Farnham (UK Parliament constituency)
Encyclopedia
Farnham was a parliamentary constituency
in the county of Surrey
, in south east England
. It returned one Member of Parliament
to the House of Commons
of the Parliament of the United Kingdom
from 1918
, until it was abolished for the 1983 general election
. It was largely replaced by the new constituency of South West Surrey.
, but included a number of other towns and a large rural area. The boundaries were altered at each redistribution of parliamentary seats, reflecting the increase in population of the area.
as one of seven divisions of the parliamentary county of Surrey, and was defined in terms of the county districts existing at that date:
were redrawn by the Representation of the People Act 1948
, with new seats first contested at the 1950 general election
.
Surrey was divided into ten county constituencies, and Farnham County Constituency was defined as comprising:
Godalmimg and Haslemere had previously formed part of the Guildford
constituency. Woking, Windlesham and Pirbright were transferred to the new seat of Woking
. The constituency was unaltered at the next redistribution that took place prior to the general election of February 1974
.
United Kingdom constituencies
In the United Kingdom , each of the electoral areas or divisions called constituencies elects one or more members to a parliament or assembly.Within the United Kingdom there are now five bodies with members elected by constituencies:...
in the county of Surrey
Surrey
Surrey is a county in the South East of England and is one of the Home Counties. The county borders Greater London, Kent, East Sussex, West Sussex, Hampshire and Berkshire. The historic county town is Guildford. Surrey County Council sits at Kingston upon Thames, although this has been part of...
, in south east England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
. It returned one Member of Parliament
Member of Parliament
A Member of Parliament is a representative of the voters to a :parliament. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, the term applies specifically to members of the lower house, as upper houses often have a different title, such as senate, and thus also have different titles for its members,...
to the House of Commons
British House of Commons
The House of Commons is the lower house of the Parliament of the United Kingdom, which also comprises the Sovereign and the House of Lords . Both Commons and Lords meet in the Palace of Westminster. The Commons is a democratically elected body, consisting of 650 members , who are known as Members...
of the Parliament of the United Kingdom
Parliament of the United Kingdom
The Parliament of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is the supreme legislative body in the United Kingdom, British Crown dependencies and British overseas territories, located in London...
from 1918
United Kingdom general election, 1918
The United Kingdom general election of 1918 was the first to be held after the Representation of the People Act 1918, which meant it was the first United Kingdom general election in which nearly all adult men and some women could vote. Polling was held on 14 December 1918, although the count did...
, until it was abolished for the 1983 general election
United Kingdom general election, 1983
The 1983 United Kingdom general election was held on 9 June 1983. It gave the Conservative Party under Margaret Thatcher the most decisive election victory since that of Labour in 1945...
. It was largely replaced by the new constituency of South West Surrey.
Boundaries
The constituency took its name from the town of FarnhamFarnham
Farnham is a town in Surrey, England, within the Borough of Waverley. The town is situated some 42 miles southwest of London in the extreme west of Surrey, adjacent to the border with Hampshire...
, but included a number of other towns and a large rural area. The boundaries were altered at each redistribution of parliamentary seats, reflecting the increase in population of the area.
1918–1950
The constituency was created by the Representation of the People Act 1918Representation of the People Act 1918
The Representation of the People Act 1918 was an Act of Parliament passed to reform the electoral system in the United Kingdom. It is sometimes known as the Fourth Reform Act...
as one of seven divisions of the parliamentary county of Surrey, and was defined in terms of the county districts existing at that date:
The rural district of Farnham, the part of the rural district of Guildford which consists of the civil parish of PirbrightPirbrightPirbright is a village in Surrey, England. Neighbouring villages include Worplesdon, Deepcut, Brookwood and Normandy. Pirbright parish has an area of some falling into two distinct communities with the military area to the north of the railway and the village to the south...
, and the urban districtUrban districtIn the England, Wales and Ireland, an urban district was a type of local government district that covered an urbanised area. Urban districts had an elected Urban District Council , which shared local government responsibilities with a county council....
s of Farnham, FrimleyFrimleyFrimley is a small English town situated 2 miles south of Camberley, in the extreme west of Surrey, adjacent to the border with Hampshire. It is about 31 miles west south-west of Central London. It is part of the Borough of Surrey Heath...
, WindleshamWindleshamWindlesham is a village in the Surrey Heath district of Surrey in South East England. It is also the name of the parish that covers Bagshot and Lightwater, in addition to Windlesham...
, and WokingWokingWoking is a large town and civil parish that shares its name with the surrounding local government district, located in the west of Surrey, UK. It is part of the Greater London Urban Area and the London commuter belt, with frequent trains and a journey time of 24 minutes to Waterloo station....
.
1950–1983
Constituencies throughout Great BritainGreat Britain
Great Britain or Britain is an island situated to the northwest of Continental Europe. It is the ninth largest island in the world, and the largest European island, as well as the largest of the British Isles...
were redrawn by the Representation of the People Act 1948
Representation of the People Act 1948
The Representation of the People Act 1948 was an Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom that altered the law relating to parliamentary and local elections...
, with new seats first contested at the 1950 general election
United Kingdom general election, 1950
The 1950 United Kingdom general election was the first general election ever after a full term of a Labour government. Despite polling over one and a half million votes more than the Conservatives, the election, held on 23 February 1950 resulted in Labour receiving a slim majority of just five...
.
