Kirkcaldy Burghs (UK Parliament constituency)

Parliamentary constituency in the United Kingdom, 1832–1974

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Kirkcaldy Burghs
Former burgh constituency for the House of Commons
1950–1974 (1974)
Seats	One
Replaced by	Kirkcaldy
1832–1950
Seats	One
Type of constituency	District of burghs constituency
Created from	Dysart Burghs

Kirkcaldy Burghs was a burgh constituency of the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom (Westminster) from 1832 to 1974. It elected one Member of Parliament (MP) by the first-past-the-post voting system. From 1832 to 1950 it was, officially, a district of burghs constituency.

Boundaries

1885–1918

Comprising Kirkcaldy, Burntisland, Dysart, Kinghorn and the Municipal Burgh of Kirkcaldy not included in the old Parliamentary Burgh (except that portion within the Parliamentary Borough of Dysart).

1918–1949

The burghs of Kirkcaldy, Buckhaven, Methil and Innerleven, Burntisland, Dysart and Kinghorn.

Members of Parliament

Election		Member	Party	Notes
	1832	Robert Ferguson	Whig
	1835	John Fergus	Whig
	1837	Robert Ferguson	Whig
	1841 by-election	Robert Ferguson	Whig
	1859	Robert Ferguson	Liberal
	1862 by-election	Roger Sinclair Aytoun	Liberal
	1874	Robert Reid	Liberal
	1875 by-election	Sir George Campbell	Liberal
	1885		Independent Liberal
	1886		Liberal
	1892 by-election	Henry Dalziel	Liberal	later Baron Dalziel of Kirkcaldy
	1921 by-election	Thomas Kennedy	Labour
	1922	Sir Robert Hutchison	National Liberal	later Baron Hutchison of Montrose
	1923	Thomas Kennedy	Labour
	1931	Albert Russell	Unionist
	1935	Thomas Kennedy	Labour
	1944 by-election	Thomas Hubbard	Labour
	1959	Harry Gourlay	Labour	subsequently MP for Kirkcaldy
Feb. 1974		constituency abolished: see Kirkcaldy

Election results 1832–1885

Decades:

1840s
1850s
1860s
1870s
1880s
1890s
1900s
1910s

Elections in the 1830s

General election 1832: Kirkcaldy Burghs
Party		Candidate	Votes
	Whig	Robert Ferguson	Unopposed
Registered electors			507
	Whig win (new seat)

General election 1835: Kirkcaldy Burghs
Party		Candidate	Votes
	Whig	John Fergus	Unopposed
Registered electors			539
	Whig hold

General election 1837: Kirkcaldy Burghs
Party		Candidate	Votes
	Whig	Robert Ferguson	Unopposed
Registered electors			641
	Whig hold

Elections in the 1840s

Ferguson's death caused a by-election.

By-election, 27 January 1841: Kirkcaldy Burghs
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Whig	Robert Ferguson	218	62.5	*N/A*
	Radical	John Bowring	131	37.5	N/A
Majority			87	25.0	N/A
Turnout			349	53.1	N/A
Registered electors			657
	Whig hold		Swing	N/A

General election 1841: Kirkcaldy Burghs
Party		Candidate	Votes
	Whig	Robert Ferguson	Unopposed
Registered electors			657
	Whig hold

General election 1847: Kirkcaldy Burghs
Party		Candidate	Votes
	Whig	Robert Ferguson	Unopposed
Registered electors			896
	Whig hold

Elections in the 1850s

General election 1852: Kirkcaldy Burghs
Party		Candidate	Votes
	Whig	Robert Ferguson	Unopposed
Registered electors			786
	Whig hold

General election 1857: Kirkcaldy Burghs
Party		Candidate	Votes
	Whig	Robert Ferguson	Unopposed
Registered electors			728
	Whig hold

General election 1859: Kirkcaldy Burghs
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Liberal	Robert Ferguson	312	51.5	*N/A*
	Conservative	William Harcourt	294	48.5	New
Majority			18	3.0	N/A
Turnout			606	78.0	N/A
Registered electors			777
	Liberal hold

Elections in the 1860s

Ferguson resigned, causing a by-election.

