Biggleswade (UK Parliament constituency)
# Biggleswade (UK Parliament constituency)

Biggleswade was a county constituency in Bedfordshire which was represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom from 1885 until its abolition in 1918. It elected one Member of Parliament (MP) by the first-past-the-post voting system.

## Boundaries

The constituency was created as the Northern or Biggleswade Division of Bedfordshire under the Redistribution of Seats Act 1885, when the two-member Parliamentary County of Bedfordshire was divided into the two single-member constituencies of Biggleswade and Luton. It comprised the sessional divisions of Bedford, Biggleswade and Sharnbrook, part of the sessional division of Ampthill and the municipal borough of Bedford. Only non-resident freeholders of the municipal borough (which comprised the Parliamentary Borough of Bedford) were entitled to vote.

The constituency was abolished in 1918. The northern part of the Division surrounding the Borough of Bedford, including Kempston, was included in the Bedford Division. The southern part, including Ampthill and Biggleswade, was included in the new Mid Bedfordshire Division.

## Members of Parliament

| Election | Member | Party |
| - | - | - |
| 1885 | Charles Magniac | Liberal |
| 1886 | Viscount Baring | Liberal Unionist |
| 1892 | George Russell | Liberal |
| 1895 | Lord Alwyne Compton | Liberal Unionist |
| 1906 | Arthur Black | Liberal |
| 1918 | Constituency abolished | Constituency abolished |

## Elections

### Elections in the 1880s

General election 1885: Biggleswade :

| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| - | - | - | - | - | - |
| | Liberal | Charles Magniac | 6,037 | 57.7 | |
| | Conservative | Walter Barttelot | 4,422 | 42.3 | |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 1,615 | 15.4 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 10,459 | 78.5 | |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 13,322 | | |
| | Liberal win (new seat) | Liberal win (new seat) | Liberal win (new seat) | Liberal win (new seat) | Liberal win (new seat) |

General election 1886: Biggleswade :

| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| - | - | - | - | - | - |
| | Liberal Unionist | Francis Baring | 4,853 | 52.6 | +10.3 |
| | Liberal | Charles Magniac | 4,371 | 47.4 | −10.3 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 482 | 5.2 | N/A |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 9,224 | 69.2 | −9.3 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 13,322 | | |
| | Liberal Unionist gain from Liberal | Liberal Unionist gain from Liberal | Swing | +10.3 | |

### Elections in the 1890s

General election 1892: Biggleswade :

| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| - | - | - | - | - | - |
| | Liberal | George Russell | 5,600 | 52.6 | +5.2 |
| | Liberal Unionist | Francis Baring | 5,056 | 47.4 | −5.2 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 544 | 5.2 | N/A |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 10,656 | 77.9 | +8.7 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 13,686 | | |
| | Liberal gain from Liberal Unionist | Liberal gain from Liberal Unionist | Swing | +5.2 | |

General election 1895: Biggleswade :

| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| - | - | - | - | - | - |
| | Liberal Unionist | Alwyne Compton | 5,643 | 51.2 | +3.8 |
| | Liberal | George Russell | 5,376 | 48.8 | −3.8 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 267 | 2.4 | N/A |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 11,019 | 80.2 | +2.3 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 13,744 | | |
| | Liberal Unionist gain from Liberal | Liberal Unionist gain from Liberal | Swing | +3.8 | |

### Elections in the 1900s

General election 1900: Biggleswade :

| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| - | - | - | - | - | - |
| | Liberal Unionist | Alwyne Compton | Unopposed | Unopposed | Unopposed |
| | Liberal Unionist hold | Liberal Unionist hold | Liberal Unionist hold | Liberal Unionist hold | Liberal Unionist hold |

General election 1906: Biggleswade :

| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| - | - | - | - | - | - |
| | Liberal | Arthur Black | 6,902 | 61.6 | New |
| | Liberal Unionist | Alwyne Compton | 4,298 | 38.4 | N/A |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 2,604 | 23.2 | N/A |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 11,200 | 79.5 | N/A |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 14,085 | | |
| | Liberal gain from Liberal Unionist | Liberal gain from Liberal Unionist | Swing | N/A | |

### Elections in the 1910s

General election January 1910: Biggleswade :

| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| - | - | - | - | - | - |
| | Liberal | Arthur Black | 6,631 | 52.4 | −9.2 |
| | Liberal Unionist | Rowland Prothero | 6,020 | 47.6 | +9.2 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 611 | 4.8 | −18.4 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 12,651 | 90.2 | +10.7 |
| | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Swing | −9.2 | |

General election December 1910: Biggleswade :

| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| - | - | - | - | - | - |
| | Liberal | Arthur Black | 6,536 | 52.9 | +0.5 |
| | Conservative | Geoffrey Carr Glyn | 5,808 | 47.1 | −0.5 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 728 | 5.8 | +1.0 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 12,344 | 88.0 | −2.2 |
| | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Swing | +0.5 | |

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;

* Liberal: Arthur Black
* Unionist: Geoffrey Carr Glyn
