# Roxburghshire (UK Parliament constituency)

Roxburghshire was a Scottish county constituency of the House of Commons of the Parliament of Great Britain (at Westminster) from 1708 to 1801, and of the Parliament of the United Kingdom (also at Westminster) from 1801 to 1918.

## 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 Roxburghshire.

## Boundaries

The name relates the constituency to the county of Roxburgh.

## History

The constituency elected one Member of Parliament (MP) by the first past the post system until the seat was abolished in 1918.
When the constituency was abolished in 1918, the Roxburgh and Selkirk constituency was created, covering the counties of Roxburgh and Selkirk

## Members of Parliament

| Election | Election | Member | Party |
| | 1708 | Sir Gilbert Eliott, 3rd Bt | |
| | 1715 | William Douglas | |
| | 1722 | Sir Gilbert Elliot, 2nd Bt | |
| | 1726 | Sir Gilbert Eliott, 3rd Bt | |
| | 1727 | William Douglas | |
| | 1734 | John Rutherfurd | |
| | 1742 | William Douglas | |
| | 1747 | Walter Scott | |
| | 1765 | Sir Gilbert Elliot | |
| | 1777 | Sir Gilbert Elliot | |
| | 1784 | Sir George Douglas | Whig |
| | 1806 | John Rutherfurd | |
| | 1812 | Gilbert Elliot-Murray-Kynynmound | |
| | 1814 | Sir Alexander Don | |
| | 1826 | Henry Hepburne-Scott | Tory |
| | 1832 | George Elliot | Whig |
| | 1835 | Lord John Scott | Conservative |
| | 1837 | John Elliot | Whig |
| | 1841 | Francis Scott | Conservative |
| | 1847 | John Elliot | Whig |
| | 1859 | Sir William Scott, Bt | Liberal |
| | 1870 | James Innes-Ker | Liberal |
| | 1874 | Sir George Scott-Douglas | Conservative |
| | 1880 | Arthur Elliot | Liberal |
| | 1886 | Arthur Elliot | Liberal Unionist |
| | 1892 | Mark Napier | Liberal |
| | 1895 | The Earl of Dalkeith | Conservative |
| | 1906 | John Jardine | Liberal |
| 1918 | 1918 | constituency abolished | constituency abolished |

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

General election 1830: Roxburghshire :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Tory | Henry Hepburne-Scott | Unopposed | Unopposed |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 151 | |
| | Tory hold | Tory hold | Tory hold | Tory hold |
General election 1831: Roxburghshire :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Tory | Henry Hepburne-Scott | 57 | 80.3 |
| | Whig | Sir William Francis Eliott, 7th Baronet | 14 | 19.7 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 43 | 60.6 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 71 | 47.0 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 151 | |
| | Tory hold | Tory hold | Tory hold | Tory hold |
General election 1832: Roxburghshire :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Whig | George Elliot | 624 | 53.4 | N/A |
| | Tory | John Douglas-Montagu-Scott | 532 | 45.5 | −34.8 |
| | Whig | Sir William Francis Eliott, 7th Baronet | 12 | 1.0 | −18.7 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 92 | 7.9 | N/A |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 1,168 | 88.4 | +41.4 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 1,321 | | |
| | Whig gain from Tory | Whig gain from Tory | Swing | N/A | |
General election 1835: Roxburghshire :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | John Douglas-Montagu-Scott | 757 | 52.6 | +7.1 |
| | Whig | George Elliot | 681 | 47.4 | −6.0 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 76 | 5.2 | N/A |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 1,438 | 85.9 | −2.5 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 1,674 | | |
| | Conservative gain from Whig | Conservative gain from Whig | Swing | +6.6 | |
General election 1837: Roxburghshire :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Whig | John Elliot | 803 | 51.4 | +4.0 |
| | Conservative | Francis Scott | 759 | 48.6 | −4.0 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 44 | 2.8 | N/A |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 1,562 | 80.8 | −5.1 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 1,932 | | |
| | Whig gain from Conservative | Whig gain from Conservative | Swing | +4.0 | |

### Elections in the 1840s

General election 1841: Roxburghshire :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Francis Scott | 830 | 52.6 | +4.0 |
| | Whig | John Elliot | 748 | 47.4 | −4.0 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 82 | 5.2 | N/A |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 1,578 | 69.3 | −11.5 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 2,277 | | |
| | Conservative gain from Whig | Conservative gain from Whig | Swing | +4.0 | |
General election 1847: Roxburghshire :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Whig | John Elliot | Unopposed | Unopposed | Unopposed |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 2,091 | | |
| | Whig gain from Conservative | Whig gain from Conservative | Whig gain from Conservative | Whig gain from Conservative | Whig gain from Conservative |

