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

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 ParliamentFirst memberSecond memberThird Member (1654 & 1656 only) 1302 Sir John Swinford 1305 1306 1318 1319 1377 John Herlyngton 1384 1385 Sir Nicholas StukeleySir William Papworth 1386 Sir William Moigne Robert Lovetot 1388 (Feb) Robert Waryn Richard Botiller 1388 (Sep) 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 1397 (Jan) John Stukeley Sir Thomas Waweton 1397 (Sep) John Knyvet 1399 John Herlyngton Robert Beville 1401 Robert Scott Sir Thomas Waweton 1402 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) 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 Robert Scott 1420 Sir Nicholas Stukeley Sir Thomas Waweton 1421 (May) Roger Hunt 1421 (Dec) Robert Stonham Henry Hethe 1422 Sir Thomas Waweton 1422 Roger Hunt 1423 1425Robert Scott 1426 1427 1429?Robert Stonham 1431 1432Robert Stonham 1433 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 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) 1604 Sir Robert Cotton, 1st Baronet, of Connington Sir Oliver Cromwell 1614 Sir Robert Payne 1621–1622 Robert Bevill Sir Robert Payne 1624 Edward Montagu Sir Oliver Cromwell 1625 1626 Sir Robert Payne 1628 Sir Robert Payne Sir Capel Bedel 1629–1640No 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 Nicholas Pedley 1659 Henry Cromwell Nicholas Pedley 1659 Edward Montagu Valentine Walton

1660–1885 YearFirst memberFirst partySecond memberSecond party 1660Viscount Mandeville Henry Cromwell February 1673 Sir Nicholas Pedley November 1673 Robert Apreece February 1679Hon. Ralph Montagu August 1679Sir Thomas Proby, Bt Silius Titus 1685Sir John Cotton, Bt Sir Lionel Walden 1689Robert Montagu Sir Robert Bernard, Bt 1690John Dryden 1693John Proby 1695Heneage Montagu Anthony Hammond June 1698Robert Apreece July 1698John Proby Robert Throckmorton 1699John Dryden 1702William Naylor 1705John Pocklington 1708John Proby 1710Sir John Cotton, Bt 1713Sir Matthew Dudley, Bt WhigRobert Pigott Whig1715John Bigg April 1722Viscount Hinchingbrooke October 1722John Proby 1727Marquess of Hartington Whig1730Robert Pigott 1734Lord Robert Montagu 1739Charles Clarke 1741William Mitchell Coulson Fellowes 1745William Montagu 1747Edward Wortley-Montagu 1754The Lord Carysfort 1761Viscount Mandeville 1762Lord Charles Montagu 1765Robert Bernard 1768Viscount Hinchingbrooke Tory The Earl Ludlow 1792Lancelot Brown 1794Viscount Hinchingbrooke 1796Lord Frederick Montagu 1806Lord Proby 1807William Henry Fellowes Tory1814Lord Proby 1818Lord Frederick Montagu Tory1820Lord John Russell Whig1826Viscount Mandeville Tory1830Lord Strathavon Tory1831 John Bonfoy Rooper Whig1834Conservative 1837Edward Fellowes ConservativeGeorge Thornhill Conservative1852Viscount Mandeville Conservative1855 James Rust 1857Both Heathcote and Fellowes secured the same number of votes and were returned alongside Rust in a treble election. However, after scrutiny, Heathcote was declared unduly elected in July 1857John Heathcoate Whig1859Lord Robert Montagu 1874Sir Henry Pelly, 3rd Baronet 1877Viscount Mandeville 1880William Fellowes ConservativeLord Douglas Gordon Liberal1885constituency abolished, Huntingdon and Ramsey from 1885

1918–1983 YearMemberPartyHuntingdon and Ramsey prior to 19181918Oliver Locker-Lampson Conservative1922Charles Murchison 1923Leonard Costello Liberal1924Sir Charles Murchison Conservative1929 Sidney Peters Liberal1931National Liberal1945 David Renton Liberal National1950National Liberal and Conservative1964Conservative and National Liberal1970Conservative1979John Major 1983constituency abolished, Huntingdon and parts of Peterborough and SW Cambs from 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; Liberal National: Sidney Peters Labour: James LunnonReport of the Annual Conference of the Labour Party, 1939

Elections in the 1940s

Elections in the 1950s

Elections in the 1960s

Elections in the 1970s

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

Notes and references Notes

References

Sources