Tower Hamlets (UK Parliament constituency) facts for kids

Tower Hamlets was a special area in Middlesex, England, that used to elect people to the UK Parliament. This area was called a parliamentary borough or constituency. It existed from 1832 to 1885.

During this time, Tower Hamlets chose two Members of Parliament (MPs). These MPs would represent the people of Tower Hamlets in the Parliament of the United Kingdom. It was one of the first five areas like this in the big city area of London. This change happened because of a law called the Reform Act 1832.

At first, the Tower Hamlets area was very large. It covered what is now the London Borough of Tower Hamlets. It also included places like Shoreditch and Hackney. This meant it stretched from the edge of the City of London all the way to the River Lea. In 1868, the area was made smaller. The southern part kept the name Tower Hamlets.

Understanding the Boundaries of Tower Hamlets

The boundaries of a parliamentary area show exactly which places it includes. These boundaries could change over time due to new laws or population growth.

Tower Hamlets: 1832 to 1868 Boundaries

The first boundaries for Tower Hamlets were set by a law called the Parliamentary Boundaries Act 1832. This law said the area included the "Liberty of the Tower" and the "Tower Division of Ossulston Hundred."

It included many different parishes and places. These were like smaller local areas:

Tower Hamlets: 1868 to 1885 Boundaries

Tower Hamlets in the Metropolitan area, showing boundaries used from 1868 to 1885.

In 1867, a new law, the Representation of the People Act 1867, allowed more people to vote. It also changed how parliamentary areas were divided. Because the population in the East End of London was growing fast, the Tower Hamlets area was made smaller.

Some parts, like Bethnal Green, Hackney, and Shoreditch, became part of a new area called the Hackney constituency. The smaller Tower Hamlets area then included:

• The Parish of St. George's-in-the-East
• The Hamlet of Mile End Old Town
• The Poplar Union (which included Bow, Bromley, and Poplar)
• The Stepney Union (which included Limehouse, Ratcliffe, Shadwell, and Wapping)
• The Whitechapel Union (which included Holy Trinity Minories, Mile End New Town, Norton Folgate, Old Artillery Ground, St Botolph Without Aldgate, St Katherine by the Tower, Spitalfields, and Whitechapel)
• The Tower of London.

How Tower Hamlets Was Divided Later

In 1885, the Tower Hamlets parliamentary area was split into seven new, smaller areas. Each of these new areas would elect just one MP. These new areas were: Bow and Bromley, Limehouse, Mile End, Poplar, St George, Stepney, and Whitechapel.

Members of Parliament for Tower Hamlets

The people listed below were the MPs who represented Tower Hamlets in the House of Commons. Tower Hamlets elected two MPs at each general election.