Falkirk Burghs (UK Parliament constituency)
Falkirk Burghs | |
---|---|
Former district of Burghs constituency for the House of Commons | |
Major settlements | Falkirk, Airdrie, Hamilton, Lanark and Linlithgow |
1832–1918 | |
Seats | One |
Created from | Lanarkshire,[1] Linlithgow Burghs,[2] and Stirlingshire[3] |
Replaced by | Stirling & Falkirk Burghs, Hamilton, Lanark and Linlithgowshire |
Falkirk Burghs was a district of burghs constituency of the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom from 1832 to 1918. The constituency comprised the burghs of Falkirk, Airdrie, Hamilton, Lanark and Linlithgow, lying in Stirlingshire, Lanarkshire and Linlithgowshire.
In 1918, Falkirk became part of Stirling and Falkirk Burghs, Hamilton and Lanark formed the core of new Hamilton and Lanark constituencies, and Linlithgow was represented as part of Linlithgowshire.
Members of Parliament
[edit]Elections
[edit]Elections in the 1830s
[edit]Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Radical | William Downe Gillon | 505 | 58.3 | ||
Whig | Charles Murray[13] | 361 | 41.7 | ||
Majority | 144 | 16.6 | |||
Turnout | 866 | 89.4 | |||
Registered electors | 969 | ||||
Radical win (new seat) |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Radical | William Downe Gillon | Unopposed | |||
Registered electors | 1,046 | ||||
Radical hold |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Radical | William Downe Gillon | Unopposed | |||
Registered electors | 1,177 | ||||
Radical hold |
Elections in the 1840s
[edit]Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Conservative | William Baird | 484 | 52.8 | New | |
Radical | William Downe Gillon | 433 | 47.2 | N/A | |
Majority | 51 | 5.6 | N/A | ||
Turnout | 917 | 67.0 | N/A | ||
Registered electors | 1,369 | ||||
Conservative gain from Radical | Swing | N/A |
Baird resigned by accepting the office of Steward of the Chiltern Hundreds, causing a by-election.
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Conservative | Henry Pelham-Clinton | 506 | 50.5 | −2.3 | |
Whig | John Wilson[14][15] | 495 | 49.5 | +2.3 | |
Majority | 11 | 1.0 | −4.4 | ||
Turnout | 1,001 | 75.2 | +8.2 | ||
Registered electors | 1,332 | ||||
Conservative hold | Swing | −2.3 |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Conservative | Henry Pelham-Clinton | 522 | 51.5 | −1.3 | |
Whig | William Sprott Boyd[16] | 491 | 48.5 | +1.3 | |
Majority | 31 | 3.0 | −2.6 | ||
Turnout | 1,013 | 70.5 | +3.5 | ||
Registered electors | 1,437 | ||||
Conservative hold | Swing | −1.3 |
Elections in the 1850s
[edit]Pelham-Clinton succeeded to the peerage, becoming 5th Duke of Newcastle and causing a by-election.
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Conservative | James Baird | 590 | 52.0 | +0.5 | |
Whig | George Loch[17][18] | 544 | 48.0 | −0.5 | |
Majority | 46 | 4.0 | +1.0 | ||
Turnout | 1,134 | 64.8 | −5.7 | ||
Registered electors | 1,749 | ||||
Conservative hold | Swing | +0.5 |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Conservative | James Baird | 579 | 52.3 | +0.8 | |
Whig | James Anderson[19] | 529 | 47.7 | −0.8 | |
Majority | 50 | 4.6 | +1.6 | ||
Turnout | 1,108 | 58.2 | −12.3 | ||
Registered electors | 1,905 | ||||
Conservative hold | Swing | +0.8 |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Radical | James Merry | 770 | 61.1 | +13.4 | |
Conservative | George Baird[20] | 491 | 38.9 | −13.4 | |
Majority | 279 | 22.2 | N/A | ||
Turnout | 1,261 | 85.6 | +27.4 | ||
Registered electors | 1,473 | ||||
Radical gain from Conservative | Swing | +13.4 |
Merry's election was declared void on petition due to bribery by "injudicious partisans",[21] causing a by-election.
