Wigtown Burghs, also known as Wigton Burghs,. was a constituency

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

House of Commons of Great Britain

The House of Commons of Great Britain was the lower house of the Parliament of Great Britain between 1707 and 1801. In 1707, as a result of the Acts of Union of that year, it replaced the House of Commons of England and the third estate of the Parliament of Scotland, as one of the most significant...

 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...

 from 1708 to 1800 and of the House of Commons 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...

 from 1801 to 1885. It was represented by 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).

The first election in Wigtown Burghs was in 1708. In 1707–08

British general election, 1707

The British general election, 1707 was not an election as such, but the co-option of members of former Parliaments to serve in the House of Commons of the 1st Parliament of Great Britain to be held, after the Acts of Union 1707 which merged the Parliament of England and the Parliament of Scotland...

, members of the 1702–1707 Parliament of Scotland

Parliament of Scotland

The Parliament of Scotland, officially the Estates of Parliament, was the legislature of the Kingdom of Scotland. The unicameral parliament of Scotland is first found on record during the early 13th century, with the first meeting for which a primary source survives at...

 were co-opted to serve in the 1st 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...

. See Scottish representatives to the 1st Parliament of Great Britain

Scottish representatives to the 1st Parliament of Great Britain

Scottish representatives to the House of Commons of the 1st Parliament of Great Britain were not elected but co-opted in 1707 from the Commissioners of the last Parliament of Scotland.-Legal background to the composition of the 1st Parliament:...

, for further details.

Boundaries

The constituency was a district of burghs

District of burghs (UK Parliament)

The Act of Union 1707 and pre-Union Scottish legislation provided for 14 Members of Parliament from Scotland to be elected from districts of burghs. All the parliamentary burghs were assigned to a district, except for Edinburgh which had an MP to itself...

 created to represent the Royal burghs of New Galloway

New Galloway

New Galloway is a town in Dumfries and Galloway Region, southwest Scotland. It lies on the west side of the valley of the Water of Ken, a mile north of the end of Loch Ken...

, Stranraer

Stranraer

Stranraer is a town in the southwest of Scotland. It lies in the west of Dumfries and Galloway and in the county of Wigtownshire.Stranraer lies on the shores of Loch Ryan on the northern side of the isthmus joining the Rhins of Galloway to the mainland...

, Whithorn

Whithorn

Whithorn is a former royal burgh in Dumfries and Galloway, Scotland, about ten miles south of Wigtown. The town was the location of the first recorded Christian church in Scotland, Candida Casa : the 'White [or 'Shining'] House', built by Saint Ninian about 397.-Eighth and twelfth centuries:A...

 and Wigtown

Wigtown

Wigtown is a town and former royal burgh in the Machars of Galloway in the south west of Scotland. It lies south of Newton Stewart and east of Stranraer. It has a population of about 1,000...

, which had all been separately represented with one commissioner each in the former Parliament of Scotland

Parliament of Scotland

The Parliament of Scotland, officially the Estates of Parliament, was the legislature of the Kingdom of Scotland. The unicameral parliament of Scotland is first found on record during the early 13th century, with the first meeting for which a primary source survives at...

.

In 1885 the district was abolished. New Galloway became part of the Kirkcudbrightshire

Kirkcudbright Stewartry (UK Parliament constituency)

Kirkcudbright Stewartry, later known as Kirkcudbright or Kirkcudbrightshire, was a 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. It was represented by one Member of Parliament .The first...

 constituency and the other three burghs were included in the Wigtownshire

Wigtownshire (UK Parliament constituency)

Wigtownshire, was a 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. It was represented by one Member of Parliament....

 seat.

Political history

The politics of this constituency in the mid-18th century were relatively simple. The Stewart family, led by the Earl of Galloway

Earl of Galloway

Earl of Galloway is a title in the Peerage of Scotland. It was created in 1623 for Alexander Stewart, 1st Lord Garlies, with remainder to his heirs male bearing the name and arms of Stewart. He had already been created Lord Garlies in the Peerage of Scotland in 1607, with remainder to the heirs...

, normally controlled the burghs of Wigtown and Whithorn. The Dalrymple family, supporting the Earl of Stair

Earl of Stair

Earl of Stair is a title in the Peerage of Scotland. It was created in 1703 for the lawyer and statesman John Dalrymple, 2nd Viscount of Stair. He actively supported William III's claim to the throne and served as Secretary of State for Scotland. However, he was forced to resign after he authorised...

