Hitchin (UK Parliament constituency)
Hitchin | |
---|---|
Former County constituency for the House of Commons | |
![]() Hitchin in Hertfordshire, showing boundaries used from 1974-1983 | |
1885–1983 | |
Number of members | one |
Replaced by | North Hertfordshire, Stevenage[1] |
Created from | Hertfordshire |
Hitchin was a parliamentary constituency in Hertfordshire which returned one Member of Parliament (MP) to the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom from 1885 until it was abolished for the 1983 general election.
Boundaries and boundary changes[]
1885–1918: The Sessional Divisions of Aldbury (except the parishes of Great Hadham and Little Hadham), Buntingford, Hitchin, Odsey, Stevenage, and Welwyn, and the parish of Braughing.[2]
The constituency was established by the Redistribution of Seats Act 1885 (which followed on from the Third Reform Act) as one of four Divisions of the abolished three-member Parliamentary County of Hertfordshire, and was formally named as the Northern or Hitchin Division of Hertfordshire. It included the towns/villages of Hitchin, Stevenage, Welwyn, Baldock and Royston.
1918–1945: The Urban Districts of Baldock, Hitchin, Royston, and Stevenage, the Rural Districts of Ashwell, Buntingford, Hitchin, and Welwyn, and in the Rural District of Hertford the parishes of Aston, Bennington, Datchworth, Sacombe, Walkern, and Watton-at-Stone.[3]
Minor changes.
1945–1950: The Urban Districts of Baldock, Hitchin, Letchworth, Royston, and Stevenage, the Rural Districts of Hitchin, and Welwyn, and parts of the Rural Districts of Braughing and Hertford.[4]
The constituency included a part of the Urban District of Welwyn Garden City, which had been formed as a separate local authority, and this was now transferred to St Albans. Other nominal changes as a result of changes to local authority boundaries.
1950–1955: The Urban Districts of Baldock, Hitchin, Letchworth, Royston, and Stevenage, the Rural District of Hitchin, in the Rural District of Braughing the parishes of Anstey, Ardeley, Aspenden, Broadfield, Buckland, Buntingford, Cottered, Hormead, Meesden, Throcking, Westmilll, and Wyddiall, and in the Rural District of Hertford the parishes of Aston, Bennington, Datchworth, Sacombe, Walkern, and Watton-at-Stone.[5]
The Rural District of Welwyn transferred to St Albans.
1955–1974: The Urban Districts of Baldock, Hitchin, Letchworth, Royston, and Stevenage, and the Rural District of Hitchin.[6]
The part of the Rural District of Braughing transferred to the new County Constituency of East Hertfordshire and the part of the Rural District of Hertford transferred to Hertford.
1974–1983: The Urban Districts of Baldock, Hitchin, Letchworth, and Royston, and the Rural District of Hitchin.[4]
The Urban District of Stevenage formed the majority of the new County Constituency of Hertford and Stevenage.
The constituency was abolished for the 1983 general election and was replaced by the new County Constituency of North Hertfordshire, with the exception of a small part in the south-east which was included in the new County Constituency of Stevenage (Codicote and Knebworth).
Members of Parliament[]
Election | Member | Party | |
---|---|---|---|
1885 | Baron Robert Dimsdale a | Conservative | |
1892 | George Hudson | Conservative | |
1906 | Julius Bertram | Liberal | |
Jan 1910 | Alfred Hillier | Conservative | |
1911 by-election | Lord Robert Cecil b | Conservative | |
1918 | Coalition Conservative | ||
1922 | Conservative | ||
1923 | Guy Kindersley | Conservative | |
1931 | Viscount Knebworth | Conservative | |
1933 by-election | Sir Arnold Wilson | Conservative | |
1941 by-election | Seymour Berry | Conservative | |
1945 | Philip Asterley Jones | Labour | |
1950 | Nigel Fisher | Conservative | |
1955 | Martin Maddan | Conservative | |
1964 | Shirley Williams | Labour | |
Feb 1974 | Ian Stewart | Conservative | |
1983 | constituency abolished |
Notes:-
- a Dimsdale was a Baron of the Russian Empire.
