Buteshire (UK Parliament constituency)

Buteshire
Buteshire
Former county constituency; for the House of Commons
1708–1918
Created from	Buteshire
Replaced by	Bute and Northern Ayrshire

Buteshire was a county constituency of the House of Commons of the Parliament of Great Britain from 1708 to 1801 and of the Parliament of the United Kingdom from 1801 to 1918.

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 Buteshire.

History

From 1708 to 1832 Buteshire and Caithness were paired as alternating constituencies: one of the constituencies elected a Member of Parliament (MP) to one parliament, the other to the next. The areas which were covered by the two constituencies are quite remote from each other, Caithness in the northeast of Scotland and Buteshire in the southwest.^[1] ^[2] ^[3] ^[4] ^[5]

From 1832 to 1918, Buteshire was represented continuously by its own MP.

Boundaries

From 1708 to 1832, the Buteshire constituency covered the county of Bute (which historically included the islands of Arran, Great Cumbrae and Little Cumbrae) minus the parliamentary burgh of Rothesay, which was a component of the Ayr Burghs constituency. In 1832, Rothesay was merged into the Buteshire constituency.

By 1892, Bute had become a local government county and, throughout Scotland, under the Local Government (Scotland) Act 1889, county boundaries had been redefined for all purposes except parliamentary representation. 26 years were to elapse before constituency boundaries were redrawn, by the Representation of the People Act 1918, to take account of new local government boundaries.

In 1918, the Bute and Northern Ayrshire county constituency was created, to cover the county of Bute and a northern portion of the county of Ayr. The rest of the county of Ayr was divided between three other constituencies, all entirely within the county: the county constituencies of South Ayrshire and Kilmarnock, and a remodelled Ayr Burghs.

Members of Parliament

MPs 1708 to 1832

	Member	Party
1708	Dugald Stewart
1710	John Montgomerie
1710	none
1713	John Campbell, later Duke of Argyll	Whig
1715	none
1722	Patrick Campbell
1727	none
1734	Patrick Campbell
1741	none
1747	James Stuart-Mackenzie
1754	none
1761	James Stuart I
1762	Henry Wauchope
1768	none
1774	James Stuart II (later Stuart-Wortley-Mackenzie)
1780	none
1784	James Stuart II
1790	none
1796	Frederick Stuart
1802	none
1806	James Stuart-Wortley-Mackenzie
1807	none
1812	John Marjoribanks^[6]
1818	none
1820	Lord Patrick Crichton-Stuart	Whig^[7]
1826	none
1830	Sir William Rae, 3rd Baronet	Tory^[8]
1831	none

MPs 1832 to 1918

Election		Member	Party
	1832	Charles Stuart	Conservative
	1833 by-election	Sir William Rae	Conservative
	1842 by-election	James Stuart-Wortley	Conservative
	1852	James Stuart-Wortley	Peelite^[9]^[10]^[11]
	1859	David Mure	Conservative
	1865 by-election	George Boyle	Conservative
	1865	James Lamont	Liberal
	1868	Charles Dalrymple	Conservative
	1880	Thomas Russell	Liberal
	1880 by-election	Charles Dalrymple	Conservative
	1885	James Robertson	Conservative
	1891 by-election	Andrew Murray	Conservative
	1905	Norman Lamont	Liberal
	January 1910	Sir Harry Hope	Conservative
1918		constituency abolished

Election results

Elections in the 1830s

General election 1830: Buteshire^[8]^[12]
Party		Candidate	Votes
	Tory	William Rae	Unopposed
Registered electors			21
	Tory gain from Nonpartisan

Gain from Non Partisan at Caithness, which returned the 1826 MP as this seat's alternating pair

For the 1831 election, Caithness returned the MP.

General election 1832: Buteshire^[8]^[13]
Party		Candidate	Votes
	Tory	Charles Stuart	Unopposed
Registered electors			279
	Tory win (new seat)

Considered a 'new seat' as the constituency did not elect an MP in 1831

Stuart resigned, causing a by-election.

By-election, 4 September 1833: Buteshire^[8]^[13]
Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Tory	William Rae	Unopposed
	Tory hold

General election 1835: Buteshire^[8]^[13]
Party		Candidate	Votes
	Conservative	William Rae	Unopposed
Registered electors			310
	Conservative hold

General election 1837: Buteshire^[8]^[13]
Party		Candidate	Votes
	Conservative	William Rae	Unopposed
Registered electors			345
	Conservative hold

Elections in the 1840s

General election 1841: Buteshire^[13]
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	William Rae	134	65.0	*N/A*
	Conservative	Henry Dunlop^[14]	72	35.0	N/A
Majority			62	30.0	N/A
Turnout			206	54.2	N/A
Registered electors			380
	Conservative hold		Swing	N/A

Rae was appointed Lord Advocate, requiring a by-election.

