Peeblesshire (UK Parliament constituency)

Parliamentary constituency in the United Kingdom, 1801–1868

Peeblesshire

Former county constituency
for the House of Commons
Subdivisions of Scotland| Peeblesshire
1708–1868
Seats| One
Replaced by| Peebles & Selkirk

Peeblesshire was a Scottish county constituency of Great Britain and after 1801 the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom (Westminster) from 1708 until 1868. It elected one Member of Parliament (MP) by the first past the post voting system.

## Creation

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

## Boundaries

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The name relates the constituency to the county of Peebles. Article XII of the Union with Scotland Act 1706 (Act settling the Manner of electing the Representatives of Scotland), provided that one representative should be chosen for every shire and steuartry (except for some shires which were to take turns).[1]

## History

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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.[2] [3] [4] [5] [6]

This arrangement was continued by the Representation of the People (Scotland) Act 1832.[7]

The Representation of the People (Scotland) Act 1868 abolished the rights of the counties of Peebles and Selkirk to return a member, and provided that those counties should jointly return a member, thereby establishing the Peebles and Selkirk constituency.[8]

## Members of Parliament

[edit]

Election | Member[9] | Party

|
|

| 1708 | William Morison |
| 1710 | Alexander Murray, later 3rd Baronet |
| 1713 | William Morison |
| 1715 | Alexander Murray | (c. 1686–1755)
| 1722 | John Douglas |
| 1732 by-election | Sir James Naesmyth, 2nd Baronet |
| 1741 | Alexander Murray | (c. 1686–1755)
| 1747 | John Dickson |
| 1767 by-election | Adam Hay |
| 1768 | James William Montgomery |
| June 1775 by-election | Adam Hay |
| December 1775 by-election | Sir Robert Murray-Keith |
| 1780 | Alexander Murray |
| 1783 by-election | Alexander Murray, later 7th Lord Elibank |
| 1784 | David Murray |
| 1790 | William Montgomery |
| 1800 by-election | Sir James Montgomery, 2nd Bt | Tory[10]
| 1831 by-election | Sir George Montgomery, 2nd Bt | Tory[11]
| 1831 | John Hay | Tory[11]
| 1834 | Conservative[12][11]
| 1837 | William Forbes Mackenzie | Conservative[12][11]
| 1852 | Graham Graham-Montgomery | Conservative[12]
1868 | Constituency abolished. See Peebles and Selkirk

## Election results

[edit]

This section needs expansion. You can help by adding to it. (March 2018)

|

### Elections in the 1830s

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General election 1830: Peeblesshire[11][13] Party  | Candidate  | Votes  | %

|
|
|

| Tory | James Montgomery | Unopposed
Registered electors | 48  |
| Tory hold

Montgomery resigned, causing a by-election.

By-election, 4 March 1831: Peeblesshire[11][13] Party  | Candidate  | Votes  | %

|
|
|

| Tory | Sir George Montgomery, 2nd Baronet | Unopposed
Registered electors | 48  |
| Tory hold
General election 1831: Peeblesshire[11][13] Party  | Candidate  | Votes  | %

|
|
|

| Tory | Sir George Montgomery, 2nd Baronet | Unopposed
Registered electors | 48  |
| Tory hold

Montgomery's death caused a by-election.

By-election, 9 August 1831: Peeblesshire[11][13] Party  | Candidate  | Votes  | %

|
|
|

| Tory | John Hay | Unopposed
Registered electors | 48  |
| Tory hold
General election 1832: Peeblesshire[11][12] Party  | Candidate  | Votes  | %

|
|
|

| Tory | John Hay | Unopposed
Registered electors | 307  |
| Tory hold
General election 1835: Peeblesshire[11][12] Party  | Candidate  | Votes  | %

|
|
|

| Conservative | John Hay | Unopposed
Registered electors | 354  |
| Conservative hold
General election 1837: Peeblesshire[11][12] Party  | Candidate  | Votes  | %

|
|
|

| Conservative | William Forbes Mackenzie | 251  | 50.6
| Whig | Sir Alexander Gibson-Carmichael, 8th Baronet  | 245  | 49.4
Majority  | 6  | 1.2
Turnout | 496  | 71.9
Registered electors | 690  |
| Conservative hold

