Haddingtonshire (UK Parliament constituency)

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Haddingtonshire
Former County constituency
for the House of Commons
1708–1918
SeatsOne
Created fromHaddingtonshire
Replaced byBerwick and Haddington

Haddingtonshire was a Scottish county constituency represented in the House of Commons of Great Britain and the House of Commons of the United Kingdom from 1708 to 1918.

Creation[edit]

The British parliamentary constituency was created in 1708 following the Acts of Union, 1707 and replaced the former Parliament of Scotland shire constituency of Haddingtonshire.

Boundaries[edit]

The constituency encompassed the county of Haddingtonshire, with the exception, until 1885, of three towns (Haddington, Dunbar and North Berwick) which formed part of the separate constituency of Haddington Burghs.

History[edit]

The constituency elected one Member of Parliament (MP) by the first past the post system until the seat was abolished for the 1918 general election.[1] [2] [3] [4] [5] In 1918, it was merged with the neighbouring Berwickshire constituency to form a new Berwick and Haddington constituency.

Members of Parliament[edit]

Election Member [6] Party
1708 John Cockburn
1741 Lord Charles Hay
1747 Sir Hew Dalrymple
1761 Andrew Fletcher
1768 Sir George Suttie
1777 William Hamilton Nisbet
1780 Hew Dalrymple
1786 John Hamilton
1795 Hew Dalrymple-Hamilton
1800 Charles Hope
1816 Sir James Suttie
1826 Lord John Hay Tory[7]
1831 James Balfour Tory[7]
1834 Conservative[7]
1835 Robert Ferguson Whig[7]
1837 James Broun-Ramsay Conservative[7]
1838 by-election Sir Thomas Buchan-Hepburn Conservative[7]
1847 Francis Charteris (styled Lord Elcho from 1853) Conservative
1883 by-election Hugo Charteris Conservative
1885 Richard Haldane Liberal
1911 by-election John Deans Hope Liberal
1918 constituency abolished

Elections[edit]

Elections in the 1830s[edit]

General election 1830: Haddingtonshire [7][8]
Party Candidate Votes %
Tory John Hay 42 56.8
Whig Sir George Grant-Suttie, 5th Baronet 32 43.2
Majority 10 13.6
Turnout 74 67.9
Registered electors 109
Tory hold
General election 1831: Haddingtonshire [7][8]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Tory James Balfour 40 78.4 +21.6
Whig David Baird 11 21.6 −21.6
Majority 29 56.8 +43.2
Turnout 51 46.8 −21.1
Registered electors 109
Tory hold Swing +21.6
General election 1832: Haddingtonshire [7][9]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Tory James Balfour 271 53.9 −24.5
Whig David Baird 232 46.1 +24.5
Majority 39 7.8 −49.0
Turnout 503 81.5 +34.7
Registered electors 617
Tory hold Swing −24.5
General election 1835: Haddingtonshire [7][9]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Whig Robert Ferguson 268 53.7 +7.6
Conservative John Thomas Hope 231 46.3 −7.6
Majority 37 7.4 N/A
Turnout 499 76.9 −4.6
Registered electors 649
Whig gain from Conservative Swing +7.6
General election 1837: Haddingtonshire [7][9]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative James Broun-Ramsay 299 59.0 +12.7
Whig Robert Ferguson 208 41.0 −12.7
Majority 91 18.0 +10.6
Turnout 507 70.6 −6.3
Registered electors 718
Conservative gain from Whig Swing +12.7

Broun-Ramsay succeeded to the peerage, becoming 10th Earl of Dalhousie and causing a by-election.

By-election, 14 April 1838: Haddingtonshire [9][7]
Party Candidate Votes %
Conservative Thomas Buchan-Hepburn Unopposed
Conservative hold

Elections in the 1840s[edit]

General election 1841: Haddingtonshire [9]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Thomas Buchan-Hepburn Unopposed
Registered electors 740
Conservative hold
General election 1847: Haddingtonshire [9]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Francis Charteris 271 66.6 N/A
Whig David Baird[10] 136 33.4 New
Majority 135 33.2 N/A
Turnout 407 58.6 N/A
Registered electors 694
Conservative hold Swing N/A

Elections in the 1850s[edit]

General election 1852: Haddingtonshire [9]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Francis Charteris Unopposed
Registered electors 716
Conservative hold

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

By-election, 11 January 1853: Haddingtonshire [9]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Francis Charteris Unopposed
Conservative hold
General election 1857: Haddingtonshire [9]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Francis Charteris Unopposed
Registered electors 715
Conservative hold
General election 1859: Haddingtonshire [9]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Francis Charteris Unopposed
Registered electors 680
Conservative hold

Elections in the 1860s[edit]

General election 1865: Haddingtonshire [9]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Francis Charteris 285 64.2 N/A
Liberal George Hope[11] 159 35.8 New
Majority 126 28.4 N/A
Turnout 444 66.7 N/A
Registered electors 666
Conservative hold
General election 1868: Haddingtonshire [9]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Francis Charteris 405 54.4 −9.8
Liberal William Hay 340 45.6 +9.8
Majority 65 8.8 −19.6
Turnout 745 83.2 +16.5
Registered electors 895
Conservative hold Swing −9.8

Elections in the 1870s[edit]

General election 1874: Haddingtonshire [9]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Francis Charteris Unopposed
Registered electors 924
Conservative hold

Elections in the 1880s[edit]

General election 1880: Haddingtonshire [9]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Francis Charteris 469 52.5 N/A
Liberal Thomas Buchanan[12] 425 47.5 New
Majority 44 5.0 N/A
Turnout 894 86.0 N/A
Registered electors 1,040
Conservative hold Swing N/A

Charteris is elevated to the peerage, becoming Earl of Wemyss and March, causing a by-election.

