Windsor (UK Parliament constituency)

Windsor is a constituency of the House of Commons in the UK Parliament represented since 2024 by Jack Rankin of the Conservative Party. It was re-created for the 1997 general election after it was abolished following the 1970 general election and replaced by the [Windsor and Maidenhead (UK Parliament constituency)|Maidenhead (UK Parliament constituency)|Windsor and Maidenhead] constituency.

Constituency profile

The constituency is centred on Windsor Great Park, covering the eponymous town of Windsor and various towns and villages in RBWM and Slough, in Berkshire, and Runnymede in Surrey.
The re-created constituency, from 1997, has continued a trend of large Conservative Party majorities. Post 2023 boundary changes, in local elections in the seat the major opposition party varies, with Labour strong in the Slough wards and Englefield Green, the Liberal Democrats in the town of Windsor itself, and independents in various villages. That said, affluent villages and small towns along the River Thames and around the Great Park have continued to contribute to large Conservative majorities, including Wraysbury and Ascot.
In the 2024 General Election, Labour came second to the Conservatives due to the changed composition of the seat in the boundary changes.

History

Windsor has had parliamentary representation for centuries, formally known as the Parliamentary Borough of New Windsor, first sending a member in 1301, and continuously from 1424. It elected two members of parliament until 1868, when its representation was reduced to one MP. In 1918, the Parliamentary Borough was abolished and absorbed into the new county seat of Windsor, which also included large parts of the abolished Wokingham constituency.
In 1974, the constituency was abolished and replaced by Windsor and Maidenhead, although there were no changes to the boundaries. In 1997, the constituency was recreated when Windsor and Maidenhead was split into two separate seats.
The early political history of the area was strongly influenced by the monarch and members of his or her family. Windsor Castle has been an important royal residence throughout the history of the constituency.

17th century

The pre-1832 franchise of the borough was held by inhabitants paying scot and lot. On 2 May 1689 the House of Commons had decided that the electorate should be limited to the members of Windsor Corporation. This was disputed after the next election, in 1690, when the Mayor submitted two returns of different members. The House of Commons reversed the decision of the previous Parliament and confirmed the scot and lot franchise.

18th century

There were 278 electors in 1712. Namier and Brooke estimated that, in 1754–1790, there were about 300 electors.
During part of the 18th century the Duke of Cumberland and the Beauclerk family had political interests in the borough.
King George III became personally involved in the hotly contested 1780 general election. George encouraged local landowner Peniston Portlock Powney to stand by paying him £2,500 from the King's personal account. The King wished to defeat Admiral Keppel (later Viscount Keppel), an incumbent. The monarch went so far as to canvass tradesmen who dealt with the royal household. After this royal interference in the election, Keppel lost by a narrow 16 votes. Namier and Brooke suggest the Windsor electorate had an independent streak and were difficult to manage.

19th century

In 1832 a new property based franchise replaced the scot and lot qualification. Under the new system, there were 507 registered electors in 1832. The borough representatives before the Reform Act 1832 included soldiers and people connected with the Royal Household, such as Sir Richard Hussey Vivian and Sir Herbert Taylor. The constituency also returned politicians prominent in national politics, like the Duke of Wellington's elder brother the Earl of Mornington in the [|1780s] and [|1790s] or the future Prime Minister Edward Stanley.
The Ramsbottom family filled one seat from 1806 until 1845. The borough had been loyal to the King's Pittite/Tory ministers in the late 18th and early 19th centuries, but became more favourable to the Whig interest after John Ramsbottom was elected.
By the [|1860s] the monarch had ceased to interfere in local affairs. The borough fell under the patronage of Colonel R. Richardson-Gardner. Richardson-Gardner was a local landowner, who caused some animosity when following the 1868 general election he evicted tenants who did not support him at the polls. This was the last Parliamentary election the Conservatives lost in Windsor.
Despite his methods, Richardson-Gardner was elected to Parliament in 1874.

20th century

Successive Conservative MPs, before the First World War, had considerable influence in the constituency; especially when they subscribed generously to local institutions such as a hospital.
The county division created in 1918 combined the town of Windsor, with territory to its west, south and east which had formerly been in the Wokingham division. The incumbent MP for Wokingham up to 1918, Ernest Gardner, was the first representative of the expanded Windsor constituency. The Conservative Party retained the seat continuously until its temporary abolition in 1974, as it has since its recreation in 1997.

