Ayr Burghs was a district of burghs constituency of the House of Commons of the Parliament of Great Britain from 1708 to 1800 and of the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom from 1801 to 1950. It elected one Member of Parliament (MP), using the first-past-the-post voting system.
Ayr Burghs | |
---|---|
Former district of Burghs constituency for the House of Commons | |
Subdivisions of Scotland | Ayrshire, Argyllshire |
1708–1950 | |
Seats | 1 |
Created from | Ayr, Campbeltown, Inveraray, Irvine, Rothesay |
Replaced by | Ayr, Central Ayrshire, Bute and Northern Ayrshire |
Creation
editThe British parliamentary constituency was created in 1708 following the Acts of Union 1707 and replaced the former Parliament of Scotland burgh constituencies of Ayr, Campbeltown, Inveraray, Irvine and Rothesay.
Boundaries
editThe list of parliamentary burghs represented by the constituency changed in 1832 and again in 1918:
- 1708 to 1832: the Ayrshire burghs of Ayr and Irvine, the Argyllshire burghs of Campbeltown and Inveraray and the Buteshire burgh of Rothesay[1][2][3][4][5]
- 1832 to 1918: the Ayrshire burghs of Ayr and Irvine and the Argyllshire burghs of Campbeltown, Inveraray and Oban
- 1918 to 1950: the Ayrshire burghs of Ardrossan, Ayr, Irvine, Prestwick, Saltcoats and Troon
When the Ayr Burghs constituency was abolished in 1950, the Ayr and Prestwick burghs were merged into the county constituency of Ayr. Ardrossan and Saltcoats were merged into Bute and Northern Ayrshire and Irvine and Troon were merged into Central Ayrshire.
Members of Parliament
editSir Thomas was elected, in 1950, as the first MP for the then new constituency of Ayr
Elections
editDecades: |
Elections in the 1830s
editParty | Candidate | Votes | % | ||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Whig | Thomas Francis Kennedy | Unopposed | |||
Whig hold |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Whig | Thomas Francis Kennedy | Unopposed | |||
Whig hold |
Kennedy was appointed as a Lord Commissioner of the Treasury, requiring a by-election.
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Whig | Thomas Francis Kennedy | Unopposed | |||
Whig hold |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Whig | Thomas Francis Kennedy | 375 | 65.6 | ||
Radical | John Taylor | 164 | 28.7 | ||
Tory | James Cruickshanks | 33 | 5.8 | ||
Majority | 211 | 36.9 | |||
Turnout | 572 | 90.6 | |||
Registered electors | 631 | ||||
Whig hold |
Kennedy resigned, causing a by-election.
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Whig | Patrick Crichton-Stuart | 305 | 58.9 | −6.7 | |
Radical | John Taylor | 213 | 41.1 | +12.4 | |
Majority | 92 | 17.8 | −19.1 | ||
Turnout | 518 | 73.9 | −16.7 | ||
Registered electors | 701 | ||||
Whig hold | Swing | −9.6 |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Whig | Patrick Crichton-Stuart | 339 | 51.2 | −14.4 | |
Radical | Alexander Johnstone[14] | 323 | 48.8 | +20.1 | |
Majority | 16 | 2.4 | −34.5 | ||
Turnout | 662 | 78.1 | −12.5 | ||
Registered electors | 848 | ||||
Whig hold | Swing | −17.3 |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Whig | Patrick Crichton-Stuart | 368 | 50.9 | −0.3 | |
Radical | Alexander Johnstone | 355 | 49.1 | +0.3 | |
Majority | 13 | 1.8 | −0.6 | ||
Turnout | 723 | 70.2 | −7.9 | ||
Registered electors | 1,030 | ||||
Whig hold | Swing | −0.3 |
Elections in the 1840s
editParty | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Whig | Patrick Crichton-Stuart | Unopposed | |||
Registered electors | 1,097 | ||||
Whig hold |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Whig | Patrick Crichton-Stuart | Unopposed | |||
Registered electors | 1,051 | ||||
Whig hold |
Elections in the 1850s
editParty | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Radical | Edward Craufurd | 338 | 50.7 | New | |
Conservative | Archibald Thomas Boyle[15] | 329 | 49.3 | New | |
Majority | 9 | 1.4 | N/A | ||
Turnout | 667 | 64.2 | N/A | ||
Registered electors | 1,039 | ||||
Radical gain from Whig | Swing | N/A |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Radical | Edward Craufurd | Unopposed | |||
Registered electors | 1,136 | ||||
Radical hold |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Liberal | Edward Craufurd | Unopposed | |||
Registered electors | 1,203 | ||||
Liberal hold |
Elections in the 1860s
editParty | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Liberal | Edward Craufurd | 567 | 53.1 | N/A | |
Liberal | Alexander Haldane Oswald[16] | 501 | 46.9 | N/A | |
Majority | 66 | 6.2 | N/A | ||
Turnout | 1,068 | 79.7 | N/A | ||
Registered electors | 1,340 | ||||
Liberal hold | Swing | N/A |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Liberal | Edward Craufurd | 1,116 | 52.1 | −1.0 | |
Liberal | James Anderson | 1,025 | 47.9 | +1.0 | |
Majority | 91 | 4.2 | −2.0 | ||
Turnout | 2,141 | 83.5 | +3.8 | ||
Registered electors | 2,565 | ||||
Liberal hold | Swing | −1.0 |
Elections in the 1870s
editParty | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Conservative | William Montgomery-Cuninghame | 1,697 | 50.2 | New | |
Liberal | Edward Craufurd | 1,683 | 49.8 | −2.3 | |
Majority | 14 | 0.4 | N/A | ||
Turnout | 3,380 | 82.6 | −0.9 | ||
Registered electors | 4,092 | ||||
Conservative gain from Liberal | Swing | N/A |
Elections in the 1880s
editParty | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Liberal | Richard Campbell | 2,303 | 61.9 | +12.1 | |
Conservative | William Montgomery-Cuninghame | 1,420 | 38.1 | −12.1 | |
Majority | 883 | 23.8 | N/A | ||
Turnout | 3,723 | 86.6 | +4.0 | ||
Registered electors | 4,297 | ||||
Liberal gain from Conservative | Swing | +12.1 |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Liberal | Richard Campbell | 2,460 | 53.7 | −8.2 | |
Conservative | Malcolm Low | 2,118 | 46.3 | +8.2 | |
Majority | 342 | 7.4 | −16.4 | ||
Turnout | 4,578 | 84.0 | −2.6 | ||
Registered electors | 5,449 | ||||
Liberal hold | Swing | −8.2 |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Liberal Unionist | Richard Campbell | 2,673 | 64.1 | +17.8 | |
Liberal | John Sinclair | 1,498 | 35.9 | −17.8 | |
Majority | 1,175 | 28.2 | N/A | ||
Turnout | 4,171 | 76.5 | −7.5 | ||
Registered electors | 5,449 | ||||
Liberal Unionist gain from Liberal | Swing | +17.8 |
Campbell's death caused a by-election.
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Liberal | John Sinclair | 2,321 | 50.6 | +14.7 | |
Liberal Unionist | Evelyn Ashley | 2,268 | 49.4 | −14.7 | |
Majority | 53 | 1.2 | N/A | ||
Turnout | 4,589 | 84.1 | +7.6 | ||
Registered electors | 5,458 | ||||
Liberal gain from Liberal Unionist | Swing | +14.7 |
Elections in the 1890s
editParty | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Conservative | James Somervell | 2,610 | 51.3 | −12.8 | |
Liberal | E. Routledge[21] | 2,480 | 48.7 | +12.8 | |
Majority | 130 | 2.6 | −25.6 | ||
Turnout | 5,090 | 87.8 | +11.3 | ||
Registered electors | 5,798 | ||||
Conservative hold | Swing | −12.8 |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Liberal | William Birkmyre | 2,760 | 50.1 | +14.2 | |
Conservative | James Somervell | 2,753 | 49.9 | −14.2 | |
Majority | 7 | 0.2 | N/A | ||
Turnout | 5,513 | 88.3 | +11.8 | ||
Registered electors | 6,245 | ||||
