# Perthshire (UK Parliament constituency)

Perthshire was a Scottish county 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 until 1885, representing a seat for one Member of Parliament (MP).

## Creation

The British parliamentary constituency was created in 1708 following the Acts of Union, 1707 and replaced the former Parliament of Scotland shire constituency of Perthshire.

## Boundaries

The constituency was created to cover the county of Perth, minus the burgh of Perth, which was a component of the Perth Burghs constituency. The Scottish Reform Act 1832 transferred from Perthshire to Clackmannanshire and Kinross-shire the parishes of Tulliallan, Culross and Muckhart and the Perthshire portions of the parishes of Logie and Fossaway.

## History

The constituency elected one Member of Parliament (MP) by the first past the post system until the seat was abolished in 1885.
As a result of the Redistribution of Seats Act 1885, the Perthshire constituency was divided to create Eastern Perthshire and Western Perthshire in 1885.

## Members of Parliament

| Election | Member | Party | Notes |
| 15 June 1708 | Dougal Stewart | Tory | Also sat for Buteshire |
| 25 October 1710 | Lord James Murray | | |
| 10 February 1715 | Lord James Murray | | Later 2nd Duke of Atholl |
| By-election, 31 December 1724 | David Graeme | | |
| By-election, 28 April 1726 | Mungo Haldane | | Previously MP for Stirlingshire 1715–22, and for Dunbartonshire 1722–25 |
| 12 October 1727 | John Drummond | | |
| 9 May 1734 | Lord John Murray | | |
| 21 April 1761 | John Murray | | |
| By-election, 23 March 1764 | David Graeme | | Diplomat and British Army general |
| By-election, 11 June 1773 | James Murray | | of Strowan |
| By-election, 11 April 1794 | Thomas Graham | | |
| 19 May 1807 | Lord James Murray | | Later 1st Baron Glenlyon |
| By-election, 19 March 1812 | James Drummond | Tory | |
| By-election, 6 April 1824 | Sir George Murray | Tory | |
| 29 December 1832 | The Earl of Ormelie | Whig | Later 2nd Marquess of Breadalbane |
| By-election, 5 May 1834 | Sir George Murray | Conservative | |
| 17 January 1835 | Hon. Fox Maule | Whig | |
| 4 August 1837 | Viscount Stormont | Conservative | |
| By-election, 9 March 1840 | Henry Home-Drummond | Conservative | |
| 1846 | Henry Home-Drummond | Peelite | |
| 16 July 1852 | Sir William Stirling, Bt | Conservative | Changed name to Sir William Stirling-Maxwell in March 1866 |
| 23 November 1868 | Charles Stuart Parker | Liberal | MP for Perth 1878–92 |
| 12 February 1874 | Sir William Stirling-Maxwell, Bt | Conservative | |
| By-election, 4 February 1878 | Henry Home-Drummond-Moray | Conservative | |
| 5 April 1880 | Sir Donald Currie | Liberal | subsequently MP for Western Perthshire |
| 1885 | constituency divided. See Eastern Perthshire and Western Perthshire | constituency divided. See Eastern Perthshire and Western Perthshire | constituency divided. See Eastern Perthshire and Western Perthshire |

## Election results
### Elections in the 1830s

General election 1830: Perthshire :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Tory | George Murray | Unopposed | Unopposed |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 239 | |
| | Tory hold | Tory hold | Tory hold | Tory hold |
General election 1831: Perthshire :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Tory | George Murray | Unopposed | Unopposed |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 239 | |
| | Tory hold | Tory hold | Tory hold | Tory hold |
General election 1832: Perthshire :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Whig | John Campbell | 1,666 | 60.4 |
| | Tory | George Murray | 1,093 | 39.6 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 573 | 20.8 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 2,759 | 86.8 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 3,180 | |
| | Whig gain from Tory | Whig gain from Tory | Whig gain from Tory | Whig gain from Tory |
Campbell succeeded to the peerage, becoming 2nd Marquess of Breadalbane and causing a by-election.
By-election, 5 May 1834: Perthshire :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Tory | George Murray | 1,464 | 53.6 | +14.0 |
| | Whig | Robert Graham | 1,268 | 46.4 | −14.0 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 196 | 7.2 | N/A |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 2,732 | 79.8 | −7.0 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 3,425 | | |
| | Tory gain from Whig | Tory gain from Whig | Swing | +14.0 | |
General election 1835: Perthshire :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Whig | Fox Maule | 1,453 | 51.5 | −8.9 |
| | Conservative | George Murray | 1,371 | 48.5 | +8.9 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 82 | 3.0 | −17.8 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 2,824 | 76.6 | −10.2 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 3,689 | | |
| | Whig hold | Whig hold | Swing | −8.9 | |
General election 1837: Perthshire :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | William Murray | 1,495 | 52.0 | +3.5 |
| | Whig | Fox Maule | 1,379 | 48.0 | −3.5 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 116 | 4.0 | N/A |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 2,874 | 64.6 | −12.0 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 4,452 | | |
| | Conservative gain from Whig | Conservative gain from Whig | Swing | +3.5 | |

