Thetford (UK Parliament constituency)

Thetford was a parliamentary constituency in Norfolk, England, which elected one Member of Parliament (MP) to the House of Commons. It existed from 1295 until 1868.

History

Thetford was a parliamentary borough, sending two members to Parliament from 1295 until the passing of the Reform Act 1832, when its representation was reduced to one. It was a notoriously corrupt borough, a "rotten borough," where the right to vote was held by a small number of freemen. This made it easily susceptible to manipulation by wealthy patrons, notably the Dukes of Grafton.

The 1832 Act extended the franchise and slightly enlarged the boundaries of the borough, but it remained a small constituency.

Thetford was abolished as a parliamentary constituency in 1868, its representation being subsumed into the county constituencies of Norfolk.

Boundaries

The boundaries of the parliamentary borough corresponded roughly with the municipal boundaries of Thetford.

Notable MPs

Thetford's notable MPs include:

• Robert Devereux, 2nd Earl of Essex (1584-1585)
• Sir Edward Coke (1620-1621)
• Several members of the FitzRoy family (Dukes of Grafton).