- b Cecil associated himself with the non-coalition wing of the Conservative Party, at some point in the 1918-1922 Parliament.
Elections[]
Elections in the 1880s[]
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Conservative | Robert Dimsdale | 4,419 | 60.6 | ||
Liberal | Henry George Fordham | 2,869 | 39.4 | ||
Majority | 1,550 | 21.2 | |||
Turnout | 7,288 | 81.0 | |||
Registered electors | 8,996 | ||||
Conservative win (new seat) |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Conservative | Robert Dimsdale | Unopposed | |||
Conservative hold |
Elections in the 1890s[]
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Conservative | George Bickersteth Hudson | 4,187 | 60.5 | N/A | |
Liberal | John Wattridge | 2,728 | 39.5 | New | |
Majority | 1,459 | 21.0 | N/A | ||
Turnout | 6,915 | 77.0 | N/A | ||
Registered electors | 8,982 | ||||
Conservative hold | Swing | N/A |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Conservative | George Bickersteth Hudson | Unopposed | |||
Conservative hold |
Elections in the 1900s[]
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Conservative | George Bickersteth Hudson | Unopposed | |||
Conservative hold |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Liberal | Julius Bertram | 4,157 | 50.5 | New | |
Conservative | J J W Miller | 4,081 | 49.5 | N/A | |
Majority | 76 | 1.0 | N/A | ||
Turnout | 8,238 | 83.9 | N/A | ||
Registered electors | 9,820 | ||||
Liberal gain from Conservative | Swing | N/A |
Elections in the 1910s[]
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Conservative | Alfred Hillier | 5,761 | 59.8 | +10.3 | |
Liberal | Julius Bertram | 3,877 | 40.2 | -10.3 | |
Majority | 1,884 | 19.6 | N/A | ||
Turnout | 9,638 | 88.5 | +4.6 | ||
Conservative gain from Liberal | Swing | +10.3 |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Conservative | Alfred Hillier | 5,233 | 57.0 | -2.8 | |
Liberal | Thomas Tylston Greg | 3,942 | 43.0 | +2.8 | |
Majority | 1,291 | 14.0 | -5.6 | ||
Turnout | 9,175 | 84.3 | -4.2 | ||
Conservative hold | Swing | -2.8 |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Conservative | Robert Cecil | 5,542 | 58.6 | +1.6 | |
Liberal | Thomas Tylston Greg | 3,909 | 41.4 | -1.6 | |
Majority | 1,633 | 17.2 | +3.2 | ||
Turnout | 9,451 | 84.8 | +0.5 | ||
Conservative hold | Swing | +1.6 |
General Election 1914–15:
Another General Election was required to take place before the end of 1915. The political parties had been making preparations for an election to take place and by the July 1914, the following candidates had been selected;
- Unionist: Robert Cecil
- Liberal:
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/4/44/Robert_Cecil%2C_1st_Viscount_Cecil_of_Chelwood_cph.3b29913.jpg/120px-Robert_Cecil%2C_1st_Viscount_Cecil_of_Chelwood_cph.3b29913.jpg)
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
C | Unionist | Robert Cecil | 9,828 | 60.6 | +3.6 |
Labour | Robert Green | 5,661 | 34.9 | New | |
NFDDSS | George Humm | 722 | 4.5 | New | |
Majority | 4,167 | 25.7 | +11.7 | ||
Turnout | 16,211 | 54.4 | −29.9 | ||
Registered electors | 29,820 | ||||
Unionist hold | Swing | N/A | |||
C indicates candidate endorsed by the coalition government. |
Elections in the 1920s[]
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Unionist | Robert Cecil | 13,124 | 62.0 | +1.4 | |
Labour | Skene Mackay | 8,049 | 38.0 | +3.1 | |
Majority | 5,075 | 24.0 | −1.7 | ||
Turnout | 21,173 | 66.2 | +7.8 | ||
Registered electors | 32,005 | ||||
Unionist hold | Swing | −0.9 |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Unionist | Guy Kindersley | 11,157 | 49.7 | −12.3 | |
