Wigtownshire_(UK_Parliament_constituency)
Wigtownshire (UK Parliament constituency)
Parliamentary constituency in the United Kingdom, 1801–1918
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.
Quick Facts Subdivisions of Scotland, 1708–1918 ...
| Wigtownshire | |
|---|---|
| Former County constituency for the House of Commons | |
| Subdivisions of Scotland | Wigtownshire |
| 1708–1918 | |
| Seats | One |
| Created from | Wigtownshire |
| Replaced by | Galloway |
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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.
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.
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.
More information Election, Member ...
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Elections in the 1830s
More information Party, Candidate ...
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Whig | Andrew Agnew | Unopposed | |||
| Registered electors | 70 | ||||
| Whig gain from Tory | |||||
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More information Party, Candidate ...
| 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 | |||||
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Elections in the 1830s
More information Party, Candidate ...
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Whig | Andrew Agnew | Unopposed | |||
| Registered electors | 845 | ||||
| Whig hold | |||||
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More information Party, Candidate ...
| 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 | |||||
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More information Party, Candidate ...
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Conservative | James Blair | 362 | 53.6 | +17.2 | |
| Whig | Alexander Murray | 314 | 46.4 | −7.9 | |
| Majority | 48 | 7.2 | N/A | ||
| Turnout | 676 | 80.7 | +9.2 | ||
| Registered electors | 838 | ||||
| Conservative gain from Whig | Swing | +12.6 | |||
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Elections in the 1840s
More information Party, Candidate ...
| 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 | |||
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More information Party, Candidate ...
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Whig | John Dalrymple | Unopposed | |||
| Registered electors | 1,095 | ||||
| Whig hold | |||||
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Elections in the 1850s
More information Party, Candidate ...
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Whig | John Dalrymple | Unopposed | |||
| Registered electors | 1,272 | ||||
| Whig hold | |||||
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Dalrymple resigned by accepting the office of Steward of the Manor of Northstead, causing a by-election.
More information Party, Candidate ...
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Whig | Andrew Agnew | Unopposed | |||
| Whig hold | |||||
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More information Party, Candidate ...
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Whig | Andrew Agnew | Unopposed | |||
| Registered electors | 1,357 | ||||
| Whig hold | |||||
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More information Party, Candidate ...
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Liberal | Andrew Agnew | Unopposed | |||
| Registered electors | 1,464 | ||||
| Liberal hold | |||||
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Elections in the 1860s
More information Party, Candidate ...
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Liberal | Andrew Agnew | 484 | 51.5 | N/A | |
| Conservative | Alan Stewart | 456 | 48.5 | New | |
| Majority | 28 | 3.0 | N/A | ||
| Turnout | 940 | 86.5 | N/A | ||
| Registered electors | 1,087 | ||||
| Liberal hold | Swing | N/A | |||
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Elections in the 1860s
More information Party, Candidate ...
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Conservative | Alan Stewart | 719 | 52.4 | +3.9 | |
| Liberal | Andrew Agnew | 652 | 47.6 | −3.9 | |
| Majority | 67 | 4.8 | N/A | ||
| Turnout | 1,371 | 90.4 | +3.9 | ||
| Registered electors | 1,517 | ||||
| Conservative gain from Liberal | Swing | +3.9 | |||
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Elections in the 1870s
Stewart succeeded to the peerage, becoming Earl of Galloway.
More information Party, Candidate ...
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Conservative | Robert Vans-Agnew | 713 | 52.1 | −0.3 | |
| Liberal | John Dalrymple | 656 | 47.9 | +0.3 | |
| Majority | 57 | 4.2 | −0.6 | ||
| Turnout | 1,369 | 88.4 | −2.0 | ||
| Registered electors | 1,549 | ||||
| Conservative hold | Swing | −0.3 | |||
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More information Party, Candidate ...