### Elections in the 1840s

Murray succeeded to the peerage, becoming 4th Earl of Mansfield and causing a by-election.
By-election, 9 March 1840: Perthshire :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Henry Home-Drummond | 1,586 | 58.4 | +6.4 |
| | Whig | George Drummond Stewart | 1,128 | 41.6 | −6.4 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 458 | 16.8 | +12.8 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 2,714 | 64.3 | −0.3 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 4,224 | | |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | +6.4 | |
General election 1841: Perthshire :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Henry Home-Drummond | Unopposed | Unopposed | Unopposed |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 4,224 | | |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Conservative hold |
General election 1847: Perthshire :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Peelite | Henry Home-Drummond | Unopposed | Unopposed | Unopposed |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 4,187 | | |
| | Peelite gain from Conservative | Peelite gain from Conservative | Peelite gain from Conservative | Peelite gain from Conservative | Peelite gain from Conservative |

### Elections in the 1850s

General election 1852: Perthshire :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | William Stirling | Unopposed | Unopposed | Unopposed |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 4,938 | | |
| | Conservative gain from Peelite | Conservative gain from Peelite | Conservative gain from Peelite | Conservative gain from Peelite | Conservative gain from Peelite |
General election 1857: Perthshire :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | William Stirling | Unopposed | Unopposed | Unopposed |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 3,415 | | |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Conservative hold |
General election 1859: Perthshire :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | William Stirling | Unopposed | Unopposed | Unopposed |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 3,368 | | |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Conservative hold |

### Elections in the 1860s

General election 1865: Perthshire :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | William Stirling | Unopposed | Unopposed | Unopposed |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 3,448 | | |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Conservative hold |
General election 1868: Perthshire :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal | Charles Stuart Parker | 2,046 | 53.7 | New |
| | Conservative | William Stirling-Maxwell | 1,767 | 46.3 | N/A |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 279 | 7.4 | N/A |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 3,813 | 78.2 | N/A |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 4,876 | | |
| | Liberal gain from Conservative | Liberal gain from Conservative | Swing | N/A | |

### Elections in the 1870s

General election 1874: Perthshire :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | William Stirling-Maxwell | 2,554 | 55.4 | +9.1 |
| | Liberal | Charles Stuart Parker | 2,060 | 44.6 | −9.1 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 494 | 10.8 | N/A |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 4,614 | 83.8 | +5.6 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 5,505 | | |
| | Conservative gain from Liberal | Conservative gain from Liberal | Swing | +9.1 | |
Stirling-Maxwell's death caused a by-election.
1878 Perthshire by-election :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Henry Home-Drummond-Moray | 2,439 | 52.0 | −3.4 |
| | Liberal | Algernon Greville-Nugent | 2,255 | 48.0 | +3.4 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 184 | 4.0 | −6.8 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 4,694 | 83.6 | −0.2 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 5,613 | | |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | -3.4 | |

### Elections in the 1880s

General election 1880: Perthshire :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal | Donald Currie | 2,764 | 52.8 | +8.2 |
| | Conservative | Henry Home-Drummond-Moray | 2,472 | 47.2 | −8.2 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 292 | 5.6 | N/A |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 5,236 | 88.5 | +4.7 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 5,918 | | |
| | Liberal gain from Conservative | Liberal gain from Conservative | Swing | +8.2 | |