East Aberdeenshire (UK Parliament constituency)

Not to be confused with Aberdeenshire East (Scottish Parliament constituency).
East Aberdeenshire
Former County constituency
for the House of Commons
Subdivisions of Scotland Aberdeenshire
1950 (1950)–1983 (1983)
Number of members One
Replaced by Banff & Buchan
Gordon
Created from East Aberdeenshire & Kincardineshire
Central Aberdeenshire & Kincardineshire
1868 (1868)–1918 (1918)
Number of members One
Type of constituency County constituency
Replaced by East Aberdeenshire & Kincardineshire
Central Aberdeenshire & Kincardineshire

East (or Eastern) Aberdeenshire was a Scottish county constituency of the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom from 1868 to 1918 and form 1950 to 1983. It elected one Member of Parliament (MP) by the first past the post system of election.

During the period 1918 to 1950, the area of the constituency was divided between East Aberdeenshire and Kincardineshire and Central Aberdeenshire and Kincardineshire, which were both entirely within the county of Aberdeen.

In 1983, the East Aberdeenshire area was divided between the new constituencies of Banff and Buchan and Gordon.

Contents

Boundaries

Eastern Aberdeenshire, 1885 to 1918

1868 to 1885

When, created by the Representation of the People (Scotland) Act 1868, and first used in the 1868 general election, the constituency was nominally one of three covering the county of Aberdeen. The other two were the county constituency of West Aberdeenshire and the burgh constituency of Aberdeen. The county had been covered previously by the Aberdeenshire constituency and the Aberdeen constitutuency.

East Aberdeenshire was defined by the 1868 legislation as consisting of the parishes of Aberdour, Belhelvie, Bourtie, Crimond, Cruden, Daviot, Ellon, Fintray, Foveran, Fraserburgh, Fyvie, Keith-hall and Kinkell, King-Edward, Logie-Buchan, Longside, Lonmay, Methlick, Montquhitter, New Deer, New Machar, Old Deer, Oldmeldrum, Peterhead, Pitsligo, Rathen, Slains, Strichen, Tarves, Turriff, Tyrie and Udny, together with the part of the parish of Old Machar lying east of the River Don, and the parish of St Fergus in Banffshire.

1868 boundaries were also used in the 1874 general election and the 1880 general election.

1885 to 1918

For the 1885 general election the burgh constituencies of Aberdeen North and Aberdeen South were created. Both of these new constituencies included areas beyond the boundaries of the burgh of Aberdeen.

1885 boundaries were also used in the 1886 general election, the 1892 general election, the 1895 general election, the 1900 general election, the 1906 general election, the January 1910 general election and the December 1910 general election.

County boundaries were redefined under the Local Government (Scotland) Act 1889, and the city of Aberdeen (a county of city) was created in 1900, but these developments did not affect constituency boundaries.

In 1918, the Representation of the People Act 1918 created new constituency boundaries, taking account of new local government boundaries, and grouped the county of Aberdeen, the city of Aberdeen and the county of Kincardine in the creation of new constituencies for the 1918 general election.

East Aberdeenshire, 1950 to 1983

1950 to 1955

The House of Commons (Redistribution of Seats) Act 1949 created new boundaries for the 1950 general election, and East Aberdeenshire was created as one of four constituencies covering the county of Aberdeen and the city of Aberdeen. East Aberdeenshire and West Aberdeenshire were entirely within the county, and Aberdeen North and Aberdeen South were entirely within the city. East Aberdeenshire consisted of the burghs of Ellon, Fraserburgh, Huntly, Peterhead, Rosehearty and Turriff and the districts of Deer, Ellon, Huntly and Turriff.[1]

The same boundaries were used for the 1951 general election.

1955 to 1983

For the 1955 general election, the burgh of Huntly and the district of Huntly were transferred to West Aberdeenshire.[1]

East Aberdeenshire retained the same boundaries for the 1959 general election, the 1964 general election, the 1966 general election, the 1970 general election, the February 1974 general election and the October 1974 general election.