Boundaries and boundary changes

Before 1868

The parliamentary borough of New Windsor was based upon the easternmost town in Berkshire in South East England, which grew up around Windsor Castle and the narrowly defined electorate could also vote for the county representatives. The north boundary of the constituency was on the River Thames, which was then the border between Buckinghamshire which had a seat of the same name and Berkshire, likewise the rest of the borough adjoined the Berkshire county constituency.

1868–1918

The boundaries of the parliamentary borough were extended by the Parliamentary Boundaries Act 1868 to include the villages of Clewer and Eton.
Between 1885 and 1918 the seat to the north of the Thames was the Wycombe division of Buckinghamshire and the other neighbouring constituency was the Wokingham division of Berkshire.

1918–1950

The parliamentary borough was abolished by the Representation of the People Act 1918 and replaced by a county division named Windsor. The constituency comprised the local government areas :

The Municipal Boroughs of New Windsor and Maidenhead;
the Rural Districts of Cookham, Easthampstead and Windsor; and
Part of the Rural District of Wokingham.

''The new constituency comprised the bulk of the abolished Wokingham division, including Maidenhead and rural areas surrounding Windsor and Maidenhead, but excluding the Municipal Borough of Wokingham itself, and incorporating the abolished Borough, with the exception of Eton, which was added to the Wycombe division of Buckinghamshire.''

1950–1974

The constituency was reduced in size by the Representation of the People Act 1948, comprising:

the Municipal Boroughs of New Windsor and Maidenhead; and
the Rural Districts of Cookham and Windsor.

The Rural District of Easthampstead and the part of the Rural District of Wokingham were transferred to the re-established constituency of Wokingham.
For the February 1974 general election, the constituency was abolished and renamed Windsor and Maidenhead, with no changes to its boundaries; this area plus Eton, which was transferred from Buckinghamshire, became the Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead established under the Local Government Act 1972.

1997–2010

For the 1997 general election, in order to effect an increase in Berkshire's representation from 7 to 8 MPs in accordance with the Fourth Periodic Review of Westminster Constituencies, the Windsor and Maidenhead constituency was abolished and two separate constituencies of Maidenhead and Windsor were created. The composition of the new constituency was:-

The [Bracknell Forest|Borough of Bracknell (UK Parliament constituency)|Bracknell Forest] wards of Ascot, Cranbourne, and St Mary's;
The Borough of Slough ward of Foxborough; and
The Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead wards of Bray, Castle, Clewer North, Clewer South, Datchet, Eton North and South, Eton West, Horton and Wraysbury, Old Windsor, Park, Sunningdale and South Ascot, Sunninghill, and Trinity.

The majority of the electorate in the abolished constituency was included in Maidenhead, whilst Windsor was joined by Eton and Bray. It also included a ward of Slough Borough Council north of the Thames, which was transferred from the Borough Constituency of Slough, and was extended southwards to include a part of the abolished constituency of East Berkshire, including Ascot and Sunningdale.
In 1998 there was a small re-alignment of county boundaries in the north east corner of Berkshire. This transferred to the Borough of Slough a small polling district from Surrey and another from Buckinghamshire to form Colnbrook and Poyle. This new ward was added to the Windsor constituency and was effective from the 2001 general election.

2010–2024

Further to the Fifth Periodic Review, the composition of the constituency is:-

The Borough of Bracknell Forest wards of Ascot, Binfield with Warfield, Warfield Harvest Rise, and Winkfield and Cranbourne;
The Borough of Slough ward of Colnbrook with Poyle; and
The Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead wards of Ascot and Cheapside, Castle Without, Clewer East, Clewer North, Clewer South, Datchet, Eton and Castle, Eton Wick, Horton and Wraysbury, Old Windsor, Park, Sunningdale, Sunninghill and South Ascot.

''The constituency gained the northern part of the constituency of Bracknell, including Binfield. Bray was transferred to Maidenhead and the Foxborough ward of the Borough of Slough returned to the Borough Constituency thereof.''

2024–present

Further to the 2023 Periodic Review of Westminster constituencies which became effective for the 2024 general election, the constituency is composed of the following :

The Borough of Runnymede wards of: Englefield Green East; Englefield Green West; Virginia Water.
The Borough of Slough wards of: Colnbrook with Poyle; Foxborough; Langley Kedermister.¹
The Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead wards of: Ascot & Sunninghill; Clewer & Dedworth East; Clewer & Dedworth West; Clewer East; Datchet, Horton & Wraysbury; Eton & Castle; Old Windsor; Sunningdale & Cheapside.

