Banffshire (UK Parliament constituency)

Banffshire
Former County constituency
for the House of Commons
Subdivisions of Scotland Banffshire
1708–1983
Number of members One
Replaced by Moray
Banff & Buchan
Created from Banffshire

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.

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.

In 1983 it was split and merged into Moray and Banff and Buchan.

Members of Parliament

Election [1] Member [2] 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
1827 by-election John Morison Tory[3]
1832 George Ferguson Tory[3]
1834 Conservative
1837 James Duff, later 5th Earl Fife Whig[3][4][5][6]
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

Elections in the 1850s

General Election 1852: Banffshire[7]
Party Candidate Votes % ±
Whig James Duff 327 52.1 N/A
Conservative Hay Macdowall-Grant[8] 301 47.9 N/A
Majority 26 4.1 N/A
Turnout 628 77.2 N/A
Registered electors 813
Whig hold Swing N/A
General Election 1857: Banffshire[7]
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[7]
Party Candidate Votes % ±
Whig Lachlan Gordon Unopposed
Whig hold
General Election 1859: Banffshire[7]
Party Candidate Votes % ±
Liberal Lachlan Gordon-Duff Unopposed
Registered electors 905
Liberal hold

Elections in the 1860s

Duff's resignation caused a by-election.

By-election, 1 May 1861: Banffshire[7]
Party Candidate Votes % ±
Liberal Robert Duff Unopposed
Liberal hold
General Election 1865: Banffshire[7]
Party Candidate Votes % ±
Liberal Robert Duff Unopposed
Registered electors 1,062
Liberal hold
General Election 1868: Banffshire[9][7]
Party Candidate Votes % ±
Liberal Robert Duff Unopposed
Registered electors 2,291
Liberal hold

Elections in the 1870s

General Election 1874: Banffshire[7]
Party Candidate Votes % ±
Liberal Robert Duff Unopposed
Registered electors 2,418
Liberal hold

Elections in the 1880s

General Election 1880: Banffshire[10][7]
Party Candidate Votes % ±
Liberal Robert Duff Unopposed
Liberal hold

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

By-election, 19 Jun 1882: Banffshire[10][7]
Party Candidate Votes % ±
Liberal Robert Duff Unopposed
Liberal hold
General Election 1885: Banffshire[10][11]
Party Candidate Votes % ±
Liberal Robert Duff 3,740 65.1 N/A
Conservative Moir Stormonth-Darling 2,008 34.9 N/A
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[10][11]
Party Candidate Votes % ±
Liberal Robert Duff Unopposed
Liberal hold
General Election 1886: Banffshire[10][11]
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

Elections in the 1890s

Robert Duff
General Election 1892: Banffshire[12][11]
Party Candidate Votes % ±
Liberal Robert Duff 2,293 61.7 −3.2
Ind. Conservative Maltman Barry 1,424 38.3 N/A
Majority 869 23.4 −6.4
Turnout 3,717 51.7 −5.0
Registered electors 7,185
Liberal hold Swing −3.2
W. Wedderburn
Banffshire by-election, 1893[13][11]
Party Candidate Votes % ±
Liberal William Wedderburn 3,166 56.9 −4.8
Conservative James Grant 2,395 43.1 N/A
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[14][11]
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

Elections in the 1900s

Alexander Black
General Election 1900: Banffshire[14][11]
Party Candidate Votes % ±
Liberal Alexander William Black 2,768 52.8 −1.9
Liberal Unionist George Watt 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[15][11]
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
Banffshire by-election, 1907[16][11]
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

Elections in the 1910s

General Election Jan 1910: Banffshire[17]
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 Dec 1910: Banffshire[17]
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 the July 1914, the following candidates had been selected;

Charles Barrie
General Election 1918: Banffshire[18]
Party Candidate Votes % ±
C Liberal Charles Barrie Unopposed
Liberal hold
C indicates candidate endorsed by the coalition government.

Elections in the 1920s

General Election 1922: Banffshire[19]
Party Candidate Votes % ±
Liberal Charles Barrie Unopposed
Liberal hold
General Election 1923: Banffshire[20]
Party Candidate Votes % ±
Liberal Charles Barrie Unopposed
Liberal hold
General Election 1924: Banffshire[21]
Party Candidate Votes % ±
Unionist William Templeton 6,829 42.7 n/a
Liberal Charles Barrie 5,426 34.0 n/a
Labour A W Groundwater 3,722 23.3 n/a
Majority 8.7 n/a
Turnout n/a
Unionist gain from Liberal Swing n/a
General Election 1929: Banffshire[22]
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 12.3 21.0
Turnout
Liberal gain from Unionist Swing +10.5

Elections in the 1930s

General Election 1931: Banffshire[23]
Party Candidate Votes % ±
Liberal Murdoch McKenzie Wood unopposed n/a n/a
Liberal hold Swing n/a
General Election 1935: Banffshire[24]
Party Candidate Votes % ±
Unionist Edmund Findlay 11,771 51.3 n/a
Liberal Murdoch McKenzie Wood 11,168 48.7 n/a
Turnout 70.5 n/a
Majority 603 2.6 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;

