Edinburghshire was a county constituency of the House of Commons of the Parliament of Great Britain

Parliament of Great Britain

The Parliament of Great Britain was formed in 1707 following the ratification of the Acts of Union by both the Parliament of England and Parliament of Scotland...

 (at Westminster) from 1708 to 1801 and of the Parliament of the United Kingdom

Parliament of the United Kingdom

The Parliament of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is the supreme legislative body in the United Kingdom, British Crown dependencies and British overseas territories, located in London...

 (also at Westminster) from 1801 to 1918.

It elected one Member of Parliament

Member of Parliament

A Member of Parliament is a representative of the voters to a :parliament. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, the term applies specifically to members of the lower house, as upper houses often have a different title, such as senate, and thus also have different titles for its members,...

 (MP) by the first past the post system of election.

The seat is most famous as the location of William Ewart Gladstone

William Ewart Gladstone

William Ewart Gladstone FRS FSS was a British Liberal statesman. In a career lasting over sixty years, he served as Prime Minister four separate times , more than any other person. Gladstone was also Britain's oldest Prime Minister, 84 years old when he resigned for the last time...

's upset victory in the Midlothian Campaign

Midlothian campaign

The Midlothian campaign was a series of foreign policy speeches given by William Ewart Gladstone. It is often cited as the first modern political campaign. It also set the stage for Gladstone's comeback as a politician...

 of 1880, regarded as the birth of the modern political campaign in the United Kingdom. After Gladstone's victory it became the first non-English

England

England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...

 constituency to be represented by a serving prime minister

Prime Minister of the United Kingdom

The Prime Minister of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is the Head of Her Majesty's Government in the United Kingdom. The Prime Minister and Cabinet are collectively accountable for their policies and actions to the Sovereign, to Parliament, to their political party and...

.

Boundaries

As first used, in 1708 general election

British general election, 1708

The British general election, 1708 returned members to serve in the House of Commons of the 2nd Parliament of Great Britain to be held, after the merger of the Parliament of England and the Parliament of Scotland in 1707.-Summary of the Constituencies:...

 of the Parliament of Great Britain, the constituency covered the county of Edinburgh, except the burgh of Edinburgh, which was covered by the Edinburgh

Edinburgh (UK Parliament constituency)

Edinburgh was a burgh 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 until 1885. Originally a single member constituency, representation was increased to two members in 1832...

 burgh constituency

Burgh constituency

A burgh constituency is a type of parliamentary constituency in Scotland. It is a constituency which is predominantly urban, and on this basis has been designated as a burgh constituency...

. 1708 boundaries were used also for all subsequent elections of that parliament.

In 1801 the Parliament of Ireland

Parliament of Ireland

The Parliament of Ireland was a legislature that existed in Dublin from 1297 until 1800. In its early mediaeval period during the Lordship of Ireland it consisted of either two or three chambers: the House of Commons, elected by a very restricted suffrage, the House of Lords in which the lords...

 was merged with the Parliament of Great Britain to form the Parliament of the United Kingdom . The first general election

General election

In a parliamentary political system, a general election is an election in which all or most members of a given political body are chosen. The term is usually used to refer to elections held for a nation's primary legislative body, as distinguished from by-elections and local elections.The term...

 of the new parliament was the general election of 1802

United Kingdom general election, 1802

The United Kingdom general election, 1802 was the election to the 2nd Parliament of the United Kingdom. It was the first to be held after the formation of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland...

. There was no change to the boundaries of any pre-existing Westminster constituency, and 1802 boundaries were used also in the general elections of 1806

United Kingdom general election, 1806

The United Kingdom general election, 1806 was the election of members to the 3rd Parliament of the United Kingdom. This was the second general election to be held after the Union of Great Britain and Ireland....

, 1807

United Kingdom general election, 1807

The election to the 4th Parliament of the United Kingdom in 1807 was the third general election to be held after the Union of Great Britain and Ireland....

, 1812

United Kingdom general election, 1812

The election to the 5th Parliament of the United Kingdom in 1812 was the fourth general election to be held after the Union of Great Britain and Ireland....

