Hampstead (UK Parliament constituency)

Hampstead
Former borough constituency for the House of Commons
Boundary of Hampstead in Greater London for the 1974 general election
County	County of London
1885–1983
Seats	One
Created from	Middlesex
Replaced by	Hampstead & 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

Map of boundaries 1974–1983

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

1918–1974: The Metropolitan Borough of Hampstead

1974–1983: London Borough of Camden wards of Adelaide, Belsize, Hampstead Town, Kilburn, Priory, Swiss Cottage and West End.

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		Swing	{{{swing}}}

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 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 ^[10]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
C	Unionist	George Balfour	13,393	70.8	+6.6
	Labour	Skene Mackay	3,646	19.3	New
	National	John Wrentmore	1,881	9.9	New
Majority			9,747	51.5	+23.1
Turnout			18,920	58.1	+14.6
Registered electors			32,544
	Unionist hold		Swing	N/A
Cindicates candidate endorsed by the coalition government.

Elections in the 1920s

General election 1922: Hampstead ^[10]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Unionist	George Balfour	14,596	59.7	–11.1
	National Liberal	Albert Clavering	5,582	22.8	New
	Liberal	Lancelot Fletcher	4,282	17.5	New
Majority			9,014	36.8	–14.7
Turnout			24,460	63.1	+4.9
Registered electors			38,781
	Unionist hold		Swing	N/A

General election 1923: Hampstead ^[10]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Unionist	George Balfour	13,513	58.6	–1.1
	Liberal	Lancelot Fletcher	9,538	41.4	+23.9
Majority			3,975	17.2	–19.6
Turnout			23,051	58.0	–5.0
Registered electors			39,711
	Unionist hold		Swing	–12.5

General election 1924: Hampstead ^[10]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Unionist	George Balfour	21,432	79.1	+20.5
	Labour	Charles Hendin	5,662	20.9	New
Majority			15,770	58.2	+41.0
Turnout			27,094	67.2	+9.2
Registered electors			40,309
	Unionist hold		Swing	–0.2

General election 1929: Hampstead ^[10]

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
Registered electors			63,861
	Unionist hold		Swing	–10.5

Elections in the 1930s

General election 1931: Hampstead ^[10]

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	65.7	+2.9
Registered electors			64,527
	Conservative hold		Swing	+18.5

General election 1935: Hampstead ^[10]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	George Balfour	28,334	73.2	–13.9
	Labour	Harry Smith	6,987	18.0	+5.1
	Liberal	John Young	3,396	8.8	New
Majority			21,347	55.2	–19.0
Turnout			38,717	59.0	–6.7
Registered electors			65,575
	Conservative hold		Swing	–9.5

Elections in the 1940s

1941 Hampstead by-election ^[10]

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 Dolland	326	2.9	New
Majority			4,896	43.3	N/A
Turnout			11,326	17.3	–41.7
Registered electors			65,511
	Conservative hold		Swing	N/A

General election 1945: Hampstead ^[10]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	Charles Challen	19,652	51.8	–21.4
	Labour	William Field	18,294	48.2	+30.2
Majority			1,358	3.6	–51.6
Turnout			37,946	68.4	+9.4
Registered electors			55,446
	Conservative hold		Swing	–25.8

Elections in the 1950s

General election 1950: Hampstead ^[11]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	Henry Brooke	29,949	52.3	+0.5
	Labour	William Hawkins	17,373	30.3	–17.9
	Liberal	Wilfred 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
Registered electors			71,119
	Conservative hold		Swing	+9.2

General election 1951: Hampstead ^[11]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	Henry Brooke	31,346	55.1	+2.8
	Labour	Arthur Richardson	19,240	33.8	+3.5
	Liberal	Wilfred Watson	6,320	11.1	–3.5
Majority			12,106	21.3	–0.7
Turnout			56,906	78.0	–2.5
Registered electors			72,946
	Conservative hold		Swing	–0.3