Labour | Skene Mackay | 5,913 | 26.3 | −11.7 | |
Liberal | Dugald Macfadyen | 5,390 | 24.0 | New | |
Majority | 5,244 | 23.4 | −0.6 | ||
Turnout | 22,460 | 67.7 | +1.5 | ||
Registered electors | 33,197 | ||||
Unionist hold | Swing | −0.3 |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Unionist | Guy Kindersley | 14,019 | 59.2 | +9.5 | |
Labour | Julian Athelstan Tayler | 5,773 | 24.4 | −1.9 | |
Liberal | Dugald Macfadyen | 3,881 | 16.4 | −7.6 | |
Majority | 8,246 | 34.8 | +11.4 | ||
Turnout | 23,673 | 69.5 | +1.8 | ||
Registered electors | 34,060 | ||||
Unionist hold | Swing | +5.7 |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Unionist | Guy Kindersley | 14,786 | 44.8 | −14.4 | |
Liberal | Enid Lapthorn | 9,325 | 28.3 | +3.9 | |
Labour | Richard Gifford | 8,880 | 26.9 | +10.5 | |
Majority | 5,461 | 16.5 | −18.3 | ||
Turnout | 32,991 | 73.4 | +3.9 | ||
Registered electors | 44,967 | ||||
Unionist hold | Swing | −9.2 |
Elections in the 1930s[]
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Conservative | Antony Bulwer-Lytton | 25,841 | 75.7 | +30.9 | |
Labour | Dermot Freyer | 8,312 | 24.3 | -2.6 | |
Majority | 17,529 | 51.4 | +34.9 | ||
Turnout | 34,153 | 71.1 | -2.3 | ||
Conservative hold | Swing |
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/d/dd/Sir_Arnold_Wilson.jpg/120px-Sir_Arnold_Wilson.jpg)
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Conservative | Arnold Wilson | 14,569 | 58.4 | -17.3 | |
Labour | William Bennett | 10,362 | 41.6 | +17.3 | |
Majority | 4,207 | 16.8 | -34.6 | ||
Turnout | 24,931 | 51.3 | -19.8 | ||
Conservative hold | Swing |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Conservative | Arnold Wilson | 21,452 | 63.34 | ||
Labour | George Lindgren | 12,417 | 36.66 | ||
Majority | 9,035 | 26.68 | |||
Turnout | 33,869 | 66.44 | |||
Conservative hold | Swing |
Elections in the 1940s[]
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 from 1939 and by the end of this year, the following candidates had been selected;
- Conservative: Arnold Wilson
- Labour: George Lindgren
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Conservative | Seymour Berry | Unopposed | N/A | N/A | |
Conservative hold | Swing | N/A |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Labour | Philip Jones | 20,779 | 42.64 | ||
Conservative | Seymour Berry | 20,433 | 41.93 | ||
Liberal | Thomas Darling | 7,515 | 15.42 | New | |
Majority | 346 | 0.71 | N/A | ||
Turnout | 48,727 | 72.44 | |||
Labour gain from Conservative | Swing |
Elections in the 1950s[]
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Conservative | Nigel Fisher | 23,580 | 45.11 | ||
Labour | Philip Jones | 21,829 | 41.76 | ||
Liberal | Frank Haigh | 6,863 | 13.13 | ||
Majority | 1,751 | 3.35 | n/a | ||
Turnout | 52,272 | 85.78 | |||
Conservative gain from Labour | Swing |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Conservative | Nigel Fisher | 27,719 | 52.64 | ||
Labour | Peter Benenson | 24,941 | 47.36 | ||
Majority | 2,778 | 5.28 | |||
Turnout | 52,660 | 84.98 | |||
Conservative hold | Swing |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Conservative | Martin Maddan | 26,371 | 50.93 | ||
Labour | Peter Benenson | 25,406 | 49.07 | ||
Majority | 965 | 1.86 | |||
Turnout | 51,777 | 83.17 | |||
Conservative hold | Swing |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Conservative | Martin Maddan | 30,193 | 46.82 | ||
Labour | Peter Benenson | 25,818 | 40.03 | ||
Liberal | Robert Glenton | 8,481 | 13.15 | New | |
Majority | 4,375 | 6.79 | |||
