# Fife (UK Parliament constituency)

Fife was a county constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom from 1708 until 1885, when it was divided into East Fife and West Fife.

## Creation

The British parliamentary constituency was created in 1708 following the Acts of Union, 1707 and replaced the former Parliament of Scotland shire constituency of Fifeshire.

## History

The constituency elected one Member of Parliament (MP) by the first past the post system until the seat was divided in 1885.

## Boundaries

The constituency covered the county of Fife.

## Members of Parliament

| Election | Member | Party | Notes |
| 1708 | Patrick Moncreiff | |
| 1709 | Sir Robert Anstruther | |
| 1710 | Sir Alexander Erskine | |
| 1715 | Sir John Anstruther, 1st Baronet | |
| 1741 | David Scott | |
| 1747 | James Oswald | |
| 1754 | James St Clair | |
| 1763 | James Wemyss | | |
| 1768 | John Scott | | |
| 1776 | James Townsend Oswald | | |
| 1779 | Robert Skene | | |
| 1780 | John Henderson | | 5th Baronet from 1781 |
| 1780 | Robert Skene | | |
| 1787 | William Wemyss | | |
| 1796 | Sir William Erskine, Bt | | British Army officer, died insane |
| 1806 | Robert Ferguson | | |
| 1807 | William Wemyss | | |
| 1820 | James Erskine Wemyss | Whig | |
| 1831 | James Lindsay | Tory | |
| 1832 | James Erskine Wemyss | Whig | |
| 1847 | John Fergus | Whig | |
| 1859 | James Hay Erskine Wemyss | Liberal | |
| 1864 | Sir Robert Anstruther, 5th Baronet | Liberal | |
| 1880 | Robert Preston Bruce | Liberal | |

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

General election 1830: Fife :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Whig | James Erskine Wemyss | Unopposed | Unopposed |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 239 | |
| | Whig hold | Whig hold | Whig hold | Whig hold |
General election 1831: Fife :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Tory | James Lindsay (1793-1855) | 85 | 55.6 |
| | Whig | James Erskine Wemyss | 68 | 44.4 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 17 | 11.2 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 153 | 64.0 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 239 | |
| | Tory gain from Whig | Tory gain from Whig | Tory gain from Whig | Tory gain from Whig |
General election 1832: Fife :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Whig | James Erskine Wemyss | Unopposed | Unopposed |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 2,185 | |
| | Whig gain from Tory | Whig gain from Tory | Whig gain from Tory | Whig gain from Tory |
General election 1835: Fife :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Whig | James Erskine Wemyss | 1,051 | 64.3 |
| | Conservative | James Lindsay (1793-1855) | 584 | 35.7 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 467 | 28.6 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 1,635 | 70.8 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 2,309 | |
| | Whig hold | Whig hold | Whig hold | Whig hold |
General election 1837: Fife :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Whig | James Erskine Wemyss | 1,086 | 65.7 | +1.4 |
| | Conservative | James Bruce | 567 | 34.3 | −1.4 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 519 | 31.4 | +2.8 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 1,653 | 60.8 | −10.0 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 2,720 | | |
| | Whig hold | Whig hold | Swing | +1.4 | |

### Elections in the 1840s

General election 1841: Fife :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Whig | James Erskine Wemyss | Unopposed | Unopposed | Unopposed |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 2,967 | | |
| | Whig hold | Whig hold | Whig hold | Whig hold | Whig hold |
General election 1847: Fife :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Whig | John Fergus | 834 | 52.1 | N/A |
| | Conservative | John Balfour | 768 | 47.9 | New |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 66 | 4.2 | N/A |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 1,602 | 65.6 | N/A |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 2,444 | | |
| | Whig hold | Whig hold | Whig hold | Whig hold | Whig hold |

### Elections in the 1850s

General election 1852: Fife :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Whig | John Fergus | Unopposed | Unopposed | Unopposed |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 3,211 | | |
| | Whig hold | Whig hold | Whig hold | Whig hold | Whig hold |
General election 1857: Fife :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Whig | John Fergus | Unopposed | Unopposed | Unopposed |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 3,389 | | |
| | Whig hold | Whig hold | Whig hold | Whig hold | Whig hold |
General election 1859: Fife :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal | James Hay Erskine Wemyss | 1,087 | 56.1 | N/A |
| | Conservative | Robert St Clair-Erskine | 850 | 43.9 | New |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 237 | 12.2 | N/A |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 1,937 | 47.8 | N/A |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 4,056 | | |
| | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Swing | N/A | |

### Elections in the 1860s

Wemyss's death caused a by-election.
By-election, 19 April 1864: Fife :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal | Robert Anstruther | Unopposed | Unopposed | Unopposed |
| | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Liberal hold |
General election 1865: Fife :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal | Robert Anstruther | Unopposed | Unopposed | Unopposed |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 2,725 | | |
| | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Liberal hold |
General election 1868: Fife :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal | Robert Anstruther | 1,837 | 62.0 | N/A |
| | Liberal | John Boyd Kinnear | 1,127 | 38.0 | N/A |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 710 | 24.0 | N/A |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 2,964 | 70.5 | N/A |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 4,206 | | |
| | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Swing | N/A | |

### Elections in the 1870s

General election 1874: Fife :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal | Robert Anstruther | 1,859 | 60.2 | −1.8 |
| | Conservative | Frederick William Hamilton | 1,230 | 39.8 | New |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 629 | 20.4 | −3.6 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 3,089 | 70.9 | +0.4 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 4,358 | | |
| | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Swing | N/A | |

### Elections in the 1880s

General election 1880: Fife :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal | Robert Preston Bruce | 2,421 | 63.8 | +3.6 |
| | Conservative | James Townsend Oswald | 1,373 | 36.2 | −3.6 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 1,048 | 27.6 | +7.2 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 3,794 | 79.6 | +8.7 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 4,767 | | |
| | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Swing | +3.6 | |