Dunbartonshire (UK Parliament constituency)
Dunbartonshire was a county constituency of the House of Commons of Great Britain (at Westminster) from 1708 to 1801 and of the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom (also Westminster) from 1801 to 1950.
Dunbartonshire | |
---|---|
Former county constituency for the House of Commons | |
Subdivisions of Scotland | County of Dumbarton |
1708–1950 | |
Seats | One |
Replaced by | East Dunbartonshire West Dunbartonshire |
Creation
editThe British parliamentary constituency was created in 1708 following the Acts of Union, 1707 and replaced the former Parliament of Scotland shire constituency of Dunbartonshire .
History
editThe constituency elected one Member of Parliament (MP) by the first-past-the-post system until the seat was split in 1950.[1] [2] [3] [4] [5] It elected one Member of Parliament (MP) using the first-past-the-post voting system.
Boundaries
editThe constituency was created to cover the county of Dumbarton (later Dunbarton) minus any parliamentary burgh or part thereof within the county. From 1832 to 1918, however, under the Representation of the People (Scotland) Act 1832, the Representation of the People (Scotland) Act 1868 and the Redistribution of Seats Act 1885, the boundaries of counties and burghs for purposes of parliamentary representation were not necessarily those for other purposes.
The Representation of the People Act 1918 brought constituency boundaries generally into alignment with local government boundaries established under the Local Government (Scotland) Act 1889 and subsequent related legislation, but there were later changes to local government boundaries which were not reflected in new constituency boundaries until 1950, the same year that the Dunbartonshire constituency was abolished, under the House of Commons (Redistribution of Seats) Act 1949.
For the period 1832 to 1918 boundary details below are nominal, and for the period 1918 to 1950 they are those applicable in 1918.
For the 1708 (first) general election and every subsequent election of the Parliament of Great Britain the Dumbartonshire constituency consisted of the county of Dumbarton minus the burgh of Dumbarton, which was a component of the Clyde Burghs constituency.
In 1801 the Parliament of Great Britain was merged with the Parliament of Ireland to form the Parliament of the United Kingdom. The Dumbartonshire constituency retained its boundaries as a constituency of the Parliament of Great Britain for the 1802 (first) general election of the new parliament and for the general elections of 1806, 1807, 1812, 1818, 1820, 1826, 1830 and 1831.
Nominally, the constituency had the same boundaries for the 1832 general election, but the burgh of Dumbarton was now a component of Kilmarnock Burghs. 1832 boundaries were used also in all general elections up to December 1910.
For the 1918 general election the constituency was defined as covering the county of Dunbarton minus the burghs of Dumbarton and Clydebank, which comprised Dumbarton Burghs. 1918 boundaries were used also in all general elections up to 1945.[6]
For the 1950 general election new constituency boundaries divided the county of Dunbarton between the East Dunbartonshire and West Dunbartonshire constituencies, both entirely within the county.[6]
Members of Parliament
editMPs 1708–1832
editElection | Member | Party | |
---|---|---|---|
1708 | John Campbell | ||
1710 | |||
1713 | |||
1715 | |||
1722 | Mungo Haldane | ||
1725 | John Campbell | ||
1727 | John Campbell, later Duke of Argyll | Whig | |
1734 | |||
1741 | |||
1747 | |||
1754 | |||
1761 | Archibald Edmonstone | Tory | |
1768 | |||
