Banffshire (UK Parliament constituency)

Banffshire was a constituency of the House of Commons of Great Britain from 1708 to 1800, and of the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom from 1801 to 1983. It elected one Member of Parliament (MP), using the first-past-the-post voting system.

Banffshire
Former County constituency
for the House of Commons
Subdivisions of ScotlandBanffshire
1708–1983
SeatsOne
Created fromBanffshire
Replaced byMoray
Banff & Buchan

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 Banffshire.[1] [2] [3] [4] [5]

History

The constituency elected one Member of Parliament (MP) by the first past the post system until 1983 when it was split and merged into Moray and Banff and Buchan.

The constituency covered the county of Banffshire, Scotland, but until 1918 the county town of Banff and the burgh of Cullen were represented as part of Elgin Burghs.

Members of Parliament
Election [6] Member [7] Party
1707 John Murray
1708 Alexander Abercromby
1727 William Duff, later 1st Earl Fife
1734 James Abercromby
1754 James Duff, later 2nd Earl Fife
1784 Sir James Duff
1789 by-election James Ferguson Tory
1790 Sir James Grant, Bt Tory
1795 by-election David McDowall-Grant
1796 Sir William Grant Whig
1812 Robert Abercromby
1818 James Duff Whig[8]
1827 by-election John Morison Tory[9]
1832 George Ferguson Tory[9]
1834 Conservative
1837 James Duff, later 5th Earl Fife Whig[9][10][11][12]
1857 by-election Lachlan Gordon-Duff Whig
1859 Liberal
1861 by-election Robert Duff Liberal
1893 by-election Sir William Wedderburn Liberal
1900 Alexander William Black Liberal
1907 by-election Walter Waring Liberal
1918 Charles Barrie, later Baron Abertay Liberal
1924 William Templeton Unionist
1929 Sir Murdoch McKenzie Wood Liberal
1935 Sir Edmund Findlay Unionist
1945 Sir William Duthie Unionist
1964 Wilfred Baker Conservative
Feb 1974 Hamish Watt SNP
1979 David Myles Conservative
1983 constituency abolished: see Banff & Buchan and Moray

Election results
Banff election results
Decades:

Elections in the 1830s
General election 1830: Banffshire[9][13]
Party Candidate Votes %
Tory John Morison Unopposed
Registered electors 49
Tory gain from Whig
General election 1831: Banffshire[9][13]
Party Candidate Votes %
Tory John Morison 20 60.6
Tory George Ferguson 13 39.4
Majority 7 21.2
Turnout 33 c. 67.3
Registered electors c. 49
Tory hold
General election 1832: Banffshire[9][14][13]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Tory George Ferguson 295 69.7 -30.3
Whig Thomas Gordon 128 30.3 New
Majority 167 39.4 +18.2
Turnout 423 84.9 c. +17.6
Registered electors 498
Tory hold Swing +30.3
General election 1835: Banffshire[9][14]
Party Candidate Votes %
Conservative George Ferguson Unopposed
Registered electors 525
Conservative hold
General election 1837: Banffshire[9][14]
Party Candidate Votes %
Whig James Duff 292 57.7
Conservative George Ferguson 214 42.3
Majority 78 15.4
Turnout 506 73.9
Registered electors 685
Whig gain from Conservative

Elections in the 1840s
General election 1841: Banffshire[14]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Whig James Duff 316 53.7 −4.0
Conservative John Ogilvy-Grant 273 46.3 +4.0
Majority 43 7.4 −8.0
Turnout 589 82.1 +8.2
Registered electors 717
Whig hold Swing −4.0
General election 1847: Banffshire[14]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Whig James Duff Unopposed
Registered electors 833
Whig hold

Elections in the 1850s
General election 1852: Banffshire[14]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Whig James Duff 327 52.1 N/A
Conservative Hay Macdowall-Grant[15] 301 47.9 New
Majority 26 4.2 N/A
Turnout 628 77.2 N/A
Registered electors 813
Whig hold Swing N/A
General election 1857: Banffshire[14]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Whig James Duff Unopposed
Registered electors 927
Whig hold

Duff resigned by accepting the office of Steward of the Manor of Hempholme, causing a by-election.

By-election, 30 June 1857: Banffshire[14]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Whig Lachlan Gordon Unopposed
Whig hold
General election 1859: Banffshire[14]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Lachlan Gordon-Duff Unopposed
Registered electors 905
Liberal hold

Back to Election results

Elections in the 1860s

Duff's resignation caused a by-election.

