List of Speakers of the British House of Commons
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List of Speakers of the British House of Commons
List of Speakers of the British House of Commons
This is a list of Speakers of the House of Commons of Great Britain from 1707 to 1800 and the House of Commons of the United Kingdom from 1801.
For the 'prolocutors' and speakers of the House of Commons of England, see List of Speakers of the House of Commons of England.
List of Speakers
Speakers of the House of Commons of Great Britain, 1707–1800
The Kingdom of Great Britain was created by the Acts of Union 1707. At the beginning of 1801, Great Britain was combined with the Kingdom of Ireland to form the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, with a single House of Commons serving the whole kingdom.
| Portrait | Name Constituency (Birth–Death) | Term of office | Retirement peerage | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | John Smith MP for Andover (1655/56–1723) | October 1705 | 1708 | — |
 | Sir Richard Onslow MP for Surrey (1654–1717) [1] | November 1708 | 1710 |
|
 | William Bromley MP for Oxford University (1663–1732) [2] | November 1710 | 1713 | — |
 | Sir Thomas Hanmer Bt MP for Suffolk (1677–1746) [3] | February 1714 | 1715 | — |
 | Sir Spencer Compton KB MP for Sussex (c. 1673–1743) [4] | May 1715 | 1727 |
|
 | Arthur Onslow MP for Surrey (1691–1768) | January 1728 | 1761 | [5] |
 | Sir John Cust Bt MP for Grantham (1718–1770) | November 1761 | 1770 | [6] |
 | Sir Fletcher Norton MP for Guildford (1716–1789) [7] | January 1770 | 1780 |
|
 | Charles Wolfran Cornwall MP for Winchelsea until 1784 MP for Rye from 1784 (1735–1789) | October 1780 | 1789 | [8] |
 | William Grenville MP for Buckinghamshire (1759–1834) [9] | January 1789 | 1789 |
|
 | Henry Addington MP for Devizes (1757–1844) | June 1789 | 1801 |
|
Speakers of the House of Commons of the United Kingdom from 1801
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland was created in 1801. In 1922 the Irish Free State ceased to be part of the UK. The official name of the United Kingdom was changed to the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, in 1927.
| Portrait | Name Constituency (Birth–Death) | Term of office Election | Parliament(s) | Party[10] | Retirement peerage | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Henry Addington MP for Devizes (1757–1844) [11] | June 1789 | 1801 | 1st | Tory |
|
 | Sir John Mitford QC FRS MP for East Looe (1748–1830) | February 1801 | 1802 | 1st | Tory |
|
 | Charles Abbot FRS MP for Helston until 1802 MP for Heytesbury 1802 MP for Woodstock 1802–1806 MP for Oxford University after 1806 (1757–1829) | February 1802 | 1817 | 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th | Tory |
|
 | Sir Charles Manners-Sutton GCB MP for Scarborough until 1832 MP for Cambridge University after 1832 (1780–1845) | January 1817 | 1835[12] | 5th, 6th, 7th, 8th, 9th, 10th, 11th | Tory |
|
 | James Abercromby MP for Edinburgh [19] (1776–1858) | February 1835 | 1839 | 12th, 13th | Whig |
|
.jpg) | Charles Shaw-Lefevre MP for North Hampshire (1794–1888) | May 1839 | 1857 | 13th, 14th, 15th, 16th | Whig |
|
 | John Evelyn Denison MP for North Nottinghamshire (1800–1873) | April 1857 | 1872 | 17th, 18th, 19th, 20th | Liberal |
|
 | Henry Brand GCB MP for Cambridgeshire (1814–1892) | February 1872 | 1884 | 20th, 21st, 22nd | Liberal |
|
 | Arthur Peel MP for Warwick until 1885 MP for Warwick and Leamington after 1885 (1829–1912) | February 1884 | 1895 | 22nd, 23rd, 24th, 25th | Liberal |
|
 | William Gully QC MP for Carlisle (1835–1909) | April 1895 | 1905 | 26th, 27th | Liberal |
|
| 1895 | ||||||
 | James Lowther MP for Penrith until 1918 MP for Penrith and Cockermouth after 1918 (1855–1949) | June 1905 | 1921 | 27th, 28th, 29th, 30th, 31st | Conservative |
|
 | John Henry Whitley MP for Halifax (1866–1935) | April 1921 | 1928 | 31st, 32nd, 33rd, 34th | Liberal (Coalition) | [13] |
 | Edward FitzRoy DL MP for Daventry (1869–1943) | June 1928 | 1943 | 34th, 35th, 36th, 37th | Conservative | [14] |
 | Douglas Clifton Brown MP for Hexham (1879–1958) | March 1943 | 1951 | 37th, 38th, 39th | Conservative |
|
 | William Morrison MC QC MP for Cirencester and Tewkesbury (1893–1961) | October 1951 | 1959 | 40th, 41st | Conservative |
|
| 1951 | ||||||
| Sir Harry Hylton-Foster MP for Cities of London and Westminster (1905–1965) | October 1959 | 1965 | 42nd, 43rd | Conservative | [15] | |
 | Dr Horace King MP for Southampton Itchen (1901–1986) | September 1965 | 1971 | 43rd, 44th, 45th | Labour |
|
 | Selwyn Lloyd CH CBE QC DL MP for Wirral (1904–1978) | January 1971 | 1976 | 45th, 46th, 47th | Conservative |
|
| 1971 | ||||||
| George Thomas MP for Cardiff West (1909–1997) | March 1976 | 1983 | 47th, 48th | Labour |
| |
| Bernard Weatherill MP for Croydon North East (1920–2007) | June 1983 | 1992 | 49th, 50th | Conservative |
| |
 | Betty Boothroyd MP for West Bromwich West (born 1929) | April 1992 | 2000 | 51st, 52nd | Labour |
|
| 1992 | ||||||
 | Michael Martin MP for Glasgow Springburn until 2005 MP for Glasgow North East after 2005 (1945–2018) | October 2000 | 2009[16] | 52nd, 53rd, 54th | Labour |
|
| 2000 | ||||||
_(cropped).jpg) | John Bercow MP for Buckingham (born 1963) | June 2009 | Incumbent[17] | 54th, 55th, 56th, 57th | Conservative | — |
| 2009 | ||||||
References
[1]
Citation Linkopenlibrary.orgOnslow was the last Speaker to be defeated in his constituency in a general election.