, 1818

United Kingdom general election, 1818

The 1818 general election of the United Kingdom saw the Whigs gain a few seats, but the Tories under the Earl of Liverpool retained a majority of around 90 seats...

, 1820

United Kingdom general election, 1820

The 1820 UK general election, held shortly after the Radical War in Scotland and the Cato Street Conspiracy. In this atmosphere, the Tories under the Earl of Liverpool were able to win a substantial majority over the Whigs....

, 1826

United Kingdom general election, 1826

The 1826 United Kingdom general election saw the Tories under the Earl of Liverpool win a substantial and increased majority over the Whigs. In Ireland, Home Rule candidates, working with the Whigs, won large gains from Unionist candidates....

, 1830

United Kingdom general election, 1830

The 1830 United Kingdom general election, was triggered by the death of King George IV and produced the first parliament of the reign of his successor, William IV. Fought in the aftermath of the Swing Riots, it saw electoral reform become a major election issue...

 and 1831

United Kingdom general election, 1831

The 1831 general election in the United Kingdom saw a landslide win by supporters of electoral reform, which was the major election issue. As a result it was the last unreformed election, as the Parliament which resulted ensured the passage of the Reform Act 1832. Polling was held from 28 April to...

.

For the 1832 general election

United Kingdom general election, 1832

-Seats summary:-Parties and leaders at the general election:The Earl Grey had been Prime Minister since 22 November 1830. His was the first predominantly Whig administration since the Ministry of all the Talents in 1806-1807....

, as a result of the Representation of the People Act 1832, the constituency was redefined. The boundaries of counties

Counties of Scotland

The counties of Scotland were the principal local government divisions of Scotland until 1975. Scotland's current lieutenancy areas and registration counties are largely based on them. They are often referred to as historic counties....

 and burgh

Burgh

A burgh was an autonomous corporate entity in Scotland and Northern England, usually a town. This type of administrative division existed from the 12th century, when King David I created the first royal burghs. Burgh status was broadly analogous to borough status, found in the rest of the United...

s for parliamentary purposes ceased to be necessarily those for other purposes, but nominally the Edinburghshire constituency constisted of the county of Edinburgh minus the burghs of Edinburgh, Leith

Leith

-South Leith v. North Leith:Up until the late 16th century Leith , comprised two separate towns on either side of the river....

, Portobello, and Musselburgh

Musselburgh

Musselburgh is the largest settlement in East Lothian, Scotland, on the coast of the Firth of Forth, six miles east of Edinburgh city centre.-History:...

. Edinburgh was again covered by the Edinburgh constituency, and Leith, Portobello and Musselburgh were covered by the Leith Burghs

Leith Burghs (UK Parliament constituency)

-References:...

 constituency.

1832 boundaries were used also in the general elections of 1835

United Kingdom general election, 1835

The 1835 United Kingdom general election was called when Parliament was dissolved on 29 December 1834. Polling took place between 6 January and 6 February 1835, and the results saw Robert Peel's Conservatives make large gains from their low of the 1832 election, but the Whigs maintained a large...

, 1837

United Kingdom general election, 1837

The 1837 United Kingdom general election saw Robert Peel's Conservatives close further on the position of the Whigs, who won their fourth election of the decade....

, 1841

United Kingdom general election, 1841

-Seats summary:-Whig MPs who lost their seats:*Viscount Morpeth - Chief Secretary for Ireland*Sir George Strickland, Bt*Sir Henry Barron, 1st Baronet-References:*F. W. S. Craig, British Electoral Facts: 1832-1987...

, 1847

United Kingdom general election, 1847

-Seats summary:-References:* F. W. S. Craig, British Electoral Facts: 1832-1987* British Electoral Facts 1832-1999, compiled and edited by Colin Rallings and Michael Thrasher *...

, 1852

United Kingdom general election, 1852

The July 1852 United Kingdom general election was a watershed election in the formation of the modern political parties of Britain. Following 1852, the Tory/Conservative party became, more completely, the party of the rural aristocracy, while the Whig/Liberal party became the party of the rising...

