Greenock (UK Parliament constituency)

Greenock was a burgh constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom from 1832 until 1974, when it was abolished and its area was merged into the new Greenock and Port Glasgow constituency.

Greenock
Former Burgh constituency
for the House of Commons
1832–1974 (1974)
Number of membersOne
Replaced byGreenock & Port Glasgow
Created fromRenfrewshire[1]

Boundaries

The boundaries of the constituency, as set out in the Representation of the People (Scotland) Act 1832, were-

"From the Point, on the West of the Town, at which the Shore of the Firth of Clyde is met by the March between the Parishes of Greenock and Innerkip, up the said March to that Point thereof which is nearest to the Southern Point of the Ridge of Bow Hill; thence in a straight Line to the said Point on Bow Hill; thence in a straight Line to the Southern End of the Upper East Reservoir for supplying Greenock with Water; thence in a straight Line, in the Direction of the highest projecting Point of Knocknair Hill, to the Point near Woodhead Quarry, at which such straight Line cuts the Easternmost of the Two Rivulets which form the Lady Burn; thence down such Rivulet and the Lady Burn to the Point at which the same joins the Firth of Clyde; thence along the Shore of the Firth of Clyde to the Point first described."[2]

Members of Parliament
ElectionMemberParty
1832Robert WallaceWhig[3][4]
1845 by-electionWalter BaineWhig[5][6]
1847William Elliot-Murray-KynynmoundWhig[7][8]
1852Alexander Murray DunlopWhig[9][10]
1859Liberal
1868James GrieveLiberal
1878 by-electionJames StewartLiberal
1884 by-electionThomas SutherlandLiberal
1886Liberal Unionist
1892John BruceLiberal
1892Sir Thomas SutherlandLiberal Unionist
1900James ReidUnionist
1906Halley StewartLiberal
Jan 1910Sir Godfrey CollinsLiberal
1919Coalition Liberal
1922Liberal
1931National Liberal
1936 by-electionRobert GibsonLabour
1941 by-electionHector McNeilLabour
1955 by-electionDickson MabonLabour Co-operative
Feb 1974 constituency abolished: see Greenock & Port Glasgow

Election results

Elections in the 1830s
General election 1832: Greenock[11][3]
Party Candidate Votes %
Whig Robert Wallace 493 65.3
Tory John Fairrie 262 34.7
Majority 231 30.6
Turnout 755 76.6
Registered electors 985
Whig win (new seat)
General election 1835: Greenock[11][3]
Party Candidate Votes %
Whig Robert Wallace Unopposed
Registered electors 1,170
Whig hold
General election 1837: Greenock[11][3]
Party Candidate Votes %
Whig Robert Wallace 401 66.5
Conservative James Smith 202 33.5
Majority 199 33.0
Turnout 603 56.6
Registered electors 1,065
Whig hold

Elections in the 1840s
General election 1841: Greenock[11]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Whig Robert Wallace 406 56.8 −9.7
Conservative Thomas John Cochrane 309 43.2 +9.7
Majority 97 13.6 −19.4
Turnout 715 64.2 +7.6
Registered electors 1,113
Whig hold Swing −9.7

Wallace resigned, causing a by-election.

By-election, 18 April 1845: Greenock[11][5][6]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Whig Walter Baine 350 50.4 N/A
Whig Alexander Murray-Dunlop 344 49.6 N/A
Majority 6 0.8 −12.8
Turnout 694 59.6 −4.6
Registered electors 1,165
Whig hold Swing N/A
General election 1847: Greenock[11]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Whig William Elliot-Murray-Kynynmound 456 59.1 N/A
Whig Alexander Murray-Dunlop 315 40.9 N/A
Majority 141 18.2 +4.6
Turnout 771 70.8 +6.6
Registered electors 1,089
Whig hold Swing N/A

Elections in the 1850s
General election 1852: Greenock[11]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Whig Alexander Murray-Dunlop 470 64.9 +24.0
Conservative James Dalrymple-Horn-Elphinstone 254 35.1 New
Majority 216 29.8 +11.6
Turnout 724 62.2 −8.6
Registered electors 1,164
Whig hold Swing N/A
General election 1857: Greenock[11]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Whig Alexander Murray-Dunlop Unopposed
Registered electors 1,405
Whig hold
General election 1859: Greenock[11]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Alexander Murray-Dunlop Unopposed
Registered electors 1,524
Liberal hold

Elections in the 1860s
General election 1865: Greenock[11]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Alexander Murray-Dunlop Unopposed
Registered electors 1,871
Liberal hold
General election 1868: Greenock [12][11]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal James Grieve 2,962 58.6 N/A
Independent Liberal William Dougal Christie[13] 2,092 41.4 New
Majority 870 17.2 N/A
Turnout 5,054 81.2 N/A
Registered electors 6,223
Liberal hold Swing N/A

Elections in the 1870s
General election 1874: Greenock [11]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal James Grieve Unopposed
Registered electors 6,330
Liberal hold

Grieve resigned, causing a by-election.

