Ayr Burghs (UK Parliament constituency)

Ayr Burghs
Former District of Burghs constituency
for the House of Commons
Subdivisions of Scotland Ayrshire, Argyllshire
1708 (1708)–1950 (1950)
Number of members One

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.

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.

Contents

Member of Parliament

Election Member [1] Party
1708 James Campbell
1710 Charles Oliphant
1720 Thomas Kennedy
1721 Duncan Forbes
1722 William Steuart
1734 James Stuart
1741 The Earl of Granard
1747 Charles Erskine
1749 Sir Henry Erskine
1754 James Stuart-Mackenzie
1761 Lord Frederick Campbell
1761 Alexander Wedderburn
1768 James Archibald Stuart
1774 Sir George Macartney
1776 Frederick Stuart
1780 Archibald Edmonstone
1790 Charles Stuart
1794 John Campbell
1807 John Campbell
1809 Duncan Campbell
1818 Thomas Francis Kennedy
1834 Lord Patrick James Herbert Crichton-Stuart
1852 Edward Henry John Craufurd Radical
1874 Sir William Montgomery-Cuninghame Conservative
1880 Richard Frederick Fotheringham Campbell Liberal
1888 John Sinclair Liberal
1890 James Somervell Conservative
1892 William Birkmyre Liberal
1895 Charles Lindsay Orr-Ewing Conservative
1904 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

Election results

Elections in the 1940s

General Election 1945: Ayr Burghs [2]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Sir Thomas Moore CBE 22,593 50.82
Labour William Ross 21,865 49.18

Elections in the 1930s

General Election 1935: Ayr Burghs [3]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Sir Thomas Moore CBE 25,893
Labour A.W. Brady 13,274
General Election 1931: Ayr Burghs[4]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Lt Col Thomas Moore CBE 28,256
Labour Mrs Clarice McNab Shaw 9,974

Elections in the 1920s

By-election June 1925: Ayr Burghs [5]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Lieut Col Thomas Moore 11,601
Labour P.J. Dollan 9,787
Liberal W.M.R. Pringle 4,656
General Election 1924: Ayr Burghs [6]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Rt Hon Sir John Baird Bt 16,153
Labour J.M Airlie 9,787
General Election 1923: Ayr Burghs [7]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Rt Hon Sir John Baird Bt 10,206
Labour J.M. Airlie 7,732
Liberal W.H. Pringle 6,467

Elections in the 1910s

General Election 1918: Ayr Burghs [8]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Sir George Younger, Bt 9,565
Liberal Major Murdoch McKenzie Wood 5,410
Labour Rev Campbell Stephen 4,534
General Election Dec 1910: Ayr Burghs [9]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Sir George Younger, Bt 3,852
Liberal William Robertson 3,620
General Election Jan 1910: Ayr Burghs [10]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Sir George Younger, Bt 3,647
Liberal William Robertson 3,594

Elections in the 1900s

General Election 1906: Ayr Burghs [11]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative George Younger 3,766
Liberal Joseph Dobbie 3,505
General Election 1900: Ayr Burghs [12]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Charles Lindsay Orr-Ewing 3,101
Liberal Col Edmond Charles Browne 2,511

Elections in the 1890s

General Election 1895: Ayr Burghs [13]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Charles Lindsay Orr-Ewing 3,057
Liberal William Birkmyre 2,722
General Election 1892: Ayr Burghs [14]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal William Birkmyre 2,760
Conservative James Somervell 2,753

Elections in the 1880s

By-election 1888: Ayr Burghs [15]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal John Sinclair 2,321
Liberal Unionist Hon. Evelyn Ashley 2,268
Majority 53
General Election 1886: Ayr Burghs [15]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Unionist Richard Frederick Fotheringham Campbell 2,673
Liberal Capt. John Sinclair 1,498
General Election 1885: Ayr Burghs [15]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Richard Frederick Fotheringham Campbell 2,460
Conservative Malcolm Low 2,118
General Election 1880: Ayr Burghs [16]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Richard Frederick Fotheringham Campbell 2,303
Conservative Sir William Cuninghame 1,420

Elections in the 1860s

General Election 1868: Ayr Burghs [17]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Edward Henry John Craufurd 1,116
___ Anderson QC 1,025

Notes

  1. ^ Leigh Rayment's Historical List of MPs – Constituencies beginning with "A" (part 3)
  2. ^ Whit[1]
  3. ^ Whitaker's Almanack, 1939
  4. ^ Whitaker's Almanack, 1934
  5. ^ The Times, 13 June 1925
  6. ^ Oliver and Boyd's Edinburgh Almanack, 1927
  7. ^ The Times, 8 December 1923
  8. ^ Whitaker's Almanack, 1920
  9. ^ Debrett's House of Commons and the Judicial Bench, 1916
  10. ^ Debrett's House of Commons and the Judicial Bench, 1916
  11. ^ Whitaker's Almanack, 1907
  12. ^ Debrett's House of Commons and the Judicial Bench, 1901
  13. ^ Debrett's House of Commons and the Judicial Bench, 1901
  14. ^ Whitaker's Almanack, 1893
  15. ^ a b c Debrett's House of Commons and Judicial Bench, 1889
  16. ^ The Times, 29 April 1880
  17. ^ Debrett's House of Commons, 1870

See also