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The Men Behind the Masque: Office-holding in East Anglian boroughs, 1272-1460
[contents]

APPENDIX III
Parliamentary Representation



Certain qualifications must be noted with regard to this analysis. "Re-election" is to be understood in the broader sense, not according to the more strict meaning of election to an immediately succeeding parliament; for justification of this usage, see J.G. Edwards, "Re-election and the medieval parliament," History, II (1926), 204-05.

By "high office" is meant the executive (including Ipswich coroners and Maldon constables), financial officers, and town clerks. For Yarmouth, the figure of 17 in column T, for 1295-1349, ought perhaps to be reduced to 15, as Godfrey de Colneye and William de Gaysele may have briefly served as town clerks.

Maldon is not known to have been represented in parliament before 1332. Due to the paucity of borough records before 1383, the analysis in columns O-T for Maldon, 1350-99, is based on incomplete evidence; and the figures in columns O and P might be more accurate if reversed.

Evidence regarding the identity of administrative personnel in Colchester is unsatisfactory prior to the reign of Edward III; so statistics in columns O-U for the period 1295-1349 should be viewed with caution. Again, for most of the medieval period the membership of Ipswich's portmen council is uncertain; figures for all periods in columns Q, R, and U are therefore likely to be too low, and those in column T too high.

Figures in columns A-K for London, Bristol, and York are given for the sake of comparison; they are taken from McKisack, Parliamentary Representation of English Boroughs, 40-42, 64.

borough period  A   B   C   D   E   F   G   H   I   J   K   L   M   N   O   P   Q   R   S   T   U 
Colchester 1295-1349
1350-1399
1400-1460
48
35
31
95
68
61
25
25
30
12
16
17
5
2
8
0
1
1
4
0
1
0
3
2
0
1
0
2
2
1
2
0
0
52‰
36‰
43‰
32‰
24‰
13‰
0
4
1
10
19
17
4
3
11
0
1
9
17
44
35
17
30
12
11
2
1
40‰
80‰
87‰
Ipswich 1295-1349
1350-1399
1400-1460
48
36
30
92
70
60
33
34
34
16
22
21
7
6
8
3
1
0
3
2
4
1
0
0
1
3
1
2
0
0
0
0
0
52‰
36‰
38‰
21‰
15‰
15‰
1
2
3
11
18
18
8
7
6
?
?
1
33
31
29
21
27
11
17
14
11
33‰+
53‰+
56‰
Lynn 1295-1349
1350-1399
1400-1460
46
45
44
88
88
90
35
40
45
18
19
25
10
10
6
3
5
6
0
3
6
1
1
1
2
1
1
0
1
0
1
0
0
49‰
53‰
42‰
11‰
15‰
18‰
3
6
4
19
35
28
5
4
5
?
0
6
37
74
53
5
1
0
10
0
7
54‰
88‰
76‰
Maldon 1332-1349
1350-1399
1400-1460
19
30
30
35
58
60
12
26
31
6
12
18
1
6
8
3
5
3
0
0
0
1
0
0
0
3
2
1
0
0
0
0
0
50‰
56‰
44‰
17‰
12‰
6‰
0
1
0
?
5
18
?
13
3
?
1
3
?
3
20
?
0
9
?
0
7
?
?
68‰
Norwich 1295-1349
1350-1399
1400-1460
53
43
40
107
83
79
46
32
36
26
17
19
9
2
7
4
7
3
2
1
2
1
3
2
3
1
3
1
1
0
0
0
0
43‰
47‰
47‰
15‰
19‰
19‰
2
3
2
17
26
30
7
4
2
?
?
?
7
10
5
6
9
2
25
2
4
37‰+
81‰+
83‰+
Yarmouth 1295-1349
1350-1399
1400-1460
53
37
30
107
71
58
40
26
39
18
11
26
14
4
11
2
3
0
3
3
1
0
1
0
1
4
0
1
0
1
1
0
0
55‰
58‰
34‰
15‰
31‰
5‰
3
0
2
19
15
22
4
6
5
?
?
?
23
24
13
13
24
13
17
6
14
48‰+
58‰+
58‰+
London

Bristol

York
1354-1399
1400-1500
1307-1399
1400-1500
1307-1399
1400-1500
38
--
--
--
--
--
152
235
138
76
141
80
76
126
74
35
66
54
47
72
45
17
42
41
10
25
12
9
7
7
9
16
9
5
7
3
3
5
1
1
4
4
2
4
4
1
3
0
4
4
3
2
1
0
1
0
0
0
2
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
38‰
43‰
39‰
51‰
36‰
26‰
13‰
10‰
11‰
11‰
18‰
7‰
               

Key:

A    Number of parliaments to which representatives were elected.
B    Number of elections in which the names of the elected are identifiable.
C    Number of individuals elected.
D    Number of individuals who held office once.
E    Number of individuals who held office twice.
F    Number of individuals who held office three times.
G    Number of individuals who held office four times.
H    Number of individuals who held office five times.
I    Number of individuals who held office six to ten times.
J    Number of individuals who held office eleven to fifteen times.
K    Number of individuals who held office more than fifteen times.
L    Percentage of individuals re-elected one or more times.
M    Percentage of 'veterans' (individuals elected four or more times).
N    Number of individuals who were also M.P.s in the subsequent period.
O    Number of individuals who held high office in borough administration previous to their first election as M.P.
P    Number of individuals who held high office only after their first election as M.P.
Q    Number of individuals who were members of the town council, but did not hold high office, prior to their first election as M.P.
R    Number of elections in which the individual elected was at that time a councillor or holder of high office.
S    Number of elections in which the individual elected was the returning officer.
T    Number of individuals not known to have been councillor or holder of high office prior to and during the course of their parliamentary careers.
U    Percentage of individuals associated with borough government (as councillors or holders of high office) prior to their election as M.P.s.
?    Evidence inadequate for analysis.


APPENDICES

Introduction |  Structure of Borough Government |  Social and Economic Background of Office-Holders
Monopolisation of Office |  Attitudes Towards Office-holding |  Professionalism in Administration
Quality of Government |  Conflict and Solidarity in Urban Politics |  Conclusion

Created: September 1, 1998 © Stephen Alsford, 1998-2003

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The contents of ORB are copyright © 2003 Kathryn M. Talarico except as otherwise indicated herein.