Ross and Cromarty was a county constituency of the House of Commons of the UK Parliament from 1832 to 1983. It elected one Member of Parliament (MP) using the first-past-the-post voting system.
When created in 1832 by the Scottish Reform Act 1832 it combined in one seat the former seats Ross-shire and Cromartyshire.
In 1918 Lewis (a large island several miles offshore) was taken from the seat and merged into the then new Western Isles constituency, and the Fortrose component of the former Inverness Burghs constituency and the Dingwall and Cromarty Parliamentary burghs which formed part of the Wick Burghs constituency were merged into the Ross and Cromarty constituency.
In 1983 the remaining area of the seat was merged with the Isle of Skye and Isle of Raasay areas of the then-Inverness seat to form Ross, Cromarty and Skye.
Local government areas
1890 to 1918
County councils were created in Scotland in 1890, and so the constituency area became also the county council area of Ross and Cromarty, minus the Fortrose, Dingwall and Cromarty parliamentary burghs.
1918 to 1975
When reformed in 1918 the constituency covered the county of Ross and Cromarty (including the former parliamentary burghs) minus Lewis.
1975 to 1983
County councils were abolished in 1975 and replaced with regions and districts and island council areas. The constituency area was then that of the district of Ross and Cromarty plus the Lochalsh area of Skye and Lochalsh. Both districts were within the Highland region.
See also
Counties of Scotland Regions and districts of Scotland
Members of Parliament ElectionMemberPartyNotes 1832 James Alexander Stewart-Mackenzie Whig 1837 Thomas Mackenzie Conservative 1847 Sir James Matheson Whig 1859 Liberal 1868 Alexander Matheson 1884 by-election Ronald Munro-Ferguson Later Viscount Novar 1885 Roderick Macdonald Crofters 1892 James Galloway Weir Liberal 1911 by-electionIan Macpherson 1916 Coalition Liberal 1922 National Liberal 1923 Liberal1931Liberal NationalLater made Baron Strathcarron 1936 by-election Malcolm MacDonald National Labour 1945John MacLeod Independent Liberal1947National Liberal 1964 Alasdair Mackenzie Liberal 1970 Hamish Gray Conservative 1983 constituency abolished
Election results
Elections in the 1830s
Stewart-Mackenzie resigned after being appointed as Governor Ceylon, causing a by-election.
Elections in the 1840s
Elections in the 1850s
Elections in the 1860s
Elections in the 1870s
Elections in the 1880s
Matheson's resignation caused a by-election.
Elections in the 1890s
Elections in the 1900s
Elections in the 1910s
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; Liberal: Ian Macpherson Unionist: MacLeod
Elections in the 1920s
Elections in the 1930s
Elections in the 1940s General Election 1939–40
Another General Election was required to take place before the end of 1940. The political parties had been making preparations for an election to take place and by the Autumn of 1939, the following candidates had been selected; National Labour: Malcolm MacDonald Labour: Malcolm MacEwen
Elections in the 1950s
Elections in the 1960s
Elections in the 1970s
References