Windsor (UK Parliament constituency)


Windsor /ˈwɪnzə/ is a constituency represented in the House of Commons of the UK Parliament since 2005 by Adam Afriyie of the Conservative Party.

Constituency profile

The re-created constituency, from 1997, has continued a trend of large Conservative Party majorities. In local elections the major opposition party has been the Liberal Democrats, who have had councillors particularly in the town of Windsor itself. Affluent villages and small towns along the River Thames and around the Great Park have continued to contribute to large Conservative majorities, from Wraysbury to Ascot. The only ward with any substantial Labour support is in Colnbrook with Poyle, based in Slough.
Containing one of the least social welfare-dependent demographics and among the highest property prices, the seat has the third highest Conservative share of the vote in the country. At the 2010 election, only two areas voted more strongly towards the Conservative Party: Richmond foremost followed by Beaconsfield in Buckinghamshire.

History

Windsor has had parliamentary representation for centuries, first sending a member in 1301, and continuously from 1424. It elected two members of parliament until 1868, when the constituency was reformed and its representation reduced to one MP. In 1974, the constituency was abolished and a similar one, Windsor and Maidenhead was created. However, in 1997 the constituency was recreated.
The early political history of the area was strongly influenced by the monarch and members of his or her family. Windsor Castle has been an important royal residence throughout the history of the constituency.

17th Century

The pre-1832 franchise of the borough was held by inhabitants paying scot and lot. On 2 May 1689 the House of Commons had decided that the electorate should be limited to the members of Windsor Corporation. This was disputed after the next election, in 1690, when the Mayor submitted two returns of different members. The House of Commons reversed the decision of the previous Parliament and confirmed the scot and lot franchise.

18th Century

There were 278 electors in 1712. Namier and Brooke estimated that, in 1754–1790, there were about 300 electors.
During part of the 18th century the Duke of Cumberland and the Beauclerk family had political interests in the borough.
King George III became personally involved in the hotly contested 1780 general election. George encouraged local landowner Peniston Portlock Powney to stand by paying him £2,500 from the King's personal account. The King wished to defeat Admiral Keppel, an incumbent. The monarch went so far as to canvass tradesmen who dealt with the royal household. After this royal interference in the election, Keppel lost by a narrow 16 votes. Namier and Brooke suggest the Windsor electorate had an independent streak and were difficult to manage.

19th Century

In 1832 a new property based franchise replaced the scot and lot qualification. Under the new system, there were 507 registered electors in 1832. The borough representatives before the Reform Act 1832 included soldiers and people connected with the Royal Household, such as Sir Richard Hussey Vivian and Sir Herbert Taylor. The constituency also returned politicians prominent in national politics, like the Duke of Wellington's elder brother the Earl of Mornington in the [|1780s] and [|1790s] or the future Prime Minister Edward Stanley.
The Ramsbottom family filled one seat from 1806 until 1845. The borough had been loyal to the King's Pittite/Tory ministers in the late 18th and early 19th centuries, but became more favourable to the Whig interest after John Ramsbottom was elected.
By the [|1860s] the monarch had ceased to interfere in local affairs. The borough fell under the patronage of Colonel R. Richardson-Gardner. Richardson-Gardner was a local landowner, who caused some animosity when following the 1868 general election he evicted tenants who did not support him at the polls. This was the last Parliamentary election the Conservatives lost in Windsor.
Despite his methods, Richardson-Gardner was elected to Parliament in 1874.

20th Century

Successive Conservative MPs, before the First World War, had considerable influence in the constituency; especially when they subscribed generously to local institutions such as a hospital.
The county division created in 1918 combined the town of Windsor, with territory to its west, south and east which had formerly been in the Wokingham division. The incumbent MP for Wokingham up to 1918, Ernest Gardner, was the first representative of the expanded Windsor constituency. The Conservative Party retained the seat continuously, until 1974 when a Windsor constituency temporarily disappeared from the House of Commons.

