# Glasgow (UK Parliament constituency)

Glasgow was a burgh constituency of the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom from 1832 to 1885. It returned two Member of Parliament (MPs) until 1868, and then three from 1868 to 1885. Elections were held using the bloc vote system.

## History

Until 1832, Glasgow had been one of the parliamentary burghs in the Clyde Burghs constituency (also known as "Glasgow Burghs"), which was abolished by the Representation of the People (Scotland) Act 1832. The Act created the new Glasgow constituency with two seats, which was increased to three by the Representation of the People (Scotland) Act 1868.
Under the Redistribution of Seats Act 1885, the constituency was finally divided into seven new single-seat constituencies, with effect from the 1885 general election:
* Glasgow Blackfriars and Hutchesontown
* Glasgow Bridgeton
* Glasgow Camlachie
* Glasgow College
* Glasgow Central
* Glasgow St Rollox
* Glasgow Tradeston

## Boundaries

The boundaries of the constituency, as set out in the Representation of the People (Scotland) Act 1832, were-
    "From the Point, on the West of the Town, at which the River Kelvin joins the River Clyde, up the River Kelvin to a Point which is distant One hundred and fifty Yards (measured along the River Kelvin) above the Point at which the same is met by the Park Wall which comes down thereto from Woodside Road; thence in a straight Line to a Point on the Great Canal which is distant One hundred Yards (measured along the Great Canal) below Derry Bridge; thence along the Great Canal and the Cut of Junction to the Bridge over the Cut of Junction on the Stirling Road; thence, Eastward, along the Low Garngad Road to a Point which is distant One hundred and fifty Yards (measured along the Low Garngad Road) to the East of the Bridge over the Grimston Burn; thence in a straight Line to a Point on the Road to Edinburgh by Airdrie which is distant One hundred Yards (measured along the said Road to Edinburgh) to the East of the Point at which the same is joined by the Road to Edinburgh through the Village of Westmuir; thence in a straight Line to the Point at which the River Clyde is joined by Harvie's Dyke; thence down the River Clyde to the Point at which the same is joined by the Polmadie Burn; thence up the Polmadie Burn to the Point at which the same is joined by the Little Govan Burn; thence up the Little Govan Burn to the Point at which the same is divided into Two Branches in coming down from Govan Hill; thence in a straight Line to the Eastern Extremity of the Butterbiggins Road; thence along the Butterbiggins Road, and in a Line in continuation of the Direction thereof, to the Kinninghouse Burn; thence in a straight Line to the Sheils Bridge over the Paisley and Androssan Canal; thence in a straight Line to the Point at which the River Clyde is joined by the Plantation Burn; thence down the River Clyde to the Point first described."

