St Andrews Burghs (UK Parliament constituency)

St Andrews Burghs
Former District of Burghs constituency
for the House of Commons
Subdivisions of Scotland Fife
1832–1918
Seats One
Created from Perth Burghs and Anstruther Burghs
Replaced by East Fife

St Andrews Burghs was a district of burghs constituency, representing various burghs of Fife, Scotland, in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom, from 1832 to 1918.

Area covered

The constituency comprised the burghs of St Andrews, Anstruther Easter, Anstruther Wester, Crail, Cupar, Kilrenny and Pittenweem, all in the county of Fife. St Andrews and Cupar had previously been part of Perth Burghs, and the other burghs part of Anstruther Burghs.

In 1918 the constituency was abolished, and the burghs were thereafter represented as part of the East Fife constituency.

Members of Parliament

Year Member Party
1832 Andrew Johnston Whig
1837 Edward Ellice Whig
1859 Liberal
1880 Stephen Williamson Liberal
1885 Sir Robert Anstruther Independent Liberal
1886 Liberal Unionist
1886 Henry Torrens Anstruther Liberal Unionist
1903 Edward Charles Ellice Liberal
1906 William Anstruther-Gray Liberal Unionist
1910 James Duncan Millar Liberal
1910 William Anstruther-Gray Liberal Unionist
1912 Unionist
1918 constituency abolished

Election results

Elections in the 1830s

General election 1832: St Andrews Burghs
Party Candidate Votes %
Whig Andrew Johnston 331 62.3
Tory Sir Ralph Abercromby Anstruther, 4th Baronet 200 37.7
Majority 131 24.6
Turnout 531 85.5
Registered electors 621
Whig win (new seat)
General election 1835: St Andrews Burghs
Party Candidate Votes %
Whig Andrew Johnston Unopposed
Registered electors 669
Whig hold
General election 1837: St Andrews Burghs
Party Candidate Votes %
Whig Edward Ellice 290 52.6
Conservative David Maitland Makgill 261 47.4
Majority 29 5.2
Turnout 551 79.4
Registered electors 694
Whig hold

Elections in the 1840s

General election 1841: St Andrews Burghs
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Whig Edward Ellice 366 58.7 +6.1
Conservative George Makgill 258 41.3 −6.1
Majority 108 17.4 +12.2
Turnout 624 74.7 −4.7
Registered electors 835
Whig hold Swing +6.1
General election 1847: St Andrews Burghs
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Whig Edward Ellice Unopposed
Registered electors 768
Whig hold

Elections in the 1850s

General election 1852: St Andrews Burghs
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Whig Edward Ellice Unopposed
Registered electors 680
Whig hold
General election 1857: St Andrews Burghs
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Whig Edward Ellice 357 63.9 N/A
Peelite Francis Brown Douglas 202 36.1 New
Majority 155 27.8 N/A
Turnout 559 78.3 N/A
Registered electors 714
Whig hold Swing N/A
General election 1859: St Andrews Burghs
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Edward Ellice Unopposed
Registered electors 742
Liberal hold

Elections in the 1860s

General election 1865: St Andrews Burghs
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Edward Ellice Unopposed
Registered electors 839
Liberal hold
General election 1868: St Andrews Burghs
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Edward Ellice Unopposed
Registered electors 1,847
Liberal hold

Elections in the 1870s

General election 1874: St Andrews Burghs
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Edward Ellice Unopposed
Registered electors 2,108
Liberal hold

Elections in the 1880s

General election 1880: St Andrews Burghs
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Stephen Williamson 1,258 58.5 N/A
Liberal James Lindsay Bennet 892 41.5 N/A
Majority 366 17.0 N/A
Turnout 2,150 84.6 N/A
Registered electors 2,542
Liberal hold Swing N/A
General election 1885: St Andrews Burghs
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Independent Liberal Robert Anstruther 1,257 50.0 New
Liberal Stephen Williamson 1,255 50.0 −8.5
Majority 2 0.0 N/A
Turnout 2,512 88.5 +0.9
Registered electors 2,837
Independent Liberal gain from Liberal Swing N/A

The original count put the two 1885 candidates at 1,256 votes and, as the returning officer was not a constituent, he was unable to cast the deciding vote and declared both elected. After scrutiny, Anstruther gained two additional votes and lost one, while Williamson lost one also.

Brassey
General election 1886: St Andrews Burghs
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Unionist Henry Torrens Anstruther 1,132 61.3 New
Liberal Thomas Brassey 716 38.7 −11.3
Majority 416 22.6 N/A
Turnout 1,848 65.1 −23.4
Registered electors 2,837
Liberal Unionist gain from Independent Liberal Swing N/A

Elections in the 1890s

General election 1892: St Andrews Burghs
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Unionist Henry Torrens Anstruther 1,066 52.8 −8.5
Liberal Martin White 954 47.2 +8.5
Majority 112 5.6 −17.0
Turnout 2,020 79.6 +14.5
Registered electors 2,537
Liberal Unionist hold Swing −8.5
General election 1895: St Andrews Burghs
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Unionist Henry Torrens Anstruther 1,185 54.5 +1.7
Liberal John Paton 989 45.5 −1.7
Majority 196 9.0 +3.4
Turnout 2,174 81.1 +1.5
Registered electors 2,679
Liberal Unionist hold Swing +1.7

Elections in the 1900s

Annand
General election January 1900: St Andrews Burghs
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Unionist Henry Torrens Anstruther 1,148 51.2 −3.3
Liberal James Annand 1,094 48.8 +3.3
Majority 54 2.4 −6.6
Turnout 2,242 76.0 −5.1
Registered electors 2,951
Liberal Unionist hold Swing −3.3
1903 St Andrews Burghs by-election
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Edward Ellice 1,324 50.7 +1.9
Liberal Unionist William Anstruther-Thomson 1,288 49.3 -1.9
Majority 36 1.4 N/A
Turnout 2,612 82.6 +6.6
Registered electors 3,162
Liberal gain from Liberal Unionist Swing +1.9
General election January 1906: St Andrews Burghs
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Unionist William Anstruther-Gray 1,495 50.4 −0.8
Liberal Edward Ellice 1,472 49.6 +0.8
Majority 23 0.8 −1.6
Turnout 2,967 91.4 +15.4
Registered electors 3,247
Liberal Unionist hold Swing −0.8

Elections in the 1910s

Duncan Millar
General election January 1910: St Andrews Burghs
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal James Duncan Millar 1,507 50.6 +1.0
Liberal Unionist William Anstruther-Gray 1,469 49.4 −1.0
Majority 38 1.2 N/A
Turnout 2,976 92.8 +1.4
Registered electors 3,206
Liberal gain from Liberal Unionist Swing +1.0
General election December 1910: St Andrews Burghs
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Unionist William Anstruther-Gray 1,675 50.7 +1.3
Liberal James Duncan Millar 1,626 49.3 −1.3
Majority 49 1.4 N/A
Turnout 3,301 94.8 +2.0
Registered electors 3,481
Liberal Unionist gain from Liberal Swing +1.3

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;