Boundaries and boundary changes

The constituency covers the town of Windsor and various portions of the surrounding area, in Berkshire.
Before 1868: The parliamentary borough of New Windsor was based upon the easternmost town in Berkshire in South East England, which grew up around Windsor Castle and the narrowly defined electorate could also vote for the county representatives. The north boundary of the constituency was on the River Thames, which was then the border between Buckinghamshire which had a seat of the same name and Berkshire, likewise the rest of the borough adjoined the Berkshire county constituency.
1868–1918: The boundaries of the parliamentary borough were extended by the Parliamentary Boundaries Act 1868 to include the villages of Clewer and Eton. Between 1885–1918 the seat to the north of the Thames was the Wycombe division of Buckinghamshire and the other neighbouring constituency was the Wokingham division of Berkshire.
1918–1950: The parliamentary borough was abolished by the Representation of the People Act 1918 and replaced by a county division named Windsor. The local government areas which comprised the constituency were the Municipal Boroughs of New Windsor and Maidenhead, with the Rural Districts of Cookham, Easthampstead, Windsor and a part of Wokingham.
The new constituency comprised the bulk of the abolished Wokingham division, including Maidenhead and rural areas surrounding Windsor and Maidenhead, but excluding the Municipal Borough of Wokingham itself, and incorporating the abolished Borough, with the exception of Eton, which was added to the Wycombe division of Buckinghamshire.
1950–1974: The constituency was reduced in size by the Representation of the People Act 1948, comprising the Municipal Boroughs of New Windsor and Maidenhead, with the Rural Districts of Cookham and Windsor. Rural areas, including the Rural District of Easthampstead were transferred to the re-established County Constituency of Wokingham.
For the February 1974 general election, the constituency was abolished and renamed Windsor and Maidenhead, with no changes to its boundaries; this area plus Eton, which was transferred from Buckinghamshire, became the Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead established under the Local Government Act 1972.
1997–2010: For the 1997 general election, in order to effect an increase in Berkshire's representation from 7 to 8 MPs in accordance with the Fourth Periodic Review of Westminster Constituencies, the Windsor and Maidenhead constituency was abolished and two separate constituencies of Maidenhead and Windsor were created. The majority of the electorate in the abolished constituency was included in Maidenhead, whilst Windsor was joined by Eton and Bray. It also included a ward of Slough Borough Council north of the Thames, which was transferred from the Borough Constituency of Slough, and was extended southwards to include a part of the abolished constituency of East Berkshire, including Ascot and Sunningdale.
The composition of the new constituency was:-
In 1998 there was a small re-alignment of county boundaries in the north east corner of Berkshire. This transferred to the Borough of Slough a small polling district from Surrey and another from Buckinghamshire to form Colnbrook and Poyle This new ward was selected for the Windsor constituency, though involved two polling districts.
2010–present: Further to the Fifth Periodic Review, the composition of the constituency is:-
The constituency gained the northern part of the County Constituency of Bracknell, including Binfield. Bray was transferred to Maidenhead and the Foxborough ward of the Borough of Slough returned to the Borough Constituency thereof.

Members of Parliament

Burgesses in the English Parliament 1510–1707

As there were sometimes significant gaps between Parliaments held in this period, the dates of first assembly and dissolution are given. Where the name of the member has not yet been ascertained or is not recorded in a surviving document, the entry unknown is entered in the table.
The Roman numerals after some names are those used in The House of Commons 1509–1558 and The House of Commons 1558–1603 to distinguish a member from another politician of the same name.
ElectedAssembledDissolvedFirst memberSecond member
151021 January 151023 February 1510John WellesWilliam Pury
15124 February 15124 March 1514John WellesThomas Rider
15155 February 151522 December 1515John WellesThomas Rider
152315 April 152313 August 1523unknownunknown
15293 November 152914 April 1536Thomas WardeWilliam Simonds
15368 June 153618 July 1536unknownunknown
153928 April 153924 July 1540unknownunknown
154216 January 154228 March 1544Richard WardeWilliam Simonds
154523 November 154531 January 1547Thomas Leghunknown
15474 November 154715 April 1552Richard WardeEdward Weldon
By January 15524 November 154715 April 1552Richard WardeThomas Little
15531 March 155331 March 1553Richard WardeRichard Amyce
15535 October 15535 December 1553Richard WardeThomas Good
15542 April 15543 May 1554Richard WardeThomas Butler II
155412 November 155416 January 1555Richard WardeWilliam Norreys
155521 October 15559 December 1555Richard WardeWilliam Norreys
14 January 155820 January 155817 November 1558William HanleyWilliam Norreys
5 January 155923 January 15598 May 1559Thomas WeldonRoger Amyce
1562 or 156311 January 15632 January 1567Richard GallysJohn Gresham
15712 April 157129 May 1571John ThomsonHumphrey Michell
12 April 15728 May 157219 April 1583Edmund DockwraRichard Gallys
15768 May 157219 April 1583Edmund DockwraHumphrey Michell
16 November 158423 November 158414 September 1585Henry NevilleJohn Croke III
28 September 158613 October 158623 March 1587Henry NevilleGeorge Woodward
10 October 15884 February 158929 March 1589Henry NevilleEdward Hake
26 October 15884 February 158929 March 1589Edward Neville IEdward Hake
159318 February 159310 April 1593Henry NevilleEdward Neville II
16 October 159724 October 15979 February 1598Julius CaesarJohn Norreys
1 October 160127 October 160119 December 1601Julius Caesar John Norreys
160419 March 16049 February 1611Samuel BackhouseThomas Durdent died and
replaced by Sir Francis Howard
16145 April 16147 June 1614Sir Richard LovelaceThomas Woodward
162116 January 16218 February 1622Sir Charles HowardSir Robert Bennet
162412 February 162427 March 1625Edmund SawyerThomas Woodward died and
replaced by Sir William Hewitt
162517 May 162512 August 1625William RussellHumphrey Newbury
16266 February 162615 June 1626William RussellHumphrey Newbury
162817 March 162810 March 1629William BeecherThomas Hewett
No parliament held---
164013 April 16405 May 1640Sir Arthur IngramSir Richard Harrison
16403 November 16405 December 1648Cornelius HollandWilliam Taylor
Richard Winwood
16406 December 164820 April 1653 Cornelius HollandWilliam Taylor
Richard Winwood
1653 4 July 165312 December 1653unrepresentedunrepresented
1654 3 September 165422 January 1655unrepresentedunrepresented
1656 17 September 16564 February 1658unrepresentedunrepresented
165927 January 165922 April 1659George StarkeyChristopher Whichcote
N/A 7 May 165920 February 1660unknownunknown
N/A 21 February 166016 March 1660unknownunknown
3 April 166025 April 166029 December 1660Alexander BakerRoger Palmer
9 April 16618 May 166124 January 1679Sir Richard BrahamThomas Higgons
19 February 16778 May 166124 January 1679Sir Francis WinningtonThomas Higgons
27 February 16796 March 167912 July 1679Sir John ErnleJohn Powney
5 April 16796 March 167912 July 1679Richard WinwoodSamuel Starkey
29 August 167921 October 168018 January 1681John PowneyJohn Carey
4 November 168021 October 168018 January 1681Samuel StarkeyRichard Winwood
168121 March 168128 March 1681Samuel StarkeyRichard Winwood
28 March 168519 May 16852 June 1687William ChiffinchRichard Graham
11 January 168922 January 16896 February 1690Henry PowleSir Christopher Wren
23 May 168922 January 16896 February 1690Henry PowleSir Algernon May
6 March 169020 March 169011 October 1695Sir Christopher WrenBaptist May
17 May 169020 March 169011 October 1695Sir Charles PorterWilliam Adderley
20 November 169320 March 169011 October 1695Sir Charles PorterSir William Scawen
23 October 169522 November 16956 July 1698Sir William ScawenThe 4th Viscount Fitzhardinge
21 August 169824 August 169819 December 1700The 4th Viscount FitzhardingeRichard Topham
3 January 17016 February 170111 November 1701The 4th Viscount FitzhardingeRichard Topham
21 November 170130 December 17012 July 1702The 4th Viscount FitzhardingeRichard Topham
16 August 170220 August 17025 April 1705The 4th Viscount FitzhardingeRichard Topham
8 May 170514 June 17051707 The 4th Viscount FitzhardingeRichard Topham

