# Ayr Burghs (UK Parliament constituency)

Ayr Burghs was a district of burghs constituency of the House of Commons of the Parliament of Great Britain from 1708 to 1800 and of the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom from 1801 to 1950. It elected one Member of Parliament (MP), using the first-past-the-post voting system.

## 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 Ayr, Campbeltown, Inveraray, Irvine and Rothesay.

## Boundaries

The list of parliamentary burghs represented by the constituency changed in 1832 and again in 1918:
* 1708 to 1832: the Ayrshire burghs of Ayr and Irvine, the Argyllshire burghs of Campbeltown and Inveraray and the Buteshire burgh of Rothesay
* 1832 to 1918: the Ayrshire burghs of Ayr and Irvine and the Argyllshire burghs of Campbeltown, Inveraray and Oban
* 1918 to 1950: the Ayrshire burghs of Ardrossan, Ayr, Irvine, Prestwick, Saltcoats and Troon
When the Ayr Burghs constituency was abolished in 1950, the Ayr and Prestwick burghs were merged into the county constituency of Ayr. Ardrossan and Saltcoats were merged into Bute and Northern Ayrshire and Irvine and Troon were merged into Central Ayrshire.

## Members of Parliament

| Election | Election | Member | Party |
| | 1708 | Hon. James Campbell | |
| | 1710 | Charles Oliphant | |
| | 1720 by-election | Thomas Kennedy | Tory |
| | 1721 by-election | Duncan Forbes | Whig |
| | 1722 | William Steuart | |
| | 1734 | James Stuart | |
| | 1741 | The Earl of Granard | |
| | 1747 | Charles Erskine | |
| | 1749 by-election | Sir Henry Erskine | |
| | 1754 | James Stuart-Mackenzie | |
| | 1761 | Lord Frederick Campbell | |
| | 1761 by-election | Alexander Wedderburn | |
| | 1768 | James Stuart | |
| | 1774 | Sir George Macartney | |
| | 1776 by-election | Frederick Stuart | |
| | 1780 | Archibald Edmonstone | Tory |
| | 1790 | Charles Stuart | |
| | 1794 by-election | John Campbell of Liston Hall | |
| | 1807 | John Campbell of Shawfield and Islay | |
| | 1809 by-election | Duncan Campbell | Whig |
| | 1818 | Thomas Francis Kennedy | Whig |
| | 1834 by-election | Lord Patrick Crichton-Stuart | Whig |
| | 1852 | Edward Craufurd | Radical |
| | 1859 | Edward Craufurd | Liberal |
| | 1874 | Sir William Montgomery-Cuninghame | Conservative |
| | 1880 | Richard Campbell | Liberal |
| | 1886 | Richard Campbell | Liberal Unionist |
| | 1888 by-election | John Sinclair | Liberal |
| | 1890 by-election | James Somervell | Conservative |
| | 1892 | William Birkmyre | Liberal |
| | 1895 | Charles Lindsay Orr-Ewing | Conservative |
| | 1904 by-election | Joseph Dobbie | Liberal |
| | 1906 | Sir George Younger | Conservative |
| | 1922 | Sir John Baird | Conservative |
| | 1925 | Thomas Moore | Conservative |
| 1950 | 1950 | constituency abolished | constituency abolished |
Sir Thomas was elected, in 1950, as the first MP for the then new constituency of Ayr