By-election, 1 May 1861: Banffshire[14]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Robert Duff Unopposed
Liberal hold
General election 1865: Banffshire[14]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Robert Duff Unopposed
Registered electors 1,062
Liberal hold
General election 1868: Banffshire[16][14]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Robert Duff Unopposed
Registered electors 2,291
Liberal hold

Back to Election results

Elections in the 1870s
General election 1874: Banffshire[14]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Robert Duff Unopposed
Registered electors 2,418
Liberal hold

Back to Election results

Elections in the 1880s
General election 1880: Banffshire[17][14]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Robert Duff Unopposed
Registered electors 2,649
Liberal hold

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

By-election, 19 Jun 1882: Banffshire[17][14]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Robert Duff Unopposed
Registered electors 2,649
Liberal hold
General election 1885: Banffshire[17][18]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Robert Duff 3,740 65.1 N/A
Conservative Moir Stormonth-Darling 2,008 34.9 New
Majority 1,732 30.2 N/A
Turnout 5,748 81.9 N/A
Registered electors 7,018
Liberal hold Swing N/A

Duff was appointed Civil Lord of the Admiralty, requiring a by-election.

By-election, 13 Feb 1886: Banffshire[17][18]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Robert Duff Unopposed
Liberal hold
General election 1886: Banffshire[17][18]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Robert Duff 2,583 64.9 −0.2
Liberal Unionist Charles Grant 1,394 35.1 +0.2
Majority 1,189 29.8 −0.4
Turnout 3,977 56.7 −25.2
Registered electors 7,018
Liberal hold Swing −0.2

Back to Election results

Elections in the 1890s
Robert Duff
General election 1892: Banffshire[19][18]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Robert Duff 2,293 61.7 −3.2
Ind. Conservative Maltman Barry 1,424 38.3 New
Majority 869 23.4 −6.4
Turnout 3,717 51.7 −5.0
Registered electors 7,185
Liberal hold Swing −3.2
W. Wedderburn
1893 Banffshire by-election[20][18]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal William Wedderburn 3,166 56.9 −4.8
Conservative James Grant 2,395 43.1 New
Majority 771 13.8 −9.6
Turnout 5,561 76.8 +25.1
Registered electors 7,241
Liberal hold Swing −4.8
General election 1895: Banffshire[21][18]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal William Wedderburn 2,977 54.7 −7.0
Conservative James Grant 2,467 45.3 N/A
Majority 510 9.4 −14.0
Turnout 5,444 72.4 +20.7
Registered electors 7,520
Liberal hold Swing −7.0

Back to Election results

Elections in the 1900s
Alexander Black
General election 1900: Banffshire[21][18]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Alexander William Black 2,768 52.8 −1.9
Liberal Unionist George Watt (1854-1940) 2,470 47.2 +1.9
Majority 298 5.6 −3.8
Turnout 5,238 64.2 −8.2
Registered electors 8,156
Liberal hold Swing −1.9
General election 1906: Banffshire[22][18]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Alexander William Black 4,101 68.3 +15.5
Conservative James Grant 1,901 31.7 −15.5
Majority 2,200 36.6 +31.0
Turnout 6,002 73.9 +9.7
Registered electors 8,118
Liberal hold Swing +15.5
Walter Waring
1907 Banffshire by-election[23][18]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Walter Waring 3,901 67.3 −1.0
Conservative William Whitelaw 1,892 32.7 +1.0
Majority 2,009 34.6 −2.0
Turnout 5,793 70.8 −3.1
Registered electors 8,179
Liberal hold Swing −1.0

Back to Election results

Elections in the 1910s
General election January 1910: Banffshire[24]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Walter Waring 4,066 66.4 −1.9
Conservative James Crabb Watt 2,053 33.6 +1.9
Majority 2,013 32.8 −3.8
Turnout 6,119 74.8 +0.9
Registered electors 8,181
Liberal hold Swing −1.9
General election December 1910: Banffshire[24]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Walter Waring Unopposed
Liberal hold

General Election 1914–15:

Another General Election was required to take place before the end of 1915. The political parties had been making preparations for an election to take place and by July 1914, the following candidates had been selected;

Charles Barrie
General election 1918: Banffshire[25]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
C Liberal Charles Barrie Unopposed
Liberal hold
C indicates candidate endorsed by the coalition government.