MPs 1707–1868

MPs 1868–1974

MPs 1997–present

Elections

Elections in the 2010s

Elections in the 2000s

Elections in the 1990s

Elections in the 1970s

Elections in the 1960s

Elections in the 1950s

Elections in the 1940s

Elections in the 1930s

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 and by the Autumn of 1939, the following candidates had been selected;

Elections in the 1910s

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;

Elections in the 1890s

Elections 1868–1880

The bloc vote electoral system was used in two seat elections and first past the post for single member by-elections and general elections from 1868. Each voter had up to as many votes as there were seats to be filled. Votes had to be cast by a spoken declaration, in public, at the hustings.

Elections 1690–1866

Note on percentage change calculations: Where there was only one candidate of a party in successive elections, for the same number of seats, change is calculated on the party percentage vote. Where there was more than one candidate, in one or both successive elections for the same number of seats, then change is calculated on the individual percentage vote.
Note on sources: The information for the election results given below is taken from Cruickshanks et al. 1690–1715, Sedgwick 1715–1754, Namier and Brooke 1754–1790, Stooks Smith 1790–1832 and from Craig thereafter. Where Stooks Smith gives additional information or differs from the other sources this is indicated in a note after the result. When a candidate is described as Non Partisan for an election this means that the sources used do not give a party label. This does not necessarily mean that the candidate did not regard himself as a member of a party or acted as such in Parliament. Craig's party labels have been varied to take account of the development of parties. Tory candidates are classified as Conservative from the 1835 United Kingdom general election. Whig and Radical candidates are classified separately until the formal establishment of the Liberal Party shortly after the 1859 United Kingdom general election.

[|1690s] – [|1700s] – [|1710s] – [|1720s] – [|1730s] – [|1740s] – [|1750s] – [|1760s] – [|1770s] – 1780s –
1790s – [|1800s] – [|1810s] – [|1820s] – [|1830s] – [|1840s] – [|1850s] – 1860s

Elections in the 1860s

Note : Stooks Smith classified Ramsbottom as a Radical candidate from this election. However as Stenton, editing a book composed of Parliamentary biographies published by a contemporary after the Reform Act 1832, described Ramsbottom as being 'of Whig principles' he continues to be classified as a Whig in this article.

Elections in the 1690s