Peebles and Selkirk (UK Parliament constituency)

Peebles and Selkirk 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.

Peebles and Selkirk
Former county constituency
for the House of Commons
18681918
SeatsOne
Created fromPeeblesshire
Selkirkshire
Replaced byPeebles and Southern Midlothian
Roxburgh and Selkirk

Boundaries

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The name relates the constituency to the counties of Peebles and Selkirk.

From 1708 to 1868 the counties had been covered, at least nominally, by the Peeblesshire and Selkirkshire constituencies.

When the Peebles and Selkirk constituency was abolished in 1918, the Peebles and Southern Midlothian and Roxburgh and Selkirk constituencies were created.

Members of Parliament

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Election Member[1] Party Notes
1868 Sir Graham Graham-Montgomery, Bt Conservative Previously MP for Peeblesshire
1880 Charles Tennant Liberal
1886 Sir Walter Thorburn Liberal Unionist
1906 Alexander Murray, Master of Elibank Liberal
Jan. 1910 William Younger Liberal
Dec. 1910 Sir Donald Maclean Liberal Subsequently, MP for Peebles and Southern Midlothian
1918 constituency abolished

Elections

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Elections in the 1860s

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General election 1868: Peebles and Selkirk[2]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Graham Graham-Montgomery 361 50.2
Liberal John Murray[3] 358 49.8
Majority 3 0.4
Turnout 719 80.9
Registered electors 889
Conservative win (new seat)

Elections in the 1870s

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General election 1874: Peebles and Selkirk[2]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Graham Graham-Montgomery Unopposed
Registered electors 1,026
Conservative hold

Elections in the 1880s

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General election 1880: Peebles and Selkirk[2]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Charles Tennant 516 51.6 New
Conservative Graham Graham-Montgomery 484 48.4 N/A
Majority 32 3.2 N/A
Turnout 1,000 88.0 N/A
Registered electors 1,136
Liberal gain from Conservative Swing N/A
General election 1885: Peebles and Selkirk[4][5]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Charles Tennant 1,746 62.7 +11.1
Conservative Graham Graham-Montgomery 1,038 37.3 −11.1
Majority 708 25.4 +22.2
Turnout 2,784 85.7 −2.3
Registered electors 3,250
Liberal hold Swing +11.1
General election 1886: Peebles and Selkirk[4][5]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Unionist Walter Thorburn 1,375 50.9 +13.6
Liberal Charles Tennant 1,325 49.1 −13.6
Majority 50 1.8 N/A
Turnout 2,700 83.1 −2.6
Registered electors 3,250
Liberal Unionist gain from Liberal Swing +13.6

Elections in the 1890s

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Carmichael
General election 1892: Peebles and Selkirk[6][5]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Unionist Walter Thorburn 1,603 54.0 +3.1
Liberal Thomas Gibson-Carmichael 1,367 46.0 −3.1
Majority 236 8.0 +6.2
Turnout 2,970 87.4 +4.3
Registered electors 3,400
Liberal Unionist hold Swing +3.1
General election 1895: Peebles and Selkirk[7][5]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Unionist Walter Thorburn 1,563 50.9 −3.1
Liberal Alexander Murray 1,509 49.1 +3.1
Majority 54 1.8 −6.2
Turnout 3,072 87.7 +0.3
Registered electors 3,504
Liberal Unionist hold Swing -3.1

Elections in the 1900s

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Edward Tennant
General election 1900: Peebles and Selkirk[7][5]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Unionist Walter Thorburn 1,598 53.5 +2.6
Liberal Edward Tennant 1,387 46.5 −2.6
Majority 211 7.0 +5.2
Turnout 2,985 82.8 −4.9
Registered electors 3,603
Liberal Unionist hold Swing +2.6
 
Alexander Murray
General election 1906: Peebles and Selkirk[8]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Alexander Murray 1,955 55.8 +9.3
Liberal Unionist Walter Thorburn 1,549 44.2 −9.3
Majority 406 11.6 N/A
Turnout 3,504 91.5 +8.7
Registered electors 3,830
Liberal gain from Liberal Unionist Swing +9.3

Elections in the 1910s

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William Younger
General election January 1910: Peebles and Selkirk[9]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal William Younger 1,941 52.8 −3.0
Liberal Unionist Samuel Strang Steel 1,735 47.2 +3.0
Majority 206 5.6 −6.0
Turnout 3,676 91.2 −0.3
Liberal hold Swing -3.0
 
Donald Maclean
General election December 1910: Peebles and Selkirk[9]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Donald Maclean 1,965 52.7 −0.1
Liberal Unionist Samuel Strang Steel 1,764 47.3 +0.1
Majority 201 5.4 −0.2
Turnout 3,729 90.8 −0.4
Liberal hold Swing -0.1

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

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  1. ^ Leigh Rayment's Historical List of MPs – Constituencies beginning with "P" (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. ^ "Counties of Peebles and Selkirk". Glasgow Herald. 26 November 1868. p. 7. Retrieved 14 March 2018 – via British Newspaper Archive.
  4. ^ a b Debrett's House of Commons and Judicial Bench, 1889
  5. ^ a b c d e Craig, FWS, ed. (1974). British Parliamentary Election Results: 1885-1918. London: Macmillan Press. ISBN 9781349022984.
  6. ^ Whitaker's Almanack, 1892
  7. ^ a b Debrett's House of Commons and the Judicial Bench, 1901
  8. ^ Whitaker's Almanack, 1907
  9. ^ a b Debrett's House of Commons and the Judicial Bench, 1916