Wigtownshire (UK Parliament constituency)

Wigtownshire, was a Scottish constituency of the House of Commons of the Parliament of Great Britain from 1708 to 1801 and of the Parliament of the United Kingdom from 1801 to 1918. It was represented by one Member of Parliament.

Wigtownshire
Former County constituency
for the House of Commons
Subdivisions of ScotlandWigtownshire
1708–1918
Number of membersOne
Replaced byGalloway
Created fromWigtownshire

Creation

The British parliamentary constituency was created in 1708 following the Acts of Union, 1707 and replaced the former Parliament of Scotland shire constituency of Wigtownshire which had previously been represented by two Shire Commissioners. The first British general election in Wigtownshire was in 1708. In 1707–08, members of the 1702–1707 Parliament of Scotland were co-opted to serve in the 1st Parliament of Great Britain. See Scottish representatives to the 1st Parliament of Great Britain, for further details.

Boundaries

Wigtownshire was a Scottish shire (later known as a county). The constituency included the whole shire, except that between 1708 and 1885 the burghs of Stranraer, New Galloway, Whithorn and Wigtown, formed part of the Wigtown Burghs constituency.

History

The constituency elected one Member of Parliament (MP) by the first past the post system until the seat was abolished in 1918.[1] [2] [3] [4] [5] In 1918 the Wigtownshire area was combined with Kirkcudbrightshire to form the Galloway constituency.

Members of Parliament
ElectionMemberPartyNotes
1708, 17 June John Stewart (c 1670-1748)
1710, 10 November Patrick Vanse Unseated on petition
1711, 3 March John Stewart (c 1670-1748) Seated on petition
1727, 21 September William Dalrymple
1741, 15 May James Stewart (c 1699-1768)
1747, 31 July John Stewart (?-c 1769)
1754, 2 May James Stewart
1761, 23 April John Hamilton Resigned
1762, 18 March James Murray Of Cally and Broughton
1768, 22 April Keith Stewart Appointed Receiver of Land Taxation for Scotland
1784, 17 September Andrew McDouall Returned at a by-election
1796, 17 June William Stewart
1802, 27 July Andrew McDouall Resigned
1805, 15 April William Maxwell Tory[6] Returned at a by-election
1812, 28 October Sir William Stewart Resigned
1816, 2 August James Hunter-Blair Returned at a by-election; resigned
1822, 30 July Sir William Maxwel Tory[6] Returned at a by-election
1830, 17 August Sir Andrew Agnew, 7th Baronet Whig[7][8]
1837, 5 August James Blair Conservative[7][8]
1841, 15 July John Dalrymple
Viscount Dalrymple (from 1853)		 Whig[7][8][9] Resigned; the 10th Earl of Stair from 1864
1856, 9 February Sir Andrew Agnew, 8th Baronet Whig[8] Returned at a by-election; joined the Liberal Party
1859 Liberal[8]
1868, 21 November Alan Stewart, Lord Garlies Conservative[8] Succeeded as the 10th Earl of Galloway
1873, 24 February Robert Vans-Agnew Conservative[8] Returned at a by-election
1880, 10 April Sir Herbert Maxwell, 7th Baronet[8] Conservative
1906, 23 January John Dalrymple, Viscount Dalrymple Conservative Succeeded as the 12th Earl of Stair
1915, 12 February Hon. Hew Hamilton Dalrymple Conservative Returned at a by-election
1918 constituency abolished

Pre-1832 election results

Elections in the 1830s
General election 1830: Wigtownshire [7][10]
Party Candidate Votes %
Whig Andrew Agnew Unopposed
Registered electors 70
Whig gain from Tory
General election 1831: Wigtownshire [7][10]
Party Candidate Votes %
Whig Andrew Agnew 17 51.5
Whig Hugh Hathorn 16 48.5
Majority 1 3.0
Turnout 33 47.1
Registered electors 70
Whig hold

Election results 1832-1868

Elections in the 1830s
General election 1832: Wigtownshire [7][8]
Party Candidate Votes %
Whig Andrew Agnew Unopposed
Registered electors 845
Whig hold
General election 1835: Wigtownshire [7][10]
Party Candidate Votes %
Whig Andrew Agnew 340 54.3
Conservative James Blair 228 36.4
Radical John Douglas 58 9.3
Majority 112 17.9
Turnout 626 71.5
Registered electors 875
Whig hold
General election 1837: Wigtownshire [7][10]
Party Candidate Votes % ±
Conservative James Blair 362 53.6 +17.2
Whig Alexander Murray 314 46.4 −7.9
Majority 48 7.1 N/A
Turnout 676 80.7 +9.2
Registered electors 838
Conservative gain from Whig Swing +12.6

Elections in the 1840s
General election 1841: Wigtownshire [8]
Party Candidate Votes % ±
Whig John Dalrymple 403 50.4 +4.0
Conservative James Blair 397 49.6 −4.0
Majority 6 0.8 N/A
Turnout 800 77.0 −3.7
Registered electors 1,039
Whig gain from Conservative Swing +4.0
General election 1847: Wigtownshire [8]
Party Candidate Votes % ±
Whig John Dalrymple Unopposed
Registered electors 1,095
Whig hold

Elections in the 1850s
General election 1852: Wigtownshire [8]
Party Candidate Votes % ±
Whig John Dalrymple Unopposed
Registered electors 1,272
Whig hold

Dalrymple resigned by accepting the office of Steward of the Manor of Northstead, causing a by-election.

By-election, 9 February 1856: Wigtownshire [8]
Party Candidate Votes % ±
Whig Andrew Agnew Unopposed
Whig hold
General election 1857: Wigtownshire [8]
Party Candidate Votes % ±
Whig Andrew Agnew Unopposed
Registered electors 1,357
Whig hold
General election 1859: Wigtownshire [8]
Party Candidate Votes % ±
Liberal Andrew Agnew Unopposed
Registered electors 1,464
Liberal hold

Elections in the 1860s
General election 1865: Wigtownshire [8]
Party Candidate Votes % ±
Liberal Andrew Agnew 484 51.5 N/A
Conservative Alan Stewart 456 48.5 N/A
Majority 28 3.0 N/A
Turnout 940 86.5 N/A
Registered electors 1,087
Liberal hold Swing N/A

Election results 1868-1880

Elections in the 1860s
General election 1868: Wigtownshire [8]
Party Candidate Votes % ±
Conservative Alan Stewart 719 52.4 +3.9
Liberal Andrew Agnew 652 47.6 −3.9
Majority 67 4.9 N/A
Turnout 1,371 90.4 +3.9
Registered electors 1,517
Conservative gain from Liberal Swing +3.9

Elections in the 1870s

Stewart succeeded to the peerage, becoming Earl of Galloway.

By-election, 24 Feb 1873: Wigtownshire [8]
Party Candidate Votes % ±
Conservative Robert Vans-Agnew 713 52.1 −0.3
Liberal John Dalrymple 656 47.9 +0.3
Majority 57 4.2 −0.7
Turnout 1,369 88.4 −2.0
Registered electors 1,549
Conservative hold Swing −0.3
General election 1874: Wigtownshire [8]
Party Candidate Votes % ±
Conservative Robert Vans-Agnew Unopposed
Registered electors 1,553
Conservative hold

Elections in the 1880s
General election 1880: Wigtownshire [8]
Party Candidate Votes % ±
Conservative Herbert Maxwell 768 51.5 N/A
Liberal John Dalrymple 722 48.5 N/A
Majority 46 3.1 N/A
Turnout 1,490 89.9 N/A
Registered electors 1,657
Conservative hold Swing N/A

Election results 1885-1918
Decades:

Elections in the 1880s
General election 1885: Wigtownshire [11][12][13]
Party Candidate Votes % ±
Conservative Herbert Maxwell 2,704 50.7 -0.8
Liberal Hew Hamilton Dalrymple 2,625 49.3 +0.8
Majority 79 1.4 -1.7
Turnout 5,329 88.8 -1.1
Registered electors 6,004
Conservative hold Swing -0.8
General election 1886: Wigtownshire [11][12]
Party Candidate Votes % ±
Conservative Herbert Maxwell 2,920 62.9 +12.2
Liberal John Phillips Coldstream 1,719 37.1 -12.2
Majority 1,201 25.8 +24.4
Turnout 4,639 77.3 -11.5
Registered electors 6,004
Conservative hold Swing +12.2

In July 1886, Sir Herbert Maxwell accepted office as a Junior Lord of the Treasury, causing a by-election.

