Huntingdonshire (UK Parliament constituency) facts for kids

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Huntingdonshire was a Parliamentary constituency covering the county of Huntingdonshire in England. It was represented by two Members of Parliament in the House of Commons of England until 1707, then in the House of Commons of Great Britain from 1707 to 1800, and then in the House of Commons the Parliament of the United Kingdom from 1801 to 1885.

It was reconstituted as a single-member seat in 1918 and abolished once again in 1983.

History

Huntingdonshire returned two Knights of the Shire from 1290 to 1885 (apart from 1654 to 1659, when it returned three); when elections were contested, the bloc vote system was used.

Under the Redistribution of Seats Act 1885, it was divided between the two single-seat county divisions of Huntingdon and Ramsey, with effect from the 1885 general election.

Under the Representation of the People Act 1918, Huntingdon and Ramsey were re-united and the constituency was reconstituted, returning a single Member of Parliament (MP). Subject to boundary changes for the 1983 general election, the constituency was succeeded by the re-established constituency of Huntingdon. Its MP at the time, John Major, continued to represent it.

Boundaries and boundary changes

1918–1974

The administrative county of Huntingdonshire.

1974–1983

In 1965 Huntingdonshire was merged into the new administrative county of Huntingdon and Peterborough and in the next redistribution of parliamentary seats, which took effect for the February 1974 general election, the constituency was defined as comprising:

The Municipal Boroughs of Huntingdon and Godmanchester, and St Ives:
The Urban Districts of Old Fletton, Ramsey, and St Neots; and
The Rural Districts of Huntingdon, Norman Cross, St Ives, and St Neots.

Eaton Socon in Bedfordshire had been absorbed by the Urban District of St Neots and was transferred from the County Constituency of Mid Bedfordshire. There were other marginal adjustments due to changes in county borders.

As a result of the Local Government Act 1972, the two counties of Cambridgeshire and Isle of Ely, and Huntingdon and Peterborough were merged to form the non-metropolitan county of Cambridgeshire, with effect from 1 April 1974. However, the next redistribution did not come into effect until the 1983 general election, when the majority of the constituency, including Huntingdon, Godmanchester, Ramsey and St Ives, formed the bulk of the re-established onstituency of Huntingdon. Areas to the south of the River Nene, including Fletton and the Ortons, which were now part of the expanded City of Peterborough, were transferred to Peterborough, and southernmost areas, including St Neots, were transferred to the new constituency of South West Cambridgeshire.

Members of Parliament

Constituency created (1290)