1878 Greenock by-election[11]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal James Stewart 2,183 36.0 N/A
Conservative James Fergusson 2,124 35.0 New
Liberal Donald Currie[14] 1,648 27.2 N/A
Independent Liberal William Dundas Scott Moncrieff[15][16] 108 1.8 New
Majority 59 1.0 N/A
Turnout 6,063 81.4 N/A
Registered electors 7,446
Liberal hold Swing N/A

Elections in the 1880s
General election 1880: Greenock [11]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal James Stewart 3,351 60.8 N/A
Conservative John Scott 2,162 39.2 N/A
Majority 1,189 21.6 N/A
Turnout 5,513 76.5 N/A
Registered electors 7,203
Liberal hold Swing N/A

Stewart's resignation caused a by-election.

By-election, 28 Nov 1884: Greenock [11]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Thomas Sutherland 3,548 59.5 −1.3
Conservative John Scott 2,417 40.5 +1.3
Majority 1,131 19.0 −2.6
Turnout 5,965 78.1 +1.6
Registered electors 7,203
Liberal hold Swing −1.3
General election 1885: Greenock [17][18]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Thomas Sutherland 3,057 50.3 −10.5
Conservative John Scott 2,954 48.6 +9.4
Scottish Land Restoration John Morrison Davidson 65 1.1 N/A
Majority 103 1.7 −19.9
Turnout 6,076 85.2 +8.7
Registered electors 7,131
Liberal hold Swing −10.0
General election 1886: Greenock[17][18]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Unionist Thomas Sutherland 2,905 56.8 +8.2
Liberal Harold Wright 2,208 43.2 −7.1
Majority 697 13.6 N/A
Turnout 5,113 71.7 −13.5
Registered electors 7,131
Liberal Unionist gain from Liberal Swing +7.7

Elections in the 1890s
General election 1892: Greenock[19][18]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Unionist Thomas Sutherland 2,942 50.5 -6.3
Liberal John Bruce 2,887 49.5 +6.3
Majority 55 1.0 -12.6
Turnout 5,829 83.4 +11.7
Registered electors 6,992
Liberal Unionist hold Swing -6.3
The original count gave a majority of 44 for Bruce; after an election petition and recount, this was revised to a majority of 55 for Sutherland. See the list of election petitions for details.
Fletcher
General election 1895: Greenock[20][18]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Unionist Thomas Sutherland 3,571 56.5 +6.0
Lib-Lab Alfred Fletcher 2,753 43.5 -6.0
Majority 818 13.0 +12.0
Turnout 6,324 83.5 +0.1
Registered electors 7,570
Liberal Unionist hold Swing +6.0

Elections in the 1900s
General election 1900: Greenock[20][18]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative James Reid 3,165 52.3 −4.2
Liberal John Maconie 2,886 47.7 +4.2
Majority 279 4.6 −8.4
Turnout 6,051 79.7 −3.8
Registered electors 7,590
Conservative hold Swing −4.2
Stewart
General election 1906: Greenock[21][18]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Halley Stewart 3,596 52.5 +4.8
Conservative James Reid 3,254 47.5 −4.8
Majority 342 5.0 N/A
Turnout 6,850 87.6 +7.9
Registered electors 7,821
Liberal gain from Conservative Swing +4.8

Elections in the 1910s
General election Jan 1910: Greenock [22][18]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Godfrey Collins 4,233 61.7 +9.2
Liberal Unionist James Parker Smith 2,632 38.3 -9.2
Majority 1,601 23.4 +18.4
Turnout 6,855 87.4 -0.2
Liberal hold Swing +9.2
General election Dec 1910: Greenock [22][18]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Godfrey Collins 4,338 59.8 -1.9
Conservative Samuel Chapman 2,913 40.2 +1.9
Majority 1,425 19.6 -2.8
Turnout 7,251 88.9 +1.5
Liberal hold Swing -1.9

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;

Godfrey Collins
General election 1918: Greenock [24][25]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Godfrey Collins 10,933 48.0 −11.8
Unionist * Samuel Chapman 7,246 31.8 −8.4
Labour Fred Shaw 2,542 11.2 New
Independent Labour ** Neal Haughey 2,050 9.0 New
Majority 3,687 16.2 −3.4
Turnout 22,771 66.6 −22.3
Registered electors 34,182
Liberal hold Swing −1.7

* Chapman was included on the final list of Coalition Coupon candidates, despite it having been agreed there would be no coupon in this constituency. Immediately after the list was published, a telegram was sent to Collins to make it clear there was no official Coalition candidate.
** Haughey was the nominee of the Greenock and District Dockers' Union.