Sep 29, 2019, 10:17 PM
[2]
Citation Linkopenlibrary.orgBromley resigned from the chair to become Secretary of State for the Northern Department. He continued to serve in the House of Commons until his death on 13 February 1732.
Sep 29, 2019, 10:17 PM
[3]
Citation Linkopenlibrary.orgHanmer vacated the chair but continued to serve in the House of Commons until 1727.
Sep 29, 2019, 10:17 PM
[4]
Citation Linkopenlibrary.orgCompton vacated the chair but continued to serve in the House of Commons until 1728.
Sep 29, 2019, 10:17 PM
[5]
Citation Linkopenlibrary.orgOnslow, the longest-serving Speaker, retired from the chair and the House of Commons. He seems to have been the last Speaker who survived his term by a significant period without being offered a peerage.
Sep 29, 2019, 10:17 PM
[6]
Citation Linkopenlibrary.orgCust died shortly after he ceased to occupy the chair.
Sep 29, 2019, 10:17 PM
[7]
Citation Linkopenlibrary.orgNorton was not re-elected as Speaker in 1780, but retained his seat as an MP until 1782.
Sep 29, 2019, 10:17 PM
[9]
Citation Linkopenlibrary.orgGrenville resigned from the chair to become Home Secretary. He continued to serve in the House of Commons until 1790.
Sep 29, 2019, 10:17 PM
[10]
Citation Linkopenlibrary.orgParty allegiance at the time of first election as Speaker. The modern convention is for the Speaker to sever connections with his or her former party. From 1935, the Speaker has sought re-election as such, not using a party label. Craig, F.W.S. (1989). British Electoral Facts 1832–1987. Politico's Publishing. ISBN 978-0-900178-30-6.
The general convention is that the Speaker is not opposed by major party candidates at general elections.
Sep 29, 2019, 10:17 PM
[11]
Citation Linkopenlibrary.orgAddington resigned from the chair to become Prime Minister. He continued to serve in the House of Commons until 1805.
Sep 29, 2019, 10:17 PM
[12]
Citation Linkhansard.millbanksystems.comIn 1835 he was defeated for re-election as Speaker - see Parl. Debates, 3rd ser. xxvi. 59- but retained his seat as an MP for a few weeks until he was created a peer. No subsequent Speaker has been defeated or remained in the House of Commons, for more than a few days after leaving the chair.
Sep 29, 2019, 10:17 PM
[13]
Citation Linkopenlibrary.orgWhitley declined the customary peerage upon his retirement from the chair and the House of Commons.
Sep 29, 2019, 10:17 PM
[14]
Citation Linkopenlibrary.orgFitzroy died in office. His widow was created 1st Viscountess Daventry.
Sep 29, 2019, 10:17 PM
[15]
Citation Linkopenlibrary.orgHylton-Foster died in office. His widow was created The Baroness Hylton-Foster.
Sep 29, 2019, 10:17 PM
[16]
Citation Linkopenlibrary.orgMartin resigned the speakership in 2009. He was the first Speaker to be forced to leave the chair by public pressure since Sir John Trevor was expelled from the House and the chair in 1695.
Sep 29, 2019, 10:17 PM
[17]
Citation Linkopenlibrary.orgOn 9 September 2019, Bercow announced that he would stand down on 31 October, or at the next general election, whichever was sooner. "Commons Speaker Bercow to stand down". 9 September 2019. Retrieved 9 September 2019.
Sep 29, 2019, 10:17 PM
[19]
Citation Linkbooks.google.comAnderson, John (1856). A History of Edinburgh from the Earliest Period to the Completion of the Half Century 1850: With Brief Notices of Eminent Or Remarkable Individuals. A. Fullarton & co. p. 444. ISBN 978-1-85285-581-9. Retrieved 21 October 2008.
Sep 29, 2019, 10:17 PM