## Members of Parliament

| Election | 1st Member | 1st Member | 1st Party | 2nd Member | 2nd Member | 2nd Party | 3rd Member | 3rd Member | 3rd Party |
| 1832 | | James Ewing | Whig | | James Oswald | Whig | Only two seats until 1868 | Only two seats until 1868 | Only two seats until 1868 |
| 1835 | | Colin Dunlop | Radical | | James Oswald | Whig | Only two seats until 1868 | Only two seats until 1868 | Only two seats until 1868 |
| Feb 1836 by-election | | William Bentinck | Whig | | James Oswald | Whig | Only two seats until 1868 | Only two seats until 1868 | Only two seats until 1868 |
| May 1837 by-election | | William Bentinck | Whig | | John Dennistoun | Whig | Only two seats until 1868 | Only two seats until 1868 | Only two seats until 1868 |
| Jun 1839 by-election | | James Oswald | Whig | | John Dennistoun | Whig | Only two seats until 1868 | Only two seats until 1868 | Only two seats until 1868 |
| 1847 | | John MacGregor | Whig | | Alexander Hastie | Whig | Only two seats until 1868 | Only two seats until 1868 | Only two seats until 1868 |
| Mar 1857 by-election | | Walter Buchanan | Whig | | Alexander Hastie | Whig | Only two seats until 1868 | Only two seats until 1868 | Only two seats until 1868 |
| 1857 | | Walter Buchanan | Whig | | Robert Dalglish | Radical | Only two seats until 1868 | Only two seats until 1868 | Only two seats until 1868 |
| 1859 | | Walter Buchanan | Liberal | | Robert Dalglish | Liberal | Only two seats until 1868 | Only two seats until 1868 | Only two seats until 1868 |
| 1865 | | William Graham | Liberal | | Robert Dalglish | Liberal | Only two seats until 1868 | Only two seats until 1868 | Only two seats until 1868 |
| 1868 | | William Graham | Liberal | | Robert Dalglish | Liberal | | George Anderson | Liberal |
| 1874 | | Sir Charles Cameron | Liberal | | Alexander Whitelaw | Conservative | | George Anderson | Liberal |
| Jul 1879 by-election | | Sir Charles Cameron | Liberal | | Charles Tennant | Liberal | | George Anderson | Liberal |
| 1880 | | Sir Charles Cameron | Liberal | | Robert Tweedie Middleton | Liberal | | George Anderson | Liberal |
| Mar 1885 by-election | | Sir Charles Cameron | Liberal | | Robert Tweedie Middleton | Liberal | | Thomas Russell | Liberal |
| 1885 | Constituency abolished by Redistribution of Seats Act | Constituency abolished by Redistribution of Seats Act | Constituency abolished by Redistribution of Seats Act | Constituency abolished by Redistribution of Seats Act | Constituency abolished by Redistribution of Seats Act | Constituency abolished by Redistribution of Seats Act | Constituency abolished by Redistribution of Seats Act | Constituency abolished by Redistribution of Seats Act | Constituency abolished by Redistribution of Seats Act |

## Election results
### Elections in the 1880s

By-election, 12 Mar 1885: Glasgow :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal | Thomas Russell | Unopposed | Unopposed | Unopposed |
| | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Liberal hold |
* Caused by Anderson's appointment as Master of the Mint at Melbourne, Australia.
General election 1880: Glasgow :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal | George Anderson | 24,016 | 25.6 | +1.8 |
| | Liberal | Charles Cameron | 23,658 | 25.2 | +0.6 |
| | Liberal | Robert Tweedie Middleton | 23,360 | 24.9 | +8.9 |
| | Conservative | William Pearce | 11,622 | 12.4 | −6.4 |
| | Conservative | James Bain | 11,071 | 11.8 | −4.9 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 11,738 | 12.5 | N/A |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 35,025 (est) | 60.5 (est) | +6.3 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 57,920 | | |
| | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Swing | | |
| | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Swing | | |
| | Liberal gain from Conservative | Liberal gain from Conservative | Swing | | |

### Elections in the 1870s

By-election, 16 Jul 1879: Glasgow :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal | Charles Tennant | Unopposed | Unopposed | Unopposed |
| | Liberal gain from Conservative | Liberal gain from Conservative | Liberal gain from Conservative | Liberal gain from Conservative | Liberal gain from Conservative |
* Caused by Whitelaw's death.
General election 1874: Glasgow :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal | Charles Cameron | 18,455 | 24.6 | N/A |
| | Liberal | George Anderson | 17,902 | 23.8 | −3.6 |
| | Conservative | Alexander Whitelaw | 14,134 | 18.8 | +10.4 |
| | Conservative | James Hunter | 12,533 | 16.7 | +8.3 |
| | Liberal | Alexander Crum | 7,453 | 9.9 | N/A |
| | Liberal | Francis Ernest Kerr | 4,444 | 5.9 | N/A |
| | Liberal | Joseph Cheney Bolton | 169 | 0.2 | N/A |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 29,474 (est) | 54.2 (est) | −6.1 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 54,374 | | |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 5,369 | 7.1 | −3.6 |
| | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Swing | N/A | |
| | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Swing | −6.0 | |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 6,681 | 8.9 | N/A |
| | Conservative gain from Liberal | Conservative gain from Liberal | Swing | | |
* Anderson and Cameron stood to speak "for the interests of temperance, working men, religious freedom and reform". The Whig sect of the local party nominated Bolton and Crum, and Kerr represented "the Irish interest" and Roman Catholicism.
Bolton withdrew before the election.