, 1857

United Kingdom general election, 1857

-Seats summary:-References:*F. W. S. Craig, British Electoral Facts: 1832-1987* British Electoral Facts 1832-1999, compiled and edited by Colin Rallings and Michael Thrasher *...

, 1859

United Kingdom general election, 1859

In the 1859 United Kingdom general election, the Whigs, led by Lord Palmerston, held their majority in the House of Commons over the Earl of Derby's Conservatives...

, 1865

United Kingdom general election, 1865

The 1865 United Kingdom general election saw the Liberals, led by Lord Palmerston, increase their large majority over the Earl of Derby's Conservatives to more than 80. The Whig Party changed its name to the Liberal Party between the previous election and this one.Palmerston died later in the same...

, 1874

United Kingdom general election, 1874

-Seats summary:-References:* F. W. S. Craig, British Electoral Facts: 1832-1987* British Electoral Facts 1832-1999, compiled and edited by Colin Rallings and Michael Thrasher *...

, 1880

United Kingdom general election, 1880

-Seats summary:-References:*F. W. S. Craig, British Electoral Facts: 1832-1987* British Electoral Facts 1832-1999, compiled and edited by Colin Rallings and Michael Thrasher *...

. 1886

United Kingdom general election, 1886

-Seats summary:-See also:*MPs elected in the UK general election, 1886*The Parliamentary Franchise in the United Kingdom 1885-1918-References:*F. W. S. Craig, British Electoral Facts: 1832-1987**...

, 1892

United Kingdom general election, 1892

The 1892 United Kingdom general election was held from 4 July to 26 July 1892. It saw the Conservatives, led by Lord Salisbury, win the greatest number of seats, but not enough for an overall majority as William Ewart Gladstone's Liberals won many more seats than in the 1886 general election...

, 1895

United Kingdom general election, 1895

The United Kingdom general election of 1895 was held from 13 July - 7 August 1895. It was won by the Conservatives led by Lord Salisbury who formed an alliance with the Liberal Unionist Party and had a large majority over the Liberals, led by Lord Rosebery...

, 1900

United Kingdom general election, 1900

-Seats summary:-See also:*MPs elected in the United Kingdom general election, 1900*The Parliamentary Franchise in the United Kingdom 1885-1918-External links:***-References:*F. W. S. Craig, British Electoral Facts: 1832-1987**...

, 1906

United Kingdom general election, 1906

-Seats summary:-See also:*MPs elected in the United Kingdom general election, 1906*The Parliamentary Franchise in the United Kingdom 1885-1918-External links:***-References:*F. W. S. Craig, British Electoral Facts: 1832-1987**...

, January 1910 and December 1910.

For the 1918 general election

United Kingdom general election, 1918

The United Kingdom general election of 1918 was the first to be held after the Representation of the People Act 1918, which meant it was the first United Kingdom general election in which nearly all adult men and some women could vote. Polling was held on 14 December 1918, although the count did...

, as a result of the Representation of the People Act 1918

Representation of the People Act 1918

The Representation of the People Act 1918 was an Act of Parliament passed to reform the electoral system in the United Kingdom. It is sometimes known as the Fourth Reform Act...

, the area of the Edinburghshire constituency was mostly divided between the Midlothian and Peebles Northern

Midlothian and Peebles Northern (UK Parliament constituency)

Midlothian and Peebles Northern was a county constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom from 1918 until 1950...

 and Peebles and Southern constituencies. By this date, the county of Edinburgh had been renamed as the county of Midlothian.

The Midlothian and Peebles Northern constituency consisted of the Calder and Suburban districts and part of the Lasswade district of the county of Midlothian, and the Peebles and Southern constituency consisted of the county of Peebles, the Gala Water district and part of the Lasswade district of county of Midlothian, and the burghs of Bonnyrigg

Bonnyrigg

Bonnyrigg is a town in Midlothian, Scotland, eight miles southeast of Edinburgh city centre. The town had a population of 11,260 in the 1991 census which has risen to 14,457 according to the 2001 census. Along with Lasswade, Bonnyrigg is a twin town with Saint-Cyr-l'École, France.- History :Early...

