Ayr Burghs (UK Parliament constituency)

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Ayr Burghs
Former district of Burghs constituency
for the House of Commons
Subdivisions of Scotland Ayrshire, Argyllshire
1708–1950
Seats1
Created from Ayr, Campbeltown, Inveraray, Irvine, Rothesay
Replaced by Ayr, Central Ayrshire, Bute and Northern Ayrshire

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.

Contents

Creation

The 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

The list of parliamentary burghs represented by the constituency changed in 1832 and again in 1918:

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

ElectionMemberParty
1708 Hon. James Campbell
1710 Charles Oliphant
1720 by-election Thomas Kennedy Tory
1721 by-election Duncan Forbes Whig
1722 William Steuart
1734 James Stuart
1741 The Earl of Granard
1747 Charles Erskine
1749 by-election Sir Henry Erskine
1754 James Stuart-Mackenzie
1761 Lord Frederick Campbell
1761 by-election Alexander Wedderburn
1768 James Stuart
1774 Sir George Macartney
1776 by-election Frederick Stuart
1780 Archibald Edmonstone Tory
1790 Charles Stuart
1794 by-election John Campbell of Liston Hall
1807 John Campbell of Shawfield and Islay
1809 by-election Duncan Campbell Whig
1818 Thomas Francis Kennedy Whig [6]
1834 by-election Lord Patrick Crichton-Stuart Whig [6] [7] [8]
1852 Edward Craufurd Radical [9] [10] [11]
1859 Liberal
1874 Sir William Montgomery-Cuninghame Conservative
1880 Richard Campbell Liberal
1886 Liberal Unionist
1888 by-election John Sinclair Liberal
1890 by-election James Somervell Conservative
1892 William Birkmyre Liberal
1895 Charles Lindsay Orr-Ewing Conservative
1904 by-election Joseph Dobbie Liberal
1906 Sir George Younger Conservative
1922 Sir John Baird Conservative
1925 Thomas Moore Conservative
1950 constituency abolished

Sir Thomas was elected, in 1950, as the first MP for the then new constituency of Ayr

Elections

Decades:

Elections in the 1830s

General election 1830: Ayr Burghs [6] [12]
PartyCandidateVotes%
Whig Thomas Francis Kennedy Unopposed
Whig hold
General election 1831: Ayr Burghs [6] [12]
PartyCandidateVotes%
Whig Thomas Francis Kennedy Unopposed
Whig hold

Kennedy was appointed as a Lord Commissioner of the Treasury, requiring a by-election.

By-election, 5 March 1832: Ayr Burghs [6] [12]
PartyCandidateVotes%
Whig Thomas Francis Kennedy Unopposed
Whig hold
General election 1832: Ayr Burghs [6] [13]
PartyCandidateVotes%
Whig Thomas Francis Kennedy 375 65.6
Radical John Taylor16428.7
Tory James Cruickshanks335.8
Majority21136.9
Turnout 57290.6
Registered electors 631
Whig hold

Kennedy resigned, causing a by-election.

By-election, 3 March 1834: Ayr Burghs [6] [13]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Whig Patrick Crichton-Stuart 305 58.9 −6.7
Radical John Taylor21341.1+12.4
Majority9217.8−19.1
Turnout 51873.9−16.7
Registered electors 701
Whig hold Swing −9.6
General election 1835: Ayr Burghs [6] [13]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Whig Patrick Crichton-Stuart 339 51.2 −14.4
Radical Alexander Johnstone [14] 32348.8+20.1
Majority162.4−34.5
Turnout 66278.1−12.5
Registered electors 848
Whig hold Swing −17.3
General election 1837: Ayr Burghs [6] [13]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Whig Patrick Crichton-Stuart 368 50.9 −0.3
Radical Alexander Johnstone35549.1+0.3
Majority131.8−0.6
Turnout 72370.2−7.9
Registered electors 1,030
Whig hold Swing −0.3