By-election, 25 July 1862: Kirkcaldy Burghs
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Liberal	Roger Sinclair Aytoun	Unopposed
	Liberal hold

General election 1865: Kirkcaldy Burghs
Party		Candidate	Votes
	Liberal	Roger Sinclair Aytoun	Unopposed
Registered electors			816
	Liberal hold

General election 1868: Kirkcaldy Burghs
Party		Candidate	Votes
	Liberal	Roger Sinclair Aytoun	Unopposed
Registered electors			3,160
	Liberal hold

Elections in the 1870s

General election 1874: Kirkcaldy Burghs
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Liberal	Robert Reid	1,967	61.6	*N/A*
	Conservative	James Townsend Oswald	1,228	38.4	New
Majority			739	23.2	N/A
Turnout			3,195	84.8	N/A
Registered electors			3,766
	Liberal hold		Swing	N/A

Reid's death caused a by-election.

By-election, 23 Apr 1875: Kirkcaldy Burghs
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Liberal	George Campbell	1,811	60.7	−0.9
	Independent Liberal	William Jarvis Harker	1,171	39.3	New
Majority			640	21.4	−1.8
Turnout			2,982	78.2	−6.6
Registered electors			3,811
	Liberal hold		Swing	N/A

Elections in the 1880s

General election 1880: Kirkcaldy Burghs
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Liberal	George Campbell	2,763	97.9	+36.3
	Conservative	Charles Scott	59	2.1	−36.3
Majority			2,704	95.8	+72.6
Turnout			2,822	63.2	−21.6
Registered electors			4,465
	Liberal hold		Swing	+36.3

Election results 1885–1918

Elections in the 1880s

General election 1885: Kirkcaldy Burghs
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Independent Liberal	George Campbell	2,180	49.2	−48.7
	Lib-Lab	John Malcolm Inglis	1,504	34.0	−63.9
	Conservative	Hugh Munro	746	16.8	+14.7
Majority			676	15.2	−80.6
Turnout			4,430	83.9	+20.7
Registered electors			5,282
	Independent Liberal gain from Liberal		Swing

General election 1886: Kirkcaldy Burghs
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Liberal	George Campbell	2,014	68.9	+19.7
	Liberal Unionist	Thomas Barclay	911	31.1	+14.3
Majority			1,103	37.8	+22.6
Turnout			2,925	55.4	−28.5
Registered electors			5,282
	Liberal gain from Independent Liberal		Swing	+2.7

Elections in the 1890s

1892 Kirkcaldy Burghs by-election
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Liberal	Henry Dalziel	2,567	62.6	−6.3
	Liberal Unionist	Robert Cox	1,531	37.4	+6.3
Majority			1,036	25.2	−12.6
Turnout			4,098	77.7	+22.3
Registered electors			5,274
	Liberal hold		Swing	-6.3

General election 1892: Kirkcaldy Burghs
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Liberal	Henry Dalziel	2,741	74.5	+5.6
	Conservative	John Chisholm (politician)	939	25.5	−5.6
Majority			1,802	49.0	+11.2
Turnout			3,680	69.8	+14.4
Registered electors			5,274
	Liberal hold		Swing	+5.6

General election 1895: Kirkcaldy Burghs
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Liberal	Henry Dalziel	3,078	73.3	−1.2
	Conservative	Charles Granville Kekewich	1,122	26.7	+1.2
Majority			1,956	46.6	−2.4
Turnout			4,200	72.3	+2.5
Registered electors			5,808
	Liberal hold		Swing	-1.2

Elections in the 1900s

General election 1900: Kirkcaldy Burghs
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Liberal	Henry Dalziel	3,354	62.5	−10.8
	Liberal Unionist	Michael Nairn	2,013	37.5	+10.8
Majority			1,341	25.0	−21.6
Turnout			5,367	78.1	+5.8
Registered electors			6,872
	Liberal hold		Swing	−10.8

General election 1906: Kirkcaldy Burghs
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Liberal	Henry Dalziel	4,659	76.8	+14.3
	Conservative	Andrew Constable	1,410	23.2	−14.3
Majority			3,249	53.6	+28.6
Turnout			6,069	76.4	−1.7
Registered electors			7,943
	Liberal hold		Swing	+14.3

Elections in the 1910s

General election January 1910: Kirkcaldy Burghs
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Liberal	Henry Dalziel	5,035	75.2	−1.6
	Conservative	Arthur Anthony Baumann	1,659	24.8	+1.6
Majority			3,376	50.4	−3.2
Turnout			6,694
	Liberal hold		Swing	-3.6

General election December 1910: Kirkcaldy Burghs
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Liberal	Henry Dalziel	Unopposed
	Liberal hold

Election results 1918–1949

Decades:

1910s
1920s
1930s
1940s

Elections in the 1910s

General election 1918: Kirkcaldy Burghs
Party		Candidate	Votes
C	Liberal	Henry Dalziel	Unopposed
	Liberal hold
C indicates candidate endorsed by the coalition government.

