Huntingdon is a market town in Cambridgeshire, England, chartered by King John in 1205. Having been the county town of historic Huntingdonshire, it is now the seat of the Huntingdonshire District Council. It was the birthplace of Oliver Cromwell in 1599, who became its Member of Parliament in the 17th century. The former Conservative Prime Minister John Major served as MP for Huntingdon from 1979 until his retirement in 2001.