box end}}

==See also== * [[List of former United Kingdom Parliament constituencies]] * [[Chesham and Amersham (UK Parliament constituency)]] ''constituency created in 1974''

==References== {{reflist}} * ''Political Change and Continuity 1760-1885: A Buckinghamshire Study'', by Richard W. Davis (David and Charles 1972) * ''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 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) * ''Members of the Long Parliament'' by D Brunton & D H Pennington (London: George Allen & Unwin, 1954) * ''Parliamentary Representation 1832 — England and Wales'' by J Holladay Philbin (New Haven: Yale University Press, 1965)

{{Chiltern}} {{Authority control}}

[[Category:Amersham]] [[Category:Parliamentary constituencies in Buckinghamshire (historic)]] [[Category:Constituencies of the Parliament of the United Kingdom established in 1625]] [[Category:Constituencies of the Parliament of the United Kingdom disestablished in 1832]] [[Category:Rotten boroughs]]