### Elections in the 1840s

[edit]

General election 1841: Peeblesshire[12] Party  | Candidate  | Votes  | %  | ±%

|
|
|
|

| Conservative | William Forbes Mackenzie | Unopposed
Registered electors | 863  |  |
| Conservative hold

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

By-election, 5 May 1845: Peeblesshire[12] Party  | Candidate  | Votes  | %  | ±%

|
|
|
|

| Conservative | William Forbes Mackenzie | Unopposed
| Conservative hold
General election 1847: Peeblesshire[12] Party  | Candidate  | Votes  | %  | ±%

|
|
|
|

| Conservative | William Forbes Mackenzie | 240  | 59.6  | N/A
| Whig | Sir Alexander Gibson-Carmichael, 8th Baronet  | 163  | 40.4  | New
Majority  | 77  | 19.2  | N/A
Turnout | 403  | 56.1  | N/A
Registered electors | 718  |  |
| Conservative hold | Swing | N/A |

### Elections in the 1850s

[edit]

General election 1852: Peeblesshire[12] Party  | Candidate  | Votes  | %  | ±%

|
|
|
|

| Conservative | Graham Graham-Montgomery | Unopposed
Registered electors | 542  |  |
| Conservative hold
General election 1857: Peeblesshire[12] Party  | Candidate  | Votes  | %  | ±%

|
|
|
|

| Conservative | Graham Graham-Montgomery | Unopposed
Registered electors | 394  |  |
| Conservative hold
General election 1859: Peeblesshire[12] Party  | Candidate  | Votes  | %  | ±%

|
|
|
|

| Conservative | Graham Graham-Montgomery | Unopposed
Registered electors | 407  |  |
| Conservative hold

### Elections in the 1860s

[edit]

General election 1865: Peeblesshire[12] Party  | Candidate  | Votes  | %  | ±%

|
|
|
|

| Conservative | Graham Graham-Montgomery | Unopposed
Registered electors | 499  |  |
| Conservative hold

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

By-election, 24 July 1866: Peeblesshire[12] Party  | Candidate  | Votes  | %  | ±%

|
|
|
|

| Conservative | Graham Graham-Montgomery | Unopposed
| Conservative hold

## References

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1. ^ Union with Scotland Act 1706
2. ^ "Peeblesshire". History of Parliament Online (1690-1715). Retrieved 9 June 2019.
3. ^ "Peeblesshire". History of Parliament Online (1715-1754). Retrieved 9 June 2019.
4. ^ "Peeblesshire". History of Parliament Online (1754-1790). Retrieved 9 June 2019.
5. ^ "Peeblesshire". History of Parliament Online (1790-1820). Retrieved 9 June 2019.
6. ^ "Peeblesshire". History of Parliament Online (1820-1832). Retrieved 9 June 2019.
7. ^ Representation of the People (Scotland) Act 1832, Schedule A.
8. ^ Representation of the People (Scotland) Act 1868, section 10.
9. ^ Leigh Rayment's Historical List of MPs – Constituencies beginning with "P" (part 1)
10. ^ Fisher, David R. "MONTGOMERY, Sir James, 2nd bt. (1766-1839), of Stobo Castle, Stanhope, Peebles". The History of Parliament. Retrieved 8 May 2020.
11. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k Smith, Henry Stooks (1842). The Register of Parliamentary Contested Elections (Second ed.). Simpkin, Marshall & Company. p. 208. Retrieved 14 September 2018 - via Google Books.
12. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n 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.
13. ^ a b c d Fisher, David R. "Peeblesshire". The History of Parliament. Retrieved 8 May 2020.

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