### Elections in the 1860s

General election 1868: Glasgow :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal | Robert Dalglish | 18,287 | 28.1 | −11.3 |
| | Liberal | William Graham | 18,062 | 27.8 | −4.6 |
| | Liberal | George Anderson | 17,803 | 27.4 | −0.8 |
| | Conservative | Sir George Campbell, 4th Baronet | 10,820 | 16.7 | New |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 6,983 | 10.7 | +6.5 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 28,871 (est) | 60.3 (est) | −1.3 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 47,854 | | |
| | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Swing | N/A | |
| | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Swing | N/A | |
| | Liberal win (new seat) | Liberal win (new seat) | Liberal win (new seat) | Liberal win (new seat) | Liberal win (new seat) |
Seat increased to three members
General election 1865: Glasgow :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal | Robert Dalglish | 8,171 | 39.4 | N/A |
| | Liberal | William Graham | 6,713 | 32.4 | N/A |
| | Liberal | John Ramsay | 5,832 | 28.2 | N/A |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 881 | 4.2 | N/A |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 10,358 (est) | 61.6 (est) | N/A |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 16,819 | | |
| | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Swing | N/A | |
| | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Swing | N/A | |

### Elections in the 1850s

General election 1859: Glasgow :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal | Robert Dalglish | Unopposed | Unopposed | Unopposed |
| | Liberal | Walter Buchanan | Unopposed | Unopposed | Unopposed |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 18,611 | | |
| | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Liberal hold |
| | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Liberal hold |
General election 1857: Glasgow :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Whig | Walter Buchanan | 7,060 | 37.4 | −0.1 |
| | Radical | Robert Dalglish | 6,765 | 35.9 | N/A |
| | Whig | Alexander Hastie | 5,044 | 26.7 | −11.6 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 9,435 (est) | 52.1 (est) | +25.1 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 18,118 | | |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 295 | 1.5 | −15.9 |
| | Whig hold | Whig hold | Swing | N/A | |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 1,721 | 9.2 | N/A |
| | Radical gain from Whig | Radical gain from Whig | Swing | N/A | |
By-election, 6 March 1857: Glasgow :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Whig | Walter Buchanan | 5,792 | 66.3 | −13.9 |
| | Radical | James Merry | 2,943 | 33.7 | N/A |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 2,849 | 32.6 | +15.2 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 8,735 | 48.2 | +21.2 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 18,118 | | |
| | Whig hold | Whig hold | Swing | N/A | |
* Caused by MacGregor's resignation by accepting the office of Steward of the Manor of Northstead
General election 1852: Glasgow :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Whig | Alexander Hastie | 3,209 | 38.3 | +11.7 |
| | Whig | John MacGregor | 3,140 | 37.5 | +9.5 |
| | Peelite | Peter Blackburn | 1,681 | 20.1 | New |
| | Whig | William Elliot-Murray-Kynynmound | 354 | 4.2 | N/A |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 1,459 | 17.4 | +14.0 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 4,192 (est) | 27.0 (est) | −13.8 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 15,502 | | |
| | Whig hold | Whig hold | Swing | N/A | |
| | Whig hold | Whig hold | Swing | N/A | |