## Elections
### Elections in the 1830s

General election 1830: Ayr Burghs :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Whig | Thomas Francis Kennedy | Unopposed | Unopposed |
| | Whig hold | Whig hold | Whig hold | Whig hold |
General election 1831: Ayr Burghs :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Whig | Thomas Francis Kennedy | Unopposed | Unopposed |
| | Whig hold | Whig hold | Whig hold | Whig hold |
Kennedy was appointed as a Lord Commissioner of the Treasury, requiring a by-election.
By-election, 5 March 1832: Ayr Burghs :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Whig | Thomas Francis Kennedy | Unopposed | Unopposed |
| | Whig hold | Whig hold | Whig hold | Whig hold |
General election 1832: Ayr Burghs :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Whig | Thomas Francis Kennedy | 375 | 65.6 |
| | Radical | John Taylor | 164 | 28.7 |
| | Tory | James Cruickshanks | 33 | 5.8 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 211 | 36.9 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 572 | 90.6 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 631 | |
| | Whig hold | Whig hold | Whig hold | Whig hold |
Kennedy resigned, causing a by-election.
By-election, 3 March 1834: Ayr Burghs :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Whig | Patrick Crichton-Stuart | 305 | 58.9 | −6.7 |
| | Radical | John Taylor | 213 | 41.1 | +12.4 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 92 | 17.8 | −19.1 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 518 | 73.9 | −16.7 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 701 | | |
| | Whig hold | Whig hold | Swing | −9.6 | |
General election 1835: Ayr Burghs :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Whig | Patrick Crichton-Stuart | 339 | 51.2 | −14.4 |
| | Radical | Alexander Johnstone | 323 | 48.8 | +20.1 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 16 | 2.4 | −34.5 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 662 | 78.1 | −12.5 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 848 | | |
| | Whig hold | Whig hold | Swing | −17.3 | |
General election 1837: Ayr Burghs :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Whig | Patrick Crichton-Stuart | 368 | 50.9 | −0.3 |
| | Radical | Alexander Johnstone | 355 | 49.1 | +0.3 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 13 | 1.8 | −0.6 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 723 | 70.2 | −7.9 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 1,030 | | |
| | Whig hold | Whig hold | Swing | −0.3 | |

### Elections in the 1840s

General election 1841: Ayr Burghs :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Whig | Patrick Crichton-Stuart | Unopposed | Unopposed | Unopposed |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 1,097 | | |
| | Whig hold | Whig hold | Whig hold | Whig hold | Whig hold |
General election 1847: Ayr Burghs :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Whig | Patrick Crichton-Stuart | Unopposed | Unopposed | Unopposed |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 1,051 | | |
| | Whig hold | Whig hold | Whig hold | Whig hold | Whig hold |

### Elections in the 1850s

General election 1852: Ayr Burghs :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Radical | Edward Craufurd | 338 | 50.7 | N/A |
| | Conservative | Archibald Thomas Boyle | 329 | 49.3 | New |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 9 | 1.4 | N/A |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 667 | 64.2 | N/A |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 1,039 | | |
| | Radical gain from Whig | Radical gain from Whig | Swing | N/A | |
General election 1857: Ayr Burghs :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Radical | Edward Craufurd | Unopposed | Unopposed | Unopposed |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 1,136 | | |
| | Radical hold | Radical hold | Radical hold | Radical hold | Radical hold |
General election 1859: Ayr Burghs :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal | Edward Craufurd | Unopposed | Unopposed | Unopposed |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 1,203 | | |
| | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Liberal hold |
Back to Elections

### Elections in the 1860s

General election 1865: Ayr Burghs :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal | Edward Craufurd | 567 | 53.1 | N/A |
| | Liberal | Alexander Haldane Oswald | 501 | 46.9 | N/A |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 66 | 6.2 | N/A |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 1,068 | 79.7 | N/A |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 1,340 | | |
| | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Swing | N/A | |
General election 1868: Ayr Burghs :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal | Edward Craufurd | 1,116 | 52.1 | −1.0 |
| | Liberal | James Anderson | 1,025 | 47.9 | +1.0 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 91 | 4.2 | −2.0 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 2,141 | 83.5 | +3.8 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 2,565 | | |
| | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Swing | −1.0 | |
Back to Elections

### Elections in the 1870s

General election 1874: Ayr Burghs :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | William Montgomery-Cuninghame | 1,697 | 50.2 | New |
| | Liberal | Edward Craufurd | 1,683 | 49.8 | −2.3 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 14 | 0.4 | N/A |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 3,380 | 82.6 | −0.9 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 4,092 | | |
| | Conservative gain from Liberal | Conservative gain from Liberal | Swing | N/A | |
Back to Elections

