Compton was created by the British North America Act of 1867.

It consisted of the Townships of Compton, Westbury, Eaton, Clifton, Hereford, and Augmentation, Bury, Newport, Auckland, Lingwick, Hampden, Ditton, Winslow, Whitton, Marston, Chesham and part of the Township of Clinton.

In 1924, it was re-defined to consist of: In 1933, it was expanded to include the townships of Eaton and Westbury in the village of Ascot Corner.

The new riding was defined to consist of: In 1976, it was expanded to include in the County of Stanstead: the village municipalities of Ayer's Cliff, Beebe Plain, Dixville, Hatley, North Hatley, Saint-Herménégilde and Stanstead Plain; the township municipalities of Barford, Barnston, Hatley, Hatley (West part) and Stanstead; the municipalities of Barnston West, Ogden, Sainte-Catherine-de-Hatley, Saint-Herménégilde, Saint-Mathieu-de-Dixville and Stanstead East.

This riding elected the following members of Parliament: By-election: On Mr. Pope's appointment as Minister of Agriculture, 25 October 1871 By-election: On Mr. Pope's appointment as Minister of Agriculture, 17 October 1878 By-election: On Mr. Pope's death, 1 April 1889 By-election: On election being declared void, Nov. 22, 1905 Riding history from the Library of Parliament: