Before the Acts of Union 1707, the barons of the shire of Kinross elected commissioners to represent them in the unicameral Parliament of Scotland and in the Convention of the Estates.
The small barons and freeholders were first authorised to elect "commissioners of the shire" to represent them in Parliament by an act of King James I in 1428; the sheriffdom of Kinross was to be represented by one commissioner. [1] This act, however, remained inoperative, and the representation of the shires was not established until 1587. [2]
For many years the majority of Kinross-shire was owned by the Earl of Morton and the Lord Balfour of Burleigh, who already sat in Parliament as peers. There was therefore no commissioner for the shire, except during the Commonwealth of England, Scotland and Ireland when the sheriffdoms of Fife and Kinross were jointly represented by one Member of Parliament at Westminster from 1654 to 1659. This situation continued until the 1670s when Lord Morton's estate of Kinross, comprising most of the shire, was purchased by Sir William Bruce of Balcaskie. Having been elected commissioner, Bruce was allowed to represent the shire according to former custom, by Royal Letter of 13 August 1681. [3]
The commissioner for Kinross, John Bruce (son and later heir of Sir William) was chosen as one of the Scottish representatives to the first Parliament of Great Britain, sitting from 1707 until the general election of 1708. [6] After 1708 Kinross-shire and Clackmannanshire were alternately represented by one Member of Parliament in the House of Commons of Great Britain.
Before the Act of Union 1707, the barons of the shire of Clackmannan elected commissioners to represent them in the unicameral Parliament of Scotland and in the Convention of Estates. After 1708, Clackmannanshire and Kinross-shire alternated in returning one member to the House of Commons of Great Britain and later to the House of Commons of the United Kingdom.
Before the Act of Union 1707, the barons of the constabulary of Haddington elected commissioners to represent them in the unicameral Parliament of Scotland and in the Convention of Estates. The number of commissioners was increased from two to four in 1690.
Nairnshire was a constituency of the Parliament of Scotland before the Union with England in 1707. The barons of the shire or sheriffdom of Nairn elected two commissioners to represent them in the Parliament and in the Convention of Estates.
Before the Act of Union 1707, the barons of the sheriffdom or shire of Dumfries and the stewartry of Annandale elected commissioners to represent them in the unicameral Parliament of Scotland and in the Convention of Estates. The number of commissioners was increased from two to four in 1690.
Before the Act of Union 1707, the barons of the sheriffdom or shire of Berwick elected commissioners to represent them in the unicameral Parliament of Scotland and in the Convention of Estates. The number of commissioners was increased from two to four in 1690.
Before the Act of Union 1707, the barons of the shire of Cromarty elected commissioners to represent them in the unicameral Parliament of Scotland and in the Convention of Estates. After 1708, Cromartyshire and Nairnshire alternated in returning one member to the House of Commons of Great Britain and later to the House of Commons of the United Kingdom.
Before the Act of Union 1707, the barons of the shire of Bute elected commissioners to represent them in the unicameral Parliament of Scotland and in the Convention of Estates. After 1708, Buteshire and Caithness alternated in returning one member the House of Commons of Great Britain and later to the House of Commons of the United Kingdom.
Before the Act of Union 1707, the barons of the shire or sheriffdom of Caithness elected commissioners to represent them in the unicameral Parliament of Scotland and in the Convention of Estates. After 1708, Caithness alternated with Buteshire in returning one member the House of Commons of Great Britain and later to the House of Commons of the United Kingdom.
Before the Act of Union 1707, the barons of the shire or stewartry of Kirkcudbright elected commissioners to represent them in the unicameral Parliament of Scotland and in the Convention of Estates. The number of commissioners was increased from one to two in 1690.
Before the Acts of Union 1707, the barons of the shire of Elgin and Forres elected commissioners to represent them in the unicameral Parliament of Scotland and in the Convention of the Estates.
Before the Acts of Union 1707, the barons of the shire or sheriffdom of Argyll elected commissioners to represent them in the unicameral Parliament of Scotland and in the Convention of the Estates. The number of commissioners was increased from two to three in 1693.
Before the Acts of Union 1707, the barons of the shire of Stirling elected commissioners to represent them in the unicameral Parliament of Scotland and in the Convention of the Estates.
Before the Acts of Union 1707, the barons of the shire of Roxburgh elected commissioners to represent them in the unicameral Parliament of Scotland and in the Convention of the Estates. The number of commissioners was increased from two to four in 1690.
Before the Acts of Union 1707, the barons of the shire of Aberdeen elected commissioners to represent them in the unicameral Parliament of Scotland and in the Convention of the Estates. The number of commissioners was increased from two to four in 1690.
Before the Acts of Union 1707, the barons of the shire of Linlithgow elected commissioners to represent them in the unicameral Parliament of Scotland and in the Convention of the Estates.
Before the Acts of Union 1707, the barons of the shire of Ross elected commissioners to represent them in the unicameral Parliament of Scotland and in the Convention of the Estates.
Before the Acts of Union 1707, the barons of the shire of Dumbarton elected commissioners to represent them in the unicameral Parliament of Scotland and in the Convention of the Estates.
Before the Acts of Union 1707, the barons of the shire of Renfrew elected commissioners to represent them in the unicameral Parliament of Scotland and in the Convention of the Estates. The number of commissioners was increased from two to three in 1690.
Before the Acts of Union 1707, the barons of the shire of Peebles elected commissioners to represent them in the unicameral Parliament of Scotland and in the Convention of the Estates.
Before the Acts of Union 1707, the barons of the shire of Perth elected commissioners to represent them in the unicameral Parliament of Scotland and in the Convention of the Estates. The number of commissioners was increased from two to four in 1690.