By-election, 7 Feb 1883: Haddingtonshire [9]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Hugo Charteris 492 55.2 +2.7
Liberal Robert Finlay[13] 400 44.8 −2.7
Majority 92 10.4 +5.4
Turnout 892 83.3 −2.7
Registered electors 1,071
Conservative hold Swing +2.7
General election 1885: Haddingtonshire [14][15]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Richard Haldane 3,473 64.1 +16.6
Conservative Hugo Charteris 1,945 35.9 -16.6
Majority 1,528 28.2 N/A
Turnout 5,418 83.5 −2.5
Registered electors 6,487
Liberal gain from Conservative Swing +16.6
General election 1886: Haddingtonshire [14][15]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Richard Haldane 2,677 61.0 -3.1
Liberal Unionist Philip Albert Myburgh 1,714 39.0 +3.1
Majority 963 22.0 -6.2
Turnout 4,391 67.7 −15.8
Registered electors 6,487
Liberal hold Swing -3.1

Elections in the 1890s[edit]

General election 1892: Haddingtonshire [16][15]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Richard Haldane 2,551 53.1 -7.9
Conservative Walter Hepburne-Scott, 8th Lord Polwarth 2,255 46.9 +7.9
Majority 296 6.2 -15.8
Turnout 4,806 75.7 +8.0
Registered electors 6,350
Liberal hold Swing -7.9
General election 1895: Haddingtonshire [17][15]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Richard Haldane 2,774 55.8 +2.7
Conservative Walter Hepburne-Scott, 9th Lord Polwarth 2,194 44.2 -2.7
Majority 580 11.6 +5.4
Turnout 4,968 78.6 +2.9
Registered electors 6,320
Liberal hold Swing +2.7

Elections in the 1900s[edit]

General election 1900: Haddingtonshire [17][15]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Richard Haldane 2,668 53.8 −2.0
Conservative John Kerr 2,290 46.2 +2.0
Majority 378 7.6 −4.0
Turnout 4,958 76.5 −2.1
Registered electors 6,484
Liberal hold Swing −2.0
General election 1906: Haddingtonshire [18][15]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Richard Haldane 3,469 60.2 +6.4
Liberal Unionist Gerard Craig-Sellar 2,289 39.8 −6.4
Majority 1,180 20.4 +12.8
Turnout 5,758 79.7 +3.2
Registered electors 7,224
Liberal hold Swing +6.4

Elections in the 1910s[edit]

Blyth
General election January 1910: Haddingtonshire [19][15]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Richard Haldane 3,771 55.5 −4.7
Conservative Benjamin Blyth 3,026 44.5 +4.7
Majority 745 11.0 −9.4
Turnout 6,797 85.4 +5.7
Registered electors 7,961
Liberal hold Swing −4.7
Haldane
General election December 1910: Haddingtonshire [19][15]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Richard Haldane 3,845 54.9 −0.6
Conservative Benjamin Blyth 3,158 45.1 +0.6
Majority 687 9.8 −1.2
Turnout 7,003 85.6 +0.2
Registered electors 8,184
Liberal hold Swing −0.6
Hope
1911 Haddingtonshire by-election[19][15]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal John Hope 3,652 53.4 -1.5
Conservative Benjamin Blyth 3,184 46.6 +1.5
Majority 468 6.8 -3.0
Turnout 6,836 83.5 −2.1
Registered electors 8,184
Liberal hold Swing -1.5

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;

References[edit]

  1. ^ "Haddingtonshire (East Lothian)". History of Parliament Online (1690-1715). Retrieved 9 June 2019.
  2. ^ "Haddingtonshire (East Lothian)". History of Parliament Online (1715-1754). Retrieved 9 June 2019.
  3. ^ "Haddingtonshire (East Lothian)". History of Parliament Online (1754-1790). Retrieved 9 June 2019.
  4. ^ "Haddingtonshire (East Lothian)". History of Parliament Online (1790-1820). Retrieved 9 June 2019.
  5. ^ "Haddingtonshire (East Lothian)". History of Parliament Online (1820-1832). Retrieved 9 June 2019.
  6. ^ Leigh Rayment's Historical List of MPs – Constituencies beginning with "H" (part 1)
  7. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l Stooks Smith, Henry (1842). The Register of Parliamentary Contested Elections: Containing the Uncontested Elections Since 1830. London: Simpkin, Marshall, & Co. p. 203. Retrieved 8 May 2020 – via Google Books.
  8. ^ a b Fisher, David R. "Haddingtonshire (East Lothian)". The History of Parliament. Retrieved 8 May 2020.
  9. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o 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.
  10. ^ "State of Polls at the Close". Newcastle Journal. 14 August 1847. p. 2. Retrieved 18 August 2019 – via British Newspaper Archive.
  11. ^ "To the Electors of the County of Haddington". Caledonian Mercury. 15 July 1865. p. 1. Retrieved 15 February 2018 – via British Newspaper Archive.
  12. ^ "The General Election". Edinburgh Evening News. 31 March 1880. p. 3. Retrieved 28 November 2017 – via British Newspaper Archive.
  13. ^ "East Lothian Election". Shields Daily News. 31 January 1883. p. 4. Retrieved 28 November 2017 – via British Newspaper Archive.
  14. ^ a b Debrett's House of Commons and the Judicial Bench, 1889
  15. ^ a b c d e f g h i Craig, FWS, ed. (1974). British Parliamentary Election Results: 1885-1918. London: Macmillan Press. ISBN 9781349022984.
  16. ^ Whitaker's Almanack, 1893
  17. ^ a b Debrett's House of Commons and the Judicial Bench, 1901
  18. ^ Whitaker's Almanack, 1907
  19. ^ a b c Debrett's House of Commons and the Judicial Bench, 1916
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