1290–1660

Parliament	First member	Second member	Third Member (1654 & 1656 only)
1302	Sir John Swinford
1305
1306
1318
1319
1377	John Herlyngton
1384	John Herlyngton
1385	Sir Nicholas Stukeley	Sir William Papworth
1386	Sir William Moigne	Robert Lovetot
1388 (Feb)	Robert Waryn	Richard Botiller
1388 (Sep)	Robert Waryn	John Herlyngton
1390 (Jan)	Sir William Moigne	Sir Henry Green
1390 (Nov)		Robert Waryn
1391		Robert Lovetot
1393	Sir John Peckbridge	Sir Robert Stokes
1394	John Herlyngton	John Waweton
1395	John Herlyngton	John Waweton
1397 (Jan)	John Stukeley	Sir Thomas Waweton
1397 (Sep)	John Knyvet	Sir Thomas Waweton
1399	John Herlyngton	Robert Beville
1401	Robert Scott	Sir Thomas Waweton
1402		Sir Thomas Waweton
1404 (Jan)		Sir John Tiptoft
1404 (Oct)
1406	John Botiller
1407	Roger Hunt	John Burton
1410
1411	Nicholas Stukeley	Robert Scott
1413 (Feb)
1413 (May)	Roger Hunt	Thomas Beville
1414 (Apr)	Roger Hunt	John Botiller
1414 (Nov)	Nicholas Stukeley	Sir Thomas Waweton
1415		Thomas Beville
1416 (Mar)		Henry Waryn
1416 (Oct)	Sir Nicholas Stukeley	John Hore
1417	Roger Hunt	Thomas Beville
1419	Roger Hunt	Robert Scott
1420	Sir Nicholas Stukeley	Sir Thomas Waweton
1421 (May)	Sir Nicholas Stukeley	Roger Hunt
1421 (Dec)	Robert Stonham	Henry Hethe
1422	Sir Thomas Waweton
1422	Roger Hunt
1423
1425		Robert Scott
1426
1427
1429		?Robert Stonham
1431
1432		Robert Stonham
1433		Robert Stonham
1439	Robert Stonham
1442
1445
1447
1449	Thomas Tresham
1449 (Nov)	Robert Stonham
1450
1453
1472	John Sapcote
1510	John Wynde	John Taylard
1512
1515
1523
1529	Nicholas Harvey	Lawrence Taylard
1536
1539	Richard Cromwell alias Williams	Oliver Leder
1542	(Sir) Richard Cromwell alias Williams	Robert ap Rice
1545
1547	Sir John Baker	Robert ap Rice
1553 (Mar)	?	Thomas Audley
1553 (Oct)	(Sir) Lawrence Taylard	Oliver Leder
1554 (Apr)	Sir Robert Tyrwhitt	Thomas Cotton
1554 (Nov)	William Lawrence	Henry Mannock
1555	Thomas Maria Wingfield	William Mallory
1558	Thomas Cotton	William Lawrence
1559 (Jan)	Sir Robert Tyrwhitt	Simon Throckmorton
1562–1563	Henry Cromwell alias Williams	Richard Dorrington
1571	Sir Henry Darcy	Richard Dorrington
1572 (Apr)	Richard Dorrington, died and replaced 1576 by Sir Henry Darcy	Francis Cromwell alias Williams
1584 (Nov)	Sir Robert Bevill	John Dorrington
1586	Edward Wingfield	George Walton
1588 (Oct)		Oliver Cromwell
1593
1597 (Oct)	Sir Gervase Clifton
1601 (Oct)	Sir Gervase Clifton
1604	Sir Robert Cotton, 1st Baronet, of Connington	Sir Oliver Cromwell
1614	Sir Robert Payne	Sir Oliver Cromwell
1621–1622	Robert Bevill	Sir Robert Payne
1624	Edward Montagu	Sir Oliver Cromwell
1625		Sir Oliver Cromwell
1626		Sir Robert Payne
1628	Sir Robert Payne	Sir Capel Bedel
1629–1640	No Parliaments convened
Apr 1640	Thomas Cotton	Sir Capel Bedel
Nov 1640	Sir Sidney Montagu, disabled 1642 replaced by Edward Montagu October 1645	Valentine Walton
1653	Edward Montagu	Stephen Pheasant
1654		Henry Cromwell	Stephen Pheasant
1656		Henry Cromwell	Nicholas Pedley
1659	Henry Cromwell	Nicholas Pedley
1659	Edward Montagu	Valentine Walton

