North Northamptonshire was a county constituency in Northamptonshire, represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. This constituency included the majority of the Soke of Peterborough (also known as the 'Liberty of Peterborough'), with the exception of the actual city of Peterborough itself, which was a borough constituency that returned its own MP.
1832–1885: The Liberty of Peterborough, and the Hundreds of Willybrook, Polebrook, Huxloe, Navisford, Corby, Higham Ferrers, Rothwell, Hamfordshoe and Orlingbury.[1]
1885–1918: The Sessional Divisions of Oundle and Thrapstone, part of the Sessional Division of Kettering (with the exceptions below), the Liberty of the Soke of Peterborough, and the part of the Municipal Borough of Stamford in the county of Northamptonshire.(The part of the Sessional Division of Kettering included in North Northamptonshire excluded the parishes of Broughton, Cransley, Kettering and Pytchley, which were assigned to East Northamptonshire, and also excluded the parishes of Draughton, Faxton, Glendon, Harrington, Loddington, Mawsley, Orton, Rothwell and Thorpe Malsor, which were assigned to Mid Northamptonshire). [2]
The constituency was created by the Great Reform Act for the 1832 general election, and abolished for the 1918 general election, when it was merged into Peterborough.
From 1832 until 1885, the constituency returned two Members of Parliament elected by the bloc vote system. Under the Redistribution of Seats Act 1885, with effect from the 1885 general election, its area was reduced and representation reduced to one member, elected by the first past the post voting system.
Wentworth-Fitzwilliam succeeded to the peerage, becoming 5th Earl Fitzwilliam and causing a by-election.
Wentworth-Fitzwilliam's death caused a by-election.
Stafford's death caused a by-election.
Cecil was appointed Treasurer of the Household, requiring a by-election.
Cecil succeeded to the peerage, becoming 3rd Marquess of Exeter, causing a by-election.
Hunt was appointed Chancellor of the Exchequer, requiring a by-election.
Hunt was appointed First Lord of the Admiralty, causing a by-election.
Hunt's death caused a by-election.
Cecil was appointed Groom in Waiting, requiring a by-election.
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 July 1914, the following candidates had been selected;