, Lasswade

Lasswade

Lasswade is a civil parish and village in Midlothian, Scotland, on the River North Esk, nine miles south of Edinburgh city centre, between Dalkeith and Loanhead...

, and Penicuik

Penicuik

Penicuik is a burgh and civil parish in Midlothian, Scotland, lying on the west bank of the River North Esk. The town was developed as a planned village in 1770 by Sir James Clerk of Penicuik. It became a burgh in 1867. The town was well known for its paper mills, the last of which closed in 2005....

 in county of Midlothian.

The rest of the county of Midlothian was covered by the Edinburgh Central

Edinburgh Central (UK Parliament constituency)

Edinburgh Central was a burgh constituency of the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom from 1885 to 2005. It elected one Member of Parliament by the first past the post system of election....

, Edinburgh East

Edinburgh East (UK Parliament constituency)

Edinburgh East is a burgh constituency of the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. It elects one Member of Parliament by the first past the post system of election....

, Edinburgh North

Edinburgh North (UK Parliament constituency)

Edinburgh North was a burgh constituency of the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom from 1918 to 1983. It elected one Member of Parliament using the first-past-the-post voting system.-Boundaries:...

, Edinburgh South

Edinburgh South (UK Parliament constituency)

Edinburgh South is a constituency of the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom, first used in the general election of 1885. It elects one Member of Parliament by the first past the post system of election...

, Edinburgh West

Edinburgh West (UK Parliament constituency)

Edinburgh West is a burgh constituency of the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom , first used in the 1885 general election...

 and Leith

Leith (UK Parliament constituency)

Leith was a burgh constituency of the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom from 1918 to 1950. The constituency elected one Member of Parliament by the first past the post system of election....

 constituencies.

