Huntingdonshire (UK Parliament constituency) facts for kids

Huntingdonshire was a special area in England that elected people to the UK Parliament. These elected people are called Members of Parliament (MPs). They represent the people of their area in the House of Commons, where laws are made.

The Huntingdonshire area was first set up for elections way back in 1290. It elected two MPs for a long time. Then, in 1885, it was split into two smaller areas: Huntingdon and Ramsey.

Later, in 1918, Huntingdonshire was brought back together as one area. From then until 1983, it elected just one MP.

History of Representation

For many centuries, from 1290 to 1885, Huntingdonshire sent two "Knights of the Shire" to Parliament. These were like the early MPs for county areas. For a short time, from 1654 to 1659, it even sent three MPs! When there were elections, people used a system where they could vote for as many candidates as there were seats.

In 1885, a new law called the Redistribution of Seats Act 1885 changed how areas were represented. Huntingdonshire was divided into two separate election areas: Huntingdon and Ramsey. This change started with the general election in 1885.

However, another law in 1918, the Representation of the People Act, brought Huntingdon and Ramsey back together. Huntingdonshire became one election area again, and it elected a single MP. This continued until 1983. After that, the area was mostly replaced by the re-established Huntingdon constituency. A famous MP for Huntingdonshire at that time was John Major, who later became the Prime Minister.

Where Were the Boundaries?

The boundaries of the Huntingdonshire election area changed over time.

From 1918 to 1974

During this period, the election area matched the administrative county of Huntingdonshire. An administrative county is a region managed by a local government.

From 1974 to 1983

In 1965, Huntingdonshire joined with another area to form a new administrative county called Huntingdon and Peterborough. Because of this, the election area's boundaries were updated for the February 1974 general election.

The Huntingdonshire election area then included:

• The towns of Huntingdon, Godmanchester, and St Ives.
• The urban districts of Old Fletton, Ramsey, and St Neots.
• The rural districts of Huntingdon, Norman Cross, St Ives, and St Neots.

Some small changes happened too. For example, Eaton Socon, which was in Bedfordshire, became part of St Neots and was moved into the Huntingdonshire election area.

In 1974, the counties of Cambridgeshire and Isle of Ely, and Huntingdon and Peterborough, were combined to create the new county of Cambridgeshire. Even though the county changed, the election area boundaries stayed the same until the 1983 general election.

When the 1983 election came, most of the Huntingdonshire area, including Huntingdon, Godmanchester, Ramsey, and St Ives, became part of the new Huntingdon election area. Some southern parts, like Fletton and the Ortons, which were now part of Peterborough, moved to the Peterborough election area. The very southernmost parts, including St Neots, went to the new South West Cambridgeshire election area.

Members of Parliament

The Huntingdonshire area had many different MPs over the centuries. From 1290 until 1885, it usually had two MPs. After it was re-established in 1918, it had one MP until it was abolished in 1983. These MPs represented the local people in Parliament, helping to make decisions for the country.

Some of the notable MPs who represented Huntingdonshire include:

• Sir Oliver Cromwell (who was an uncle of the famous Oliver Cromwell) in the early 1600s.
• Lord John Russell, who later became Prime Minister, represented the area in the 1820s.
• David Renton, who was an MP for a very long time, from 1945 to 1979.
• John Major, who later became Prime Minister, was the last MP for Huntingdonshire from 1979 until the area was changed in 1983.

See also

• Parliamentary representation from Huntingdonshire
• List of former United Kingdom Parliament constituencies
• Unreformed House of Commons

Sources

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

Images for kids

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  Lina Scott Gatty

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  Leonard Costello