Forfarshire (UK Parliament constituency)

Forfarshire was a Scottish county constituency represented in the House of Commons of Great Britain from 1708 until 1800, and then in the House of Commons of the United Kingdom until 1950.

Forfarshire
Former county constituency for the House of Commons
Subdivisions of Scotland	Forfarshire
1708–1950
Seats	One
Created from	Forfarshire
Replaced by	North Angus & Mearns South Angus

It elected one Member of Parliament (MP) using the first-past-the-post voting system.

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 Forfarshire.

Boundaries

The Representation of the People Act 1918 defined the constituency as consisting of the county of Forfar, except the county of the city of Dundee and the burghs of Montrose, Arbroath, Brechin, and Forfar. The four excepted burghs formed part of the Montrose District of Burghs.^[1]

The county of Forfarshire was renamed Angus in 1928.^[2] However, no change was made in the name of the constituency prior to its abolition.

History

The constituency elected one Member of Parliament (MP) by the first-past-the-post system until the seat was abolished for the 1950 general election.^{[3][4][5][6][7]}

The constituency was abolished under the Representation of the People Act 1948, which reorganised parliamentary boundaries throughout the United Kingdom. The seat was divided between North Angus and Mearns (which also included Kincardineshire) and South Angus.^[8]

Members of Parliament

Election		Member[9]	Party
	1708	John Carnegie (expelled)
	1716 by-election	James Scott
	1733 by-election	Robert Scott
	1734	Thomas Lyon, later Earl of Strathmore
	1735 by-election	William Maule, Earl Panmure (from 1743)
	1782 by-election	Archibald Douglas	Tory
	1790	David Scott
	1796 by-election	William Maule, later Baron Panmure
	1796	Sir David Carnegie
	1805 by-election	William Maule, later Baron Panmure	Whig[10][11]
	1831 by-election	Donald Ogilvy (Unseated on petition Jan 1832)	Whig[10]
	January 1832	Lord Douglas Gordon-Hallyburton	Whig[10][12]
	1841	Lord Frederick Gordon-Hallyburton	Whig[10][13]
	1852	Lauderdale Maule	Whig[14]
	1854 by-election	Adam Duncan, Viscount Duncan, later Earl of Camperdown	Whig[15][16][17][18]
	1859		Liberal
	1860 by-election	Charles Carnegie	Liberal
	1872 by-election	James William Barclay	Liberal
	1886		Liberal Unionist
	1892	Sir John Rigby, QC	Liberal
	1894	Charles Maule Ramsay Conservative	Liberal Unionist
	1895	Martin White	Liberal
	1897 by-election	John Sinclair, later Baron Pentland	Liberal
	1909 by-election	James Falconer	Liberal
	1918	William T. Shaw	Unionist
	1922	James Falconer	Liberal
	1924	Sir Harry Hope	Unionist
	1931	William T. Shaw	Unionist
	1945	Simon Ramsay, later Earl of Dalhousie	Unionist
1950		constituency abolished

Election results

Elections in the 1830s

General election 1830: Forfarshire^[10][19]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Whig	William Maule	Unopposed
Registered electors			124
	Whig hold

General election 1831: Forfarshire^[10][19]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Whig	William Maule	Unopposed
Registered electors			124
	Whig hold

Maule was elevated to the peerage, becoming 1st Baron Panmure and causing a by-election.

By-election, 3 October 1831: Forfarshire^[10][19]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Whig	Donald Ogilvy	46	51.1
	Whig	Douglas Gordon-Hallyburton	44	48.9
Majority			2	2.2
Turnout			90	72.6
Registered electors			124
	Whig hold

• On petition, Ogilvy was unseated in favour of Gordon-Hallyburton

General election 1832: Forfarshire^[10][20]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Whig	Douglas Gordon-Hallyburton	Unopposed
Registered electors			1,241
	Whig hold

General election 1835: Forfarshire^[10][20]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Whig	Douglas Gordon-Hallyburton	625	58.4
	Conservative	John Stuart-Wortley	446	41.6
Majority			179	16.8
Turnout			1,071	75.4
Registered electors			1,421
	Whig hold

General election 1837: Forfarshire^[10][20]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Whig	Douglas Gordon-Hallyburton	Unopposed
Registered electors			1,790
	Whig hold

Elections in the 1840s

General election 1841: Forfarshire^[20]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Whig	Frederick Gordon	Unopposed
Registered electors			1,979
	Whig hold

General election 1847: Forfarshire^[20]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Whig	Frederick Gordon-Hallyburton	Unopposed
Registered electors			2,540
	Whig hold

Elections in the 1850s

General election 1852: Forfarshire^[20]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Whig	Lauderdale Maule	Unopposed
Registered electors			2,873
	Whig hold

Maule was appointed Surveyor-General of the Ordnance, requiring a by-election.

