# St Andrews Burghs (UK Parliament constituency)

56°17′06″N 3°01′08″W﻿ / ﻿56.285°N 3.019°W﻿ / 56.285; -3.019
St Andrews Burghs was a district of burghs constituency, representing various burghs of Fife, Scotland, in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom, from 1832 to 1918.

## Area covered

The constituency comprised the burghs of St Andrews, Anstruther Easter, Anstruther Wester, Crail, Cupar, Kilrenny and Pittenweem, all in the county of Fife. St Andrews and Cupar had previously been part of Perth Burghs, and the other burghs part of Anstruther Burghs.
In 1918 the constituency was abolished, and the burghs were thereafter represented as part of the East Fife constituency.

## Members of Parliament

| Year | Member | Party |
| 1832 | Andrew Johnston | Whig |
| 1837 | Edward Ellice | Whig |
| 1859 | Edward Ellice | Liberal |
| 1880 | Stephen Williamson | Liberal |
| 1885 | Sir Robert Anstruther | Independent Liberal |
| 1886 | Sir Robert Anstruther | Liberal Unionist |
| 1886 | Henry Torrens Anstruther | Liberal Unionist |
| 1903 | Edward Charles Ellice | Liberal |
| 1906 | William Anstruther-Gray | Liberal Unionist |
| 1910 | James Duncan Millar | Liberal |
| 1910 | William Anstruther-Gray | Liberal Unionist |
| 1912 | William Anstruther-Gray | Unionist |
| 1918 | constituency abolished | constituency abolished |

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

General election 1832: St Andrews Burghs :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Whig | Andrew Johnston | 331 | 62.3 |
| | Tory | Sir Ralph Abercromby Anstruther, 4th Baronet | 200 | 37.7 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 131 | 24.6 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 531 | 85.5 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 621 | |
| | Whig win (new seat) | Whig win (new seat) | Whig win (new seat) | Whig win (new seat) |
General election 1835: St Andrews Burghs :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Whig | Andrew Johnston | Unopposed | Unopposed |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 669 | |
| | Whig hold | Whig hold | Whig hold | Whig hold |
General election 1837: St Andrews Burghs :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Whig | Edward Ellice | 290 | 52.6 |
| | Conservative | David Maitland Makgill | 261 | 47.4 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 29 | 5.2 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 551 | 79.4 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 694 | |
| | Whig hold | Whig hold | Whig hold | Whig hold |

### Elections in the 1840s

General election 1841: St Andrews Burghs :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Whig | Edward Ellice | 366 | 58.7 | +6.1 |
| | Conservative | George Makgill | 258 | 41.3 | −6.1 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 108 | 17.4 | +12.2 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 624 | 74.7 | −4.7 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 835 | | |
| | Whig hold | Whig hold | Swing | +6.1 | |
General election 1847: St Andrews Burghs :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Whig | Edward Ellice | Unopposed | Unopposed | Unopposed |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 768 | | |
| | Whig hold | Whig hold | Whig hold | Whig hold | Whig hold |

### Elections in the 1850s

General election 1852: St Andrews Burghs :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Whig | Edward Ellice | Unopposed | Unopposed | Unopposed |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 680 | | |
| | Whig hold | Whig hold | Whig hold | Whig hold | Whig hold |
General election 1857: St Andrews Burghs :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Whig | Edward Ellice | 357 | 63.9 | N/A |
| | Peelite | Francis Brown Douglas | 202 | 36.1 | N/A |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 155 | 27.8 | N/A |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 559 | 78.3 | N/A |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 714 | | |
| | Whig hold | Whig hold | Swing | N/A | |
General election 1859: St Andrews Burghs :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal | Edward Ellice | Unopposed | Unopposed | Unopposed |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 742 | | |
| | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Liberal hold |

### Elections in the 1860s

General election 1865: St Andrews Burghs :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal | Edward Ellice | Unopposed | Unopposed | Unopposed |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 839 | | |
| | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Liberal hold |
General election 1868: St Andrews Burghs :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal | Edward Ellice | Unopposed | Unopposed | Unopposed |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 1,847 | | |
| | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Liberal hold |

### Elections in the 1870s

General election 1874: St Andrews Burghs :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal | Edward Ellice | Unopposed | Unopposed | Unopposed |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 2,108 | | |
| | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Liberal hold |

