Inverness Burghs (UK Parliament constituency)

Inverness Burghs was a district of burghs constituency of the House of Commons of the Parliament of Great Britain (at Westminster) from 1708 to 1801 and of the Parliament of the United Kingdom (also at Westminster) from 1801 to 1918. It elected one Member of Parliament (MP).

Inverness Burghs
Former district of burghs constituency for the House of Commons
Major settlements	Inverness, Fortrose, Forres, Nairn
1708–1918
Seats	One
Created from	Inverness, Forres, Fortrose and Nairn
Replaced by	Inverness, Moray and Nairn and Ross and Cromarty

There was also, 1708 to 1918, the Inverness-shire constituency, which was, as its name implies, a county constituency.

Creation

The British parliamentary constituency was created in 1708 following the Acts of Union, 1707 and replaced the former Parliament of Scotland burgh constituencies of Inverness, Forres, Fortrose and Nairn.

Boundaries

As first used in the 1708 general election Inverness Burghs consisted of four burghs: Inverness in the county of Inverness, Fortrose in the county of Ross, Forres in the county of Elgin and Nairn in the county of Nairn.

History

The constituency elected one Member of Parliament (MP) by the first past the post system until the seat was abolished for the 1918 general election.^{[1] [2] [3] [4] [5]}

For the 1832 general election, as a result of the Representation of the People (Scotland) Act 1832, the boundaries of burghs for parliamentary election purposes ceased to be necessarily those for other purposes.

In 1918, as a result of the Representation of the People Act 1918, the component burghs of Inverness Burghs were merged into three different county constituencies: Inverness into the Inverness constituency, Forres and Nairn into the Moray and Nairn constituency and Fortrose into the Ross and Cromarty constituency. By this date, the county of Elgin had become the county of Moray and the county of Ross had been merged with the county of Cromarty to form the county of Ross and Cromarty.

Members of Parliament

Elected		Member	Party
	1708	Alexander Duff
	1710	George Mackenzie
	1713	William Steuart
	1722	Alexander Gordon
	1722 election petition	Duncan Forbes
	1737 by-election	Duncan Urquhart
	1741	Kenneth Mackenzie
	1747	Alexander Brodie
	1754	John Campbell
	1761	Sir Alexander Grant, Bt
	1768	Sir Hector Munro
	1802	Alexander Cumming-Gordon
	1803 by-election	George Cumming
	1806	Francis Ogilvy-Grant
	1807	Peter Baillie
	1811 by-election	Charles Grant
	1818	George Cumming	Tory
	1826	Robert Grant	Whig
	1830	John Baillie	Tory[6]
	1831	Charles Cumming-Bruce	Tory[6]
	1832	John Baillie	Tory[6]
	1833 by-election	Charles Cumming-Bruce	Tory[6]
	1834		Conservative[6]
	1837	Roderick Macleod	Whig[6][7]
	1840 by-election	James Morrison	Whig[6][8][9]
	1847	Alexander Matheson	Whig[10]
	1859 change		Liberal
	1868	Aeneas William Mackintosh	Liberal
	1874	Charles Fraser-Mackintosh	Independent Liberal
	1880	Liberal
	1885	Robert Finlay	Liberal
	1886 change		Liberal Unionist
	1892	Gilbert Beith	Liberal
	1895	Robert Finlay	Liberal Unionist
	1906	John Annan Bryce	Liberal
1918		constituency abolished

Election results

The original electoral system for this constituency gave each of the four burghs one vote, with an additional casting vote (to break ties) for the burgh where the election was held. The place of election rotated amongst the burghs in successive Parliaments. The vote of a burgh was exercised by a burgh commissioner, who was elected by the burgh councillors.

The first direct election in Inverness Burghs was in 1832. The votes from qualified electors, in each burgh, were added together to establish the result.

Unless otherwise indicated, the primary source for the results was Craig. Candidates identified by Craig as Conservatives, in the 1832-1835 Parliament, are listed as Tories. In results for elections before the formal creation of the Liberal Party, shortly after the 1859 general election, candidates identified by Craig as Liberals are divided into Whigs and Radicals following Stooks Smith. Craig's registered electorate and vote figures are sometimes different from those of Stooks Smith, but Craig's figures are used below. For details of the books of Craig and Stooks Smith, see the Reference section below.

