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 of 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

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: ''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

1290–1660

1660–1885

1918–1983

Elections

Elections in the 1830s

Elections in the 1840s

Elections in the 1850s

Thornhill's death caused a by-election. Montagu succeeded to the peerage, becoming 7th Duke of Manchester and causing a by-election. 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.

Elections in the 1860s

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

Elections in the 1870s

Pelly's death caused a by-election.

Elections in the 1880s

Elections in the 1910s

Elections in the 1920s

Elections in the 1930s

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;

Elections in the 1940s

Elections in the 1950s

Elections in the 1960s

Elections in the 1970s

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Notes and references

Notes References

Sources