Chesterton (UK Parliament constituency)

Chesterton is a former United Kingdom Parliamentary constituency. It was created upon the splitting up of the three member Cambridgeshire constituency into three single member divisions in 1885. The seat was abolished in 1918 when Cambridgeshire was recreated as a single-member constituency.

Chesterton
Former County constituency
for the House of Commons
1885–1918
Seatsone
Created fromCambridgeshire
Replaced byCambridgeshire
Isle of Ely

Boundaries

The Redistribution of Seats Act 1885 split the former three-member Cambridgeshire parliamentary county into three single-member divisions. One of these was the Western or Chesterton Division, and the other two were Newmarket and Wisbech.

The contents of the division were defined as:

  • The Municipal Borough of Cambridge;
  • The Sessional Divisions of Arrington and Melbourn, Cambridge and Caxton; and
  • The Parishes of Grunty Fen, Haddenham, Mepal, Stretham, Sutton, Thetford, Wentworth, Wilburton, Witcham and Witchford.[1]

Only non-resident freeholders of the Municipal Borough of Cambridge were entitled to vote.

The seat was named after the town of Chesterton, the only urban area in the constituency, and a suburb of the university town of Cambridge. The built-up area of Chesterton was included within the municipal boundaries of Cambridge in 1912, but this did not affect the constituency.[2]

The remainder of the constituency consisted of the following civil parishes: Abington Pigotts, Arrington, Barrington, Bartlow, Barton, Bassingbourn, Bourn, Boxworth, Caldecote, Caxton, Childerley, Comberton, Conington, Coton, Cottenham, Croxton, Croydon, Dry Drayton, East Hatley, Elsworth, Eltisley, Fowlmere, Foxton, Gamlingay, Girton, Grantchester, Graveley, Great Eversden, Great Shelford, Grunty Fen, Guilden Morden, Haddenham, Hardwick, Harlton, Harston, Haslingfield, Hatley St George, Hauxton, Histon, Impington, Kingston, Knapwell, Kneesworth, Landbeach, Litlington, Little Eversden, Little Gransden, Little Shelford, Lolworth, Long Stanton All Saints, Long Stanton St Michael, Longstowe, Madingley, Melbourn, Meldreth, Mepal, Milton, Newton, Oakington, Orwell, Over, Papworth Everard, the part of Papworth St Agnes in Cambridgeshire, Rampton, the part of Royston in Cambridgeshire, Shepreth, Shingay, Stapleford, Steeple Morden, Stretham, Sutton, Swavesey, Tadlow, Thetford, Thriplow, Toft, Trumpington, Waterbeach, Wendy, Wentworth, Westwick, Whaddon, Wilburton, Willingham, Wimpole, Witcham and Witchford.[2]

Upon its abolition under the Representation of the People Act 1918, the majority of the constituency was combined with the Newmarket (or East Cambridgeshire) division to create a new single member Cambridgeshire seat. Chesterton and areas to the south of Cambridge, which had been added to the Municipal Borough of Cambridge, were now included in the Parliamentary Borough of Cambridge. Northernmost parts were included in the new Isle of Ely constituency.

Members of Parliament
ElectionMemberParty
part of Cambridgeshire prior to 1885
1885 Sir Charles HallConservative
1892 Hugh HoareLiberal
1895 Walter GreeneConservative
1906 Edwin Samuel MontaguLiberal
1918 constituency abolished, Cambridgeshire and part of Isle of Ely from 1918

Election results

Elections in the 1880s
General election 1885: Chesterton[3]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Charles Hall 4,246 50.5
Liberal Neville Goodman[4] 4,161 49.5
Majority 85 1.0
Turnout 8,407 80.3
Registered electors 10,465
Conservative win (new seat)
General election 1886: Chesterton[3]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Charles Hall 4,248 56.5 +6.0
Liberal Clarence Smith[5] 3,272 43.5 −6.0
Majority 976 13.0 +12.0
Turnout 7,520 71.9 −8.4
Registered electors 10,465
Conservative hold Swing +6.0

Elections in the 1890s
Hoare
General election 1892: Chesterton[3]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Hugh Hoare 4,350 52.4 +8.9
Conservative Charles Hall 3,952 47.6 −8.9
Majority 398 4.8 N/A
Turnout 8,302 76.3 +4.4
Registered electors 10,880
Liberal gain from Conservative Swing +8.9
Raymond Greene
General election 1895: Chesterton[3]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Walter Greene 4,432 52.5 +4.9
Liberal Hugh Hoare 4,012 47.5 −4.9
Majority 420 5.0 N/A
Turnout 8,444 79.3 +3.0
Registered electors 10,651
Conservative gain from Liberal Swing +4.9

Elections in the 1900s
General election 1900: Chesterton[3]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Walter Greene 4,190 51.4 −1.1
Liberal Hugh Hoare 3,961 48.6 +1.1
Majority 229 2.8 −2.2
Turnout 8,151 77.2 −2.1
Registered electors 10,554
Conservative hold Swing −1.1
Edwin Montagu
General election 1906: Chesterton[3]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Edwin Montagu 4,829 52.8 +4.2
Conservative Walter Greene 4,316 47.2 −4.2
Majority 513 5.6 N/A
Turnout 9,145 88.1 +10.9
Registered electors 10,386
Liberal gain from Conservative Swing +4.2

Elections in the 1910s
General election January 1910: Chesterton[3]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Edwin Montagu 5,240 52.5 −0.3
Conservative Eustace Widdrington Morrison-Bell 4,735 47.5 +0.3
Majority 505 5.0 −0.6
Turnout 9,975 91.9 +3.8
Liberal hold Swing −0.3
General election December 1910: Chesterton[3]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Edwin Montagu 5,011 51.9 −0.6
Conservative George Newton 4,640 48.1 +0.6
Majority 371 3.8 −1.2
Turnout 9,651 88.9 −3.0
Liberal hold Swing −0.6

See also

References
  1. Great Britain, Incorporated Council of Law Reporting for England and Wales. The public general acts. unknown library. Proprietors of the Law Journal Reports, 1884.
  2. Youngs, Frederic A, Jr. (1979). Guide to the Local Administrative Units of England, Vol.I: Southern England. London: Royal Historical Society. p. 716. ISBN 0-901050-67-9.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  3. F. W. S. Craig (1989), British Parliamentary Election Results, 1885-1918. Aldershot: Parliamentary Research Services. p. 227
  4. "Biographies of Candidates". The Times. 26 November 1885. p. 3.
  5. "Election Intelligence". The Times. 17 June 1886. p. 6.
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