The compendium was first published in three volumes by Simpkin, Marshall and Company, London, 1844 to 1850.
As compiled by Smith, The Parliaments of England appears to be the first reference work of its kind and, according to Craig, in his introduction to the second edition, "a random check of the book reveals relatively few errors and omissions considering the difficulty in collecting results during a period when no official records, other than the actual Writs, were preserved".
Craig describes the 1973 edition as a facsimile, "reproduced from the best available copy".
Also, "a new and more detailed index to constituencies" is included, and lists showing the duration of each parliament and the names of Prime Ministers have been "revised and corrected".
This article about a book on politics of the United Kingdom is a stub.