# Dumfries Burghs (UK Parliament constituency)

Dumfries Burghs was a district of burghs constituency of the House of Commons of Great Britain from 1708 to 1801 and of the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom from 1801 until 1918. It elected 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 burgh constituencies of Dumfries, Annan, Kirkcudbright Burgh, Lochmaben and Sanquhar.

## Boundaries

The constituency comprised the Dumfriesshire burghs of Dumfries, Annan, Lochmaben and Sanquhar and the Kirkcudbrightshire burgh of Kirkcudbright.

## History

The constituency elected one Member of Parliament (MP) by the first past the post system until the seat was abolished for the 1918 general election.
Dumfries, Annan, Lochmaben and Sanquar were then merged into the county constituency of Dumfriesshire. Kirkcudbright was merged into Galloway.

## Members of Parliament

| Election | Election | Member | Party |
| | 1708 | William Johnstone | |
| | 1710 | John Hutton | |
| | 1713 | Sir William Johnstone | |
| | 1715 | Alexander Fergusson | |
| | 1722 | William Douglas | |
| | 1727 | Archibald Douglas | |
| | 1734 | Charles Erskine | |
| | 1735 | William Kirkpatrick | |
| | 1738 | Sir Robert Laurie | |
| | 1741 | Lord John Johnstone | |
| | 1743 | Sir James Johnstone, 3rd Bt | |
| | 1754 | Archibald Douglas | |
| | 1761 | Thomas Miller | |
| | 1766 | James Montgomery | |
| | 1768 | William Douglas | |
| | 1780 | Sir Robert Herries | |
| | 1784 | Sir James Johnstone, 4th Bt | |
| | 1790 | Patrick Miller | |
| | 1796 | Alexander Hope | |
| | 1800 | William Johnstone Hope | |
| | 1802 | Charles Hope | |
| | 1803 | James Stopford | |
| | 1806 | Henry Erskine | |
| | 1807 | Sir John Heron-Maxwell | |
| | 1812 | Lord William Douglas | Tory |
| | 1832 | Matthew Sharpe | Whig |
| | 1841 | William Ewart | Radical |
| | 1859 | William Ewart | Liberal |
| | 1868 | Robert Jardine | Liberal |
| | 1874 | Ernest Noel | Liberal |
| | 1886 | Ernest Noel | Liberal Unionist |
| | 1886 | Sir Robert Reid | Liberal |
| | 1906 | John Gulland | Liberal |
| 1918 | 1918 | constituency abolished | constituency abolished |

## Elections
### Elections in the 1830s

General election 1830: Dumfries District :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Tory | William Douglas | Unopposed | Unopposed |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | c. 95 | |
| | Tory hold | Tory hold | Tory hold | Tory hold |
General election 1831: Dumfries District :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Tory | William Douglas | 3 | 60.0 |
| | Whig | Matthew Sharpe | 2 | 40.0 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 1 | 20.0 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 5 | c. 5.3 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | c. 95 | |
| | Tory hold | Tory hold | Tory hold | Tory hold |
General election 1832: Dumfries District :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Whig | Matthew Sharpe | 488 | 56.9 | +16.9 |
| | Whig | David Hannay | 370 | 43.1 | N/A |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 118 | 13.8 | N/A |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 858 | 88.7 | c. +83.4 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 967 | | |
| | Whig gain from Tory | Whig gain from Tory | Swing | +16.9 | |
General election 1835: Dumfries District :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Whig | Matthew Sharpe | 422 | 53.3 | −3.6 |
| | Whig | David Hannay | 370 | 46.7 | +3.6 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 52 | 6.6 | −7.2 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 792 | 79.3 | −9.4 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 999 | | |
| | Whig hold | Whig hold | Swing | −3.6 | |
General election 1837: Dumfries District :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Whig | Matthew Sharpe | Unopposed | Unopposed |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 1,050 | |
| | Whig hold | Whig hold | Whig hold | Whig hold |

### Elections in the 1840s

General election 1841: Dumfries District :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Radical | William Ewart | 402 | 54.0 | N/A |
| | Whig | Alexander Johnston | 342 | 46.0 | N/A |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 60 | 8.0 | N/A |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 744 | 76.2 | N/A |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 977 | | |
| | Radical gain from Whig | Radical gain from Whig | Radical gain from Whig | Radical gain from Whig | Radical gain from Whig |
General election 1847: Dumfries District :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Radical | William Ewart | Unopposed | Unopposed | Unopposed |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 892 | | |
| | Radical hold | Radical hold | Radical hold | Radical hold | Radical hold |

### Elections in the 1850s

General election 1852: Dumfries District :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Radical | William Ewart | Unopposed | Unopposed | Unopposed |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 881 | | |
| | Radical hold | Radical hold | Radical hold | Radical hold | Radical hold |
General election 1857: Dumfries District :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Radical | William Ewart | 506 | 73.2 | N/A |
| | Conservative | James Hannay | 185 | 26.8 | New |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 321 | 46.4 | N/A |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 691 | 78.3 | N/A |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 882 | | |
| | Radical hold | Radical hold | Swing | N/A | |
General election 1859: Dumfries District :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal | William Ewart | 432 | 51.7 | −21.5 |
| | Conservative | George Gustavus Walker | 403 | 48.3 | +21.5 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 29 | 3.4 | −43.0 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 835 | 86.4 | +8.1 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 966 | | |
| | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Swing | −21.5 | |

