# Inverness Burghs (UK Parliament constituency)

Inverness Burghs was a district of burghs 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. It elected one Member of Parliament (MP).
There was also, 1708 to 1918, the Inverness-shire constituency, which was, as its name implies, a county constituency.

## 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 Inverness, Forres, Fortrose and Nairn.

## Boundaries

As first used in the 1708 general election Inverness Burghs consisted of four burghs: Inverness in the county of Inverness, Fortrose in the county of Ross, Forres in the county of Elgin and Nairn in the county of Nairn.

## History

The constituency elected one Member of Parliament (MP) by the first past the post system until the seat was abolished for the 1918 general election.
For the 1832 general election, as a result of the Representation of the People (Scotland) Act 1832, the boundaries of burghs for parliamentary election purposes ceased to be necessarily those for other purposes.
In 1918, as a result of the Representation of the People Act 1918, the component burghs of Inverness Burghs were merged into three different county constituencies: Inverness into the Inverness constituency, Forres and Nairn into the Moray and Nairn constituency and Fortrose into the Ross and Cromarty constituency. By this date, the county of Elgin had become the county of Moray and the county of Ross had been merged with the county of Cromarty to form the county of Ross and Cromarty.

## Members of Parliament

| Elected | Elected | Member | Party |
| | 1708 | Alexander Duff | |
| | 1710 | George Mackenzie | |
| | 1713 | William Steuart | |
| | 1722 | Alexander Gordon | |
| | 1722 election petition | Duncan Forbes | |
| | 1737 by-election | Duncan Urquhart | |
| | 1741 | Kenneth Mackenzie | |
| | 1747 | Alexander Brodie | |
| | 1754 | John Campbell | |
| | 1761 | Sir Alexander Grant, Bt | |
| | 1768 | Sir Hector Munro | |
| | 1802 | Alexander Cumming-Gordon | |
| | 1803 by-election | George Cumming | |
| | 1806 | Francis Ogilvy-Grant | |
| | 1807 | Peter Baillie | |
| | 1811 by-election | Charles Grant | |
| | 1818 | George Cumming | Tory |
| | 1826 | Robert Grant | Whig |
| | 1830 | John Baillie | Tory |
| | 1831 | Charles Cumming-Bruce | Tory |
| | 1832 | John Baillie | Tory |
| | 1833 by-election | Charles Cumming-Bruce | Tory |
| | 1834 | Charles Cumming-Bruce | Conservative |
| | 1837 | Roderick Macleod | Whig |
| | 1840 by-election | James Morrison | Whig |
| | 1847 | Alexander Matheson | Whig |
| | 1859 change | Alexander Matheson | Liberal |
| | 1868 | Aeneas William Mackintosh | Liberal |
| | 1874 | Charles Fraser-Mackintosh | Independent Liberal |
| | 1880 | Liberal |
| | 1885 | Robert Finlay | Liberal |
| | 1886 change | Robert Finlay | Liberal Unionist |
| | 1892 | Gilbert Beith | Liberal |
| | 1895 | Robert Finlay | Liberal Unionist |
| | 1906 | John Annan Bryce | Liberal |
| 1918 | 1918 | constituency abolished | constituency abolished |

## Election results

The original electoral system for this constituency gave each of the four burghs one vote, with an additional casting vote (to break ties) for the burgh where the election was held. The place of election rotated amongst the burghs in successive Parliaments. The vote of a burgh was exercised by a burgh commissioner, who was elected by the burgh councillors.
The first direct election in Inverness Burghs was in 1832. The votes from qualified electors, in each burgh, were added together to establish the result.
Unless otherwise indicated, the primary source for the results was Craig. Candidates identified by Craig as Conservatives, in the 1832-1835 Parliament, are listed as Tories. In results for elections before the formal creation of the Liberal Party, shortly after the 1859 general election, candidates identified by Craig as Liberals are divided into Whigs and Radicals following Stooks Smith. Craig's registered electorate and vote figures are sometimes different from those of Stooks Smith, but Craig's figures are used below. For details of the books of Craig and Stooks Smith, see the Reference section below.
In terms of change in % votes and swing, the Conservative candidate in 1835 is related to his performance as the Tory candidate in the 1833 by-election. As there were two Tory candidates in 1832, no swing figure was calculated for the 1833 by-election.

