Falkirk Burghs was a district of burghs constituency of the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom from 1832 to 1918. The constituency comprised the burghs of Falkirk, Airdrie, Hamilton, Lanark and Linlithgow, lying in Stirlingshire, Lanarkshire and Linlithgowshire.
In 1918, Falkirk became part of Stirling and Falkirk Burghs, Hamilton and Lanark formed the core of new Hamilton and Lanark constituencies, and Linlithgow was represented as part of Linlithgowshire.
Members of Parliament
Election Member PartyNotes1832 William Downe Gillon Radical 1841 William Baird Conservative 1846 by-election Henry Pelham-Clinton, Earl of Lincoln Conservative later Duke of Newcastle1851 by-election James Baird Conservative 1857 James Merry Radical 1857 by-election John Hamilton Radical later Baron Hamilton of Dalzell 1859 James Merry Liberal 1874 John Ramsay Liberal 1886 William Pirrie Sinclair Liberal Unionist 1892 Harry Smith Liberal 1895 John Wilson Liberal Unionist 1906John Macdonald Liberal 1916 Coalition Liberal Contested Stirling and Falkirk following redistribution 1918 constituency abolished
Elections Elections in the 1830s
Elections in the 1840s
Baird resigned by accepting the office of Steward of the Chiltern Hundreds, causing a by-election.
Elections in the 1850s Pelham-Clinton succeeded to the peerage, becoming 5th Duke of Newcastle and causing a by-election.
Merry's election was declared void on petition due to bribery by "injudicious partisans", causing a by-election.
Elections in the 1860s
Elections in the 1870s
Ramsay was disqualified from office, due to his holding of a Government contract at the time of the election. He stood again unopposed at a by-election.
Elections in the 1880s
The Hamilton Liberal Association nominated Roskill in protest against Ramsay. However, arbitration later led to their support for Ramsay and Roskill's withdrawal from the race. Weir did not agree to take part in the arbitration.
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: John Macdonald Unionist: Sir James Robertson Wilson, 2nd Baronet British Socialist Party:
Notes and references