Berwickshire (UK Parliament constituency)

Berwickshire
Former county constituency for the House of Commons
Subdivisions of Scotland	Berwickshire
1708–1918
Seats	One
Replaced by	Berwick & Haddington

Berwickshire was a county constituency of the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom from 1708 to 1918, when it was amalgamated with neighbouring Haddington(shire) to form a new Berwick and Haddington constituency.

Creation

The British parliamentary constituency was created in 1708 following the Acts of Union, 1707 and replaced the former Parliament of Scotland shire constituency of Berwickshire. It elected one Member of Parliament (MP), using the first-past-the-post voting system. ^{[1] [2] [3] [4] [5]}

Members of Parliament

Election		Member	Party
	1708	George Baillie
	1734	Hon. Alexander Hume-Campbell
	1761	James Pringle
	1779	Sir John Paterson, Bt
	1780	Hugh Hepburne-Scott
	1784	Patrick Home
	1796	George Baillie
	1818	Sir John Marjoribanks [6]	Tory
	1826	Anthony Maitland	Tory [7]
	1832	Charles Albany Marjoribanks [6]	Whig [7]
	Jan. 1834	Sir Hugh Purves-Hume-Campbell	Tory [7]
	Dec. 1834		Conservative [7]
	1847	Francis Scott	Conservative
	1859	David Robertson	Liberal
	1873 by-election	William Miller	Liberal
	1874	Hon. Robert Baillie-Hamilton	Conservative
	1880	Edward Marjoribanks	Liberal
	1894 by-election	Harold Tennant	Liberal
1918		constituency abolished

Election results

Berwickshire constituencies electoral history

Elections in the 1830s

General election 1830: Berwickshire ^{[7] [8]}

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Tory	Anthony Maitland, 10th Earl of Lauderdale	Unopposed
Registered electors			149
	Tory hold

General election 1831: Berwickshire ^{[7] [8]}

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Tory	Anthony Maitland, 10th Earl of Lauderdale	Unopposed
Registered electors			c. 149
	Tory hold

General election 1832: Berwickshire ^{[7] [9]}

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Whig	Charles Albany Marjoribanks	478	53.8
	Tory	Anthony Maitland, 10th Earl of Lauderdale	410	46.2
Majority			68	7.6
Turnout			888	84.3
Registered electors			1,053
	Whig gain from Tory

Marjoribanks resigned, causing a by-election.

By-election, 13 January 1834: Berwickshire ^{[7] [9]}

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Tory	Hugh Purves-Hume-Campbell	Unopposed
	Tory gain from Whig

General election 1835: Berwickshire ^{[7] [9]}

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	Hugh Purves-Hume-Campbell	507	61.0	+14.8
	Whig	Francis Blake	324	39.0	−14.8
Majority			183	22.0	N/A
Turnout			831	77.6	−6.7
Registered electors			1,071
	Conservative gain from Whig		Swing	+14.8

General election 1837: Berwickshire ^{[9] [7]}

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Conservative	Hugh Purves-Hume-Campbell	Unopposed
Registered electors			1,244
	Conservative hold

Elections in the 1840s

General election 1841: Berwickshire ^[9]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	Hugh Purves-Hume-Campbell	Unopposed
Registered electors			1,319
	Conservative hold

General election 1847: Berwickshire ^[9]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	Francis Scott	Unopposed
Registered electors			1,238
	Conservative hold

Elections in the 1850s

General election 1852: Berwickshire ^[9]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	Francis Scott	Unopposed
Registered electors			1,073
	Conservative hold

General election 1857: Berwickshire ^[9]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	Francis Scott	394	56.4	N/A
	Whig	David Robertson	305	43.6	New
Majority			89	12.8	N/A
Turnout			699	63.4	N/A
Registered electors			1,102
	Conservative hold		Swing	N/A

General election 1859: Berwickshire ^[9]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Liberal	David Robertson	461	51.9	+8.3
	Conservative	John Marjoribanks [10]	428	48.1	−8.3
Majority			33	3.8	N/A
Turnout			889	74.0	+10.6
Registered electors			1,201
	Liberal gain from Conservative		Swing	+8.3

Elections in the 1860s

General election 1865: Berwickshire ^[9]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Liberal	David Robertson	Unopposed
Registered electors			1,247
	Liberal hold

General election 1868: Berwickshire ^{[11] [9]}

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Liberal	David Robertson	Unopposed
Registered electors			1,580
	Liberal hold

Elections in the 1870s

Robertson was elevated to the peerage, becoming Lord Marjoribanks and causing a by-election.

By-election, 30 June 1873: Berwickshire ^[9]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Liberal	William Miller	623	50.6	N/A
	Conservative	Charles Douglas-Home	609	49.4	New
Majority			14	1.2	N/A
Turnout			1,232	77.2	N/A
Registered electors			1,595
	Liberal hold		Swing	N/A

General election 1874: Berwickshire ^[9]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	Robert Baillie-Hamilton	748	52.6	N/A
	Liberal	William Miller	674	47.4	N/A
Majority			74	5.2	N/A
Turnout			1,422	86.1	N/A
Registered electors			1,652
	Conservative gain from Liberal		Swing	N/A

Elections in the 1880s

General election 1880: Berwickshire ^[9]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Liberal	Edward Marjoribanks	939	58.3	+10.9
	Conservative	Robert Baillie-Hamilton	671	41.7	−10.9
Majority			268	16.6	N/A
Turnout			1,610	88.0	+1.9
Registered electors			1,830
	Liberal gain from Conservative		Swing	+10.9

Marjoribanks

General election 1885: Berwickshire ^{[12] [13]}

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Liberal	Edward Marjoribanks	3,758	75.4	+17.1
	Conservative	David Milne Home	1,225	24.6	−17.1
Majority			2,533	50.8	+34.2
Turnout			4,983	83.3	−4.7
Registered electors			5,982
	Liberal hold		Swing	+17.1

Marjoribanks was appointed Comptroller of the Household, requiring a by-election.

