Fife (UK Parliament constituency)

Last updated

Fife
Former county constituency
for the House of Commons
Major settlements Fife
1708–1885
SeatsOne
Created from Fife
Replaced by East Fife
West Fife

Fife was a county constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom from 1708 until 1885, when it was divided into East Fife and West Fife.

Contents

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 Fifeshire.

History

The constituency elected one Member of Parliament (MP) by the first past the post system until the seat was divided in 1885. [1] [2] [3] [4] [5]

Boundaries

The constituency covered the county of Fife.

Members of Parliament

ElectionMemberPartyNotes
1708 Patrick Moncreiff
1709Sir Robert Anstruther
1710Sir Alexander Erskine
1715 Sir John Anstruther, 1st Baronet
1741 David Scott
1747 James Oswald
1754 James St Clair
1763 James Wemyss
1768 John Scott
1776 James Townsend Oswald
1779 Robert Skene
1780 John Henderson 5th Baronet from 1781
1780 Robert Skene
1787 William Wemyss
1796 Sir William Erskine, Bt British Army officer, died insane
1806 Robert Ferguson
1807 William Wemyss
1820 James Erskine Wemyss Whig [6] [7]
1831 James Lindsay Tory [6]
1832 James Erskine Wemyss Whig [6] [7]
1847 John Fergus Whig [8] [6]
1859 James Hay Erskine Wemyss Liberal
1864 Sir Robert Anstruther, 5th Baronet Liberal
1880 Robert Preston Bruce Liberal

Election results

Elections in the 1830s

General election 1830: Fife [6] [9]
PartyCandidateVotes%
Whig James Erskine Wemyss Unopposed
Registered electors 239
Whig hold
General election 1831: Fife [6] [9]
PartyCandidateVotes%
Tory James Lindsay (1793-1855) 85 55.6
Whig James Erskine Wemyss 6844.4
Majority1711.2
Turnout 15364.0
Registered electors 239
Tory gain from Whig
General election 1832: Fife [6] [10]
PartyCandidateVotes%
Whig James Erskine Wemyss Unopposed
Registered electors 2,185
Whig gain from Tory
General election 1835: Fife [6] [10]
PartyCandidateVotes%
Whig James Erskine Wemyss 1,051 64.3
Conservative James Lindsay (1793-1855)58435.7
Majority46728.6
Turnout 1,63570.8
Registered electors 2,309
Whig hold
General election 1837: Fife [6] [10]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Whig James Erskine Wemyss 1,086 65.7 +1.4
Conservative James Bruce56734.3−1.4
Majority51931.4+2.8
Turnout 1,65360.8−10.0
Registered electors 2,720
Whig hold Swing +1.4

Elections in the 1840s

General election 1841: Fife [10]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Whig James Erskine Wemyss Unopposed
Registered electors 2,967
Whig hold
General election 1847: Fife [10]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Whig John Fergus 834 52.1 N/A
Conservative John Balfour [11] 76847.9New
Majority664.2N/A
Turnout 1,60265.6N/A
Registered electors 2,444
Whig hold

Elections in the 1850s

General election 1852: Fife [10]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Whig John Fergus Unopposed
Registered electors 3,211
Whig hold
General election 1857: Fife [10]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Whig John Fergus Unopposed
Registered electors 3,389
Whig hold
General election 1859: Fife [10]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Liberal James Hay Erskine Wemyss 1,087 56.1 N/A
Conservative Robert St Clair-Erskine 85043.9New
Majority23712.2N/A
Turnout 1,93747.8N/A
Registered electors 4,056
Liberal hold Swing N/A

Elections in the 1860s

Wemyss's death caused a by-election.

By-election, 19 April 1864: Fife [10]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Liberal Robert Anstruther Unopposed
Liberal hold
General election 1865: Fife [10]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Liberal Robert Anstruther Unopposed
Registered electors 2,725
Liberal hold
General election 1868: Fife [10]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Liberal Robert Anstruther 1,837 62.0 N/A
Liberal John Boyd Kinnear 1,12738.0N/A
Majority71024.0N/A
Turnout 2,96470.5N/A
Registered electors 4,206
Liberal hold Swing N/A

Elections in the 1870s

General election 1874: Fife [10]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Liberal Robert Anstruther 1,859 60.2 −1.8
Conservative Frederick William Hamilton [12] 1,23039.8New
Majority62920.4−3.6
Turnout 3,08970.9+0.4
Registered electors 4,358
Liberal hold Swing N/A

Elections in the 1880s

General election 1880: Fife [10]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Liberal Robert Preston Bruce 2,421 63.8 +3.6
Conservative James Townsend Oswald [13] 1,37336.2−3.6
Majority1,04827.6+7.2
Turnout 3,79479.6+8.7
Registered electors 4,767
Liberal hold Swing +3.6

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References

  1. ↑ "Fifeshire". History of Parliament Online (1690-1715). Retrieved 27 March 2019.
  2. ↑ "Fifeshire". History of Parliament Online (1715-1754). Retrieved 27 March 2019.
  3. ↑ "Fifeshire". History of Parliament Online (1754-1790). Retrieved 27 March 2019.
  4. ↑ "Fifeshire". History of Parliament Online (1790-1820). Retrieved 27 March 2019.
  5. ↑ "Fifeshire". History of Parliament Online (1820-1832). Retrieved 27 March 2019.
  6. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 Smith, Henry Stooks (1842). The Register of Parliamentary Contested Elections (Second ed.). Simpkin, Marshall & Company. pp. 202, 205. Retrieved 11 September 2018– via Google Books.
  7. 1 2 Churton, Edward (1838). The Assembled Commons or Parliamentary Biographer. p. 232. Retrieved 18 August 2019– via Google Books.
  8. ↑ "Greenock Advertiser" . 6 August 1847. p. 2. Retrieved 11 September 2018– via British Newspaper Archive.
  9. 1 2 Escott, Margaret. "Fifeshire". The History of Parliament. Retrieved 8 May 2020.
  10. 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.
  11. ↑ "To the Electors of the County of Fife" . Fife Herald. 29 July 1847. p. 1. Retrieved 18 August 2019– via British Newspaper Archive.
  12. ↑ "General Hamilton's Meetings" . Fife Herald . 12 February 1874. p. 2. Retrieved 30 December 2017– via British Newspaper Archive.
  13. ↑ "Representation of Fife" . Fifeshire Advertiser. 10 April 1880. p. 2. Retrieved 20 December 2017– via British Newspaper Archive.
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