, controlled Stranraer. The predominant interest in New Galloway was held by the Gordons of Kenmure.

Thus when Wigtown or Whithorn were the returning burgh, with a casting vote in the event of a tie, the candidate backed by the Stewart's won. At other elections the Dalrymple supported candidate had a chance. This state of affairs continued until 1784 when the Dalrymple interest gained control of the Whithorn Council.

In the 1754 election the Duke of Argyll

Duke of Argyll

Duke of Argyll is a title, created in the Peerage of Scotland in 1701 and in the Peerage of the United Kingdom in 1892. The Earls, Marquesses, and Dukes of Argyll were for several centuries among the most powerful, if not the most powerful, noble family in Scotland...

 attempted to support James Abercrombie for the Wigtown Burghs seat. The Earl of Galloway agreed with John Hamilton, a member of the Dalrymple family who was supposedly backing his relative Captain John Dalrymple of Stair, to support Hamilton in the Burghs seat in exchange for the Dalrymple interest backing Lord Galloway's brother (James Stewart) for the county seat. This coalition worked and John Hamilton was elected unopposed.

In 1761, with Wigtown as the returning burgh, the Earl of Galloway could name the MP. He hoped to return his Naval officer son, the Honourable Keith Stewart. As Stewart was away at sea in the West Indies, the Earl decided to support Archibald Montgomerie until his son returned. Montgomerie was also a candidate for Ayrshire

Ayrshire (UK Parliament constituency)

Ayrshire was a county constituency of the House of Commons of the Parliament of Great Britain from 1708 to 1800 and of the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom from 1801 until 1868, when it was divided into North Ayrshire and South Ayrshire....

 in the same general election. After he was elected for both seats he decided to retain Ayrshire. Stewart was elected at a by-election but soon gave up the seat, as a result of negotiations about the Wigtownshire

Wigtownshire (UK Parliament constituency)

Wigtownshire, was a 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. It was represented by one Member of Parliament....

 seat. The energetic intriguer John Hamilton was again elected for the Burghs seat in the third election there in less than a year.

In 1768, with Whithorn as the returning burgh, the Earl of Galloway could again decide the MP. For this election the Earl was trying to get a seat in England for his son, Lord Garlies, who was ineligible to represent a Scottish constituency as the eldest son of a Scottish peer. The Earl entered into an agreement with an English MP, George Augustus Selwyn, who controlled both seats in the borough of Ludgershall

Ludgershall (UK Parliament constituency)

Ludgershall was a parliamentary borough in Wiltshire, which elected two Members of Parliament to the House of Commons from 1295 until 1832, when the borough was abolished by the Great Reform Act.- 1295–1640 :- 1640–1832 :- Sources :...

. Selwyn, who himself represented Gloucester

Gloucester (UK Parliament constituency)

Gloucester is a borough constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. It was established in 1295 to return two Members of Parliament to the House of Commons but in 1885 representation was reduced to one member under the Redistribution of Seats Act 1885...

, feared defeat there and wanted a safe alternative seat. In exchange for supporting Lord Garlies in Ludgershall, Selwyn was elected in the Wigtown Burghs. He was the first Englishman to be elected for a Scottish constituency after the Union. However, as Selwyn was also elected in Gloucester and preferred to represent that Borough, a new candidate was required in Scotland. The government was able to offer a Treasury nominee, Chauncy Townsend. After Townsend's death a junior branch of the Stewart family provided the new MP.

In 1774, with New Galloway as the returning burgh, an alliance of the Dalrymple and Gordon families hoped to triumph. National politics again influenced the situation, as Sir Lawrence Dundas suggested William Norton as a candidate. The Earl of Stair was trying to get his son a seat in England so he accepted the proposal of the governments electoral manager in Scotland. The Stewart interest supported the 7th Earl of Galloway's brother in law, Henry Watkin Dashwood. This was the first time two Englishmen contested a Parliamentary seat in Scotland. Norton was returned, but the seat was awarded to Dashwood after an election petition.

For the 1780 election the Earl of Stair, despite being a pro-American admirer of the Earl of Chatham

Earl of Chatham

Earl of Chatham, in the County of Kent, was a title in the Peerage of Great Britain. It was created in 1766 for William Pitt the Elder on his appointment as Lord Privy Seal, along with the subsidiary title Viscount Pitt, of Burton Pynsent in the County of Somerset, also in the Peerage of Great...

