Barnstaple (UK Parliament constituency) Barnstaple (UK Parliament constituency) Barnstaple was a parliamentary constituency centred on the town of Barnstaple in Devon, in the South West of England. It returned two Members of Parliament to the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom until 1885, when its representation was reduced to a single member. The constituency was created in 1295, and abolished for the 1950 general election. The town of Barnstaple is today represented by the North Devon constituency. 1885–1918: The Municipal Boroughs of Barnstaple and Bideford, and the Sessional Divisions of Bideford and Braunton. 1918–1950: The Municipal Boroughs of Barnstaple and
Barnstaple tanneries, sawmills and foundries, and shipbuilding was also carried on. The Bear Street drill hall was completed in the early 19th century. Barnstaple was one of the boroughs reformed by the Municipal Reform Act 1835. Between the 1930s and the 1950s the town swallowed the villages of Pilton, Newport, and Roundswell through ribbon development. The historic Borough of Barnstaple was long governed by the Mayor of Barnstaple and the Corporation. The seat of government was the Barnstaple Guildhall. The mayor served a term of one year and was elected annually on the Feast of the Assumption of the Virgin (15