Falkirk Burghs (UK Parliament constituency)

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.

Falkirk Burghs
Former District of Burghs constituency for the House of Commons
Major settlements	Falkirk, Airdrie, Hamilton, Lanark and Linlithgow
1832–1918
Number of members	One
Replaced by	Stirling & Falkirk Burghs, Hamilton, Lanark and Linlithgowshire
Created from	Lanarkshire[1], Linlithgow Burghs[2], and Stirlingshire[3]

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

Election		Member [4]	Party[5][6]
	1832	William Downe Gillon	Radical[6][7][8]
	1841	William Baird	Conservative[6]
	1846 by-election	Henry Pelham-Clinton, Earl of Lincoln, later Duke of Newcastle	Conservative
	1851 by-election	James Baird	Conservative
	1857	James Merry	Radical[9][10]
	1857 by-election	John Hamilton, later Baron Hamilton of Dalzell	Radical[11]
	1859	James Merry	Liberal
	1874	John Ramsay	Liberal
	1886	William Pirrie Sinclair	Liberal Unionist Party
	1892	Harry Smith	Liberal
	1895	John Wilson	Liberal Unionist Party
	1906	John Macdonald	Liberal
1918		constituency abolished

Elections

Elections in the 1830s

General election 1832: Falkirk Burghs [12][6]

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)

General election 1835: Falkirk Burghs [12][6]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Radical	William Downe Gillon	Unopposed
Registered electors			1,046
	Radical hold

General election 1837: Falkirk Burghs [12][6]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Radical	William Downe Gillon	Unopposed
Registered electors			1,177
	Radical hold

Elections in the 1840s

General election 1841: Falkirk Burghs [12]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±
	Conservative	William Baird	484	52.8	N/A
	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.

By-election, 2 May 1846: Falkirk Burghs [12]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±
	Conservative	Henry Pelham-Clinton	506	50.5	−2.3
	Whig	John Wilson[14][15]	495	49.5	+2.3
Majority			11	1.1	−4.5
Turnout			1,001	75.2	+8.2
Registered electors			1,332
	Conservative hold		Swing	−2.3

General election 1847: Falkirk Burghs [12]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±
	Conservative	Henry Pelham-Clinton	522	51.5	−1.3
	Whig	William Sprott Boyd[16]	491	48.5	+1.3
Majority			31	3.1	−2.5
Turnout			1,013	70.5	+3.5
Registered electors			1,437
	Conservative hold		Swing	−1.3

Elections in the 1850s

Pelham-Clinton succeeded to the peerage, becoming 5th Duke of Newcastle and causing a by-election.

By-election, 14 February 1851: Falkirk Burghs [12]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±
	Conservative	James Baird	590	52.0	+0.5
	Whig	George Loch[17][18]	544	48.0	−0.5
Majority			46	4.1	+1.0
Turnout			1,134	64.8	−5.7
Registered electors			1,749
	Conservative hold		Swing	+0.5

General election 1852: Falkirk Burghs [12]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±
	Conservative	James Baird	579	52.3	+0.8
	Whig	James Anderson[19]	529	47.7	−0.8
Majority			50	4.5	+1.4
Turnout			1,108	58.2	−12.3
Registered electors			1,905
	Conservative hold		Swing	+0.8

General election 1857: Falkirk Burghs [12]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±
	Radical	James Merry	770	61.1	+13.4
	Conservative	George Baird[20]	491	38.9	−13.4
Majority			279	22.1	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.

By-election, 8 August 1857: Falkirk Burghs [12]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±
	Radical	John Hamilton	Unopposed
	Radical hold

General election 1859: Falkirk Burghs [12]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±
	Liberal	James Merry	Unopposed
Registered electors			1,540
	Liberal hold

Elections in the 1860s

General election 1865: Falkirk Burghs [12]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±
	Liberal	James Merry	683	62.0	N/A
	Conservative	Frederick James Halliday	419	38.0	N/A
Majority			264	24.0	N/A
Turnout			1,102	73.0	N/A
Registered electors			1,510
	Liberal hold		Swing	N/A

Horsman

General election 1868: Falkirk Burghs [12][22]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±
	Liberal	James Merry	1,724	99.1	+37.1
	Independent Liberal	Edward Horsman[23]	16	0.9	N/A
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

General election 1874: Falkirk Burghs[12]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±
	Liberal	John Ramsay	2,583	56.9	−42.2
	Conservative	Alexander Baird[24]	1,958	43.1	N/A
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.

