Aberdeen (UK Parliament constituency)

For the 1708–1832 constituency, see Aberdeen Burghs (UK Parliament constituency).

For other uses of "Aberdeen", see Aberdeen (disambiguation).

Aberdeen was a burgh constituency of the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom from 1832 until 1885. It was represented by one Member of Parliament (MP), elected by the first past the post voting system.

Aberdeen
Former burgh constituency for the House of Commons
Subdivisions of Scotland	Aberdeenshire
Major settlements	Aberdeen
1832–1885
Seats	One
Created from	Aberdeen Burghs
Replaced by	Aberdeen North Aberdeen South

Boundaries

As created in 1832, the constituency covered the burgh of Aberdeen, which was previously within the Aberdeen Burghs constituency. Together with Aberdeenshire, Aberdeen was one of two constituencies covering the county of Aberdeen.

The boundaries of the constituency, as set out in the 1832 Act, were-

"From the Point, on the North-west of the Town, at which the Scatter Burn joins the River Don, down the River Don to the Point at which the same joins the Sea; thence along the Sea Shore to the Point at which the River Dee joins the Sea; thence up the River Dee to a Point which is distant One hundred Yards (measured along the River Dee) above the Bridge of Dee; thence in a straight Line to the Point at which the March between the Parishes of Old Machar and Banchory Davenick crosses the Old-Dee-side Road; thence, Northward, along the March between the Parishes of Old Machar and Banchory Davenick, and Old Machar and Newhills, to the Point first described."^[1]

In 1885, the Aberdeen constituency was divided between Aberdeen North and Aberdeen South.

Members of Parliament

Election		Member	Party
	1832	Alexander Bannerman	Whig[2][3]
	1847	Alexander Fordyce	Whig[4][5]
	1852	George Thompson	Radical[6][7]
	1857	William Henry Sykes	Whig[4][8]
	1859		Liberal
	1872 by-election	John Farley Leith	Liberal
	1880	John Webster	Liberal
	1885	Redistribution of Seats Act: constituency abolished

Election results

Elections in the 1880s

General election 1880: Aberdeen ^[9][10]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Liberal	John Webster	7,505	70.5	+11.6
	Conservative	James Shaw[11]	3,139	29.5	−11.6
Majority			4,366	41.0	+23.2
Turnout			10,644	75.0	+29.5
Registered electors			14,184
	Liberal hold		Swing	+11.6

Elections in the 1870s

General election 1874: Aberdeen^[10]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Liberal	John Farley Leith	3,910	58.9	N/A
	Conservative	James Shaw[12]	2,724	41.1	N/A
Majority			1,186	17.8	N/A
Turnout			6,634	45.5	N/A
Registered electors			14,585
	Liberal hold

By-election, 29 June 1872: Aberdeen^[10]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Liberal	John Farley Leith	4,392	57.0	N/A
	Liberal	James William Barclay	2,615	33.9	N/A
	Conservative	James Shaw[12]	704	9.1	New
Majority			1,777	23.1	N/A
Turnout			7,711	55.1	N/A
Registered electors			13,996
	Liberal hold

• Caused by Sykes' death.

Elections in the 1860s

General election 1868: Aberdeen^[13][10]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Liberal	William Henry Sykes	Unopposed
Registered electors			8,312
	Liberal hold

General election 1865: Aberdeen^[10]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Liberal	William Henry Sykes	Unopposed
Registered electors			3,996
	Liberal hold

Elections in the 1850s

General election 1859: Aberdeen^[10]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Liberal	William Henry Sykes	Unopposed
Registered electors			3,442
	Liberal hold

General election 1857: Aberdeen^[10]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Whig	William Henry Sykes	1,035	54.9	N/A
	Whig	John Farley Leith[14]	849	45.1	N/A
Majority			186	9.8	N/A
Turnout			1,884	80.3	+54.8
Registered electors			2,346
	Whig gain from Radical		Swing	N/A

General election 1852: Aberdeen^[10]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Radical	George Thompson	682	58.8	N/A
	Whig	Andrew Leith Hay[2]	478	41.2	N/A
Majority			204	17.6	N/A
Turnout			1,160	25.5	−14.3
Registered electors			4,547
	Radical gain from Whig		Swing	N/A

Elections in the 1840s

General election 1847: Aberdeen^[10]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Whig	Alexander Fordyce	918	68.5	N/A
	Whig	William Henry Sykes	422	31.5	N/A
Majority			496	37.0	+16.8
Turnout			1,340	39.8	−20.6
Registered electors			3,364
	Whig hold		Swing	N/A

General election 1841: Aberdeen^[10]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Whig	Alexander Bannerman	780	59.0	N/A
	Conservative	William Innes	513	38.8	New
	Chartist	Robert Lowery[15]	30	2.3	New
Majority			267	20.2	N/A
Turnout			1,323	60.4	N/A
Registered electors			2,189
	Whig hold		Swing	N/A

Elections in the 1830s

General election 1837: Aberdeen^[10][16]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Whig	Alexander Bannerman	Unopposed
Registered electors			2,110
	Whig hold

General election 1835: Aberdeen^[10][16]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Whig	Alexander Bannerman	938	71.6
	Conservative	Arthur Farquhar	372	28.4
Majority			566	43.2
Turnout			1,310	62.4
Registered electors			2,098
	Whig hold

General election 1832: Aberdeen^[10][16]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Whig	Alexander Bannerman	Unopposed
Registered electors			2,024
	Whig win (new seat)