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Radical | John Hamilton | Unopposed | |||
Radical hold |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Liberal | James Merry | Unopposed | |||
Registered electors | 1,540 | ||||
Liberal hold |
Elections in the 1860s
[edit]Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Liberal | James Merry | 683 | 62.0 | N/A | |
Conservative | Frederick James Halliday | 419 | 38.0 | New | |
Majority | 264 | 24.0 | N/A | ||
Turnout | 1,102 | 73.0 | N/A | ||
Registered electors | 1,510 | ||||
Liberal hold | Swing | N/A |
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/0/0c/Horsman%2C_Edward_%281807-1876%29%2C_by_Southwell_Brothers%2C_c.1862-4.jpg/120px-Horsman%2C_Edward_%281807-1876%29%2C_by_Southwell_Brothers%2C_c.1862-4.jpg)
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Liberal | James Merry | 1,724 | 99.1 | +37.1 | |
Independent Liberal | Edward Horsman[23] | 16 | 0.9 | New | |
Majority | 1,708 | 98.2 | +74.2 | ||
Turnout | 1,740 | 37.0 | −36.0 | ||
Registered electors | 4,704 | ||||
Liberal hold | Swing | N/A |
Elections in the 1870s
[edit]Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Liberal | John Ramsay | 2,583 | 56.9 | −42.2 | |
Conservative | Alexander Baird[24] | 1,958 | 43.1 | New | |
Majority | 625 | 13.8 | −84.4 | ||
Turnout | 4,541 | 87.9 | +50.9 | ||
Registered electors | 5,165 | ||||
Liberal hold | Swing | N/A |
Ramsay was disqualified from office, due to his holding of a Government contract at the time of the election. He stood again unopposed at a by-election.
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Liberal | John Ramsay | Unopposed | |||
Liberal hold |
Elections in the 1880s
[edit]Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Liberal | John Ramsay | 3,270 | 74.1 | +17.2 | |
Conservative | William Bell McTaggart[25] | 1,140 | 25.9 | −17.2 | |
Majority | 2,130 | 48.2 | +34.4 | ||
Turnout | 4,410 | 82.7 | −5.2 | ||
Registered electors | 5,333 | ||||
Liberal hold | Swing | +17.2 |
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/9/96/James_Galloway_Weir.jpg/120px-James_Galloway_Weir.jpg)
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Liberal | John Ramsay | 3,104 | 50.6 | −23.5 | |
Conservative | Samuel Leck Mason | 2,204 | 35.9 | 10.0 | |
Independent Liberal | James Galloway Weir | 814 | 13.3 | New | |
Hamilton Liberal Association | John Roskill | 14 | 0.2 | New | |
Majority | 900 | 14.7 | −33.6 | ||
Turnout | 6,136 | 85.9 | +3.2 | ||
Registered electors | 7,142 | ||||
Liberal hold | Swing | −16.8 |
The Hamilton Liberal Association nominated Roskill in protest against Ramsay. However, arbitration later led to their support for Ramsay and Roskill's withdrawal from the race. Weir did not agree to take part in the arbitration.
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Liberal Unionist | William Pirrie Sinclair | 2,712 | 50.2 | +14.3 | |
Liberal | Harry Smith | 2,693 | 49.8 | −0.8 | |
Majority | 19 | 0.4 | N/A | ||
Turnout | 5,405 | 75.7 | −10.2 | ||
Registered electors | 7,142 | ||||
Liberal Unionist gain from Liberal | Swing | +7.5 |
Elections in the 1890s
[edit]Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Liberal | Harry Smith | 3,816 | 54.6 | +4.8 | |
Liberal Unionist | William Pirrie Sinclair | 3,177 | 45.4 | −4.8 | |
Majority | 639 | 9.2 | N/A | ||
Turnout | 6,993 | 83.1 | +7.4 | ||
Registered electors | 8,412 | ||||
Liberal gain from Liberal Unionist | Swing | +4.8 |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Liberal Unionist | John Wilson | 4,075 | 51.6 | +6.2 | |
Liberal | Harry Smith | 3,822 | 48.4 | −6.2 | |
Majority | 253 | 3.2 | N/A | ||
Turnout | 7,897 | 84.3 | +1.2 | ||
Registered electors | 9,363 | ||||
Liberal Unionist gain from Liberal | Swing | +6.2 |
Elections in the 1900s
[edit]![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/d/d9/John_Archibald_Murray_Macdonald.jpg)
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Liberal Unionist | John Wilson | 4,222 | 51.2 | −0.4 | |
Liberal | John Macdonald | 4,022 | 48.8 | +0.4 | |
Majority | 200 | 2.4 | −0.8 | ||
Turnout | 8,244 | 79.4 | −4.9 | ||
Registered electors | 10,388 | ||||
Liberal Unionist hold | Swing | −0.4 |
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/b/be/David_Gilmour_-_trade_unionist.png/120px-David_Gilmour_-_trade_unionist.png)
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Liberal | John Macdonald | 5,158 | 51.0 | +2.2 | |
Conservative | Henry Keith | 3,176 | 31.5 | −19.7 | |
Scottish Workers | David Gilmour | 1,763 | 17.5 | New | |
Majority | 1,982 | 19.5 | N/A | ||
Turnout | 10,097 | 83.7 | +4.3 | ||
Registered electors | 12,068 | ||||
Liberal gain from Liberal Unionist | Swing | +5.9 |
Elections in the 1910s
[edit]Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Liberal | John Macdonald | 6,524 | 59.9 | +8.9 | |
Conservative | Henry Keith | 4,375 | 40.1 | +8.6 | |
Majority | 2,149 | 19.8 | +0.3 | ||
Turnout | 10,899 | 84.6 | +0.9 | ||
Liberal hold | Swing | +0.2 |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Liberal | John Macdonald | 6,276 | 59.7 | −0.2 | |
Conservative | Daniel Young | 4,245 | 40.3 | +0.2 | |
Majority | 2,031 | 19.4 | −0.4 | ||
Turnout | 10,521 | 80.0 | −4.6 | ||
Liberal hold | Swing | -0.2 |
General Election 1914–15:
Another General Election was required to take place before the end of 1915. The political parties had been making preparations for an election to take place and by July 1914, the following candidates had been selected;
- Liberal: John Macdonald
- Unionist: Sir James Robertson Wilson, 2nd Baronet
- British Socialist Party:
Notes and references
[edit]- ^ Jenkins, Terry. "Lanarkshire". The History of Parliament. Retrieved 7 May 2020.
