Compiled by EveryElectionResult.com's data team · Last updated 2026-08-30
Aberdeen was won by Liberal at the 1880 general election, with a majority of 4,366 votes over Conservative. This page covers every general election in Aberdeen from 1832 to 1880.
Full Election History, 1832–1880
Election
Elected
Votes
Vote Share
Runner-up
Majority
Turnout
1832
Alexander Bannerman (Whig)
Elected unopposed — no other candidate stood, no vote count on record
0.0%
1835
Alexander Bannerman (Whig)
938
71.6%
Arthur Farquhar (Conservative)
566 (43.2 pts)
62.4%
1837
Alexander Bannerman (Whig)
Elected unopposed — no other candidate stood, no vote count on record
0.0%
1841
Alexander Bannerman (Whig)
780
59.0%
William Innes (Conservative)
267 (20.2 pts)
60.4%
1847
Alexander Dingwall Fordyce (Whig)
918
68.5%
William Henry Sykes (Whig)
496 (37.0 pts)
39.8%
1852
George Thompson (Radical)
682
58.8%
Andrew Leith Hay (Whig)
204 (17.6 pts)
25.5%
1857
William Henry Sykes (Whig)
1,035
54.9%
John Farley Leith (Whig)
186 (9.9 pts)
80.3%
1859
William Henry Sykes (Liberal)
Elected unopposed — no other candidate stood, no vote count on record
0.0%
1865
William Henry Sykes (Liberal)
Elected unopposed — no other candidate stood, no vote count on record
0.0%
1868
William Henry Sykes (Liberal)
Elected unopposed — no other candidate stood, no vote count on record
0.0%
1874
John Farley Leith (Liberal)
3,910
58.9%
James Shaw (Conservative)
1,186 (17.9 pts)
45.5%
1880
John Webster (Liberal)
7,505
70.5%
James Shaw (Conservative)
4,366 (41.0 pts)
75.0%
Full Result Breakdown by Election
1832
Candidate
Party
Votes
Share
Elected
Alexander Bannerman
Whig
Unopposed
Yes
1835
Candidate
Party
Votes
Share
Elected
Alexander Bannerman
Whig
938
71.6%
Yes
Arthur Farquhar
Conservative
372
28.4%
No
1837
Candidate
Party
Votes
Share
Elected
Alexander Bannerman
Whig
Unopposed
Yes
1841
Candidate
Party
Votes
Share
Elected
Alexander Bannerman
Whig
780
59.0%
Yes
William Innes
Conservative
513
38.8%
No
Robert Lowery
Chartist
30
2.3%
No
1847
Candidate
Party
Votes
Share
Elected
Alexander Dingwall Fordyce
Whig
918
68.5%
Yes
William Henry Sykes
Whig
422
31.5%
No
1852
Candidate
Party
Votes
Share
Elected
George Thompson
Radical
682
58.8%
Yes
Andrew Leith Hay
Whig
478
41.2%
No
1857
Candidate
Party
Votes
Share
Elected
William Henry Sykes
Whig
1,035
54.9%
Yes
John Farley Leith
Whig
849
45.1%
No
1859
Candidate
Party
Votes
Share
Elected
William Henry Sykes
Liberal
Unopposed
Yes
1865
Candidate
Party
Votes
Share
Elected
William Henry Sykes
Liberal
Unopposed
Yes
1868
Candidate
Party
Votes
Share
Elected
William Henry Sykes
Liberal
Unopposed
Yes
1874
Candidate
Party
Votes
Share
Elected
John Farley Leith
Liberal
3,910
58.9%
Yes
James Shaw
Conservative
2,724
41.1%
No
1880
Candidate
Party
Votes
Share
Elected
John Webster
Liberal
7,505
70.5%
Yes
James Shaw
Conservative
3,139
29.5%
No
Margin Over Time
Winning margin (percentage points) at each election, coloured by the winning party.
Trend
Aberdeen has been contested at 12 general elections on record since 1832. Parties that have won a seat here over that span: Whig, Radical, Liberal.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who won Aberdeen in the 1880 general election?
Liberal won Aberdeen in 1880 with 7,505 votes (70.5%), a majority of 4,366 votes over Conservative in second place.
Which parties have won Aberdeen since 1832?
Since 1832, Aberdeen has been won by: Liberal, Radical, Whig.
What was the closest result in Aberdeen?
The closest result on record for Aberdeen was 1857, when Whig beat Whig by just 186 votes (9.9 percentage points).