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Conservative | Robert Vans-Agnew | Unopposed | |||
| Registered electors | 1,553 | ||||
| Conservative hold | |||||
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Elections in the 1880s
More information Party, Candidate ...
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Conservative | Herbert Maxwell | 768 | 51.5 | N/A | |
| Liberal | John Dalrymple | 722 | 48.5 | New | |
| Majority | 46 | 3.0 | N/A | ||
| Turnout | 1,490 | 89.9 | N/A | ||
| Registered electors | 1,657 | ||||
| Conservative hold | Swing | N/A | |||
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| Decades: |
Elections in the 1880s
More information Party, Candidate ...
| 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 | -1.6 | ||
| Turnout | 5,329 | 88.8 | -1.1 | ||
| Registered electors | 6,004 | ||||
| Conservative hold | Swing | -0.8 | |||
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More information Party, Candidate ...
| 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 | |||
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In July 1886, Sir Herbert Maxwell accepted office as a Junior Lord of the Treasury, causing a by-election.
More information Party, Candidate ...
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Conservative | Herbert Maxwell | Unopposed | |||
| Conservative hold | |||||
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Elections in the 1890s
More information Party, Candidate ...
| 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 | |||
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More information Party, Candidate ...
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Conservative | Herbert Maxwell | Unopposed | |||
| Conservative hold | |||||
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Elections in the 1900s
More information Party, Candidate ...
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Conservative | Herbert Maxwell | Unopposed | |||
| Conservative hold | |||||
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More information Party, Candidate ...
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Conservative | John Dalrymple | 2,866 | 57.4 | N/A | |
| Liberal | Walter Waring | 2,127 | 42.6 | New | |
| Majority | 739 | 14.8 | N/A | ||
| Turnout | 4,993 | 87.6 | N/A | ||
| Registered electors | 5,698 | ||||
| Conservative hold | |||||
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Elections in the 1910s
More information Party, Candidate ...
| 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 | |||
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More information Party, Candidate ...
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Conservative | John Dalrymple | Unopposed | |||
| Conservative hold | |||||
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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;
- Unionist:
- Liberal:
At the 1915 Wigtownshire by-election, Hew Hamilton Dalrymple (Conservative) was returned unopposed on 12 February 1915.
- "Wigtownshire". History of Parliament Online (1690-1715). Retrieved 9 June 2019.
- "Wigtownshire". History of Parliament Online (1715-1754). Retrieved 9 June 2019.
- "Wigtownshire". History of Parliament Online (1754-1790). Retrieved 9 June 2019.
- "Wigtownshire". History of Parliament Online (1790-1820). Retrieved 9 June 2019.
- "Wigtownshire". History of Parliament Online (1820-1832). Retrieved 9 June 2019.
- Fisher, David R. "MAXWELL, Sir William, 5th bt. (1779-1838), of Monreith, Wauphill, Wigtown". The History of Parliament. Retrieved 9 May 2020.
- Smith, Henry Stooks (1842). The Register of Parliamentary Contested Elections (Second ed.). Simpkin, Marshall & Company. p. 213. Retrieved 14 September 2018 – via Google Books.
- Craig, F. W. S., ed. (1977). British Parliamentary Election Results 1832-1885 (e-book) (1st ed.). London: Macmillan Press. p. 607. ISBN 978-1-349-02349-3.
- "London Evening Standard". 20 July 1841. p. 4. Retrieved 14 September 2018 – via British Newspaper Archive.
- Fisher, David R. "Wigtownshire". The History of Parliament. Retrieved 9 May 2020.
- Craig, F. W. S., ed. (1974). British Parliamentary Election Results: 1885-1918. London: Macmillan Press. p. 563. ISBN 9781349022984.
- The Liberal Year Book, 1907
- Debrett's House of Commons & Judicial Bench, 1886
- Debrett's House of Commons & Judicial Bench, 1901
- Debrett's House of Commons & Judicial Bench, 1916
- 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)