By-election, 25 February 1853: Forfarshire^[20]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Whig	Lauderdale Maule	Unopposed
	Whig hold

Maule's death caused a by-election.

By-election, 11 October 1854: Forfarshire^[20]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Whig	Adam Haldane-Duncan	Unopposed
	Whig hold

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

By-election, 10 March 1855: Forfarshire^[20]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Whig	Adam Haldane-Duncan	Unopposed
	Whig hold

General election 1857: Forfarshire^[20]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Whig	Adam Haldane-Duncan	Unopposed
Registered electors			3,288
	Whig hold

General election 1859: Forfarshire^[20]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Liberal	Adam Haldane-Duncan	Unopposed
Registered electors			3,421
	Liberal hold

Elections in the 1860s

Haldane-Duncan succeeded to the peerage, becoming Earl of Camperdown, and causing a by-election.

By-election, 1 February 1860: Forfarshire^[20]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Liberal	Charles Carnegie	Unopposed
	Liberal hold

General election 1865: Forfarshire^[20]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Liberal	Charles Carnegie	Unopposed
Registered electors			2,108
	Liberal hold

General election 1868: Forfarshire^[20]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Liberal	Charles Carnegie	Unopposed
Registered electors			3,379
	Liberal hold

Elections in the 1870s

Carnegie resigned after being appointed Inspector of Constabulary for Scotland.

By-election, 16 Dec 1872: Forfarshire^[20]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Liberal	James William Barclay	1,481	56.8	N/A
	Conservative	James Ramsay	1,128	43.2	New
Majority			353	13.6	N/A
Turnout			2,609	72.4	N/A
Registered electors			3,603
	Liberal hold

General election 1874: Forfarshire^[20]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Liberal	James William Barclay	Unopposed
Registered electors			3,619
	Liberal hold

Elections in the 1880s

General election 1880: Forfarshire^[20][21]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Liberal	James William Barclay	Unopposed
Registered electors			3,634
	Liberal hold

General election 1885: Forfarshire^[22][23]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Liberal	James William Barclay	6,157	76.9	N/A
	Conservative	William Alexander Lindsay	1,851	23.1	New
Majority			4,306	53.8	N/A
Turnout			8,008	71.3	N/A
Registered electors			11,232
	Liberal hold		Swing	N/A

General election 1886: Forfarshire^[22][23]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Liberal Unionist	James William Barclay	3,839	52.8	+29.7
	Liberal	David Charles Guthrie	3,432	47.2	−29.7
Majority			407	5.6	N/A
Turnout			7,271	64.7	−6.6
Registered electors			11,232
	Liberal Unionist gain from Liberal		Swing	+29.7

Elections in the 1890s

General election 1892: Forfarshire^[24][23]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Liberal	John Rigby	4,943	54.8	+7.6
	Liberal Unionist	James William Barclay	4,077	45.2	−7.6
Majority			866	9.6	N/A
Turnout			9,020	79.8	+15.1
Registered electors			11,307
	Liberal gain from Liberal Unionist		Swing	+7.6

Rigby is appointed Solicitor General for England and Wales, requiring a by-election.

By-election, 1892: Forfarshire^[23]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Liberal	John Rigby	Unopposed
	Liberal hold

Rigby resigns after being appointed a Lord Justice of Appeal, triggering a by-election.

1894 Forfarshire by-election^[25][23]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	Charles Maule Ramsay	5,145	51.4	+6.2
	Liberal	Henry Robson	4,859	48.6	−6.2
Majority			286	2.8	N/A
Turnout			10,004	83.3	+3.5
Registered electors			12,010
	Conservative gain from Liberal		Swing	+6.2

General election 1895: Forfarshire^[26][23]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Liberal	Martin White	5,159	52.2	−2.6
	Conservative	Charles Maule Ramsay	4,718	47.8	+2.6
Majority			441	4.4	−5.2
Turnout			9,877	82.2	+2.4
Registered electors			12,010
	Liberal hold		Swing	−2.6

White resigns, triggering a by-election.