In terms of change in % votes and swing, the Conservative candidate in 1835 is related to his performance as the Tory candidate in the 1833 by-election. As there were two Tory candidates in 1832, no swing figure was calculated for the 1833 by-election.

1760s – 1830s – 1840s – 1850s – 1860s – 1870s – 1880s – 1890s – 1900s – 1910s

Elections in the 1760s

This is an example of a contested election, before the extension of the franchise in 1832. The election took place in Fortrose, so that burgh's commissioner had the casting vote which decided the election.

General election 11 April 1768: Inverness Burghs (election at Fortrose)^[11]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Nonpartisan	Hector Munro	3 Fortrose, Nairn	60.0	N/A
	Nonpartisan	Alexander Grant	2 Forres, Inverness	40.0	N/A
Majority			1	20.0	N/A
Turnout			5 (4 electors)	100.0	N/A
	Nonpartisan hold		Swing	N/A

Elections in the 1830s

General election 1830: Inverness Burghs^[12][13]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Tory	John Baillie	Unopposed
Registered electors			c. 72
	Tory gain from Whig

General election 1831: Inverness Burghs^[12][13]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Tory	Charles Cumming-Bruce	Unopposed
Registered electors			c. 72
	Tory hold

General election 1832: Inverness Burghs^[14][6]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Tory	John Baillie	250	36.2
	Whig	John Stewart (candidate)	243	35.2
	Tory	Charles Cumming-Bruce	193	27.9
	Radical	Robert Fraser (candidate)	6	0.9
Majority			7	1.0
Turnout			691	96.6
Registered electors			715
	Tory hold

• Death of Baillie in April 1833

By-election, 17 May 1833: Inverness Burghs^[14][6]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Tory	Charles Cumming-Bruce	357	55.2	−8.9
	Whig	John Stewart (candidate)	290	44.8	+9.6
Majority			67	10.4	+9.4
Turnout			647	90.9	−5.7
Registered electors			712
	Tory hold		Swing	−9.3

General election 1835: Inverness Burghs^[14][6]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	Charles Cumming-Bruce	344	50.3	−13.8
	Whig	Edward Ellice	340	49.7	+14.5
Majority			4	0.6	−0.4
Turnout			684	90.4	−6.2
Registered electors			757
	Conservative hold		Swing	−14.2

General election 1837: Inverness Burghs^[14][6]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Whig	Roderick Macleod	336	51.5	+1.8
	Conservative	Sir James John Randoll Mackenzie, 6th Baronet	317	48.5	−1.8
Majority			19	3.0	N/A
Turnout			653	93.4	+3.0
Registered electors			699
	Whig gain from Conservative		Swing	+1.8

Elections of the 1840s

• Resignation of Macleod in March 1840

By-election, 4 March 1840: Inverness Burghs^[14][6]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Whig	James Morrison	353	53.5	+2.0
	Conservative	John Fraser	307	46.5	−2.0
Majority			46	7.0	+4.0
Turnout			660	87.2	−6.2
Registered electors			757
	Whig hold		Swing	+2.0

General election 1841: Inverness Burghs^[14][6]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Whig	James Morrison	Unopposed
Registered electors			757
	Whig hold

General election 1847: Inverness Burghs^[14]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Whig	Alexander Matheson	280	58.5	N/A
	Radical	Richard Hartley Kennedy	199	41.5	N/A
Majority			81	17.0	N/A
Turnout			479	62.1	N/A
Registered electors			771
	Whig hold		Swing	N/A

Elections of the 1850s

General election 1852: Inverness Burghs^[14]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Whig	Alexander Matheson	Unopposed
Registered electors			825
	Whig hold

General election 1857: Inverness Burghs^[14]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Whig	Alexander Matheson	382	53.3	N/A
	Conservative	Alexander Campbell Cameron	335	46.7	New
Majority			47	6.6	N/A
Turnout			717	84.0	N/A
Registered electors			854
	Whig hold		Swing	N/A