MPs 1660–1885

Year		First member	First party	Second member	Second party
	1660	Viscount Mandeville		Henry Cromwell
	February 1673	Sir Nicholas Pedley		Henry Cromwell
	November 1673	Sir Nicholas Pedley		Robert Apreece
	February 1679	Hon. Ralph Montagu		Robert Apreece
	August 1679	Sir Thomas Proby, Bt		Silius Titus
	1685	Sir John Cotton, Bt		Sir Lionel Walden
	1689	Robert Montagu		Sir Robert Bernard, Bt
	1690	Robert Montagu		John Dryden
	1693	John Proby		John Dryden
	1695	Heneage Montagu		Anthony Hammond
	June 1698	Robert Apreece		Anthony Hammond
	July 1698	John Proby		Robert Throckmorton
	1699	John Proby		John Dryden
	1702	William Naylor
	1705	John Pocklington
	1708			John Proby
	1710			Sir John Cotton, Bt
	1713	Sir Matthew Dudley, Bt	Whig	Robert Pigott	Whig
	1715	John Bigg		Robert Pigott	Whig
	April 1722			Viscount Hinchingbrooke
	October 1722			John Proby
	1727			Marquess of Hartington	Whig
	1730			Robert Pigott
	1734	Lord Robert Montagu
	1739	Charles Clarke
	1741	William Mitchell		Coulson Fellowes
	1745	William Montagu
	1747	Edward Wortley-Montagu
	1754	The Lord Carysfort
	1761			Viscount Mandeville
	1762			Lord Charles Montagu
	1765			Robert Bernard
	1768	Viscount Hinchingbrooke	Tory	The Earl Ludlow
	1792	Lancelot Brown
	1794	Viscount Hinchingbrooke
	1796			Lord Frederick Montagu
	1806			Lord Proby
	1807			William Henry Fellowes	Tory
	1814	Lord Proby
	1818	Lord Frederick Montagu	Tory
	1820	Lord John Russell	Whig
	1826	Viscount Mandeville	Tory
	1830			Lord Strathavon	Tory
	1831			John Bonfoy Rooper	Whig
	1834		Conservative	John Bonfoy Rooper	Whig
	1837	Edward Fellowes	Conservative	George Thornhill	Conservative
	1852			Viscount Mandeville	Conservative
	1855			James Rust
	1857			James Rust		John Heathcoate	Whig
	1859			Lord Robert Montagu
	1874			Sir Henry Pelly, 3rd Baronet
	1877			Viscount Mandeville
	1880	William Fellowes	Conservative	Lord Douglas Gordon	Liberal
1885		constituency abolished, Huntingdon and Ramsey from 1885

MPs 1918–1983

Year		Member	Party
Huntingdon and Ramsey prior to 1918
	1918	Oliver Locker-Lampson	Conservative
	1922	Charles Murchison	Conservative
	1923	Leonard Costello	Liberal
	1924	Sir Charles Murchison	Conservative
	1929	Sidney Peters	Liberal
	1931	Sidney Peters	National Liberal
	1945	David Renton	Liberal National
	1950		National Liberal and Conservative
	1964		Conservative and National Liberal
	1970		Conservative
	1979	John Major	Conservative
1983		constituency abolished, Huntingdon and parts of Peterborough and SW Cambs from 1983

Elections

Elections in the 1830s

General election 1830: Huntingdonshire (2 seats)
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Tory	George Montagu	1,068	37.3
	Tory	Charles Gordon	990	34.6
	Whig	John Bonfoy Rooper	804	28.1
Majority			186	6.5
Turnout			c. 1,431	c. 75.3
Registered electors			c. 1,900
	Tory hold		Swing
	Tory hold		Swing

General election 1831: Huntingdonshire (2 seats)
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Whig	John Bonfoy Rooper	841	37.8	+9.7
	Tory	George Montagu	812	36.5	−0.8
	Whig	Charles Gordon	573	25.7	−8.9
Turnout			c. 1,113	c. 58.6	c. −16.7
Registered electors			c. 1,900
Majority			29	1.3	N/A
	Whig gain from Tory		Swing	+5.1
Majority			239	10.8	+4.3
	Tory hold		Swing	−0.8

General election 1832: Huntingdonshire (2 seats)
Party		Candidate	Votes
	Whig	John Bonfoy Rooper	Unopposed
	Tory	George Montagu	Unopposed
Registered electors			2,647
	Whig hold
	Tory hold

General election 1835: Huntingdonshire (2 seats)
Party		Candidate	Votes
	Whig	John Bonfoy Rooper	Unopposed
	Conservative	George Montagu	Unopposed
Registered electors			2,653
	Whig hold
	Conservative hold

