Kirkcudbright Stewartry, later known as Kirkcudbright or Kirkcudbrightshire, was a Scottish constituency of the House of Commons of the Parliament of Great Britain from 1708 to 1801 and of the Parliament of the United Kingdom from 1801 to 1918. It was represented by one Member of Parliament (MP).

Creation The British parliamentary constituency was created in 1708 following the Acts of Union, 1707 and replaced the former Parliament of Scotland shire constituency of Kirkcudbright Stewartry. The first election in the stewartry was in 1708. In 1707–08, members of the 1702-1707 Parliament of Scotland were co-opted to serve in the 1st Parliament of Great Britain. See Scottish representatives to the 1st Parliament of Great Britain, for further details.

Boundaries The Stewartry of Kirkcudbright was a Scottish stewartry (later considered to be a county and sometimes called Kirkcudbrightshire), which had been represented by two commissioners in the former Parliament of Scotland. The constituency included the whole stewartry, except for the Royal burghs of Kirkcudbright (which formed part of the Dumfries Burghs constituency) and New Galloway (which between 1708 and 1885 was included in the Wigtown Burghs district). In 1918 the area was combined with Wigtownshire to form the Galloway constituency.

History The constituency elected one Member of Parliament (MP) by the first past the post system until the seat was abolished in 1918.

Members of Parliament Election Member Party25 June 1708 John Stewart 17 February 1715 Alexander Murray 14 September 1727 Patrick Heron 22 May 1741 Basil Hamilton 31 December 1742 John Maxwell 30 July 1747 John Ross Mackye 19 April 1768 James Murray 2 November 1774 William Stewart 9 October 1780 Peter Johnston 6 April 1781 John Gordon 6 February 1782 Peter Johnston 16 August 1786 Alexander Stewart 23 March 1795 Patrick Heron Whig10 May 1803 Montgomery Granville John Stewart Conservative2 November 1812 James Dunlop 1826 Robert Cutlar Fergusson Whig 1838 Alexander Murray Whig 1845 Thomas Maitland Whig 1850 John Mackie Whig 1857 James Mackie Whig 1859 Liberal 1868 Wellwood Herries Maxwell Liberal 1874 John Maitland Liberal 1880 John Heron-Maxwell Liberal 1885 Sir Mark MacTaggart-Stewart Conservative 1906 Gilbert McMicking Liberal Jan 1910 Sir Mark MacTaggart-Stewart Conservative Dec 1910 Gilbert McMicking Liberal 1918 constituency abolished

Elections

Elections in the 1830s

Fergusson was appointed Judge-Advocate General of the Armed Forces, requiring a by-election.

Fergusson was appointed Judge-Advocate General of the Armed Forces, requiring a by-election.

Fergusson's death caused a by-election.

Elections in the 1840s

Murray's death caused a by-election.

Maitland was appointed Solicitor General for Scotland, requiring a by-election.

Elections in the 1850s Maitland resigned after being appointed a senator of the College of Justice, becoming Lord Dundrennan and causing a by-election.

Elections in the 1860s

Mackie's death caused a by-election.

Elections in the 1870s

Elections in the 1880s

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: Gilbert McMicking Unionist:

References