, offered the nomination for the seat to Lord North in exchange for a diplomatic post for his son Lord Dalrymple. Lord North suggested William Adam.

In 1784 the change in Whithorn enabled the Dalrymple candidate (William Dalrymple) to defeat the Earl of Galloway's nominee (George Johnstone).

Members of Parliament

Election		Member	Party
	26 May 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....
	14 December 1708	William Cochrane William Cochrane William Cochrane was a Scottish MP in the British Parliament.He represented Wigtown Burghs 1708-1713.-References:...
	17 September 1713	Sir Alexander Maxwell Alexander Maxwell Sir Alexander Maxwell, 2nd Baronet was a Scottish Member of Parliament in the British Parliament. He became the 2nd Baronet of Monreith in the shire of Wigtown in April 1709.He represented Wigtown Burghs 1713-1715.-References:... , Bt
	17 February 1715	Sir Patrick Vanse Patrick Vanse Sir Patrick Vanse was a Scottish MP in the British Parliament. He held the rank of Colonel when he was elected.He was MP for Wigtownshire 1710-1711 and represented Wigtown Burghs 1715-1722.-References:...
	13 April 1722	William Dalrymple (1678-1744)
	16 March 1728	John Dalrymple John Dalrymple (MP) John Dalrymple was a Scottish Member of Parliament in the British Parliament.He represented Wigtown Burghs 1728–1734.- References :...
	18 May 1734	James Stewart 1st term
	28 May 1741	William Stewart (c 1706-1748) William Stewart (c 1706-1748) William Stewart was a Scottish MP in the British Parliament.He represented Wigtown Burghs 1741-1747.-References:...
	22 July 1747	James Stewart 2nd term
	9 May 1754	John Hamilton John Hamilton (MP) John Hamilton was a Scottish MP in the British Parliament. He was the younger son of John Dalrymple, 2nd Earl of Stair and changed his name to Hamilton in 1736 when he inherited the estate of Bargeny on the death of the 4th Lord Bargeny.He represented Wigtown Burghs 1754-1761 and 1762-1768...  1st term
	20 April 1761	Hon. Archibald Montgomerie Archibald Montgomerie, 11th Earl of Eglinton Archibald Montgomerie, 11th Earl of Eglinton was a Scottish General, and Member of Parliament in the British Parliament. He was also the Clan Chief of the Clan Montgomery. Montgomerie fought in the Seven Years' War, where he served with George Washington... , later 11th Earl of Eglinton Earl of Eglinton Earl of Eglinton is a title in the Peerage of Scotland.Some authorities spell the title: Earl of Eglintoun In 1859 the thirteenth Earl of Eglinton, Archibald Montgomerie, was also created Earl of Winton in the Peerage of the United Kingdom, which gave him an automatic seat in the House of Lords,...
	19 February 1762	Hon. Keith Stewart Keith Stewart Keith Stewart of Glasserton was a ScottishAdmiral and MP in the British Parliament. He was the second surviving son of Alexander Stewart, 6th Earl of Galloway.-Naval career:...
	15 April 1762	John Hamilton 2nd term
	11 April 1768	George Augustus Selwyn
	23 December 1768	Chauncy Townsend Chauncy Townsend Chauncy Townsend was a businessman and a Member of Parliament in the British Parliament.He started his business career as a London linen draper, before becoming a merchant in about 1740. He developed extensive interests in coal mines in the Swansea area of Wales, as well as mining, smelting and...
	7 May 1770	William Stewart (1737-1797) William Stewart (1737-1797) William Stewart , of Castle Stewart, was a Scottish MP in the British Parliament. He was a member of a junior branch of the family of the Earl of Galloway, being the first son of John Stewart of Castle Stewart....
	31 October 1774	William Norton William Norton, 2nd Baron Grantley William Norton was a British MP and peer. His father Fletcher Norton, 1st Baron Grantley was created a peer on 9 April 1782, from which time William Norton was styled 'the Honourable'... , later 2nd Lord Grantley Baron Grantley Lord Grantley, Baron of Markenfield, in the County of York, is a title in the Peerage of Great Britain. It was created in 1782 for Sir Fletcher Norton, Attorney General from 1763 to 1765 and Speaker of the House of Commons from 1770 to 1780. His son, the second Baron, was also a politician and...