### Elections in the 1850s

General election 1852: Roxburghshire :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Whig | John Elliot | Unopposed | Unopposed | Unopposed |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 2,033 | | |
| | Whig hold | Whig hold | Whig hold | Whig hold | Whig hold |
General election 1857: Roxburghshire :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Whig | John Elliot | Unopposed | Unopposed | Unopposed |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 1,650 | | |
| | Whig hold | Whig hold | Whig hold | Whig hold | Whig hold |
General election 1859: Roxburghshire :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal | William Scott | Unopposed | Unopposed | Unopposed |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 1,663 | | |
| | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Liberal hold |

### Elections in the 1860s

General election 1865: Roxburghshire :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal | William Scott | Unopposed | Unopposed | Unopposed |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 1,639 | | |
| | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Liberal hold |
General election 1868: Roxburghshire :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal | William Scott | 750 | 55.1 | N/A |
| | Conservative | Schomberg Kerr | 610 | 44.9 | New |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 140 | 10.2 | N/A |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 1,360 | 81.7 | N/A |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 1,664 | | |
| | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Liberal hold |

### Elections in the 1870s

Scott resigned, causing a by-election.
By-election, 2 Mar 1870: Roxburghshire :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal | James Innes-Ker | Unopposed | Unopposed | Unopposed |
| | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Liberal hold |
General election 1874: Roxburghshire :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | George Henry Scott-Douglas | 789 | 50.9 | +6.0 |
| | Liberal | James Innes-Ker | 762 | 49.1 | −6.0 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 27 | 1.8 | N/A |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 1,551 | 85.5 | +3.8 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 1,813 | | |
| | Conservative gain from Liberal | Conservative gain from Liberal | Swing | | |

### Elections in the 1880s

General election 1880: Roxburghshire :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal | Arthur Elliot | 859 | 50.3 | +1.2 |
| | Conservative | George Henry Scott-Douglas | 849 | 49.7 | −1.2 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 10 | 0.6 | N/A |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 1,708 | 86.3 | +0.8 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 1,978 | | |
| | Liberal gain from Conservative | Liberal gain from Conservative | Swing | +1.2 | |
General election 1885: Roxburghshire :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal | Arthur Elliot | 3,419 | 63.6 | +13.3 |
| | Conservative | Charles Balfour | 1,954 | 36.4 | −13.3 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 1,465 | 27.2 | +26.6 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 5,373 | 86.9 | +0.6 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 6,180 | | |
| | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Swing | +13.3 | |
General election 1886: Roxburghshire :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal Unionist | Arthur Elliot | 2,570 | 54.5 | +18.1 |
| | Liberal | Mark Francis Napier | 2,142 | 45.5 | −18.1 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 428 | 9.0 | N/A |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 4,712 | 76.2 | −10.7 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 6,180 | | |
| | Liberal Unionist gain from Liberal | Liberal Unionist gain from Liberal | Swing | +18.1 | |

### Elections in the 1890s

General election 1892: Roxburghshire :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal | Mark Francis Napier | 2,672 | 51.5 | +6.0 |
| | Liberal Unionist | Arthur Elliot | 2,514 | 48.5 | −6.0 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 158 | 3.0 | N/A |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 5,186 | 86.2 | +10.0 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 6,015 | | |
| | Liberal gain from Liberal Unionist | Liberal gain from Liberal Unionist | Swing | +6.0 | |
General election 1895: Roxburghshire :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | John Scott | 2,929 | 55.3 | +6.8 |
| | Liberal | Mark Francis Napier | 2,368 | 44.7 | −6.8 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 561 | 10.6 | N/A |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 5,297 | 88.5 | +2.3 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 5,988 | | |
| | Conservative gain from Liberal | Conservative gain from Liberal | Swing | +6.8 | |

### Elections in the 1900s

General election 1900: Roxburghshire :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | John Scott | 2,682 | 53.6 | −1.7 |
| | Liberal | John Jardine | 2,323 | 46.4 | +1.7 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 359 | 7.2 | −3.4 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 5,005 | 84.4 | −4.1 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 5,931 | | |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | −1.7 | |
General election 1906: Roxburghshire :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal | John Jardine | 2,829 | 52.9 | +6.5 |
| | Conservative | Richard John Waldie-Griffith | 2,514 | 47.1 | −6.5 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 315 | 5.8 | N/A |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 5,343 | 90.8 | +6.4 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 5,884 | | |
| | Liberal gain from Conservative | Liberal gain from Conservative | Swing | +6.5 | |

### Elections in the 1910s

General election January 1910: Roxburghshire :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal | John Jardine | 2,943 | 52.8 | −0.1 |
| | Conservative | Henry Francis Douglas-Scott-Montagu, 1st Baron Montagu of Beaulieu | 2,626 | 47.2 | +0.1 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 317 | 5.6 | −0.2 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 5,569 | 92.4 | +1.6 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 6,025 | | |
| | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Swing | −0.1 | |
General election December 1910: Roxburghshire :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal | John Jardine | 2,908 | 51.8 | −1.0 |
| | Conservative | Neil James Kennedy Cochran-Patrick | 2,704 | 48.2 | +1.0 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 204 | 3.6 | −2.0 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 5,612 | 91.8 | −0.6 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 6,114 | | |
| | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Swing | −1.0 | |