Surrey was divided into ten county constituencies, and Farnham County Constituency was defined as comprising:
- The borough of GodalmingGodalmingGodalming is a town and civil parish in the Waverley district of the county of Surrey, England, south of Guildford. It is built on the banks of the River Wey and is a prosperous part of the London commuter belt. Godalming shares a three-way twinning arrangement with the towns of Joigny in France...
; - the urban districts of Farnham and HaslemereHaslemereHaslemere is a town in Surrey, England, close to the border with both Hampshire and West Sussex. The major road between London and Portsmouth, the A3, lies to the west, and a branch of the River Wey to the south. Haslemere is approximately south-west of Guildford.Haslemere is surrounded by hills,...
; - the parish of SealeSeale, SurreySeale is a village in Surrey, England forming part of the civil parish of Seale and Sands. It is located at on the south side of the Hog's Back between Farnham and Guildford and is part of the Surrey Hills Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. It also lies on the Pilgrims' Way. The parish covers...
in the rural district of Guildford - the following parishes in the rural district of Hambledon, namely, ChiddingfoldChiddingfoldChiddingfold is a village and civil parish in the heart of The Weald in the Waverley district of Surrey, England. It lies on the A283 between Milford and Petworth...
, DockenfieldDockenfieldDockenfield is a civil parish in the borough of Waverley in Surrey. It has a population of 421. The parish council clerk is R Liiv....
, ElsteadElsteadElstead is a village in Surrey, England, with shops and cottages mainly clustered around a central green, close to the River Wey. Neighbouring villages include Gatwick , Puttenham, Charleshill and Peper Harow...
, FrenshamFrenshamFrensham is a village in Surrey, England, beside the A287, south west of Guildford. Neighbouring villages include Millbridge, Shortfield Common, Dockenfield, Spreakley, Batt's Corner and Rushmoor. Frensham lies on the River Wey. Farnham is the nearest main town and it is to the north. The...
, Peper HarowPeper HarowPeper Harow is a tiny village in south-west Surrey close to the town of Godalming.The whole village is privately owned and access is restricted. The name "Peper Harow" is very unusual and comes from Old English Pipers Hearg meaning, approximately "Pagan Temple".Peper Harrow appears in Domesday Book...
, ThursleyThursleyThursley is a small village in Surrey. It lies just west of the A3 running between Milford and Hindhead. Neighbouring villages include Rushmoor, Bowlhead Green and Brook. Thursley is in south-west Surrey, in south-east England...
, TilfordTilfordTilford is a small village about two miles south of Farnham in Surrey, England. It lies within the Surrey Hills Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty- History :The name "Tilford" is probably derived from "Tila's ford" or "Tilla's ford"....
and WitleyWitleyWitley, in Surrey, England is a village south west of Godalming. The village lies just east of the A3 that runs from Guildford to Petersfield. Witley together with the neighbouring area of Hambledon have a population of about 4,000. Neighbouring villages include Milford, Chiddingfold and...
.
Godalmimg and Haslemere had previously formed part of the Guildford
Guildford (UK Parliament constituency)
Guildford is a county constituency in Surrey which returns one Member of Parliament to the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom, elected by the first-past-the-post voting system....
constituency. Woking, Windlesham and Pirbright were transferred to the new seat of Woking
Woking (UK Parliament constituency)
Woking is a constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. It elects one Member of Parliament by the first past the post system of election...
. The constituency was unaltered at the next redistribution that took place prior to the general election of February 1974
United Kingdom general election, February 1974
The United Kingdom's general election of February 1974 was held on the 28th of that month. It was the first of two United Kingdom general elections held that year, and the first election since the Second World War not to produce an overall majority in the House of Commons for the winning party,...
.
Members of Parliament
| Election | Member | Party | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1918 United Kingdom general election, 1918 The United Kingdom general election of 1918 was the first to be held after the Representation of the People Act 1918, which meant it was the first United Kingdom general election in which nearly all adult men and some women could vote. Polling was held on 14 December 1918, although the count did... |
Sir Arthur Samuel | Conservative Conservative Party (UK) The Conservative Party, formally the Conservative and Unionist Party, is a centre-right political party in the United Kingdom that adheres to the philosophies of conservatism and British unionism. It is the largest political party in the UK, and is currently the largest single party in the House... |
|
| 1937 | Sir Godfrey Nicholson Godfrey Nicholson Sir Godfrey Nicholson, 1st Baronet was a British Conservative Party Member of Parliament .A member of the family which founded London-based gin distillers J&W Nicholson & Co, Nicholson was a younger son of Richard Francis Harrison and a grandson of politician, William Nicholson... |
Conservative Conservative Party (UK) The Conservative Party, formally the Conservative and Unionist Party, is a centre-right political party in the United Kingdom that adheres to the philosophies of conservatism and British unionism. It is the largest political party in the UK, and is currently the largest single party in the House... |
|
| 1966 United Kingdom general election, 1966 The 1966 United Kingdom general election on 31 March 1966 was called by sitting Labour Prime Minister Harold Wilson. Wilson's decision to call an election turned on the fact that his government, elected a mere 17 months previously in 1964 had an unworkably small majority of only 4 MPs... |
Maurice Macmillan | Conservative Conservative Party (UK) The Conservative Party, formally the Conservative and Unionist Party, is a centre-right political party in the United Kingdom that adheres to the philosophies of conservatism and British unionism. It is the largest political party in the UK, and is currently the largest single party in the House... |
|