Bandon (sometimes called Bandon Bridge or Bandonbridge) was a borough constituency representing the parliamentary borough of Bandon in County Cork, Ireland from 1801 to 1885. It elected one Member of Parliament (MP) to the House of Commons of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland.
Bandon was a borough constituency with two representatives in the Irish House of Commons before 1801. The borough retained one member after the Acts of Union, until the borough was disfranchised in 1885.
Contents
Boundaries
A report into the boundaries was undertaken in 1831. The report found that limits of the borough were not known, but as it was certain that it was not co-extensive with the town, it drew a boundary line comprising the whole of what might be considered the town. In 1832 a new boundary was formed for electoral purposes closely encircling the town, and comprising an area of 439 acres (1.78 km2), defined in the Parliamentary Boundaries (Ireland) Act 1832 as:
History
Before the Representation of the People (Ireland) Act 1832, the parliamentary franchise for this constituency was extremely restricted. Only the provost (who was the returning officer for the borough) and the twelve burgesses were enfranchised. The population of the town, in 1821, was 10,179. All the elections in this period were unopposed returns; except for one election in 1831, where only ten voters participated and eleven votes were cast (including the returning officer's casting vote).
Stooks Smith gives an account of this contested election. It was the second by-election of 1831.
This election took place on 22 July. After the Provost, (John Swete, Esq.) had been sworn, the Hon. W.S. Bernard rose, and without preface or remark, proposed Sir Augustus William Clifford, Kt., (the Duke of Devonshire's nominee) as a fit and proper representative for the borough of Bandon in Parliament; John Leslie, Esq., seconded the proposition. The Rev. Somers Payne then rose and proposed Viscount Lowther to the burgesses; the Rev. Richard Meade seconded the nomination. By way of ruse, or pairing off, Viscount Bernard was proposed by John Beamish, Esq., and seconded by Ambrose Hikey, Esq., two gentlemen of opposite opinions.
No other candidate being proposed, the Town Clerk asked the Provost for whom he would vote, in his official capacity? This was objected by Mr. Meade and Mr. Payne, who stated that, though a long time connected with the Corporation, they never knew this line of proceeding to be adopted. This was over-ruled by the assessor, who quoted in support of his opinion, an election case in the borough of Harwich, decided by a majority in the House of Commons. This point disposed of, the polling commenced, when the numbers were declared as follows.
For Sir A. W. Clifford, 4 (Hon. William Smyth Bernard, Hon. Richard Boyle Bernard, John Leslie, Esq., John Swete, Esq.)
For Viscount Lowther, 4 (W.H. Kingston, Esq., Rev. Richard Meade, Rev. Somers Payne, Benjamin Swete, Esq.)
For Viscount Bernard, 2 (John Beamish, Esq., Ambrose Hickey, Esq.)
Members of Parliament
Notable MPs include Lord John Russell, later prime minister (1846–1852 and 1865–1866), and William Shaw, later leader of the Home Rule League (1879–1880).
Elections
Elections in the 1880s
Caused by Bernard's resignation.
Elections in the 1860s
Caused by Bernard's death
Elections in the 1850s
Caused by Bernard's succession to the peerage, becoming 3rd Earl of Bandon
Elections in the 1840s
Caused by Jackson's appointment as Solicitor-General for Ireland
Elections in the 1830s
Note [1831 (July)]: By-election caused by Bernard's resignation. Clifford was elected on the Returning Officer's casting vote. The Returning Officer John Swete was also Provost and had already cast one of the four votes for Clifford, so this was actually his second vote.
Caused by Bernard's succession to the peerage, becoming 2nd Earl of Bandon
