Falkirk Burghs (UK Parliament constituency)

Falkirk Burghs
Former District of Burghs constituency
for the House of Commons
Major settlements Falkirk, Airdrie, Hamilton, Lanark and Linlithgow
1832–1918
Number of members One
Replaced by Stirling & Falkirk Burghs, Hamilton, Lanark and Linlithgowshire

Falkirk Burghs was a district of burghs constituency of the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom from 1832 to 1918. The constituency comprised the burghs of Falkirk, Airdrie, Hamilton, Lanark and Linlithgow, lying in Stirlingshire, Lanarkshire and Linlithgowshire.

In 1918, Falkirk became part of Stirling and Falkirk Burghs, Hamilton and Lanark formed the core of new Hamilton and Lanark constituencies, and Linlithgow was represented as part of Linlithgowshire.

Member of Parliament

Election Member [1] Party[2]
1832 William Downe Gillon Liberal[3]
1841 William Baird Conservative
1846 by-election Henry Pelham Clinton, Earl of Lincoln, later Duke of Newcastle Conservative
1851 by-election James Baird Conservative
1857 James Merry Liberal[3]
1857 by-election John Glencairn Carter Hamilton, later Baron Hamilton of Dalzell Liberal[3]
1859 James Merry Liberal
1874 John Ramsay Liberal
1886 William Pirrie Sinclair Liberal Unionist Party
1892 Harry Smith Liberal
1895 John Wilson Liberal Unionist Party
1906 John Archibald Murray Macdonald Liberal
1918 constituency abolished

Elections

Elections in the 1860s

General Election 1868: Falkirk Burghs [2][4]
Party Candidate Votes % ±
Liberal James Merry 1,724
Liberal Rt. Hon. Edward Horsman 16
Majority
Turnout
Liberal hold Swing

Elections in the 1880s

J.G. Weir
General Election 1885: Falkirk Burghs [5]
Party Candidate Votes % ±
Liberal John Ramsay 3,104 50.6
Conservative Samuel Dick Mason 2,204 35.9
Independent Liberal James Galloway Weir 814 13.3
Independent Liberal John Roskill 14 0.2
Majority 900 14.7
Turnout 85.9
Liberal hold Swing
General Election 1886: Falkirk Burghs [5]
Party Candidate Votes % ±
Liberal Unionist William Pirrie Sinclair 2,713 50.2
Liberal Harry Smith 2,693 49.8
Majority 19 0.4
Turnout 75.7
Liberal Unionist gain from Liberal Swing

Elections in the 1890s

General Election 1892: Falkirk Burghs [6]
Party Candidate Votes % ±
Liberal Harry Smith 3,816 54.6 +4.8
Liberal Unionist William Pirrie Sinclair 3,177 45.4 -4.8
Majority 639 9.2 +9.6
Turnout 83.1
Liberal gain from Liberal Unionist Swing +4.8
General Election 1895: Falkirk Burghs [7]
Party Candidate Votes % ±
Liberal Unionist John Wilson 4,075 51.6 +6.2
Liberal Harry Smith 3,822 48.4 -6.2
Majority 253 3.2
Turnout 84.3 +1.2
Liberal Unionist gain from Liberal Swing +6.2

Elections in the 1900s

General Election 1900: Falkirk Burghs [7]
Party Candidate Votes % ±
Liberal Unionist John Wilson 4,222 51.2 -0.4
Liberal John Archibald Murray Macdonald 4,022 48.8 +0.4
Majority 200 2.4 -0.8
Turnout 79.4
Liberal Unionist hold Swing -0.4
J. Macdonald
General Election 1906: Falkirk Burghs[8]
Party Candidate Votes % ±
Liberal John Archibald Murray Macdonald 5,158 51.0 +2.2
Conservative Henry Shanks Keith 3,176 31.5 -9.7
Scottish Workers David Gilmour 1,763 17.5 n/a
Majority 1,982 19.5
Turnout 83.7 +4.3
Liberal gain from Liberal Unionist Swing

Elections in the 1910s

General Election Jan 1910: Falkirk Burghs [9]
Party Candidate Votes % ±
Liberal John Archibald Murray Macdonald 6,524 59.9 +8.9
Conservative Henry Shanks Keith 4,375 40.1 +8.6
Majority 2,149 19.8 +0.3
Turnout 84.6
Liberal hold Swing +0.2
General Election Dec 1910: Falkirk Burghs [9]
Party Candidate Votes % ±
Liberal John Archibald Murray Macdonald 6,276
Conservative Daniel Henderson Lusk Young 4,245
Majority
Turnout
Liberal hold Swing

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 the July 1914, the following candidates had been selected;

Notes and references

  1. ↑ Leigh Rayment's Historical List of MPs – Constituencies beginning with "F"
  2. 1 2 Craig, F. W. S. (1989) [1977]. British parliamentary election results 1832–1885 (2nd ed.). Chichester: Parliamentary Research Services. p. 544. ISBN 0-900178-26-4.
  3. 1 2 3 Note: Craig does not distinguish between Whigs, Radicals, and Liberals, labellling them all as "Liberal"
  4. ↑ Debrett's House of Commons and Judicial Bench, 1870
  5. 1 2 Debrett's House of Commons and Judicial Bench, 1889
  6. ↑ Whitaker's Almanack, 1893
  7. 1 2 Debrett's House of Commons and the Judicial Bench, 1901
  8. ↑ Whitaker's Almanack, 1907
  9. 1 2 Debrett's House of Commons and Judicial Bench, 1916
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