Essex was a constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of England from 1290 to 1707, then of the Parliament of Great Britain from 1707 to 1800 and of the Parliament of the United Kingdom from 1801 to 1832. It elected two MPs, traditionally referred to as Knights of the Shire, to the House of Commons. Under the Great Reform Act 1832, it was divided into two two-member constituencies (Essex North and Essex South).
Area covered (current authorities)
East of England
- Essex (ceremonial county) Essex (administrative county) Southend-on-Sea Thurrock
Greater London
Members of Parliament
1290-1640
| Parliament | First member | Second member |
|---|
| 1290 | John le Breton | John Fillol Henry Grapinel John de Beauchamp of Fifield |
| 1295 | John Fillol | Ralph de Arderne |
| 1297 | John Fillol | Henry Grapinel |
| 1298 | Hugh le Blount | Jollan de Duresem |
| 1300 | John Fillol | Hugh le Blount |
| 1301 | John Fillol | Hugh le Blount |
| 1302 | Ralph de Arderne | Jollan de Dureseme |
| 1305 | John de Tany | William de Wauton |
| 1306 | John de Sutton | Ralph le Bigod |
| 1307 | John de Tany | John de la Lee |
| 1309 | Sir Nicholas Barrington | |
| 1313 | Sir Nicholas Barrington | |
| 1322 | Thomas Gobion | Simon de Kynardesle | |
| 1330 | Sir John Barrington | |
| 1334 | Sir John de Coggeshall | |
| 1335 | Sir John de Coggeshall | |
| 1336 | Sir John de Coggeshall | |
| 1339 | Sir John de Coggeshall | |
| 1343 | Sir John de Coggeshall | |
| c1355 | Sir Thomas Tyrell (7 times) | |
| 1358 | Sir John de Coggeshall | |
| 1377 | Sir Robert Swinburne | |
| 1379 | Sir Robert Swinburne | |
| 1380 (Jan) | Sir John Guildesborough | Richard Lyons |
| 1380 (Nov) | Sir John Guildesborough |
| 1382 | Sir Robert Swinburne | |
| 1383 (Feb) | Sir John Guildesborough | |
| 1384 | Sir Robert Swinburne | |
| 1385 | Sir John Guildesborough | |
| 1386 | Sir Robert Marney | Edmund Brokesbourne |
| 1388 (Feb) | Sir John Guildesborough | Thomas Coggeshall |
| 1388 (Sep) | Sir Alexander Walden | Sir John FitzSymond |
| 1390 (Jan) | Sir Robert Swinburne | Sir Robert Marney |
| 1390 (Nov) | Sir Alexander Walden | Thomas Bataill |
| 1391 | Sir William Coggleshall | Sir Walter Lee |
| 1393 | Sir Thomas Swinburne | Sir Walter Lee |
| 1394 | Thomas Bataill | Sir Walter Lee |
| 1395 | Thomas Coggeshall | John Doreward |
| 1397 (Jan) | Sir William Coggleshall | John Doreward |
| 1397 (Sep) | Sir John Howard | Robert Tey |
| 1399 | Thomas Coggeshall | John Doreward |
| 1401 | Sir William Coggleshall | Robert Tey |
| 1402 | Sir William Coggleshall | Sir Gerard Braybrooke |
| 1404 (Jan) | Sir William Bourchier | John Doreward |
| 1404 (Oct) | Sir William Coggleshall | Sir Robert Litton |
| 1406 | Helming Leget | Richard Baynard |
| 1407 | Helming Leget | Sir William Marney |
| 1410 | |
| 1411 | Sir William Coggleshall | John Tyrell |
| 1413 (Feb) | |
| 1413 (May) | John Doreward | John Tyrell |