General election 1837: Huntingdonshire (2 seats)
Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Conservative	Edward Fellowes	1,392	37.5
	Conservative	George Thornhill	1,332	35.9
	Whig	John Bonfoy Rooper	990	26.7
Majority			342	9.2
Turnout			2,284	81.4
Registered electors			2,805
	Conservative hold
	Conservative gain from Whig

Elections in the 1840s

General election 1841: Huntingdonshire (2 seats)
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	Edward Fellowes	Unopposed
	Conservative	George Thornhill	Unopposed
Registered electors			3,054
	Conservative hold
	Conservative hold

General election 1847: Huntingdonshire (2 seats)
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	Edward Fellowes	Unopposed
	Conservative	George Thornhill	Unopposed
Registered electors			3,074
	Conservative hold
	Conservative hold

Elections in the 1850s

Thornhill's death caused a by-election.

By-election, 11 June 1852: Huntingdonshire
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	William Montagu	Unopposed
	Conservative hold

General election 1852: Huntingdonshire (2 seats)
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	Edward Fellowes	Unopposed
	Conservative	William Montagu	Unopposed
Registered electors			2,852
	Conservative hold
	Conservative hold

Montagu succeeded to the peerage, becoming 7th Duke of Manchester and causing a by-election.

By-election, 23 October 1855: Huntingdonshire
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	James Rust	Unopposed
	Conservative hold

General election 1857: Huntingdonshire (2 seats)
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	James Rust	1,192	35.0	*N/A*
	Conservative	Edward Fellowes	1,106	32.5	*N/A*
	Whig	John Heathcote	1,106	32.5	New
Majority			0	0.0	N/A
Turnout			2,255 (est)	77.3 (est)	N/A
Registered electors			2,918
	Conservative hold		Swing	N/A
	Conservative hold		Swing	N/A
	Whig win

Securing the same number of votes, both Fellowes and Heathcote were returned alongside Rust as Members of Parliament. However, after scrutiny, Rust and Fellowes lost one vote, while Heathcote lost two, causing Heathcote to be declared unduly elected on 31 July 1857.

General election 1859: Huntingdonshire (2 seats)
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	Edward Fellowes	1,404	37.1	+4.6
	Conservative	Robert Montagu	1,314	34.7	−0.3
	Liberal	John Heathcote	1,068	28.2	−4.3
Majority			246	6.5	+6.5
Turnout			2,427 (est)	80.3 (est)	+3.0
Registered electors			3,024
	Conservative hold		Swing	+3.4
	Conservative hold		Swing	+0.9

Elections in the 1860s

General election 1865: Huntingdonshire (2 seats)
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	Edward Fellowes	Unopposed
	Conservative	Robert Montagu	Unopposed
Registered electors			2,999
	Conservative hold
	Conservative hold

Montagu's appointment as Vice-President of the Committee of the Council on Education required a by-election.

1867 Huntingdonshire by-election(1 seat)
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	Robert Montagu	Unopposed
	Conservative hold

General election 1868: Huntingdonshire (2 seats)
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	Edward Fellowes	Unopposed
	Conservative	Robert Montagu	Unopposed
Registered electors			3,748
	Conservative hold
	Conservative hold

Elections in the 1870s

General election 1874: Huntingdonshire (2 seats)
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	Edward Fellowes	1,648	38.1	*N/A*
	Conservative	Henry Pelly	1,482	34.3	*N/A*
	Liberal	Douglas Gordon	1,192	27.6	New
Majority			290	6.7	N/A
Turnout			2,757 (est)	76.8 (est)	N/A
Registered electors			3,592
	Conservative hold		Swing	N/A
	Conservative hold		Swing	N/A

Pelly's death caused a by-election.