By-election, 23 September 1841: Buteshire^[13]
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	William Rae	Unopposed
	Conservative hold

Rae's death caused a by-election.

By-election, 1 December 1842: Buteshire^[13]
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	James Stuart-Wortley	Unopposed
	Conservative hold

Stuart-Wortley was appointed Judge Advocate General of the Armed Forces, requiring a by-election.

By-election, 7 February 1846: Buteshire^[13]
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	James Stuart-Wortley	Unopposed
	Conservative hold

General election 1847: Buteshire^[13]
Party		Candidate	Votes
	Conservative	James Stuart-Wortley	Unopposed
Registered electors			410
	Conservative hold

Elections in the 1850s

General election 1852: Buteshire^[13]
Party		Candidate	Votes
	Peelite	James Stuart-Wortley	Unopposed
Registered electors			491
	Peelite gain from Conservative

Stuart-Wortley was appointed Solicitor General for England and Wales, requiring a by-election.

By-election, 12 February 1857: Buteshire^[13]
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Peelite	James Stuart-Wortley	Unopposed
	Peelite hold

General election 1857: Buteshire^[13]
Party		Candidate	Votes
	Peelite	James Stuart-Wortley	Unopposed
Registered electors			489
	Peelite hold

General election 1859: Buteshire^[13]
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	David Mure	138	51.7	*N/A*
	Liberal	James Lamont	129	48.3	N/A
Majority			9	3.4	N/A
Turnout			267	55.7	N/A
Registered electors			479
	Conservative gain from Peelite		Swing	N/A

Elections in the 1860s

Mure's appointment as a Senator of the College of Justice, becoming Lord Mure, caused a by-election.

By-election, 16 Feb 1865: Buteshire^[13]
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	George Boyle	205	51.9	+0.2
	Liberal	James Lamont	190	48.1	−0.2
Majority			15	3.8	+0.4
Turnout			395	77.0	+21.3
Registered electors			513
	Conservative hold		Swing

General election 1865: Buteshire^[13]
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Liberal	James Lamont	203	51.4	+3.1
	Conservative	George Boyle	192	48.6	−3.1
Majority			11	2.8	N/A
Turnout			395	77.0	+21.3
Registered electors			513
	Liberal gain from Conservative		Swing

General election 1868: Buteshire^[15]^[13]
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	Charles Dalrymple	527	59.3	+10.7
	Liberal	John William Burns^[16]	362	40.7	−10.7
Majority			165	18.6	N/A
Turnout			889	82.9	+5.9
Registered electors			1,073
	Conservative gain from Liberal		Swing	+10.7

Elections in the 1870s

General election 1874: Buteshire^[13]
Party		Candidate	Votes
	Conservative	Charles Dalrymple	Unopposed
Registered electors			1,113
	Conservative hold

Elections in the 1880s

General election 1880: Buteshire^[13]
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Liberal	Thomas Russell	568	50.8	*New*
	Conservative	Charles Dalrymple	551	49.2	N/A
Majority			17	1.6	N/A
Turnout			1,119	85.4	N/A
Registered electors			1,311
	Liberal gain from Conservative		Swing	N/A

Russell was disqualified due to his holding of a government contract at the time of the election, causing a by-election.

By-election, 6 Jul 1880: Buteshire^[13]
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	Charles Dalrymple	585	52.0	+2.8
	Liberal	Thomas Russell	540	48.0	−2.8
Majority			45	4.0	N/A
Turnout			1,125	85.8	+0.4
Registered electors			1,311
	Conservative gain from Liberal		Swing	N/A

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

By-election, 3 Jul 1885: Buteshire^[13]
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	Charles Dalrymple	Unopposed
	Conservative gain from Liberal

General election 1885: Buteshire^[17]^[18]
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	James Robertson	1,374	55.8	+6.6
	Liberal	Robert Allan Maclean	1,090	44.2	−6.6
Majority			284	11.6	N/A
Turnout			2,464	83.7	−1.7
Registered electors			2,943
	Conservative gain from Liberal		Swing	+6.6

General election 1886: Buteshire^[17]^[18]
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	James Robertson	1,364	62.5	+6.7
	Liberal	Nigel MacNeill	819	37.5	−6.7
Majority			545	25.0	+13.4
Turnout			2,183	74.2	−9.5
Registered electors			2,943
	Conservative hold		Swing	+6.7

Robertson was appointed as Solicitor General for Scotland, requiring a by-election.

