Did you know .....until 1832 Stroud was represented in Parliament by the two Members of Parliament (MPs) for the County.

It wasn't until the great Reform Act of 1832, that the Stroud constituency was established (still with 2 MPs). The new Stroud constituency covered a wide area around the five valleys.

It was one of only two new parliamentary boroughs which was not based on major cities (the other was Stoke-on-Trent, which at the time was a collection of small pottery towns).

In December 1832, the first MPs to be elected for the new borough were:

W.H. Hyett of Painswick House
David Ricardo junior of Gatcombe Park, Minchinhampton

Hyett, was a Liberal and a supporter of the anti-slavery movement, but served only one term in parliament.