Hampstead (UK Parliament constituency)

Hampstead
Former borough constituency
for the House of Commons
CountyCounty of London
1885–1983
SeatsOne
Created fromMiddlesex
Replaced byHampstead & Highgate

Hampstead was a borough constituency, centered on the Hampstead area of North London. It returned one Member of Parliament (MP) to the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom, who was elected using the first-past-the-post voting system.

It was created for the 1885 general election,[1] and abolished for the 1983 general election, when it was partly replaced by the new Hampstead and Highgate constituency.

Hampstead in the Metropolitan area, boundaries used 1885-1918
Hampstead in the Parliamentary County of London, boundaries used 1918-50
Hampstead in the Parliamentary County of London, boundaries used 1950-74
A map showing the wards of Hampstead Metropolitan Borough as they appeared in 1916.

Boundaries

1885–1918: The parish of St John, Hampstead.[2]

The parliamentary borough of Hampstead was created by the Redistribution of Seats Act 1885, and consisted of the civil parish of St John, Hampstead, Middlesex.[3] The parish had previously formed part of the Parliamentary County of Middlesex.[4] Hampstead lay within the area of the Metropolitan Board of Works, and in 1889 this became the County of London. In 1900 the county was divided into twenty-eight metropolitan boroughs, with the civil parish becoming the Metropolitan Borough of Hampstead.[4]

Parliamentary constituencies were redrawn under the Representation of the People Act 1918, with boundaries in London realigned to those of the metropolitan boroughs. Accordingly, the Hampstead constituency was defined by the legislation as being identical in area to the metropolitan borough of the same name.[4][5] When the next redistribution was carried out under the Representation of the People Act 1948, the term "parliamentary borough" was replaced with "borough constituency". The renamed Hampstead Borough Constituency continued with the same boundaries, with the changes coming into effect for the 1950 general election.[6]

In 1965 both the County of London and the metropolitan boroughs were abolished. Hampstead became part of the larger London Borough of Camden.[4] The changes were not reflected in parliamentary boundaries until 1970. The constituency was officially renamed "Camden, Hampstead Borough Constituency" and was defined as comprising seven wards of the London Borough, namely Adelaide, Belsize, Hampstead Town, Kilburn, Priory, Swiss Cottage and West End.[7] The wards of the borough were altered in 1973, with Swiss Cottage ward replacing Hampstead Central in the constituency's definition.[4] These boundaries were used until 1983, when the seat was abolished.

Members of Parliament

Election[8] Member Party
1885 Sir Henry Holland Conservative
1888 by-election Edward Hoare Conservative
1902 by-election Thomas Milvain Conservative
1905 by-election John Fletcher Conservative
1918 George Balfour Coalition Conservative
1922 Conservative
1941 by-election Charles Challen Conservative
1950 Henry Brooke Conservative
1966 Ben Whitaker Labour
1970 Geoffrey Finsberg Conservative
1983 constituency abolished: see Hampstead & Highgate

Election results

Elections in the 1880s

Marquess of Lorne
General election 1885: Hampstead[9]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Henry Holland 2,785 59.0
Liberal John Campbell 1,910 40.4
Social Democratic Federation Jack Williams 27 0.6
Majority 875 18.6
Turnout 4,722 79.0
Registered electors 5,981
Conservative win (new seat)
Sir Henry Holland
General election 1886: Hampstead[9]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Henry Holland 2,707 74.1 +15.1
Liberal William Ramsay Scott 945 25.9 −14.5
Majority 1,762 48.2 +29.6
Turnout 5,981 61.1 −17.9
Registered electors 5,981
Conservative hold Swing +14.8

Holland was appointed Vice-President of the Committee of the Council on Education, requiring a by-election.

By-election, 11 Aug 1886: Hampstead[9]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Henry Holland Unopposed
Conservative hold

Holland was elevated to the peerage, becoming Lord Knutsford, causing a by-election.

Edward Hoare
By-election, 28 Feb 1888: Hampstead[9]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Edward Brodie Hoare Unopposed
Conservative hold

Elections in the 1890s

General election 1892: Hampstead[9]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Edward Brodie Hoare 3,848 63.2 −10.9
Liberal John Castleman Swinburne-Hanham 2,239 36.8 +10.9
Majority 1,609 26.4 −21.8
Turnout 6,087 73.6 +12.5
Registered electors 8,272
Conservative hold Swing −10.9
General election 1895: Hampstead[9]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Edward Brodie Hoare Unopposed
Conservative hold