	23 March 1775	Sir Henry Watkin Dashwood Henry Watkin Dashwood Sir Henry Watkin Dashwood, 3rd Baronet was a Member of Parliament in the British Parliament. He was the eldest surviving son of Sir James Dashwood, 2nd Baronet, and the brother in law of John Stewart, 7th Earl of Galloway. He inherited the baronetcy on 10 November 1779.He represented Wigtown... , Bt
	2 October 1780	William Adam William Adam (MP) William Adam, KC was a Scottish Member of Parliament in the British Parliament and subsequently a Judge.-Biography:...
	26 April 1784	William Dalrymple (1736-1807) William Dalrymple (1736-1807) William Dalrymple was a Scottish soldier and Member of Parliament in the British Parliament. He was the son of the Hon. George Dalrymple, brother of John Dalrymple, 5th Earl of Stair.-Life:...
	12 July 1790	Nisbet Balfour Nisbet Balfour Major-General Nisbet Balfour was a British soldier in the American War of Independence and later a Scottish Member of Parliament in the British Parliament....
	20 June 1796	John Spalding
	29 July 1803	Hon. William Stewart (1774–1827)
	9 August 1805	James Graham
	24 November 1806	Hon. Edward Richard Stewart Edward Richard Stewart Edward Richard Stewart was a Scottish Member of Parliament in the British Parliament.He represented Wigtown Burghs from 1806 to 1809.- External links :...
	27 February 1809	Lyndon Evelyn Lyndon Evelyn Lyndon Evelyn was a Tory Member of Parliament in the British Parliament.He represented the Scottish constituency of Wigtown Burghs 1809-1812, Dundalk in Ireland 1813-1818 and St Ives in Cornwall 1820-1826....	Tory
	30 October 1812	Hon. James Henry Keith Stewart James Henry Keith Stewart James Henry Keith Stewart was a Scottish Tory Member of Parliament.Stewart was a younger son of John Stewart, 7th Earl of Galloway and his second wife, Anne Dashwood.He represented Wigtown Burghs 1812–1821...	Tory
	21 March 1821	Sir John Osborn, Bt	Tory
	4 March 1824	Nicholas Conyngham Tindal Nicholas Conyngham Tindal Sir Nicolas Conyngham Tindal was a celebrated English lawyer who successfully defended Queen Caroline at her trial for adultery in 1820...	Tory
	3 July 1826	John Henry Lowther	Tory
	23 May 1831	Edward Stewart Edward Stewart Edward Stewart was a Scottish Whig then Liberal MP in the British Parliament. He was a nephew of the Earl of Galloway.He represented Wigtown Burghs 1831-1835.- External links :...	Whig British Whig Party The Whigs were a party in the Parliament of England, Parliament of Great Britain, and Parliament of the United Kingdom, who contested power with the rival Tories from the 1680s to the 1850s. The Whigs' origin lay in constitutional monarchism and opposition to absolute rule...  then 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...
	19 January 1835	Sir John McTaggart, Bt	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...
	1 April 1857	Sir William Dunbar, Bt	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...
	15 April 1865	George Young George Young (MP) George Young was a Scottish Liberal MP in the British Parliament and a Judge, with the judicial title of Lord Young....	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...
	15 June 1874	Mark John Stewart (Conservative) 1st term	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...
	8 April 1880	John McLaren John McLaren (politician) John McLaren , Lord McLaren, was a Scottish Liberal politician and judge.The son of Duncan McLaren, a former Provost of Edinburgh and Member of Parliament, he was born in Edinburgh. He attended Edinburgh University before being admitted to the Scottish bar in 1856. He held the office of Sheriff of...  (Liberal)	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...
	20 May 1880	Mark John Stewart (Conservative) 2nd term	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...
	2 August 1880	Rt Hon. Sir John Charles Dalrymple Hay, Bt	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...

