Dumfriesshire (UK Parliament constituency)

Dumfriesshire was a county constituency represented in the House of Commons of Great Britain (at Westminster) from 1708 to 1801 and in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom (also at Westminster) from 1801 until 2005. It was known as Dumfries from 1950.

Dumfriesshire
Former County constituency
for the House of Commons
Outline map
Boundary of Dumfriesshire in {{{map_entity}}} for the 2001 general election
1708–2005
Seatsone
Created fromDumfriesshire
Replaced byDumfriesshire, Clydesdale & Tweeddale
Dumfries & Galloway

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 Dumfries & Annandale.

History

The constituency was virtually unchanged until it was redistributed in 2005. It was redistributed to Dumfriesshire, Clydesdale and Tweeddale and Dumfries and Galloway as part of a major reorganisation of Scottish constituencies. It returned one Member of Parliament (MP) by the first past the post system.[1] [2] [3] [4] [5]

Boundaries

From 1885 to 1918 it comprised the shire districts of the county.[6] From 1918 all the burghs were added.[7]

Members of Parliament

MPs 1708–1832
YearMemberParty
1708 James Johnstone
1709 William Grierson
1711 James Murray Tory[8]
1713 Sir William Johnstone
1722 Charles Erskine
1741 Sir John Douglas
1747 Lord Charles Douglas
1755 James Veitch
1761 Lt Gen Archibald Douglas
1774 Sir Robert Laurie
1804 Sir William Johnstone Hope Tory[9]
1830 John Hope-Johnstone Tory[10]
1832 Reform Act 1832: franchise expanded

MPs 1832–2005
ElectionMemberParty
1832 John Hope-Johnstone (1) Conservative
1847 Archibald Douglas Conservative
Feb 1857 John Hope-Johnstone (1) Conservative
1865 George Gustavus Walker Conservative
1868 Sydney WaterlowLiberal
Mar. 1869 George Gustavus Walker Conservative
1874 John Hope-Johnstone (2) Conservative
1880 Sir Robert Jardine Liberal
1886 Liberal Unionist
1892 William Herries Maxwell Liberal Unionist
1895 Robinson Souttar Liberal
1900 William Herries Maxwell Liberal Unionist
1906 Percy Molteno Liberal
1918 William Murray Unionist
1922 William Chapple Liberal
1924 John Charteris Unionist
1929 Dr Joseph Hunter 1 Liberal
1931 National Liberal
1935 by-election Sir Henry Fildes National Liberal
1945 Niall Macpherson National Liberal
1963 by-election David Anderson Conservative
1964 Sir Hector Monro Conservative
1997 Russell Brown Labour
2005 constituency abolished

1 Dr Hunter was elected in 1929 as a Liberal candidate, but in the split after the 1931 general election, he joined the National Liberals.

Election results
Dumfriesshire election results

Elections in the 1830s
General election 1830: Dumfriesshire[10][11]
Party Candidate Votes %
Tory John Hope-Johnstone Unopposed
Registered electors 84
Tory hold
General election 1831: Dumfriesshire[10][11]
Party Candidate Votes %
Tory John Hope-Johnstone Unopposed
Registered electors 84
Tory hold
General election 1832: Dumfriesshire[10][12]
Party Candidate Votes %
Tory John Hope-Johnstone Unopposed
Registered electors 1,123
Tory hold
General election 1835: Dumfriesshire[10][12]
Party Candidate Votes %
Conservative John Hope-Johnstone Unopposed
Registered electors 1,374
Conservative hold
General election 1837: Dumfriesshire[10][12]
Party Candidate Votes %
Conservative John Hope-Johnstone Unopposed
Registered electors 1,461
Conservative hold

Elections in the 1840s
General election 1841: Dumfriesshire[12]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative John Hope-Johnstone Unopposed
Registered electors 1,912
Conservative hold
General election 1847: Dumfriesshire[12]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Archibald Douglas Unopposed
Registered electors 2,485
Conservative hold

Elections in the 1850s
General election 1852: Dumfriesshire[12]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Archibald Douglas Unopposed
Registered electors 2,520
Conservative hold

Douglas was appointed Comptroller of the Household, requiring a by-election.