Elections in the 1920s

1921 Kirkcaldy Burghs by-election
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labour	Tom Kennedy	11,674	53.4	*New*
C	Liberal	Robert Cook Lockhart	10,199	46.6	N/A
Majority			1,475	6.8	N/A
Turnout			21,873	65.6	N/A
	Labour gain from National Liberal		Swing	N/A
C indicates candidate endorsed by the coalition government.

General election 1922: Kirkcaldy Burghs
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	National Liberal	Robert Hutchison	12,762	51.4	+4.8
	Labour	Tom Kennedy	12,089	48.6	−4.8
Majority			673	2.8	N/A
Turnout			24,851	79.3	+13.7
	National Liberal gain from Labour		Swing	+4.8

General election 1923: Kirkcaldy Burghs
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labour	Tom Kennedy	14,221	54.4	+5.8
	Liberal	Robert Hutchison	11,937	45.6	−5.8
Majority			2,284	8.8	N/A
Turnout			26,158	81.7	+2.4
	Labour gain from Liberal		Swing	+5.8

General election 1924: Kirkcaldy Burghs
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labour	Tom Kennedy	14,038	52.7	−1.7
	Liberal	John Murray	12,607	47.3	+1.7
Majority			1,431	5.4	−3.4
Turnout			26,645	81.8	+0.1
	Labour hold		Swing	-1.7

General election 1929: Kirkcaldy Burghs
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labour	Tom Kennedy	17,410	59.6	+6.9
	Unionist	Henry Scrymgeour-Wedderburn	11,805	40.4	New
Majority			5,605	19.2	+13.8
Turnout			29,215	72.2	−9.6
	Labour hold		Swing	N/A

Elections in the 1930s

General election 1931: Kirkcaldy Burghs
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Unionist	Albert Russell	19,132	56.9	+16.5
	Labour	Tom Kennedy	14,492	43.1	−16.5
Majority			4,640	13.8	N/A
Turnout			33,624	81.1	+8.9
	Unionist gain from Labour		Swing	+16.5

General election 1935: Kirkcaldy Burghs
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labour	Tom Kennedy	19,457	56.3	+13.2
	Unionist	Albert Russell	15,086	43.7	−13.2
Majority			4,371	12.6	N/A
Turnout			34,543	79.9	−1.2
	Labour gain from Unionist		Swing	+13.2

Elections in the 1940s

1944 Kirkcaldy Burghs by-election
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labour	Thomas Hubbard	8,268	51.6	−4.7
	SNP	Douglas Young	6,621	41.3	New
	Christian Socialist	Henry Hilditch	1,136	7.1	New
Majority			1,647	10.3	−2.3
Turnout			16,025
	Labour hold		Swing

General election 1945: Kirkcaldy Burghs
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labour	Thomas Hubbard	15,401	45.0	−11.3
	Unionist	Christopher Guest	10,099	29.5	−14.2
	SNP	Douglas Young	5,811	17.0	N/A
	Communist	John McArthur	2,898	8.5	New
Majority			5,302	15.5	+2.9
Turnout			34,209	76.4	−3.5
	Labour hold		Swing	+1.4

Election results 1950–1973

Decades:

1950s
1960s
1970s

Elections in the 1950s

General election 1950: Kirkcaldy Burghs
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labour	Thomas Hubbard	25,756	59.97	+14.95
	Unionist	R Bell	17,192	40.03	+10.51
Majority			8,564	19.94	+4.44
Turnout			42,948	84.80	+8.40
	Labour hold		Swing	+2.22

General election 1951: Kirkcaldy Burghs
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labour	Thomas Hubbard	26,885	60.59	+0.62
	National Liberal	Ralph Harris	17,484	39.41	−0.62
Majority			9,401	21.18	+1.24
Turnout			44,369	84.63	−0.17
	Labour hold		Swing	+0.62

General election 1955: Kirkcaldy Burghs
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labour	Thomas Hubbard	23,861	59.28	−1.31
	National Liberal	Duncan Drummond Young	16,392	40.72	+1.31
Majority			7,469	18.56	−2.62
Turnout			40,253	75.31	−9.32
	Labour hold		Swing	-1.31

General election 1959: Kirkcaldy Burghs
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labour	Harry Gourlay	25,428	58.28	−1.00
	Unionist	James Law QC	14,186	32.51	−8.21
	Liberal	David Blyth	4,020	9.21	New
Majority			11,242	25.77	+7.21
Turnout			43,634	80.46	+5.15
	Labour hold		Swing	+3.61