Elections

The constituency had only four voters (the commissioners elected by the Burgh Councils) in 1708-1832. The place of election rotated between the Burghs and the commissioner for the returning Burgh had a casting vote if there was a tie. It was possible for the Court of Session

Court of Session

The Court of Session is the supreme civil court of Scotland, and constitutes part of the College of Justice. It sits in Parliament House in Edinburgh and is both a court of first instance and a court of appeal....

 to suspend a Burgh's rights for a Parliament, as a punishment for corruption. This procedure could disrupt the rotation

From 1832 the franchise was extended and the votes from all the burghs were added together.

• 1708 (26 May) general election (election at Wigtown)
• George Lockhart: Unopposed

• Chose to sit for Edinburghshire
• 1708 (14 December) by-election (election at Wigtown)
• William Cochrane: Unopposed

• 1710 general election
• William Cochrane: Unopposed

• 1713 (17 September) general election
• Sir Alexander Maxwell, Bt: Unopposed

• 1715 (17 February) general election
• Col. Patrick Vanse: Unopposed

• 1722 (13 April) general election
• William Dalrymple: Unopposed

• 1727 general election
• William Dalrymple: Unopposed

• Chose to sit for Wigtownshire
• 1728 (16 March) by-election
• John Dalrymple: Unopposed

• 1734 (18 May) general election
• John Stewart defeated John Dalrymple, vote totals unknown

• 1741 (28 May) general election
• William Stewart: Unopposed

• 1747 (22 July) general election
• John Stewart: Unopposed

• 1754 (9 May) general election (election at Stranraer)
• John Hamilton: Unopposed

• 1761 (20 April) general election (election at Wigtown)
• Hon. Archibald Montgomerie: 2 votes (Whithorn, Wigtown)
• Hutchison Mure: 2 votes (New Galloway, Stranraer)
• Montgomerie elected by Wigtown's casting vote

• Chose to sit for Ayrshire
• 1762 (19 February) by-election (election at Wigtown)
• Hon. Keith Stewart: Unopposed

• Resigned
• 1762 (15 April) by-election (election at Wigtown)
• John Hamilton: Unopposed

• 1768 (11 April) general election (election at Whithorn)
• George Augustus Selwyn: Unopposed

• Chose to sit for Gloucester
• 1768 (23 December) by-election (election at Whithorn)
• Chauncy Townsend: Unopposed

• Died
• 1770 (7 May) by-election (election at Whithorn)
• William Stewart: Unopposed

• 1774 (31 October) general election (election at New Galloway)
• William Norton: 2 votes (New Galloway, Stranraer)
• Henry Watkin Dashwood: 2 votes (Whithorn, Wigtown)
• Norton elected by New Galloway's casting vote

• 1775 (23 March) last election declared void
• Henry Watkin Dashwood: Awarded the seat

• 1780 (2 October) general election (election at Stranraer)
• William Adam: Unopposed

• Appointed Treasurer of the Ordnance
• 1783 (9 May) by-election (election at Stranraer)
• William Adam: Unopposed

• 1784 (26 April) general election (election at Wigtown)
• William Dalrymple: 3 votes (New Gallowat, Stranraer, Whithorn)
• George Johnstone: 1 vote (Wigtown)

• 1790 (12 July) general election (election at Whithorn)
• Nisbet Balfour: 2 votes
• Lord Daer: 2 votes
• Balfour elected by Whithorn's casting vote

• 1796 (20 June) general election (election at New Galloway)
• John Spalding: Unopposed

• 1802 general election (election at Stranraer)
• John Spalding: 3 votes
• Robert Vans Agnew: 1 vote

• Resigned
• 1803 (29 July) by-election (election at Stranraer)
• Hon. William Stewart: Unopposed

• Resigned
• 1805 (9 August) by-election (election at Stranraer)
• James Graham: Unopposed

• 1806 (24 November) general election (election at Wigtown)
• Hon. Edward Richard Stewart: Unopposed

• 1807 general election (election at Whithorn)
• Hon. Edward Richard Stewart: Unopposed

• Appointed a Commissioner for victualling the Navy
• 1809 (27 February) by-election (election at Whithorn)
• Lyndon Evelyn (Tory): Unopposed

• 1812 (30 October) general election (election at New Galloway)
• Hon. James Henry Keith Stewart (Tory): Unopposed

• 1818 general election (election at Stranraer)
• Hon. James Henry Keith Stewart (Tory): Unopposed

• 1820 general election (election at Wigtown)
• Hon. James Henry Keith Stewart (Tory): Unopposed

• Resigned
• 1821 (21 March) by-election (election at Wigtown)
• Sir John Osborn, Bt (Tory): Unopposed

• Appointed a Commissioner for Auditing Public Accounts
• 1824 (4 March) by-election (election at Wigtown)
• Nicholas Conyngham Tindal (Tory): Unopposed

• 1826 (3 July) general election (election at Whithorn)
• John Henry Lowther (Tory): Unopposed

• 1830 general election (election at New Galloway)
• John Henry Lowther (Tory): Unopposed

• 1831 (23 May) general election (election at Stranraer)
• Edward Stewart (Whig): Unopposed

• 1832 general election
• 316 electors, 296 voted, turnout 93.67%
• Edward Stewart (Liberal) 159 (53.72%)
• John McTaggart (Liberal) 137 (46.29%)
• majority 22 (7.43%)

