Wigtownshire (UK Parliament constituency)

Wigtownshire
Former County constituency
for the House of Commons
Subdivisions of Scotland Wigtownshire
1708–1918
Number of members One
Replaced by Galloway
Created from Wigtownshire

Wigtownshire, was a constituency of the House of Commons of the Parliament of Great Britain from 1708 to 1801 and of the Parliament of the United Kingdom from 1801 to 1918. It was represented by one Member of Parliament.

The first British general election in Wigtownshire was in 1708. In 1707–08, members of the 1702–1707 Parliament of Scotland were co-opted to serve in the 1st Parliament of Great Britain. See Scottish representatives to the 1st Parliament of Great Britain, for further details.

In 1918 the Wigtownshire area was combined with Kirkcudbrightshire to form the Galloway constituency.

Boundaries

Wigtownshire was a Scottish shire (later known as a county), which had previously been represented by two commissioners in the former Parliament of Scotland. The constituenency included the whole shire, except that between 1708-1885 the burghs of Stranraer, New Galloway, Whithorn and Wigtown, formed part of the Wigtown Burghs constituency.

Members of Parliament

ElectionMemberPartyNotes
1708, 17 June John Stewart (c 1670-1748)
1710, 10 November Patrick Vanse Unseated on petition
1711, 3 March John Stewart (c 1670-1748) Seated on petition
1727, 21 September William Dalrymple
1741, 15 May James Stewart (c 1699-1768)
1747, 31 July John Stewart (?-c 1769)
1754, 2 May James Stewart
1761, 23 April John Hamilton Resigned
1762, 18 March James Murray Of Cally and Broughton
1768, 22 April Keith Stewart Appointed Receiver of Land Taxation for Scotland
1784, 17 September Andrew McDouall Returned at a by-election
1796, 17 June William Stewart
1802, 27 July Andrew McDouall Resigned
1805, 15 April William Maxwell Returned at a by-election
1812, 28 October Sir William Stewart Resigned
1816, 2 August James Hunter-Blair Returned at a by-election; resigned
1822, 30 July Sir William Maxwell, 5th Baronet, of Monreith Tory Returned at a by-election
1830, 17 August Sir Andrew Agnew, 7th Baronet Whig
1837, 5 August James Blair Conservative
1841, 15 July John Hamilton Dalrymple
Viscount Dalrymple (from 1853)		 Whig Resigned; the 10th Earl of Stair from 1864
1856, 9 February Sir Andrew Agnew, 8th Baronet Whig Returned at a by-election; joined the Liberal Party
1859 Liberal
1868, 21 November Alan Plantagenet Stewart, Lord Garlies Conservative Succeeded as the 10th Earl of Galloway
1873, 24 February Robert Vans-Agnew Conservative Returned at a by-election
1880, 10 April Sir Herbert Eustace Maxwell, 7th Baronet Conservative
1906, 23 January John James Hamilton Dalrymple, Viscount Dalrymple Conservative Succeeded as the 12th Earl of Stair
1915, 12 February Hon. Hew Hamilton Dalrymple Conservative Returned at a by-election
1918 constituency abolished

Elections

Note on Swing
In this article, positive swing is a movement of support towards the Conservative Party since the last election. Negative swing is a change in percentage support towards the Liberal Party.

Elections in the 1910s

Viscount Dalrymple succeeded as the 12th Earl of Stair on 2 December 1914, which automatically vacated his seat in the House of Commons. At the Wigtownshire by-election, 1915, the Honourable Hew Hamilton Dalrymple (Conservative) was returned unopposed on 12 February 1915. Dalrymple was the youngest son of John Dalrymple, 10th Earl of Stair and the uncle of the previous member. He retained the seat until it was abolished in 1918.

In the December 1910 general election, Viscount Dalrymple was returned unopposed.

General Election January 1910: Wigtownshire [1]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative John James Hamilton Dalrymple, Viscount Dalrymple 2,777 56.5 -0.9
Liberal Ian Macpherson 2,142 43.5 +0.9
Majority 635 13.0 -1.8
Turnout 4,919 86.6 -1.0
Registered electors 5,683
Conservative hold Swing -0.9

Elections in the 1900s

General Election 1906: Wigtownshire [2]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative John James Hamilton Dalrymple, Viscount Dalrymple 2,866 57.4 N/A
Liberal Capt. Walter Waring 2,127 42.6 N/A
Majority 739 14.8 N/A
Turnout 4,993 87.6 N/A
Registered electors 5,698
Conservative hold Swing N/A

In the 1900 general election, Sir Herbert Maxwell was returned unopposed.

Elections in the 1890s

In the 1895 general election, Sir Herbert Maxwell was returned unopposed.

General Election 1892: Wigtownshire [3]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Sir Herbert Maxwell, Bt 2,895 63.4 +0.5
Liberal John Phillips Coldstream 1,670 36.6 -0.5
Majority 1,225 26.8 +1.0
Turnout 4,565 81.3 +4.0
Registered electors 5,613
Conservative hold Swing +0.5

Elections in the 1880s

In July 1886 Sir Herbert Maxwell accepted office as a Junior Lord of the Treasury and on a new election on 12 August 1886 was returned unopposed.

General Election 1886: Wigtownshire [4]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Sir Herbert Maxwell, Bt 2,920 62.9 +12.2
Liberal John Phillips Coldstream 1,719 37.1 -12.2
Majority 1,201 25.8 +24.4
Turnout 4,639 77.3 -11.5
Registered electors 6,004
Conservative hold Swing +12.2
General Election 1885: Wigtownshire [5]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Sir Herbert Maxwell, Bt 2,704 50.7 -0.8
Liberal Hon. Hew Hamilton Dalrymple 2,625 49.3 +0.8
Majority 79 1.4 -1.6
Turnout 5,329 88.8 -1.1
Registered electors 6,004
Conservative hold Swing -0.8
General Election 1880: Wigtownshire [6]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Sir Herbert Maxwell, Bt 768 51.54 -0.54
Liberal John Dalrymple, Viscount Dalrymple 722 48.46 +0.54
Majority 46 3.09 -1.08
Turnout 1,490 89.92 +1.84
Registered electors 1,657
Conservative hold Swing -0.54

Elections in the 1870s

In the 1874 general election, Robert Vans-Agnew (Conservative) was returned unopposed.

By-Election 1873: Wigtownshire [7]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Robert Vans-Agnew 713 52.08 -0.36
Liberal John Dalrymple, Viscount Dalrymple 656 47.92 +0.36
Majority 57 4.16 -0.72
Turnout 1,369 88.38 -2.00
Registered electors 1,549
Conservative hold Swing -0.36

Elections in the 1860s

General Election 1868: Wigtownshire [8]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Alan Plantagenet Stewart, Lord Garlies 719 52.44 +3.93
Liberal Sir Andrew Agnew, 8th Baronet 652 47.56 -3.93
Majority 67 4.89 N/A
Turnout 1,371 90.38 +3.90
Registered electors 1,517
Conservative gain from Liberal Swing +3.93
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Notes and references

  1. ↑ British Parliamentary Election Results 1885-1918
  2. ↑ Whitaker's Almanack, 1907 and British Parliamentary Election Results 1885-1918
  3. ↑ British Parliamentary Election Results 1885-1918
  4. ↑ Debrett's House of Commons and Judicial Bench, 1889 and British Parliamentary Election Results 1885-1918
  5. ↑ British Parliamentary Election Results 1885-1918
  6. ↑ British Parliamentary Election Results 1832-1885
  7. ↑ British Parliamentary Election Results 1832-1885
  8. ↑ British Parliamentary Election Results 1832-1885

Sources