Back to Election results

Elections in the 1920s
General election 1922: Banffshire[26]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Charles Barrie Unopposed
Liberal hold
General election 1923: Banffshire[27]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Charles Barrie Unopposed
Liberal hold
General election 1924: Banffshire[28]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Unionist William Templeton 6,829 42.7 New
Liberal Charles Barrie 5,426 34.0 N/A
Labour A W Groundwater 3,722 23.3 New
Majority 403 8.7 N/A
Turnout 15,977 N/A
Unionist gain from Liberal Swing N/A
General election 1929: Banffshire[29]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Murdoch McKenzie Wood 9,278 44.3 +10.3
Unionist William Templeton 6,720 32.0 −10.7
Labour Alasdair Alpin MacGregor 4,982 23.7 +0.4
Majority 2,558 12.3 N/A
Turnout 20,980
Liberal gain from Unionist Swing +10.5

Back to Election results

Elections in the 1930s
General election 1931: Banffshire[30]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Murdoch McKenzie Wood Unopposed N/A N/A
Liberal hold Swing N/A
General election 1935: Banffshire[31]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Unionist Edmund Findlay 11,771 51.3 New
Liberal Murdoch McKenzie Wood 11,168 48.7 N/A
Majority 603 2.6 N/A
Turnout 22,939 70.5 N/A
Unionist gain from Liberal Swing N/A

General Election 1939–40

Another General Election was required to take place before the end of 1940. The political parties had been making preparations for an election to take place and by the Autumn of 1939, the following candidates had been selected;

Back to Election results

Elections in the 1940s
General election 1945: Banffshire[34]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Unionist William Duthie 10,689 49.45
Liberal Ian Alistair Duncan Millar 6,401 29.62
Labour D. Macpherson 4,524 20.93 New
Majority 4,288 19.83
Turnout 21,614
Unionist hold Swing

Back to Election results

Elections in the 1950s
General election 1950: Banffshire[35]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Unionist William Duthie 13,952 58.15
Labour J. Brown 6,303 26.27
Liberal Gordon Lethem 3,739 15.58
Majority 7,649 31.88
Turnout 23,994
Unionist hold Swing
General election 1951: Banffshire[36]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Unionist William Duthie 16,562 70.87
Labour Alexander Flett 6,806 29.13
Majority 9,756 41.74
Turnout 23,368
Unionist hold Swing
General election 1955: Banffshire[37]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Unionist William Duthie 14,643 69.80
Labour William Paterson 6,337 30.20
Majority 8,306 39.60
Turnout 20,980
Unionist hold Swing
General election 1959: Banffshire[38]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Unionist William Duthie 14,359 70.56
Labour Robert W. Irvine 5,992 29.44
Majority 8,367 41.12
Turnout 20,351
Unionist hold Swing

Back to Election results

Elections in the 1960s
General election 1964: Banffshire[39]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Wilfred Baker 9,995 47.77
Labour Henry Dickson 5,574 26.64
Liberal Thomas Alexander Macnair 5,354 25.59 New
Majority 4,421 21.13
Turnout 20,923
Conservative hold Swing
General election 1966: Banffshire[40]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Wilfred Baker 8,139 41.4 -6.4
Liberal Basil Wishart 6,762 34.4 +8.8
Labour Robert Middleton 4,775 24.3 -2.3
Majority 1,377 7.0 -14.1
Turnout 19,676
Conservative hold Swing

Back to Election results

Elections in the 1970s
General election 1970: Banffshire[40]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Wilfred Baker 8,457 38.7 −2.7
SNP Hamish Watt 5,006 22.9 New
Liberal Ronnie Fraser 4,589 21.0 −13.4
Labour Andrew F. Walls 3,795 17.4 −6.9
Majority 3,451 15.8 +7.8
Turnout 21,847
Conservative hold Swing
General election February 1974: Banffshire
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
SNP Hamish Watt 11,037 46.1 +23.2
Conservative Wilfred Baker 8,252 34.5 −4.2
Liberal Ronnie Fraser 3,121 13.0 −8.0
Labour R. Dool 1,528 6.4 −11.0
Majority 2,785 11.6 N/A
Turnout 23,938 75.7
SNP gain from Conservative Swing +13.7
General election October 1974: Banffshire
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
SNP Hamish Watt 10,638 45.9 −0.2
Conservative J.S. Gordon 8,797 37.9 +3.4
Liberal C. McLeod 2,059 8.9 −4.1
Labour A.W.M. Porteous 1,700 7.3 +0.9
Majority 1,851 8.0 −3.6
Turnout 23,194 72.5 -3.2
SNP hold Swing −1.8
General election 1979: Banffshire
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative David Fairlie Myles 10,580 44.6 +6.7
SNP Hamish Watt 9,781 41.2 −4.7
Labour Robert E. Duncan 3,381 14.2 +6.9
Majority 799 3.4 N/A
Turnout 23,742 72.4 -0.1
Conservative gain from SNP Swing +5.7

