Glasgow (UK Parliament constituency)

Glasgow
Former Burgh constituency for the House of Commons
Subdivisions of Scotland	City of Glasgow
1832–1885
Number of members	Two (1832–1868) Three (1868–1885)
Replaced by	Blackfriars & Hutchesontown Bridgeton Camlachie College Central St Rollox Tradeston
Created from	Clyde Burghs

Glasgow was a burgh constituency of the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom from 1832 to 1885. It returned two Member of Parliament (MPs) until 1868, and then three from 1868 to 1885. Elections were held using the bloc vote system.

History

Until 1832, Glasgow had been one of the parliamentary burghs in the Clyde Burghs constituency (also known as "Glasgow Burghs"), which was abolished by the Representation of the People (Scotland) Act 1832. The Act created the new Glasgow constituency with two seats, which was increased to three by the Representation of the People (Scotland) Act 1868.

Under the Redistribution of Seats Act 1885, the constituency was finally divided into seven new single-seat constituencies, with effect from the 1885 general election:

• Glasgow Blackfriars and Hutchesontown
• Glasgow Bridgeton
• Glasgow Camlachie
• Glasgow College
• Glasgow Central
• Glasgow St Rollox
• Glasgow Tradeston

Boundaries

The boundaries of the constituency, as set out in the Representation of the People (Scotland) Act 1832, were-

"From the Point, on the West of the Town, at which the River Kelvin joins the River Clyde, up the River Kelvin to a Point which is distant One hundred and fifty Yards (measured along the River Kelvin) above the Point at which the same is met by the Park Wall which comes down thereto from Woodside Road; thence in a straight Line to a Point on the Great Canal which is distant One hundred Yards (measured along the Great Canal) below Derry Bridge; thence along the Great Canal and the Cut of Junction to the Bridge over the Cut of Junction on the Stirling Road; thence, Eastward, along the Low Garngad Road to a Point which is distant One hundred and fifty Yards (measured along the Low Garngad Road) to the East of the Bridge over the Grimston Burn; thence in a straight Line to a Point on the Road to Edinburgh by Airdrie which is distant One hundred Yards (measured along the said Road to Edinburgh) to the East of the Point at which the same is joined by the Road to Edinburgh through the Village of Westmuir; thence in a straight Line to the Point at which the River Clyde is joined by Harvie's Dyke; thence down the River Clyde to the Point at which the same is joined by the Polmadie Burn; thence up the Polmadie Burn to the Point at which the same is joined by the Little Govan Burn; thence up the Little Govan Burn to the Point at which the same is divided into Two Branches in coming down from Govan Hill; thence in a straight Line to the Eastern Extremity of the Butterbiggins Road; thence along the Butterbiggins Road, and in a Line in continuation of the Direction thereof, to the Kinninghouse Burn; thence in a straight Line to the Sheils Bridge over the Paisley and Androssan Canal; thence in a straight Line to the Point at which the River Clyde is joined by the Plantation Burn; thence down the River Clyde to the Point first described."^[1]

Members of Parliament

Election	1st Member		1st Party	2nd Member		2nd Party	3rd Member		3rd Party
1832		James Ewing of Strathleven	Liberal		James Oswald of Shieldhall	Liberal	Only two seats until 1868
1835		Colin Dunlop	Liberal
Feb 1836 by-election		Lord William Henry Cavendish-Bentinck	Liberal
May 1837 by-election					John Dennistoun	Liberal
Jun 1839 by-election		James Oswald of Shieldhall	Liberal
1847		John McGregor	Liberal		Alexander Hastie	Liberal
Mar 1857 by-election		Walter Buchanan	Liberal
1857					Robert Dalglish	Liberal
1865		William Graham	Liberal
1868								George Anderson	Liberal
1874		Sir Charles Cameron	Liberal		Alexander Whitelaw	Conservative
Jul 1879 by-election					Charles Clow Tennant	Liberal
1880					Robert Tweedie Middleton	Liberal
Mar 1885 by-election								Thomas Russell	Liberal
1885	Constituency abolished by Redistribution of Seats Act

Election results

By-election 1885: Glasgow: Glasgow^[2]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±
	Liberal	Thomas Russell	Unopposed

General Election 1880: Glasgow^[2]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±
	Liberal	George Anderson	24,016
	Liberal	Sir Charles Cameron	23,658
	Liberal	Robert Tweedie Middleton	23,360
	Conservative	William Pearce	11,622
	Conservative	Sir James Bain	11,071

By-election 1879: Glasgow: Glasgow^[2]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±
	Liberal	Charles Clow Tennant	Unopposed

General Election 1874: Glasgow^[2]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±
	Liberal	Sir Charles Cameron	18,455
	Liberal	George Anderson	17,901
	Conservative	Alexander Whitelaw	14,134
	Conservative	James Hunter	12,533
	Liberal	Alexander Crum	7,453
	Liberal	Hon. Fracis E. Kerr	4,444
	Liberal	J. C. Bolton	169

General Election 1868: Glasgow^[3]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±
	Liberal	Robert Dalglish	18,281
	Liberal	William Graham	18,090
	Liberal	George Anderson	17,804
	Conservative	Sir George Islay Campbell, Bt	10,814

References

1. Representation of the People (Scotland) Act 1832, Schedule (M).
2. Devine, Thomas Martin (1996). Glasgow: 1830 to 1912. Glasgow: Manchester University Press. p. 205.
3. Debrett's House of Commons and Judicial Bench, 1870

• Leigh Rayment's Historical List of MPs – Constituencies beginning with "G" (part 1)
• Craig, F. W. S. (1989) [1974]. British parliamentary election results 1885–1918 (2nd ed.). Chichester: Parliamentary Research Services. pp. 546–547. ISBN 0-900178-27-2.