### Elections in the 1880s

General election 1880: Ayr Burghs :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal | Richard Campbell | 2,303 | 61.9 | +12.1 |
| | Conservative | William Montgomery-Cuninghame | 1,420 | 38.1 | −12.1 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 883 | 23.8 | N/A |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 3,723 | 86.6 | +4.0 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 4,297 | | |
| | Liberal gain from Conservative | Liberal gain from Conservative | Swing | +12.1 | |
General election 1885: Ayr Burghs :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal | Richard Campbell | 2,460 | 53.7 | −8.2 |
| | Conservative | Malcolm Low | 2,118 | 46.3 | +8.2 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 342 | 7.4 | −16.4 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 4,578 | 84.0 | −2.6 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 5,449 | | |
| | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Swing | −8.2 | |
General election 1886: Ayr Burghs :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal Unionist | Richard Campbell | 2,673 | 64.1 | +17.8 |
| | Liberal | John Sinclair | 1,498 | 35.9 | −17.8 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 1,175 | 28.2 | N/A |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 4,171 | 76.5 | −7.5 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 5,449 | | |
| | Liberal Unionist gain from Liberal | Liberal Unionist gain from Liberal | Swing | +17.8 | |
Campbell's death caused a by-election.
By-election, 15 Jun 1888: Ayr Burghs :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal | John Sinclair | 2,321 | 50.6 | +14.7 |
| | Liberal Unionist | Evelyn Ashley | 2,268 | 49.4 | −14.7 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 53 | 1.2 | N/A |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 4,589 | 84.1 | +7.6 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 5,458 | | |
| | Liberal gain from Liberal Unionist | Liberal gain from Liberal Unionist | Swing | +14.7 | |
Back to Elections

### Elections in the 1890s

By-election, 1890: Ayr Burghs :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | James Somervell | 2,610 | 51.3 | −12.8 |
| | Liberal | E. Routledge | 2,480 | 48.7 | +12.8 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 130 | 2.6 | −25.6 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 5,090 | 87.8 | +11.3 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 5,798 | | |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | −12.8 | |
General election 1892: Ayr Burghs :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal | William Birkmyre | 2,760 | 50.1 | +14.2 |
| | Conservative | James Somervell | 2,753 | 49.9 | −14.2 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 7 | 0.2 | N/A |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 5,513 | 88.3 | +11.8 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 6,245 | | |
| | Liberal gain from Liberal Unionist | Liberal gain from Liberal Unionist | Swing | +14.2 | |
General election 1895: Ayr Burghs :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Charles Orr-Ewing | 3,057 | 52.9 | +3.0 |
| | Liberal | William Birkmyre | 2,722 | 47.1 | −3.0 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 335 | 5.8 | N/A |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 5,779 | 88.9 | +0.6 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 6,498 | | |
| | Conservative gain from Liberal | Conservative gain from Liberal | Swing | +3.0 | |
Back to Elections

### Elections in the 1900s

General election 1900: Ayr Burghs :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Charles Orr-Ewing | 3,101 | 55.3 | +2.4 |
| | Liberal | Edmond Charles Browne | 2,511 | 44.7 | −2.4 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 590 | 10.6 | +4.8 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 5,612 | 82.3 | −6.6 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 6,819 | | |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | +2.4 | |
1904 Ayr Burghs by-election :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal | Joseph Dobbie | 3,221 | 50.3 | +5.6 |
| | Conservative | George Younger | 3,177 | 49.7 | −5.6 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 44 | 0.6 | N/A |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 6,398 | 88.4 | +6.1 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 7,240 | | |
| | Liberal gain from Conservative | Liberal gain from Conservative | Swing | +5.6 | |
General election 1906: Ayr Burghs :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | George Younger | 3,766 | 51.8 | −3.5 |
| | Liberal | Joseph Dobbie | 3,505 | 48.2 | +3.5 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 261 | 3.6 | −7.0 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 7,271 | 90.5 | +8.2 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 8,031 | | |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | −3.5 | |
Back to Elections