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References
  1. "Banffshire". History of Parliament Online (1690-1715). Retrieved 27 March 2019.
  2. "Banffshire". History of Parliament Online (1715-1754). Retrieved 27 March 2019.
  3. "Banffshire". History of Parliament Online (1754-1790). Retrieved 27 March 2019.
  4. "Banffshire". History of Parliament Online (1790-1820). Retrieved 27 March 2019.
  5. "Banffshire". History of Parliament Online (1820-1832). Retrieved 27 March 2019.
  6. Stooks Smith, Henry. (1973) [1844–1850]. Craig, F. W. S. (ed.). The Parliaments of England (2nd ed.). Chichester: Parliamentary Research Services. pp. 622–623. ISBN 0-900178-13-2.
  7. Leigh Rayment's Historical List of MPs – Constituencies beginning with "B" (part 1)
  8. Mosse, Richard B. (1838). The Parliamentary Guide: a concise history of the Members of both Houses, etc. p. 35. Retrieved 8 May 2020 – via Google Books.
  9. Smith, Henry Stooks (1842). The Register of Parliamentary Contested Elections (Second ed.). Simpkin, Marshall & Company. p. 197. Retrieved 9 September 2018 – via Google Books.
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  12. "Scotland". London Courier and Evening Gazette. 3 August 1837. p. 3. Retrieved 9 September 2018 – via British Newspaper Archive.
  13. Fisher, David R. "Banffshire". The History of Parliament. Retrieved 8 May 2020.
  14. Craig, F. W. S., ed. (1977). British Parliamentary Election Results 1832-1885 (e-book) (1st ed.). London: Macmillan Press. ISBN 978-1-349-02349-3.
  15. "Banffshire Election". Aberdeen Press and Journal. 21 July 1852. p. 6. Retrieved 10 September 2018 – via British Newspaper Archive.
  16. Debrett's House of Commons, 1870
  17. Debrett's House of Commons and the Judicial Bench, 1889
  18. Craig, FWS, ed. (1974). British Parliamentary Election Results: 1885-1918. London: Macmillan Press. ISBN 9781349022984.
  19. Whitaker's Almanack, 1893
  20. The Times, 17 March 1893
  21. Debrett's House of Commons and the Judicial Bench, 1901
  22. Whitaker's Almanack, 1907
  23. The Times, 19 Feb 1907
  24. Debrett's House of Commons and the Judicial Bench, 1916
  25. Whitaker's Almanack, 1920
  26. The Times, 17 November 1922
  27. The Times, 8 December 1923
  28. Oliver & Boyd's Edinburgh Almanack, 1927
  29. The Times, 1 June 1929
  30. Whitaker's Almanack, 1934
  31. Whitaker's Almanack, 1939
  32. The Liberal Magazine, 1939
  33. Report of the Annual Conference of the Labour Party, 1939
  34. "UK General Election results July 1945". Politics Resources. Archived from the original on 25 May 2015. Retrieved 7 November 2009.
  35. "UK General Election results February 1950". Politics Resources. Archived from the original on 11 August 2011. Retrieved 7 November 2009.
  36. "UK General Election results October 1951". Politics Resources. Archived from the original on 11 August 2011. Retrieved 7 November 2009.
  37. "UK General Election results May 1955". Politics Resources. Archived from the original on 11 August 2011. Retrieved 7 November 2009.
  38. Whitaker's Almanack, 1963
  39. "UK General Election results October 1964". Politics Resources. Archived from the original on 24 July 2011. Retrieved 9 November 2009.
  40. "UK General Election results March 1966". Politics Resources. Archived from the original on 11 August 2011. Retrieved 9 November 2009.
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