1877 Huntingdonshire by-election (1 seat)
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	George Montagu	1,468	51.0	−21.4
	Liberal	Henry Wentworth-FitzWilliam	1,410	49.0	+21.4
Majority			58	2.0	−4.7
Turnout			2,878	76.8	0.0
Registered electors			3,748
	Conservative hold		Swing	−21.4

Elections in the 1880s

General election 1880: Huntingdonshire (2 seats)
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	William Fellowes	1,786	35.7	−2.4
	Liberal	Douglas Gordon	1,617	32.3	+4.7
	Conservative	George Montagu	1,596	31.9	−2.4
Turnout			3,403 (est)	86.0 (est)	+9.2
Registered electors			3,955
Majority			169	3.4	−3.3
	Conservative hold		Swing	−2.4
Majority			21	0.4	N/A
	Liberal gain from Conservative		Swing	−2.4

Elections in the 1910s

General election 1918: Huntingdonshire
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
C	Unionist	Oliver Locker-Lampson	10,760	62.6
	Liberal	Robert Christopher Grey	6,416	37.4
Majority			4,344	25.2
Turnout			17,176	62.8
	Unionist win (new seat)
C indicates candidate endorsed by the coalition government.

Elections in the 1920s

Lina Scott Gatty

General election 1922: Huntingdonshire
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Unionist	Charles Murchison	10,079	50.7	−11.9
	Liberal	Lina Scott Gatty	5,123	25.7	−11.7
	Labour	Dermot Freyer	4,697	23.6	New
Majority			4,956	25.0	−0.2
Turnout			19,899	70.7	+7.9
	Unionist hold		Swing	−0.1

Leonard Costello

General election 1923: Huntingdonshire
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Liberal	Leonard Costello	10,465	52.7	+27.0
	Unionist	Charles Murchison	9,404	47.3	−3.4
Majority			1,061	5.4	N/A
Turnout			19,869	69.6	−1.1
	Liberal gain from Unionist		Swing	+15.2

General election 1924: Huntingdonshire
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Unionist	Charles Murchison	12,827	56.9	+9.6
	Liberal	Leonard Costello	9,703	43.1	−9.6
Majority			3,124	13.8	N/A
Turnout			22,530	77.8	+8.2
	Unionist gain from Liberal		Swing	+9.6

General election 1929: Huntingdonshire
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Liberal	Sidney Peters	12,889	45.6	+2.5
	Unionist	Charles Murchison	11,935	42.1	−14.8
	Labour	C S Giddins	3,493	12.3	New
Majority			954	3.5	N/A
Turnout			28,317	77.2	−0.6
	Liberal gain from Unionist		Swing	+8.7

Elections in the 1930s

General election 1931: Huntingdonshire
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	National Liberal	Sidney Peters	23,102	83.3	+37.7
	Labour	Maurice Orbach	4,624	16.7	+4.4
Majority			18,478	66.6	+63.1
Turnout			27,726	74.2	−3.0
	National Liberal Party hold		Swing	+16.7

General election 1935: Huntingdonshire
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	National Liberal	Sidney Peters	17,287	68.7	−14.6
	Labour	James Lievsley George	7,861	31.3	+14.6
Majority			9,426	37.4	−29.2
Turnout			25,148	66.2	−8.0
	National Liberal Party hold		Swing	−14.6

General Election 1939–40

Another General Election was required to take place before the end of 1940. The political parties had been making preparations for an election to take place and by the Autumn of 1939, the following candidates had been selected;

Liberal National: Sidney Peters
Labour: James Lunnon

Elections in the 1940s

General election 1945: Huntingdonshire
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	National Liberal	David Renton	15,389	50.1	−18.6
	Labour	W A Waters	9,458	30.8	−0.5
	Liberal	Henry Walston	5,869	19.1	New
Majority			5,931	19.3	−18.1
Turnout			30,716	65.7	−0.5
	National Liberal Party hold		Swing	−9.1

