Cricklade (UK Parliament constituency)

From 1295 until the general election of 1885, Cricklade was a parliamentary borough, returning two members of parliament (MPs) to the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom, previously to the House of Commons of England and House of Commons of Great Britain.

Initially this consisted of only the town of Cricklade, but from 1782 the vote was extended to the surrounding countryside as a punishment for the borough's corruption.

The extended area came to include the village of Swindon, which later grew into a large town with the coming of the railways in the 19th century.

Gordon was appointed a Commissioner for the Affairs of India, causing a by-election.

The political parties had been making preparations for an election to take place and by July 1914, the following candidates had been selected;