1774 | |||
1780 | Lord Frederick Campbell | ||
1781 | George Elphinstone | ||
1784 | |||
1790 | Archibald Edmonstone | Tory | |
1796 | William Bontine | ||
1797 | Alexander Smollett | ||
1799 | Sir James Colquhoun, 3rd Bt | ||
1801 | |||
1802 | |||
1806 | Henry Glassford | ||
1806 | Charles Edmonstone | Tory | |
1807 | Henry Glassford | ||
1810 | Archibald Campbell-Colquhoun | ||
1812 | |||
1818 | |||
1820 | |||
1821 | John Buchanan | ||
1826 | John Campbell | Tory[7] | |
1830 | Lord Montagu Graham | Tory[8] | |
1831 |
MPs 1832–1950
editElection results
editElections in the 1830s
editParty | Candidate | Votes | % | ||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Tory | Montagu Graham | 31 | 50.8 | ||
Whig | John Campbell Colquhoun | 30 | 49.2 | ||
Majority | 1 | 1.6 | |||
Turnout | 61 | 84.7 | |||
Registered electors | 72 | ||||
Tory hold |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Tory | Montagu Graham | 28 | 54.9 | +4.1 | |
Whig | John Campbell Colquhoun | 23 | 45.1 | −4.1 | |
Majority | 5 | 9.8 | +8.2 | ||
Turnout | 51 | 70.8 | −13.9 | ||
Registered electors | 72 | ||||
Tory hold | Swing | +4.1 |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Whig | John Campbell Colquhoun | 422 | 52.9 | +3.7 | |
Whig | James Colquhoun | 375 | 47.1 | N/A | |
Majority | 47 | 5.8 | N/A | ||
Turnout | 797 | 86.0 | +15.2 | ||
Registered electors | 927 | ||||
Whig gain from Tory | Swing | +3.7 |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Whig | Alexander Dennistoun | 436 | 52.2 | N/A | |
Conservative | Alexander Smollett | 399 | 47.8 | New | |
Majority | 37 | 4.4 | −1.4 | ||
Turnout | 835 | 83.6 | −2.4 | ||
Registered electors | 999 | ||||
Whig hold | Swing | N/A |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Whig | James Colquhoun | 452 | 52.4 | +0.2 | |
Conservative | Alexander Smollett | 411 | 47.6 | −0.2 | |
Majority | 41 | 4.8 | +0.4 | ||
Turnout | 863 | 75.8 | −7.8 | ||
Registered electors | 1,139 | ||||
Whig hold | Swing | +0.2 |
Elections in the 1840s
editParty | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Conservative | Alexander Smollett | Unopposed | |||
Registered electors | 1,212 | ||||
Conservative gain from Whig |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Conservative | Alexander Smollett | 536 | 64.6 | N/A | |
Whig | Thomas Campbell Robertson[16] | 294 | 35.4 | New | |
Majority | 242 | 29.2 | N/A | ||
Turnout | 830 | 64.4 | N/A | ||
Registered electors | 1,288 | ||||
Conservative hold | Swing | N/A |
Elections in the 1850s
editParty | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Conservative | Alexander Smollett | Unopposed | |||
Registered electors | 1,314 | ||||
Conservative hold |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Conservative | Alexander Smollett | Unopposed | |||
Registered electors | 1,348 | ||||
Conservative hold |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Conservative | Patrick Smollett | 490 | 55.1 | N/A | |
Liberal | William Cunninghame Bontine[17] | 399 | 44.9 | New | |
Majority | 91 | 10.2 | N/A | ||
Turnout | 889 | 64.5 | N/A | ||
Registered electors | 1,379 | ||||
Conservative hold | Swing | N/A |
Elections in the 1860s
editParty | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Conservative | Patrick Smollett | 574 | 50.0 | −5.1 | |
Liberal | James Stirling[18] | 574 | 50.0 | +5.1 | |
Majority | 0 | 0.0 | −10.2 | ||
Turnout | 1,148 | 71.9 | +7.4 | ||
Registered electors | 1,597 | ||||
Conservative hold | Swing | −5.1 |
A petition was lodged in this election, against Stirling, but was later withdrawn after he decided not to defend his claim to the seat, allowing Smollett to be declared duly elected.
