South Lanarkshire
Former County constituency
for the House of Commons
Subdivisions of ScotlandCounty of Lanark
1868–1918
SeatsOne
Replaced byLanark

South Lanarkshire was a county constituency of the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom (Westminster) from 1868 to 1918. It elected one Member of Parliament (MP) by the first past the post voting system.

Boundaries

The Representation of the People (Scotland) Act 1868 provided that the South Lanarkshire constituency was to consist of the parishes of Biggar, Cambusnethan, Carluke, Carmichael, Carnwath, Carstairs, Covington and Thankerton, Crawford, Crawfordjohn, Dalserf, Dolphinton, Douglas, Dunsyre, Lanark, Lesmahagow, Libberton, Pitinain, Shotts, Stonehouse, Walston, Wandell and Lamington, Wiston and Roberton, and so much of the parishes of Culter and Moffat as is situated in the County of Lanark.

The Redistribution of Seats Act 1885 provided that the constituency was to consist of:

the parishes of Biggar, Carluke, Carmichael, Carnwath, Carstairs, Covington and Thankerton, Crawford, Crawfordjohn, Culter, Dolphinton, Douglas, Dunsyre, Lamington and Wandel, Lanark, Lesmahagow, Liberton, Pettinain, Symington, Walston, Wiston and Roberton, Moffat, Avondale, Stonehouse, Glasford, and East Kilbride; so much of the parish of Cathcart as adjoins East Kilbride, and so much of the parish of Kirkpatrick-Juxta as may be in the county of Lanark.

Members of Parliament

Election Member[1] Party
1868 John Hamilton Liberal
1874 Sir Windham Carmichael-Anstruther Conservative
1880 John Hamilton Liberal
1886 James Hozier Conservative
1906 Walter Menzies Liberal
1913 b-e Hon. William Watson Unionist
1918 Constituency abolished

Elections

Elections in the 1860s

General election 1868: South Lanarkshire [2]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal John Hamilton 1,328 54.5
Conservative Sir Norman Macdonald Lockhart, 4th Baronet 1,107 45.5
Majority 221 9.0
Turnout 2,435 84.8
Registered electors 2,871
Liberal win (new seat)

Elections in the 1870s

General election 1874: South Lanarkshire [2]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Windham Carmichael-Anstruther 1,347 50.4 +4.9
Liberal John Hamilton 1,326 49.6 −4.9
Majority 21 0.8 N/A
Turnout 2,673 83.2 −1.6
Registered electors 3,214
Conservative gain from Liberal Swing +4.9

Elections in the 1880s

General election 1880: South Lanarkshire [2]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal John Hamilton 1,808 55.8 +6.2
Conservative Windham Carmichael-Anstruther 1,430 44.2 −6.2
Majority 378 11.6 N/A
Turnout 3,238 88.3 +5.1
Registered electors 3,666
Liberal gain from Conservative Swing +6.2
General election 1885: South Lanarkshire [3][4]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal John Hamilton 4,583 58.5 +2.7
Conservative James Hozier 3,245 41.5 −2.7
Majority 1,338 17.0 +5.4
Turnout 7,828 87.2 −1.1
Registered electors 8,981
Liberal hold Swing +2.7
General election 1886: South Lanarkshire [3][4]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative James Hozier 3,577 50.1 +8.6
Liberal John Hamilton 3,559 49.9 -8.6
Majority 18 0.2 N/A
Turnout 7,136 79.5 -7.7
Registered electors 8,981
Conservative gain from Liberal Swing +8.6

Elections in the 1890s

General election 1892: South Lanarkshire [5][4]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative James Hozier 4,032 52.4 +2.3
Liberal Thomas Hedderwick 3,664 47.6 −2.3
Majority 368 4.8 +4.6
Turnout 7,696 87.3 +7.8
Registered electors 8,818
Conservative hold Swing +2.3
General election 1895: South Lanarkshire [6][4]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative James Hozier 4,053 51.5 -0.9
Liberal Robert Lambie 3,823 48.5 +0.9
Majority 230 3.0 -1.8
Turnout 7,876 86.2 -1.1
Registered electors 9,136
Conservative hold Swing -0.9

Elections in the 1900s

General election 1900: South Lanarkshire [6][4]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative James Hozier 3,968 53.0 +1.5
Liberal Walter Menzies 3,516 47.0 −1.5
Majority 452 6.0 +3.0
Turnout 7,484 81.9 −4.3
Registered electors 9,134
Conservative hold Swing +1.5
Walter Menzies
General election 1906: South Lanarkshire [7][4]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Walter Menzies 4,816 57.6 +10.6
Conservative James Dennistoun Mitchell 3,541 42.4 −10.6
Majority 1,275 15.2 N/A
Turnout 8,357 84.0 +2.1
Registered electors 9,950
Liberal gain from Conservative Swing +10.6

Elections in the 1910s

General election January 1910: South Lanarkshire [8]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Walter Menzies 5,346 59.0 +1.4
Conservative James Dennistoun Mitchell 3,715 41.0 -1.4
Majority 1,631 18.0 +2.8
Turnout 9,061 85.3 +1.3
Liberal hold Swing
General election December 1910: South Lanarkshire [8]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Walter Menzies 5,160 56.6 -2.4
Liberal Unionist Charles Mackinnon Douglas 3,963 43.4 +2.4
Majority 1,187 13.2 -4.8
Turnout 9,123 84.8 -0.5
Liberal hold Swing -2.4
1913 South Lanarkshire by-election
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Unionist William Watson 4,257 42.8 -0.6
Liberal George Morton (QC) 4,006 40.3 -16.3
Labour Thomas Gibb 1,674 16.8 New
Majority 251 2.5 N/A
Turnout 9,937
Unionist gain from Liberal Swing +7.8

General Election 1914–15:

Another General Election was required to take place before the end of 1915. The political parties had been making preparations for an election to take place and by July 1914, the following candidates had been selected;

References

  1. ^ Leigh Rayment's Historical List of MPs – Constituencies beginning with "L" (part 1)
  2. ^ a b c 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.
  3. ^ a b Debrett's House of Commons and Judicial Bench, 1889
  4. ^ a b c d e f Craig, FWS, ed. (1974). British Parliamentary Election Results: 1885-1918. London: Macmillan Press. ISBN 9781349022984.
  5. ^ Whitaker's Almanack, 1893
  6. ^ a b Debrett's House of Commons and the Judicial Bench, 1901
  7. ^ Whitaker's Almanack, 1907
  8. ^ a b Debrett's House of Commons and the Judicial Bench, 1916
  9. ^ Hamilton Advertiser 28 Feb 1914
Categories