Monmouthshire (constituency)

Monmouthshire
Monmouthshire
constituency; for the House of Commons
	Interactive map of the constituency.
	Location of the constituency within Wales
Electorate	72,681 (March 2020)
Major settlements	Abergavenny, Monmouth, Chepstow, Caldicot, Usk
Current constituency
Created	2024
Member of Parliament	Catherine Fookes (Labour)
Seats	one
Created from	Monmouth and Newport East
1536–1885
Seats	one
Type of constituency	County constituency
Replaced by	North Monmouthshire, South Monmouthshire, West Monmouthshire

Monmouthshire (Welsh: Sir Fynwy) is a constituency of the House of Commons in the UK Parliament, and was first contested at the 2024 general election, following the 2023 review of Westminster constituencies. Its current MP is Catherine Fookes, a member of the Labour Party.

It previously existed as a county constituency of the House of Commons of the Parliament of England from 1536 until 1707, of the Parliament of Great Britain from 1707 to 1801, and of the Parliament of the United Kingdom from 1801 to 1885. It elected two Members of Parliament (MPs).

In 1885 the Monmouthshire constituency was divided to create North Monmouthshire, South Monmouthshire and West Monmouthshire.

History and boundaries

Monmouthshire was given representation in the Parliament of England by the Laws in Wales Acts 1535 and 1542. This was later a key point in the long-standing argument about whether the county was or was not part of Wales.

Until the Great Reform Act of 1832, the historic Monmouthshire county constituency covered almost the whole of the county of Monmouth, but not the county town of Monmouth, which was a separate borough constituency. In 1832 this was expanded into the Monmouth Boroughs, taking in more towns to give it more electors.

The Redistribution of Seats Act 1885 split the county constituency into three, North, South, and West Monmouthshire, and then the Representation of the People Act 1918 abolished these, with most of the county joining a new seat called Monmouth. This included the towns of Chepstow, Monmouth, and Abergavenny.

The Monmouthshire constituency was re-established as part of the 2023 review for the 2024 general election under the June 2023 final proposals of the Boundary Commission for Wales.^[2] The boundaries were defined as being coterminous with the unitary authority of the County of Monmouthshire,^[3] so it does not now include those parts of the county in the area of the Newport City Council.

Members of Parliament

MPs 1542–1885

Year	First member	Second member
1542	No names known
1545	Walter Herbert	Charles Herbert^[4]
1547	Sir Thomas Morgan	William Herbert^[4]
1553 (Mar)
1553 (Oct)	Sir Charles Herbert	Thomas Somerset^[4]
1554 (Apr)	Thomas Herbert	James Gunter^[4]
1554 (Nov)	Thomas Somerset	David Lewis^[4]
1555	William Herbert	William Morgan^[4]
1558	Francis Somerset	William Morgan ^[4]
1559 (Jan)	William Morgan I	Thomas Herbert^[5]
1562–1563	Matthew Herbert	George Herbert^[5]
1571	Charles Somerset	William Morgan^[5]
1572 (May)	Charles Somerset	Henry Herbert^[5]
1584 (Sep)	Sir William Herbert	Edward Morgan^[5]
1586 (Sep)	Sir William Herbert	Edward Morgan^[5]
1588 (Oct)	Thomas Morgan II	William John Proger^[5]
1593	Sir William Herbert (died in office, 1593)	Edward Kemeys^[5]
1597 (Sep)	Henry Herbert	John Arnold^[5]
1601 (Oct)	Thomas Somerset	Henry Morgan^[5]
1604	Thomas Somerset	Sir John Herbert
1614	Walter Montagu	William Jones
1621	Sir Edmund Morgan	Charles Williams
1624	Robert Viscount Lisle	Sir William Morgan
1625	Robert Viscount Lisle	Sir William Morgan
1626	Nicholas Arnold	William Herbert
1628	Nicholas Arnold	Nicholas Kemeys
1629–1640	No Parliaments convened
Apr 1640	William Morgan	Walter Rumsey
Nov 1640	Sir Charles Williams repl. 1642 by Henry Herbert	William Herbert, disabled 1644
1645	John Herbert	Henry Herbert
1648	John Herbert	Henry Herbert
1653	Philip Jones