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Conservative | Archibald Orr-Ewing | Unopposed | |||
Registered electors | 2,156 | ||||
Conservative hold |
Elections in the 1870s
editParty | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Conservative | Archibald Orr-Ewing | 995 | 51.4 | N/A | |
Liberal | John William Burns[20] | 942 | 48.6 | New | |
Majority | 53 | 2.8 | N/A | ||
Turnout | 1,937 | 85.5 | N/A | ||
Registered electors | 2,265 | ||||
Conservative hold | Swing | N/A |
Elections in the 1880s
editParty | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Conservative | Archibald Orr-Ewing | 1,333 | 50.2 | −1.2 | |
Liberal | John William Burns[20] | 1,324 | 49.8 | +1.2 | |
Majority | 9 | 0.4 | −2.4 | ||
Turnout | 2,657 | 89.3 | +3.8 | ||
Registered electors | 2,976 | ||||
Conservative hold | Swing | −1.2 |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Conservative | Archibald Orr-Ewing | 4,514 | 50.9 | +0.7 | |
Liberal | Robert Reid | 4,357 | 48.1 | −0.7 | |
Majority | 157 | 1.8 | +1.4 | ||
Turnout | 8,871 | 88.2 | −1.1 | ||
Registered electors | 10,063 | ||||
Conservative hold | Swing | +0.7 |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Conservative | Archibald Orr-Ewing | 4,249 | 50.2 | −0.7 | |
Liberal | Ronald Munro Ferguson | 4,217 | 49.8 | +0.7 | |
Majority | 32 | 0.4 | −1.4 | ||
Turnout | 8,466 | 84.1 | −4.1 | ||
Registered electors | 10,063 | ||||
Conservative hold | Swing | -0.7 |
Elections in the 1890s
editParty | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Liberal | John Sinclair | 5,249 | 51.4 | +1.6 | |
Conservative | Alexander Wylie | 4,956 | 48.6 | −1.6 | |
Majority | 293 | 2.8 | N/A | ||
Turnout | 10,205 | 86.6 | +2.5 | ||
Registered electors | 11,789 | ||||
Liberal gain from Conservative | Swing | +1.6 |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Conservative | Alexander Wylie | 5,375 | 50.2 | +1.6 | |
Liberal | John Sinclair | 5,342 | 49.8 | −1.6 | |
Majority | 33 | 0.4 | N/A | ||
Turnout | 10,717 | 87.2 | +0.6 | ||
Registered electors | 12,292 | ||||
Conservative gain from Liberal | Swing | +1.6 |
Elections in the 1900s
editParty | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Conservative | Alexander Wylie | 6,083 | 53.0 | +2.8 | |
Liberal | P.R. Buchanan | 5,393 | 47.0 | −2.8 | |
Majority | 690 | 6.0 | +5.6 | ||
Turnout | 11,476 | 83.6 | −3.6 | ||
Registered electors | 13,731 | ||||
Conservative hold | Swing | +2.8 |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Liberal | J. D. White | 7,404 | 51.6 | +4.6 | |
Conservative | Henry Brock | 6,937 | 48.4 | −4.6 | |
Majority | 467 | 3.2 | N/A | ||
Turnout | 14,341 | 87.8 | +4.2 | ||
Registered electors | 16,335 | ||||
Liberal gain from Conservative | Swing | +4.6 |
Elections in the 1910s
editParty | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Liberal | J. D. White | 8,640 | 53.2 | +1.6 | |
Conservative | Henry Brock | 7,607 | 46.8 | −1.6 | |
Majority | 1,033 | 6.4 | +3.2 | ||
Turnout | 16,247 | 88.3 | +0.5 | ||
Liberal hold | Swing | +1.6 |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Liberal | Arthur Acland Allen | 8,579 | 54.1 | +0.9 | |
Conservative | William T. Shaw | 7,267 | 45.9 | −0.9 | |
Majority | 1,312 | 8.2 | +1.8 | ||
Turnout | 15,846 | 84.5 | −3.8 | ||
Liberal hold | Swing | +0.9 |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
C | Unionist | William Raeburn | 12,765 | 55.8 | +9.9 |
Labour | William Martin | 7,072 | 30.9 | New | |
Liberal | Arthur Acland Allen | 3,048 | 13.3 | −40.8 | |
Majority | 5,693 | 24.9 | N/A | ||
Turnout | 22,885 | 66.8 | −17.7 | ||
Registered electors | 34,284 | ||||
Unionist gain from Liberal | Swing | +25.4 | |||