| 1414 (Apr) | Sir William Coggleshall | John Doreward |
| 1414 (Nov) | William Swinburne | Richard Baynard |
| 1415 | |
| 1416 (Mar) | Robert Darcy | John Tyrell |
| 1416 (Oct) | |
| 1417 | Sir Gerard Braybrooke | John Tyrell |
| 1419 | Robert Darcy | John Tyrell |
| 1420 | Sir William Coggleshall | Lewis John |
| 1421 (May) | Robert Darcy | John Tyrell |
| 1421 (Dec) | Sir William Coggleshall | Richard Baynard |
| 1422 | John Tyrell | Sir William Coggleshall |
| 1423 | Robert Darcy | |
| 1425 | John Tyrell | Robert Darcy |
| 1426 | Lewis John | Robert Darcy |
| 1429 | John Tyrell | |
| 1431 | Sir John Tyrell | Lewis John |
| 1432 | Robert Darcy |
| 1433 | Sir John Tyrell | |
| 1437 | Sir John Tyrell | Lewis John |
| 1439 | Lewis John | Robert Darcy |
| 1442 | Thomas Tyrell | |
| 1445 | Thomas Tyrell | Robert Darcy |
| 1447 | Thomas Tyrell | |
| 1449 | Thomas Tyrell | |
| 1453 | Thomas Thorpe |
| 1455 | John Green | |
| 1459 | Thomas Tyrell | |
| 1460 | John Green | |
| 1495 | Richard FitzLewis |
| 1510–1515 | No names known |
| 1523 | Sir John Marney | ? |
| 1529 | Thomas Bonham | Thomas Audley |
| 1536 | ?Richard Rich | ? |
| 1539 | Sir Richard Rich | Sir Thomas Darcy |
| 1542 | ?Sir Richard Rich | ? |
| 1545 | Sir Richard Rich | Sir Thomas Darcy |
| 1547 | Sir William Petre | Sir Thomas Darcy, ennobled and replaced by Jan 1552 by John Gates |
| 1553 (Mar) | Sir John Gates | ?Sir William Petre |
| 1553 (Oct) | Sir Robert Rochester | Sir William Petre |
| 1554 (Apr) | Sir Robert Rochester | Sir William Petre |
| 1554 (Nov) | Sir Robert Rochester | Sir William Petre |
| 1555 | Sir Robert Rochester | Sir William Petre |
| 1558 | Sir William Petre | Sir Edward Waldegrave |
| 1559 (Jan) | Sir William Petre | Sir Anthony Cooke |
| 1562–3 | Sir William Petre | Sir Anthony Cooke |
| 1571 | Sir Thomas Smith | Sir Thomas Mildmay |
| 1572 (Apr) | Sir Thomas Smith, died and replaced Feb 1581 by Robert Rich | Sir Thomas Barrington |
| 1584 (Nov) | Sir Thomas Heneage | John Petre, 1st Baron Petre |
| 1586 | Sir Thomas Heneage | John Petre, 1st Baron Petre |
| 1588 (Nov) | Sir Thomas Heneage | Sir Henry Grey |
| 1593 | Sir Thomas Heneage | Richard Warren |
| 1597 (Sep) | William Petre | John Wentworth |
| 1601 (Sep) | Henry Maynard | Sir Francis Barrington |
| 1604 | Sir Edward Denny ennobled and replaced 1605 by Sir Gamaliel Capell | Sir Francis Barrington, 1st Baronet |
| 1614 | Sir Robert Rich | Sir Richard Weston |
| 1621-1622 | Sir Francis Barrington, 1st Baronet | Sir John Deane |
| 1624 | Sir Francis Barrington, 1st Baronet | Sir Thomas Cheek |
| 1625 | Sir Francis Barrington, 1st Baronet | Sir Arthur Harris |
| 1626 | Sir Francis Barrington, 1st Baronet | Sir Harbottle Grimston |
| 1628 | Sir Francis Barrington, 1st Baronet | Sir Harbottle Grimston |
| 1629 | Robert Rich, Lord Rich | Sir Harbottle Grimston |
| 1629–1640 | No Parliaments convened |
1640-1832