MPs 1654–1660

Year	First member	Second member	Third member
1654	Richard Cromwell, sat for Hampshire repl. by Thomas Morgan	Philip Jones sat for Glamorgan repl. by Thomas Hughes	Henry Herbert
1656	Major General James Berry, sat for Worcestershire repl. by Nathaniel Waterhouse	John Nicholas	Edward Herbert
1659	William Morgan	John Nicholas

MPs 1660–1885

Year		First member	First party	Second member	Second party
1660 (CP)		Henry Somerset, 1st Duke of Beaufort		William Morgan
1661		Henry Somerset, 1st Duke of Beaufort
1667		Sir Trevor Williams, Bt	Whig
Feb 1679		Charles, Lord Herbert
Aug 1679		Sir Trevor Williams, Bt	Whig
1680				Sir Edward Morgan, Bt
1681				Sir Edward Morgan, Bt
1685		Charles, Marquess of Worcester		Sir Charles Kemeys, Bt
1689 (CP)				Sir Trevor Williams, Bt	Whig
1690				Thomas Morgan
1695		Sir Charles Kemeys, Bt
1698		Sir John Williams, Bt
1700
1701 (Jan)				John Morgan	Whig
1705		Sir Hopton Williams, Bt
1708		Thomas Windsor
1710		Thomas Windsor
1712		James Gunter
Apr 1713		Thomas Lewis
Sep 1713		Sir Charles Kemeys, Bt
1715		Thomas Lewis
1720		Thomas Lewis		John Hanbury	Whig
1722		William Morgan, the Elder	Whig
1727		William Morgan, the Elder	Whig
1731		Lord Charles Somerset
1734		Thomas Morgan, the Elder
1735				Charles Hanbury Williams
1741				Charles Hanbury Williams
1747		William Morgan, the Younger	Whig	Capel Hanbury
1754
1761
1763		Thomas Morgan, the Younger
1766				John Hanbury	Whig
1768
1771		John Morgan
1774
1780
1784				Henry, Viscount Nevill
1785				James Rooke
1790
1792		Robert Salusbury
1796		Lt Col Sir Charles Morgan	Whig^[6]
1802
1805				Capt Lord Arthur Somerset
1806
1807
1812
1816				Lord Granville Somerset	Tory^[6]
1818
1820
1826
1830
1831		William Addams Williams	Whig^[6]
1832
1834					Conservative
1835
1837
1841		Octavius Morgan	Conservative^[6]
1847
1848				Edward Arthur Somerset	Conservative
1852
1857
1859				Col Poulett Somerset	Conservative
1865
1868
1871				Lord Henry Somerset	Conservative
1874		Col Frederick Morgan	Conservative	Lord Henry Somerset	Conservative
1880		Col Frederick Morgan	Conservative	John Rolls	Conservative
1885	Constituency divided into: North Monmouthshire, South Monmouthshire, and West Monmouthshire

MPs since 2024

Monmouth and Newport East prior to 2024

Election		Member^[7]	Party
	2024	Catherine Fookes	Labour

Election results

Elections in the 2020s

General election 2024: Monmouthshire^[8]
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labour	Catherine Fookes	21,010	41.3	+9.7
	Conservative	David TC Davies	17,672	34.8	−17.3
	Reform	Max Windsor-Peplow	5,438	10.7	+9.8
	Green	Ian Chandler	2,357	4.6	+2.1
	Liberal Democrats	William Powell	2,279	4.5	−5.1
	Plaid Cymru	Ioan Rhys Bellin	1,273	2.5	+0.1
	Independent	Owen Lewis	457	0.9	N/A
	True & Fair	June Davies	255	0.5	N/A
	Heritage	Emma Meredith	103	0.2	N/A
Majority			3,338	6.5
Turnout			50,844	68.0
Registered electors			74,823
	Labour win (new seat)