Liberal gain from Liberal Unionist | Swing | +14.2 |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Conservative | Charles Orr-Ewing | 3,057 | 52.9 | +3.0 | |
Liberal | William Birkmyre | 2,722 | 47.1 | −3.0 | |
Majority | 335 | 5.8 | N/A | ||
Turnout | 5,779 | 88.9 | +0.6 | ||
Registered electors | 6,498 | ||||
Conservative gain from Liberal | Swing | +3.0 |
Elections in the 1900s
editParty | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Conservative | Charles Orr-Ewing | 3,101 | 55.3 | +2.4 | |
Liberal | Edmond Charles Browne | 2,511 | 44.7 | −2.4 | |
Majority | 590 | 10.6 | +4.8 | ||
Turnout | 5,612 | 82.3 | −6.6 | ||
Registered electors | 6,819 | ||||
Conservative hold | Swing | +2.4 |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Liberal | Joseph Dobbie | 3,221 | 50.3 | +5.6 | |
Conservative | George Younger | 3,177 | 49.7 | −5.6 | |
Majority | 44 | 0.6 | N/A | ||
Turnout | 6,398 | 88.4 | +2.1 | ||
Registered electors | 7,240 | ||||
Liberal gain from Conservative | Swing | +5.6 |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Conservative | George Younger | 3,766 | 51.8 | −3.5 | |
Liberal | Joseph Dobbie | 3,505 | 48.2 | +3.5 | |
Majority | 261 | 3.6 | −7.0 | ||
Turnout | 7,271 | 90.5 | +8.2 | ||
Registered electors | 8,031 | ||||
Conservative hold | Swing | −3.5 |
Elections in the 1910s
editParty | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Conservative | George Younger | 3,647 | 50.4 | −1.4 | |
Liberal | William Robertson | 3,594 | 49.6 | +1.4 | |
Majority | 53 | 0.8 | −2.8 | ||
Turnout | 7,241 | 89.8 | −0.7 | ||
Registered electors | 8,067 | ||||
Conservative hold | Swing | −1.4 |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Conservative | George Younger | 3,852 | 51.6 | +1.2 | |
Liberal | William Robertson | 3,620 | 48.4 | −1.2 | |
Majority | 232 | 3.2 | +2.4 | ||
Turnout | 7,472 | 90.7 | +0.9 | ||
Registered electors | 8,236 | ||||
Conservative hold | Swing | +1.2 |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
C | Unionist | George Younger | 9,565 | 49.1 | −2.5 |
Liberal | Murdoch McKenzie Wood | 5,410 | 27.7 | −20.7 | |
Labour | Campbell Stephen | 4,534 | 23.2 | New | |
Majority | 4,155 | 21.4 | +18.2 | ||
Turnout | 19,509 | 62.2 | −28.5 | ||
Unionist hold | Swing | +9.0 | |||
C indicates candidate endorsed by the coalition government. |
Elections in the 1920s
editParty | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Unionist | John Baird | 11,179 | 44.5 | −4.6 | |
Liberal | Peter Raffan | 7,402 | 29.5 | +1.8 | |
Labour | John McDiarmid Airlie | 6,533 | 26.0 | +2.8 | |
Majority | 3,777 | 15.0 | −6.4 | ||
Turnout | 25,114 | 71.1 | +8.9 | ||
Unionist hold | Swing | −3.2 |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Unionist | John Baird | 10,206 | 41.8 | −2.7 | |
Labour | John McDiarmid Airlie | 7,732 | 31.7 | +5.7 | |
Liberal | William Pringle | 6,467 | 26.5 | −3.0 | |
Majority | 2,474 | 10.1 | −4.9 | ||
Turnout | 24,405 | 70.0 | −1.1 | ||
Unionist hold | Swing | −4.2 |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Unionist | John Baird | 16,153 | 62.3 | +20.5 | |
Labour | John McDiarmid Airlie | 9,787 | 37.7 | +6.0 | |
Majority | 6,366 | 24.6 | +14.5 | ||
Turnout | 25,940 | 73.5 | +3.5 | ||
Unionist hold | Swing |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Unionist | Thomas Moore | 11,601 | 46.2 | −16.1 | |
Labour | Patrick Dollan | 8,813 | 35.2 | −2.5 | |
Liberal | William Pringle | 4,656 | 18.6 | New | |
Majority | 2,788 | 11.0 | −13.6 | ||
Turnout | 25,070 | 71.0 | −2.5 | ||
Unionist hold | Swing |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Unionist | Thomas Moore | 16,874 | 45.9 | −0.3 | |
Labour | Clarice Shaw | 13,429 | 36.5 | −1.2 | |