Elections in the 1840s

General election 1841: Ayr Burghs [13]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Whig Patrick Crichton-Stuart Unopposed
Registered electors 1,097
Whig hold
General election 1847: Ayr Burghs [13]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Whig Patrick Crichton-Stuart Unopposed
Registered electors 1,051
Whig hold

Elections in the 1850s

General election 1852: Ayr Burghs [13]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Radical Edward Craufurd 338 50.7 N/A
Conservative Archibald Thomas Boyle [15] 32949.3New
Majority91.4N/A
Turnout 66764.2N/A
Registered electors 1,039
Radical gain from Whig Swing N/A
General election 1857: Ayr Burghs [13]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Radical Edward Craufurd Unopposed
Registered electors 1,136
Radical hold
General election 1859: Ayr Burghs [13]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Liberal Edward Craufurd Unopposed
Registered electors 1,203
Liberal hold

Back to Elections

Elections in the 1860s

General election 1865: Ayr Burghs [13]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Liberal Edward Craufurd 567 53.1 N/A
Liberal Alexander Haldane Oswald [16] 50146.9N/A
Majority666.2N/A
Turnout 1,06879.7N/A
Registered electors 1,340
Liberal hold Swing N/A
General election 1868: Ayr Burghs [17] [13]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Liberal Edward Craufurd 1,116 52.1 −1.0
Liberal James Anderson1,02547.9+1.0
Majority914.2−2.0
Turnout 2,14183.5+3.8
Registered electors 2,565
Liberal hold Swing −1.0

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Elections in the 1870s

General election 1874: Ayr Burghs [13]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Conservative William Montgomery-Cuninghame 1,697 50.2 New
Liberal Edward Craufurd 1,68349.8−2.3
Majority140.4N/A
Turnout 3,38082.6−0.9
Registered electors 4,092
Conservative gain from Liberal Swing N/A

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Elections in the 1880s

General election 1880: Ayr Burghs [18] [13]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Liberal Richard Campbell 2,303 61.9 +12.1
Conservative William Montgomery-Cuninghame 1,42038.1−12.1
Majority88323.8N/A
Turnout 3,72386.6+4.0
Registered electors 4,297
Liberal gain from Conservative Swing +12.1
General election 1885: Ayr Burghs [19] [20]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Liberal Richard Campbell 2,460 53.7 −8.2
Conservative Malcolm Low 2,11846.3+8.2
Majority3427.4−16.4
Turnout 4,57884.0−2.6
Registered electors 5,449
Liberal hold Swing −8.2
General election 1886: Ayr Burghs [19] [20]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Liberal Unionist Richard Campbell 2,673 64.1 +17.8
Liberal John Sinclair 1,49835.9−17.8
Majority1,17528.2N/A
Turnout 4,17176.5−7.5
Registered electors 5,449
Liberal Unionist gain from Liberal Swing +17.8

Campbell's death caused a by-election.

By-election, 15 Jun 1888: Ayr Burghs [19] [20]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Liberal John Sinclair 2,321 50.6 +14.7
Liberal Unionist Evelyn Ashley 2,26849.4−14.7
Majority531.2N/A
Turnout 4,58984.1+7.6
Registered electors 5,458
Liberal gain from Liberal Unionist Swing +14.7

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Elections in the 1890s

By-election, 1890: Ayr Burghs [20]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Conservative James Somervell 2,610 51.3 −12.8
Liberal E. Routledge [21] 2,48048.7+12.8
Majority1302.6−25.6
Turnout 5,09087.8+11.3
Registered electors 5,798
Conservative hold Swing −12.8
General election 1892: Ayr Burghs [22] [20]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Liberal William Birkmyre 2,760 50.1 +14.2
Conservative James Somervell 2,75349.9−14.2
Majority70.2N/A
Turnout 5,51388.3+11.8
Registered electors 6,245
Liberal gain from Liberal Unionist Swing +14.2
General election 1895: Ayr Burghs [23] [20]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Conservative Charles Orr-Ewing 3,057 52.9 +3.0
Liberal William Birkmyre 2,72247.1−3.0
Majority3355.8N/A
Turnout 5,77988.9+0.6
Registered electors 6,498
Conservative gain from Liberal Swing +3.0