Elections in the 2010s

2019 notional result ^[a] ^[9]
Party		Vote	%
	Conservative	27,568	52.1
	Labour	16,731	31.6
	Liberal Democrats	5,071	9.6
	Green Party	1,333	2.5
	Plaid Cymru	1,283	2.4
	Brexit Party	451	0.9
	Independent	435	0.8

Majority		10,837	20.5
Turnout		52,872	72.7
Electorate		72,681

Elections in the 1880s

General election 1880: Monmouthshire^[10]^[11]
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	Frederick Courtenay Morgan	3,529	27.6	*N/A*
	Conservative	John Rolls	3,294	25.8	*N/A*
	Liberal	George Charles Brodrick	3,019	23.6	N/A
	Liberal	Marshall Warmington	2,927	22.9	N/A
Majority			275	2.2	N/A
Turnout			6,385 (est)	75.0 (est)	N/A
Registered electors			8,518
	Conservative hold		Swing	N/A
	Conservative hold		Swing	N/A

Elections in the 1870s

1874 Monmouthshire by-election^[10]
Party		Candidate	Votes
	Conservative	Henry Somerset	Unopposed
Registered electors			7,630
	Conservative hold

Somerset was appointed Comptroller of the Household, triggering a by-election.

General election 1874: Monmouthshire^[10]
Party		Candidate	Votes
	Conservative	Frederick Courtenay Morgan	Unopposed
	Conservative	Henry Somerset	Unopposed
Registered electors			7,630
	Conservative hold
	Conservative hold

1871 Monmouthshire by-election^[10]
Party		Candidate	Votes
	Conservative	Lord Henry Somerset	Unopposed
Registered electors
	Conservative hold

Somerset resigned, triggering a by-election.

Elections in the 1860s

General election 1868: Monmouthshire^[10]
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	Octavius Morgan	3,761	39.1	*N/A*
	Conservative	Poulett Somerset	3,525	36.6	*N/A*
	Liberal	Henry Morgan-Clifford	2,338	24.3	N/A
Majority			1,187	12.3	N/A
Turnout			5,981 (est)	75.0 (est)	N/A
Registered electors			7,971
	Conservative hold
	Conservative hold

General election 1865: Monmouthshire^[10]
Party		Candidate	Votes
	Conservative	Octavius Morgan	Unopposed
	Conservative	Poulett Somerset	Unopposed
Registered electors			4,909
	Conservative hold
	Conservative hold

Elections in the 1850s

1859 Monmouthshire by-election^[10]
Party		Candidate	Votes
	Conservative	Poulett Somerset	Unopposed
Registered electors
	Conservative hold

Somerset resigned by accepting the office of Steward of the Manor of Hempholme, triggering a by-election.

General election 1859: Monmouthshire^[10]
Party		Candidate	Votes
	Conservative	Octavius Morgan	Unopposed
	Conservative	Edward Arthur Somerset	Unopposed
Registered electors			5,073
	Conservative hold
	Conservative hold

General election 1857: Monmouthshire^[10]
Party		Candidate	Votes
	Conservative	Octavius Morgan	Unopposed
	Conservative	Edward Arthur Somerset	Unopposed
Registered electors			5,099
	Conservative hold
	Conservative hold

General election 1852: Monmouthshire^[10]
Party		Candidate	Votes
	Conservative	Octavius Morgan	Unopposed
	Conservative	Edward Arthur Somerset	Unopposed
Registered electors			4,973
	Conservative hold
	Conservative hold

Elections in the 1840s

1848 Monmouthshire by-election^[10]
Party		Candidate	Votes
	Conservative	Edward Arthur Somerset	Unopposed
Registered electors
	Conservative hold

Somerset's death caused a by-election.