Elections in the 1900s

General election 1900: Hampstead[9]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Edward Brodie Hoare Unopposed
Conservative hold
1902 Hampstead by-election
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Thomas Milvain 3,843 64.5 N/A
Liberal George Frederic Rowe 2,118 35.5 New
Majority 1,725 29.0 N/A
Turnout 5,961 58.0 N/A
Registered electors 10,280
Conservative hold Swing N/A
1905 Hampstead by-election[9]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative John Fletcher 4,228 52.6 N/A
Liberal George Frederic Rowe 3,803 47.4 N/A
Majority 425 5.2 N/A
Turnout 8,028 71.1 N/A
Registered electors 11,301
Conservative hold Swing N/A
General election 1906: Hampstead
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative John Fletcher 4,934 52.5 N/A
Liberal George Frederic Rowe 4,461 47.5 N/A
Majority 473 5.0 N/A
Turnout 9,395 81.9 N/A
Registered electors 11,467
Conservative hold Swing N/A

Election in the 1910s

General election January 1910: Hampstead
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative John Fletcher 6,228 61.2 +8.7
Liberal Frank George Howard 3,949 38.8 −8.7
Majority 2,279 22.4 +17.4
Turnout 10,177 84.5 +2.6
Conservative hold Swing +8.7
Samuel Dore
General election December 1910: Hampstead
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative John Fletcher 5,605 64.2 +3.0
Liberal Samuel Lammas Dore 3,129 35.8 −3.0
Majority 2,476 28.4 +6.0
Turnout 8,734 72.5 −12.0
Conservative hold Swing +3.0
General election 1918: Hampstead
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
C Unionist George Balfour 13,393 70.8 +6.6
Labour Skene Mackay 3,646 19.3 New
National John Harris Wrentmore 1,881 9.9 New
Majority 9,747 51.5 +23.1
Turnout 18,920 58.1 +14.6
Unionist hold Swing N/A
C indicates candidate endorsed by the coalition government.

Elections in the 1920s

General election 1922: Hampstead
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Unionist George Balfour 14,596 59.7 −11.1
National Liberal Albert Clavering 5,582 22.9 New
Liberal Lancelot Sackville Fletcher 4,282 17.5 New
Majority 9,014 36.8 −14.7
Turnout 24,460 63.1 +5.0
Unionist hold Swing N/A
General election 1923: Hampstead
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Unionist George Balfour 13,513 58.6 −1.1
Liberal Lancelot Sackville Fletcher 9,538 41.4 +23.9
Majority 3,975 17.2 −19.6
Turnout 23,051 58.0 −5.1
Unionist hold Swing -1.1
General election 1924: Hampstead
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Unionist George Balfour 21,432 79.1 +20.5
Labour Charles Terry Hendin 5,662 20.9 New
Majority 15,770 58.2 +41.0
Turnout 27,094 67.2 +9.2
Unionist hold Swing N/A
General election 1929: Hampstead
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Unionist George Balfour 23,370 58.3 −20.8
Labour F. E. Dawkins 8,473 21.1 +0.2
Liberal M. Leon Freedman 8,273 20.6 New
Majority 14,897 37.1 −21.1
Turnout 40,116 62.8 −4.4
Unionist hold Swing -10.5

Elections in the 1930s

General election 1931: Hampstead
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative George Balfour 36,928 87.1 +28.8
Labour Harry Smith 5,475 12.9 −8.2
Majority 31,453 74.2 +37.1
Turnout 42,403 77.8 +15.0
Conservative hold Swing +18.5
General election 1935: Hampstead
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative George Balfour 28,334 73.2 −13.9
Labour Harry Smith 6,987 18.0 +5.1
Liberal John L. Young 3,396 8.8 New
Majority 21,347 55.2 −19.0
Turnout 38,717 59.0 −18.8
Conservative hold Swing

Elections in the 1940s

1941 Hampstead by-election
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Charles Challen 7,630 67.4 −5.8
National Noel Pemberton Billing 2,734 24.1 New
Independent Progressive Reg Hipwell 636 5.6 New
Independent Arthur L. Dolland 326 2.9 New
Majority 4,896 43.3 N/A
Turnout 11,326 17.3 −41.7
Conservative hold Swing N/A
General election 1945: Hampstead
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Charles Challen 19,652 51.8 −20.4
Labour William Field 18,294 48.2 +30.2
Majority 1,358 3.6 −51.6
Turnout 37,946 68.4 +9.4
Conservative hold Swing N/A

Elections in the 1950s

General election 1950: Hampstead
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Henry Brooke 29,949 52.3 +0.5
Labour William F Hawkins 17,373 30.3 −17.9
Liberal Wilfred Sydney Watson 8,336 14.6 New
Communist R Gore 1,603 2.8 New
Majority 12,576 22.0 +16.4
Turnout 57,261 80.5 +12.1
Conservative hold Swing +11.0
General election 1951: Hampstead
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Henry Brooke 31,346 55.1 +2.8
Labour Arthur Richardson 19,240 33.8 +3.5
Liberal Wilfred Sydney Watson 6,320 11.1 −3.5
Majority 12,106 21.3 −0.7
Turnout 56,906
Conservative hold Swing -0.3
General election 1955: Hampstead
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Henry Brooke 28,226 55.9 +0.8
Labour Arthur Richardson 16,040 31.8 −2.0
Liberal Harry Charles Seigal 6,222 12.3 +1.2
Majority 12,186 24.1 +2.8
Turnout 50,488
Conservative hold Swing +1.4
General election 1959: Hampstead
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Henry Brooke 25,506 53.4 −2.5
Labour David Pitt 13,500 28.3 −3.5
Liberal Harry Charles Seigal 8,759 18.3 +6.0
Majority 12,006 25.1 +1.0
Turnout 47,765
Conservative hold Swing +0.5

