Biggleswade (UK Parliament constituency)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Biggleswade | |
|---|---|
| Former constituency for the House of Commons | |
| County | Bedfordshire |
| Major settlements | Biggleswade |
| 1885–1918 | |
| Seats | One |
| Created from | Bedfordshire |
| Replaced by | Bedford and Mid Bedfordshire |
Biggleswade was a county constituency in Bedfordshire which was represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom from 1885 until its abolition in 1918. It elected one Member of Parliament (MP) by the first-past-the-post voting system.
The constituency was created as the Northern or Biggleswade Division of Bedfordshire under the Redistribution of Seats Act 1885, when the two-member Parliamentary County of Bedfordshire was divided into the two single-member constituencies of Biggleswade and Luton. It comprised the sessional divisions of Bedford, Biggleswade and Sharnbrook, part of the sessional division of Ampthill and the municipal borough of Bedford.[1] Only non-resident freeholders of the municipal borough (which comprised the Parliamentary Borough of Bedford) were entitled to vote.
The constituency was abolished in 1918. The northern part of the Division surrounding the Borough of Bedford, including Kempston, was included in the Bedford Division. The southern part, including Ampthill and Biggleswade, was included in the new Mid Bedfordshire Division.
Members of Parliament
| Election | Member[2] | Party | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1885 | Charles Magniac | Liberal | |
| 1886 | Viscount Baring | Liberal Unionist | |
| 1892 | George Russell | Liberal | |
| 1895 | Lord Alwyne Compton | Liberal Unionist | |
| 1906 | Arthur Black | Liberal | |
| 1918 | Constituency abolished | ||