Elections in the 1960s

General election 1964: Kirkcaldy Burghs
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labour	Harry Gourlay	24,263	59.99	+1.71
	National Liberal	Neil Gow QC	11,756	29.07	−3.44
	SNP	James C. Lees	4,423	10.94	New
Majority			12,507	30.92	+5.15
Turnout			40,442	77.25	−3.21
	Labour hold		Swing

General election 1966: Kirkcaldy Burghs
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labour	Harry Gourlay	23,273	59.62	−0.37
	Conservative	Neil Gow QC	10,539	27.00	−2.07
	SNP	James C. Lees	4,423	13.38	+2.44
Majority			12,734	32.62	+1.60
Turnout			39,035	75.41	−1.84
Registered electors			52,355
	Labour hold		Swing	+0.85

Elections in the 1970s

General election 1970: Kirkcaldy Burghs
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labour	Harry Gourlay	22,986	56.01	−3.61
	Conservative	A Myles Hogg	13,193	32.15	+5.15
	SNP	James C. Lees	4,863	11.85	−1.53
Majority			9,793	23.86	−8.76
Turnout			41,042	71.87	−3.54
Registered electors			52,355
	Labour hold		Swing	-4.38

References

Escott, Margaret. "Dysart Burghs". The History of Parliament. Retrieved 7 May 2020.
Debrett's House of Commons and the Judicial Bench, 1886
^ Smith, Henry Stooks (1842). The Register of Parliamentary Contested Elections (Second ed.). Simpkin, Marshall & Company. p. 205.
^ Urban, Sylvanus (1841). The Gentleman's Magazine, Volume XV. London: William Pickering; John Bowyer Nichols and Son. pp. 315–316.
"Election Movements". Gloucestershire Chronicle. 30 January 1841. p. 4. Retrieved 2 September 2018 – via British Newspaper Archive.
"Leeds Intelligencer". 30 January 1841. pp. 4–5. Retrieved 2 September 2018 – via British Newspaper Archive.
^ 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.
"To The Constituency of the Kirkcaldy District of Burghs". Fife Herald. 21 April 1859. p. 1. Retrieved 2 September 2018 – via British Newspaper Archive.
Debrett's House of Commons, 1870
"The General Election". Eddowes's Journal, and General Advertiser for Shropshire, and the Principality of Wales. 4 February 1874. p. 8. Retrieved 3 January 2018 – via British Newspaper Archive.
"Mr W. Jarvis Harker". Edinburgh Evening News. 31 July 1875. p. 2. Retrieved 3 January 2018 – via British Newspaper Archive.
"At Kirkcaldy". Fife Herald. 1 April 1880. p. 8. Retrieved 3 December 2017 – via British Newspaper Archive.
^ Debrett's House of Commons and the Judicial Bench, 1889
^ Craig, FWS, ed. (1974). British Parliamentary Election Results: 1885–1918. London: Macmillan Press. ISBN 9781349022984.
Whitaker's Almanack, 1893
^ Debrett's House of Commons and the Judicial Bench, 1901
Whitaker's Almanack, 1907
^ Debrett's House of Commons and the Judicial Bench, 1916
Whitaker's Almanack, 1920
The Times, 7 March 1921
The Times, 8 December 1923
Oliver & Boyd's Edinburgh Almanac, 1927
Whitaker's Almanack, 1934
Whitaker's Almanack, 1939
Herald 18Feb1944
'"See by-election", Ottawa Citizen, 16 February 1944
Kimber, Richard. "UK General Election results July 1945". Political Science Resources. Archived from the original on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 11 April 2016.
Kimber, Richard. "UK General Election results 1950". Political Science Resources. Retrieved 11 April 2016.
Kimber, Richard. "UK General Election results 1951". Political Science Resources. Retrieved 11 April 2016.
Kimber, Richard. "UK General Election results 1955". Political Science Resources. Retrieved 11 April 2016.
Kimber, Richard. "UK General Election results 1959". Political Science Resources. Retrieved 11 April 2016.
Kimber, Richard. "UK General Election results 1964". Political Science Resources. Retrieved 11 April 2016.
Kimber, Richard. "UK General Election results 1966". Political Science Resources. Retrieved 11 April 2016.
Kimber, Richard. "UK General Election results 1970". Political Science Resources. Retrieved 11 April 2016.

Leigh Rayment's Historical List of MPs – Constituencies beginning with "K" (part 2)

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