By-election, 12 Aug 1886: Buteshire^[18]^[17]
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	James Robertson	Unopposed
	Conservative hold

Elections in the 1890s

1891 Buteshire by-election^[19]^[18]
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	Andrew Murray	1,335	57.4	−5.1
	Liberal	John McCulloch^[20]	990	42.6	+5.1
Majority			345	14.8	−10.2
Turnout			2,325	73.6	−0.6
Registered electors			3,159
	Conservative hold

General election 1892: Buteshire^[21]^[18]
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	Andrew Murray	1,466	59.1	−3.4
	Liberal	Robert Earle M Smith	1,013	40.9	+3.4
Majority			453	18.2	−6.8
Turnout			2,479	77.6	+3.4
Registered electors			3,195
	Conservative hold		Swing	+1.7

General election 1895: Buteshire^[22]^[18]
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	Andrew Murray	Unopposed
	Conservative hold

Elections in the 1900s

General election 1900: Buteshire^[22]^[18]
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	Andrew Murray	1,241	54.3	*N/A*
	Liberal	Norman Lamont	1,046	45.7	New
Majority			195	8.6	N/A
Turnout			2,287	67.0	N/A
Registered electors			3,412
	Conservative hold		Swing	N/A

1905 Buteshire by-election^[18]
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Liberal	Norman Lamont	1,460	50.6	+4.9
	Liberal Unionist	Edward Theodore Salvesen	1,426	49.4	−4.9
Majority			34	1.2	N/A
Turnout			2,886	80.7	+13.7
Registered electors			3,578
	Liberal gain from Conservative		Swing	+4.9

General election 1906: Buteshire^[18]^[23]
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Liberal	Norman Lamont	1,637	51.9	+6.2
	Conservative	Guy Thomas Speir	1,517	48.1	−6.2
Majority			120	3.8	N/A
Turnout			3,154	82.7	+15.7
Registered electors			3,816
	Liberal gain from Conservative		Swing	+6.2

Elections in the 1910s

General election January 1910: Buteshire^[24]^[18]
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	Harry Hope	1,531	52.7	+4.6
	Liberal	Norman Lamont	1,372	47.3	−4.6
Majority			159	5.4	N/A
Turnout			2,903	81.5	−1.2
	Conservative gain from Liberal		Swing

General election December 1910: Buteshire^[18]^[24]
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	Harry Hope	1,569	54.4	+1.7
	Liberal	Edward Mitchell	1,316	45.6	−1.7
Majority			253	8.8	+3.4
Turnout			2,885	81.9	+0.4
	Conservative hold		Swing	+1.7

References

^ "Buteshire". History of Parliament Online (1690-1715). Retrieved 27 March 2019.
^ "Buteshire". History of Parliament Online (1715-1754). Retrieved 27 March 2019.
^ "Buteshire". History of Parliament Online (1754-1790). Retrieved 27 March 2019.
^ "Buteshire". History of Parliament Online (1790-1820). Retrieved 27 March 2019.
^ "Buteshire". History of Parliament Online (1820-1832). Retrieved 27 March 2019.
^ Marjoribanks,Roger (2014) "Edinburgh Portrait, Sir John Marjoribanks , Bart, MP (1763–1833)" The Book of the Edinburgh Club, Volume 10, Pp 151-156, ISBN 0-9517284-9-0
^ Escott, Margaret. "CRICHTON STUART, Lord Patrick James Herbert (1794-1859), of Rosemount, nr. Kilmarnock, Ayr and Cardiff Castle, Glam". The History of Parliament. Retrieved 8 May 2020.
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f Stooks Smith, Henry (1842). The Register of Parliamentary Contested Elections: Containing the Uncontested Elections Since 1830. London: Simpkin, Marshall, & Co. pp. 197–198. Retrieved 8 May 2020 – via Google Books.
^ "Montrose, Arbroath, and Brechin Review". 23 July 1852. p. 3. Retrieved 11 September 2018 – via British Newspaper Archive.
^ Taylor, James (2013). Boardroom Scandal: The Criminalization of Company Fraud in Nineteenth-Century Britain. Oxford: Oxford University Press. p. 99. ISBN 978-0-19-969579-9. Retrieved 11 September 2018 – via Google Books.
^ Foot, M. R. D., ed. (1968). The Gladstone Diaries: Volume One: 1825 - 1832. Oxford: Clarendon Press. p. 586. ISBN 0-19-821370-0. Retrieved 11 September 2018 – via Google Books.
^ Fisher, David R. "Buteshire". The History of Parliament. Retrieved 8 May 2020.
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f ^g ^h ⁱ ^j ^k ^l ^m ⁿ ^o ^p ^q ^r ^s ^t 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.
^ "Northern Warder and General Advertiser for the Counties of Fife, Perth and Forfar". 13 July 1841. p. 4. Retrieved 18 August 2019 – via British Newspaper Archive.
^ Debrett's House of Commons, 1870
^ "To the Electors of the County of Bute". Greenock Telegraph and Clyde Shipping Gazette. 7 November 1868. p. 2. Retrieved 31 January 2018 – via British Newspaper Archive.
^ ^a ^b ^c Debrett's House of Commons and the Judicial Bench, 1889
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f ^g ^h ⁱ ^j ^k British Parliamentary Election Results 1885-1918, FWS Craig
^ The Liberal Year Book, 1908
^ "Representation of Buteshire". South Wales Echo. 6 October 1891. p. 3. Retrieved 16 December 2017 – via British Newspaper Archive.
^ Whitaker's Almanack, 1893
^ ^a ^b Debrett's House of Commons and the Judicial Bench, 1901
^ Whitaker's Almanack, 1907
^ ^a ^b Debrett's House of Commons and the Judicial Bench, 1916