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Elections in the 1900s

General election 1900: Ayr Burghs [23] [20]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Conservative Charles Orr-Ewing 3,101 55.3 +2.4
Liberal Edmond Charles Browne2,51144.7−2.4
Majority59010.6+4.8
Turnout 5,61282.3−6.6
Registered electors 6,819
Conservative hold Swing +2.4
Dobbie Joseph Dobbie.png
Dobbie
1904 Ayr Burghs by-election [20]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Liberal Joseph Dobbie 3,221 50.3 +5.6
Conservative George Younger 3,17749.7−5.6
Majority440.6N/A
Turnout 6,39888.4+6.1
Registered electors 7,240
Liberal gain from Conservative Swing +5.6
Younger George Younger.jpg
Younger
General election 1906: Ayr Burghs [24] [20]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Conservative George Younger 3,766 51.8 −3.5
Liberal Joseph Dobbie 3,50548.2+3.5
Majority2613.6−7.0
Turnout 7,27190.5+8.2
Registered electors 8,031
Conservative hold Swing −3.5

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Elections in the 1910s

General election January 1910: Ayr Burghs [25]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Conservative George Younger 3,647 50.4 −1.4
Liberal William Robertson3,59449.6+1.4
Majority530.8−2.8
Turnout 7,24189.8−0.7
Registered electors 8,067
Conservative hold Swing −1.4
General election December 1910: Ayr Burghs [25]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Conservative George Younger 3,852 51.6 +1.2
Liberal William Robertson3,62048.4−1.2
Majority2323.2+2.4
Turnout 7,47290.7+0.9
Registered electors 8,236
Conservative hold Swing +1.2
General election 1918: Ayr Burghs [26]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
C Unionist George Younger 9,56549.1−2.5
Liberal Murdoch McKenzie Wood 5,41027.7−20.7
Labour Campbell Stephen 4,53423.2New
Majority4,15521.4+18.2
Turnout 19,50962.2−28.5
Unionist hold Swing +9.0
Cindicates candidate endorsed by the coalition government.

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Elections in the 1920s

General election 1922: Ayr Burghs [27]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Unionist John Baird 11,179 44.5 −4.6
Liberal Peter Raffan 7,40229.5+1.8
Labour John McDiarmid Airlie6,53326.0+2.8
Majority3,77715.0−6.4
Turnout 25,11471.1+8.9
Unionist hold Swing −3.2
General election 1923: Ayr Burghs [28]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Unionist John Baird 10,206 41.8 −2.7
Labour John McDiarmid Airlie7,73231.7+5.7
Liberal William Pringle 6,46726.5−3.0
Majority2,47410.1−4.9
Turnout 24,40570.0−1.1
Unionist hold Swing −4.2
Sir John Baird Ac.stonehaven.jpg
Sir John Baird
General election 1924: Ayr Burghs [29]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Unionist John Baird 16,153 62.3 +20.5
Labour John McDiarmid Airlie9,78737.7+6.0
Majority6,36624.6+14.5
Turnout 25,94073.5+3.5
Unionist hold Swing
Patrick Dollan Patrick Dollan 1.jpg
Patrick Dollan
William Pringle William Pringle.jpg
William Pringle
1925 Ayr Burghs by-election [30]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Unionist Thomas Moore 11,601 46.2 −16.1
Labour Patrick Dollan 8,81335.2−2.5
Liberal William Pringle 4,65618.6New
Majority2,78811.0−13.6
Turnout 25,07071.0−2.5
Unionist hold Swing
General election 1929: Ayr Burghs [31]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Unionist Thomas Moore 16,874 45.9 −16.3
Labour Clarice Shaw 13,42936.5−1.2
Liberal Robert Lorimer6,47917.6N/A
Majority3,4459.4−15.2
Turnout 36,78274.8+1.3
Unionist hold Swing