General election 1955: Hampstead ^[11]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	Henry Brooke	28,226	55.9	+0.8
	Labour	Arthur Richardson	16,040	31.8	–2.0
	Liberal	Harry Seigal	6,222	12.3	+1.2
Majority			12,186	24.1	+2.9
Turnout			50,488	69.7	–8.3
Registered electors			72,423
	Conservative hold		Swing	+1.4

General election 1959: Hampstead ^[11]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	Henry Brooke	25,506	53.4	–2.5
	Labour	David Pitt	13,500	28.3	–3.5
	Liberal	Harry Seigal	8,759	18.3	+6.0
Majority			12,006	25.1	+1.0
Turnout			47,765	68.8	–0.9
Registered electors			69,438
	Conservative hold		Swing	+0.5

Elections in the 1960s

General election 1964: Hampstead ^[11]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	Henry Brooke	19,888	43.3	–10.1
	Labour	John 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	–1.2
Registered electors			67,990
	Conservative hold		Swing	–10.6

General election 1966: Hampstead ^[11]

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	10.6	–6.9
	Socialist (GB)	Harry Baldwin	211	0.4	New
Majority			2,253	4.6	N/A
Turnout			49,066	72.4	+4.8
Registered electors			67,798
	Labour gain from Conservative		Swing	+4.3

Elections in the 1970s

General election 1970: Hampstead ^[11]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	Geoffrey Finsberg	21,264	46.6	+4.4
	Labour	Benjamin Whitaker	20,790	45.6	–1.2
	Liberal	John Calmann	3,550	7.8	–2.8
Majority			474	1.0	N/A
Turnout			45,604	63.4	–9.0
Registered electors			71,918
	Conservative gain from Labour		Swing	+2.8

General election February 1974: Hampstead

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	Geoffrey Finsberg	19,536	43.3	–3.3
	Labour	Tony Clarke	17,279	38.3	–7.3
	Liberal	Ronald Longland	8,323	18.4	+10.7
Majority			2,257	5.0	+4.0
Turnout			45,138	70.7	+7.3
Registered electors			63,847
	Conservative hold		Swing	+2.0

General election October 1974: Hampstead

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	Geoffrey Finsberg	18,139	44.9	+1.6
	Labour	Tony Clarke	16,414	40.6	+2.3
	Liberal	Ronald Longland	5,566	13.8	–4.7
	Irish Civil Rights	Maureen Maguire	146	0.4	New
	Socialist (GB)	Ralph Critchfield	118	0.3	New
	Independent	Chandra Rao	31	0.1	New
Majority			1,725	4.3	–0.7
Turnout			40,414	63.1	–7.6
Registered electors			64,078
	Conservative hold		Swing	–0.4

General election 1979: Hampstead

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	Geoffrey Finsberg	20,410	47.3	+2.4
	Labour	Ken Livingstone	16,729	38.8	–1.8
	Liberal	David Radford [12]	5,753	13.3	–0.4
	National Front	Jean White [12]	255	0.6	New
Majority			3,681	8.5	+4.2
Turnout			43,147	67.4	+4.3
Registered electors			64,004
	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. 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. Craig, FWS, ed. (1974). British Parliamentary Election Results: 1885–1918. London: Macmillan Press. ISBN   9781349022984.
10. Craig, Fred W. S (1969). British parliamentary election results, 1918-1949. Political Reference Publications. ISBN   0900178019 . Retrieved 5 April 2025.
11. Craig, Fred W. S (1983). British parliamentary election results, 1950-1973 (2nd ed.). Parliamentary Research Services. ISBN   0900178078 . Retrieved 5 April 2025.
12. Election Expenses. Parliament of the United Kingdom. 1980. p. 10. ISBN   0102374805.

• British Parliamentary Election Results 1885-1918, compiled and edited by F.W.S. Craig (Macmillan Press 1974)
• Debrett’s Illustrated Heraldic and Biographical House of Commons and the Judicial Bench 1886
• Debrett’s House of Commons and the Judicial Bench 1901
• Debrett’s House of Commons and the Judicial Bench 1918