Selkirkshire (UK Parliament constituency)

Selkirkshire was a Scottish county constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom from 1708 until 1868, when it was combined with Peeblesshire to form Peebles and Selkirk.

Selkirkshire
Former County constituency
for the House of Commons
Subdivisions of ScotlandSelkirkshire
1708–1868
Number of membersOne
Replaced byPeebles & Selkirk
Hawick Burghs

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 Selkirkshire .

Boundaries

The constituency covered the whole county of Selkirkshire except for the county town of Selkirk which was represented separately as part of the Lanark Burghs constituency until 1832 when it was combined with Selkirkshire.

History

The constituency elected one Member of Parliament (MP) by the first past the post system until the seat was abolished for the 1868 general election.[1] [2] [3] [4] [5] It was combined with Peeblesshire to form Peebles and Selkirk.

Members of Parliament
  ElectionMemberPartyNotes
1708 John Pringle I appointed Lord of Session in 1729, as Lord Haining
1730 by-election James Rutherford
1734 John Murray Previously MP for Lanark Burghs 1725–34. Hereditary Sheriff of Selkirk 1708–34.
1753 by-election Gilbert Elliot
1765 by-election John Pringle II second son of Lord Haining
1786 by-election Mark Pringle
1802 John Rutherford
1806 William Eliott-Lockhart Tory[6]
1830 Alexander Pringle Tory[7][8]
1832 Robert Pringle Whig[7]
1835 Alexander Pringle Conservative[7]
1846 by-election Allan Eliott-Lockhart Conservative
1861 by-election The Lord Henry Montagu-Douglas-Scott Conservative Later 1st Baron Montagu of Beaulieu. MP for South Hampshire 1868–84.
1868 constituency abolished. See Peebles and Selkirk

Election results

Elections in the 1830s
General election 1830: Selkirkshire[7][9]
Party Candidate Votes %
Tory Alexander Pringle Unopposed
Registered electors 53
Tory hold
General election 1831: Selkirkshire[7][9]
Party Candidate Votes %
Tory Alexander Pringle Unopposed
Registered electors 53
Tory hold
General election 1832: Selkirkshire[7][10]
Party Candidate Votes %
Whig Robert Pringle (MP) 133 51.8
Tory Alexander Pringle 124 48.2
Majority 9 3.6
Turnout 257 91.5
Registered electors 281
Whig gain from Tory
General election 1835: Selkirkshire[7][10]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Alexander Pringle 206 54.1 +5.9
Whig Robert Pringle (MP) 175 45.9 −5.9
Majority 31 8.2 N/A
Turnout 381 90.1 −1.4
Registered electors 423
Conservative gain from Whig Swing +5.9
General election 1837: Selkirkshire[7][10]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Alexander Pringle 262 54.9 +0.8
Whig Robert Pringle (MP) 215 45.1 −0.8
Majority 47 9.8 +1.6
Turnout 477 85.0 −5.1
Registered electors 561
Conservative hold Swing +0.8

Elections in the 1840s
General election 1841: Selkirkshire[10]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Alexander Pringle Unopposed
Registered electors 612
Conservative hold

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

By-election, 21 September 1841: Selkirkshire[10]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Alexander Pringle Unopposed
Conservative hold

Pringle resigned after being appointed Clerk of Sesines, causing a by-election.

By-election, 12 February 1846: Selkirkshire[10]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Allan Eliott-Lockhart 223 100.0 N/A
Whig John Nesbitt-Murray 0 0.0 New
Majority 223 100.0 N/A
Turnout 223 35.9 N/A
Registered electors 622
Conservative hold
General election 1847: Selkirkshire[10]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Allan Eliott-Lockhart Unopposed
Registered electors 622
Conservative hold

Elections in the 1850s
General election 1852: Selkirkshire[10]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Allan Eliott-Lockhart Unopposed
Registered electors 497
Conservative hold
General election 1857: Selkirkshire[10]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Allan Eliott-Lockhart Unopposed
Registered electors 362
Conservative hold
General election 1859: Selkirkshire[10]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Allan Eliott-Lockhart Unopposed
Registered electors 361
Conservative hold

Elections in the 1860s

Eliott-Lockhart resigned, causing a by-election.

By-election, 1 August 1861: Selkirkshire[10]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Henry Douglas-Scott-Montagu 158 53.7 N/A
Liberal William Napier[11] 136 46.3 New
Majority 22 7.4 N/A
Turnout 294 81.4 N/A
Registered electors 361
Conservative hold Swing N/A
General election 1865: Selkirkshire[10]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Henry Douglas-Scott-Montagu 227 53.7 N/A
Liberal William Napier 196 46.3 N/A
Majority 31 7.4 N/A
Turnout 423 84.3 N/A
Registered electors 502
Conservative hold Swing N/A

References
  1. "Selkirkshire". History of Parliament Online (1690-1715). Retrieved 9 June 2019.
  2. "Selkirkshire". History of Parliament Online (1715-1754). Retrieved 9 June 2019.
  3. "Selkirkshire". History of Parliament Online (1754-1790). Retrieved 9 June 2019.
  4. "Selkirkshire". History of Parliament Online (1790-1820). Retrieved 9 June 2019.
  5. "Selkirkshire". History of Parliament Online (1820-1832). Retrieved 9 June 2019.
  6. Fisher, David R. "ELIOTT LOCKHART, William (1764-1832), of Borthwickbrae, Roxburgh". The History of Parliament. Retrieved 9 May 2020.
  7. Stooks Smith, Henry (1842). The Register of Parliamentary Contested Elections: Containing the Uncontested Elections Since 1830. London: Simpkin, Marshall, & Co. p. 211. Retrieved 9 May 2020 – via Google Books.
  8. Fisher, David R. "PRINGLE, Alexander (1791-1857), of Whytbank and Yair, Selkirk". The History of Parliament. Retrieved 9 May 2020.
  9. Fisher, David R. "Selkirkshire". The History of Parliament. Retrieved 9 May 2020.
  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.
  11. "Selkirk Election". Newcastle Journal. 1 August 1861. p. 3. Retrieved 26 March 2018 – via British Newspaper Archive.


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