Edinburgh and St Andrews Universities (UK Parliament constituency)

Edinburgh and St Andrews Universities
Former University constituency for the House of Commons
1868–1918
Number of members	One
Replaced by	Combined Scottish Universities

Edinburgh and St Andrews Universities was a university constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom from 1868 until 1918. It was merged with the Glasgow and Aberdeen Universities constituency to form the Combined Scottish Universities constituency.

Electorate

As a University constituency, the constituency had no geographical basis. Instead, its electorate consisted of the graduates of Edinburgh University and St Andrews University.

Members of Parliament

Election		Member	Party
	1868	Lyon Playfair, later Baron Playfair	Liberal
	1885	John Hay Athole Macdonald	Conservative
	1888 by-election	Moir Tod Stormonth Darling	Conservative
	1890 by-election	Sir Charles John Pearson	Conservative
	1896 by-election	Sir William Overend Priestley	Conservative
	1900	Sir John Batty Tuke	Liberal Unionist Party
	Jan. 1910	Sir Robert Bannatyne Finlay, later Viscount Finlay	Liberal Unionist
	1916 by-election	Christopher Nicholson Johnston	Conservative
	1917 by-election	Sir William Watson Cheyne	Conservative
1918		constituency abolished: see Combined Scottish Universities

Election results

At a meeting of the electors on 10 August 1917, Sir William Watson Cheyne, Professor of Clinical Surgery at King's College, London, was elected in place of Sir Christopher Nicholson Johnston KC, who has been appointed to judicial office.^[1]

On 29 December 1916 Mr Christopher Johnston KC was returned unopposed in place of Lord Finlay.^[2]

General Election Dec 1910: Edinburgh & St Andrews Universities ^[3]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±
	Conservative	Rt Hon Sir Robert Bannatyne Finlay GCMG	unopposed

General Election Jan 1910: Edinburgh & St Andrews Universities ^[4]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±
	Conservative	Rt Hon Sir Robert Bannatyne Finlay GCMG	5,205
	Liberal	Sir Alexander Russell Simpson MD LLD DSc	2,693

General Election 1906: Edinburgh & St Andrews Universities ^[5]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±
	Liberal Unionist	Sir John Batty Tuke MD	4,893
	Independent	John St Loe Strachey	2,310

At the General Election 1900 Sir John Batty Tuke was elected unopposed.^[6]

In April 1900 Sir William Priestley died. At a by-election on 3 May 1900, Sir John Batty Tuke was returned unopposed.^[7]

In May 1896 Sir Charles Pearson was raised to the Bench. At a by-election on 12 May 1896, Sir William Overend Priestley MD LLD was returned unopposed.^[8]

At the General Election 1895 Sir Charles John Pearson QC was elected unopposed as the Conservative candidate.^[9]

At the General Election 1892 Sir Charles John Pearson QC was elected unopposed as the Conservative candidate.^[10]

At the November 1890 by-election Sir Charles John Pearson QC was elected unopposed as the Conservative candidate.^[11]

In October 1888 John Macdonald was appointed Lord Justice Clerk. At a by-election on 6 November 1888, Moir Tod Stormont Darling was elected unopposed as the Conservative candidate.^[12]

At the General Election 1886 John Macdonald was returned unopposed. In July 1886 he accepted office and was reelected unopposed on 13 August.^[13]

General Election 1885: Edinburgh & St Andrews Universities ^[14]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±
	Conservative	John Macdonald CB QC LLD	2,840	53.7%
	Liberal	John Eric Erichsen	2,453	46.3%

General Election 1880: Edinburgh & St Andrews Universities ^[15]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±
	Liberal	Lyon Playfair	2,254	50.3%
	Conservative	Bickersteth	2,224	49.7%
Majority			30	0.6%
Turnout
	Liberal gain from Conservative		Swing

At Edinburgh Playfair had received 1,742 votes and Bickersteth 1526, and at St Andrew's Playfair received 512 votes and Bickersteth 698. Eleven of Dr Playfair's ballot papers had not been counted ″Owing to certain information″.

References

1. The Times, 11 August 1917
2. The Times, 30 December 1916
3. Debrett's House of Commons and Judicial Bench, 1916
4. Debrett's House of Commons and Judicial Bench, 1916
5. Whitaker's Almanack, 1907
6. Debrett's House of Commons and the Judicial Bench, 1901
7. Debrett's House of Commons and the Judicial Bench, 1901
8. Debrett's House of Commons and the Judicial Bench, 1901
9. Debrett's House of Commons and the Judicial Bench, 1901
10. Whitaker's Almanack, 1893
11. The Times, 4 May 1900
12. Debrett's House of Commons and Judicial Bench, 1889
13. Debrett's House of Commons and Judicial Bench, 1889
14. Debrett's House of Commons and Judicial Bench, 1889
15. "Edinburgh And St Andrew's Universities". The Cornishman (92). 15 July 1880. p. 5.

• Leigh Rayment's Historical List of MPs – Constituencies beginning with "E" (part 1)
• Craig, F. W. S. (1989) [1977]. British parliamentary election results 1832–1885 (2nd ed.). Chichester: Parliamentary Research Services. p. 617. ISBN 0-900178-26-4.
• Craig, F. W. S. (1989) [1974]. British parliamentary election results 1885–1918 (2nd ed.). Chichester: Parliamentary Research Services. p. 571. ISBN 0-900178-27-2.