Parliamentary representation from Berkshire

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The historic county of Berkshire, in the 21st century region of South East England, was represented in Parliament from the 13th century. This article provides a list of constituencies constituting the Parliamentary representation from Berkshire.

Contents

In 1889 Berkshire became an administrative county. In 1974 a new shire county of Berkshire lost the Abingdon area to Oxfordshire, while the Slough district was transferred from Buckinghamshire. In 1997 the ceremonial county of Berkshire was divided between several unitary authorities.

The first part of this article covers the constituencies wholly or predominantly within the area of the historic county of Berkshire, both before and after the administrative changes of 1889, 1974 and 1997. The second part refers to constituencies mostly in another historic county, which included some territory from the historic county of Berkshire. The summaries section only refers to the constituencies included in the first section of the constituency list.

List of constituencies

Article names are followed by (UK Parliament constituency). The constituencies which existed in 1707 were those previously represented in the Parliament of England.

Key to abbreviations:-

Constituencies wholly or predominantly in the historic county

ConstituencyTypeFromToMPsNotes
Abingdon BC (1558–1885)155819831B1, B2, O
CC (1885–1983)
Berkshire CC129018852 (1290–1654)B1
5 (1654–1659)
2 (1659–1832)
3 (1832–1885)
East Berkshire CC198319971B3
Bracknell CC1997*1B3
Maidenhead CC1997*1B
Newbury CC1885*1B1, B2, B3
Reading BC129519502 (1295–1654)B1, B2: Includes Parliamentary Borough of Reading
article for pre-1885.
1 (1654–1659)
2 (1659–1885)
1 (1885–1950)
BC195519741
Reading East CC (1983–1997)1983*1B3
BC (1997–*)
Reading North BC195019551B2, B3
19741983
Reading South BC195019551B2, B3
CC19741983
Reading West CC1983*1B3
Wallingford BC129518852 (1295–1832)B1: Unrepresented 1654–1659
1 (1832–1885)
Windsor BC1302By 13772B1, B2, B3: Including New Windsor. Unrepresented
1654–1659. Includes part of the historic
counties of Buckinghamshire and Middlesex from 1997.
BC (1424–1918)142419742 (1424–1868)
CC (1918–1974)1 (1868–1974)
CC1997*1
Windsor and Maidenhead CC197419971B3: Includes part of historic county of Buckinghamshire
from 1983.
Wokingham CC188519181B1, B2, B3
1950*

Constituencies mostly in another historic county

ConstituencyTypeFromToMPsNotes
Oxford West and Abingdon CC1983*1O: Includes the Abingdon area.
Wantage CC1983*1O: Includes the Wallingford area.

Periods constituencies represented

 1290–12951295–13021302–<1377<1377–14241424–15581558–16541654–16591659–1832
Abingdon  1558–1983
Berkshire 1290–1885
Reading  1295–1950
Wallingford  1295–1654 1659–1885
Windsor  1302–<1377 1424–1654 1659–1974
 1832–18851885–19181918–19501950–19551955–19741974–19831983–19971997–*
Abingdon 1558–1983 
Berkshire 1290–1885 
East Berkshire  1983–1997 
Bracknell  1997–*
Maidenhead  1997–*
Newbury  1885–*
Oxford West and Abingdon  1983–*
Reading 1295–1950 1955–1974 
Reading East  1983–*
Reading North  1950–1955 1974–1983 
Reading South  1950–1955 1974–1983 
Reading West  1983–*
Wallingford 1659–1885 
Wantage  1983–*
Windsor 1659–1974 1997–*
Windsor and Maidenhead  1974–1997 
Wokingham  1885–1918 1950–*

Summaries

Summary of constituencies by type and period

Type129012951302<13771424155816541659183218681885191819501955197419831997
Borough232342444212111
County11111111113344566
Total13434535555465667

Summary of members of parliament by type and period

Type129012951302<13771424155816541659183218681885191819501955197419831997
Borough464672765212111
County22222252333344566
Total26868979985465667

See also

References