Before the Act of Union 1707, the

baron Baron is a rank of nobility or title of honour, often hereditary, in various European countries, either current or historical. The female equivalent is baroness. Typically, the title denotes an aristocrat who ranks higher than a lord or kn ...

s of the sheriffdom or shire of Dumfries (also called Nithsdale) and the stewartry of Annandale elected commissioners to represent them in the unicameral

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 ...

and in the

Convention of Estates The Convention of Estates of Scotland was a sister institution to the Scottish Parliament which sat from the early sixteenth century. Initially it was only attended by the clergy and nobles, but the burgh commissioners were later added. The Conven ...

. The number of commissioners was increased from two to four in 1690. After 1708, Dumfriesshire returned one member to the House of Commons of Great Britain and later to the

House of Commons of the United Kingdom The House of Commons is the lower house of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. Like the upper house, the House of Lords, it meets in the Palace of Westminster in London, England. The House of Commons is an elected body consisting of 650 ...

List of shire commissioners

* 1628–33, 1639–41, 1643, 1644–47, 1648: Sir Robert Grierson of Lag * 1643: John Laurie of Maxwelton During the Commonwealth of England, Scotland and Ireland, the sheriffdom of Dumfries was represented by one Member of Parliament in the Protectorate Parliament at Westminster. * 1654–55: James Johnstone, 2nd Earl of Hartfell * 1656–58: George Smith After the Restoration, the Parliament of Scotland was again summoned to meet in Edinburgh. * 1661–63: James Crichton of St Leonards * 1661–63, 1665 (convention), 1667 (convention), 1669–72, 1678 (convention): Robert Fergusson of Craigdarroch * 1665 (convention), 1667 (convention), 1669–74, 1678 (convention), 1681–82, 1685: Sir Robert Dalzell of Glenae (died 1685)''Complete Baronetage'', vol. iv
p. 249
* 1678 (convention), 1681–82, 1685–86:

Sir Robert Grierson Sir Robert Grierson, 1st Baronet of Lag (1655 – 31 December 1733) was a Scottish baronet from Dunfries-shire. He is best remembered as a notorious persecutor of the Covenanters, particularly among the people of Galloway, and is still referr ...

of Lagg * 1686, 1689 (convention): Sir John Dalzell of Glenae (died 1689) * 1690: James Johnstone of Corhead (died c.1690) * 1690–1701: William Creichtone of Craufurdstone (died c.1701) * 1689 (convention), 1689–99: Sir James Johnstone of Westerhall (died c.1700)''Complete Baronetage'', vol. iv
p. 394
* 1690–1702: Sir Thomas Kirkpatrick of Closeburn''Complete Baronetage'', vol. iv
pp. 329

330
* 1693–1701: Alexander Johnstone of Elsiesheills * 1700–02, 1702–07: Sir John Johnstone of Westerhall * 1702–07: William Douglass of Dornock * 1702, 1702–07: John Sharp of Hoddam * 1702–07: Alexander Fergussone of Isle

List of shire commissioners

References

See also