General election 1847: Monmouthshire^[10]
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	Octavius Morgan	2,334	34.6	*N/A*
	Conservative	Granville Somerset	2,230	33.0	*N/A*
	Conservative	Edward Arthur Somerset	2,187	32.4	N/A
Majority			43	0.6	N/A
Turnout			3,376 (est)	63.9 (est)	N/A
Registered electors			5,286
	Conservative hold		Swing	N/A
	Conservative hold		Swing	N/A

September 1841 Monmouthshire by-election^[10]
Party		Candidate	Votes
	Conservative	Granville Somerset	Unopposed
Registered electors
	Conservative hold

Somerset was appointed Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, triggering a by-election.

General election 1841: Monmouthshire^[10]
Party		Candidate	Votes
	Conservative	Granville Somerset	Unopposed
	Conservative	Octavius Morgan	Unopposed
Registered electors			4,393
	Conservative hold
	Conservative gain from Whig

February 1841 Monmouthshire by-election^[10]
Party		Candidate	Votes
	Conservative	Octavius Morgan	Unopposed
Registered electors
	Conservative gain from Whig

Williams resigned by accepting the office of Steward of the Chiltern Hundreds, triggering a by-election

Elections in the 1830s

General election 1837: Monmouthshire^[6]^[10]
Party		Candidate	Votes
	Conservative	Granville Somerset	Unopposed
	Whig	William Addams Williams	Unopposed
Registered electors			4,347
	Conservative hold
	Whig hold

General election 1835: Monmouthshire^[6]^[10]
Party		Candidate	Votes
	Conservative	Granville Somerset	Unopposed
	Whig	William Addams Williams	Unopposed
Registered electors			3,714
	Conservative hold
	Whig hold

General election 1832: Monmouthshire^[6]^[10]
Party		Candidate	Votes
	Tory	Granville Somerset	Unopposed
	Whig	William Addams Williams	Unopposed
Registered electors			3,738
	Tory hold
	Whig hold

General election 1831: Monmouthshire^[6]^[12]
Party		Candidate	Votes
	Tory	Granville Somerset	Unopposed
	Whig	William Addams Williams	Unopposed
Registered electors			c. 2,000
	Tory hold
	Whig hold

General election 1830: Monmouthshire^[6]^[12]
Party		Candidate	Votes
	Tory	Granville Somerset	Unopposed
	Whig	Charles Morgan	Unopposed
Registered electors			c. 2,000
	Tory hold
	Whig hold

Notes

↑ Estimate of the 2019 general election result as if the revised boundaries recommended under the 2023 boundary review were in place

References

↑ Mrs Justice Jefford; Thomas, Huw Vaughan; Hartley, Sam A (June 2023). "Appendix 1: Recommended Constituencies" (PDF). The 2023 Review of Parliamentary Constituencies in Wales. Cardiff: Boundary Commission for Wales. p. 250. ISBN 978-1-5286-3901-9. Retrieved 13 July 2024.
↑ 2023 Review of Parliamentary Constituencies – The 2023 Review of Parliamentary Constituencies in Wales (PDF). Boundary Commission for Wales. 28 June 2023.
↑ "The Parliamentary Constituencies Order 2023". Schedule 4 (Wales).
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 "History of Parliament". Retrieved 30 August 2011.
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 "History of Parliament". Retrieved 30 August 2011.
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 Stooks Smith, Henry. (1973) [1844–1850]. Craig, F. W. S. (ed.). The Parliaments of England (2nd ed.). Chichester: Parliamentary Research Services. pp. 217–218. ISBN 0-900178-13-2.
↑ Cite error: The named reference rayment was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
↑ "Election of the Member of Parliament for the Monmouthshire Constituency – Statement of Persons Nominated and Notice of Poll" (PDF). Monmouthshire County Council. 7 June 2024.
↑ "Monmouthshire notional election - December 2019". Rallings & Thrasher, Professor David Denver (Scotland), Nicholas Whyte (NI) for Sky News, PA, BBC News and ITV News. UK Parliament. Retrieved 11 July 2024.
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 Craig, F. W. S., ed. (1977). British Parliamentary Election Results 1832–1885 (1st ed.). London: Macmillan Press. pp. 528–529. ISBN 978-1-349-02349-3.
↑ "The Liberal Candidates for Monmouthshire". South Wales Daily News. 22 August 1885. p. 3. Retrieved 21 December 2017 – via British Newspaper Archive.
1 2 Escott, Margaret. "Monmouthshire". The History of Parliament. Retrieved 6 May 2020.