### Elections in the 1760s

This is an example of a contested election, before the extension of the franchise in 1832. The election took place in Fortrose, so that burgh's commissioner had the casting vote which decided the election.
General election 11 April 1768: Inverness Burghs (election at Fortrose) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Nonpartisan | Hector Munro | 3 Fortrose, Nairn | 60.0 | N/A |
| | Nonpartisan | Alexander Grant | 2 Forres, Inverness | 40.0 | N/A |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 1 | 20.0 | N/A |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 5 (4 electors) | 100.0 | N/A |
| | Nonpartisan hold | Nonpartisan hold | Swing | N/A | |

### Elections in the 1830s

General election 1830: Inverness Burghs :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Tory | John Baillie | Unopposed | Unopposed |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | c. 72 | |
| | Tory gain from Whig | Tory gain from Whig | Tory gain from Whig | Tory gain from Whig |
General election 1831: Inverness Burghs :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Tory | Charles Cumming-Bruce | Unopposed | Unopposed |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | c. 72 | |
| | Tory hold | Tory hold | Tory hold | Tory hold |
General election 1832: Inverness Burghs :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Tory | John Baillie | 250 | 36.2 |
| | Whig | John Stewart (candidate) | 243 | 35.2 |
| | Tory | Charles Cumming-Bruce | 193 | 27.9 |
| | Radical | Robert Fraser (candidate) | 6 | 0.9 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 7 | 1.0 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 691 | 96.6 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 715 | |
| | Tory hold | Tory hold | Tory hold | Tory hold |
* Death of Baillie in April 1833
By-election, 17 May 1833: Inverness Burghs :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Tory | Charles Cumming-Bruce | 357 | 55.2 | −8.9 |
| | Whig | John Stewart (candidate) | 290 | 44.8 | +9.6 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 67 | 10.4 | +9.4 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 647 | 90.9 | −5.7 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 712 | | |
| | Tory hold | Tory hold | Swing | −9.3 | |
General election 1835: Inverness Burghs :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Charles Cumming-Bruce | 344 | 50.3 | −13.8 |
| | Whig | Edward Ellice | 340 | 49.7 | +14.5 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 4 | 0.6 | −0.4 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 684 | 90.4 | −6.2 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 757 | | |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | −14.2 | |
General election 1837: Inverness Burghs :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Whig | Roderick Macleod | 336 | 51.5 | +1.8 |
| | Conservative | Sir James John Randoll Mackenzie, 6th Baronet | 317 | 48.5 | −1.8 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 19 | 3.0 | N/A |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 653 | 93.4 | +3.0 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 699 | | |
| | Whig gain from Conservative | Whig gain from Conservative | Swing | +1.8 | |

### Elections of the 1840s

* Resignation of Macleod in March 1840
By-election, 4 March 1840: Inverness Burghs :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Whig | James Morrison | 353 | 53.5 | +2.0 |
| | Conservative | John Fraser | 307 | 46.5 | −2.0 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 46 | 7.0 | +4.0 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 660 | 87.2 | −6.2 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 757 | | |
| | Whig hold | Whig hold | Swing | +2.0 | |
General election 1841: Inverness Burghs :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Whig | James Morrison | Unopposed | Unopposed | Unopposed |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 757 | | |
| | Whig hold | Whig hold | Whig hold | Whig hold | Whig hold |
General election 1847: Inverness Burghs :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Whig | Alexander Matheson | 280 | 58.5 | N/A |
| | Radical | Richard Hartley Kennedy | 199 | 41.5 | N/A |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 81 | 17.0 | N/A |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 479 | 62.1 | N/A |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 771 | | |
| | Whig hold | Whig hold | Swing | N/A | |

### Elections of the 1850s

General election 1852: Inverness Burghs :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Whig | Alexander Matheson | Unopposed | Unopposed | Unopposed |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 825 | | |
| | Whig hold | Whig hold | Whig hold | Whig hold | Whig hold |
General election 1857: Inverness Burghs :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Whig | Alexander Matheson | 382 | 53.3 | N/A |
| | Conservative | Alexander Campbell Cameron | 335 | 46.7 | New |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 47 | 6.6 | N/A |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 717 | 84.0 | N/A |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 854 | | |
| | Whig hold | Whig hold | Swing | N/A | |
General election 1859: Inverness Burghs :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal | Alexander Matheson | 410 | 57.2 | +3.9 |
| | Conservative | Alexander Campbell Cameron | 307 | 42.8 | −3.9 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 103 | 14.4 | +7.8 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 717 | 82.0 | −2.0 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 874 | | |
| | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Swing | +3.9 | |

### Elections of the 1860s

General election 1865: Inverness Burghs :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal | Alexander Matheson | Unopposed | Unopposed | Unopposed |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 1,022 | | |
| | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Liberal hold |
General election 1868: Inverness Burghs :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal | Aeneas Mackintosh | Unopposed | Unopposed | Unopposed |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 1,995 | | |
| | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Liberal hold |