Elections in the 1920s
Collins
General election 1922: Greenock[25]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Godfrey Collins 10,520 36.6 −11.4
Communist * Alec Geddes 9,776 34.1 New
Unionist John Denholm 8,404 29.3 −2.5
Majority 744 2.5 −13.7
Turnout 28,700 84.8 +18.2
Registered electors 33,835
Liberal hold Swing −4.5

* Geddes sought the election as a Labour candidate, despite being an official Communist candidate and having no Labour endorsement.

General election 1923: Greenock[25]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Godfrey Collins 16,337 61.3 +24.7
Communist * Alec Geddes 10,335 38.7 +4.6
Majority 6,002 22.6 +20.1
Turnout 26,672 78.4 −6.4
Registered electors 34,006
Liberal hold Swing +10.1

* Geddes sought the election as a Labour candidate, despite being an official Communist candidate and having no Labour endorsement.

General election 1924: Greenock[25]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Godfrey Collins 12,752 48.6 −12.7
Communist Alec Geddes 7,590 29.0 −9.7
Labour S. Kelly 5,874 22.4 New
Majority 5,162 19.6 −3.0
Turnout 26,216 77.8 −0.6
Registered electors 33,693
Liberal hold Swing −1.5
General election 1929: Greenock[25]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Godfrey Collins 11,190 32.5 −16.1
Labour Co-op William Leonard 9,697 28.2 +5.8
Communist Alec Geddes 7,005 20.4 −8.6
Unionist Andrew Dewar Gibb 6,517 18.9 New
Majority 1,493 4.3 −15.3
Turnout 34,409 78.7 +0.9
Registered electors 43,720
Liberal hold Swing −11.0

Elections in the 1930s
General election 1931: Greenock[25]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal National Godfrey Collins 18,013 51.1 +31.2
Labour Thomas Irwin 10,850 30.7 +2.5
Communist Aitken Ferguson 6,440 18.2 -2.2
Majority 7,163 20.4 +16.1
Turnout 35,303 80.3 +1.6
Liberal National hold Swing
General election 1935: Greenock[25]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal National Godfrey Collins 20,299 52.7 +1.6
Labour Thomas Irwin 16,945 44.0 +13.3
SNP John L. Kinloch 1,286 3.3 New
Majority 3,354 8.7 −15.7
Turnout 38,530 84.4 +4.1
Liberal National hold Swing −5.9
1936 Greenock by-election [26][25]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Robert Gibson 20,594 53.4 +9.4
Liberal National Vivian Emery Cornelius 17,990 46.6 −6.1
Majority 2,604 6.8 N/A
Turnout 38,584 83.3 −1.1
Labour gain from Liberal National Swing +7.85

Elections in the 1940s

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 from 1939 and by the end of this year, the following candidates had been selected;

1941 Greenock by-election[27][25]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Hector McNeil Unopposed N/A N/A
General election 1945: Greenock[25]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Hector McNeil 16,186 47.1 +3.1
Unionist Malcolm Douglas-Hamilton 8,097 23.6 -27.1
Communist J. R. Campbell 5,900 17.2 New
Liberal George Gordon Honeyman 4,180 12.2 New
Majority 8,089 23.54 +14.8
Turnout 34,363 68.42 -16.0
Labour hold Swing

Elections in the 1950s
General election 1950: Greenock [28]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Hector McNeil 20,548 50.6 +2.9
Liberal Ian McColl 11,638 28.7 +16.5
Independent Labour John S. Thomson 6,458 15.9 New
Communist J. R. Campbell 1,228 3.0 -14.2
Anti-Partition Oliver Brown 718 1.8 New
Majority 8,910 21.9 -1.6
Turnout 40,590 83.2 +15.0
Labour hold Swing
General election 1951: Greenock[28]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Hector McNeil 23,452 57.1 +6.5
Unionist W Ross Maclean 17,615 42.9 New
Majority 5,837 14.2 -7.7
Turnout 41,067 83.0 -0.2
Labour hold Swing
General election 1955: Greenock[28]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Hector McNeil 19,378 51.4 -5.7
Unionist Ian MacArthur 18,345 48.6 +5.7
Majority 1,033 2.7 -11.5
Turnout 37,723
Labour hold Swing
1955 Greenock by-election[28]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Co-op Dickson Mabon 19,698 53.7 +2.3
Unionist Ian MacArthur 17,004 46.3 -2.3
Majority 2,694 7.3 +4.6
Turnout 36,702
Labour Co-op hold Swing
General election 1959: Greenock[28][29]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Co-op Dickson Mabon 19,320 50.6 -3.1
Liberal William T C Riddell 10,238 26.8 New
Unionist Leonard Mackenzie Turpie 8,616 22.6 -23.7
Majority 9,082 23.8 +16.5
Turnout 38,174
Labour Co-op hold Swing

