Honiton

Coordinates: 50°48′N 3°11′W / 50.80°N 3.19°W / 50.80; -3.19

Honiton (/ˈhʌnitən/ or /ˈhɒnitən/) is a market town and civil parish in East Devon, situated close to the River Otter, 17 miles (27 km) north east of Exeter in the county of Devon. Honiton has a population estimated at 11,822 (based on mid-year estimates for the two Honiton Wards in 2009).

History

The town grew along the line of the Fosse Way, the ancient Roman road linking Exeter (Isca Dumnoniorum) to Lincoln (Lindum) on which it was an important stopping point. The location is mentioned in the Domesday Book as Honetone, meaning a farm belonging to Huna. It became an important market town, known for its lace making that was introduced by Flemish immigrants in the Elizabethan era. In the 17th century thousands of people produced lace by hand in their homes, and later in the 19th century Queen Victoria had her wedding dress made of Honiton lace. The town also became known for its pottery. In the mid-18th century the town was largely destroyed by fire. Georgian houses were then built to replace some of those that had been destroyed. Honiton more than doubled in size between the 1960s and 2005, with most development taking place south of the Exeter to Waterloo railway line.

Honiton (UK Parliament constituency)

Honiton was a parliamentary constituency centred on the town of Honiton in east Devon, formerly represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. It sent members intermittently from 1300, consistently from 1640. It elected two Members of Parliament (MPs) until it was abolished in 1868. It was recreated in 1885 as a single-member constituency.

For the 1997 general election, it was merged with the neighbouring constituency of Tiverton to form the Tiverton & Honiton constituency.

Honiton was regarded as a potwalloper borough by the time of Thomas Cochrane. It was notorious for the bribes demanded by its electors, and was therefore a very expensive seat for a candidate to seek election in. The Yonge family of Colyton, patrons of the borough, were almost ruined by representing Honiton on several occasions.Sir William Pole, 4th Baronet (1678–1741) who had twice represented Honiton at great personal financial expense, made an "earnest request and recommendation" in his will that his son would "never stand as a candidate or if chosen will never be prevailed upon to represent or serve in Parliament for the borough of Honiton".