### Elections of the 1870s

General election 1874: Inverness Burghs :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Independent Liberal | Charles Fraser-Mackintosh | 1,134 | 55.9 | New |
| | Liberal | Aeneas William Mackintosh | 879 | 43.3 | N/A |
| | Conservative | Angus Mackintosh | 16 | 0.8 | New |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 255 | 12.6 | N/A |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 2,029 | 83.9 | N/A |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 2,419 | | |
| | Independent Liberal gain from Liberal | Independent Liberal gain from Liberal | Swing | N/A | |

### Elections in the 1880s

General election 1880: Inverness Burghs :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal | Charles Fraser-Mackintosh | Unopposed | Unopposed | Unopposed |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 2,990 | | |
| | Liberal gain from Independent Liberal | Liberal gain from Independent Liberal | Liberal gain from Independent Liberal | Liberal gain from Independent Liberal | Liberal gain from Independent Liberal |
General election 1885: Inverness Burghs :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal | Robert Finlay | 1,709 | 52.5 | N/A |
| | Independent Liberal (Crofters) | Walter McLaren | 1,546 | 47.5 | New |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 163 | 5.0 | N/A |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 3,255 | 91.5 | N/A |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 3,556 | | |
| | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Swing | N/A | |
* Note (1886): Shortly before the 1886 general election, the Liberal Party split. Finlay joined the new Liberal Unionist Party.
General election 1886: Inverness Burghs :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal Unionist | Robert Finlay | 1,619 | 54.6 | +2.1 |
| | Liberal | Robert Peel | 1,346 | 45.4 | −7.1 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 273 | 9.2 | N/A |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 2,965 | 83.4 | −8.1 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 3,556 | | |
| | Liberal Unionist gain from Liberal | Liberal Unionist gain from Liberal | Swing | N/A | |

### Elections of the 1890s

General election 1892: Inverness Burghs :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal | Gilbert Beith | 1,615 | 50.8 | +5.4 |
| | Liberal Unionist | Robert Finlay | 1,562 | 49.2 | −5.4 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 53 | 1.6 | N/A |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 3,177 | 85.3 | +1.9 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 3,724 | | |
| | Liberal gain from Liberal Unionist | Liberal gain from Liberal Unionist | Swing | +5.4 | |
General election 1895: Inverness Burghs :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal Unionist | Robert Finlay | 1,846 | 53.6 | +4.4 |
| | Liberal | Henry Bell | 1,596 | 46.4 | −4.4 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 250 | 7.2 | N/A |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 3,442 | 86.6 | +1.3 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 3,974 | | |
| | Liberal Unionist gain from Liberal | Liberal Unionist gain from Liberal | Swing | +4.4 | |
* Seat vacated on the appointment of Finlay as Solicitor General for England and Wales
1895 Inverness Burghs by-election :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal Unionist | Robert Finlay | Unopposed | Unopposed | Unopposed |
| | Liberal Unionist hold | Liberal Unionist hold | Liberal Unionist hold | Liberal Unionist hold | Liberal Unionist hold |

### Elections of the 1900s

General election 1900: Inverness Burghs :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal Unionist | Robert Finlay | 1,829 | 55.5 | +1.9 |
| | Liberal | J.A. Duncan | 1,469 | 44.5 | −1.9 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 360 | 11.0 | +3.8 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 3,298 | 80.7 | −5.9 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 4,085 | | |
| | Liberal Unionist hold | Liberal Unionist hold | Swing | +1.9 | |
* Note (1900): Change and swing figures are calculated from the 1895 general election.
General election 1906: Inverness Burghs :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal | John Annan Bryce | 2,304 | 56.9 | +12.4 |
| | Liberal Unionist | Robert Finlay | 1,746 | 43.1 | −12.4 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 558 | 13.8 | N/A |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 4,050 | 89.1 | +8.4 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 4,547 | | |
| | Liberal gain from Liberal Unionist | Liberal gain from Liberal Unionist | Swing | +12.4 | |

### Elections of the 1910s

General election January 1910: Inverness Burghs :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal | John Annan Bryce | 2,440 | 59.7 | +2.8 |
| | Liberal Unionist | Torrance McMicking | 1,650 | 40.3 | −2.8 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 790 | 19.4 | +5.6 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 4,090 | 89.9 | +0.8 |
| | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Swing | +2.8 | |
General election December 1910: Inverness Burghs :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal | John Annan Bryce | 2,367 | 56.6 | −3.1 |
| | Liberal Unionist | P.J. Ford | 1,812 | 43.4 | +3.1 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 555 | 13.2 | −6.2 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 4,179 | 88.6 | −1.3 |
| | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Swing | -3.1 | |
* Constituency abolished (1918)