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

constituency An electoral district, also known as an election district, legislative district, voting district, constituency, riding, ward, division, or (election) precinct is a subdivision of a larger State (polity), state (a country, administrative region, ...

of the

House of Commons The House of Commons is the name for the elected lower house of the bicameral parliaments of the United Kingdom and Canada. In both of these countries, the Commons holds much more legislative power than the nominally upper house of parliament. ...

of the

Parliament of Great Britain The Parliament of Great Britain was formed in May 1707 following the ratification of the Acts of Union by both the Parliament of England and the Parliament of Scotland. The Acts ratified the treaty of Union which created a new unified Kingdo ...

from 1708 to 1800 and of the

of the

Parliament of the United Kingdom The Parliament of the United Kingdom is the supreme legislative body of the United Kingdom, the Crown Dependencies and the British Overseas Territories. It meets at the Palace of Westminster, London. It alone possesses legislative suprema ...

from 1801 to 1885. It was represented by one

Member of Parliament A member of parliament (MP) is the representative in parliament of the people who live in their electoral district. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, this term refers only to members of the lower house since upper house members of ...

(MP).

Creation

The British parliamentary constituency was created in 1708 following the Acts of Union, 1707 and replaced the former

Parliament of Scotland The Parliament of Scotland ( sco, Pairlament o Scotland; gd, Pàrlamaid na h-Alba) was the legislature of the Kingdom of Scotland from the 13th century until 1707. The parliament evolved during the early 13th century from the king's council o ...

burgh constituencies of

Wigtown Wigtown ( (both used locally); gd, Baile na h-Ùige) is a town and former royal burgh in Wigtownshire, of which it is the county town, within the Dumfries and Galloway region in Scotland. It lies east of Stranraer and south of Newton Stewart. I ...

New Galloway New Galloway ( gd, Gall-Ghàidhealaibh Nuadh) is a town in the historical county of Kirkcudbrightshire in Dumfries and Galloway. It lies on the west side of the valley of the Water of Ken, north of the end of Loch Ken. Before the local governme ...

Stranraer Stranraer ( , in Scotland also ; gd, An t-Sròn Reamhar ), also known as The Toon, is a town in Dumfries and Galloway, Scotland. It is located in the historical parish of Inch in the historic county of Wigtownshire. It lies on the shores of L ...

and

Whithorn Whithorn ( �ʍɪthorn 'HWIT-horn'; ''Taigh Mhàrtainn'' in Gaelic), is a royal burgh in the historic county of Wigtownshire in Dumfries and Galloway, Scotland, about south of Wigtown. The town was the location of the first recorded Christian ...

which had all been separately represented with one commissioner each. The first election in Wigtown Burghs was in 1708. In 1707–08, members of the 1702–1707

were co-opted to serve in the 1st

. See

Scottish representatives to the 1st Parliament of Great Britain The Scottish representatives to the first Parliament of Great Britain, serving from 1 May 1707 to 26 May 1708, were not elected like their colleagues from England and Wales, but rather hand-picked. The forty five men sent to London in 1707, to t ...

, for further details.

Boundaries

The constituency was a

district of burghs The Act of Union 1707 and pre-Union Scottish legislation provided for 14 Members of Parliament (MPs) from Scotland to be elected from districts of burghs. All the parliamentary burghs ( burghs represented in the pre-Union Parliament of Scotla ...

created to represent the

Royal burghs A royal burgh () was a type of Scottish burgh which had been founded by, or subsequently granted, a royal charter. Although abolished by law in 1975, the term is still used by many former royal burghs. Most royal burghs were either created by ...

and

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

Kirkcudbrightshire Kirkcudbrightshire ( ), or the County of Kirkcudbright or the Stewartry of Kirkcudbright is one of the historic counties of Scotland, covering an area in the south-west of the country. Until 1975, Kirkcudbrightshire was an administrative county ...

constituency and the other three burghs were included in the

Wigtownshire Wigtownshire or the County of Wigtown (, ) is one of the historic counties of Scotland, covering an area in the south-west of the country. Until 1975, Wigtownshire was an administrative county used for local government. Since 1975 the area has f ...

seat.

Political history

The constituency elected one

Member of Parliament (MP) A member of parliament (MP) is the representative in parliament of the people who live in their electoral district. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, this term refers only to members of the lower house since upper house members often ...

by the

first past the post In a first-past-the-post electoral system (FPTP or FPP), formally called single-member plurality voting (SMP) when used in single-member districts or informally choose-one voting in contrast to ranked voting, or score voting, voters cast their ...

system until the seat was abolished for the 1885 general election. 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 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 Peera ...

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

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. Dalrymple's father, James Dalrymple, had been a prominent lawyer; having served as Lord President ...

, 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 Stewarts 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 ( gd, Diùc Earraghàidheil) 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 ...

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 ( gd, Siorrachd Inbhir Àir, ) is a historic county and registration county in south-west Scotland, located on the shores of the Firth of Clyde. Its principal towns include Ayr, Kilmarnock and Irvine and it borders the counties of Re ...

