West Aberdeenshire (UK Parliament constituency)

West Aberdeenshire
Former County constituency
for the House of Commons
Subdivisions of Scotland Aberdeenshire
1950 (1950)–1983 (1983)
Number of members One
Replaced by Kincardine & Deeside
Created from West Aberdeenshire & Kincardineshire
Central Aberdeenshire & Kincardineshire
1868 (1868)–1918 (1918)
Number of members One
Type of constituency County constituency
Replaced by West Aberdeenshire & Kincardineshire
Central Aberdeenshire & Kincardineshire
Created from Aberdeenshire

West (or Western) 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 West Aberdeenshire and Kincardineshire and Central Aberdeenshire and Kincardineshire.

In 1983, the West Aberdeenshire constituency was replaced by Kincardine and Deeside.

Contents

Boundaries

Western 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 Western Aberdeenshire constituency was nominally one of three covering the county of Aberdeen. The other two were the county constituency of Eastern Aberdeenshire and the burgh constituency of Aberdeen. The county had been covered previously by the Aberdeenshire constituency and the Aberdeen constituency.

Western Aberdeenshire was defined by the 1868 legislation as consisting of the parishes of Aboyne and Glentanner, Alford, Auchindoir and Kearn, Auchterless, Birse, Chapel of Garioch, Clatt, Cluny, Coull, Crathie and Braemar, Culsalmond, Drumblade, Dyce, Echt, Forgue, Glenbucket, Glenmuick, Tullich and Glengairn, Huntly, Insch, Inverurie, Keig, Kemnay, Kildrummy, Kincardine O'Neil, Kinnellar, Kennethmont, Kintore, Leochel-Cushnie, Leslie, Logie-Coldstone, Lumphanan, Midmar, Monymusk, Newhills, Oyne, Peterculter, Premnay, Rayne, Rhynie, Skene, Strathdon, Tarland and Migvie, Tough, Towie, Tullynesle and Forbes, together with the part of the parish of Old Machar lying west of the River Don, and the parts of the parishes of Banchory-Devenick, Cabrach, Cairnie, Drumoak and Glass within the County of Aberdeen, and the parish of Gartly 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. Thus the Western Aberdeenshire area was divided between West Aberdeenshire and Kincardinshire and Central Aberdeenshire and Kincardineshire.

West 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 West Aberdeenshire was created as one of four constituencies covering the county of Aberdeen and the city of Aberdeen. West Aberdeenshire and East Aberdeenshire were entirely within the county, and Aberdeen North and Aberdeen South were entirely within the city. West Aberdeenshire consisted of the burghs of Ballater, Inverurie, Kintore, and Oldmeldrum, and the districts of Aberdeen, Alford, Deeside, and Garioch.[1]

The same boundaries were used for the 1951 general election.

1955 to 1983

For the 1955 general election, West Aberdeenshire was enlarged to include the burgh of Huntly and the district of Huntly, which were previously within East Aberdeenshire.[1]

West 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 West 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 West Aberdeenshire constituency was replaced by Kincardine and Deeside.

Member of Parliament

Western Aberdeenshire, 1868 to 1918

Election Member[2] Party
1868 William McCombie Liberal
1876 Lord Douglas Gordon Liberal
1880 Robert Farquharson Liberal
1906 John McDonald Henderson Liberal
1918 constituency abolished

West Aberdeenshire, 1950 to 1983

Election Member[2] Party
1950 Henry Spence Unionist
1959 Forbes Hendry Conservative
1966 James Davidson Liberal
1970 Colin Mitchell Conservative
Feb 1974 Sir Russell Fairgrieve Conservative
1983 constituency abolished

Election results

Western Aberdeenshire, 1868 to 1918

General Election Dec 1910: Aberdeenshire Western [3]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal John McDonald Henderson 5,415
Liberal Unionist George Smith 3,232
General Election Jan 1910: Aberdeenshire Western [3]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal John McDonald Henderson 5,901
Liberal Unionist George Smith 3,194
General Election 1906: Aberdeenshire Western [4]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal John McDonald Henderson 5,949 68.1
Conservative Ronald McNeill 2,791 31.9
General Election 1900: Aberdeenshire Western [5]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Dr Robert Farquharson 4,352
Conservative Sir Arthur Henry Grant Bt 3,212
General Election 1895: Aberdeenshire Western [5]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Dr Robert Farquharson 4,187
Conservative Sir Arthur Henry Grant Bt 3,967
General Election 1892: Aberdeenshire Western [4]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Dr Robert Farquharson 3,720
Conservative Sir Arthur Henry Grant Bt 3,640
General Election 1886: Aberdeenshire Western[6]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Dr Robert Farquharson 3,854
Conservative Francis Hugh Irvine, jun. 1,657
General Election 1885: Aberdeenshire Western [6]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Dr Robert Farquharson 4,248
Conservative Francis Hugh Irvine, jun. 2,010
Liberal Quintin Kerr 1,530
General Election 1880: Aberdeenshire Western [7]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Dr Robert Farquharson 2,390
Conservative Sir W. Forbes 1,042
By-election May 1876: Aberdeenshire Western [8]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Lord Douglas Gordon 2,343
Conservative Colonel Innes of Learney 813
General Election 1868: Aberdeenshire Western [9]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal William McCombie unopposed

West Aberdeenshire, 1950 to 1983

General Election 1959: Aberdeenshire West [10]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Forbes Hendry 22,937
Labour W Kemp 10,542
General Election Oct 1974: Aberdeenshire West [11]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Thomas Russell Fairgrieve 15,111
Liberal David C.P. Gracie 12,643
SNP Nicol Suttar 9,409
Labour C.W. Ellis 5,185

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. ^ a b Whitaker's Almanack, 1893
  5. ^ a b Debrett's House of Commons and the Judicial Bench, 1901
  6. ^ a b Debrett's House of Commons and the Judicial Bench, 1889
  7. ^ The Times, 29 April 1880
  8. ^ The Times, 11 May 1876
  9. ^ Debrett's House of Commons, 1870
  10. ^ Whitaker's Almanack, 1963
  11. ^ Whitaker's Almanack, 1977