Middlesex (UK Parliament Constituency) - Boundaries and Boundary Changes

Boundaries and Boundary Changes

This county constituency consisted of the historic county of Middlesex, in south-eastern England, comprising Spelthorne, Colnbrook and Potters Bar in other modern counties and the north, west and north-west sectors of the modern Greater London. Its southern boundary was the River Thames.

The county seat returned two Members of Parliament (sometimes referred to by the ancient term of knights of the shire) until 1885. The place of election for the county was at Brentford.

Until 1832 the county franchise was limited to 40 shilling freeholders. The decrease in the value of money due to inflation and the expansion of the wealth and population as the urbanised area in the east around London and Westminster grew contributed to gradually expanding the electorate. The county was estimated by Henning to have about 1,660 voters in 1681. Sedgwick estimated about 3,000 electors in the 1715-1754 period. Namier and Brook suggested there were about 3,500 county voters 1754-1790. The number had reached about 6,000 by 1790-1820, according to Thorne.

For subsequent changes in the franchise see Reform Act 1832 and Reform Act 1867. From 1832 voters were registered; the size of the electorate is shown below.

The geographic county until 1885 also contained the borough constituencies of City of London (first recorded as having its extraordinary 4 seats from 1298) and Westminster (enfranchised with 2 seats from 1545). In 1832 three 2-seat Boroughs were added (enfranchised): Finsbury, Marylebone and Tower Hamlets. In 1868 two further metropolitan Boroughs were granted each 2-seats: Chelsea and Hackney. The 1 seat non-territorial University constituency of London University seat 1868–1950 was somewhat connected to the county by having most of its graduates eligible to vote.

Possession of a county vote qualification relating to property, situated in an area not otherwise represented, conferred the right to vote in a county election.

In 1885 the county seat was split into numerous single-member boroughs in the more urban south-east and seven county divisions elsewhere, although the City of London cut to two seats.

In 1889 the borough constituencies that comprised the eastern part of the historic county became part of the new administrative county of London. The seven county divisions in the fringe part of the historic county, in what became the administrative county of Middlesex, were Brentford, Ealing, Enfield, Harrow, Hornsey, Tottenham and Uxbridge. None of these formed parliamentary boroughs and were in the administrative county of Middlesex until it was disbanded in 1965.