Sinclair

1897 Forfarshire by-election^[26][23]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Liberal	John Sinclair	5,423	52.2	0.0
	Conservative	Charles Maule Ramsay	4,965	47.8	0.0
Majority			458	4.4	0.0
Turnout			10,388	85.1	+2.9
Registered electors			12,200
	Liberal hold		Swing	0.0

Elections in the 1900s

General election 1900: Forfarshire^[26][23]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Liberal	John Sinclair	4,962	51.3	−0.9
	Conservative	Charles Maule Ramsay	4,714	48.7	+0.9
Majority			248	2.6	−1.8
Turnout			9,676	78.6	−3.6
Registered electors			12,313
	Liberal hold		Swing	−0.9

General election 1906: Forfarshire^[27][23]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Liberal	John Sinclair	6,796	67.5	+16.2
	Liberal Unionist	J. Mackay Bernard	3,277	32.5	−16.2
Majority			3,519	35.0	+32.4
Turnout			10,073	79.7	+1.1
Registered electors			12,644
	Liberal hold		Swing	+16.2

Falconer

Forfarshire by-election, 1909^[28][23]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Liberal	James Falconer	6,422	61.8	−5.7
	Conservative	Robert Blackburn	3,970	38.2	+5.7
Majority			2,452	23.6	−11.4
Turnout			10,392	81.3	+1.6
Registered electors			12,778
	Liberal hold		Swing	−5.7

Elections in the 1910s

General election January 1910: Forfarshire^[29]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Liberal	James Falconer	6,789	61.3	−6.2
	Conservative	Robert Blackburn	4,284	38.7	+6.2
Majority			2,505	22.6	−12.4
Turnout			11,073
	Liberal hold		Swing	-0.5

General election December 1910: Forfarshire^[29]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Liberal	James Falconer	6,449	59.5	−1.8
	Conservative	James B Duncan	4,397	40.5	+1.8
Majority			2,052	19.0	−3.6
Turnout			10,846
	Liberal hold		Swing	-1.8

General election 1918: Forfarshire^[30][31]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Unionist	William T. Shaw	5,697	52.4	+11.9
	Liberal	James Falconer	5,179	47.6	−11.9
Majority			518	4.8	N/A
Turnout			10,876	44.2
Registered electors			24,611
	Unionist gain from Liberal		Swing	+11.9

Elections in the 1920s

General election 1922: Forfarshire^[30][32]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Liberal	James Falconer	8,567	54.8	+7.2
	Unionist	William T. Shaw	7,071	45.2	−7.2
Majority			1,496	9.6	N/A
Turnout			15,638	65.0	+20.8
Registered electors			24,040
	Liberal gain from Unionist		Swing	+7.2

General election 1923: Forfarshire^[30][33]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Liberal	James Falconer	7,605	52.9	−1.9
	Unionist	William T. Shaw	6,758	47.1	+1.9
Majority			847	5.8	−3.8
Turnout			14,363	60.3	−4.7
Registered electors			23,828
	Liberal hold		Swing	−1.9

General election 1924: Forfarshire^[30][34]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Unionist	Harry Hope	8,022	49.1	+2.0
	Liberal	James Falconer	4,581	28.0	−24.9
	Labour	Charles Gallie	3,736	22.9	New
Majority			3,441	21.1	N/A
Turnout			16,339	68.3	+8.0
Registered electors			23,916
	Unionist gain from Liberal		Swing	+13.5

General election 1929: Forfarshire^[30][35]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Unionist	Harry Hope	8,852	42.2	−6.9
	Liberal	William Scott	6,901	32.8	+4.8
	Labour	Charles Gallie	5,257	25.0	+2.1
Majority			1,951	9.4	−11.7
Turnout			21,010	70.7	+2.4
Registered electors			29,737
	Unionist hold		Swing	−5.9

Elections in the 1930s

General election 1931: Forfarshire^[30][36]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Unionist	William T. Shaw	13,912	61.4	+19.2
	Liberal	William Scott	8,731	38.6	+5.8
Majority			5,181	22.8	+13.4
Turnout			22,643	75.2	+4.5
	Unionist hold		Swing