C indicates candidate endorsed by the coalition government. |
Elections in the 1920s
editParty | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Unionist | William Raeburn | 13,407 | 50.4 | −5.4 | |
Labour | William Martin | 13,216 | 49.6 | +18.7 | |
Majority | 191 | 0.8 | −24.1 | ||
Turnout | 26,623 | 69.0 | +2.2 | ||
Registered electors | 38,559 | ||||
Unionist hold | Swing | −12.1 |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Labour | William Martin | 11,705 | 43.0 | −6.6 | |
Unionist | David Fleming | 9,802 | 36.0 | −14.4 | |
Liberal | Stanley Holmes | 5,726 | 21.0 | New | |
Majority | 1,903 | 7.0 | N/A | ||
Turnout | 27,233 | 70.7 | +1.7 | ||
Registered electors | 38,539 | ||||
Labour gain from Unionist | Swing | +3.9 |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Unionist | David Fleming | 16,223 | 55.8 | +19.8 | |
Labour | William Martin | 12,872 | 44.2 | +1.2 | |
Majority | 3,351 | 11.6 | N/A | ||
Turnout | 29,095 | 75.6 | +4.9 | ||
Registered electors | 38,469 | ||||
Unionist gain from Labour | Swing | +9.3 |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Unionist | John Thom | 12,680 | 48.0 | −7.8 | |
Labour | William Martin | 11,610 | 43.9 | −0.3 | |
Liberal | William Reid | 2,146 | 8.1 | New | |
Majority | 1,070 | 4.1 | −7.5 | ||
Turnout | 26,436 | 75.0 | −0.6 | ||
Registered electors | 35,239 | ||||
Unionist hold | Swing | −3.8 |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Labour | Willie Brooke | 18,153 | 45.7 | +1.5 | |
Unionist | John Thom | 16,576 | 41.6 | −14.2 | |
Liberal | Thomas Maule Guthrie | 5,071 | 12.7 | N/A | |
Majority | 1,577 | 4.1 | N/A | ||
Turnout | 39,800 | 81.0 | +5.4 | ||
Registered electors | 49,113 | ||||
Labour gain from Unionist | Swing | +7.9 |
Elections in the 1930s
editParty | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Unionist | John Thom | 28,762 | 63.6 | +22.0 | |
Labour | Willie Brooke | 16,474 | 36.4 | −9.3 | |
Majority | 12,288 | 27.2 | N/A | ||
Turnout | 45,236 | 82.8 | +1.8 | ||
Unionist gain from Labour | Swing | +15.6 |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Unionist | Archibald Cochrane | 16,749 | 43.5 | −20.1 | |
Labour | Tom Johnston | 13,704 | 35.6 | −0.8 | |
National (Scotland) | Robert Gray | 5,178 | 13.4 | New | |
Communist | Hughie McIntyre | 2,870 | 7.5 | New | |
Majority | 3,045 | 7.9 | −19.3 | ||
Turnout | 38,501 | ||||
Unionist hold | Swing |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Unionist | Archibald Cochrane | 24,776 | 50.3 | +6.8 | |
Labour | Thomas Cassells | 20,679 | 41.9 | +6.3 | |
SNP | Robert Gray | 3,841 | 7.8 | N/A | |
Majority | 4,097 | 8.4 | +0.5 | ||
Turnout | 49,296 | 80.5 | −2.3 | ||
Unionist hold | Swing | +0.2 |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Labour | Thomas Cassells | 20,187 | 48.1 | +6.2 | |
Unionist | Arthur Paterson Duffes | 19,203 | 45.7 | −4.6 | |
SNP | Robert Gray | 2,599 | 6.2 | −1.6 | |
Majority | 984 | 2.4 | N/A | ||
Turnout | 41,989 | 68.6 | −11.9 | ||
Labour gain from Unionist | Swing | +5.4 |
Elections in the 1940s
editParty | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Labour | Adam McKinlay | 21,900 | 85.0 | +36.9 | |
Communist | Malcolm MacEwen | 3,862 | 15.0 | New | |
Majority | 18,038 | 70.0 | +67.6 | ||
Turnout | 25,762 | 38.7 | −29.9 | ||
Labour hold | Swing |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Labour | Adam McKinlay | 28,383 | 50.7 | +8.8 | |
Unionist | Robert Allan | 27,636 | 49.3 | −1.0 | |
Majority | 747 | 1.4 | −7.0 | ||
Turnout | 56,019 | 71.7 | −8.8 | ||
Labour hold | Swing |
Notes and references
edit- ^ "Dunbartonshire". History of Parliament Online (1690–1715). Retrieved 27 March 2019.