The seat was expanded by adding two Borough of Slough wards from the Slough constituency and the communities of Englefield Green and Virginia Water from the Surrey constituency of Runnymede and Weybridge, thus creating a cross-county boundary seat. To compensate, the Bracknell Forest wards were transferred to Maidenhead, except the Warfield Harvest Ride ward, which went to Bracknell.
¹ Following a local government boundary review which came into effect in May 2023, the parts in the Borough of Slough will now comprise the following wards from the 2024 general election:

Colnbrook & Poyle; Langley Foxborough; Langley Marish ; Langley St Mary's.

Members of Parliament

Burgesses in the English Parliament, 1510–1707

As there were sometimes significant gaps between Parliaments held in this period, the dates of first assembly and dissolution are given. Where the name of the member has not yet been ascertained or is not recorded in a surviving document, the entry unknown is entered in the table.
The Roman numerals after some names are those used in The House of Commons 1509–1558 and The House of Commons 1558–1603 to distinguish a member from another politician of the same name.

Elected	Assembled	Dissolved	First member	Second member
1510	21 January 1510	23 February 1510	John Welles	William Pury
1512	4 February 1512	4 March 1514	John Welles	Thomas Rider
1515	5 February 1515	22 December 1515	John Welles	Thomas Rider
1523	15 April 1523	13 August 1523	unknown	unknown
1529	3 November 1529	14 April 1536	Thomas Warde	William Simonds
1536	8 June 1536	18 July 1536	unknown	unknown
1539	28 April 1539	24 July 1540	unknown	unknown
1542	16 January 1542	28 March 1544	Richard Warde	William Simonds
1545	23 November 1545	31 January 1547	Thomas Legh	unknown
1547	4 November 1547	15 April 1552	Richard Warde	Edward Weldon
By January 1552	4 November 1547	15 April 1552	Richard Warde	Thomas Little
1553	1 March 1553	31 March 1553	Richard Warde	Richard Amyce
1553	5 October 1553	5 December 1553	Richard Warde	Thomas Good
1554	2 April 1554	3 May 1554	Richard Warde	Thomas Butler II
1554	12 November 1554	16 January 1555	Richard Warde	William Norreys
1555	21 October 1555	9 December 1555	Richard Warde	William Norreys
14 January 1558	20 January 1558	17 November 1558	William Hanley	William Norreys
5 January 1559	23 January 1559	8 May 1559	Thomas Weldon	Roger Amyce
1562 or 1563	11 January 1563	2 January 1567	Richard Gallys	John Gresham
1571	2 April 1571	29 May 1571	John Thomson	Humphrey Michell
12 April 1572	8 May 1572	19 April 1583	Edmund Docwra	Richard Gallys
1576	8 May 1572	19 April 1583	Edmund Docwra	Humphrey Michell
16 November 1584	23 November 1584	14 September 1585	Henry Neville	John Croke III
28 September 1586	13 October 1586	23 March 1587	Henry Neville	George Woodward
10 October 1588	4 February 1589	29 March 1589	Henry Neville	Edward Hake
26 October 1588	4 February 1589	29 March 1589	Edward Neville I	Edward Hake
1593	18 February 1593	10 April 1593	Henry Neville	Edward Neville II
16 October 1597	24 October 1597	9 February 1598	Julius Caesar	John Norreys
1 October 1601	27 October 1601	19 December 1601	Julius Caesar	(Sir) John Norreys
1604	19 March 1604	9 February 1611	Samuel Backhouse	Thomas Durdent died and replaced by Sir Francis Howard
1614	5 April 1614	7 June 1614	Sir Richard Lovelace	Thomas Woodward
1621	16 January 1621	8 February 1622	Sir Charles Howard	Sir Robert Bennet
1624	12 February 1624	27 March 1625	Edmund Sawyer	Thomas Woodward died and replaced by Sir William Hewitt
1625	17 May 1625	12 August 1625	William Russell	Humphrey Newbury
1626	6 February 1626	15 June 1626	William Russell	Humphrey Newbury
1628	17 March 1628	10 March 1629	William Beecher	Thomas Hewett
	No parliament held	-	-	-
1640	13 April 1640	5 May 1640	Sir Arthur Ingram	Sir Richard Harrison
1640	3 November 1640	5 December 1648	Cornelius Holland	William Taylor Richard Winwood
1640	6 December 1648	20 April 1653	Cornelius Holland	William Taylor Richard Winwood
1653	4 July 1653	12 December 1653	unrepresented	unrepresented
1654	3 September 1654	22 January 1655	unrepresented	unrepresented
1656	17 September 1656	4 February 1658	unrepresented	unrepresented
1659	27 January 1659	22 April 1659	George Starkey	Christopher Whichcote
N/A	7 May 1659	20 February 1660	unknown	unknown
N/A	21 February 1660	16 March 1660	unknown	unknown
3 April 1660	25 April 1660	29 December 1660	Alexander Baker	Roger Palmer
9 April 1661	8 May 1661	24 January 1679	Sir Richard Braham	Thomas Higgons
19 February 1677	8 May 1661	24 January 1679	Sir Francis Winnington	Thomas Higgons
27 February 1679	6 March 1679	12 July 1679	Sir John Ernle	John Powney
5 April 1679	6 March 1679	12 July 1679	Richard Winwood	Samuel Starkey
29 August 1679	21 October 1680	18 January 1681	John Powney	John Carey
4 November 1680	21 October 1680	18 January 1681	Samuel Starkey	Richard Winwood
1681	21 March 1681	28 March 1681	Samuel Starkey	Richard Winwood
28 March 1685	19 May 1685	2 June 1687	William Chiffinch	Richard Graham
11 January 1689	22 January 1689	6 February 1690	Henry Powle	Sir Christopher Wren
23 May 1689	22 January 1689	6 February 1690	Henry Powle	Sir Algernon May
6 March 1690	20 March 1690	11 October 1695	Sir Christopher Wren	Baptist May
17 May 1690	20 March 1690	11 October 1695	Sir Charles Porter	William Adderley
20 November 1693	20 March 1690	11 October 1695	Sir Charles Porter	Sir William Scawen
23 October 1695	22 November 1695	6 July 1698	Sir William Scawen	The 4th Viscount Fitzhardinge
21 August 1698	24 August 1698	19 December 1700	The 4th Viscount Fitzhardinge	Richard Topham
3 January 1701	6 February 1701	11 November 1701	The 4th Viscount Fitzhardinge	Richard Topham
21 November 1701	30 December 1701	2 July 1702	The 4th Viscount Fitzhardinge	Richard Topham
16 August 1702	20 August 1702	5 April 1705	The 4th Viscount Fitzhardinge	Richard Topham
8 May 1705	14 June 1705	1707	The 4th Viscount Fitzhardinge	Richard Topham

