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Kirkcaldy Burghs
Former Burgh constituency
for the House of Commons
1950–1974 (1974)
SeatsOne
Replaced byKirkcaldy
1832–1950
SeatsOne
Type of constituencyDistrict of burghs constituency
Created fromDysart Burghs[1]

Kirkcaldy Burghs was a burgh constituency of the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom (Westminster) from 1832 to 1974. It elected one Member of Parliament (MP) by the first-past-the-post voting system. From 1832 to 1950 it was, officially, a district of burghs constituency.

Boundaries

1885–1918

Comprising Kirkcaldy, Burntisland, Dysart, Kinghorn and the Municipal Burgh of Kirkcaldy not included in the old Parliamentary Burgh (except that portion within the Parliamentary Borough of Dysart).[2]

1918–1949

The burghs of Kirkcaldy, Buckhaven, Methil and Innerleven, Burntisland, Dysart and Kinghorn.

Members of Parliament

Election Member Party Notes
1832 Robert Ferguson Whig[3][4]
1835 John Fergus Whig[3]
1837 Robert Ferguson Whig[3][4]
1841 by-election Robert Ferguson Whig[3][5][6]
1859 Liberal
1862 by-election Roger Sinclair Aytoun Liberal
1874 Robert Reid Liberal
1875 by-election Sir George Campbell Liberal
1885 Independent Liberal
1886 Liberal
1892 by-election Henry Dalziel Liberal later Baron Dalziel of Kirkcaldy
1921 by-election Thomas Kennedy Labour
1922 Sir Robert Hutchison National Liberal later Baron Hutchison of Montrose
1923 Thomas Kennedy Labour
1931 Albert Russell Unionist
1935 Thomas Kennedy Labour
1944 by-election Thomas Hubbard Labour
1959 Harry Gourlay Labour subsequently MP for Kirkcaldy
Feb. 1974 constituency abolished: see Kirkcaldy

Election results 1832–1885

Decades:

Elections in the 1830s

General election 1832: Kirkcaldy Burghs [7][3]
Party Candidate Votes %
Whig Robert Ferguson Unopposed
Registered electors 507
Whig win (new seat)
General election 1835: Kirkcaldy Burghs [7][3]
Party Candidate Votes %
Whig John Fergus Unopposed
Registered electors 539
Whig hold
General election 1837: Kirkcaldy Burghs [7][3]
Party Candidate Votes %
Whig Robert Ferguson Unopposed
Registered electors 641
Whig hold

Elections in the 1840s

Ferguson's death caused a by-election.

By-election, 27 January 1841: Kirkcaldy Burghs [7]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Whig Robert Ferguson 218 62.5 N/A
Radical John Bowring 131 37.5 New
Majority 87 25.0 N/A
Turnout 349 53.1 N/A
Registered electors 657
Whig hold Swing N/A
General election 1841: Kirkcaldy Burghs [7]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Whig Robert Ferguson Unopposed
Registered electors 657
Whig hold
General election 1847: Kirkcaldy Burghs [7]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Whig Robert Ferguson Unopposed
Registered electors 896
Whig hold

Elections in the 1850s

General election 1852: Kirkcaldy Burghs [7]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Whig Robert Ferguson Unopposed
Registered electors 786
Whig hold
General election 1857: Kirkcaldy Burghs [7]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Whig Robert Ferguson Unopposed
Registered electors 728
Whig hold
General election 1859: Kirkcaldy Burghs [7]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Robert Ferguson 312 51.5 N/A
Conservative William Harcourt[8] 294 48.5 New
Majority 18 3.0 N/A
Turnout 606 78.0 N/A
Registered electors 777
Liberal hold

Elections in the 1860s

Ferguson resigned, causing a by-election.

By-election, 25 July 1862: Kirkcaldy Burghs [7]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Roger Sinclair Aytoun Unopposed
Liberal hold
General election 1865: Kirkcaldy Burghs [7]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Roger Sinclair Aytoun Unopposed
Registered electors 816
Liberal hold
General election 1868: Kirkcaldy Burghs [7][9]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Roger Sinclair Aytoun Unopposed
Registered electors 3,160
Liberal hold

Elections in the 1870s

General election 1874: Kirkcaldy Burghs [7]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Robert Reid 1,967 61.6 N/A
Conservative James Townsend Oswald[10] 1,228 38.4 New
Majority 739 23.2 N/A
Turnout 3,195 84.8 N/A
Registered electors 3,766
Liberal hold Swing N/A

Reid's death caused a by-election.