General election 1859: Inverness Burghs^[14]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Liberal	Alexander Matheson	410	57.2	+3.9
	Conservative	Alexander Campbell Cameron	307	42.8	−3.9
Majority			103	14.4	+7.8
Turnout			717	82.0	−2.0
Registered electors			874
	Liberal hold		Swing	+3.9

Elections of the 1860s

General election 1865: Inverness Burghs^[14]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Liberal	Alexander Matheson	Unopposed
Registered electors			1,022
	Liberal hold

General election 1868: Inverness Burghs^[14]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Liberal	Aeneas Mackintosh	Unopposed
Registered electors			1,995
	Liberal hold

Elections of the 1870s

General election 1874: Inverness Burghs^[14]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Independent Liberal	Charles Fraser-Mackintosh[15]	1,134	55.9	New
	Liberal	Aeneas William Mackintosh	879	43.3	N/A
	Conservative	Angus Mackintosh[16]	16	0.8	New
Majority			255	12.6	N/A
Turnout			2,029	83.9	N/A
Registered electors			2,419
	Independent Liberal gain from Liberal		Swing	N/A

Elections in the 1880s

General election 1880: Inverness Burghs^[14]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Liberal	Charles Fraser-Mackintosh	Unopposed
Registered electors			2,990
	Liberal gain from Independent Liberal

General election 1885: Inverness Burghs^[17]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Liberal	Robert Finlay	1,709	52.5	N/A
	Independent Liberal (Crofters)	Walter McLaren	1,546	47.5	New
Majority			163	5.0	N/A
Turnout			3,255	91.5	N/A
Registered electors			3,556
	Liberal hold		Swing	N/A

• Note (1886): Shortly before the 1886 general election, the Liberal Party split. Finlay joined the new Liberal Unionist Party.

General election 1886: Inverness Burghs^[17]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Liberal Unionist	Robert Finlay	1,619	54.6	+2.1
	Liberal	Robert Peel	1,346	45.4	−7.1
Majority			273	9.2	N/A
Turnout			2,965	83.4	−8.1
Registered electors			3,556
	Liberal Unionist gain from Liberal		Swing	N/A

Elections of the 1890s

General election 1892: Inverness Burghs^[17]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Liberal	Gilbert Beith	1,615	50.8	+5.4
	Liberal Unionist	Robert Finlay	1,562	49.2	−5.4
Majority			53	1.6	N/A
Turnout			3,177	85.3	+1.9
Registered electors			3,724
	Liberal gain from Liberal Unionist		Swing	+5.4

General election 1895: Inverness Burghs^[17]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Liberal Unionist	Robert Finlay	1,846	53.6	+4.4
	Liberal	Henry Bell	1,596	46.4	−4.4
Majority			250	7.2	N/A
Turnout			3,442	86.6	+1.3
Registered electors			3,974
	Liberal Unionist gain from Liberal		Swing	+4.4

• Seat vacated on the appointment of Finlay as Solicitor General for England and Wales

1895 Inverness Burghs by-election^[17]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Liberal Unionist	Robert Finlay	Unopposed
	Liberal Unionist hold

Elections of the 1900s

General election 1900: Inverness Burghs

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Liberal Unionist	Robert Finlay	1,829	55.5	+1.9
	Liberal	J.A. Duncan	1,469	44.5	−1.9
Majority			360	11.0	+3.8
Turnout			3,298	80.7	−5.9
Registered electors			4,085
	Liberal Unionist hold		Swing	+1.9

• Note (1900): Change and swing figures are calculated from the 1895 general election.

