Wigtown Burghs (UK Parliament Constituency) - Elections

Elections

The constituency had only four voters (the commissioners elected by the Burgh Councils) in 1708-1832. The place of election rotated between the Burghs and the commissioner for the returning Burgh had a casting vote if there was a tie. It was possible for the Court of Session to suspend a Burgh's rights for a Parliament, as a punishment for corruption. This procedure could disrupt the rotation

From 1832 the franchise was extended and the votes from all the burghs were added together.

• 1708 (26 May) general election (election at Wigtown)
• George Lockhart: Unopposed

• Chose to sit for Edinburghshire
• 1708 (14 December) by-election (election at Wigtown)
• William Cochrane: Unopposed

• 1710 general election
• William Cochrane: Unopposed

• 1713 (17 September) general election
• Sir Alexander Maxwell, Bt: Unopposed

• 1715 (17 February) general election
• Col. Patrick Vanse: Unopposed

• 1722 (13 April) general election
• William Dalrymple: Unopposed

• 1727 general election
• William Dalrymple: Unopposed

• Chose to sit for Wigtownshire
• 1728 (16 March) by-election
• John Dalrymple: Unopposed

• 1734 (18 May) general election
• John Stewart defeated John Dalrymple, vote totals unknown

• 1741 (28 May) general election
• William Stewart: Unopposed

• 1747 (22 July) general election
• John Stewart: Unopposed

• 1754 (9 May) general election (election at Stranraer)
• John Hamilton: Unopposed

• 1761 (20 April) general election (election at Wigtown)
• Hon. Archibald Montgomerie: 2 votes (Whithorn, Wigtown)
• Hutchison Mure: 2 votes (New Galloway, Stranraer)
• Montgomerie elected by Wigtown's casting vote

• Chose to sit for Ayrshire
• 1762 (19 February) by-election (election at Wigtown)
• Hon. Keith Stewart: Unopposed

• Resigned
• 1762 (15 April) by-election (election at Wigtown)
• John Hamilton: Unopposed

• 1768 (11 April) general election (election at Whithorn)
• George Augustus Selwyn: Unopposed

• Chose to sit for Gloucester
• 1768 (23 December) by-election (election at Whithorn)
• Chauncy Townsend: Unopposed

• Died
• 1770 (7 May) by-election (election at Whithorn)
• William Stewart: Unopposed

• 1774 (31 October) general election (election at New Galloway)
• William Norton: 2 votes (New Galloway, Stranraer)
• Henry Watkin Dashwood: 2 votes (Whithorn, Wigtown)
• Norton elected by New Galloway's casting vote

• 1775 (23 March) last election declared void
• Henry Watkin Dashwood: Awarded the seat

• 1780 (2 October) general election (election at Stranraer)
• William Adam: Unopposed

• Appointed Treasurer of the Ordnance
• 1783 (9 May) by-election (election at Stranraer)
• William Adam: Unopposed

• 1784 (26 April) general election (election at Wigtown)
• William Dalrymple: 3 votes (New Gallowat, Stranraer, Whithorn)
• George Johnstone: 1 vote (Wigtown)

• 1790 (12 July) general election (election at Whithorn)
• Nisbet Balfour: 2 votes
• Lord Daer: 2 votes
• Balfour elected by Whithorn's casting vote

• 1796 (20 June) general election (election at New Galloway)
• John Spalding: Unopposed

• 1802 general election (election at Stranraer)
• John Spalding: 3 votes
• Robert Vans Agnew: 1 vote

• Resigned
• 1803 (29 July) by-election (election at Stranraer)
• Hon. William Stewart: Unopposed

• Resigned
• 1805 (9 August) by-election (election at Stranraer)
• James Graham: Unopposed

• 1806 (24 November) general election (election at Wigtown)
• Hon. Edward Richard Stewart: Unopposed

• 1807 general election (election at Whithorn)
• Hon. Edward Richard Stewart: Unopposed

• Appointed a Commissioner for victualling the Navy
• 1809 (27 February) by-election (election at Whithorn)
• Lyndon Evelyn (Tory): Unopposed

• 1812 (30 October) general election (election at New Galloway)
• Hon. James Henry Keith Stewart (Tory): Unopposed

• 1818 general election (election at Stranraer)
• Hon. James Henry Keith Stewart (Tory): Unopposed

• 1820 general election (election at Wigtown)
• Hon. James Henry Keith Stewart (Tory): Unopposed

