Fife (Parliament of Scotland constituency)

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Before the Acts of Union 1707, the barons of the shire of Fife elected commissioners to represent them in the Parliament of Scotland and in the Convention of the Estates. The number of commissioners was increased from two to four in 1690.

After 1708, Fife was represented by one Member of Parliament in the British House of Commons at Westminster.

List of shire commissioners

Parliament or ConventionCommissioners
1612 Parliament Sir David Carnegie of Kinnaird [4] Sir John Learmonth of Balcomie [5]
1617 Convention Sir John Wemyss of Wemyss [6] Sir James Wemyss of Bogie [7]
1617 ParliamentSir William Sandilands of St Monans [8]
1621 ParliamentDavid Beaton of Balfour [9] John Leslie of Newtown [9] [10]
1625 ConventionSir James Learmonth of Balcomie [5] Patrick Wardlaw of Torry [11]
1630 ConventionRobert Forbes of Rires [12]
1633 Parliament Sir John Leslie of Newtown [10] Thomas Myreton of Cambo [1]
1639–41 ParliamentSir Thomas Myreton of Cambo [1] [13] William Rigg of Aithernie [13]
1643–44 ConventionSir Michael Balfour of Denmilne [14] [15] Arthur Erskine of Scotscraig [14] [16]
Sir John Wemyss of Bogie (from 10 April 1644) [6] [15]
1644–47 Parliament David Bethune of Creich [17] Sir John Aytoun of Aytoun [17] [18]
Arthur Erskine of Scotscraig (from 7 January 1645) [16] [19] Robert Meldrum of Burleigh (from 7 January 1645) [19]
David Bethune of Creich (from 26 November 1645) [20] Sir John Wemyss of Bogie (from 26 November 1645) [6] [20]
1648–51 Parliament Arthur Erskine of Scotscraig [16] William Scott of Ardross [21]
Sir James Halkett of Pitfirrane (from 4 January 1649) [22] [23]
George Hay of Naughton (from 7 March 1650) [24] [25] David Wemyss of Fingask (from 7 March 1650) [7] [25]

During the Commonwealth of England, Scotland and Ireland, the sheriffdoms of Fife and Kinross 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.

Parliament or ConventionCommissioners
1661–63 ParliamentWilliam Scott of Ardross [21] Sir Alexander Gibson of Durie (died 6 August 1661) [26]
Sir Henry Wardlaw of Pitreavie (from 8 May 1662) [27] [28]
1665 ConventionSir Philip Anstruther of that Ilk [29] Andrew Bruce of Earlshall [30]
1667 Convention
1669–74 Parliament Sir William Bruce of Balcaskie [31] Sir John Wemyss of Bogie [6]
1678 Convention John Drummond of Lundin [32] Sir Philip Anstruther of that Ilk [29] [32]
1681 Parliament Sir Charles Halkett of Pitfirrane [22] [33] William Anstruther, younger, of that Ilk [34]
1685–86 ParliamentSir David Balfour of Forret [35] Sir Thomas Stewart of Balcaskie [36] [37]
1689 Convention William Anstruther, younger, of that Ilk [34] John Dempster of Pitliver [38]
1689–1702 Parliament
By Act of Parliament 14 June 1690, the shire of Fife was allocated two additional Commissioners. [39]
Sir William Anstruther of that Ilk [34] Sir John Dempster of Pitliver [38] James Melville of Halhill [40] George Moncrieff of Reidie [41] John Bethune of Craigfoodie [42] [43]
1703–07 Parliament Henry Balfour of Dunbog [44] David Bethune of Balfour [45] Sir Patrick Murray of Pitdunnes (died in office) [46] John Bethune of Craigfoodie [47]
Robert Douglas of Strathendrie (from 1703; died in office) [48]
Sir Archibald Hope of Rankeillour (from 25 April 1706; died 10 October 1706) [49]
Thomas Hope of Rankeillour [50] [51]

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References

  1. 1 2 3 Joseph Foster, Members of Parliament, Scotland (1882) p. 272.
  2. ↑ Foster, p. 206.
  3. ↑ Foster, p. 263.
  4. ↑ Foster, p. 65.
  5. 1 2 Foster, p. 210.
  6. 1 2 3 4 Foster, p. 356.
  7. 1 2 Foster, p. 355.
  8. ↑ Foster, p. 303.
  9. 1 2 Records of the Parliaments of Scotland , 1621/6/7.
  10. 1 2 Foster, p. 212.
  11. ↑ Foster, p. 350.
  12. ↑ RPS, A1630/7/1.
  13. 1 2 RPS, 1639/8/31/3.
  14. 1 2 RPS, 1643/6/1.
  15. 1 2 RPS, 1644/1/82.
  16. 1 2 3 Foster, p. 125.
  17. 1 2 RPS, 1644/6/2.
  18. ↑ Foster, p. 18.
  19. 1 2 RPS, 1645/1/2.
  20. 1 2 RPS, 1645/11/2.
  21. 1 2 Foster, p. 308.
  22. 1 2 Foster, p. 167.
  23. ↑ RPS, 1649/1/2.
  24. ↑ Foster, p. 175.
  25. 1 2 RPS, 1650/3/2.
  26. ↑ Foster, p. 147.
  27. ↑ RPS, 1662/5/2.
  28. ↑ G. E. C., The Complete Baronetage, vol. II (1902) p. 388.
  29. 1 2 Foster, p. 15.
  30. ↑ Foster, p. 37.
  31. ↑ Foster, p. 41.
  32. 1 2 RPS, 1678/6/3.
  33. ↑ Complete Baronetage, vol. III (1903) p. 334.
  34. 1 2 3 Foster, p. 16.
  35. ↑ Foster, p. 22.
  36. ↑ Foster, p. 333.
  37. ↑ Complete Baronetage, vol. IV (1904) pp. 323–324.
  38. 1 2 Foster, p. 95.
  39. ↑ RPS, 1690/4/60.
  40. ↑ Foster, p. 248.
  41. ↑ Foster, p. 253.
  42. ↑ ”Petition of the Shire of Fife, signed John Bethune of Craigfoodie” The Records of the Parliaments of Scotland to 1707, K.M. Brown et al eds (St Andrews, 2007-2022), A1700/10/32. Date accessed: 5 March 2022.
  43. ↑ “Petition of the Burgh of Crail, signed John Bethune of Craigfoodie” The Records of the Parliaments of Scotland to 1707, K.M. Brown et al eds (St Andrews, 2007-2022), A1700/10/41. Date accessed: 5 March 2022
  44. ↑ Foster, p. 23.
  45. ↑ Foster, p. 27.
  46. ↑ Foster, p. 271.
  47. ↑ ”Act anent supply, signed John Beaton of Craigfoodie” The Records of the Parliaments of Scotland to 1707, K.M. Brown et al eds (St Andrews, 2007-2022), 1704/7/69. Date accessed: 5 March 2022.
  48. ↑ Foster, p. 102.
  49. ↑ Foster, p. 184.
  50. ↑ Foster, p. 188.
  51. ↑ Complete Baronetage, vol. II, p. 344.
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