Bedfordshire (UK Parliament constituency)

Bedfordshire was a county constituency of the Parliament of the United Kingdom, electing two Members of Parliament (MPs), traditionally referred to as Knights of the Shire, by the bloc vote system. It existed from 1290 until 1885.

History:

The constituency comprised the historic county of Bedfordshire. Throughout its existence, voting was based on property qualifications, meaning that only landowners meeting a certain threshold were eligible to vote.

Prior to the Reform Act 1832, the constituency remained largely unchanged. The 1832 Act slightly altered the boundaries for electoral purposes.

The constituency was abolished under the Redistribution of Seats Act 1885, which divided Bedfordshire into single-member constituencies: Biggleswade, Luton, and Northern or Biggleswade.

Boundaries:

The constituency encompassed the geographical area of Bedfordshire, excluding any boroughs which had their own parliamentary representation (such as Bedford itself, which had its own borough constituency).

Franchise:

The right to vote was historically restricted to freeholders owning land worth at least 40 shillings per year. This qualification was altered by successive Reform Acts.

Members of Parliament:

The constituency elected two MPs simultaneously. A full list of MPs who represented Bedfordshire can be found in historical records of parliamentary representation. Due to the length of its existence, hundreds of individuals served as its representatives. Information regarding specific MPs is available through resources such as The History of Parliament.

Abolition:

The Redistribution of Seats Act 1885 significantly reformed the electoral map of the United Kingdom. This act aimed to create more equitable representation based on population size, leading to the abolishment of two-member county constituencies like Bedfordshire in favour of single-member constituencies.