Sources

Leigh Rayment's Historical List of MPs – Constituencies beginning with "B" (part 6)

[HOP1690-1] "Buteshire". History of Parliament Online (1690-1715). Retrieved 27 March 2019.

[HOP1715-2] "Buteshire". History of Parliament Online (1715-1754). Retrieved 27 March 2019.

[HOP1754-3] "Buteshire". History of Parliament Online (1754-1790). Retrieved 27 March 2019.

[HOP1790-4] "Buteshire". History of Parliament Online (1790-1820). Retrieved 27 March 2019.

[HOP1820-5] "Buteshire". History of Parliament Online (1820-1832). Retrieved 27 March 2019.

[6] Marjoribanks,Roger (2014) "Edinburgh Portrait, Sir John Marjoribanks , Bart, MP (1763–1833)" The Book of the Edinburgh Club, Volume 10, Pp 151-156, ISBN 0-9517284-9-0

[7] Escott, Margaret. "CRICHTON STUART, Lord Patrick James Herbert (1794-1859), of Rosemount, nr. Kilmarnock, Ayr and Cardiff Castle, Glam". The History of Parliament. Retrieved 8 May 2020.

[stookssmith1842-8] ^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f Stooks Smith, Henry (1842). The Register of Parliamentary Contested Elections: Containing the Uncontested Elections Since 1830. London: Simpkin, Marshall, & Co. pp. 197–198. Retrieved 8 May 2020 – via Google Books.

[9] "Montrose, Arbroath, and Brechin Review". 23 July 1852. p. 3. Retrieved 11 September 2018 – via British Newspaper Archive.

[10] Taylor, James (2013). Boardroom Scandal: The Criminalization of Company Fraud in Nineteenth-Century Britain. Oxford: Oxford University Press. p. 99. ISBN 978-0-19-969579-9. Retrieved 11 September 2018 – via Google Books.

[11] Foot, M. R. D., ed. (1968). The Gladstone Diaries: Volume One: 1825 - 1832. Oxford: Clarendon Press. p. 586. ISBN 0-19-821370-0. Retrieved 11 September 2018 – via Google Books.

[hop1820-1832-12] Fisher, David R. "Buteshire". The History of Parliament. Retrieved 8 May 2020.

[craig1832-13] ^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f ^g ^h ⁱ ^j ^k ^l ^m ⁿ ^o ^p ^q ^r ^s ^t 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.

[14] "Northern Warder and General Advertiser for the Counties of Fife, Perth and Forfar". 13 July 1841. p. 4. Retrieved 18 August 2019 – via British Newspaper Archive.

[Debrett's_House_of_Commons,_1870-15] Debrett's House of Commons, 1870

[16] "To the Electors of the County of Bute". Greenock Telegraph and Clyde Shipping Gazette. 7 November 1868. p. 2. Retrieved 31 January 2018 – via British Newspaper Archive.

[ReferenceA-17] Debrett's House of Commons and the Judicial Bench, 1889

[ReferenceCraig85-18-18] ^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f ^g ^h ⁱ ^j ^k British Parliamentary Election Results 1885-1918, FWS Craig

[19] The Liberal Year Book, 1908

[20] "Representation of Buteshire". South Wales Echo. 6 October 1891. p. 3. Retrieved 16 December 2017 – via British Newspaper Archive.

[Whitaker's_Almanack,_1893-21] Whitaker's Almanack, 1893

[ReferenceB-22] Debrett's House of Commons and the Judicial Bench, 1901

[Whitaker's_Almanack,_1907-23] Whitaker's Almanack, 1907

[Debrett's1916-24] Debrett's House of Commons and the Judicial Bench, 1916

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