In 1975, throughout Scotland, under the Local Government (Scotland) Act 1973, counties and burghs were abolished as local government areas, and East Aberdeenshire became a constituency within the Grampian region.

The 1979 general election was held before a review of constituency boundaries took account of new local government boundaries.

For the 1983 general election, the East Aberdeenshire area was divided between the new constituencies of Banff and Buchan and Gordon.

Members of Parliament

Eastern Aberdeenshire, 1868 to 1918

Election Member[2] Party
1868 William Dingwall Fordyce Liberal
1875 by-election Sir Alexander Hamilton-Gordon Liberal
1885 Peter Esslemont Liberal
1892 by-election Thomas Buchanan Liberal
1900 Archibald White Maconochie Liberal Unionist
1906 James Annand Liberal
1906 by-election James Murray Liberal
Jan. 1910 William Henry Cowan Liberal
1918 constituency abolished

East Aberdeenshire, 1950 to 1983

Election Member[2] Party
1950 Sir Robert Boothby Conservative
1958 by-election Patrick Wolrige-Gordon Conservative
Feb 1974 Douglas Henderson SNP
1979 Albert McQuarrie Conservative

Election results

Eastern Aberdeenshire, 1868 to 1918

General Election, Dec 1910: Aberdeenshire Eastern[3]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal William Henry Cowan 6,152
Liberal Unionist William Craighead 3,772
General Election, Jan 1910: Aberdeenshire Eastern[3]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal William Henry Cowan 6,600
Liberal Unionist Col. Charles Rosdew Burn 3,962
By Election, 28 February 1906: Aberdeenshire Eastern [4]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal James Murray unopposed
General Election, 1900: Aberdeenshire Eastern[5]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Unionist Archibald White Maconochie 4,173
Liberal Thomas Ryburn Buchanan 4,100
General Election, 1895: Aberdeenshire Eastern[5]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Thomas Ryburn Buchanan 4,723
Liberal Unionist William Smith 3,308

+other candidates?

By Election, December 1892: Aberdeenshire Eastern [6]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Thomas Buchanan
General Election, 1892: Aberdeenshire Eastern[6]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Peter Esslemont 5,116
Liberal Unionist Col Fras. S. Russell 3,492
General Election, 1886: Aberdeenshire Eastern[7]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Peter Esslemont 4,952
Conservative William Harry Lumsden 2,544
General Election, 1885: Aberdeenshire Eastern [7]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Peter Esslemont 6,509
Conservative Lieut Col H Wolridge-Gordon 3,155
General Election, 1880: Aberdeenshire Eastern [8]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Sir Alexander Hamilton-Gordon unopposed
General Election, 1868: Aberdeenshire Eastern [9]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal William Dingwall Fordyce unopposed

East Aberdeenshire, 1950 to 1983

General Election, 1959: Aberdeenshire East [10]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Patrick Wolrige-Gordon 18,982
Labour JB Urquhart 10,980
General Election, Oct 1974: Aberdeenshire East [11]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
SNP Douglas Henderson 16,304
Conservative Keith Raffan 11,933
Labour Mrs Sarah Beverley Sissons 3,173
Liberal C Alistair Dow 2,232

See also

References

  1. ^ a b Boundaries of Parliamentary Constituencies 1885-1972 (ISBN 0-900178-09-4), F. W. S. Craig 1972
  2. ^ a b Leigh Rayment's Historical List of MPs – Constituencies beginning with "A" (part 1)
  3. ^ a b Debrett's House of Commons and the Judicial Bench, 1916
  4. ^ Whitaker's Almanack, 1907
  5. ^ a b Debrett's House of Commons and the Judicial Bench, 1901
  6. ^ a b Whitaker's Almanack, 1893
  7. ^ a b Debrett's House of Commons and the Judicial Bench, 1889
  8. ^ The Times, 29 April 1880
  9. ^ Debrett's House of Commons, 1870
  10. ^ Whitaker's Almanack, 1963
  11. ^ Whitaker's Almanack, 1977