Elections

Elections in the 1940s

Elections in the 1930s

General Election 1939/40

Conservative: Annesley Somerville
Labour:

Elections in the 1910s

General Election 1914/15

Unionist: James Francis Mason
Liberal: James Alexander Browning

Elections in the 1890s

Caused by Richardson-Gardner's resignation.

Elections 1868–1880

The bloc vote electoral system was used in two seat elections and first past the post for single member by-elections and general elections from 1868. Each voter had up to as many votes as there were seats to be filled. Votes had to be cast by a spoken declaration, in public, at the hustings.

Elections 1690–1866

Note on percentage change calculations: Where there was only one candidate of a party in successive elections, for the same number of seats, change is calculated on the party percentage vote. Where there was more than one candidate, in one or both successive elections for the same number of seats, then change is calculated on the individual percentage vote.
Note on sources: The information for the election results given below is taken from Cruickshanks et al. 1690–1715, Sedgwick 1715–1754, Namier and Brooke 1754–1790, Stooks Smith 1790–1832 and from Craig thereafter. Where Stooks Smith gives additional information or differs from the other sources this is indicated in a note after the result. When a candidate is described as Non Partisan for an election this means that the sources used do not give a party label. This does not necessarily mean that the candidate did not regard himself as a member of a party or acted as such in Parliament. Craig's party labels have been varied to take account of the development of parties. Tory candidates are classified as Conservative from the 1835 United Kingdom general election. Whig and Radical candidates are classified separately until the formal establishment of the Liberal Party shortly after the 1859 United Kingdom general election.

