Cromartyshire (Parliament of Scotland constituency)

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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.

Cromartyshire Historic county in Scotland

Cromartyshire is a historic county in the Highlands of Scotland, comprising the medieval "old shire" around the county town of Cromarty and 22 enclaves and exclaves transferred from Ross-shire in the late 17th century. The largest part, six times the size of the old shire, is Coigach, northwest from Ullapool. In 1890, Cromartyshire was merged with Ross-shire into the administrative county of Ross and Cromarty. In 1975, the resulting county was combined with Caithness, Inverness-shire, Nairnshire, Sutherland, and parts of Argyllshire and Morayshire to form the Highland council area.

A commissioner is, in principle, a member of a commission or an individual who has been given a commission.

Parliament of Scotland legislature of the Kingdom of Scotland

The Parliament of Scotland was the legislature of the Kingdom of Scotland. The parliament, like other such institutions, evolved during the Middle Ages from the king's council of bishops and earls. It is first identifiable as a parliament in 1235, during the reign of Alexander II, when it was described as a "colloquium" and already possessed a political and judicial role. By the early fourteenth century, the attendance of knights and freeholders had become important, and from 1326 commissioners from the burghs attended. Consisting of the "three estates" of clergy, nobility and the burghs sitting in a single chamber, the parliament gave consent for the raising of taxation and played an important role in the administration of justice, foreign policy, war, and all manner of other legislation. Parliamentary business was also carried out by "sister" institutions, such as General Councils or Convention of Estates. These could carry out much business also dealt with by parliament – taxation, legislation and policy-making – but lacked the ultimate authority of a full parliament.

Contents

List of shire commissioners

During the Commonwealth of England, Scotland and Ireland, the sheriffdoms of Sutherland, Ross and Cromarty were jointly represented by one Member of Parliament in the Protectorate Parliament at Westminster. After the Restoration, the Parliament of Scotland was again summoned to meet in Edinburgh.

During the Commonwealth of England, Scotland and Ireland, called the Protectorate, the Scottish sheriffdoms of Sutherland, Ross and Cromarty were jointly represented by one Member of Parliament in the House of Commons at Westminster from 1654 until 1659.

Sir Kenneth Mackenzie, 3rd Baronet was a Scottish politician who served as a shire commissioner for Cromartyshire in the Parliament of Scotland and as one of the first Scottish MPs in the new Parliament of Great Britain.

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References

  1. ↑ Parliamentary Papers, Volume 62, Part 2. p. 586.
  2. ↑ G. E. C., The Complete Baronetage, volume II (1902) p. 356.
  3. 1 2 Parliamentary Papers, Volume 62, Part 2. p. 591.
  4. ↑ Parliamentary Papers, Volume 62, Part 2. p. 598.

See also

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