Member of Parliament

Election		Member	Party
	1708	George Lockhart George Lockhart Sir George Lockhart of Lee , of Carnwath, South Lanarkshire, also known as Lockhart of Carnwath, was a Scottish writer, spy and politician.He was the son of Sir George Lockhart of Lee....
	1715	John Baird Sir John Baird, 2nd Baronet Sir John Baird of Newbyth, 2nd Baronet was a Scottish politician.He was the oldest son of Sir William Baird, 1st Baronet and his first wife Helen Gilmour, daughter of Sir John Gilmour. Baird entered the British House of Commons in 1715, sitting as a Member of Parliament for Edinburghshire until...
	1722	Robert Dundas Robert Dundas, Lord Arniston, the elder Robert Dundas, Lord Arniston, the elder was a Scottish judge.The second son of Robert Dundas he served as Solicitor General for Scotland from 1717 to 1720 and as Lord Advocate from 1720 to 1725...
	1737	Sir Charles Gilmour
	1751	Robert Balfour-Ramsay Robert Balfour, 4th of Balbirnie Robert Balfour, 4th of Balbirnie was later styled later Robert Balfour-Ramsay of Whitehill after his marriage Anne Ramsay on 3 June 1736....
	1754	Robert Dundas Robert Dundas, Lord Arniston, the younger Robert Dundas, Lord Arniston, the younger was a Scottish judge.The eldest son of Robert Dundas , he was deducated at Edinburgh University and studied Roman law at Utrecht University....
	1761	Sir Alexander Gilmour Alexander Gilmour Alexander "Lex" Gilmour attended Queen's University, Belfast , earning BSc, MSc and PhD degrees in Chemistry. After graduating from QUB in 1956, he obtained a position at Short Brothers, the company which developed black box flight recorder technology. He met his future wife, Miriam, at...
	1774	Henry Dundas Henry Dundas, 1st Viscount Melville Henry Dundas, 1st Viscount Melville PC and Baron Dunira was a Scottish lawyer and politician. He was the first Secretary of State for War and the last person to be impeached in the United Kingdom....
	1790	Robert Dundas Robert Dundas of Arniston -Background:Part of a remarkable Scottish legal and political dynasty, Dundas was the son of Robert Dundas, Lord Arniston, the younger. His great-grandfather Robert Dundas had been an MP and judge, as were his grandfather Robert Dundas, Lord Arniston, the elder....
	1801	Robert Saunders-Dundas Robert Dundas, 2nd Viscount Melville Robert Dundas, 2nd Viscount Melville KT, PC, FRS was a British statesman, the son of Henry Dundas, the 1st Viscount. Dundas was the Member of Parliament for Hastings in 1794, Rye in 1796 and Midlothian in 1801. He was also Keeper of the Signet for Scotland from 1800...
	1811	Sir George Clerk, Bt Sir George Clerk, 6th Baronet Sir George Clerk of Pennycuik, 6th Baronet PC, DL , was a British Tory politician.-Background:Clerk was the son of James Clerk, third son of Sir George Clerk-Maxwell, 4th Baronet, by his wife Janet Irving, daughter of George Irving, of Newton.-Political career:Clerk sat as Member of Parliament for...
	1832	Sir John Dalrymple, Bt John Dalrymple, 8th Earl of Stair General John Hamilton Dalrymple, 8th Earl of Stair KT , known as Sir John Dalrymple, 5th Baronet, between 1810 and 1840, was a British soldier and politician.-Background:...
	1835	Sir George Clerk, Bt Sir George Clerk, 6th Baronet Sir George Clerk of Pennycuik, 6th Baronet PC, DL , was a British Tory politician.-Background:Clerk was the son of James Clerk, third son of Sir George Clerk-Maxwell, 4th Baronet, by his wife Janet Irving, daughter of George Irving, of Newton.-Political career:Clerk sat as Member of Parliament for...
	1837	William Gibson Craig William Gibson Craig Sir William Gibson Craig, 2nd Baronet , was a Scottish Advocate and politician.The eldest son of Sir James Gibson-Craig, 1st Baronet, William became an advocate in 1820. He was Lord Clerk Register and Keeper of the Signet from 1862 until his death...
	1841	William Ramsay Ramsay
	1845	Sir John Hope, Bt.
	1853	The Earl of Dalkeith William Montagu-Douglas-Scott, 6th Duke of Buccleuch William Henry Walter Montagu Douglas Scott, 6th Duke of Buccleuch & 8th Duke of Queensberry KG KT PC JP DL was a Scottish Member of Parliament and peer. He was the paternal grandfather of HRH Princess Alice, Duchess of Gloucester, and the maternal great-grandfather of HRH Prince William of...	Conservative Conservative Party (UK) The Conservative Party, formally the Conservative and Unionist Party, is a centre-right political party in the United Kingdom that adheres to the philosophies of conservatism and British unionism. It is the largest political party in the UK, and is currently the largest single party in the House...
	1868	Sir Alexander Ramsay-Gibson-Maitland Sir Alexander Ramsay-Gibson-Maitland, 3rd Baronet Sir Alexander Charles Ramsay-Gibson-Maitland, 3rd baronet was a Scottish Liberal politician who sat in the House of Commons from 1868 to 1874....	Liberal Liberal Party (UK) The Liberal Party was one of the two major political parties of the United Kingdom during the 19th and early 20th centuries. It was a third party of negligible importance throughout the latter half of the 20th Century, before merging with the Social Democratic Party in 1988 to form the present day...