• 1835 (19 January) general election
• 362 electors, 306 voted, turnout 84.53%
• John McTaggart (Liberal) 224 (73.20%)
• John Douglas (Liberal) 82 (26.80%)
• majority 142 (46.41%)

• 1837 general election
• 380 electors, 267 voted, turnout 70.26%
• John McTaggart (Liberal) 151 (56.55%)
• Sir Andrew Agnew, Bt (Liberal) 116 (43.45%)
• majority 35 (13.11%)

• 1841 general election
• 393 electors, 286 voted, turnout 72.77%
• John McTaggart (Liberal) 157 (54.90%)
• P. Vans Agnew (Conservative) 129 (45.10%)
• majority 28 (9.79%)

• 1847 general election
• 382 electors
• Sir John McTaggart, Bt (Liberal): Unopposed

• 1852 general election
• 400 electors, 279 voted, turnout 69.75%
• Sir John McTaggart, Bt (Liberal) 140 (50.18%)
• J. Caird (Conservative) 139 (49.82%)
• majority 1 (0.36%)

• 1857 (1 April) general election
• 694 electors
• Sir William Dunbar, Bt (Liberal): Unopposed

• 1859 general election
• 505 electors
• Sir William Dunbar, Bt (Liberal): Unopposed

• Appointed a Lord Commissioner of the Treasury
• 1859 (27 June) by-election
• Sir William Dunbar, Bt (Liberal): Unopposed

• Resigned on appointment as a Commissioner for Auditing the Public Accounts
• 1865 (15 April) by-election
• George Young (Liberal): Unopposed

• 1865 general election
• 518 electors
• George Young (Liberal): Unopposed

• 1868 general election
• 966 electors, 848 voted, turnout 87.78%
• George Young (Liberal) 484 (57.08%)
• R.V. Agnew (Conservative) 364 (42.92%)
• majority 120 (14.15%)

• Appointed Solicitor General for Scotland
• 1869 (4 January) by-election
• George Young (Liberal): Unopposed

• 1874 general election
• 1,176 electors, 1,042 voted, turnout 88.61%
• Mark John Stewart (Conservative) 522 (50.10%)
• George Young (Liberal) 520 (49.90%)
• majority 2 (0.19%)

• Last election declared void and a new result declared after scrutiny (Young 515, Stewart 514), but as Young had been appointed a Senator of the College of Justice (with the judicial title of Lord Young) the seat was vacant
• 1874 (15 June) by-election
• 1,176 electors, 1,042 voted, turnout 88.61%
• Mark John Stewart (Conservative) 525 (50.38%)
• A. Smith (Liberal) 517 (49.62%)
• majority 8 (0.77%)

• 1880 (8 April) general election
• 1,391 electors, 1,288 voted, turnout 92.60%
• John McLaren (Liberal) 650 (50.47%)
• Mark John Stewart (Conservative) 638 (49.53%)
• majority 12 (0.93%)

• Appointed Lord Advocate
• 1880 (20 May) by-election
• 1,391 electors, 1,289 voted, turnout 92.67%
• Mark John Stewart (Conservative) 656 (50.89%)
• John McLaren (Liberal) 633 (49.11%)
• majority 23 (1.78%)

• Election declared void on petition
• 1880 (2 August) by-election
• 1,391 electors, 1,256 voted, turnout 90.29%
• Rt Hon. Sir John Charles Dalrymple Hay, Bt (Conservative) 636 (50.64%)
• G. McMicking (Liberal) 620 (49.36%)
• majority 16 (1.27%)

Sources

• The Parliaments of England by Henry Stooks Smith (1st edition published in three volumes 1844-50), 2nd edition edited (in one volume) by F.W.S. Craig (Political Reference Publications 1973)
• History of Parliament: House of Commons 1754-1790, by Sir Lewis Namier and James Brooke
  James Brooke
  James, Rajah of Sarawak, KCB was the first White Rajah of Sarawak. His father, Thomas Brooke, was an English Judge Court of Appeal at Bareilly, British India; his mother, Anna Maria, born in Hertfordshire, was the illegitimate daughter of Scottish peer Colonel William Stuart, 9th Lord Blantyre,...
  
  (Sidgwick & Jackson 1964)
• British Parliamentary Election Results 1832-1885, compiled and edited by F.W.S. Craig (The Macmillan Press 1977)