Perth Burghs (UK Parliament constituency)
Encyclopedia
Perth 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 until 1832, representing a seat for one Member of Parliament
(MP)
s: Perth
in the county of Perth, Cupar
and St Andrews
in the county of Fife, and Dundee
and Forfar
in the county of Forfar.
For the 1832 general election
, as a result of the Representation of the People (Scotland) Act 1832, the burgh of Perth was merged into the new Perth burgh constituency
, the burghs of Cupar and St Andrews were merged into the Fife county constituency
, the burgh of Dundee was merged into new Dundee burgh constituency
, and the burgh of Forfar was merged into the new Montrose Burghs constituency.
s.
The normal order of rotation for this district was Perth, Dundee, St Andrews, Cupar and Forfar. However the Court of Session had the power to suspend the participation of a burgh, as a punishment for corruption, which could disrupt the rotation if the normal returning burgh was not able to participate.
At the time of the disputed elections in 1830 and 1831, Dundee was not able to take part in the voting. Although Dundee was not the returning burgh for the 1830-31 Parliament, its absence made the elections less certain and encouraged wrongdoing by candidates.
The reference to some candidates as Non Partisan does not, necessarily, mean that they did not have a party allegiance. It means that the sources consulted did not specify a party allegiance. The sources used were Stooks Smith as well as Namier and Brooke (see the References section for further details).
United Kingdom constituencies
In the United Kingdom , each of the electoral areas or divisions called constituencies elects one or more members to a parliament or assembly.Within the United Kingdom there are now five bodies with members elected by constituencies:...
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 until 1832, representing a seat for 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)
Boundaries
The constituency covered five burghBurgh
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: Perth
Perth, Scotland
Perth is a town and former city and royal burgh in central Scotland. Located on the banks of the River Tay, it is the administrative centre of Perth and Kinross council area and the historic county town of Perthshire...
in the county of Perth, Cupar
Cupar
Cupar is a town and former royal burgh in Fife, Scotland. The town is situated between Dundee and the New Town of Glenrothes.According to a recent population estimate , Cupar had a population around 8,980 making the town the ninth largest settlement in Fife.-History:The town is believed to have...
and St Andrews
St Andrews
St Andrews is a university town and former royal burgh on the east coast of Fife in Scotland. The town is named after Saint Andrew the Apostle.St Andrews has a population of 16,680, making this the fifth largest settlement in Fife....
in the county of Fife, and Dundee
Dundee
Dundee is the fourth-largest city in Scotland and the 39th most populous settlement in the United Kingdom. It lies within the eastern central Lowlands on the north bank of the Firth of Tay, which feeds into the North Sea...
and Forfar
Forfar
Forfar is a parish, town and former royal burgh of approximately 13,500 people in Angus, located in the East Central Lowlands of Scotland. Forfar is the county town of Angus, which was officially known as Forfarshire from the 18th century until 1929, when the ancient name was reinstated, and...
in the county of Forfar.
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 (Scotland) Act 1832, the burgh of Perth was merged into the new Perth burgh constituency
Perth (UK Parliament constituency)
Perth was a constituency of the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom from 1832 to 1918, 1918 to 1950, and 1997 to 2005. From 1832 to 1918 it was a burgh constituency. From 1918 to 1950, and 1997 to 2005, it was a county constituency...
, the burghs of Cupar and St Andrews were merged into the Fife county constituency
Fife (UK Parliament constituency)
Fife was a county constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom from 1708 until 1885, when it was divided into East Fife and West Fife....
, the burgh of Dundee was merged into new Dundee burgh constituency
Dundee (UK Parliament constituency)
Dundee was a constituency of the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom from 1832 to 1950, when it was split into Dundee East and Dundee West....
, and the burgh of Forfar was merged into the new Montrose Burghs constituency.
Member of Parliament
| Election | Member | Party | Notes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1708 | Joseph Austin | |||
| 1710 | George Yeaman | |||
| 1715 | Patrick Haldane | |||
| 1722 | William Erskine | |||
| 1727 |
John Drummond | |||
| 1743 | Thomas Leslie | |||
| 1761 | George Dempster George Dempster (lawyer) George Dempster was a Scottish lawyer who was elected member of Parliament for the Perth Burghs.Dempster was educated at Dundee Grammar School and possibly also at the small parish school at Leuchars, Fife... |
|||
| 1768 | William Pulteney | later 5th Baronet | ||
| 1769 | George Dempster George Dempster (lawyer) George Dempster was a Scottish lawyer who was elected member of Parliament for the Perth Burghs.Dempster was educated at Dundee Grammar School and possibly also at the small parish school at Leuchars, Fife... |
|||
| 1790 | George Murray George Murray (MP) Vice Admiral George Murray was a Royal Navy officer and politician. He was the third son of the Jacobite general Lord George Murray.-Naval career:... |
|||
| 1796 | David Scott David Scott (of Dunninald) David Scott was a Scottish merchant and director of the East India Company, and a Member of Parliament... |
|||
| 1805 | Sir David Wedderburn | later 1st Baronet | ||
| 1818 | Archibald Campbell | |||
| 1820 | Hugh Lindsay | |||
| 1830 | John Stuart-Wortley-Mackenzie John Stuart-Wortley-Mackenzie, 2nd Baron Wharncliffe John Stuart-Wortley-Mackenzie, 2nd Baron Wharncliffe FRS , was a British Tory politician. He served briefly as Under-Secretary of State for War and the Colonies between December 1834 and January 1835.-Background:... |
later Baron Wharncliffe | ||
| 1831 | Francis Jeffrey | later Lord Jeffrey | ||
| 1831 | William Ogilvy | |||
| 1831 | Francis Jeffrey | later Lord Jeffrey | ||
| 1832 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.... |
constituency abolsihed | |||
Election results
The electoral system for this constituency gave each of the five 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 councillorCouncillor
A councillor or councilor is a member of a local government council, such as a city council.Often in the United States, the title is councilman or councilwoman.-United Kingdom:...
s.
The normal order of rotation for this district was Perth, Dundee, St Andrews, Cupar and Forfar. However the Court of Session had the power to suspend the participation of a burgh, as a punishment for corruption, which could disrupt the rotation if the normal returning burgh was not able to participate.
At the time of the disputed elections in 1830 and 1831, Dundee was not able to take part in the voting. Although Dundee was not the returning burgh for the 1830-31 Parliament, its absence made the elections less certain and encouraged wrongdoing by candidates.
The reference to some candidates as Non Partisan does not, necessarily, mean that they did not have a party allegiance. It means that the sources consulted did not specify a party allegiance. The sources used were Stooks Smith as well as Namier and Brooke (see the References section for further details).
Elections in the 1700s
Elections in the 1710s
Elections in the 1720s
- This election resulted in a double return of both candidates. The House of Commons seated Erskine.
Elections in the 1730s
Elections in the 1740s
- December 1743: Death of Drummond