General election 1935: Forfarshire^[30][37]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Unionist	William T. Shaw	13,505	60.2	−1.2
	Liberal	William Scott	8,922	39.8	+1.2
Majority			4,583	20.4	−2.4
Turnout			22,427	71.5	−3.7
	Unionist hold		Swing	-1.2

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;

• Unionist: William T. Shaw
• Liberal:

General election 1945: Forfarshire^[30]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Unionist	Simon Ramsay	13,615	51.6	−8.6
	Labour	E Douglas	8,199	31.1	New
	Liberal	Philip Fothergill	4,575	17.3	−22.5
Majority			5,416	20.5	+0.1
Turnout			26,389	69.1	−2.4
	Unionist hold		Swing

References

1. Representation of the People Act 1918, Ninth Schedule, Part II, Parliamentary Counties in Scotland
2. "Angus - What's in a name". Angus Council. Archived from the original on 15 April 2008. Retrieved 19 March 2008.
3. "Forfarshire (Angus)". History of Parliament Online (1690-1715). Retrieved 9 July 2019.
4. "Forfarshire (Angus)". History of Parliament Online (1715-1754). Retrieved 9 July 2019.
5. "Forfarshire (Angus)". History of Parliament Online (1754-1790). Retrieved 9 July 2019.
6. "Forfarshire (Angus)". History of Parliament Online (1790-1820). Retrieved 9 July 2019.
7. "Forfarshire (Angus)". History of Parliament Online (1820-1832). Retrieved 9 July 2019.
8. Representation of the People Act 1948, First Schedule, Parliamentary Constituencies, Part III: Scotland
9. Leigh Rayment's Historical List of MPs – Constituencies beginning with "F"
10. Smith, Henry Stooks (1842). The Register of Parliamentary Contested Elections (Second ed.). Simpkin, Marshall & Company. p. 202. Retrieved 11 September 2018 – via Google Books.
11. Escott, Margaret. "MAULE, Hon. William Ramsay (1771-1852), of Panmure and Brechin Castle, Forfar". The History of Parliament. Retrieved 8 May 2020.
12. Churton, Edward (1838). The Assembled Commons or Parliamentary Biographer. p. 109. Retrieved 18 August 2019 – via Google Books.
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14. "County of Forfar". Edinburgh Evening Courant. 17 July 1852. p. 3. Retrieved 14 September 2018 – via British Newspaper Archive.
15. Churton, Edward (1838). The Assembled Commons or Parliamentary Biographer: 1838. p. 75. Retrieved 26 October 2018 – via Google Books.
16. Stooks Smith, Henry. (1973) [1844-1850]. Craig, F. W. S. (ed.). The Parliaments of England (2nd ed.). Chichester: Parliamentary Research Services. pp. 134–136. ISBN 0-900178-13-2.
17. The Annual Register, or a View of the History and Politics, of the Year 1841. J. G. & F. Rivington. 1842. p. 65. Retrieved 8 April 2018 – via Google Books.
18. "South Eastern Gazette". 17 October 1854. p. 2. Retrieved 14 September 2018 – via British Newspaper Archive.
19. Escott, Margaret. "Forfarshire (Angus)". The History of Parliament. Retrieved 8 May 2020.
20. 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.
21. The Times, April 1880.
22. Debrett's House of Commons and the Judicial Bench, 1889
23. Craig, FWS, ed. (1974). British Parliamentary Election Results: 1885-1918. London: Macmillan Press. ISBN 9781349022984.
24. Whitaker's Almanack, 1893
25. "Election Intelligence: Forfarshire". The Times. 20 November 1894. p. 6.
26. Debrett's House of Commons and the Judicial Bench
27. Whitaker's Almanack, 1907
28. The Times, 2 March 1909 p8
29. Debrett's House of Commons and the Judicial Bench illustrated with 500 armorial engravings (PDF). London: Dean & Son. 1918. p. 221. Retrieved 12 May 2009.
30. British Parliamentary Election Results 1918-1949, FWS Craig
31. Whitaker's Almanack, 1920
32. The Times, 17 November 1922
33. The Times, 8 December 1923
34. Oliver & Boyd's Edinburgh Almanac, 1927
35. The Times, 1 June 1929
36. Whitaker's Almanack, 1934
37. Whitaker's Almanack, 1939