# Falkirk Burghs (UK Parliament constituency)

Falkirk 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 comprised the burghs of Falkirk, Airdrie, Hamilton, Lanark and Linlithgow, lying in Stirlingshire, Lanarkshire and Linlithgowshire.
In 1918, Falkirk became part of Stirling and Falkirk Burghs, Hamilton and Lanark formed the core of new Hamilton and Lanark constituencies, and Linlithgow was represented as part of Linlithgowshire.

## Members of Parliament

| Election | Election | Member | Party |
| | 1832 | William Downe Gillon | Radical |
| | 1841 | William Baird | Conservative |
| | 1846 by-election | Henry Pelham-Clinton, Earl of Lincoln, later Duke of Newcastle | Conservative |
| | 1851 by-election | James Baird | Conservative |
| | 1857 | James Merry | Radical |
| | 1857 by-election | John Hamilton, later Baron Hamilton of Dalzell | Radical |
| | 1859 | James Merry | Liberal |
| | 1874 | John Ramsay | Liberal |
| | 1886 | William Pirrie Sinclair | Liberal Unionist Party |
| | 1892 | Harry Smith | Liberal |
| | 1895 | John Wilson | Liberal Unionist Party |
| | 1906 | John Macdonald | Liberal |
| 1918 | 1918 | constituency abolished | constituency abolished |

## Elections
### Elections in the 1830s

General election 1832: Falkirk Burghs :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Radical | William Downe Gillon | 505 | 58.3 |
| | Whig | Charles Murray | 361 | 41.7 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 144 | 16.6 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 866 | 89.4 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 969 | |
| | Radical win (new seat) | Radical win (new seat) | Radical win (new seat) | Radical win (new seat) |
General election 1835: Falkirk Burghs :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Radical | William Downe Gillon | Unopposed | Unopposed |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 1,046 | |
| | Radical hold | Radical hold | Radical hold | Radical hold |
General election 1837: Falkirk Burghs :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Radical | William Downe Gillon | Unopposed | Unopposed |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 1,177 | |
| | Radical hold | Radical hold | Radical hold | Radical hold |

### Elections in the 1840s

General election 1841: Falkirk Burghs :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | William Baird | 484 | 52.8 | New |
| | Radical | William Downe Gillon | 433 | 47.2 | N/A |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 51 | 5.6 | N/A |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 917 | 67.0 | N/A |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 1,369 | | |
| | Conservative gain from Radical | Conservative gain from Radical | Swing | N/A | |
Baird resigned by accepting the office of Steward of the Chiltern Hundreds, causing a by-election.
By-election, 2 May 1846: Falkirk Burghs :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Henry Pelham-Clinton | 506 | 50.5 | −2.3 |
| | Whig | John Wilson | 495 | 49.5 | +2.3 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 11 | 1.0 | −4.4 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 1,001 | 75.2 | +8.2 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 1,332 | | |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | −2.3 | |
General election 1847: Falkirk Burghs :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Henry Pelham-Clinton | 522 | 51.5 | −1.3 |
| | Whig | William Sprott Boyd | 491 | 48.5 | +1.3 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 31 | 3.0 | −2.6 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 1,013 | 70.5 | +3.5 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 1,437 | | |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | −1.3 | |

### Elections in the 1850s

Pelham-Clinton succeeded to the peerage, becoming 5th Duke of Newcastle and causing a by-election.
By-election, 14 February 1851: Falkirk Burghs :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | James Baird | 590 | 52.0 | +0.5 |
| | Whig | George Loch | 544 | 48.0 | −0.5 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 46 | 4.0 | +1.0 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 1,134 | 64.8 | −5.7 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 1,749 | | |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | +0.5 | |
General election 1852: Falkirk Burghs :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | James Baird | 579 | 52.3 | +0.8 |
| | Whig | James Anderson | 529 | 47.7 | −0.8 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 50 | 4.6 | +1.6 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 1,108 | 58.2 | −12.3 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 1,905 | | |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | +0.8 | |
General election 1857: Falkirk Burghs :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Radical | James Merry | 770 | 61.1 | +13.4 |
| | Conservative | George Baird | 491 | 38.9 | −13.4 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 279 | 22.2 | N/A |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 1,261 | 85.6 | +27.4 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 1,473 | | |
| | Radical gain from Conservative | Radical gain from Conservative | Swing | +13.4 | |
Merry's election was declared void on petition due to bribery by "injudicious partisans", causing a by-election.
By-election, 8 August 1857: Falkirk Burghs :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Radical | John Hamilton | Unopposed | Unopposed | Unopposed |
| | Radical hold | Radical hold | Radical hold | Radical hold | Radical hold |
General election 1859: Falkirk Burghs :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal | James Merry | Unopposed | Unopposed | Unopposed |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 1,540 | | |
| | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Liberal hold |

