Edinburgh and St Andrews Universities (UK Parliament constituency)
# Edinburgh and St Andrews Universities (UK Parliament constituency)

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 graduates from the University of Edinburgh and the University of St Andrews.

## Members of Parliament

| Election | Election | Member | Party |
| - | - | - | - |
| | 1868 | Lyon Playfair, later Baron Playfair | Liberal |
| | 1885 | John Macdonald | Conservative |
| | 1888 by-election | Moir Tod Stormonth Darling | Conservative |
| | 1890 by-election | Sir Charles Pearson | Conservative |
| | 1896 by-election | Sir William Overend Priestley | Conservative |
| | 1900 by-election | Sir John Batty Tuke | Conservative |
| | Jan. 1910 | Sir Robert Finlay, later Viscount Finlay | Liberal Unionist |
| | 1912 | Sir Robert Finlay, later Viscount Finlay | Unionist |
| | 1916 by-election | Christopher Nicholson Johnston | Unionist |
| | 1917 by-election | Sir Watson Cheyne | Unionist |
| 1918 | 1918 | constituency abolished: see Combined Scottish Universities | constituency abolished: see Combined Scottish Universities |

## Election results

### Elections in the 1910s

By-election, 1917: Edinburgh & St Andrews Universities :

| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| - | - | - | - | - | - |
| | Unionist | Watson Cheyne | Unopposed | Unopposed | Unopposed |
| | Unionist hold | Unionist hold | Unionist hold | Unionist hold | Unionist hold |

By-election, 1916: Edinburgh & St Andrews Universities :

| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| - | - | - | - | - | - |
| | Unionist | Christopher Nicholson Johnston | Unopposed | Unopposed | Unopposed |
| | Unionist hold | Unionist hold | Unionist hold | Unionist hold | Unionist hold |

General election December 1910: Edinburgh & St Andrews Universities :

| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| - | - | - | - | - | - |
| | Liberal Unionist | Robert Finlay | Unopposed | Unopposed | Unopposed |
| | Liberal Unionist hold | Liberal Unionist hold | Liberal Unionist hold | Liberal Unionist hold | Liberal Unionist hold |

General election January 1910: Edinburgh & St Andrews Universities :

| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| - | - | - | - | - | - |
| | Liberal Unionist | Robert Finlay | 5,205 | 65.9 | −2.0 |
| | Liberal | Alexander Russell Simpson | 2,693 | 34.1 | New |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 2,512 | 31.8 | −4.0 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 7,898 | 69.8 | +5.1 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 11,319 | | |
| | Liberal Unionist hold | Liberal Unionist hold | Swing | N/A | |

### Elections in the 1900s

General election 1906: Edinburgh & St Andrews Universities :

| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| - | - | - | - | - | - |
| | Conservative | John Batty Tuke | 4,893 | 67.9 | N/A |
| | Free Trader | John Strachey | 2,310 | 32.1 | New |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 2,583 | 35.8 | N/A |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 7,203 | 64.7 | N/A |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 11,131 | | |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | N/A | |

General election 1900: Edinburgh & St Andrews Universities :

| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| - | - | - | - | - | - |
| | Conservative | John Batty Tuke | Unopposed | Unopposed | Unopposed |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Conservative hold |

By-election, 1900: Edinburgh & St Andrews Universities :

| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| - | - | - | - | - | - |
| | Conservative | John Batty Tuke | Unopposed | Unopposed | Unopposed |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Conservative hold |

### Elections in the 1890s

By-election, 1896: Edinburgh and St Andrews Universities :

| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| - | - | - | - | - | - |
| | Conservative | William Priestley | Unopposed | Unopposed | Unopposed |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Conservative hold |

* Pearson was raised to the Bench, as a Senator of the College of Justice.

General election 1895: Edinburgh and St Andrews Universities :

| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| - | - | - | - | - | - |
| | Conservative | Charles Pearson | Unopposed | Unopposed | Unopposed |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Conservative hold |

General election 1892: Edinburgh and St Andrews Universities :

| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| - | - | - | - | - | - |
| | Conservative | Charles Pearson | Unopposed | Unopposed | Unopposed |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Conservative hold |

By-election, 1890: Edinburgh and St Andrews Universities :

| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| - | - | - | - | - | - |
| | Conservative | Charles Pearson | Unopposed | Unopposed | Unopposed |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Conservative hold |

* Stormonth-Darling was raised to the Bench, as a Senator of the College of Justice.

### Elections in the 1880s

By-election, 6 Nov 1888: Edinburgh & St Andrews Universities :

| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| - | - | - | - | - | - |
| | Conservative | Moir Tod Stormont Darling | Unopposed | Unopposed | Unopposed |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Conservative hold |

* Caused by Macdonald's appointment as Lord Justice Clerk, becoming Lord Kingsburgh.

By-election, 13 Aug 1886: Edinburgh & St Andrews Universities :

| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| - | - | - | - | - | - |
| | Conservative | John Macdonald | Unopposed | Unopposed | Unopposed |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Conservative hold |

* Caused by Macdonald being appointed Lord Advocate.

General election 1886: Edinburgh & St Andrews Universities :

| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| - | - | - | - | - | - |
| | Conservative | John Macdonald | Unopposed | Unopposed | Unopposed |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Conservative hold |

General election 1885: Edinburgh & St Andrews Universities :

| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| - | - | - | - | - | - |
| | Conservative | John Macdonald | 2,840 | 53.7 | +4.4 |
| | Liberal | John Eric Erichsen | 2,453 | 46.3 | −4.4 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 387 | 7.4 | N/A |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 5,293 | 77.2 | −6.1 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 6,860 | | |
| | Conservative gain from Liberal | Conservative gain from Liberal | Swing | +4.4 | |

General election 1880: Edinburgh & St Andrews Universities :

| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| - | - | - | - | - | - |
| | Liberal | Lyon Playfair | 2,522 | 50.7 | N/A |
| | Conservative | Edward Robert Bickersteth | 2,448 | 49.3 | New |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 74 | 1.4 | N/A |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 4,970 | 83.3 | N/A |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 5,966 | | |
| | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | 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 Playfair's ballot papers had not been counted "Owing to certain information".

### Elections in the 1870s

General election 1874: Edinburgh & St Andrews Universities :

| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| - | - | - | - | - | - |
| | Liberal | Lyon Playfair | Unopposed | Unopposed | Unopposed |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 4,861 | | |
| | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Liberal hold |

By-election, 4 Dec 1873: Edinburgh & St Andrews Universities :

| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| - | - | - | - | - | - |
| | Liberal | Lyon Playfair | Unopposed | Unopposed | Unopposed |
| | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Liberal hold |

* Caused by Playfair's appointment as Postmaster General of the United Kingdom.

### Elections in the 1860s

General election 1868: Edinburgh & St Andrews Universities :

| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| - | - | - | - | - | - |
| | Liberal | Lyon Playfair | 2,322 | 52.9 | |
| | Conservative | Archibald Campbell Swinton | 2,067 | 47.1 | |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 255 | 5.8 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 4,389 | 89.9 | |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 4,880 | | |
| | Liberal win (new seat) | Liberal win (new seat) | Liberal win (new seat) | Liberal win (new seat) | Liberal win (new seat) |
