Wandsworth (UK Parliament constituency) facts for kids

Wandsworth was the name of an area that elected a Member of Parliament (MP) to the UK Parliament. This area was called a "borough constituency." It was created in 1885 and stopped existing in 1918.

The Wandsworth constituency covered most of what is now the London Borough of Wandsworth in South London. However, it did not include the area known as Battersea. It always elected one MP using the "first past the post" voting system, where the candidate with the most votes wins.

This constituency was set up by a law called the Redistribution of Seats Act 1885 for the 1885 general election. It was then removed for the 1918 general election.

Where was Wandsworth located?

The Wandsworth constituency included several parishes (small local areas). These were Wandsworth, Tooting Graveney, Streatham, and Putney (which also included Roehampton).

These areas were originally part of the ancient region of Brixton. Before 1885, some of these parishes were part of other constituencies like Mid Surrey and East Surrey.

In 1889, a new area called the County of London was created. Wandsworth became a part of this new county. Later, in 1900, the Metropolitan Borough of Wandsworth was formed. This was a local government area, and it was larger than the parliamentary constituency because it also included Clapham.

The constituency was made up of several communities in northern Surrey. These communities grew quickly and became suburbs of South London as the city expanded. When the County of London was formed, much of the open land within its borders became part of South London.

The shape of the constituency was a bit unusual. It had two main parts connected by the area of Earlsfield, which was developing fast. In the north-west, areas like Putney and central Wandsworth were changing. Working-class homes also started to spread from nearby Battersea, along the River Thames. However, overall, the area was mostly middle-class. New housing estates were built in the south-east, in Tooting and Streatham.

Wandsworth was surrounded by other parliamentary areas. To the north, across the Thames, was Fulham. To the east were Battersea and Clapham. Further east was Norwood. To the south-east was Croydon. To the south was Wimbledon, and to the west was Kingston.

In 1918, the Wandsworth constituency was divided into several new areas. This happened because the area had become much more urban (city-like). The new constituencies that took its place included Putney, Streatham, and Wandsworth Central. Parts of Wandsworth also became part of Balham and Tooting and Clapham.

A look at Wandsworth's political past

Throughout its entire existence, Wandsworth was a "safe seat" for the Conservative Party. This means that a Conservative candidate almost always won the elections there.

The number of people who could vote in Wandsworth grew a lot. In 1885, there were 10,088 voters, and by 1913, there were 39,911. Even with more voters, the area continued to support the Conservative Party.

The first MP for Wandsworth was Henry Kimber. He was a solicitor (a type of lawyer). He became a baronet (a special title) in 1904. Henry Kimber represented Wandsworth until he stepped down in 1913. Even in the 1906 general election, when the Liberal Party won a huge victory across the country, Kimber still won in Wandsworth. His lead over the other candidate was 545 votes, which was a small but clear win.

After Henry Kimber resigned, a special election called a "by-election" was held in 1913. The Conservative candidate, a businessman named Samuel Samuel, won this election. He defeated Joseph Havelock Wilson, who was a Liberal-Labour candidate and a former MP for another area. Samuel Samuel continued to be the MP for Wandsworth until the constituency was divided up in 1918.

Who were the MPs for Wandsworth?

Election results

This section shows the results of the elections held in the Wandsworth constituency.

Elections in the 1880s

Elections in the 1890s

Elections in the 1900s

Elections in the 1910s

General Election 1914–15:

Another General Election was planned to happen before the end of 1915. Political parties were getting ready for it. By July 1914, the following candidates had been chosen:

• Unionist: Samuel Samuel
• Liberal: (No candidate was officially named for the Liberal Party before the election was cancelled due to World War I.)

Images for kids

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  Robert Wallace, a Liberal candidate in 1906.

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  Sir Henry Kimber, the first MP for Wandsworth.

Sources

• Boundaries of Parliamentary Constituencies 1885-1972, compiled and edited by F.W.S. Craig (Parliamentary Reference Publications 1972)
• Social Geography of British Elections 1885-1910. by Henry Pelling (Macmillan 1967)
• Who's Who of British Members of Parliament, Volume II 1886-1918, edited by M. Stenton and S. Lees (Harvester Press 1978)
• Who's Who of British Members of Parliament, Volume III 1919-1945, edited by M. Stenton and S. Lees (Harvester Press 1979)