Elections in the 1950s

General election 1950: Huntingdonshire
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	National Liberal	David Renton	18,551	51.4	+1.3
	Labour	Francis Robert Macdonald	13,096	36.3	+5.5
	Liberal	William George F Thompson	4,442	12.3	−6.8
Majority			5,455	15.1	−4.2
Turnout			36,089	82.6	+16.9
	National Liberal and Conservative hold		Swing	−2.1

General election 1951: Huntingdonshire
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	National Liberal	David Renton	20,845	57.4	+6.0
	Labour	Francis Robert Macdonald	15,487	42.6	+6.3
Majority			5,358	14.8	−0.3
Turnout			36,332	80.8	−1.8
	National Liberal and Conservative hold		Swing	−0.2

General election 1955: Huntingdonshire
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	National Liberal	David Renton	20,609	58.4	+1.0
	Labour	John Albert Franks	14,670	41.6	−1.0
Majority			5,939	16.8	+2.0
Turnout			35,279	77.1	−3.7
	National Liberal and Conservative hold		Swing	+1.0

General election 1959: Huntingdonshire
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	National Liberal	David Renton	20,254	53.9	−4.5
	Labour	John Wilson Fear	11,983	31.8	−9.8
	Liberal	Richard Edward Walter Vanderplank	5,389	14.3	New
Majority			8,271	22.1	+5.3
Turnout			37,626	80.4	+3.3
	National Liberal and Conservative hold		Swing	+2.7

Elections in the 1960s

General election 1964: Huntingdonshire
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	National Liberal	David Renton	20,320	51.1	−2.8
	Labour	Leslie J Potter	12,456	31.3	−0.5
	Liberal	Peter G H Thorold	6,992	17.6	+3.3
Majority			7,864	19.8	−2.3
Turnout			39,768	78.8	−1.6
	Conservative and National Liberal hold		Swing	−1.2

General election 1966: Huntingdonshire
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	National Liberal	David Renton	20,504	49.1	−2.0
	Labour	Martin Lawn	15,276	36.7	+5.4
	Liberal	David Ralph Antony Spreckley	5,900	14.2	−3.4
Majority			5,228	12.4	−7.4
Turnout			41,680	77.6	−1.2
	Conservative and National Liberal hold		Swing	−3.7

Elections in the 1970s

General election 1970: Huntingdonshire
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	David Renton	27,398	54.7	+5.6
	Labour	James P P Curran	17,588	35.1	−1.6
	Liberal	Michael Wilfrid B O'Loughlin	5,082	10.2	−4.0
Majority			9,810	19.6	+7.2
Turnout			50,068	75.3	−2.3
	Conservative hold		Swing	+3.6

General election February 1974: Huntingdonshire
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	David Renton	29,042	44.6	−10.1
	Liberal	Dennis Graham Rowe	19,040	29.2	+19.0
	Labour	Paul Andrew Ormerod	17,066	26.2	−8.9
Majority			10,002	15.4	−4.2
Turnout			65,148	82.4	+7.1
	Conservative hold		Swing	−14.6

General election October 1974: Huntingdonshire
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	David Renton	26,989	45.1	+0.5
	Labour	Alan G Dowson	17,745	29.6	+3.4
	Liberal	Dennis Graham Rowe	15,152	25.3	−3.9
Majority			9,244	15.5	+0.1
Turnout			59,886	75.1	−7.3
	Conservative hold		Swing	−2.9

General election 1979: Huntingdonshire
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	John Major	40,193	55.3	+10.2
	Labour	Julian G H Fulbrook	18,630	25.7	−3.9
	Liberal	Dennis Graham Rowe	12,812	17.6	−7.7
	National Front	K T Robinson	983	1.4	New
Majority			21,563	29.6	+14.1
Turnout			72.618	77.4	+2.3
	Conservative hold		Swing	+7.1

Sources

Leigh Rayment's Historical List of MPs – Constituencies beginning with "H" (part 4)

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