Parliamentary representation from Cambridgeshire

The historic county of Cambridgeshire, located in the modern-day East of England region, has been represented in Parliament since the 13th century. This article provides the list of constituencies which have formed the parliamentary representation from Cambridgeshire.

In 1889 the historic county was divided between the administrative counties of Cambridgeshire and Isle of Ely. The two administrative counties merged in 1965 to form Cambridgeshire and Isle of Ely. In 1974 Cambridgeshire and Isle of Ely was merged with Huntingdon and Peterborough to form a new expanded non-metropolitan county of Cambridgeshire. Huntingdonshire was a historic and administrative county in its own right, whereas the Soke of Peterborough had been an administrative county which was part of the historic county of Northamptonshire.

This article covers only the constituencies wholly or predominantly within the area of the historic county of Cambridgeshire, both before and after the administrative changes of 1889, 1965 and 1974. Constituencies predominantly within the area of the historic county of Huntingdonshire are listed at Parliamentary representation from Huntingdonshire. For more information on the constituencies currently covering the modern-day ceremonial county of Cambridgeshire, see List of Parliamentary constituencies in Cambridgeshire.

List of constituencies

Key to abbreviations:

Type:

Notes:

Note: Dates of representation prior to 1654 are provisional. The constituencies which existed in 1707 were previously represented in the Parliament of England.

North West Cambridgeshire does not include any part of the historic county of Cambridgeshire. It combines parts of the historic counties of Huntingdonshire and Northamptonshire.

Constituencies wholly or predominantly in the historic county

ConstituencyTypeFromToMPsNotes
Cambridge BC 1295 present 2 (1554 – 1654) C1, C2, C3
1 (1654 – 1659)
2 (1659 – 1885)
1 (1885–present)
Cambridgeshire CC 1290 1885 2 (1290 - 1654) C1, C2, C3
4 (1654 – 1659)
2 (1659 – 1832)
3 (1832 – 1885)
1918 1983 1
Cambridge University UC 1603 1950 2 (1603 – 1654) C1, C2
1 (1654 – 1659)
2 (1659 – 1950)
Chesterton CC 1885 1918 1 C2
Ely BC 1295 1296 2 C1
Isle of Ely CC 1654 1659 2 C1, IE, C3
1918 1983 1
Newmarket CC 1885 1918 1 C2
North East Cambridgeshire CC 1983 present 1 C3, included a part of historic Northamptonshire prior to 2010.
South Cambridgeshire CC 1997 present 1 C3
South East Cambridgeshire CC 1983 present 1 C3
South West Cambridgeshire CC 1983 1997 1 C3, included a part of historic Huntingdonshire
Wisbech CC 1885 1918 1 C2

Periods constituencies represented

 1290 – 12951295 – 12961296 – 16031603 – 16541654 – 16591659 – 18851885 – 19181918 – 19501950 – 19831983 – 19971997 – present
Cambridge   1295 – present
Cambridgeshire 1290 – 1885   1918 – 1983  
Cambridge University   1603 – 1950  
Chesterton   1885 – 1918  
Ely   1295 – 1296  
Isle of Ely   1654 – 1659   1918 – 1983  
Newmarket   1885 – 1918  
North East Cambridgeshire   1983 – present
South Cambridgeshire   1997 – present
South East Cambridgeshire   1983 – present
South West Cambridgeshire   1983 – 1997  
Wisbech   1885 – 1918  

Summaries

Summary of Constituencies by Type and Period

Type129012951296160316541659183218851918195019831997next
Borough - 2 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1
County 1 1 1 1 2 1 1 3 2 2 3 3 3
University - - - 1 1 1 1 1 1 - - - -
Total 1 3 2 3 4 3 3 5 4 3 4 4 4

Summary of Members of Parliament by Type and Period

Type129012951296160316541659183218851918195019831997next
Borough - 4 2 2 1 2 2 1 1 1 1 1 1
County 2 2 2 2 6 2 3 3 2 2 3 3 3
University - - - 2 1 2 2 2 2 - - - -
Total 2 6 4 6 8 6 7 6 5 3 4 4 4

See also

References