Compton was created by the British North America Act of 1867. It consisted of the Townships of Compton, Westbury, Eaton, Clifton, Hereford, and Augmentation, Bury, Newport, Auckland, Lingwick, Hampden, Ditton, Winslow, Whitton, Marston, Chesham and part of the Township of Clinton. In 1924, it was re-defined to consist of:
the County of Compton;
in the County of Stanstead: the township of Hereford;
in the County of Sherbrooke: the municipalities of Compton and Waterville; and
in the County of Frontenac: the municipalities of Marston South, Ste. Cécile de Whitton, Chesham, Winslow South, Clinton, St. Léon de Marston, Winslow North and the town of Mégantic.
In 1933, it was expanded to include the townships of Eaton and Westbury in the village of Ascot Corner. It was abolished in 1947 when it was redistributed into the Compton—Frontenac and Sherbrooke electoral districts. It was re-created in 1966 from parts of Compton—Frontenac, Mégantic and Stanstead ridings. The new riding was defined to consist of:
the Towns of Coaticook, Cookshire, East Angus, Lac-Mégantic, Rock Island, Scotstown and Waterville;
the County of Compton;
parts of the County of Frontenac;
the county of Stanstead ; and
in the County of Sherbrooke: the village municipality of Compton; the township municipality of Compton; and the municipalities of Ascot Corner and Compton Station.
In 1976, it was expanded to include in the County of Stanstead: the village municipalities of Ayer's Cliff, Beebe Plain, Dixville, Hatley, North Hatley, Saint-Herménégilde and Stanstead Plain; the township municipalities of Barford, Barnston, Hatley, Hatley and Stanstead; the municipalities of Barnston West, Ogden, Sainte-Catherine-de-Hatley, Saint-Herménégilde, Saint-Mathieu-de-Dixville and Stanstead East. It was renamed "Mégantic—Compton—Stanstead" in 1978. In 1987, it was redefined to consist of:
the Towns of Coaticook, Cookshire, East Angus, Lac-Mégantic, Rock Island, Scotstown and Waterville;
the County of Compton;
in the County of Frontenac: the parish municipalities of Courcelles, Saint-Augustin-de-Woburn and Val-Racine; the Township municipality of Marston; the municipalities of Audet, Frontenac, Lac-Drolet, Milan, Nantes, Notre-Dames-des-Bois, Piopolis, Sainte-Cécile-de-Whitton, Saint-Romain, Saint-Sébastien and Stornoway;
in the County of Sherbrooke: the Township Municipality of Ascot; the Municipality of Ascot Corner;
in the County of Stanstead excluding the following: the Town of Magog; the Village Municipality of Omerville; the Township Municipality of Magog;
in the County of Wolfe: the village municipalities of Bishopton, Marbleton, Saint-Gérard and Weedon-Centre; the township municipalities of Dudswell, Stratford and Weedon; the municipality of Fontainebleau.
It was abolished in 1996 when it was merged into Compton—Stanstead riding.
Members of Parliament
This riding elected the following Members of Parliament:
Election results
Compton, 1867–1949
By-election: On Mr. Pope's appointment as Minister of Agriculture, 25 October 1871 By-election: On Mr. Pope's appointment as Minister of Agriculture, 17 October 1878 By-election: On Mr. Pope's death, 1 April 1889 By-election: On election being declared void, Nov. 22, 1905