### Elections in the 1910s

General election January 1910: Ayr Burghs :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | George Younger | 3,647 | 50.4 | −1.4 |
| | Liberal | William Robertson | 3,594 | 49.6 | +1.4 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 53 | 0.8 | −2.8 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 7,241 | 89.8 | −0.7 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 8,067 | | |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | −1.4 | |
General election December 1910: Ayr Burghs :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | George Younger | 3,852 | 51.6 | +1.2 |
| | Liberal | William Robertson | 3,620 | 48.4 | −1.2 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 232 | 3.2 | +2.4 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 7,472 | 90.7 | +0.9 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 8,236 | | |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | +1.2 | |
General election 1918: Ayr Burghs :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| C | Unionist | George Younger | 9,565 | 49.1 | −2.5 |
| | Liberal | Murdoch McKenzie Wood | 5,410 | 27.7 | −20.7 |
| | Labour | Campbell Stephen | 4,534 | 23.2 | New |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 4,155 | 21.4 | +18.2 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 19,509 | 62.2 | −28.5 |
| | Unionist hold | Unionist hold | Swing | +9.0 | |
| C indicates candidate endorsed by the coalition government. ||||||
Back to Elections

### Elections in the 1920s

General election 1922: Ayr Burghs :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Unionist | John Baird | 11,179 | 44.5 | −4.6 |
| | Liberal | Peter Raffan | 7,402 | 29.5 | +1.8 |
| | Labour | John McDiarmid Airlie | 6,533 | 26.0 | +2.8 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 3,777 | 15.0 | −6.4 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 25,114 | 71.1 | +8.9 |
| | Unionist hold | Unionist hold | Swing | −3.2 | |
General election 1923: Ayr Burghs :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Unionist | John Baird | 10,206 | 41.8 | −2.7 |
| | Labour | John McDiarmid Airlie | 7,732 | 31.7 | +5.7 |
| | Liberal | William Pringle | 6,467 | 26.5 | −3.0 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 2,474 | 10.1 | −4.9 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 24,405 | 70.0 | −1.1 |
| | Unionist hold | Unionist hold | Swing | −4.2 | |
General election 1924: Ayr Burghs :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Unionist | John Baird | 16,153 | 62.3 | +20.5 |
| | Labour | John McDiarmid Airlie | 9,787 | 37.7 | +6.0 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 6,366 | 24.6 | +14.5 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 25,940 | 73.5 | +3.5 |
| | Unionist hold | Unionist hold | Swing | | |
1925 Ayr Burghs by-election :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Unionist | Thomas Moore | 11,601 | 46.2 | −16.1 |
| | Labour | Patrick Dollan | 8,813 | 35.2 | −2.5 |
| | Liberal | William Pringle | 4,656 | 18.6 | New |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 2,788 | 11.0 | −13.6 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 25,070 | 71.0 | −2.5 |
| | Unionist hold | Unionist hold | Swing | | |
General election 1929: Ayr Burghs :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Unionist | Thomas Moore | 16,874 | 45.9 | −16.3 |
| | Labour | Clarice Shaw | 13,429 | 36.5 | −1.2 |
| | Liberal | Robert Lorimer | 6,479 | 17.6 | N/A |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 3,445 | 9.4 | −15.2 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 36,782 | 74.8 | +1.3 |
| | Unionist hold | Unionist hold | Swing | | |
Back to Elections

### Elections in the 1930s

General election 1931: Ayr Burghs :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Unionist | Thomas Moore | 28,256 | 73.9 | +28.0 |
| | Labour | Clarice Shaw | 9,974 | 26.1 | −10.4 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 18,282 | 47.8 | +38.4 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 38,230 | 76.9 | +2.1 |
| | Unionist hold | Unionist hold | Swing | | |
General election 1935: Ayr Burghs :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Unionist | Thomas Moore | 25,893 | 66.1 | −7.8 |
| | Labour | Arthur Brady | 13,274 | 33.9 | +7.8 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 12,619 | 32.2 | −15.6 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 39,167 | 73.0 | −3.9 |
| | Unionist hold | Unionist hold | Swing | | |
Back to Elections

### Elections in the 1940s

General election 1945: Ayr Burghs :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Unionist | Thomas Moore | 22,593 | 50.8 | −15.3 |
| | Labour | William Ross | 21,865 | 49.2 | +15.3 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 728 | 1.6 | −30.6 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 44,458 | 71.5 | −1.5 |
| | Unionist hold | Unionist hold | Swing | | |
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