# Leith Burghs (UK Parliament constituency)

Leith Burghs was a district of burghs constituency of the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom from 1832 to 1918. The constituency represented the parliamentary burghs of Leith, Musselburgh and Portobello.
In 1918 Leith was included in Leith, while Musselburgh and Portobello were merged into Edinburgh East.

## Members of Parliament

| Election | Member | Party |
| 1832 | John Murray | Whig |
| 1839 by-election | Andrew Rutherfurd | Whig |
| 1851 by-election | James Moncreiff | Whig |
| 1859 | Sir William Miller | Liberal |
| 1865 | Sir William Miller | Liberal |
| 1868 | Robert Andrew Macfie | Liberal |
| 1874 | Donald Robert Macgregor | Liberal |
| 1878 | Andrew Grant | Liberal |
| 1885 | William Jacks | Liberal |
| 1886 | William Jacks | Liberal Unionist |
| 1886 | William Ewart Gladstone | Liberal |
| 1886 | Ronald Munro Ferguson | Liberal |
| 1914 | George Welsh Currie | Unionist |
| 1918 | constituency abolished | constituency abolished |

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

General election 1832: Leith Burghs :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal | John Archibald Murray | Unopposed | Unopposed | Unopposed |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 1,624 | | |
| | Liberal win (new seat) | Liberal win (new seat) | Liberal win (new seat) | Liberal win (new seat) | Liberal win (new seat) |
General election 1835: Leith Burghs :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal | John Archibald Murray | Unopposed | Unopposed | Unopposed |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 1,838 | | |
| | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Liberal hold |
General election 1837: Leith Burghs :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal | John Archibald Murray | Unopposed | Unopposed | Unopposed |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 2,171 | | |
| | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Liberal hold |
By-election 1839: Leith Burghs :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal | Andrew Rutherfurd | Unopposed | Unopposed | Unopposed |
| | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Liberal hold |

### Elections in the 1840s

General election 1841: Leith Burghs :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal | Andrew Rutherfurd | Unopposed | Unopposed | Unopposed |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 1,732 | | |
| | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Liberal hold |
General election 1847: Leith Burghs :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal | Andrew Rutherfurd | Unopposed | Unopposed | Unopposed |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 1,888 | | |
| | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Liberal hold |

### Elections in the 1850s

By-election 11 April 1851: Leith Burghs :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal | James Moncreiff | Unopposed | Unopposed | Unopposed |
| | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Liberal hold |
General election 1852: Leith Burghs :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal | James Moncreiff | 643 | 61.2 | N/A |
| | Conservative | T. W. Henderson | 407 | 38.8 | New |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 236 | 22.4 | N/A |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 1,050 | 51.8 | N/A |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 2,027 | | |
| | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Liberal hold |
General election 1857: Leith Burghs :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal | James Moncreiff | 821 | 53.9 | −7.3 |
| | Liberal | William Miller | 701 | 46.1 | N/A |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 120 | 7.8 | N/A |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 1,522 | 77.1 | +25.3 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 1,973 | | |
| | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Liberal hold |
General election 1859: Leith Burghs :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal | William Miller | 904 | 54.8 | +8.7 |
| | Liberal | Robert Andrew Macfie | 746 | 45.2 | N/A |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 158 | 9.6 | +1.8 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 1,650 | 77.1 | 0.0 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 2,139 | | |
| | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Liberal hold |

### Elections in the 1860s

General election 1865: Leith Burghs :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal | William Miller | Unopposed | Unopposed | Unopposed |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 2,672 | | |
| | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Liberal hold |
General election 1868: Leith Burghs :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal | Robert Andrew Macfie | 2,907 | 55.7 | N/A |
| | Liberal | William Miller | 2,310 | 44.3 | N/A |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 597 | 11.4 | N/A |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 5,217 | 83.8 | N/A |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 6,223 | | |
| | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Liberal hold |

### Elections in the 1870s

General election 1874: Leith Burghs :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal | Donald Robert Macgregor | 4,489 | 69.8 | N/A |
| | Liberal | Robert Andrew Macfie | 1,945 | 30.2 | N/A |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 2,544 | 39.6 | +28.2 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 6,434 | 78.0 | −5.8 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 8,248 | | |
| | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Liberal hold |
By-election 29 Jan 1878: Leith Burghs :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal | Andrew Grant | 4,929 | 73.4 | +3.6 |
| | Conservative | C. W. Tennant | 1,788 | 26.6 | New |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 3,141 | 46.8 | +7.2 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 6,717 | 69.0 | −9.0 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 9,739 | | |
| | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Liberal hold |