External links

Browne Willis (1750). Notitia Parliamentaria, Or, An History of the Counties, Cities, and Boroughs in England and Wales: ... The Whole Extracted from Mss. and Printed Evidences ... R. Gosling.
Leigh Rayment's Historical List of MPs – Constituencies beginning with "M" (part 3)
W R Williams Parliamentary History of the Principality of Wales
Monmouthshire UK Parliament constituency (boundaries from June 2024) at MapIt UK

51°46′05″N 2°48′40″W / 51.768°N 2.811°W / 51.768; -2.811

[9] Estimate of the 2019 general election result as if the revised boundaries recommended under the 2023 boundary review were in place

[1] Mrs Justice Jefford; Thomas, Huw Vaughan; Hartley, Sam A (June 2023). "Appendix 1: Recommended Constituencies" (PDF). The 2023 Review of Parliamentary Constituencies in Wales. Cardiff: Boundary Commission for Wales. p. 250. ISBN 978-1-5286-3901-9. Retrieved 13 July 2024.

[Final_proposals_report-2] 2023 Review of Parliamentary Constituencies – The 2023 Review of Parliamentary Constituencies in Wales (PDF). Boundary Commission for Wales. 28 June 2023.

[3] "The Parliamentary Constituencies Order 2023". Schedule 4 (Wales).

[HoP-4] 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 "History of Parliament". Retrieved 30 August 2011.

[HoP2-5] 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 "History of Parliament". Retrieved 30 August 2011.

[stooks-smith-6] 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 Stooks Smith, Henry. (1973) [1844–1850]. Craig, F. W. S. (ed.). The Parliaments of England (2nd ed.). Chichester: Parliamentary Research Services. pp. 217–218. ISBN 0-900178-13-2.

[rayment-7] Cite error: The named reference rayment was invoked but never defined (see the help page).

[2024_Nominations|access-date=08_June_2024-8] "Election of the Member of Parliament for the Monmouthshire Constituency – Statement of Persons Nominated and Notice of Poll" (PDF). Monmouthshire County Council. 7 June 2024.

[10] "Monmouthshire notional election - December 2019". Rallings & Thrasher, Professor David Denver (Scotland), Nicholas Whyte (NI) for Sky News, PA, BBC News and ITV News. UK Parliament. Retrieved 11 July 2024.

[craig1832-11] 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 Craig, F. W. S., ed. (1977). British Parliamentary Election Results 1832–1885 (1st ed.). London: Macmillan Press. pp. 528–529. ISBN 978-1-349-02349-3.

[12] "The Liberal Candidates for Monmouthshire". South Wales Daily News. 22 August 1885. p. 3. Retrieved 21 December 2017 – via British Newspaper Archive.

[hop1820-1832-13] 1 2 Escott, Margaret. "Monmouthshire". The History of Parliament. Retrieved 6 May 2020.

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UK Parliament constituencies in Wales (32)
Labour (27)	Aberafan Maesteg Alyn and Deeside Bangor Aberconwy Blaenau Gwent and Rhymney Bridgend Caerphilly Cardiff East Cardiff North Cardiff South and Penarth Cardiff West Clwyd East Clwyd North Gower Llanelli Merthyr Tydfil and Aberdare Mid and South Pembrokeshire Monmouthshire Montgomeryshire and Glyndŵr Neath and Swansea East Newport East Newport West and Islwyn Pontypridd Rhondda and Ogmore Swansea West Torfaen Vale of Glamorgan Wrexham
Plaid Cymru (4)	Caerfyrddin Ceredigion Preseli Dwyfor Meirionnydd Ynys Môn
Liberal Democrats (1)	Brecon, Radnor and Cwm Tawe