### Elections in the 1840s

General election 1847: Glasgow :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Whig | John MacGregor | 2,193 | 28.0 | N/A |
| | Whig | Alexander Hastie | 2,081 | 26.6 | N/A |
| | Whig | William Dixon | 1,814 | 23.2 | N/A |
| | Whig | John Dennistoun | 1,745 | 22.3 | −10.7 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 267 | 3.4 | −0.4 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 3,917 (est) | 40.8 (est) | −9.4 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 9,589 | | |
| | Whig hold | Whig hold | Swing | N/A | |
| | Whig hold | Whig hold | Swing | N/A | |
General election 1841: Glasgow :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Whig | James Oswald | 2,776 | 33.5 | +5.0 |
| | Whig | John Dennistoun | 2,728 | 33.0 | +4.8 |
| | Conservative | James Campbell | 2,416 | 29.2 | −14.1 |
| | Chartist | George Mills | 355 | 4.3 | New |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 312 | 3.8 | −2.6 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | c. 4,138 | c. 50.2 | c. −5.8 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 8,241 | | |
| | Whig hold | Whig hold | Swing | +6.0 | |
| | Whig hold | Whig hold | Swing | +6.0 | |

### Elections in the 1830s

By-election, 24 June 1839: Glasgow :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Whig | James Oswald | Unopposed | Unopposed |
| | Whig hold | Whig hold | Whig hold | Whig hold |
* Caused by Cavendish-Bentinck's resignation
General election 1837: Glasgow :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Whig | William Cavendish-Bentinck | 2,767 | 28.5 | +8.1 |
| | Whig | John Dennistoun | 2,743 | 28.2 | +7.8 |
| | Conservative | James Campbell | 2,124 | 21.8 | +4.4 |
| | Conservative | Robert Monteith | 2,090 | 21.5 | +4.1 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 619 | 6.4 | +0.4 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | c. 4,862 | c. 56.0 | c. −13.2 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 8,676 | | |
| | Whig hold | Whig hold | Swing | +1.9 | |
| | Whig gain from Radical | Whig gain from Radical | Swing | +1.8 | |
By-election, 27 May 1837: Glasgow :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Whig | John Dennistoun | 3,049 | 57.0 | +16.2 |
| | Conservative | Robert Monteith | 2,298 | 43.0 | +18.6 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 751 | 14.0 | +8.0 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 5,347 | 61.6 | −7.6 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 8,676 | | |
| | Whig hold | Whig hold | Swing | −1.2 | |
* Caused by Oswald's resignation
By-election, 17 February 1836: Glasgow :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Whig | William Cavendish-Bentinck | 1,995 | 68.8 | +28.0 |
| | Radical | George Mills | 903 | 31.2 | −3.6 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 1,092 | 37.6 | +31.6 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 2,898 | 32.9 | −36.3 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 8,819 | | |
| | Whig gain from Radical | Whig gain from Radical | Swing | +15.8 | |
* Caused by Dunlop's resignation
General election 1835: Glasgow :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Whig | James Oswald | 3,832 | 40.8 | +17.9 |
| | Radical | Colin Dunlop (politician) | 3,267 | 34.8 | N/A |
| | Conservative | James Ewing | 2,297 | 24.4 | N/A |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 5,479 | 69.2 | c. −19.6 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 7,922 | | |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 565 | 6.0 | +0.6 |
| | Whig hold | Whig hold | Swing | +9.7 | |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 970 | 10.4 | N/A |
| | Radical gain from Whig | Radical gain from Whig | Swing | −9.7 | |
General election 1832: Glasgow :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Whig | James Ewing | 3,214 | 25.9 |
| | Whig | James Oswald | 2,838 | 22.9 |
| | Whig | Daniel Sandford | 2,168 | 17.5 |
| | Radical | John Crawfurd | 1,850 | 14.9 |
| | Radical | John Douglas | 1,340 | 10.8 |
| | Whig | Joseph Dixon (MP) | 995 | 8.0 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 670 | 5.4 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | c. 6,203 | c. 88.8 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 6,989 | |
| | Whig win (new seat) | Whig win (new seat) | Whig win (new seat) | Whig win (new seat) |
| | Whig win (new seat) | Whig win (new seat) | Whig win (new seat) | Whig win (new seat) |