- Midlothian (UK Parliament constituency) (1708–1918)
-
Edinburghshire Former County constituency for the House of Commons 1708–1918 Number of members One Replaced by Midlothian & Peebles Northern
Peebles & SouthernEdinburghshire (also known as Midlothian) was a county 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 to 1918.
It elected one Member of Parliament (MP) by the first past the post system of election.
The seat is most famous as the location of William Ewart Gladstone's upset victory in the Midlothian Campaign of 1880, regarded as the birth of the modern political campaign in the United Kingdom. After Gladstone's victory it became the first non-English constituency to be represented by a serving prime minister.
Contents
Boundaries
As first used, in 1708 general election of the Parliament of Great Britain, the constituency covered the county of Edinburgh, except the burgh of Edinburgh, which was covered by the Edinburgh burgh constituency. 1708 boundaries were used also for all subsequent elections of that parliament.
In 1801 the Parliament of Ireland was merged with the Parliament of Great Britain to form the Parliament of the United Kingdom . The first general election of the new parliament was the general election of 1802. There was no change to the boundaries of any pre-existing Westminster constituency, and 1802 boundaries were used also in the general elections of 1806, 1807, 1812, 1818, 1820, 1826, 1830 and 1831.
For the 1832 general election, as a result of the Representation of the People Act 1832, the constituency was redefined. The boundaries of counties and burghs for parliamentary purposes ceased to be necessarily those for other purposes, but nominally the Edinburghshire constituency constisted of the county of Edinburgh minus the burghs of Edinburgh, Leith, Portobello, and Musselburgh. Edinburgh was again covered by the Edinburgh constituency, and Leith, Portobello and Musselburgh were covered by the Leith Burghs constituency.
1832 boundaries were used also in the general elections of 1835, 1837, 1841, 1847, 1852, 1857, 1859, 1865, 1874, 1880. 1886, 1892, 1895, 1900, 1906, January 1910 and December 1910.
For the 1918 general election, as a result of the Representation of the People Act 1918, the area of the Edinburghshire constituency was mostly divided between the Midlothian and Peebles Northern and Peebles and Southern constituencies. By this date, the county of Edinburgh had been renamed as the county of Midlothian.
The Midlothian and Peebles Northern constituency consisted of the Calder and Suburban districts and part of the Lasswade district of the county of Midlothian, and the Peebles and Southern constituency consisted of the county of Peebles, the Gala Water district and part of the Lasswade district of county of Midlothian, and the burghs of Bonnyrigg, Lasswade, and Penicuik in county of Midlothian.[1]
The rest of the county of Midlothian was covered by the Edinburgh Central, Edinburgh East, Edinburgh North, Edinburgh South, Edinburgh West and Leith constituencies.[1]
Member of Parliament
Election Member Party 1708 George Lockhart 1715 John Baird 1722 Robert Dundas 1737 Sir Charles Gilmour[disambiguation needed 
]1751 Robert Balfour-Ramsay 1754 Robert Dundas 1761 Sir Alexander Gilmour 1774 Henry Dundas 1790 Robert Dundas 1801 Robert Saunders-Dundas 1811 Sir George Clerk, Bt 1832 Sir John Dalrymple, Bt 1835 Sir George Clerk, Bt 1837 William Gibson Craig 1841 William Ramsay Ramsay 1845 Sir John Hope, Bt. 1853 The Earl of Dalkeith Conservative 1868 Sir Alexander Ramsay-Gibson-Maitland Liberal 1874 The Earl of Dalkeith Conservative 1880 William Ewart Gladstone Liberal 1895 Sir Thomas Gibson-Carmichael Liberal 1900 The Master of Elibank Liberal 1906 Lord Dalmeny Liberal 1910 The Master of Elibank Liberal 1912 John Augustus Hope Conservative 1918 constituency abolished Election results
By-election 10 Sep 1912: Edinburghshire [2] Party Candidate Votes % ±% Conservative Lieut-Col John Augustus Hope 6,021 Liberal Hon Alexander Shaw 5,989 Labour R. Brown 2,413 General Election Dec 1910: Edinburghshire [2] Party Candidate Votes % ±% Liberal Master of Elibank 8,837 Conservative Major John Augustus Hope 5,680 General Election Jan 1910: Edinburghshire [2] Party Candidate Votes % ±% Liberal Master of Elibank 9,062 Conservative Hon Mountstuart William Buller-Fullerton-Elphinstone 5,427 General Election 1906: Edinburghshire [3] Party Candidate Votes % ±% Liberal Lord Dalmeny 8,348 Conservative F.J. Usher 5,131 General Election 1900: Edinburghshire [4] Party Candidate Votes % ±% Liberal The Master of Elibank 5,804 Conservative Lieut-Col the Hon North de Coigny Dalrymple-Hamilton 5,490 General Election 1895: Edinburghshire [4] Party Candidate Votes % ±% Liberal Sir Thomas Gibson-Carmichael Bt 6,090 Conservative Major the Hon North de Coigny Dalrymple 5,631 At a by-election on 23 August 1892, William Gladstone was returned unopposed.[5]
General Election 1892: Edinburghshire [5] Party Candidate Votes % ±% Liberal Rt Hon William Ewart Gladstone 5,845 Conservative Col Andrew Gilbert Wauchope CB CMG 5,155 General Election 1886: William Ewart Gladstone elected unopposed.[6]
At a by-election in February 1886, Gladstone having accepted office as Prime Minister, he was returned unopposed.[6]
General Election 1885: Edinburghshire [6] Party Candidate Votes % ±% Liberal William Ewart Gladstone 7,879 Conservative Charles Dalrymple 3,248 General Election 1868: Edinburghshire [7] Party Candidate Votes % ±% Liberal Alexander Ramsay-Gibson-Maitland, Bart 1,195 Conservative Earl of Dalkeith 640 Notes and references
- ^ a b Boundaries of Parliamentary Constituencies 1885-1972 (ISBN 0-900178-09-4), F. W. S. Craig, 1972
- ^ a b c Debrett's House of Commons and the Judicial Bench, 1916
- ^ Whitaker's Almanack, 1907
- ^ a b Debrett's House of Commons and the Judicial Bench, 1901
- ^ a b Whitaker's Almanack, 1893
- ^ a b c Debrett's House of Commons and the Judicial Bench, 1889
- ^ Debrett's House of Commons and the Judicial Bench, 1870
Leigh Rayment's Historical List of MPs – Constituencies beginning with "M" (part 2)
Parliament of the United Kingdom Preceded by
vacant. Last was Buckinghamshire in 1876Constituency represented by the Prime Minister
1880–1885Succeeded by
vacant. Next was this constituency, in 1886Preceded by
vacant. Last was this constituency, in 1885Constituency represented by the Prime Minister
1886–1886Succeeded by
vacant. Next was this constituency, in 1892Preceded by
vacant. Last was this constituency, in 1886Constituency represented by the Prime Minister
1892–1895Succeeded by
vacant. Next was Manchester East in 1902Categories:- Historic parliamentary constituencies in Scotland (Westminster)
- United Kingdom Parliamentary constituencies established in 1708
- United Kingdom Parliamentary constituencies disestablished in 1918
- United Kingdom Parliamentary constituencies represented by a sitting Prime Minister
Wikimedia Foundation. 2010.