By-election, 23 Apr 1875: Kirkcaldy Burghs [7]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal George Campbell 1,811 60.7 −0.9
Independent Liberal William Jarvis Harker[11] 1,171 39.3 New
Majority 640 21.4 −1.8
Turnout 2,982 78.2 −6.6
Registered electors 3,811
Liberal hold Swing N/A

Elections in the 1880s

General election 1880: Kirkcaldy Burghs [7]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal George Campbell 2,763 97.9 +36.3
Conservative Charles Scott[12] 59 2.1 −36.3
Majority 2,704 95.8 +72.6
Turnout 2,822 63.2 −21.6
Registered electors 4,465
Liberal hold Swing +36.3

Election results 1885–1918

Elections in the 1880s

General election 1885: Kirkcaldy Burghs [13][14]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Independent Liberal George Campbell 2,180 49.2 New
Lib-Lab John Malcolm Inglis 1,504 34.0 −63.9
Conservative Hugh Munro 746 16.8 +14.7
Majority 676 15.2 −80.6
Turnout 4,430 83.9 +20.7
Registered electors 5,282
Independent Liberal gain from Liberal Swing N/A
General election 1886: Kirkcaldy Burghs [13][14]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal George Campbell 2,014 68.9 +19.7
Liberal Unionist Thomas Barclay 911 31.1 +14.3
Majority 1,103 37.8 +22.6
Turnout 2,925 55.4 −28.5
Registered electors 5,282
Liberal gain from Independent Liberal Swing +2.7

Elections in the 1890s

Dalziel
1892 Kirkcaldy Burghs by-election[14]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Henry Dalziel 2,567 62.6 -6.3
Liberal Unionist Robert Cox 1,531 37.4 +6.3
Majority 1,036 25.2 -12.6
Turnout 4,098 77.7 +22.3
Registered electors 5,274
Liberal hold Swing -6.3
General election 1892: Kirkcaldy Burghs [15][14]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Henry Dalziel 2,741 74.5 +5.6
Conservative John Chisholm (politician) 939 25.5 −5.6
Majority 1,802 49.0 + +11.2
Turnout 3,680 69.8 +14.4
Registered electors 5,274
Liberal hold Swing +5.6
General election 1895: Kirkcaldy Burghs [16][14]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Henry Dalziel 3,078 73.3 -1.2
Conservative Charles Granville Kekewich 1,122 26.7 +1.2
Majority 1,956 46.6 -2.4
Turnout 4,200 72.3 +2.5
Registered electors 5,808
Liberal hold Swing -1.2

Elections in the 1900s

General election 1900: Kirkcaldy Burghs [16][14]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Henry Dalziel 3,354 62.5 −10.8
Liberal Unionist Michael Nairn 2,013 37.5 +10.8
Majority 1,341 25.0 −21.6
Turnout 5,367 78.1 +5.8
Registered electors 6,872
Liberal hold Swing −10.8
General election 1906: Kirkcaldy Burghs [17][14]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Henry Dalziel 4,659 76.8 +14.3
Conservative Andrew Constable 1,410 23.2 −14.3
Majority 3,249 53.6 +28.6
Turnout 6,069 76.4 −1.7
Registered electors 7,943
Liberal hold Swing +14.3

Elections in the 1910s

General election January 1910: Kirkcaldy Burghs[18]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Henry Dalziel 5,035 75.2 -3.6
Conservative Arthur Anthony Baumann 1,659 24.8 +3.6
Majority 3,376 50.4 -7.2
Turnout 6,694
Liberal hold Swing -3.6
General election December 1910: Kirkcaldy Burghs [18]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Henry Dalziel Unopposed
Liberal hold

Election results 1918–1949

Decades:

Elections in the 1910s

General election 1918: Kirkcaldy Burghs[19]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
C Liberal Henry Dalziel Unopposed
Liberal hold
C indicates candidate endorsed by the coalition government.