Elections in the 1960s

General election 1964: Hampstead[10]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Henry Brooke 19,888 43.3 −10.1
Labour John W T Cooper 18,053 39.3 +11.0
Liberal Renee Soskin 8,019 17.4 −0.9
Majority 1,835 4.0 −21.1
Turnout 45,960 67.6
Conservative hold Swing -10.5
General election 1966: Hampstead[10]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Benjamin Whitaker 22,963 46.8 +7.5
Conservative Henry Brooke 20,710 42.2 −1.1
Liberal Renee Soskin 5,182 10.7 −6.7
Socialist (GB) Harry Baldwin 211 0.4 New
Majority 2,253 4.6 N/A
Turnout 49,066 72.4 +4.8
Labour gain from Conservative Swing +4.3

Elections in the 1970s

General election 1970: Hampstead
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Geoffrey Finsberg 21,264 46.63 +4.4
Labour Benjamin Whitaker 20,790 45.59 −1.2
Liberal John Hans Rudolf Calmann 3,550 7.78 −2.9
Majority 474 1.04 N/A
Turnout 45,604 63.68
Conservative gain from Labour Swing +2.8
General election February 1974: Hampstead
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Geoffrey Finsberg 19,536 43.28 −3.3
Labour Tony Clarke 17,279 38.28 −7.3
Liberal Ronald Henry Longland 8,323 18.44 +10.6
Majority 2,257 5.00 +4.0
Turnout 44,958 70.71
Conservative hold Swing +2.0
General election October 1974: Hampstead
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Geoffrey Finsberg 18,139 44.88 +1.6
Labour Tony Clarke 16,414 40.61 +2.3
Liberal Ronald Henry Longland 5,566 13.77 −4.6
Irish Civil Rights Maureen Frances Teresa Maguire 146 0.36 New
Socialist (GB) Ralph Owen Critchfield 118 0.29 New
Independent Chandra Rao 31 0.08 New
Majority 1,725 4.27 −0.7
Turnout 40,414 63.06
Conservative hold Swing -0.3
General election 1979: Hampstead
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Geoffrey Finsberg 20,410 47.30 +2.4
Labour Ken Livingstone 16,729 38.77 −1.8
Liberal David Radford[11] 5,753 13.33 −0.5
National Front Jean White[11] 255 0.59 New
Majority 3,681 8.53 +4.2
Turnout 43,147 67.41
Conservative hold Swing +2.1

References

  1. ^ T F T Baker; Diane K Bolton; Patricia E C Croot (1989). "Hampstead: Local Government". In C R Elrington (ed.). A History of the County of Middlesex: Volume 9: Hampstead, Paddington. pp. 130–138. Retrieved 19 August 2012.
  2. ^ "Chap. 23. Redistribution of Seats Act, 1885". The Public General Acts of the United Kingdom passed in the forty-eighth and forty-ninth years of the reign of Queen Victoria. London: Eyre and Spottiswoode. 1885. pp. 111–198.
  3. ^ Redistribution of Seats Act 1885. Fourth Schedule: New Boroughs
  4. ^ a b c d e Youngs, Frederic A Jr. (1979). Guide to the Local Administrative Units of England, Vol.I: Southern England. London: Royal Historical Society. pp. 305, 742–745. ISBN 0901050679.
  5. ^ Representation of the People Act 1918. Ninth Schedule: Redistribution of Seats
  6. ^ Representation of the People Act 1948, First Schedule: Parliamentary Constituencies
  7. ^ "The Parliamentary Constituencies (London Borough of Camden) Order 1973", legislation.gov.uk, The National Archives, SI 1973/605, retrieved 26 February 2023
  8. ^ Leigh Rayment's Historical List of MPs – Constituencies beginning with "H" (part 1)
  9. ^ a b c d e f g h Craig, FWS, ed. (1974). British Parliamentary Election Results: 1885–1918. London: Macmillan Press. ISBN 9781349022984.
  10. ^ a b F W S Craig, British Parliamentary Election Results 1950-1973; Political Reference Publications, Glasgow 1973
  11. ^ a b Election Expenses. Parliament of the United Kingdom. 1980. p. 10. ISBN 0102374805.