### Elections in the 1880s

General election 1880: Leith Burghs :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal | Andrew Grant | Unopposed | Unopposed | Unopposed |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 10,333 | | |
| | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Liberal hold |
General election 1885: Leith Burghs :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal | William Jacks | 6,355 | 71.9 | N/A |
| | Conservative | William David Thorburn | 2,485 | 28.1 | New |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 3,870 | 43.8 | N/A |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 8,840 | 75.0 | N/A |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 11,779 | | |
| | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Liberal hold |
General election 1886: Leith Burghs :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal | William Ewart Gladstone | Unopposed | Unopposed | Unopposed |
| | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Liberal hold |
By-election 20 Aug 1886: Leith Burghs :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal | Ronald Munro Ferguson | 4,204 | 58.2 | N/A |
| | Ind. Liberal Unionist | Donald Robert Macgregor | 1,528 | 21.1 | N/A |
| | Liberal Unionist | William Jacks | 1,499 | 20.7 | N/A |
| | Ind. Liberal Unionist | Henry Munster | 3 | 0.0 | N/A |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 2,676 | 37.1 | N/A |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 7,234 | 61.4 | N/A |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 11,779 | | |
| | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Liberal hold |

### Elections in the 1890s

General election 1892: Leith Burghs :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal | Ronald Munro Ferguson | 5,738 | 58.4 | +0.2 |
| | Liberal Unionist | William Alexander Bell | 4,095 | 41.6 | +20.9 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 1,643 | 16.8 | −20.3 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 9,833 | 74.5 | +13.1 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 13,198 | | |
| | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Liberal hold |
General election 1895: Leith Burghs :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal | Ronald Munro Ferguson | 5,819 | 55.4 | −3.0 |
| | Liberal Unionist | John Wilson | 4,494 | 44.6 | +3.0 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 1,325 | 10.8 | −6.0 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 10,313 | 73.8 | −0.7 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 13,982 | | |
| | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Liberal hold |

### Elections in the 1900s

General election 1900: Leith Burghs :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal | Ronald Munro Ferguson | 6,043 | 53.6 | −1.8 |
| | Liberal Unionist | Edward Theodore Salvesen | 5,226 | 46.4 | +1.8 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 817 | 7.2 | −3.6 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 11,269 | 72.8 | −1.0 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 15,484 | | |
| | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Liberal hold |
General election 1906: Leith Burghs :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal | Ronald Munro Ferguson | 7,677 | 61.2 | +7.6 |
| | Liberal Unionist | Frank T. Cooper KC | 4,865 | 38.8 | −7.6 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 2,802 | 22.4 | +15.2 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 12,542 | 73.9 | +1.1 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 16,974 | | |
| | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Liberal hold |

### Elections in the 1910s

General election January 1910: Leith Burghs :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal | Ronald Munro Ferguson | 7,146 | 49.6 | −11.6 |
| | Liberal Unionist | Sir Robert Cranston | 4,540 | 31.5 | −7.3 |
| | Labour | William Walker | 2,724 | 18.9 | New |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 2,606 | 18.1 | −4.3 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 14,410 | 83.0 | +9.1 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 17,351 | | |
| | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Liberal hold |
General election December 1910: Leith Burghs :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal | Ronald Munro Ferguson | 7,069 | 57.2 | +7.6 |
| | Conservative | Frederick Alexander Macquisten | 5,284 | 42.8 | +11.3 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 1,785 | 14.4 | −3.7 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 12,353 | 68.7 | −14.3 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 17,987 | | |
| | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Liberal hold |
By-election 26 Feb 1914: Leith Burghs :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | George Welsh Currie | 5,159 | 37.8 | −5.0 |
| | Liberal | Malcolm Smith | 5,143 | 37.7 | −19.5 |
| | Labour | Joseph Nicholas Bell | 3,346 | 24.5 | New |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 16 | 0.1 | N/A |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 13,648 | 77.1 | +8.4 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 17,705 | | |
| | Conservative gain from Liberal | Conservative gain from Liberal | Swing | +12.3 | |