Caithness — UK General Election Results
Caithness was won by Liberal at the Dec 1910 general election, with a majority of 2,631 votes over Independent Conservative. This page covers every general election in Caithness from 1832 to Dec 1910.
Full Election History, 1832–Dec 1910
| Election | Elected | Votes | Vote Share | Runner-up | Majority | Turnout |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1832 | George Sinclair (Whig) | Elected unopposed — no other candidate stood, no vote count on record | 0.0% | |||
| 1835 | George Sinclair (Whig) | Elected unopposed — no other candidate stood, no vote count on record | 0.0% | |||
| 1837 | George Sinclair (Conservative) | 129 | 54.9% | George Traill (Whig) | 23 (9.8 pts) | 70.6% |
| 1841 | George Traill (Whig) | Elected unopposed — no other candidate stood, no vote count on record | 0.0% | |||
| 1847 | George Traill (Whig) | Elected unopposed — no other candidate stood, no vote count on record | 0.0% | |||
| 1852 | George Traill (Whig) | 147 | 58.1% | John George Tollemache Sinclair (Independent Liberal) | 41 (16.2 pts) | 39.4% |
| 1857 | George Traill (Whig) | Elected unopposed — no other candidate stood, no vote count on record | 0.0% | |||
| 1859 | George Traill (Liberal) | Elected unopposed — no other candidate stood, no vote count on record | 0.0% | |||
| 1865 | George Traill (Liberal) | Elected unopposed — no other candidate stood, no vote count on record | 0.0% | |||
| 1868 | George Traill (Liberal) | 512 | 68.4% | James Horne (Conservative) | 275 (36.7 pts) | 74.5% |
| 1874 | John Sinclair (Liberal) | 452 | 50.7% | William Kidston (Conservative) | 13 (1.5 pts) | 79.1% |
| 1880 | John Sinclair (Liberal) | 696 | 65.4% | Alexander Henderson (Conservative) | 327 (30.7 pts) | 84.3% |
| 1885 | Gavin Brown Clark (Independent Liberal and Crofters) | 2,110 | 63.4% | Clarence Granville Sinclair (Liberal) | 892 (26.8 pts) | 77.0% |
| 1886 | Gavin Brown Clark (Liberal and Crofters) | 2,034 | 77.7% | Robert Niven (Liberal Unionist) | 1,450 (55.4 pts) | 60.6% |
| 1892 | Gavin Brown Clark (Liberal and Crofters) | 2,134 | 75.5% | William James Bell (Liberal Unionist) | 1,441 (51.0 pts) | 71.8% |
| 1895 | Gavin Brown Clark (Liberal and Crofters) | 1,828 | 77.6% | John Cowper (Liberal Unionist) | 1,300 (55.2 pts) | 59.3% |
| 1900 | Robert Leicester Harmsworth (Liberal) | 1,189 | 37.6% | David Patrick Henderson (Conservative) | 28 (0.9 pts) | 78.3% |
| 1906 | Robert Leicester Harmsworth (Liberal) | 2,686 | 84.8% | Keith Alexander Fraser (Conservative) | 2,203 (69.5 pts) | 77.5% |
| Jan 1910 | Robert Leicester Harmsworth (Liberal) | 2,643 | 81.8% | Laurence Hugh Strain (Conservative) | 2,053 (63.5 pts) | 82.0% |
| Dec 1910 | Robert Leicester Harmsworth (Liberal) | 2,718 | 96.9% | Archibald Macleod (Independent Conservative) | 2,631 (93.8 pts) | 66.8% |
Full Result Breakdown by Election
1832
| Candidate | Party | Votes | Share | Elected |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| George Sinclair | Whig | Unopposed | Yes | |
1835
| Candidate | Party | Votes | Share | Elected |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| George Sinclair | Whig | Unopposed | Yes | |
1837
| Candidate | Party | Votes | Share | Elected |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| George Sinclair | Conservative | 129 | 54.9% | Yes |
| George Traill | Whig | 106 | 45.1% | No |
1841
| Candidate | Party | Votes | Share | Elected |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| George Traill | Whig | Unopposed | Yes | |
1847
| Candidate | Party | Votes | Share | Elected |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| George Traill | Whig | Unopposed | Yes | |
1852
| Candidate | Party | Votes | Share | Elected |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| George Traill | Whig | 147 | 58.1% | Yes |
| John George Tollemache Sinclair | Independent Liberal | 106 | 41.9% | No |
1857