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

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 Lord is an appellation for a person or deity who has authority, control, or power over others, acting as a master, chief, or ruler. The appellation can also denote certain persons who hold a title of the peerage in the United Kingdom, or are ...

, 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 George Augustus Selwyn (5 April 1809 – 11 April 1878) was the first Anglican Bishop of New Zealand. He was Bishop of New Zealand (which included Melanesia) from 1841 to 1869. His diocese was then subdivided and Selwyn was Metropolitan (later ...

, who controlled both seats in the borough of Ludgershall. Selwyn, who himself represented

Gloucester Gloucester ( ) is a cathedral city and the county town of Gloucestershire in the South West of England. Gloucester lies on the River Severn, between the Cotswolds to the east and the Forest of Dean to the west, east of Monmouth and east ...

, 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, 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 Burto ...

, offered the nomination for the seat to

Lord North Frederick North, 2nd Earl of Guilford (13 April 17325 August 1792), better known by his courtesy title Lord North, which he used from 1752 to 1790, was 12th Prime Minister of Great Britain from 1770 to 1782. He led Great Britain through most o ...

in exchange for a diplomatic post for his son

Lord Dalrymple Lord is an appellation for a person or deity who has authority, control, or power over others, acting as a master, chief, or ruler. The appellation can also denote certain persons who hold a title of the peerage in the United Kingdom, or a ...

. 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

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 The Court of Session is the supreme civil court of Scotland and constitutes part of the College of Justice; the supreme criminal court of Scotland is the High Court of Justiciary. The Court of Session sits in Parliament House in Edinburgh ...

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 *Alexander Maxwell: Unopposed *1715 (17 February) general election *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) *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) *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) * William Stewart: Unopposed *''Resigned'' *1805 (9 August) by-election (election at Stranraer) *James Graham: Unopposed *1806 (24 November) general election (election at Wigtown) * Edward Richard Stewart: Unopposed *1807 general election (election at Whithorn) * 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) * James Henry Keith Stewart (Tory): Unopposed *1818 general election (election at Stranraer) *James Henry Keith Stewart (Tory): Unopposed *1820 general election (election at Wigtown) *James Henry Keith Stewart (Tory): Unopposed *''Resigned'' *1821 (21 March) by-election (election at Wigtown) *John Osborn (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%) *Andrew Agnew (Liberal) 116 (43.45%) *''majority 35 (13.11%)''

Elections in the 1830s

Elections in the 1840s

Elections in the 1850s

Dunbar was appointed a

Lord Commissioner of the Treasury In the United Kingdom there are at least six Lords Commissioners of His Majesty's Treasury, serving as a commission for the ancient office of Treasurer of the Exchequer. The board consists of the First Lord of the Treasury, the Second Lord of the ...

, requiring a by-election.

Elections in the 1860s

Dunbar resigned after being appointed Commissioner for Auditing the Public Accounts, causing a by-election. Young was appointed

Solicitor General for Scotland , body = , insignia = Crest of the Kingdom of Scotland.svg , insigniasize = 110px , image = File:Official Portrait of Ruth Charteris QC.png , incumbent = Ruth Charteris KC , incumbentsince = 22 June 2021 , department = Crown Office and ...

, requiring a by-election.

Elections in the 1870s

On the initial count, Stewart had received 525 votes compared to Young's 517. However, on petition, his election was declared void and the above results were given after scrutiny. Nevertheless, by the time the petition was heard, Young had been appointed

Senator of the College of Justice The senators of the College of Justice are judges of the College of Justice, a set of legal institutions involved in the administration of justice in Scotland. There are three types of senator: Lords of Session (judges of the Court of Session); ...

, and a by-election was necessitated.

Elections in the 1880s

McLaren was appointed

Lord Advocate , body = , insignia = Crest of the Kingdom of Scotland.svg , insigniasize = 110px , image = File:Official Portrait of Dorothy Bain QC.png , incumbent = Dorothy Bain KC , incumbentsince = 22 June 2021 , appointer = Monarch on the advice ...

, requiring a by-election. The by-election was declared void on petition, causing a second by-election.

References

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 Sir Lewis Bernstein Namier (; 27 June 1888 – 19 August 1960) was a British historian of Polish-Jewish background. His best-known works were ''The Structure of Politics at the Accession of George III'' (1929), ''England in the Age of the Ameri ...

and

James Brooke Sir James Brooke, Rajah of Sarawak (29 April 1803 – 11 June 1868), was a British soldier and adventurer who founded the Raj of Sarawak in Borneo. He ruled as the first White Rajah of Sarawak from 1841 until his death in 1868. Brooke was bor ...

(Sidgwick & Jackson 1964) *''British Parliamentary Election Results 1832-1885'', compiled and edited by F.W.S. Craig (The Macmillan Press 1977) * {{DEFAULTSORT:Wigtown (Uk Parliament Constituency) Historic parliamentary constituencies in Scotland (Westminster) Constituencies of the Parliament of the United Kingdom established in 1708 Constituencies of the Parliament of the United Kingdom disestablished in 1885