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Elections in the 1930s

General election 1931: Ayr Burghs [32]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Unionist Thomas Moore 28,256 73.9 +28.0
Labour Clarice Shaw 9,97426.1−10.4
Majority18,28247.8+38.4
Turnout 38,23076.9+2.1
Unionist hold Swing
General election 1935: Ayr Burghs [33]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Unionist Thomas Moore 25,893 66.1 −7.8
Labour Arthur Brady 13,27433.9+7.8
Majority12,61932.2−15.6
Turnout 39,16773.0−3.9
Unionist hold Swing

Back to Elections

Elections in the 1940s

General election 1945: Ayr Burghs [34]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Unionist Thomas Moore 22,593 50.8 −15.3
Labour William Ross 21,86549.2+15.3
Majority7281.6−30.6
Turnout 44,45871.5−1.5
Unionist hold Swing

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See also

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References

  1. ↑ "Ayr Burghs". History of Parliament Online (1690-1715). Retrieved 27 March 2019.
  2. ↑ "Ayr Burghs". History of Parliament Online (1715-1754). Retrieved 27 March 2019.
  3. ↑ "Ayr Burghs". History of Parliament Online (1754-1790). Retrieved 27 March 2019.
  4. ↑ "Ayr Burghs". History of Parliament Online (1790-1820). Retrieved 27 March 2019.
  5. ↑ "Ayr Burghs". History of Parliament Online (1820-1832). Retrieved 27 March 2019.
  6. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 Smith, Henry Stooks (1841). The Register of Parliamentary Contested Elections (Second ed.). Simpkin, Marshall & Company. pp. 196–197. Retrieved 1 September 2018.
  7. ↑ Churton, Edward (1836). The Assembled Commons or Parliamentary Biographer: 1836. p. 216. Retrieved 1 September 2018.
  8. ↑ "Election Prospects" . Morning Post. 22 June 1841. pp. 3–4. Retrieved 1 September 2018– via British Newspaper Archive.
  9. ↑ 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.
  10. ↑ 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.
  11. ↑ "Civil Service Departments in Scotland". The Scottish Continental Herring Trade 1810–1914. Retrieved 1 September 2018.
  12. 1 2 3 Fisher, David R. "Ayr Burghs". The History of Parliament. Retrieved 7 May 2020.
  13. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 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.
  14. ↑ "Ayr Burghs" . Morning Advertiser. 4 August 1837. p. 2. Retrieved 7 May 2020– via British Newspaper Archive.
  15. ↑ "Ayr Burghs" . Bell's Weekly Messenger. 10 July 1852. p. 3. Retrieved 1 September 2018– via British Newspaper Archive.
  16. ↑ "Representation of Ayr District" . Glasgow Morning Journal. 17 May 1865. p. 1. Retrieved 28 January 2018– via British Newspaper Archive.
  17. ↑ Debrett's House of Commons, 1870
  18. ↑ The Times, 29 April 1880
  19. 1 2 3 Debrett's House of Commons and Judicial Bench, 1889
  20. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 Craig, FWS, ed. (1974). British Parliamentary Election Results: 1885-1918. London: Macmillan Press. ISBN   9781349022984.
  21. ↑ "The Ayr Election" . The Cardiff Times . 29 March 1890. p. 7. Retrieved 15 December 2017– via British Newspaper Archive.
  22. ↑ Whitaker's Almanack, 1893
  23. 1 2 Debrett's House of Commons and the Judicial Bench, 1901
  24. ↑ Whitaker's Almanack, 1907
  25. 1 2 Debrett's House of Commons and the Judicial Bench, 1916
  26. ↑ Whitaker's Almanack, 1920
  27. ↑ British Parliamentary Election Results 1918-1949, FWS Craig
  28. ↑ The Times, 8 December 1923
  29. ↑ Oliver and Boyd's Edinburgh Almanack, 1927
  30. ↑ The Times, 13 June 1925
  31. ↑ British Parliamentary Election Results 1918-1949, F W S Craig
  32. ↑ Whitaker's Almanack, 1934
  33. ↑ Whitaker's Almanack, 1939
  34. ↑ "Politics Science Resources". 12 October 2022.
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