Elections in the 1920s

Kennedy
1921 Kirkcaldy Burghs by-election[20]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Tom Kennedy 11,674 53.4 New
C Liberal Robert Cook Lockhart 10,199 46.6 N/A
Majority 1,475 6.8 N/A
Turnout 21,873 65.6 N/A
Labour gain from National Liberal Swing N/A
C indicates candidate endorsed by the coalition government.
Hutchison
General election 1922: Kirkcaldy Burghs
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
National Liberal Robert Hutchison 12,762 51.4 +4.8
Labour Tom Kennedy 12,089 48.6 -4.8
Majority 673 2.8 N/A
Turnout 24,851 79.3 +13.7
National Liberal gain from Labour Swing +4.8
General election 1923: Kirkcaldy Burghs [21]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Tom Kennedy 14,221 54.4 +5.8
Liberal Robert Hutchison 11,937 45.6 -5.8
Majority 2,284 8.8 N/A
Turnout 26,158 81.7 +2.4
Labour gain from Liberal Swing +5.8
General election 1924: Kirkcaldy Burghs [22]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Tom Kennedy 14,038 52.7 -1.7
Liberal John Murray 12,607 47.3 +1.7
Majority 1,431 5.4 -3.4
Turnout 26,645 81.8 +0.1
Labour hold Swing -1.7
General election 1929: Kirkcaldy Burghs
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Tom Kennedy 17,410 59.6 +6.9
Unionist Henry Scrymgeour-Wedderburn 11,805 40.4 New
Majority 5,605 19.2 +13.8
Turnout 29,215 72.2 -9.6
Labour hold Swing N/A

Elections in the 1930s

General election 1931: Kirkcaldy Burghs[23]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Unionist Albert Russell 19,132 56.9 +16.5
Labour Tom Kennedy 14,492 43.1 -16.5
Majority 4,640 13.8 N/A
Turnout 33,624 81.1 +8.9
Unionist gain from Labour Swing +16.5
General election 1935: Kirkcaldy Burghs [24]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Tom Kennedy 19,457 56.3 +13.2
Unionist Albert Russell 15,086 43.7 -13.2
Majority 4,371 12.6 N/A
Turnout 34,543 79.9 -1.2
Labour gain from Unionist Swing +13.2

Elections in the 1940s

1944 Kirkcaldy Burghs by-election[25][26]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Thomas Hubbard 8,268 51.6 -4.7
SNP Douglas Young 6,621 41.3 New
Christian Socialist Henry Hilditch 1,136 7.1 New
Majority 1,647 10.9 -1.7
Turnout 16,025
Labour hold Swing
General election 1945: Kirkcaldy Burghs[27]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Thomas Hubbard 15,401 45.0 -11.3
Unionist Christopher Guest 10,099 29.5 -14.2
SNP Douglas Young 5,811 17.0 N/A
Communist John McArthur 2,898 8.5 New
Majority 5,302 15.5 +2.9
Turnout 34,209 76.4 -3.5
Labour hold Swing +1.4

Election results 1950–1973

Decades:

Elections in the 1950s

General election 1950: Kirkcaldy Burghs[28]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Thomas Hubbard 25,756 59.97 +14.95
Unionist R Bell 17,192 40.03 +10.51
Majority 8,564 19.94 +4.44
Turnout 42,948 84.80 +8.40
Labour hold Swing +2.22
General election 1951: Kirkcaldy Burghs[29]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Thomas Hubbard 26,885 60.59 +0.62
National Liberal Ralph Harris 17,484 39.41 -0.62
Majority 9,401 21.18 +1.24
Turnout 44,369 84.63 -0.17
Labour hold Swing +0.62
General election 1955: Kirkcaldy Burghs[30]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Thomas Hubbard 23,861 59.28 -1.31
National Liberal Duncan Drummond Young 16,392 40.72 +1.31
Majority 7,469 18.56 -2.62
Turnout 40,253 75.31 -9.32
Labour hold Swing -1.31
General election 1959: Kirkcaldy Burghs[31]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Harry Gourlay 25,428 58.28 -1.00
Unionist James Law QC 14,186 32.51 -8.21
Liberal David Blyth 4,020 9.21 New
Majority 11,242 25.77 +7.21
Turnout 43,634 80.46 +5.15
Labour hold Swing +3.61

Elections in the 1960s

General election 1964: Kirkcaldy Burghs[32]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Harry Gourlay 24,263 59.99 +1.71
National Liberal Neil Gow QC 11,756 29.07 -3.44
SNP James C. Lees 4,423 10.94 New
Majority 12,507 30.92 +5.15
Turnout 40,442 77.25 -3.21
Labour hold Swing
General election 1966: Kirkcaldy Burghs[33]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Harry Gourlay 23,273 59.62 -0.37
Conservative Neil Gow QC 10,539 27.00 -2.07
SNP James C. Lees 4,423 13.38 +2.44
Majority 12,734 32.62 +1.60
Turnout 39,035 75.41 -1.84
Registered electors 52,355
Labour hold Swing +0.85

