Windsor (UK Parliament constituency)

Boundaries

The constituency covers the town of Windsor and various portions of the surrounding area, in Berkshire.

Before 1868: The parliamentary borough of 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.

1868–1918: The boundaries of the parliamentary borough were extended by the Parliamentary Boundaries Act 1868 (31 & 32 Vict., c. 46). 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. 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 and replaced by a county division named Windsor. The local government areas (as they existed in 1918) 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.

1950–1974: The constituency was reduced in size by the Representation of the People Act 1948, so it comprised the Municipal Boroughs of New Windsor and Maidenhead, with the Rural Districts of Cookham and Windsor. In 1974 the same area less Eton and Bracknell was included in a new constituency named Windsor and Maidenhead; this area plus Eton became the Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead established in 1974.

1997–2010: In 1997 the Windsor constituency was recreated to sever off the expanded town of Maidenhead to the northwest and with it Cookham. Instead Windsor was joined by Eton and part of Slough Borough Council north of the Thames. Wards were: from the Borough of Bracknell Forest: Ascot, Cranbourne and St Mary's; from the Borough of Slough : Foxborough ward. The remainder of the seat, in the Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead, comprised the wards of Bray, Castle, Clewer North, Clewer South, Datchet, Eton North and South, Eton West, Horton and Wraysbury, Old Windsor, Park, Sunningdale and South Ascot, Sunninghill and Trinity.

In 1998 there was a small re-alignment of county boundaries in the north east corner of Berkshire. This transferred to Slough a small polling district from Surrey and another from Buckinghamshire to form Colnbrook and Poyle This new Slough ward of (since renamed Colnbrook with Poyle) was selected for the Windsor constituency, though involved two polling districts (the typically three-four subdivisions of wards).

2010–present: the constituency has the electoral wards:-

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.

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 (Yorks) 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 (a local tax). 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 (son of King George II) and the Beauclerk family (descended from King Charles II) 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 (later Viscount 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 (MP 1826–1831) and Sir Herbert Taylor (MP 1820–1823). 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 (subsequently the Earl of Derby) in the early 1830s).

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 (MP 1810–1845) 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 (or perhaps because of) 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.

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 (in the 16th century) 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.

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 1910s

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 1690–1866

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 (until the secret ballot was introduced in 1872).

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 United Kingdom general election, 1835. Whig and Radical candidates are classified separately until the formal establishment of the Liberal Party shortly after the United Kingdom general election, 1859.

Elections in the 1690s

Elections in the 1710s

Elections in the 1720s

Elections in the 1730s

Elections in the 1740s

Elections in the 1750s

Elections in the 1760s

Elections in the 1770s

Elections in the 1780s

Elections in the 1790s

Elections in the 1800s

Elections in the 1810s

Elections in the 1820s

Elections in the 1830s

Note (1832): 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 1840s

Elections in the 1850s

Elections in the 1860s