General election 1906: Inverness Burghs

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Liberal	John Annan Bryce	2,304	56.9	+12.4
	Liberal Unionist	Robert Finlay	1,746	43.1	−12.4
Majority			558	13.8	N/A
Turnout			4,050	89.1	+8.4
Registered electors			4,547
	Liberal gain from Liberal Unionist		Swing	+12.4

Elections of the 1910s

General election January 1910: Inverness Burghs

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Liberal	John Annan Bryce	2,440	59.7	+2.8
	Liberal Unionist	Torrance McMicking	1,650	40.3	−2.8
Majority			790	19.4	+5.6
Turnout			4,090	89.9	+0.8
	Liberal hold		Swing	+2.8

General election December 1910: Inverness Burghs

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Liberal	John Annan Bryce	2,367	56.6	−3.1
	Liberal Unionist	P.J. Ford	1,812	43.4	+3.1
Majority			555	13.2	−6.2
Turnout			4,179	88.6	−1.3
	Liberal hold		Swing	-3.1

• Constituency abolished (1918)

Notes

1. "Inverness Burghs". History of Parliament Online (1690-1715). Retrieved 27 March 2019.
2. "Inverness Burghs". History of Parliament Online (1715-1754). Retrieved 27 March 2019.
3. "Inverness Burghs". History of Parliament Online (1754-1790). Retrieved 27 March 2019.
4. "Inverness Burghs". History of Parliament Online (1790-1820). Retrieved 27 March 2019.
5. "Inverness Burghs". History of Parliament Online (1820-1832). Retrieved 27 March 2019.
6. Smith, Henry Stooks (1842). The Register of Parliamentary Contested Elections (Second ed.). Simpkin, Marshall & Company. p. 204. Retrieved 2 September 2018.
7. Fisher, David R. "MACLEOD, Roderick (1786–1853), of Cadboll and Invergordon Castle, Ross and Cromarty". The History of Parliament. Retrieved 16 August 2019.
8. Stooks Smith, Henry (1845). The Parliaments of England, from 1st George I., to the Present Time. Vol II: Oxfordshire to Wales Inclusive. London: Simpkin, Marshall, & Co. pp. 58–61. Retrieved 11 November 2018 – via Google Books.
9. "Roscommon and Leitrim Gazette". 21 March 1840. p. 1. Retrieved 16 August 2019 – via British Newspaper Archive.
10. "The Local Elections". Forres Elgin and Nairn Gazette, Northern Review and Advertiser. 3 August 1847. p. 2. Retrieved 2 September 2018 – via British Newspaper Archive.
11. The House of Commons 1754-1790
12. Fisher, David R. "Inverness Burghs". The History of Parliament. Retrieved 7 May 2020.
13. Cook, Chris; Stevenson, John (1980). British Historical Facts 1760-1830. Basingstoke: Palgrave. p. 58. doi:10.1007/978-1-137-06465-3. ISBN 978-1-137-06465-3. Retrieved 7 May 2020 – via Google Books.
14. 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.
15. "The General Elections". Paisley Herald and Renfrewshire Advertiser. 14 February 1874. p. 1. Retrieved 1 January 2018 – via British Newspaper Archive.
16. "Inverness Burghs". Dundee Courier. 20 April 1874. p. 2. Retrieved 1 January 2018 – via British Newspaper Archive.
17. Craig, FWS, ed. (1974). British Parliamentary Election Results: 1885-1918. London: Macmillan Press. ISBN 9781349022984.

References

• Boundaries of Parliamentary Constituencies 1885-1972, compiled and edited by F.W.S. Craig (Parliamentary Reference Publications 1972)
• British Parliamentary Election Results 1832-1885, compiled and edited by F.W.S. Craig (Macmillan Press 1977)
• British Parliamentary Election Results 1885-1918, compiled and edited by F.W.S. Craig (Macmillan Press 1974)
• The House of Commons 1754-1790, by Sir Lewis Namier and John Brooke (HMSO 1964)
• The Parliaments of England by Henry Stooks Smith (1st edition published in three volumes 1844–50), second edition edited (in one volume) by F.W.S. Craig (Political Reference Publications 1973)
• Who's Who of British Members of Parliament: Volume I 1832-1885, edited by M. Stenton (The Harvester Press 1976)
• Who's Who of British Members of Parliament, Volume II 1886-1918, edited by M. Stenton and S. Lees (Harvester Press 1978)
• Leigh Rayment's Historical List of MPs – Constituencies beginning with "I"

See also

• Former United Kingdom Parliament constituencies