Elections in the 1970s

General election 1970: Kirkcaldy Burghs[34]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Harry Gourlay 22,986 56.01 -3.61
Conservative A Myles Hogg 13,193 32.15 +5.15
SNP James C. Lees 4,863 11.85 -1.53
Majority 9,793 23.86 -8.76
Turnout 41,042 71.87 -3.54
Registered electors 52,355
Labour hold Swing -4.38

References

  1. ^ Escott, Margaret. "Dysart Burghs". The History of Parliament. Retrieved 7 May 2020.
  2. ^ Debrett's House of Commons and the Judicial Bench, 1886
  3. ^ a b c d e f g Smith, Henry Stooks (1842). The Register of Parliamentary Contested Elections (Second ed.). Simpkin, Marshall & Company. p. 205.
  4. ^ a b Urban, Sylvanus (1841). The Gentleman's Magazine, Volume XV. London: William Pickering; John Bowyer Nichols and Son. pp. 315–316.
  5. ^ "Election Movements". Gloucestershire Chronicle. 30 January 1841. p. 4. Retrieved 2 September 2018 – via British Newspaper Archive.
  6. ^ "Leeds Intelligencer". 30 January 1841. pp. 4–5. Retrieved 2 September 2018 – via British Newspaper Archive.
  7. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o Craig, F. W. S., ed. (1977). British Parliamentary Election Results 1832–1885 (e-book) (1st ed.). London: Macmillan Press. ISBN 978-1-349-02349-3.
  8. ^ "To The Constituency of the Kirkcaldy District of Burghs". Fife Herald. 21 April 1859. p. 1. Retrieved 2 September 2018 – via British Newspaper Archive.
  9. ^ Debrett's House of Commons, 1870
  10. ^ "The General Election". Eddowes's Journal, and General Advertiser for Shropshire, and the Principality of Wales. 4 February 1874. p. 8. Retrieved 3 January 2018 – via British Newspaper Archive.
  11. ^ "Mr W. Jarvis Harker". Edinburgh Evening News. 31 July 1875. p. 2. Retrieved 3 January 2018 – via British Newspaper Archive.
  12. ^ "At Kirkcaldy". Fife Herald. 1 April 1880. p. 8. Retrieved 3 December 2017 – via British Newspaper Archive.
  13. ^ a b Debrett's House of Commons and the Judicial Bench, 1889
  14. ^ a b c d e f g Craig, FWS, ed. (1974). British Parliamentary Election Results: 1885–1918. London: Macmillan Press. ISBN 9781349022984.
  15. ^ Whitaker's Almanack, 1893
  16. ^ a b Debrett's House of Commons and the Judicial Bench, 1901
  17. ^ Whitaker's Almanack, 1907
  18. ^ a b Debrett's House of Commons and the Judicial Bench, 1916
  19. ^ Whitaker's Almanack, 1920
  20. ^ The Times, 7 March 1921
  21. ^ The Times, 8 December 1923
  22. ^ Oliver & Boyd's Edinburgh Almanac, 1927
  23. ^ Whitaker's Almanack, 1934
  24. ^ Whitaker's Almanack, 1939
  25. ^ Herald 18Feb1944
  26. ^ '"See by-election", Ottawa Citizen, 16 February 1944
  27. ^ Kimber, Richard. "UK General Election results July 1945". Political Science Resources. Archived from the original on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 11 April 2016.
  28. ^ Kimber, Richard. "UK General Election results 1950". Political Science Resources. Retrieved 11 April 2016.
  29. ^ Kimber, Richard. "UK General Election results 1951". Political Science Resources. Retrieved 11 April 2016.
  30. ^ Kimber, Richard. "UK General Election results 1955". Political Science Resources. Retrieved 11 April 2016.
  31. ^ Kimber, Richard. "UK General Election results 1959". Political Science Resources. Retrieved 11 April 2016.
  32. ^ Kimber, Richard. "UK General Election results 1964". Political Science Resources. Retrieved 11 April 2016.
  33. ^ Kimber, Richard. "UK General Election results 1966". Political Science Resources. Retrieved 11 April 2016.
  34. ^ Kimber, Richard. "UK General Election results 1970". Political Science Resources. Retrieved 11 April 2016.
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