- ^ Fisher, David R. "Linlithgow Burghs". The History of Parliament. Retrieved 7 May 2020.
- ^ Jenkins, Terry. "Stirlingshire". The History of Parliament. Retrieved 7 May 2020.
- ^ Leigh Rayment's Historical List of MPs – Constituencies beginning with "F"
- ^ Craig, F. W. S. (1989) [1977]. British parliamentary election results 1832–1885 (2nd ed.). Chichester: Parliamentary Research Services. p. 544. ISBN 0-900178-26-4.
- ^ a b c d e f Stooks Smith, Henry (1842). The Register of Parliamentary Contested Elections: Containing the Uncontested Elections Since 1830. London: Simpkin, Marshall, & Co. p. 201. Retrieved 16 August 2019 – via Google Books.
- ^ Churton, Edward (1838). The Assembled Commons or Parliamentary Biographer. p. 99. Retrieved 16 August 2019 – via Google Books.
- ^ Bebbington, D. W. "Unitarian Members of Parliament in the Nineteenth Century: A Catalogue". STORRE, University of Stirling. Retrieved 16 August 2019.
- ^ "Coventry Standard". 6 March 1857. p. 4. Retrieved 2 September 2018 – via British Newspaper Archive.
- ^ "Falkirk Burghs Election". Glasgow Herald. 27 March 1857. p. 4. Retrieved 2 September 2018 – via British Newspaper Archive.
- ^ "Kelso Chronicle". 14 August 1857. p. 2. Retrieved 2 September 2018 – via British Newspaper Archive.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p Craig, F. W. S., ed. (1977). British Parliamentary Election Results 1832-1885 (e-book) (1st ed.). London: Macmillan Press. ISBN 978-1-349-02349-3.
- ^ "Page 2". London Courier and Evening Gazette. 26 December 1832. Retrieved 7 May 2020 – via British Newspaper Archive.
- ^ "Derry Journal". 29 April 1846. p. 2. Retrieved 16 August 2019 – via British Newspaper Archive.
- ^ "Election for the Falkirk District of Burghs". Dumfries and Galloway Standard. 6 May 1846. p. 3. Retrieved 16 August 2019 – via British Newspaper Archive.
- ^ "Falkirk Burghs". The Sctosman. 28 July 1847. p. 2. Retrieved 16 August 2019 – via British Newspaper Archive.
- ^ "Scotland". Dumfries and Galloway Standard. 19 February 1851. p. 3. Retrieved 2 September 2018 – via British Newspaper Archive.
- ^ "The Vacant Seats". Tyrone Constitution. 7 February 1851. p. 2. Retrieved 2 September 2018 – via British Newspaper Archive.
- ^ "The Falkirk Burghs". Stirling Observer. 15 July 1852. p. 4. Retrieved 2 September 2018 – via British Newspaper Archive.
- ^ "Falkirk Burghs". Banffshire Journal and General Advertiser. 7 April 1857. p. 8. Retrieved 2 September 2018 – via British Newspaper Archive.
- ^ "Election Intelligence". Windsor and Eton Express. 15 August 1857. p. 2. Retrieved 2 September 2018 – via British Newspaper Archive.
- ^ Debrett's House of Commons and Judicial Bench, 1870
- ^ "Falkirk Burghs". Falkirk Herald. 12 November 1868. pp. 4–5. Retrieved 10 February 2018 – via British Newspaper Archive.
- ^ "Falkirk Burgh Election". Falkirk Herald. 29 January 1874. p. 1. Retrieved 30 December 2017 – via British Newspaper Archive.
- ^ "This Evening's News". The Pall Mall Gazette. 2 April 1880. pp. 6–7. Retrieved 26 November 2017 – via British Newspaper Archive.
- ^ a b Debrett's House of Commons and Judicial Bench, 1889
- ^ a b c d e f g h British Parliamentary Election Results 1885-1918, FWS Craig
- ^ Debrett's House of Commons & Judicial Bench, 1886
- ^ Whitaker's Almanack, 1893
- ^ a b Debrett's House of Commons and the Judicial Bench, 1901
- ^ Whitaker's Almanack, 1907
- ^ a b Debrett's House of Commons and Judicial Bench, 1916