### Elections in the 1880s

General election 1880: St Andrews Burghs :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal | Stephen Williamson | 1,258 | 58.5 | N/A |
| | Liberal | James Lindsay Bennet | 892 | 41.5 | N/A |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 366 | 17.0 | N/A |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 2,150 | 84.6 | N/A |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 2,542 | | |
| | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Swing | N/A | |
General election 1885: St Andrews Burghs :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Independent Liberal | Robert Anstruther | 1,257 | 50.0 | New |
| | Liberal | Stephen Williamson | 1,255 | 50.0 | −8.5 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 2 | 0.0 | N/A |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 2,512 | 88.5 | +0.9 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 2,837 | | |
| | Independent Liberal gain from Liberal | Independent Liberal gain from Liberal | Swing | N/A | |
The original count put the two 1885 candidates at 1,256 votes and, as the returning officer was not a constituent, he was unable to cast the deciding vote and declared both elected. After scrutiny, Anstruther gained two additional votes and lost one, while Williamson lost one also.
General election 1886: St Andrews Burghs :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal Unionist | Henry Torrens Anstruther | 1,132 | 61.3 | N/A |
| | Liberal | Thomas Brassey | 716 | 38.7 | −11.3 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 416 | 22.6 | N/A |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 1,848 | 65.1 | −23.4 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 2,837 | | |
| | Liberal Unionist gain from Independent Liberal | Liberal Unionist gain from Independent Liberal | Swing | N/A | |

### Elections in the 1890s

General election 1892: St Andrews Burghs :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal Unionist | Henry Torrens Anstruther | 1,066 | 52.8 | −8.5 |
| | Liberal | Martin White | 954 | 47.2 | +8.5 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 112 | 5.6 | −17.0 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 2,020 | 79.6 | +14.5 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 2,537 | | |
| | Liberal Unionist hold | Liberal Unionist hold | Swing | −8.5 | |
General election 1895: St Andrews Burghs :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal Unionist | Henry Torrens Anstruther | 1,185 | 54.5 | +1.7 |
| | Liberal | John Paton | 989 | 45.5 | −1.7 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 196 | 9.0 | +3.4 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 2,174 | 81.1 | +1.5 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 2,679 | | |
| | Liberal Unionist hold | Liberal Unionist hold | Swing | +1.7 | |

### Elections in the 1900s

General election January 1900: St Andrews Burghs :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal Unionist | Henry Torrens Anstruther | 1,148 | 51.2 | −3.3 |
| | Liberal | James Annand | 1,094 | 48.8 | +3.3 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 54 | 2.4 | −6.6 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 2,242 | 76.0 | −5.1 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 2,951 | | |
| | Liberal Unionist hold | Liberal Unionist hold | Swing | −3.3 | |
1903 St Andrews Burghs by-election :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal | Edward Ellice | 1,324 | 50.7 | +1.9 |
| | Liberal Unionist | William Anstruther-Thomson | 1,288 | 49.3 | −1.9 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 36 | 1.4 | N/A |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 2,612 | 82.6 | +6.6 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 3,162 | | |
| | Liberal gain from Liberal Unionist | Liberal gain from Liberal Unionist | Swing | +1.9 | |
General election January 1906: St Andrews Burghs :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal Unionist | William Anstruther-Gray | 1,495 | 50.4 | −0.8 |
| | Liberal | Edward Ellice | 1,472 | 49.6 | +0.8 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 23 | 0.8 | −1.6 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 2,967 | 91.4 | +15.4 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 3,247 | | |
| | Liberal Unionist hold | Liberal Unionist hold | Swing | −0.8 | |

### Elections in the 1910s

General election January 1910: St Andrews Burghs :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal | James Duncan Millar | 1,507 | 50.6 | +1.0 |
| | Liberal Unionist | William Anstruther-Gray | 1,469 | 49.4 | −1.0 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 38 | 1.2 | N/A |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 2,976 | 92.8 | +1.4 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 3,206 | | |
| | Liberal gain from Liberal Unionist | Liberal gain from Liberal Unionist | Swing | +1.0 | |
General election December 1910: St Andrews Burghs :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal Unionist | William Anstruther-Gray | 1,675 | 50.7 | +1.3 |
| | Liberal | James Duncan Millar | 1,626 | 49.3 | −1.3 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 49 | 1.4 | N/A |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 3,301 | 94.8 | +2.0 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 3,481 | | |
| | Liberal Unionist gain from Liberal | Liberal Unionist gain from Liberal | Swing | +1.3 | |
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;
* Unionist: William Anstruther-Gray
* Liberal: Henry Jackson