- ^ "Dunbartonshire". History of Parliament Online (1715–1754). Retrieved 27 March 2019.
- ^ "Dunbartonshire". History of Parliament Online (1754–1790). Retrieved 27 March 2019.
- ^ "Dunbartonshire". History of Parliament Online (1790–1820). Retrieved 27 March 2019.
- ^ "Dunbartonshire". History of Parliament Online (1820–1832). Retrieved 27 March 2019.
- ^ a b Boundaries of Parliamentary Constituencies 1885-1972 (ISBN 0-900178-09-4), F. W. S. Craig, 1972
- ^ Jenkins, Terry. "CAMPBELL, John I (1798-1830), of Succoth, Dunbarton". The History of Parliament. Retrieved 8 May 2020.
- ^ Fisher, David R. "GRAHAM, Lord Montagu William (1807-1878), of 25 Grosvenor Square, Mdx". The History of Parliament. Retrieved 8 May 2020.
- ^ Craig, F. W. S. (1989) [1977]. British parliamentary election results 1832–1885 (2nd ed.). Chichester: Parliamentary Research Services. p. 582. ISBN 0-900178-26-4.
- ^ Craig, F. W. S. (1989) [1974]. British parliamentary election results 1885–1918 (2nd ed.). Chichester: Parliamentary Research Services. p. 536. ISBN 0-900178-27-2.
- ^ Craig, F. W. S. (1983) [1969]. British parliamentary election results 1918–1949 (3rd ed.). Chichester: Parliamentary Research Services. p. 622. ISBN 0-900178-06-X.
- ^ a b c d e f g h Stooks Smith, Henry (1842). The Register of Parliamentary Contested Elections: Containing the Uncontested Elections Since 1830. London: Simpkin, Marshall, & Co. pp. 198–199.
- ^ "Dumbartonshire". Belfast Commercial Chronicle. 7 August 1837. p. 2. Retrieved 18 August 2019 – via British Newspaper Archive.
- ^ a b Jenkins, Terry. "Dunbartonshire". The History of Parliament. Retrieved 8 May 2020.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l Craig, F. W. S., ed. (1977). British Parliamentary Election Results 1832–1885 (1st ed.). London: Macmillan Press. ISBN 978-1-349-02349-3.
- ^ "Dumbartonshire Election". Stirling Observer. 12 August 1847. p. 3. Retrieved 18 August 2019 – via British Newspaper Archive.
- ^ "Banffshire Journal and General Advertiser". 12 April 1859. p. 3. Retrieved 11 September 2018 – via British Newspaper Archive.
- ^ "County of Dumbarton". Dundee Courier. 2 June 1865. p. 2. Retrieved 10 February 2018 – via British Newspaper Archive.
- ^ Debrett's House of Commons, 1870
- ^ a b "Representation of Dumbarton". Glasgow Evening Post. 1 January 1880. p. 4. Retrieved 25 November 2017 – via British Newspaper Archive.
- ^ a b Debrett's House of Commons and the Judicial Bench, 1889
- ^ a b c d Craig, FWS, ed. (1974). British Parliamentary Election Results: 1885–1918. London: Macmillan Press. ISBN 9781349022984.
- ^ 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 the Judicial Bench, 1916
- ^ Whitaker's Almanack, 1920
- ^ The Times, 17 November 1922
- ^ The Times, 8 December 1923
- ^ a b Oliver & Boyd's Edinburgh Almanac, 1927
- ^ The Times, 1 June 1929
- ^ Whitaker's Almanack, 1934
- ^ The Times, 16 November 1935
- ^ a b Whitaker's Almanack, 1939
- ^ Craig, F. W. S. (1983). British parliamentary election results 1918–1949 (3 ed.). Chichester: Parliamentary Research Services. ISBN 0-900178-06-X.