By-election, 12 Aug 1886: Wigtownshire [11]
Party Candidate Votes % ±
Conservative Herbert Maxwell Unopposed
Conservative hold

Elections in the 1890s
General election 1892: Wigtownshire [11][12]
Party Candidate Votes % ±
Conservative Herbert Maxwell 2,895 63.4 +0.5
Liberal John Phillips Coldstream 1,670 36.6 −0.5
Majority 1,225 26.8 +1.0
Turnout 4,565 81.3 +4.0
Registered electors 5,613
Conservative hold Swing +0.5
General election 1895: Wigtownshire [11][12][14]
Party Candidate Votes % ±
Conservative Herbert Maxwell Unopposed
Conservative hold

Elections in the 1900s
General election 1900: Wigtownshire [11][12][14]
Party Candidate Votes % ±
Conservative Herbert Maxwell Unopposed
Conservative hold
Waring
General election 1906: Wigtownshire [11][12]
Party Candidate Votes % ±
Conservative John Dalrymple 2,866 57.4 N/A
Liberal Walter Waring 2,127 42.6 N/A
Majority 739 14.8 N/A
Turnout 4,993 87.6 N/A
Registered electors 5,698
Conservative hold

Elections in the 1910s
Macpherson
General election January 1910: Wigtownshire [11][15]
Party Candidate Votes % ±
Conservative John Dalrymple 2,777 56.5 -0.9
Liberal Ian Macpherson 2,142 43.5 +0.9
Majority 635 13.0 -1.8
Turnout 4,919 86.6 -1.0
Conservative hold Swing -0.9
General election December 1910: Wigtownshire [11][15]
Party Candidate Votes % ±
Conservative John Dalrymple Unopposed
Conservative hold

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;

  • Unionist:
  • Liberal:

At the 1915 Wigtownshire by-election, Hew Hamilton Dalrymple (Conservative) was returned unopposed on 12 February 1915.

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gollark: Stop being self-deprecating.
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References
  1. "Wigtownshire". History of Parliament Online (1690-1715). Retrieved 9 June 2019.
  2. "Wigtownshire". History of Parliament Online (1715-1754). Retrieved 9 June 2019.
  3. "Wigtownshire". History of Parliament Online (1754-1790). Retrieved 9 June 2019.
  4. "Wigtownshire". History of Parliament Online (1790-1820). Retrieved 9 June 2019.
  5. "Wigtownshire". History of Parliament Online (1820-1832). Retrieved 9 June 2019.
  6. Fisher, David R. "MAXWELL, Sir William, 5th bt. (1779-1838), of Monreith, Wauphill, Wigtown". The History of Parliament. Retrieved 9 May 2020.
  7. Smith, Henry Stooks (1842). The Register of Parliamentary Contested Elections (Second ed.). Simpkin, Marshall & Company. p. 213. Retrieved 14 September 2018 – via Google Books.
  8. Craig, F. W. S., ed. (1977). British Parliamentary Election Results 1832-1885 (e-book)|format= requires |url= (help) (1st ed.). London: Macmillan Press. p. 607. ISBN 978-1-349-02349-3.
  9. "London Evening Standard". 20 July 1841. p. 4. Retrieved 14 September 2018 – via British Newspaper Archive.
  10. Fisher, David R. "Wigtownshire". The History of Parliament. Retrieved 9 May 2020.
  11. Craig, F. W. S., ed. (1974). British Parliamentary Election Results: 1885-1918. London: Macmillan Press. p. 563. ISBN 9781349022984.
  12. The Liberal Year Book, 1907
  13. Debrett's House of Commons & Judicial Bench, 1886
  14. Debrett's House of Commons & Judicial Bench, 1901
  15. Debrett's House of Commons & Judicial Bench, 1916

Sources
  • British Parliamentary Election Results 1832-1885, compiled and edited by F.W.S. Craig (Macmillan Press 1977)
  • British Parliamentary Election Results 1885-1918, compiled and edited by F.W.S. Craig (Macmillan Press 1974)
  • The Parliaments of England by Henry Stooks Smith (1st edition published in three volumes 1844-50), second edition edited (in one volume) by F.W.S. Craig (Political Reference Publications 1973))
  • Leigh Rayment's Historical List of MPs – Constituencies beginning with "W" (part 4)
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