| Candidate | Party | Votes | Share | Elected |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| George Traill | Whig | Unopposed | Yes | |
1859
| Candidate | Party | Votes | Share | Elected |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| George Traill | Liberal | Unopposed | Yes | |
1865
| Candidate | Party | Votes | Share | Elected |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| George Traill | Liberal | Unopposed | Yes | |
1868
| Candidate | Party | Votes | Share | Elected |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| George Traill | Liberal | 512 | 68.4% | Yes |
| James Horne | Conservative | 237 | 31.6% | No |
1874
| Candidate | Party | Votes | Share | Elected |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| John Sinclair | Liberal | 452 | 50.7% | Yes |
| William Kidston | Conservative | 439 | 49.3% | No |
1880
| Candidate | Party | Votes | Share | Elected |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| John Sinclair | Liberal | 696 | 65.4% | Yes |
| Alexander Henderson | Conservative | 369 | 34.6% | No |
1885
| Candidate | Party | Votes | Share | Elected |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gavin Brown Clark | Independent Liberal and Crofters | 2,110 | 63.4% | Yes |
| Clarence Granville Sinclair | Liberal | 1,218 | 36.6% | No |
1886
| Candidate | Party | Votes | Share | Elected |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gavin Brown Clark | Liberal and Crofters | 2,034 | 77.7% | Yes |
| Robert Niven | Liberal Unionist | 584 | 22.3% | No |
1892
| Candidate | Party | Votes | Share | Elected |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gavin Brown Clark | Liberal and Crofters | 2,134 | 75.5% | Yes |
| William James Bell | Liberal Unionist | 693 | 24.5% | No |
1895
| Candidate | Party | Votes | Share | Elected |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gavin Brown Clark | Liberal and Crofters | 1,828 | 77.6% | Yes |
| John Cowper | Liberal Unionist | 528 | 22.4% | No |
1900
| Candidate | Party | Votes | Share | Elected |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Robert Leicester Harmsworth | Liberal | 1,189 | 37.6% | Yes |
| David Patrick Henderson | Conservative | 1,161 | 36.7% | No |
| Gavin Brown Clark | Crofters | 673 | 21.3% | No |
| Finlay Cook Auld | Land Law Reform Association of Caithness | 141 | 4.5% | No |
1906
| Candidate | Party | Votes | Share | Elected |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Robert Leicester Harmsworth | Liberal | 2,686 | 84.8% | Yes |
| Keith Alexander Fraser | Conservative | 483 | 15.2% | No |
Jan 1910
| Candidate | Party | Votes | Share | Elected |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Robert Leicester Harmsworth | Liberal | 2,643 | 81.8% | Yes |
| Laurence Hugh Strain | Conservative | 590 | 18.2% | No |
Dec 1910
| Candidate | Party | Votes | Share | Elected |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Robert Leicester Harmsworth | Liberal | 2,718 | 96.9% | Yes |
| Archibald Macleod | Independent Conservative | 87 | 3.1% | No |
Margin Over Time
Winning margin (percentage points) at each election, coloured by the winning party.
Trend
Caithness has been contested at 20 general elections on record since 1832. Parties that have won a seat here over that span: Whig, Conservative, Liberal, Independent Liberal and Crofters, Liberal and Crofters.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who won Caithness in the Dec 1910 general election?
Liberal won Caithness in Dec 1910 with 2,718 votes (96.9%), a majority of 2,631 votes over Independent Conservative in second place.
Which parties have won Caithness since 1832?
Since 1832, Caithness has been won by: Conservative, Independent Liberal and Crofters, Liberal, Liberal and Crofters, Whig.
What was the closest result in Caithness?
The closest result on record for Caithness was 1900, when Liberal beat Conservative by just 28 votes (0.9 percentage points).