Hackney North (UK Parliament constituency) facts for kids

Hackney North in London from 1885 to 1918

Hackney North in London from 1918 to 1950

Hackney North was a special area in London that elected one person to the House of Commons. This person was called a Member of Parliament (MP). The House of Commons is where laws are made in the Parliament of the United Kingdom. This area was part of "The Metropolis," which is what London was called back then. Later, it became part of the County of London.

A Quick Look at Hackney North's History

This area has a long history of being involved in elections. Even before Hackney North was created, people from this part of London were represented in Parliament. For example, since 1265, elections were held for the larger area of Middlesex.

How Hackney North Was Created

In 1832, a big change happened with the Great Reform Act. This law made it so that more people could vote. The area of Hackney became part of a new, larger election area called Tower Hamlets.

Later, in 1868, another important law called the Representation of the People Act was passed. This law created the Hackney election area, which could elect two MPs. This was a big step because it allowed working-class men to vote for the first time.

Hackney North itself was officially created in 1885. This happened because the larger Hackney area was split into three smaller parts, each electing one MP. Hackney North was first used in the general election that year.

When Hackney North Ended

The Hackney North election area existed until 1950. It was removed because of another law, the Representation of the People Act 1948. After that, a new election area called Hackney North and Stoke Newington took its place. Most of the old Hackney North area became part of this new constituency.

Where Was Hackney North?

The exact borders of the Hackney North election area changed over time.

From 1885 to 1918

When it was first created in 1885, Hackney North included:

• The Parish of Stoke Newington.
• Parts of Hackney Parish, specifically the Stamford Hill and West Hackney areas.
• A northern part of the Hackney Ward.

From 1918 to 1950

In 1918, the borders were redrawn again. This was due to the Representation of the People Act 1918. The new borders were based on the wards of the Metropolitan Boroughs that had been set up in London in 1900. Hackney North then included:

• Stamford Hill Ward.
• A part of Clapton Park Ward.
• A part of West Hackney Ward.

Stoke Newington was no longer part of Hackney North. It became its own separate election area.

Who Represented Hackney North?

Many different people served as the MP for Hackney North. Here is a list of the MPs and the political parties they belonged to:

Election Highlights

Elections are how people choose their representatives. In a general election, people vote for who they want to be their MP. A by-election happens when an MP leaves their job before the next general election, so a new vote is held just for that one seat.

Over the years, Hackney North saw many close elections and changes in which party won.

Early Elections (1880s-1900s)

• In 1885, the first MP for Hackney North was Lewis Pelly from the Conservative Party.
• The Conservative Party held the seat for many years.
• In 1906, the Liberal Party won the seat with Thomas Hart-Davies. This was a big change!

Later Elections (1910s-1940s)

• The Conservative Party won back the seat in 1910 with Sir Walter Greene.
• In 1923, the Liberal Party won again with John Hobbis Harris.
• However, the Conservative Party quickly took the seat back in 1924 with Sir Austin Hudson. He held the seat for a long time.
• Finally, in the 1945 general election, the Labour Party won the seat with Henry Edwin Goodrich. This was the last election for Hackney North before it was abolished.

Images for kids

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  A map showing wards in Hackney in 1916.

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  A map showing wards in Stoke Newington in 1916.

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  William Robert Bousfield, an MP for Hackney North.

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  Thomas Hart-Davies, an MP for Hackney North.

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  Sir Walter Greene, an MP for Hackney North.

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  John Hobbis Harris, an MP for Hackney North.