By-election, 12 January 1853: Dumfriesshire[12]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Archibald Douglas Unopposed
Conservative hold

Douglas succeeded to the peerage, becoming 8th Marquess of Queensberry and causing a by-election.

By-election, 12 February 1857: Dumfriesshire[12]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative John Hope-Johnstone Unopposed
Conservative hold
General election 1857: Dumfriesshire[12]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative John Hope-Johnstone Unopposed
Registered electors 2,702
Conservative hold
General election 1859: Dumfriesshire[12]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative John Hope-Johnstone Unopposed
Registered electors 3,192
Conservative hold

Elections in the 1860s
General election 1865: Dumfriesshire[12]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative George Gustavus Walker Unopposed
Registered electors 2,097
Conservative hold
General election 1868: Dumfriesshire[12]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Sydney Waterlow 1,100 51.0 New
Conservative George Gustavus Walker 1,056 49.0 N/A
Majority 44 2.0 N/A
Turnout 2,156 72.1 N/A
Registered electors 2,989
Liberal gain from Conservative Swing N/A

Waterlow was disqualified, owing to holding a government contract at the time of the election, causing a by-election.

By-election, 31 March 1869: Dumfriesshire[12]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative George Gustavus Walker 1,117 50.8 +1.8
Liberal Sydney Waterlow 1,081 49.2 −1.8
Majority 36 1.6 N/A
Turnout 2,198 73.5 +1.4
Registered electors 2,989
Conservative gain from Liberal Swing +1.8

Elections in the 1870s
General election 1874: Dumfriesshire[12]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative John Hope-Johnstone 1,453 52.5 +3.5
Liberal Robert Jardine 1,315 47.5 −3.5
Majority 138 5.0 N/A
Turnout 2,768 88.4 +16.3
Registered electors 3,130
Conservative gain from Liberal Swing +3.5

Elections in the 1880s
General election 1880: Dumfriesshire[12]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Robert Jardine 1,577 51.2 +3.7
Conservative George Gustavus Walker 1,505 48.8 −3.7
Majority 72 2.4 N/A
Turnout 3,082 91.2 +2.8
Registered electors 3,379
Liberal gain from Conservative Swing +3.7
General election 1885: Dumfriesshire[13]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Robert Jardine 4,857 57.7 +6.5
Conservative Walter Montagu Douglas Scott 3,566 42.3 −6.5
Majority 1,291 15.4 +13.0
Turnout 8,423 88.8 −2.4
Registered electors 9,489
Liberal hold Swing +6.5
General election 1886: Dumfriesshire[14]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Unionist Robert Jardine 4,106 55.8 +13.5
Liberal Thomas McKie 3,252 44.2 -13.5
Majority 854 11.6 N/A
Turnout 7,358 77.5 −11.3
Registered electors 9,489
Liberal Unionist gain from Liberal Swing +13.5

Elections in the 1890s
General election 1892: Dumfriesshire[13]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Unionist William Herries Maxwell 4,123 51.7 -4.1
Liberal Thomas McKie 3,849 48.3 +4.1
Majority 274 3.4 -8.2
Turnout 7,972 86.4 +8.9
Registered electors 9,229
Liberal Unionist hold Swing -4.1
Souttar
General election 1895: Dumfriesshire[13]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Robinson Souttar 3,965 51.1 +1.8
Liberal Unionist William Herries Maxwell 3,952 49.9 -1.8
Majority 13 0.2 N/A
Turnout 7,917 86.7 +0.3
Registered electors 9,134
Liberal gain from Liberal Unionist Swing +1.8

