This constituency area tracked the municipal government area of York. Each general revision of English constituencies from 1885 would redefine the York constituency to include any changes to the city council area since the previous revision.
Boundaries of the parliamentary borough / borough constituency of York / City of York
The ancient borough plus two extensions encompassing urbanised parts of the adjoining townships: one to the north, through Clifton and Heworth between the River Ouse and Tang Hall Beck; the other to the southeast through Fulford.[1][8]
The Parliamentary Boundaries Act specified the complete boundary explicitly, to resolve uncertainty over the extent of the "liberty",[8][1] especially at the Knavesmire, unresolved until the Ordnance Survey mapped the area in detail in 1852.[4][10]
The Representation of the People Act 1884 was a partial reform from a property-based franchise towards a residence-based one, with a grandfather clause protecting those who would otherwise have lost their vote. The broader municipal boundary defined the reformed franchise, while the older parliamentary boundary was for the grandfathered property owners.
The representation was also reduced from two members to one. As late as 1951 there was uncertainty over whether the Municipal Corporations Act 1835 had brought the castle within the municipal borough (county borough from 1889);[16] it was included explicitly by the 1918 act but implicitly by the 1948 act.
Parliamentary Constituencies (England) Order 1995[24]
The current (1968) boundaries of the non-metropolitan district and city of York.
Consequent on the Fourth Periodic Review of Westminster constituencies. The name of the constituency was also changed from "York" to "City of York". The non-metropolitan district of York was abolished in 1996 and subsumed into a new, larger, unitary authority named the City of York;[25] however, this did not affect the parliamentary constituency boundary.
By virtue of its importance, York was regularly represented in Parliament from an early date: it had been required to send delegates to the assembly of 1265, but no actual returns survive until the end of the 13th century. The structure of the civic government of the city provided the basis by which it elected its Parliamentary representatives. In the years following the city's Royal Charter, granted in the 1150s, power was held by a Lord Mayor and associated bailiffs. Further expansion of governance saw the establishment of coroners, sheriffs and aldermen. The appointment of twelve aldermen in 1399 led to the establishment of the City Council. Subsequently, other tiers of governance, such as the probi homines and the communitas, would eventually provide the bodies for the election of MPs. Those who occupied such positions were all freemen of the city and frequently came form the mercantile classes rather than the nobility, and were considered the electorate of the city. In the beginnings of the constituency this electorate was about twenty four, but had risen to around seventy five by 1690. Early in the 18th century, the number of freemen being made had increased significantly and this further increased the electorate. By the election of 1830, there were about 3,800 registered voters.[26]
There was a period between 1581 and 1597 where elections were a two-stage process. In the first stage, member of the common chamber of the council and 50 freeholders cast votes and the top four contenders would progress to a second ballot. This ballot was conducted by the Lord Mayor and the aldermen and the top two would be returned as MPs. In 1597 this process was reduced to a single ballot whereby all of those in both the commons and assembly of York would cast two votes. The two contenders with the most votes were returned as MP. From 1628 the process became fully open, as previously the process had an element of pre-approval by the Lord mayor and the aldermen.[26]
A borough constituency consisting of the city of York has been represented in every Parliament since the Model Parliament of 1295. Until 1918, it returned two MPs; since then it has returned one. Until 1997, when its official name became City of York with no boundary changes,[27] the constituency was usually simply called York.
Following their review of parliamentary representation in North Yorkshire, the Boundary Commission for England recommended the creation of two new seats for the City of York. Both the City of York and Vale of York seats were abolished in 2010 and replaced by two new constituencies, namely York Central and York Outer.
This result was subject to a recount, with the original result putting Beresford on 5,659 votes, and Furness with 5,648 votes. The recount then led to the above result. 17 ballot papers were reserved for judgement, of which 12 were in favour of Beresford. Beresford was told he was able to substantiate 11 ballot papers, while Furness was given an estimate of four, leading to Beresford being declared MP.
Another General Election was required to take place before the end of 1915. The political parties had been making preparations for an election to take place and by July 1914, the following candidates had been selected;
^ abcdefgBoundary commissioners (20 January 1832). "York". Reports from Commissioners on proposed division of counties and boundaries of boroughs; Vol. 4 part 2. Sessional papers. Vol. HC 1831-2 xl (357) 1. pp. 171–173 and map facing p. 171.
^S.I. 1983/417 made under the House of Commons (Redistribution of Seats) Act 1949
^Office of Population Censuses and Surveys (1986). "Table 1.5". Electoral Statistics: parliamentary and local government electors in constituencies and local government areas of England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland (EL 13). HMSO: 16.
^"York (City)". Bell's Weekly Messenger. 31 July 1847. p. 3. Retrieved 28 July 2018 – via British Newspaper Archive. (subscription required)
^"General Election, 1841". Morning Post. 29 June 1841. pp. 2–4. Retrieved 28 July 2018 – via British Newspaper Archive. (subscription required)
^"The Pilot". 24 May 1848. p. 2. Retrieved 28 July 2018 – via British Newspaper Archive. (subscription required)
^"York City Election". Bucks Chronicle and Bucks Gazette. 27 May 1848. p. 2. Retrieved 28 July 2018 – via British Newspaper Archive. (subscription required)
^"Derry Journal". 31 May 1848. p. 1. Retrieved 28 July 2018 – via British Newspaper Archive. (subscription required)
^ abCasey, Martin. "York". The History of Parliament. Retrieved 30 April 2020.
^ abcdefghijklmnopqCraig, FWS, ed. (1977). British Parliamentary Election Results 1832-1885 (e-book) (1st ed.). London: Macmillan Press. pp. 346–347. ISBN978-1-349-02349-3.
^"York City Election". Yorkshire Gazette. 3 July 1841. pp. 2–3. Retrieved 10 February 2019 – via British Newspaper Archive. (subscription required)
^"The York Election". Yorkshire Gazette. 27 May 1848. pp. 6–7. Retrieved 10 February 2019 – via British Newspaper Archive. (subscription required)
^"York City Election". Globe. 23 May 1848. p. 2. Retrieved 10 February 2019 – via British Newspaper Archive. (subscription required)
^"York (City)". Evening Mail. 2 July 1852. pp. 4–5. Retrieved 29 July 2018 – via British Newspaper Archive. (subscription required)
^"York City Election". Yorkshire Gazette. 28 March 1857. p. 5. Retrieved 29 July 2018 – via British Newspaper Archive. (subscription required)
^"York Election". Newcastle Guardian and Tyne Mercury. 28 March 1857. p. 8. Retrieved 29 July 2018 – via British Newspaper Archive. (subscription required)
^"York City Election". Yorkshire Gazette. 30 April 1859. p. 13. Retrieved 29 July 2018 – via British Newspaper Archive. (subscription required)
^"York". Bradford Daily Telegraph. 17 November 1868. p. 3. Retrieved 24 March 2018 – via British Newspaper Archive. (subscription required)
^ abcdefghiCraig, FWS, ed. (1974). British Parliamentary Election Results: 1885-1918. London: Macmillan Press. p. 216. ISBN9781349022984.