### Elections in the 1860s

General election 1865: Falkirk Burghs :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal | James Merry | 683 | 62.0 | N/A |
| | Conservative | Frederick James Halliday | 419 | 38.0 | New |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 264 | 24.0 | N/A |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 1,102 | 73.0 | N/A |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 1,510 | | |
| | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Swing | N/A | |
General election 1868: Falkirk Burghs :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal | James Merry | 1,724 | 99.1 | +37.1 |
| | Independent Liberal | Edward Horsman | 16 | 0.9 | New |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 1,708 | 98.2 | +74.2 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 1,740 | 37.0 | −36.0 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 4,704 | | |
| | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Swing | | |

### Elections in the 1870s

General election 1874: Falkirk Burghs :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal | John Ramsay | 2,583 | 56.9 | −42.2 |
| | Conservative | Alexander Baird | 1,958 | 43.1 | New |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 625 | 13.8 | −84.4 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 4,541 | 87.9 | +50.9 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 5,165 | | |
| | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Swing | | |
Ramsay was disqualified from office, due to his holding of a Government contract at the time of the election. He stood again unopposed at a by-election.
By-election, 26 Mar 1874: Falkirk Burghs :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal | John Ramsay | Unopposed | Unopposed | Unopposed |
| | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Liberal hold |

### Elections in the 1880s

General election 1880: Falkirk Burghs :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal | John Ramsay | 3,270 | 74.1 | +17.2 |
| | Conservative | William Bell McTaggart | 1,140 | 25.9 | −17.2 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 2,130 | 48.2 | +34.4 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 4,410 | 82.7 | −5.2 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 5,333 | | |
| | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Swing | +17.2 | |
General election 1885: Falkirk Burghs :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal | John Ramsay | 3,104 | 50.6 | −23.5 |
| | Conservative | Samuel Leck Mason | 2,204 | 35.9 | +10.0 |
| | Independent Liberal | James Galloway Weir | 814 | 13.3 | N/A |
| | Hamilton Liberal Association | John Roskill | 14 | 0.2 | N/A |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 900 | 14.7 | −33.6 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 6,136 | 85.9 | +3.2 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 7,142 | | |
| | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Swing | −16.8 | |
The Hamilton Liberal Association nominated Roskill in protest against Ramsay. However, arbitration later led to their support for Ramsay and Roskill's withdrawal from the race. Weir did not agree to take part in the arbitration.
General election 1886: Falkirk Burghs :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal Unionist | William Pirrie Sinclair | 2,712 | 50.2 | +14.3 |
| | Liberal | Harry Smith | 2,693 | 49.8 | −0.8 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 19 | 0.4 | N/A |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 5,405 | 75.7 | −10.2 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 7,142 | | |
| | Liberal Unionist gain from Liberal | Liberal Unionist gain from Liberal | Swing | +7.5 | |

### Elections in the 1890s

General election 1892: Falkirk Burghs :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal | Harry Smith | 3,816 | 54.6 | +4.8 |
| | Liberal Unionist | William Pirrie Sinclair | 3,177 | 45.4 | −4.8 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 639 | 9.2 | N/A |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 6,993 | 83.1 | +7.4 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 8,412 | | |
| | Liberal gain from Liberal Unionist | Liberal gain from Liberal Unionist | Swing | +4.8 | |
General election 1895: Falkirk Burghs :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal Unionist | John Wilson | 4,075 | 51.6 | +6.2 |
| | Liberal | Harry Smith | 3,822 | 48.4 | −6.2 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 253 | 3.2 | N/A |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 7,897 | 84.3 | +1.2 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 9,363 | | |
| | Liberal Unionist gain from Liberal | Liberal Unionist gain from Liberal | Swing | +6.2 | |

### Elections in the 1900s

General election 1900: Falkirk Burghs :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal Unionist | John Wilson | 4,222 | 51.2 | −0.4 |
| | Liberal | John Macdonald | 4,022 | 48.8 | +0.4 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 200 | 2.4 | −0.8 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 8,244 | 79.4 | −4.9 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 10,388 | | |
| | Liberal Unionist hold | Liberal Unionist hold | Swing | −0.4 | |
General election 1906: Falkirk Burghs :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal | John Macdonald | 5,158 | 51.0 | +2.2 |
| | Conservative | Henry Keith | 3,176 | 31.5 | −19.7 |
| | Scottish Workers | David Gilmour | 1,763 | 17.5 | New |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 1,982 | 19.5 | N/A |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 10,097 | 83.7 | +4.3 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 12,068 | | |
| | Liberal gain from Liberal Unionist | Liberal gain from Liberal Unionist | Swing | +5.9 | |

### Elections in the 1910s

General election January 1910: Falkirk Burghs :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal | John Macdonald | 6,524 | 59.9 | +8.9 |
| | Conservative | Henry Keith | 4,375 | 40.1 | +8.6 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 2,149 | 19.8 | +0.3 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 10,899 | 84.6 | +0.9 |
| | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Swing | +0.2 | |
General election December 1910: Falkirk Burghs :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal | John Macdonald | 6,276 | 59.7 | −0.2 |
| | Conservative | Daniel Young | 4,245 | 40.3 | +0.2 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 2,031 | 19.4 | −0.4 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 10,521 | 80.0 | −4.6 |
| | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Swing | -0.2 | |
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 Macdonald
* Unionist: Sir James Robertson Wilson, 2nd Baronet
* British Socialist Party: