The Rise of New Boroughs and the Decline of Electoral Localism: The Evolving Composition of the House of Commons, 1386–1558*

Abstract

AbstractThe period between the ‘Wonderful Parliament’ of 1386 and the parliament ended by Queen Mary's death in 1558 saw major changes in the composition of the Commons. From the mid 15th century, there was a new and accelerating expansion in the number of seats. Yet, although these new seats extended representation geographically, the Commons, conceived as a group of individual MPs, did not thereby become more geographically representative. The expansion of numbers was matched by an erosion of the historic link between representation and locality so extensive as to change the character of the Commons. From the late 14th century, local merchants and tradesmen progressively gave place, as representatives of the smaller boroughs, to men whose horizons extended beyond the local and, in many cases, whose principal locality, as lawyers or government officials, was Westminster. This significantly improved the corporate standing of the Commons but, on the assumption that the connections of MPs outside the House determined their conduct within it, diminished their independence from the crown. As the principle of local representation came to be increasingly flouted, it became easier for royal servants to find seats, even without any contentious electoral engineering on the part of royal government, and they did so in increasing numbers.