### Elections in the 1860s

General election 1865: Dumfries District :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal | William Ewart | 540 | 58.4 | +6.7 |
| | Independent Liberal | John Clark Kennedy | 384 | 41.6 | New |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 156 | 16.8 | +13.4 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 924 | 82.2 | −4.2 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 1,124 | | |
| | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Swing | +6.7 | |
General election 1868: Dumfries District :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal | Robert Jardine | 1,125 | 51.0 | −7.4 |
| | Independent Liberal | Ernest Noel | 1,083 | 49.0 | +7.4 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 42 | 2.0 | −14.8 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 2,208 | 93.8 | +11.6 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 2,353 | | |
| | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Swing | N/A | |

### Elections in the 1870s

General election 1874: Dumfries Burghs :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal | Ernest Noel | 1,420 | 55.9 | +4.9 |
| | Conservative | Morden Carthew Yorstoun | 1,122 | 44.1 | New |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 298 | 11.8 | +9.8 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 2,542 | 89.7 | −4.1 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 2,833 | | |
| | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Swing | N/A | |

### Elections in the 1880s

General election 1880: Dumfries Burghs :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal | Ernest Noel | 1,700 | 64.7 | +8.8 |
| | Conservative | William Gordon | 872 | 33.2 | −10.9 |
| | Ind. Conservative | Theodore Edgar Dickson Byrne | 54 | 2.1 | New |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 828 | 31.5 | +19.7 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 2,626 | 89.6 | −0.1 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 2,931 | | |
| | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Swing | +9.9 | |
General election 1885: Dumfries Burghs :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal | Ernest Noel | 1,546 | 53.1 | −11.6 |
| | Conservative | Miles Walker Mattinson | 1,363 | 46.9 | +13.7 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 183 | 6.2 | −25.3 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 2,909 | 92.4 | +2.8 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 3,147 | | |
| | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Swing | −12.7 | |
General election 1886: Dumfries Burghs :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal | Robert Reid | 1,547 | 56.0 | +2.9 |
| | Conservative | Miles Walker Mattinson | 1,217 | 44.0 | −2.9 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 330 | 12.0 | +5.8 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 2,764 | 87.8 | −4.6 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 3,147 | | |
| | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Swing | +2.9 | |

### Elections in the 1890s

General election 1892: Dumfries Burghs :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal | Robert Reid | 1,698 | 59.3 | +3.3 |
| | Liberal Unionist | Andrew Agnew | 1,166 | 40.7 | −3.3 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 532 | 18.6 | +6.6 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 2,864 | 86.1 | −1.7 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 3,325 | | |
| | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Swing | +3.3 | |
Reid is appointed Solicitor General for Scotland, requiring a by-election.
By-election, 1894: Dumfries Burghs :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal | Robert Reid | Unopposed | Unopposed | Unopposed |
| | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Liberal hold |
General election 1895: Dumfries Burghs :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal | Robert Reid | 1,785 | 60.1 | +0.8 |
| | Conservative | William Murray | 1,185 | 39.9 | −0.8 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 600 | 20.2 | +1.6 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 2,970 | 85.9 | −0.2 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 3,456 | | |
| | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Swing | +0.8 | |

### Elections in the 1900s

General election 1900: Dumfries Burghs :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal | Robert Reid | 1,847 | 58.7 | −1.4 |
| | Liberal Unionist | William Murray | 1,300 | 41.3 | +1.4 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 547 | 17.4 | −2.8 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 3,147 | 84.7 | −1.2 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 3,717 | | |
| | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Swing | -1.4 | |
General election 1906: Dumfries Burghs :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal | John Gulland | 2,035 | 59.2 | +0.5 |
| | Conservative | Joseph J. Glover | 1,402 | 40.8 | −0.5 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 633 | 18.4 | +1.0 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 3,437 | 90.7 | +6.0 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 3,790 | | |
| | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Swing | +0.5 | |
1909 Dumfries Burghs by-election :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal | John Gulland | 1,877 | 54.2 | −5.0 |
| | Conservative | John Bryce Duncan | 1,585 | 45.8 | +5.0 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 292 | 8.4 | −10.0 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 3,462 | 86.9 | −3.8 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 3,984 | | |
| | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Swing | -5.0 | |

### Elections in the 1910s

General election January 1910: Dumfries Burghs :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal | John Gulland | 2,303 | 57.1 | −2.1 |
| | Conservative | John Bryce Duncan | 1,730 | 42.9 | +2.1 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 573 | 14.2 | −4.2 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 4,033 | 93.6 | +2.9 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 4,307 | | |
| | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Swing | −2.1 | |
General election December 1910: Dumfries Burghs :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal | John Gulland | 2,315 | 59.2 | +2.1 |
| | Conservative | John Pollok-McCall | 1,596 | 40.8 | −2.1 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 719 | 18.4 | +4.2 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 3,911 | 91.1 | −2.5 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 4,294 | | |
| | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Swing | +2.1 | |
General Election 1914–15:
Another General Election was required to take place before the end of 1915. The political parties had been making preparations for an election to take place and by July 1914, the following candidates had been selected;
* Liberal: John Gulland
* Unionist: Sir Archibald Mclnnes Shaw