Turnout | 64,492 | 85.43 | |||
Conservative hold | Swing |
Elections in the 1960s[]
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Labour | Shirley Williams | 34,034 | 45.84 | ||
Conservative | Martin Maddan | 30,649 | 41.28 | ||
Liberal | Elma Dangerfield | 9,564 | 12.88 | ||
Majority | 3,385 | 4.56 | N/A | ||
Turnout | 74,247 | 84.54 | |||
Labour gain from Conservative | Swing |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Labour | Shirley Williams | 42,233 | 56.52 | ||
Conservative | John Stokes | 32,483 | 43.48 | ||
Majority | 9,750 | 13.04 | |||
Turnout | 74,716 | 65.54 | |||
Labour hold | Swing |
Elections in the 1970s[]
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Labour | Shirley Williams | 40,932 | 48.53 | ||
Conservative | Richard Luce | 37,258 | 44.18 | ||
Liberal | Thomas Willis | 6,148 | 7.29 | New | |
Majority | 3,674 | 4.35 | |||
Turnout | 84,338 | 76.88 | |||
Labour hold | Swing |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Conservative | Ian Stewart | 27,222 | 44.11 | ||
Labour | Ann Mallalieu | 23,204 | 37.60 | ||
Liberal | D Beavan | 10,824 | 17.54 | ||
Independent | P Bianchi | 467 | 0.76 | New | |
Majority | 4,018 | 6.51 | N/A | ||
Turnout | 61,717 | 85.57 | |||
Conservative gain from Labour | Swing |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Conservative | Ian Stewart | 25,842 | 44.59 | ||
Labour | Ann Mallalieu | 22,656 | 39.09 | ||
Liberal | Eric Dix | 9,454 | 16.31 | ||
Majority | 3,186 | 5.50 | |||
Turnout | 57,952 | 79.59 | |||
Conservative hold | Swing |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Conservative | Ian Stewart | 33,169 | 52.54 | ||
Labour | Denis O'Flynn | 19,940 | 31.59 | ||
Liberal | Eric Dix | 8,224 | 13.03 | ||
Ecology | Brian Goodale | 911 | 1.44 | New | |
National Front | Victor Logan | 881 | 1.40 | New | |
Majority | 13,229 | 20.95 | |||
Turnout | 63,125 | 82.19 | |||
Conservative hold | Swing |
References[]
- ^ "Hitchin', Feb 1974 - May 1983". ElectionWeb Project. Cognitive Computing Limited. Retrieved 22 March 2016.[permanent dead link]
- ^ Great Britain, Incorporated Council of Law Reporting for England and Wales. The public general acts. unknown library. Proprietors of the Law Journal Reports, 1884.
- ^ Fraser, Hugh (1918). The Representation of the people act, 1918 : with explanatory notes. University of California Libraries. London : Sweet and Maxwell.
- ^ a b S., Craig, Fred W. (1972). Boundaries of parliamentary constituencies 1885–1972;. Chichester: Political Reference Publications. ISBN 0900178094. OCLC 539011.
- ^ "Representation of the People Act, 1948". www.legislation.gov.uk. Retrieved 2019-02-24.
- ^ S., Craig, Fred W. (1972). Boundaries of parliamentary constituencies 1885–1972;. Chichester: Political Reference Publications. ISBN 0900178094. OCLC 539011.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i British Parliamentary Election Results 1885-1918, FWS Craig
- ^ a b c d e f The Liberal Year Book, 1907
- ^ Debrett's House of Commons & Judicial Bench, 1886
- ^ a b Debrett's House of Commons & Judicial Bench, 1901
- ^ a b Debrett's House of Commons & Judicial Bench, 1916
- ^ British parliamentary election results, 1918-1949 (Craig)
- ^ a b c British Parliamentary Election Results 1918-1949, FWS Craig
- ^ a b c d e British Parliamentary Election Results 1918-1949, F W S Craig
- Parliamentary constituencies in Hertfordshire (historic)
- Hitchin
- Constituencies of the Parliament of the United Kingdom established in 1885
- Constituencies of the Parliament of the United Kingdom disestablished in 1983