Elections in the 1960s
General election 1964: Greenock[28][30]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Co-op Dickson Mabon 19,627 55.1 +4.5
Liberal Campbell M Barclay 9,055 25.4 -1.4
Unionist Duncan Robert Gordon Sillars 6,473 18.2 -4.4
Independent Labour John Stevenson Thomson 458 1.3 New
Majority 10,572 29.7 +5.9
Turnout 35,613
Labour Co-op hold Swing
General election 1966: Greenock[28]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Co-op Dickson Mabon 18,988 57.1 +2.0
Liberal Iain M Will 7,727 23.2 -2.2
Conservative Ronald Edgar Dundas 5,835 17.5 -0.7
Communist William Dunn 702 2.1 New
Majority 11,261 33.9 +4.2
Turnout 33,252 73.6
Labour Co-op hold Swing

Elections in the 1970s
General election 1970: Greenock[28]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Co-op Dickson Mabon 19,334 53.7 -3.4
Liberal William T C Riddell 16,100 44.7 +21.5
Communist Alex Murray 559 1.6 -0.5
Majority 3,234 9.0 -24.9
Turnout 35,993 75.0 +1.4
Labour Co-op hold Swing

References
  1. Jenkins, Terry. "Renfrewshire". The History of Parliament. Retrieved 7 May 2020.
  2. Representation of the People (Scotland) Act 1832, Schedule (M).
  3. Smith, Henry Stooks (1842). The Register of Parliamentary Contested Elections (Second ed.). Simpkin, Marshall & Company. p. 203.
  4. "The Elections". Northern Star and Leeds General Advertiser. 3 July 1841. p. 23. Retrieved 16 August 2019 – via British Newspaper Archive.
  5. "Greenock Election". Globe. 17 April 1845. p. 2. Retrieved 16 August 2019 – via British Newspaper Archive.
  6. "Clare Journal, and Ennis Advertiser". 24 April 1845. p. 4. Retrieved 16 August 2019 – via British Newspaper Archive.
  7. Stooks Smith, Henry. (1973) [1844-1850]. Craig, F. W. S. (ed.). The Parliaments of England (2nd ed.). Chichester: Parliamentary Research Services. pp. 164–166. ISBN 0-900178-13-2.
  8. Churton, Edward (1838). The Assembled Commons or Parliamentary Biographer: 1838. p. 157.
  9. "Greenock Election". Globe. 17 April 1845. p. 2. Retrieved 2 September 2018 – via British Newspaper Archive.
  10. "Greenock Election - Triumph of the Maynooth Grant Advocate". Cork Examiner. 21 April 1845. p. 4. Retrieved 2 September 2018 – via British Newspaper Archive.
  11. 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.
  12. Debrett's House of Commons and the Judicial Bench, 1870
  13. "The Permissive Bill Hypocrisy". Carlisle Patriot. 20 November 1868. p. 5. Retrieved 15 February 2018 – via British Newspaper Archive.
  14. "Mr Donald Currie in Greenock". Greenock Telegraph and Clyde Shipping Gazette. 15 May 1878. p. 2. Retrieved 31 December 2017 – via British Newspaper Archive.
  15. "Greenock". North Devon Journal. 31 January 1878. p. 3. Retrieved 31 December 2017 – via British Newspaper Archive.
  16. "Sir Scott Moncrieff and His Creditors". Greenock Telegraph and Clyde Shipping Gazette. 9 July 1878. p. 3. Retrieved 31 December 2017 – via British Newspaper Archive.
  17. Debrett's House of Commons and the Judicial Bench, 1889
  18. British Parliamentary Election Results 1885-1918, FWS Craig
  19. Whitaker's Almanack, 1893
  20. Debrett's House of Commons and the Judicial Bench, 1901
  21. Whitaker's Almanack, 1907
  22. Debrett's House of Commons and the Judicial Bench, 1916
  23. Perthshire Advertiser 20 June 1914
  24. Whitaker's Almanack, 1920
  25. British Parliamentary Election Results 1918-1949, FWS Craig ISBN 0-900178-06-X
  26. Whitaker's Almanack, 1939
  27. Whitaker's Almanack, 1944
  28. British Parliamentary Election Results 1950-1973, FWS Craig
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