By-election, 13 Feb 1886: Berwickshire ^{[13] [12]}

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Liberal	Edward Marjoribanks	Unopposed
	Liberal hold

General election 1886: Berwickshire ^{[12] [13]}

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Liberal	Edward Marjoribanks	2,778	70.2	−5.2
	Liberal Unionist	Robert Henry Elliot	1,177	29.8	+5.2
Majority			1,601	40.4	−10.4
Turnout			3,955	66.1	−17.2
Registered electors			5,982
	Liberal hold		Swing	-5.2

Elections in the 1890s

Marjoribanks

General election 1892: Berwickshire ^{[13] [14]}

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Liberal	Edward Marjoribanks	2,704	58.0	−12.2
	Conservative	Charles Balfour	1,956	42.0	+12.2
Majority			748	16.0	−24.4
Turnout			4,660	82.6	+16.5
Registered electors			5,644
	Liberal hold		Swing	-12.2

Tennant

1894 Berwickshire by-election ^{[15] [13]}

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Liberal	Harold Tennant	2,722	55.8	−2.2
	Conservative	Charles Balfour	2,157	44.2	+2.2
Majority			507	10.4	−4.4
Turnout			4,879	89.7	+7.1
Registered electors			5,442
	Liberal hold		Swing	-2.2

General election 1895: Berwickshire ^{[14] [13]}

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Liberal	Harold Tennant	2,673	55.2	−2.8
	Conservative	Charles Balfour	2,166	44.8	+2.8
Majority			507	10.4	−5.6
Turnout			4,839	87.8	+5.2
Registered electors			5,509
	Liberal hold		Swing	−2.8

Elections in the 1900s

General election 1900: Berwickshire ^{[14] [13]}

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Liberal	Harold Tennant	2,518	56.1	+0.9
	Conservative	Charles Douglas-Home	1,968	43.9	−0.9
Majority			550	12.2	+1.8
Turnout			4,486	81.7	−6.1
Registered electors			5,492
	Liberal hold		Swing	+0.9

General election 1906: Berwickshire ^{[16] [13]}

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Liberal	Harold Tennant	2,975	64.7	+8.6
	Conservative	R. Fitzroy Bell	1,624	35.3	−8.6
Majority			1,351	29.4	+17.2
Turnout			4,599	83.6	+1.9
Registered electors			5,502
	Liberal hold		Swing	+8.6

Elections in the 1910s

Seton-Karr

General election January 1910: Berwickshire ^{[17] [13]}

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Liberal	Harold Tennant	2,992	59.2	−5.5
	Conservative	Henry Seton-Karr	2,060	40.8	+5.5
Majority			932	18.4	−11.0
Turnout			5,052	89.0	+5.4
Registered electors			5,674
	Liberal hold		Swing	-5.5

Tennant

General election December 1910: Berwickshire ^{[17] [13]}

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Liberal	Harold Tennant	3,005	60.0	+0.8
	Conservative	John Campbell (Conservative politician)	2,000	40.0	−0.8
Majority			1,005	20.0	+1.6
Turnout			5,005	87.0	−2.0
Registered electors			5,752
	Liberal hold		Swing	+0.8

By-election, 1916: Berwickshire ^[13]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Liberal	Harold Tennant	Unopposed
	Liberal hold

References

1. "Berwickshire". History of Parliament Online (1690-1715). Retrieved 27 March 2019.
2. "Berwickshire". History of Parliament Online (1715-1754). Retrieved 27 March 2019.
3. "Berwickshire". History of Parliament Online (1754-1790). Retrieved 27 March 2019.
4. "Berwickshire". History of Parliament Online (1790-1820). Retrieved 27 March 2019.
5. "Berwickshire". History of Parliament Online (1820-1832). Retrieved 27 March 2019.
6. Marjoribanks,Roger (2014) "Edinburgh Portrait, Sir John Marjoribanks , Bart, MP (1763–1833)" The Book of the Edinburgh Club, Volume 10, Pp 151-156, ISBN   0-9517284-9-0
7. Smith, Henry Stooks (1842). The Register of Parliamentary Contested Elections (Second ed.). Simpkin, Marshall & Company. p. 197. Retrieved 10 September 2018– via Google Books.
8. Escott, Margaret. "Berwickshire". The History of Parliament. Retrieved 8 May 2020.
9. 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.
10. "Scotch Election Intelligence" . Edinburgh Evening Courant. 3 May 1859. p. 2. Retrieved 10 September 2018– via British Newspaper Archive.
11. Debrett's House of Commons, 1870
12. Debrett's House of Commons and the Judicial Bench, 1889
13. British Parliamentary Election Results 1885-1918, FWS Craig
14. Whitaker's Almanack, 1893
15. Debrett's House of Commons and the Judicial Bench, 1896
16. Whitaker's Almanack, 1907
17. Debrett's House of Commons and the Judicial Bench, 1916

Sources

• Leigh Rayment's Historical List of MPs – Constituencies beginning with "B" (part 2)