Elections in the 1900s
General election 1900: Dumfriesshire[13]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Unionist William Herries Maxwell 4,124 52.9 +3.0
Liberal Robinson Souttar 3,675 47.1 -3.0
Majority 449 5.8 N/A
Turnout 7,799 85.0 -1.7
Registered electors 9,178
Liberal Unionist gain from Liberal Swing +3.0
Molteno
General election 1906: Dumfriesshire[13]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Percy Molteno 4,814 58.4 +11.3
Conservative J.H. Balfour-Browne 3,431 41.6 -11.3
Majority 1,383 16.8 N/A
Turnout 8,245 87.8 +2.8
Registered electors 9,394
Liberal gain from Liberal Unionist Swing +11.3

Elections in the 1910s
General election January 1910: Dumfriesshire[13]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Percy Molteno 4,666 53.3 -5.1
Conservative William Murray 4,091 46.7 +5.1
Majority 575 6.6 -10.2
Turnout 8,757 90.7 +2.9
Liberal hold Swing -5.1
General election December 1910: Dumfriesshire[13]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Percy Molteno 4,708 53.2 -0.1
Conservative William Murray 4,146 46.8 +0.1
Majority 562 6.4 -0.2
Turnout 8,854 90.7 0.0
Liberal hold Swing 0.0

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;

General election 1918: Dumfriesshire[16]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
C Unionist William Murray 13,345 63.8 +17.0
Liberal John Gulland 7,562 36.2 −17.0
Majority 5,783 27.6 +21.2
Turnout 20,907 57.4 −33.3
Registered electors 36,394
Unionist gain from Liberal Swing +17.0
C indicates candidate endorsed by the coalition government.

Elections in the 1920s
Keswick
General election 1922: Dumfriesshire[17]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal William Chapple 13,296 54.6 +18.4
Unionist Henry Keswick 11,055 45.4 −18.4
Majority 2,241 9.2 N/A
Turnout 24,351 73.5 +16.1
Registered electors 33,113
Liberal gain from Unionist Swing +18.4
Chapple
General election 1923: Dumfriesshire[18]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal William Chapple 13,107 53.5 −1.1
Unionist John Charteris 11,380 46.5 +1.1
Majority 1,727 7.0 −2.2
Turnout 24,487 72.6 −0.9
Registered electors 33,728
Liberal hold Swing −1.1
General election 1924: Dumfriesshire[19]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Unionist John Charteris 12,718 46.2 −0.3
Liberal William Chapple 8,472 30.8 −22.7
Labour Agnes Dollan 6,342 23.0 New
Majority 4,246 15.4 New
Turnout 27,532 80.8 +8.2
Registered electors 34,079
Unionist gain from Liberal Swing +11.2
General election 1929: Dumfriesshire [19]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Joseph Hunter 16,174 45.1 +14.3
Unionist John Charteris 12,984 36.2 −10.0
Labour W. H. Marwick 6,687 18.7 −4.3
Majority 3,190 8.9 N/A
Turnout 35,845 81.4 +0.6
Registered electors 44,050
Liberal gain from Unionist Swing +12.2

Elections in the 1930s
General election 1931: Dumfriesshire[20]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Joseph Hunter 26,873 77.7 +32.6
Labour J. S. Paterson 7,693 22.3 +3.6
Majority 19,180 55.4 +46.5
Turnout 34,566 77.6 −3.8
Liberal hold Swing
1935 Dumfriesshire by-election
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
National Liberal Henry Fildes 16,271 60.3 New
Labour Co-op John Downie 10,697 39.7 +17.4
Majority 5,574 20.6 −34.8
Turnout 26,968 58.7 −18.9
National Liberal gain from Liberal Swing −17.4
General election 1935: Dumfriesshire [21]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
National Liberal Henry Fildes 22,053 65.4 +5.1
Labour Co-op John Downie 11,685 34.6 −5.1
Majority 10,368 30.8 +10.2
Turnout 33,738 73.6 +14.9
National Liberal gain from Liberal Swing +5.1