• Resigned
• 1821 (21 March) by-election (election at Wigtown)
• Sir John Osborn, Bt (Tory): Unopposed

• Appointed a Commissioner for Auditing Public Accounts
• 1824 (4 March) by-election (election at Wigtown)
• Nicholas Conyngham Tindal (Tory): Unopposed

• 1826 (3 July) general election (election at Whithorn)
• John Henry Lowther (Tory): Unopposed

• 1830 general election (election at New Galloway)
• John Henry Lowther (Tory): Unopposed

• 1831 (23 May) general election (election at Stranraer)
• Edward Stewart (Whig): Unopposed

• 1832 general election
• 316 electors, 296 voted, turnout 93.67%
• Edward Stewart (Liberal) 159 (53.72%)
• John McTaggart (Liberal) 137 (46.29%)
• majority 22 (7.43%)

• 1835 (19 January) general election
• 362 electors, 306 voted, turnout 84.53%
• John McTaggart (Liberal) 224 (73.20%)
• John Douglas (Liberal) 82 (26.80%)
• majority 142 (46.41%)

• 1837 general election
• 380 electors, 267 voted, turnout 70.26%
• John McTaggart (Liberal) 151 (56.55%)
• Sir Andrew Agnew, Bt (Liberal) 116 (43.45%)
• majority 35 (13.11%)

• 1841 general election
• 393 electors, 286 voted, turnout 72.77%
• John McTaggart (Liberal) 157 (54.90%)
• P. Vans Agnew (Conservative) 129 (45.10%)
• majority 28 (9.79%)

• 1847 general election
• 382 electors
• Sir John McTaggart, Bt (Liberal): Unopposed

• 1852 general election
• 400 electors, 279 voted, turnout 69.75%
• Sir John McTaggart, Bt (Liberal) 140 (50.18%)
• J. Caird (Conservative) 139 (49.82%)
• majority 1 (0.36%)

• 1857 (1 April) general election
• 694 electors
• Sir William Dunbar, Bt (Liberal): Unopposed

• 1859 general election
• 505 electors
• Sir William Dunbar, Bt (Liberal): Unopposed

• Appointed a Lord Commissioner of the Treasury
• 1859 (27 June) by-election
• Sir William Dunbar, Bt (Liberal): Unopposed

• Resigned on appointment as a Commissioner for Auditing the Public Accounts
• 1865 (15 April) by-election
• George Young (Liberal): Unopposed

• 1865 general election
• 518 electors
• George Young (Liberal): Unopposed

• 1868 general election
• 966 electors, 848 voted, turnout 87.78%
• George Young (Liberal) 484 (57.08%)
• R.V. Agnew (Conservative) 364 (42.92%)
• majority 120 (14.15%)

• Appointed Solicitor General for Scotland
• 1869 (4 January) by-election
• George Young (Liberal): Unopposed

• 1874 general election
• 1,176 electors, 1,042 voted, turnout 88.61%
• Mark John Stewart (Conservative) 522 (50.10%)
• George Young (Liberal) 520 (49.90%)
• majority 2 (0.19%)

• Last election declared void and a new result declared after scrutiny (Young 515, Stewart 514), but as Young had been appointed a Senator of the College of Justice (with the judicial title of Lord Young) the seat was vacant
• 1874 (15 June) by-election
• 1,176 electors, 1,042 voted, turnout 88.61%
• Mark John Stewart (Conservative) 525 (50.38%)
• A. Smith (Liberal) 517 (49.62%)
• majority 8 (0.77%)

• 1880 (8 April) general election
• 1,391 electors, 1,288 voted, turnout 92.60%
• John McLaren (Liberal) 650 (50.47%)
• Mark John Stewart (Conservative) 638 (49.53%)
• majority 12 (0.93%)

• Appointed Lord Advocate
• 1880 (20 May) by-election
• 1,391 electors, 1,289 voted, turnout 92.67%
• Mark John Stewart (Conservative) 656 (50.89%)
• John McLaren (Liberal) 633 (49.11%)
• majority 23 (1.78%)

• Election declared void on petition
• 1880 (2 August) by-election
• 1,391 electors, 1,256 voted, turnout 90.29%
• Rt Hon. Sir John Charles Dalrymple Hay, Bt (Conservative) 636 (50.64%)
• G. McMicking (Liberal) 620 (49.36%)
• majority 16 (1.27%)