Liberal | Robert Lorimer | 6,479 | 17.6 | N/A | |
Majority | 3,445 | 9.4 | −15.2 | ||
Turnout | 36,782 | 74.8 | +3.8 | ||
Unionist hold | Swing |
Elections in the 1930s
editParty | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Unionist | Thomas Moore | 28,256 | 73.9 | +28.0 | |
Labour | Clarice Shaw | 9,974 | 26.1 | −10.4 | |
Majority | 18,282 | 47.8 | +38.4 | ||
Turnout | 38,230 | 76.9 | +2.1 | ||
Unionist hold | Swing |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Unionist | Thomas Moore | 25,893 | 66.1 | −7.8 | |
Labour | Arthur Brady | 13,274 | 33.9 | +7.8 | |
Majority | 12,619 | 32.2 | −15.6 | ||
Turnout | 39,167 | 73.0 | −3.9 | ||
Unionist hold | Swing |
Elections in the 1940s
editParty | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Unionist | Thomas Moore | 22,593 | 50.8 | −15.3 | |
Labour | William Ross | 21,865 | 49.2 | +15.3 | |
Majority | 728 | 1.6 | −30.6 | ||
Turnout | 44,458 | 71.5 | −1.5 | ||
Unionist hold | Swing |
See also
editReferences
edit- ^ "Ayr Burghs". History of Parliament Online (1690-1715). Retrieved 27 March 2019.
- ^ "Ayr Burghs". History of Parliament Online (1715-1754). Retrieved 27 March 2019.
- ^ "Ayr Burghs". History of Parliament Online (1754-1790). Retrieved 27 March 2019.
- ^ "Ayr Burghs". History of Parliament Online (1790-1820). Retrieved 27 March 2019.
- ^ "Ayr Burghs". History of Parliament Online (1820-1832). Retrieved 27 March 2019.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i Smith, Henry Stooks (1841). The Register of Parliamentary Contested Elections (Second ed.). Simpkin, Marshall & Company. pp. 196–197. Retrieved 1 September 2018.
- ^ Churton, Edward (1836). The Assembled Commons or Parliamentary Biographer: 1836. p. 216. Retrieved 1 September 2018.
- ^ "Election Prospects". Morning Post. 22 June 1841. pp. 3–4. Retrieved 1 September 2018 – via British Newspaper Archive.
- ^ Huddie, Paul (2015). The Crimean War and Irish History. Liverpool: Liverpool University Press. p. 27. ISBN 978-1-78138-254-7. Retrieved 1 September 2018.
- ^ Fry, Michael (2013). A New Race of Men: Scotland, 1815–1914. Edinburgh: Birlinn. p. 309. ISBN 978-0-85790-659-5. Retrieved 1 September 2018.
- ^ "Civil Service Departments in Scotland". The Scottish Continental Herring Trade 1810–1914. Retrieved 1 September 2018.
- ^ a b c Fisher, David R. "Ayr Burghs". The History of Parliament. Retrieved 7 May 2020.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m 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.
- ^ "Ayr Burghs". Morning Advertiser. 4 August 1837. p. 2. Retrieved 7 May 2020 – via British Newspaper Archive.
- ^ "Ayr Burghs". Bell's Weekly Messenger. 10 July 1852. p. 3. Retrieved 1 September 2018 – via British Newspaper Archive.
- ^ "Representation of Ayr District". Glasgow Morning Journal. 17 May 1865. p. 1. Retrieved 28 January 2018 – via British Newspaper Archive.
- ^ Debrett's House of Commons, 1870
- ^ The Times, 29 April 1880
- ^ a b c Debrett's House of Commons and Judicial Bench, 1889
- ^ a b c d e f g h i Craig, FWS, ed. (1974). British Parliamentary Election Results: 1885-1918. London: Macmillan Press. ISBN 9781349022984.
- ^ "The Ayr Election". The Cardiff Times. 29 March 1890. p. 7. Retrieved 15 December 2017 – via British Newspaper Archive.
- ^ 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
- ^ British Parliamentary Election Results 1918-1949, FWS Craig
- ^ The Times, 8 December 1923
- ^ Oliver and Boyd's Edinburgh Almanack, 1927
- ^ The Times, 13 June 1925
- ^ British Parliamentary Election Results 1918-1949, F W S Craig
- ^ Whitaker's Almanack, 1934
- ^ Whitaker's Almanack, 1939
- ^ "Politics Science Resources".