By-election, 26 Mar 1874: Falkirk Burghs[12]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±
	Liberal	John Ramsay	Unopposed
	Liberal hold

Elections in the 1880s

General election 1880: Falkirk Burghs[12]

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	48.3	+34.5
Turnout			4,410	82.7	−5.2
Registered electors			5,333
	Liberal hold		Swing	+17.2

Weir

General election 1885: Falkirk Burghs [26][27][28]

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	N/A
	Hamilton Liberal Association	John Roskill	14	0.2	N/A
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.

General election 1886: Falkirk Burghs [26][27]

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

General election 1892: Falkirk Burghs [29][27]

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

General election 1895: Falkirk Burghs [30][27]

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

Macdonald

General election 1900: Falkirk Burghs [30][27]

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

Gilmour

General election 1906: Falkirk Burghs[31][27]

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	N/A
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

General election January 1910: Falkirk Burghs [32][27]

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				84.6	+0.9
	Liberal hold		Swing	+0.2

General election December 1910: Falkirk Burghs [32][27]

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				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 the July 1914, the following candidates had been selected;

• Liberal: John Macdonald
• Unionist: James Wilson
• British Socialist Party:

Notes and references

1. Jenkins, Terry. "Lanarkshire". The History of Parliament. Retrieved 7 May 2020.
2. Fisher, David R. "Linlithgow Burghs". The History of Parliament. Retrieved 7 May 2020.
3. Jenkins, Terry. "Stirlingshire". The History of Parliament. Retrieved 7 May 2020.
4. Leigh Rayment's Historical List of MPs – Constituencies beginning with "F"
5. 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.
6. 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.
7. Churton, Edward (1838). The Assembled Commons or Parliamentary Biographer. p. 99. Retrieved 16 August 2019 – via Google Books.
8. Bebbington, D. W. "Unitarian Members of Parliament in the Nineteenth Century: A Catalogue". STORRE, University of Stirling. Retrieved 16 August 2019.
9. "Coventry Standard". 6 March 1857. p. 4. Retrieved 2 September 2018 – via British Newspaper Archive.
10. "Falkirk Burghs Election". Glasgow Herald. 27 March 1857. p. 4. Retrieved 2 September 2018 – via British Newspaper Archive.
11. "Kelso Chronicle". 14 August 1857. p. 2. Retrieved 2 September 2018 – via British Newspaper Archive.
12. Craig, F. W. S., ed. (1977). British Parliamentary Election Results 1832-1885 (e-book)|format= requires |url= (help) (1st ed.). London: Macmillan Press. ISBN 978-1-349-02349-3.
13. "Page 2". London Courier and Evening Gazette. 26 December 1832. Retrieved 7 May 2020 – via British Newspaper Archive.
14. "Derry Journal". 29 April 1846. p. 2. Retrieved 16 August 2019 – via British Newspaper Archive.
15. "Election for the Falkirk District of Burghs". Dumfries and Galloway Standard. 6 May 1846. p. 3. Retrieved 16 August 2019 – via British Newspaper Archive.
16. "Falkirk Burghs". The Sctosman. 28 July 1847. p. 2. Retrieved 16 August 2019 – via British Newspaper Archive.
17. "Scotland". Dumfries and Galloway Standard. 19 February 1851. p. 3. Retrieved 2 September 2018 – via British Newspaper Archive.
18. "The Vacant Seats". Tyrone Constitution. 7 February 1851. p. 2. Retrieved 2 September 2018 – via British Newspaper Archive.
19. "The Falkirk Burghs". Stirling Observer. 15 July 1852. p. 4. Retrieved 2 September 2018 – via British Newspaper Archive.
20. "Falkirk Burghs". Banffshire Journal and General Advertiser. 7 April 1857. p. 8. Retrieved 2 September 2018 – via British Newspaper Archive.
21. "Election Intelligence". Windsor and Eton Express. 15 August 1857. p. 2. Retrieved 2 September 2018 – via British Newspaper Archive.
22. Debrett's House of Commons and Judicial Bench, 1870
23. "Falkirk Burghs". Falkirk Herald. 12 November 1868. pp. 4–5. Retrieved 10 February 2018 – via British Newspaper Archive.
24. "Falkirk Burgh Election". Falkirk Herald. 29 January 1874. p. 1. Retrieved 30 December 2017 – via British Newspaper Archive.
25. "This Evening's News". The Pall Mall Gazette. 2 Apr 1880. pp. 6–7. Retrieved 26 November 2017 – via British Newspaper Archive.
26. Debrett's House of Commons and Judicial Bench, 1889
27. British Parliamentary Election Results 1885-1918, FWS Craig
28. Debrett's House of Commons & Judicial Bench, 1886
29. Whitaker's Almanack, 1893
30. Debrett's House of Commons and the Judicial Bench, 1901
31. Whitaker's Almanack, 1907
32. Debrett's House of Commons and Judicial Bench, 1916