# Brentford (UK Parliament constituency)

Brentford was a constituency named after the town of Brentford in Middlesex and was drawn to take in Hounslow, Norwood Green and Twickenham. It returned one Member of Parliament (MP) to the House of Commons of the UK Parliament. The constituency was created for the 1885 general election and abolished for that of 1918.

## Boundaries

The local government district of Brentford, the civil parishes of Heston, Isleworth, Norwood (also known as Norwood Green), and Twickenham, and part of the civil parish of Hanwell.

### Context

The constituency was in the south-west of Middlesex, in present outer-southwest London. It was one of seven divisions of a soon-to-be County of London). It was named after its medieval market town of Brentford, on the north (Middlesex) bank of the River Thames. The seat bordered the Ealing division to the north and north-east, Kingston to the south-east and Uxbridge from the north-west to south-west.
Brentford had been the husting place for the two-member county of Middlesex since 1700, 155 years after the formation of the second breakaway urban division of Middlesex, the two-member seat of Westminster. The county as a whole saw 47 members replacing 18 before 1885, the greatest absolute rise of any county at a national boundary review.

### Successors

Both of the seat's successors took in parts of an adjoining Middlesex division (seat).

### Present administrative tiers

In 1965 the area of this old division became parts of the London Boroughs of Hounslow, Richmond upon Thames and Ealing.

## Members of Parliament

| Year | Year | Member | Party |
| | 1885 | Octavius Coope | Conservative |
| | 1886 | James Bigwood | Conservative |
| | 1906 | Vickerman Rutherford | Liberal |
| | 1910 | Lord Alwyne Compton | Conservative |
| | 1911 | William Joynson-Hicks | Conservative |
| 1918 | 1918 | constituency abolished | constituency abolished |

## Elections
### Elections in the 1880s

General election 1885: Brentford :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Octavius Coope | 3,563 | 61.1 | |
| | Liberal | James Haysman | 2,267 | 38.9 | |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 1,296 | 22.2 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 5,830 | 73.1 | |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 7,971 | | |
| | Conservative win (new seat) | Conservative win (new seat) | Conservative win (new seat) | Conservative win (new seat) | Conservative win (new seat) |
General election 1886: Brentford :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Octavius Coope | 3,043 | 68.4 | +7.3 |
| | Liberal | James Haysman | 1,409 | 31.6 | −7.3 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 1,634 | 36.8 | +14.6 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 4,452 | 55.9 | −17.2 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 7,971 | | |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | +7.3 | |
Coope's death caused a by-election.
By-election, 23 Dec 1886: Brentford :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | James Bigwood | 2,572 | 66.2 | −2.2 |
| | Liberal | James Haysman | 1,316 | 33.8 | +2.2 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 1,256 | 32.4 | −4.4 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 3,888 | 48.8 | −7.1 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 7,971 | | |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | −2.2 | |

### Elections in the 1890s

General election 1892: Brentford :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | James Bigwood | 4,417 | 62.7 | −5.7 |
| | Liberal | Harry Heldmann | 2,625 | 37.3 | +5.7 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 1,792 | 25.4 | −11.4 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 7,042 | 70.6 | +14.7 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 9,975 | | |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | -3.5 | |
General election 1895: Brentford :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | James Bigwood | Unopposed | Unopposed | Unopposed |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Conservative hold |

### Elections in the 1900s

General election 1900: Brentford :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | James Bigwood | Unopposed | Unopposed | Unopposed |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Conservative hold |
General election 1906: Brentford :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal | Vickerman Rutherford | 6,506 | 51.8 | New |
| | Conservative | James Bigwood | 6,053 | 48.2 | N/A |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 453 | 3.6 | N/A |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 12,559 | 73.2 | N/A |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 17,153 | | |
| | Liberal gain from Conservative | Liberal gain from Conservative | Swing | N/A | |

### Elections in the 1910s

General election January 1910: Brentford :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Alwyne Compton | 10,675 | 61.0 | +12.8 |
| | Liberal | Vickerman Rutherford | 6,819 | 39.0 | −12.8 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 3,856 | 22.0 | N/A |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 17,494 | 84.5 | +11.3 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 20,701 | | |
| | Conservative gain from Liberal | Conservative gain from Liberal | Swing | +12.8 | |
General election December 1910: Brentford :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Alwyne Compton | 9,199 | 60.0 | −1.0 |
| | Liberal | William George Lobjoit | 6,124 | 40.0 | +1.0 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 3,075 | 20.0 | −2.0 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 15,323 | 74.0 | −10.5 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 20,701 | | |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | -1.0 | |
1911 Brentford by-election :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | William Joynson-Hicks | Unopposed | Unopposed | Unopposed |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Conservative hold |
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;
* Unionist: William Joynson-Hicks
* Liberal: William George Lobjoit