Previously, Hereford had been a parliamentary borough which from 1295 to 1885 had elected two MPs, using the bloc vote system in contested elections. Under the Redistribution of Seats Act 1885 the borough's representation had been reduced to one seat at the 1885 general election, and for the 1918 general election the borough was abolished and replaced with a county division which carried the same name but covered a wider geographical area.
History
Hereford sent two representatives to Parliament from the beginning of the reign of Edward I. Although a county town, the early elections were always held at a different location from those of the shire, the former taking place at the Guildhall, the latter in the castle.
In 1885, representation was reduced to one Member.
Journalist Robin Day stood as the Liberal candidate in the 1959 general election.
From 1931 until 1997, Hereford was held by the Conservative Party, before being taken by Paul Keetch of the Liberal Democrats at the 1997 general election. Keetch served as the Liberal Democrats' spokesman for defence from October 1999 until May 2005, and announced on 17 November 2006 that he would not be standing at the next election.
Following the review by the Boundary Commission for England of parliamentary representation in Herefordshire, taking effect at the 2010 general election, two parliamentary constituencies were allocated to the county. The Hereford seat was abolished and replaced by the Hereford and South Herefordshire seat, while the remainder of the county is covered by the North Herefordshire seat. [1]
Boundaries
1918–1950: The Borough of Hereford, the Urban Districts of Ledbury and Ross-on-Wye, the Rural Districts of Dore, Ross, and Whitchurch, and parts of the Rural Districts of Hereford and Ledbury.
1950–1983: The Borough of Hereford, the Urban District of Ross-on-Wye, the Rural Districts of Dore and Bredwardine, and Ross and Whitchurch, and part of the Rural District of Hereford.
1983–1997: The City of Hereford, and the District of South Herefordshire wards of Backbury, Broad Oak, Dinedor Hill, Doward, Fownhope, Garron, Golden Valley, Gorsley, Gorsty, Harewood End, Hollington, Kingsthorne, Merbach, Olchon, Old Gore, Penyard, Pontrilas, Ross-on-Wye East, Ross-on-Wye West, Stoney Street, Tram Inn, Walford, Whitfield, and Wilton.
1997–2010: The City of Hereford, and the District of South Herefordshire wards of Broad Oak, Clehonger East, Clehonger West, Dinedor Hill, Doward, Fownhope, Garron, Golden Valley, Gorsley, Harewood End, Hollington, Kingsthorne, Merbach, Olchon, Old Gore, Penyard, Pontrilas, Ross-on-Wye East, Ross-on-Wye West, Stoney Street, Tram Inn, Walford, Whitfield, and Wilton.
In its final form, the Hereford constituency contained the city of Hereford and most of South Herefordshire, including Ross-on-Wye, but excluding Ledbury and Much Marcle, both of which were in the Leominster constituency.
The election was declared void on petition, after the Liberal agent was found to have "given breakfast to Liberal electors", and therefore was guilty of treating.[36]
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 July 1914, the following candidates had been selected;
Another General Election was required to take place before the end of 1940. The political parties had been making preparations for an election to take place from 1939 and by the end of this year, the following candidates had been selected;
^It is not known for certain whether Weaver sat after Pride's Purge: a "Mr Weaver" was re-admitted and Edmund Weaver appears in one list of members of the Rump, but he is not listed in the House of Commons Journals, and Brunton & Pennington suggest he has probably been confused with John Weaver, MP for Stamford (who was certainly a member)
^ ab"General Election". Morning Post. 2 July 1841. p. 7. Retrieved 6 November 2018 – via British Newspaper Archive.
^ ab"District News". Manchester Courier and Lancashire General Advertiser. 3 July 1841. pp. 2–3. Retrieved 6 November 2018 – via British Newspaper Archive.
^"Perthshire Courier". 14 October 1841. p. 1. Retrieved 6 November 2018 – via British Newspaper Archive.
^"Miscellaneous Epitome". Norfolk Chronicle. 16 October 1841. p. 4. Retrieved 6 November 2018 – via British Newspaper Archive.
^"London, Monday Evening". Western Courier, West of England Conservative, Plymouth and Devonport Advertiser. 30 July 1845. p. 2. Retrieved 14 May 2018 – via British Newspaper Archive.
^"Hereford". Wilts and Gloucestershire Standard. 27 July 1847. p. 3. Retrieved 14 May 2018 – via British Newspaper Archive.
^"The General Election". Morning Post. 2 August 1847. pp. 2–3. Retrieved 14 May 2018 – via British Newspaper Archive.
^"Hereford City Election". Hereford Journal. 4 August 1847. p. 2. Retrieved 14 May 2018 – via British Newspaper Archive.
^"City Election". Hereford Journal. 18 February 1857. p. 5. Retrieved 14 May 2018 – via British Newspaper Archive.
^"Miscellaneous". The Atlas. 14 February 1857. p. 5. Retrieved 14 May 2018 – via British Newspaper Archive.
^On petition, the election of 1868 was declared void and a by-election was held
^ abEscott, Margaret. "Hereford". The History of Parliament. Retrieved 14 April 2020.
^ abcdefghijklmnopqrCraig, F. W. S., ed. (1977). British Parliamentary Election Results 1832-1885(e-book) (1st ed.). London: Macmillan Press. ISBN 978-1-349-02349-3.
Robert Beatson, A Chronological Register of Both Houses of Parliament (London: Longman, Hurst, Res & Orme, 1807) [1]
D Brunton & D H Pennington, Members of the Long Parliament (London: George Allen & Unwin, 1954)
Cobbett's Parliamentary history of England, from the Norman Conquest in 1066 to the year 1803 (London: Thomas Hansard, 1808) [2]
The Constitutional Year Book for 1913 (London: National Union of Conservative and Unionist Associations, 1913)
F W S Craig, British Parliamentary Election Results 1832–1885 (2nd edition, Aldershot: Parliamentary Research Services, 1989)
F W S Craig, British Parliamentary Election Results 1918–1949 (Glasgow: Political Reference Publications, 1969)
Maija Jansson (ed.), Proceedings in Parliament, 1614 (House of Commons) (Philadelphia: American Philosophical Society, 1988) [3]
J E Neale, The Elizabethan House of Commons (London: Jonathan Cape, 1949)
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