[|1690s] – [|1700s] – [|1710s] – [|1720s] – [|1730s] – [|1740s] – [|1750s] – [|1760s] – [|1770s] – 1780s –
1790s – [|1800s] – [|1810s] – [|1820s] – [|1830s] – [|1840s] – [|1850s] – 1860s

Elections in the 1860s

Caused by the previous election being declared void on petition after both Hoare and Labouchere were found guilty of bribery via their agents.Note : Turnout is estimated, in the same way as for 1857. This election was declared void on petition.
Caused by Hope's death.

Elections in the 1850s

Note : Turnout estimated as in 1857. A petition was presented after this election, but it was withdrawn before a formal decision was made upon it.Note : As the number of electors who voted is unascertained, the minimum turnout is calculated by dividing the number of votes by two. To the extent that voters did not use both their votes the turnout figure will be an underestimate.Resignation of WellesleyNote : A petition was presented against Wellesley only, but it was dismissed.Seat vacated on Reid's deathSeat vacated on appointment of Hatchell as Attorney-General for Ireland

''Hay's resignation''

Elections in the 1840s

Note : Stooks Smith has the registered electorate as 720.

Caused by Neville's appointment as a Lord Commissioner of the Treasury
Caused by Ramsbottom's death
''Note : Later in his career Ralph Neville became known as Ralph Neville Grenville. A petition was presented challenging this election, but it was withdrawn before a decision was obtained.''

Elections in the 1830s

On petition de Beauvoir was unseated and Elley was seated on 6 April 1835, following a scrutiny.Note : John Walter was a candidate, but he retired from the contest before the election.
Note : Stooks Smith classified Ramsbottom as a Radical candidate from this election. However as Stenton, editing a book composed of Parliamentary biographies published by a contemporary after the Reform Act 1832, described Ramsbottom as being 'of Whig principles' he continues to be classified as a Whig in this article.

''Seat vacated on the appointment of Vivian as Commander of the Forces in Ireland''

Elections in the 1820s

Resignation of Taylor

''Note : From this election Stooks Smith does not append junior to the name of John Ramsbottom.''

Elections in the 1810s

Death of Disbrowe

''Resignation of Ramsbottom''

Elections in the 1800s

Seat vacated when Williams was declared not duly elected

''Seat vacated on the appointment of Greville as a Groom of the Bedchamber''

Elections in the 1790s

Death of Isherwood

''Death of Powney''

Elections in the 1780s

Seat vacated on the appointment of Powney as Ranger of the Little Park.Death of Hussey-MontaguNote : Lord John Russell was a candidate, but declined going to the poll.

''Note : Richard Pennant was proposed, but declined going to the poll.''

Elections in the 1770s

Death of Tonson.

''Note : Both Stooks Smith and Napier & Brooke refer to this MP as the Hon. John Montagu.''

Elections in the 1760s

Death of Beauclerk.

''Seat vacated on the appointment of Keppel to an office.''

Elections in the 1750s

Seat vacated on the appointment of Fox as Paymaster of the Forces.

''Seat vacated on the appointment of Fox as Secretary of State for the Southern Department.''

Elections in the 1740s

Seat vacated on the appointment of Fox as Secretary at War.Death of BeauclerkSeat vacated on the appointment of Fox to an office.

''Seat vacated on the appointment of Lord Sidney Beauclerk as Vice-Chamberlain of the Household.''

Elections in the 1730s

Seat vacated after the appointment of Lord Vere Beauclerk to an office.A double return was made. The House of Commons decided the correct result was Beauclerk 240 and Oldfield 160 ; a majority of 80. Beauclerk was declared duly elected on 27 March 1738.Succession of Malpas as the 3rd Earl of Cholmondeley

''Seat vacated on the appointment of Beauclerk as a Commissioner of the Navy.''

Elections in the 1720s

''Succession of Burford as the 2nd Duke of St Albans.''

Elections in the 1710s

On petition, Wren and Gayer were unseated and Ashurst and Travers were seated on 14 April 1715.Masham created the 1st Lord Masham 1 January 1712

''Death of Paul''

Elections in the 1690s

Death of Adderley, in June 1693Note: There is a discrepancy between sources, as The House of Common 1690–1715 indicates that Wren was elected at this election; whereas Leigh Rayment indicates Sir Algernon May was re-elected; both with Baptist May.

''On petition, Wren and May were unseated and Porter and Adderley were seated on 17 May 1690.''