Elections in the 1940s

General Election 1945: Banffshire[27]
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
Majority 4,288 19.84
Unionist hold Swing

Elections in the 1950s

General Election 1950: Banffshire[28]
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
Unionist hold Swing
General Election 1951: Banffshire[29]
Party Candidate Votes % ±
Unionist William Duthie 16,562 70.87
Labour Alexander Flett 6,806 29.13
Majority 9,756 41.75
Unionist hold Swing
General Election 1955: Banffshire[30]
Party Candidate Votes % ±
Unionist William Duthie 14,643 69.80
Labour William Paterson 6,337 30.20
Majority 8,306 39.59
Unionist hold Swing
General Election 1959: Banffshire[31]
Party Candidate Votes % ±
Unionist William Duthie 14,359 70.56
Labour Robert W. Irvine 5,992 29.44
Majority 8,367 41.12
Unionist hold Swing

Elections in the 1960s

General Election 1964: Banffshire[32]
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
Majority 4,421 21.13
Conservative hold Swing
General Election 1966: Banffshire[33]
Party Candidate Votes % ±
Conservative Wilfred Baker 8,139 41.37
Liberal Basil Wishart 6,762 34.37
Labour Robert Middleton 4,775 24.27
Majority 1,377 7.00
Conservative hold Swing

Elections in the 1970s

General Election 1970: Banffshire[33]
Party Candidate Votes % ±
Conservative Wilfred Baker 8,457 38.71
SNP Hamish Watt 5,006 22.91
Liberal Ronnie Fraser 4,589 21.01
Labour Andrew F. Walls 3,795 17.37
Majority 3,451 15.80
Conservative hold Swing
General Election February 1974: Banffshire
Party Candidate Votes % ±
SNP Hamish Watt 11,037 46.1
Conservative Wilfred Baker 8,252 34.5
Liberal Ronnie Fraser 3,121 13.0
Labour R Dool 1,528 6.4
Majority 2,785 11.6
Turnout 23,938 75.7
SNP gain from Conservative Swing
General Election October 1974: Banffshire
Party Candidate Votes % ±
SNP Hamish Watt 10,638 45.9
Conservative J.S. Gordon 8,797 37.9
Liberal C. McLeod 2,059 8.9
Labour A.W.M. Porteous 1,700 7.3
Majority 1,851 8.0
Turnout 23,194 72.5
SNP hold Swing
General Election 1979: Banffshire
Party Candidate Votes % ±
Conservative David Myles 10,580 44.6
SNP Hamish Watt 9,781 41.2
Labour Robert E. Duncan 3,381 14.2
Majority 799 3.4
Turnout 23,742 72.4
Conservative gain from SNP Swing

References

  1. ↑ 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.
  2. ↑ Leigh Rayment's Historical List of MPs – Constituencies beginning with "B" (part 1)
  3. 1 2 3 Smith, Henry Stooks (1842). The Register of Parliamentary Contested Elections (Second ed.). Simpkin, Marshall & Company. p. 197. Retrieved 9 September 2018 – via Google Books.
  4. ↑ Churton, Edward (1838). The Assembled Commons or Parliamentary Biographer: 1838. p. 74. Retrieved 9 September 2018 – via Google Books.
  5. ↑ "Saunders's News-Letter". 14 August 1837. pp. 2–3. Retrieved 9 September 2018 – via British Newspaper Archive. (Subscription required (help)).
  6. ↑ "Scotland". London Courier and Evening Gazette. 3 August 1837. p. 3. Retrieved 9 September 2018 – via British Newspaper Archive. (Subscription required (help)).
  7. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 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.
  8. ↑ "Banffshire Election". Aberdeen Press and Journal. 21 July 1852. p. 6. Retrieved 10 September 2018 – via British Newspaper Archive. (Subscription required (help)).
  9. ↑ Debrett's House of Commons, 1870
  10. 1 2 3 4 5 Debrett's House of Commons and the Judicial Bench, 1889
  11. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 Craig, FWS, ed. (1974). British Parliamentary Election Results: 1885-1918. London: Macmillan Press. ISBN 9781349022984.
  12. ↑ Whitaker's Almanack, 1893
  13. ↑ The Times, 17 March 1893
  14. 1 2 Debrett's House of Commons and the Judicial Bench, 1901
  15. ↑ Whitaker's Almanack, 1907
  16. ↑ The Times, 19 Feb 1907
  17. 1 2 Debrett's House of Commons and the Judicial Bench, 1916
  18. ↑ Whitaker's Almanack, 1920
  19. ↑ The Times, 17 November 1922
  20. ↑ The Times, 8 December 1923
  21. ↑ Oliver & Boyd's Edinburgh Almanack, 1927
  22. ↑ The Times, 1 June 1929
  23. ↑ Whitaker's Almanack, 1934
  24. ↑ Whitaker's Almanack, 1939
  25. ↑ The Liberal Magazine, 1939
  26. ↑ Report of the Annual Conference of the Labour Party, 1939
  27. ↑
  28. ↑
  29. ↑
  30. ↑
  31. ↑ Whitaker's Almanack, 1963
  32. ↑
  33. 1 2
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