	1874	The Earl of Dalkeith William Montagu-Douglas-Scott, 6th Duke of Buccleuch William Henry Walter Montagu Douglas Scott, 6th Duke of Buccleuch & 8th Duke of Queensberry KG KT PC JP DL was a Scottish Member of Parliament and peer. He was the paternal grandfather of HRH Princess Alice, Duchess of Gloucester, and the maternal great-grandfather of HRH Prince William of...	Conservative Conservative Party (UK) The Conservative Party, formally the Conservative and Unionist Party, is a centre-right political party in the United Kingdom that adheres to the philosophies of conservatism and British unionism. It is the largest political party in the UK, and is currently the largest single party in the House...
	1880	William Ewart Gladstone William Ewart Gladstone William Ewart Gladstone FRS FSS was a British Liberal statesman. In a career lasting over sixty years, he served as Prime Minister four separate times , more than any other person. Gladstone was also Britain's oldest Prime Minister, 84 years old when he resigned for the last time...	Liberal Liberal Party (UK) The Liberal Party was one of the two major political parties of the United Kingdom during the 19th and early 20th centuries. It was a third party of negligible importance throughout the latter half of the 20th Century, before merging with the Social Democratic Party in 1988 to form the present day...
	1895	Sir Thomas Gibson-Carmichael Thomas Gibson-Carmichael, 1st Baron Carmichael Thomas David Gibson-Carmichael, 1st Baron Carmichael GCSI, GCIE, KCMG, DL , known as Sir Thomas Gibson-Carmichael, Bt, between 1891 and 1912, was a Scottish Liberal politician and colonial administrator....	Liberal Liberal Party (UK) The Liberal Party was one of the two major political parties of the United Kingdom during the 19th and early 20th centuries. It was a third party of negligible importance throughout the latter half of the 20th Century, before merging with the Social Democratic Party in 1988 to form the present day...
	1900	The Master of Elibank Alexander Murray, 1st Baron Murray of Elibank Alexander William Charles Oliphant Murray, 1st Baron Murray of Elibank PC , called The Master of Elibank between 1871 and 1912, was a Scottish nobleman and Liberal politician. He served as Parliamentary Secretary to the Treasury under H. H...	Liberal Liberal Party (UK) The Liberal Party was one of the two major political parties of the United Kingdom during the 19th and early 20th centuries. It was a third party of negligible importance throughout the latter half of the 20th Century, before merging with the Social Democratic Party in 1988 to form the present day...
	1906	Lord Dalmeny Harry Primrose, 6th Earl of Rosebery Albert Edward Harry Meyer Archibald Primrose, 6th Earl of Rosebery and 2nd Earl of Midlothian , known by his third name of Harry, was a UK politician who briefly served as Secretary of State for Scotland in 1945...	Liberal Liberal Party (UK) The Liberal Party was one of the two major political parties of the United Kingdom during the 19th and early 20th centuries. It was a third party of negligible importance throughout the latter half of the 20th Century, before merging with the Social Democratic Party in 1988 to form the present day...
	1910	The Master of Elibank Alexander Murray, 1st Baron Murray of Elibank Alexander William Charles Oliphant Murray, 1st Baron Murray of Elibank PC , called The Master of Elibank between 1871 and 1912, was a Scottish nobleman and Liberal politician. He served as Parliamentary Secretary to the Treasury under H. H...	Liberal Liberal Party (UK) The Liberal Party was one of the two major political parties of the United Kingdom during the 19th and early 20th centuries. It was a third party of negligible importance throughout the latter half of the 20th Century, before merging with the Social Democratic Party in 1988 to form the present day...
	1912	John Augustus Hope John Augustus Hope Lieutenant-Colonel Sir John Augustus Hope, 16th Baronet OBE was a British soldier and politician.The son of Rev. Canon Charles Augustus Hope, Rector of Barwick in Elmet, Yorkshire, Hope entered the army in 1889 and was promoted to the rank of Major in 1905. He served in South Africa in 1901-1902...	Conservative Conservative Party (UK) The Conservative Party, formally the Conservative and Unionist Party, is a centre-right political party in the United Kingdom that adheres to the philosophies of conservatism and British unionism. It is the largest political party in the UK, and is currently the largest single party in the House...
1918 United Kingdom general election, 1918 The United Kingdom general election of 1918 was the first to be held after the Representation of the People Act 1918, which meant it was the first United Kingdom general election in which nearly all adult men and some women could vote. Polling was held on 14 December 1918, although the count did...		constituency abolished

Election results

At a by-election on 23 August 1892, William Gladstone was returned unopposed.
General Election 1886

United Kingdom general election, 1886

-Seats summary:-See also:*MPs elected in the UK general election, 1886*The Parliamentary Franchise in the United Kingdom 1885-1918-References:*F. W. S. Craig, British Electoral Facts: 1832-1987**...

: William Ewart Gladstone elected unopposed.

At a by-election in February 1886, Gladstone having accepted office as Prime Minister, he was returned unopposed.