Peeblesshire (UK Parliament constituency)

Peeblesshire was a Scottish county constituency of the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom (Westminster) from 1708 until 1868. It elected one Member of Parliament (MP) by the first past the post voting system.

Peeblesshire
Former County constituency
for the House of Commons
Subdivisions of ScotlandPeeblesshire
1708–1868
Number of membersOne
Replaced byPeebles & Selkirk

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 Peeblesshire.

Boundaries

The name relates the constituency to the county of Peebles. Article XII of the Union with Scotland Act 1706 (Act settling the Manner of electing the Representatives of Scotland), provided that one representative should be chosen for every shire and steuartry (except for some shires which were to take turns).[1]

History

The constituency elected one Member of Parliament (MP) by the first past the post system until the seat was abolished for the 1868 general election.[2] [3] [4] [5] [6]

This arrangement was continued by the Representation of the People (Scotland) Act 1832.[7]

The Representation of the People (Scotland) Act 1868 abolished the rights of the counties of Peebles and Selkirk to return a member, and provided that those counties should jointly return a member, thereby establishing the Peebles and Selkirk constituency.[8]

Members of Parliament
ElectionMember[9]Party
1708William Morison
1710Alexander Murray, later 3rd Baronet
1713William Morison
1715Alexander Murray(c. 1686–1755)
1722John Douglas
1732 by-electionSir James Naesmyth, 2nd Baronet
1741Alexander Murray(c. 1686–1755)
1747John Dickson
1767 by-electionAdam Hay
1768James William Montgomery
June 1775 by-electionAdam Hay
December 1775 by-electionSir Robert Murray-Keith
1780Alexander Murray
1783 by-electionAlexander Murray, later 7th Lord Elibank
1784David Murray
1790William Montgomery
1800 by-electionSir James Montgomery, 2nd Bt Tory[10]
1831 by-electionSir George Montgomery, 2nd Bt Tory[11]
1831 John Hay Tory[11]
1834 Conservative[12][11]
1837William Forbes MackenzieConservative[12][11]
1852Graham Graham-Montgomery Conservative[12]
1868 Constituency abolished. See Peebles and Selkirk

Election results

Elections in the 1830s
General election 1830: Peeblesshire[11][13]
Party Candidate Votes %
Tory James Montgomery Unopposed
Registered electors 48
Tory hold

Montgomery resigned, causing a by-election.

By-election, 4 March 1831: Peeblesshire[11][13]
Party Candidate Votes %
Tory Sir George Montgomery, 2nd Baronet Unopposed
Registered electors 48
Tory hold
General election 1831: Peeblesshire[11][13]
Party Candidate Votes %
Tory Sir George Montgomery, 2nd Baronet Unopposed
Registered electors 48
Tory hold

Montgomery's death caused a by-election.

By-election, 9 August 1831: Peeblesshire[11][13]
Party Candidate Votes %
Tory John Hay Unopposed
Registered electors 48
Tory hold
General election 1832: Peeblesshire[11][12]
Party Candidate Votes %
Tory John Hay Unopposed
Registered electors 307
Tory hold
General election 1835: Peeblesshire[11][12]
Party Candidate Votes %
Conservative John Hay Unopposed
Registered electors 354
Conservative hold
General election 1837: Peeblesshire[11][12]
Party Candidate Votes %
Conservative William Forbes Mackenzie 251 50.6
Whig Sir Alexander Gibson-Carmichael, 8th Baronet 245 49.4
Majority 6 1.2
Turnout 496 71.9
Registered electors 690
Conservative hold

Elections in the 1840s
General election 1841: Peeblesshire[12]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative William Forbes Mackenzie Unopposed
Registered electors 863
Conservative hold

Mackenzie was appointed a Lord Commissioner of the Treasury, requiring a by-election.

By-election, 5 May 1845: Peeblesshire[12]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative William Forbes Mackenzie Unopposed
Conservative hold
General election 1847: Peeblesshire[12]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative William Forbes Mackenzie 240 59.6 N/A
Whig Sir Alexander Gibson-Carmichael, 8th Baronet 163 40.4 New
Majority 77 19.2 N/A
Turnout 403 56.1 N/A
Registered electors 718
Conservative hold Swing N/A

Elections in the 1850s
General election 1852: Peeblesshire[12]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Graham Graham-Montgomery Unopposed
Registered electors 542
Conservative hold
General election 1857: Peeblesshire[12]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Graham Graham-Montgomery Unopposed
Registered electors 394
Conservative hold
General election 1859: Peeblesshire[12]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Graham Graham-Montgomery Unopposed
Registered electors 407
Conservative hold

Elections in the 1860s
General election 1865: Peeblesshire[12]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Graham Graham-Montgomery Unopposed
Registered electors 499
Conservative hold

Graham-Montgomery was appointed a Lord Commissioner of the Treasury, requiring a by-election.

By-election, 24 July 1866: Peeblesshire[12]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Graham Graham-Montgomery Unopposed
Conservative hold

References
  1. Union with Scotland Act 1706
  2. "Peeblesshire". History of Parliament Online (1690-1715). Retrieved 9 June 2019.
  3. "Peeblesshire". History of Parliament Online (1715-1754). Retrieved 9 June 2019.
  4. "Peeblesshire". History of Parliament Online (1754-1790). Retrieved 9 June 2019.
  5. "Peeblesshire". History of Parliament Online (1790-1820). Retrieved 9 June 2019.
  6. "Peeblesshire". History of Parliament Online (1820-1832). Retrieved 9 June 2019.
  7. Representation of the People (Scotland) Act 1832, Schedule A.
  8. Representation of the People (Scotland) Act 1868, section 10.
  9. Leigh Rayment's Historical List of MPs – Constituencies beginning with "P" (part 1)
  10. Fisher, David R. "MONTGOMERY, Sir James, 2nd bt. (1766-1839), of Stobo Castle, Stanhope, Peebles". The History of Parliament. Retrieved 8 May 2020.
  11. Smith, Henry Stooks (1842). The Register of Parliamentary Contested Elections (Second ed.). Simpkin, Marshall & Company. p. 208. Retrieved 14 September 2018 – via Google Books.
  12. Craig, F. W. S., ed. (1977). British Parliamentary Election Results 1832-1885 (e-book) |format= requires |url= (help) (1st ed.). London: Macmillan Press. ISBN 978-1-349-02349-3.
  13. Fisher, David R. "Peeblesshire". The History of Parliament. Retrieved 8 May 2020.
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