Elections in the 1940s
General election 1945: Dumfriesshire
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
National Liberal Niall Macpherson 16,465 47.4 -18.0
Labour Co-op David Dunwoodie 12,388 35.7 +1.1
Liberal Ian McColl 5,850 16.9 New
Majority 4,077 11.7 -16.9
Turnout 34,703 72.3 -1.3
National Liberal hold Swing -8.4

Elections in the 1950s
General election 1950: Dumfries
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
National Liberal Niall Macpherson 26,268 59.31
Labour Harry S Wilson 18,025 40.69
Majority 8,243 18.62
Turnout 44,293 78.60
National Liberal hold Swing
General election 1951: Dumfries
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
National Liberal Niall Macpherson 26,386 61.28
Labour George BA Douglas 16,669 38.72
Majority 9,717 22.56
Turnout 43,085 80.17
National Liberal hold Swing
General election 1955: Dumfries
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
National Liberal Niall Macpherson 24,550 61.34
Labour Harry S Wilson 15,427 38.66
Majority 9,078 22.68
Turnout 39,977 73.73
National Liberal hold Swing
General election 1959: Dumfries[22]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
National Liberal Niall Macpherson 25,867 58.39
Labour Graeme Moodie 18,437 41.61
Majority 7,430 16.78
Turnout 44,304 77.44
National Liberal hold Swing

Elections in the 1960s
By-election 1963: Dumfries [23]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Unionist David Anderson 16,762 40.84 -17.55
Labour Iain Jordan 15,791 38.47 -3.14
Liberal Charles Abernethy 4,491 10.94 +10.94
SNP John HD Gair 4,001 9.75 New
Majority 971 2.37 -14.41
Turnout 41,045
Unionist hold Swing
General election 1964: Dumfries
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Hector Monro 22,816 48.65
Labour Iain Jordan 18,360 39.15
SNP John HD Gair 5,726 12.21 N/A
Majority 4,456 9.50
Turnout 46,902 81.57
Conservative hold Swing
General election 1966: Dumfries
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Hector Monro 20,779 45.63
Labour Christopher Boyd 16,358 35.92
SNP John HD Gair 5,727 12.57
Liberal Roy Semple 2,679 5.88 New
Majority 4,421 9.71
Turnout 45,543 80.19
Conservative hold Swing

Elections in the 1970s
General election 1970: Dumfries
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Hector Monro 24,661 53.12
Labour Raymond David Donnelly 15,555 33.50
SNP John HD Gair 6,211 13.38
Majority 9,106 19.62
Turnout 46,427 76.13
Conservative hold Swing
General election February 1974: Dumfries
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Hector Monro 21,707 44.05
Labour John Wheatley 12,739 25.85
SNP LAB Whitley 9,186 18.64
Liberal DH Reive 5,642 11.45 New
Majority 8,968 18.20
Turnout 49,274 80.38
Conservative hold Swing
General election October 1974: Dumfries[24]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Hector Monro 18,386 38.75
Labour John Wheatley 12,558 26.47
SNP LAB Whitley 12,542 26.43
Liberal A Sinclair 3,961 8.35
Majority 5,828 12.28
Turnout 47,447 76.71
Conservative hold Swing
General election 1979: Dumfries
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Hector Monro 22,704 45.2 +6.5
Labour A Wood 13,700 27.3 +0.8
Liberal Jim Wallace 7,169 14.3 +6.0
SNP E Gibson 6,647 13.2 -13.2
Majority 9,004 17.9 +5.6
Turnout 50,220 78.1 +1.4
Conservative hold Swing

Elections in the 1980s
General election 1983: Dumfries[25]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Hector Monro 18,730 44.5 -0.7
SDP J McCall 10,036 23.9 +9.6
Labour T McAughtrie 8,764 20.8 -6.5
SNP E Gibson 4,527 10.8 -2.4
Majority 8,694 20.6 +2.7
Turnout 42,057 73.0 -5.1
Conservative hold Swing
General election 1987: Dumfries[26]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Hector Monro 18,785 41.9 -2.6
Labour Catherine Phillips 11,292 25.2 +4.4
SDP James McCall 8,064 18.0 -5.9
SNP Thomas McAlpine 6,391 14.2 +3.4
Green Paul Thomas 349 0.8 New
Majority 7,493 16.7 -3.9
Turnout 44,881 75.6 +2.6
Conservative hold Swing

