Tain Burghs (UK Parliament constituency)

UK former constituency infobox
Name = Tain Burghs
Type = Burgh
Year = 1708
Abolition = 1832
members = one

Tain Burghs, 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 1832, sometimes known as Northern Burghs. It was represented by one Member of Parliament.

The first election in Tain Burghs was in 1708. In 1707-08, members of the 1702-1707 Parliament of Scotland were co-opted to serve in the first Parliament of Great Britain. See Scottish representatives to the 1st Parliament of Great Britain, for further details.

Boundaries

The constituency was a district of burghs created to represent the Royal burghs of Dingwall, Dornoch, Kirkwall, Tain and Wick, which had all been separately represented with one commissioner each in the former Parliament of Scotland.

In 1832 Cromarty was added to the district and it was renamed Wick Burghs.

Members of Parliament

* 1708: Lord Strathnaver
* 1709-1710: Robert Douglas
* 1710-1741: Sir Robert Munro
* 1741: Charles Erskine
* 1742-1747: Robert Craigie
* 1747-1761: Sir Harry Munro
* 1761-1768: John Scott
* 1768-1773: Alexander Mackay
* 1773-1780: James Grant
* 1780-1784: Charles Ross, Foxite
* 1784-1786: Charles James Fox, Foxite
* 1786: George Ross, Foxite
* 1786-1796: Sir Charles Lockhart-Ross, Pittite
* 1796-1802: William Dundas
* 1802-1805: John Villiers
* 1805-1806: James MacDonald
* 1806-1808: John Randoll Mackenzie
* 1808-1812: William Henry Fremantle
* 1812-1830: Sir Hugh Innes, Tory
* 1830-1832: James Loch, Whig

Elections

The constituency had only five voters (the commissioners elected by the five Burgh Councils). The place of election rotated between the Burghs and the commissioner for the returning Burgh had a casting vote if there was a tie.

* 1708 (26 May) general election (election at Tain)
* Lord Strathnaver: Unopposed

* "1708 (3 December): declared ineligible as the eldest son of a Peer of Scotland"
* 1709 (5 May) by-election (election at Tain)
* Robert Douglas: Unopposed

* 1710 (27 October) general election (election at Dingwall)
* Robert Munro: Unopposed

* 1713 general election (election at Dornoch)
* Robert Munro: Unopposed

* 1715 general election (election at Wick)
* Robert Munro: Unopposed

* 1722 general election (election at Kirkwall)
* Robert Munro defeated Robert Gordon, no vote totals available.

* 1727 general election (election at Tain)
* Robert Munro: Unopposed

* 1734 general election (election at Dingwall)
* Sir Robert Munro, Bt: Unopposed

* 1741 (28 May) general election (election at Dornoch)
* Charles Areskine defeated Sir Robert Munro, Bt; no vote totals available.

* "Election declared void"
* 1742 (2 April) by-election (election at Dornoch)
* Robert Craigie: Unopposed

* 1747 (22 July) general election (election at Wick)
* Sir Harry Munro, Bt: Unopposed

* 1754 (9 May) general election (election at Kirkwall)
* Sir Harry Munro, Bt: Unopposed

* 1761 (20 April) general election (election at Tain)
* John Scott: Unopposed

* 1768 (11 April) general election (election at Dingwall)
* Alexander Mackay: Unopposed

* "1773 (February): resigned"
* 1773 (26 April) by-election (election at Dingwall)
* James Grant: Unopposed

* 1774 (31 October) general election (election at Dornoch)
* James Grant 3 votes (Dingwall, Dornoch, Kirkwall)
* Sir Adam Fergusson, Bt 2 votes (Tain, Wick)

* 1780 (2 October) general election (election at Wick)
* Charles Ross of Morangie (Foxite): Unopposed

* 1784 (26 April) general election (election at Kirkwall)
* Charles James Fox (Foxite) 3 votes (Dingwall, Kirkwall, Tain)
* Sir John Sinclair (Pittite) 2 votes (Dornoch, Wick)

* "1786 (March): chose to represent Westminster"
* 1786 (15 March) by-election (election at Kirkwall)
* George Ross (Foxite) 3 votes (Dingwall, Kirkwall, Tain)
* Sir James Riddell, Bt (Pittite) 2 votes (Dornoch, Wick)

* "1786 (7 April): died"
* 1786 (30 June) by-election (election at Kirkwall)
* Charles Lockhart Ross of Balnagown (Pittite) 3 votes (Dornoch, Tain, Wick)
* Charles Ross of Morangie (Foxite) 2 votes (Dingwall, Kirkwall)

* 1790 (12 July) general election (election at Tain)
* Sir Charles Lockhart Ross, Bt of Balnagown (Pittite): Unopposed

* 1796 (20 June) general election (election at Dingwall)
* William Dundas: Unopposed

* "Appointed a Commissioner for the Affairs of India"
* 1797 (November) by-election (election at Dingwall)
* William Dundas: Unopposed

* 1802 (30 July) general election (election at Dornoch)
* Hon. John Charles Villiers: Unopposed

* "Appointed Chief Prothonotary Common Pleas of the County Palatine of Lancaster"
* 1804 (July) by-election (election at Dornoch)
* Hon. John Charles Villiers: Unopposed

* "Resigned"
* 1805 (26 June) by-election (election at Dornoch)
* James MacDonald: Unopposed

* 1806 (24 November) general election (election at Wick)
* John Randoll Mackenzie 3 votes
* Sir John Sinclair, Bt 2 votes

* 1807 general election (election at Kirkwall)
* John Randoll Mackenzie: Unopposed

* "Resigned to stand for Sutherlandshire"
* 1808 (7 May) by-election (election at Kirkwall)
* William Henry Fremantle: Unopposed

* 1812 (30 October) general election (election at Tain)
* Hugh Innes 3 votes
* Sir Charles Ross, Bt 2 votes

* 1818 general election (election at Dingwall)
* Hugh Innes (Tory): Unopposed

* 1820 general election (election at Dornoch)
* Sir Hugh Innes, Bt (Tory): Unopposed

* 1826 general election (election at Wick)
* Sir Hugh Innes, Bt (Tory): Unopposed*

* 1830 (23 August) general election (election at Kirkwall)
* James Loch (Whig): Unopposed

* 1831 general election (election at Tain)
* James Loch (Whig): Unopposed

ee also

References

*"The Parliaments of England" by Henry Stooks Smith (first edition published in three volumes 1844-50), second 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 (Sidgwick & Jackson 1964)
*rayment