Elections in the 1990s
General election 1992: Dumfries[27]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Hector Monro 21,089 43.1 +1.2
Labour Peter R. Rennie 14,674 30.0 +4.8
SNP Alasdair Morgan 6,971 14.3 +0.1
Liberal Democrats Neil C. Wallace 4,749 11.8 -6.2
Independent Graham McLeod 312 0.6 New
Natural Law Thomas Barlow 107 0.2 New
Majority 6,415 13.1 -3.6
Turnout 47,902 80.0 +3.4
Conservative hold Swing
General election 1997: Dumfries[28]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Russell Brown 23,528 47.5 +17.4
Conservative Struan Stevenson 13,885 28.0 -15.1
SNP Robert J. Higgins 5,977 12.1 -2.2
Liberal Democrats Neil C. Wallace 5,487 11.1 -0.7
Referendum David F. Parker 533 1.1 New
Natural Law Elizabeth Hunter 117 0.2 0.0
Majority 9,643 19.5 N/A
Turnout 49,527 78.2 -1.8
Labour gain from Conservative Swing

Elections in the 2000s
General election 2001: Dumfries[29]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Russell Brown 20,830 48.9 +1.4
Conservative John Charteris 11,996 28.2 +0.2
Liberal Democrats John Scott 4,955 11.6 +0.5
SNP Gerard Fisher 4,103 9.6 −2.5
Scottish Socialist John Dennis 702 1.6 New
Majority 8,834 20.7 +1.2
Turnout 42,586 67.0 −11.2
Labour hold Swing

References
  1. "Dumfriesshire". History of Parliament Online (1690–1715). Retrieved 27 March 2019.
  2. "Dumfriesshire". History of Parliament Online (1715–1754). Retrieved 27 March 2019.
  3. "Dumfriesshire". History of Parliament Online (1754–1790). Retrieved 27 March 2019.
  4. "Dumfriesshire". History of Parliament Online (1790–1820). Retrieved 27 March 2019.
  5. "Dumfriesshire". History of Parliament Online (1820–1832). Retrieved 27 March 2019.
  6. Debrett's House of Commons and the Judicial Bench, 1916
  7. Debrett's House of Commons and the Judicial Bench, 1922
  8. Hayton, D; Cruickshanks, E; Handley, S (2002). "MURRAY, Hon. James (c.1690-1770)". The History of Parliament: the House of Commons 1690-1715. historyofparliamentonline.org. Retrieved 9 September 2023.
  9. Fisher, David R. "JOHNSTONE HOPE, Sir William (1766–1831)". The History of Parliament. Retrieved 8 May 2020.
  10. Stooks Smith, Henry (1842). The Register of Parliamentary Contested Elections: Containing the Uncontested Elections Since 1830. London: Simpkin, Marshall, & Co. p. 199.
  11. "Dumfriesshire". The History of Parliament. Retrieved 8 May 2020.
  12. 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.
  13. British parliamentary election results, 1885–1918
  14. Debrett's House of Commons and the Judicial Bench, 1889
  15. Newcastle Journal 20 February 1914
  16. Whitaker's Almanack, 1920
  17. The Times, 17 November 1922
  18. The Times, 8 December 1923
  19. The Times House of Commons 1929
  20. Whitaker's Almanack, 1934
  21. Whitaker's Almanack, 1939
  22. Whitaker's Almanack, 1963
  23. The Times, 13 December 1963
  24. Whitaker's Almanack, 1977
  25. "Election Data 1983". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 18 October 2015.
  26. "Election Data 1987". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 18 October 2015.
  27. "Election Data 1992". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 18 October 2015.
  28. "Election Data 1997". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 18 October 2015.
  29. "Election Data 2001". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 18 October 2015.
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