Compiled by EveryElectionResult.com's data team · Last updated 2026-08-30
Dumfries Boroughs was won by Liberal at the 1880 general election, with a majority of 828 votes over Conservative. This page covers every general election in Dumfries Boroughs from 1832 to 1880.
Full Election History, 1832–1880
Election
Elected
Votes
Vote Share
Runner-up
Majority
Turnout
1832
Matthew Sharpe (Whig)
488
56.9%
David Hannay (Whig)
118 (13.8 pts)
88.7%
1835
Matthew Sharpe (Whig)
422
53.3%
David Hannay (Whig)
52 (6.6 pts)
79.3%
1837
Matthew Sharpe (Whig)
Elected unopposed — no other candidate stood, no vote count on record
0.0%
1841
William Ewart (Radical)
402
54.0%
Alexander Johnston (Whig)
60 (8.1 pts)
76.2%
1847
William Ewart (Radical)
Elected unopposed — no other candidate stood, no vote count on record
0.0%
1852
William Ewart (Radical)
Elected unopposed — no other candidate stood, no vote count on record
0.0%
1857
William Ewart (Radical)
506
73.2%
James Hannay (Conservative)
321 (46.5 pts)
78.3%
1859
William Ewart (Liberal)
432
51.7%
George Gustavus Walker (Conservative)
29 (3.5 pts)
86.4%
1865
William Ewart (Liberal)
540
58.4%
John Clark Kennedy (Independent Liberal)
156 (16.9 pts)
82.2%
1868
Robert Jardine (Liberal)
1,125
51.0%
Ernest Noel (Independent Liberal)
42 (1.9 pts)
93.8%
1874
Ernest Noel (Liberal)
1,420
55.9%
Morden Carthew Yorstoun (Conservative)
298 (11.7 pts)
89.7%
1880
Ernest Noel (Liberal)
1,700
64.7%
William Gordon (Conservative)
828 (31.5 pts)
89.6%
Full Result Breakdown by Election
1832
Candidate
Party
Votes
Share
Elected
Matthew Sharpe
Whig
488
56.9%
Yes
David Hannay
Whig
370
43.1%
No
1835
Candidate
Party
Votes
Share
Elected
Matthew Sharpe
Whig
422
53.3%
Yes
David Hannay
Whig
370
46.7%
No
1837
Candidate
Party
Votes
Share
Elected
Matthew Sharpe
Whig
Unopposed
Yes
1841
Candidate
Party
Votes
Share
Elected
William Ewart
Radical
402
54.0%
Yes
Alexander Johnston
Whig
342
46.0%
No
1847
Candidate
Party
Votes
Share
Elected
William Ewart
Radical
Unopposed
Yes
1852
Candidate
Party
Votes
Share
Elected
William Ewart
Radical
Unopposed
Yes
1857
Candidate
Party
Votes
Share
Elected
William Ewart
Radical
506
73.2%
Yes
James Hannay
Conservative
185
26.8%
No
1859
Candidate
Party
Votes
Share
Elected
William Ewart
Liberal
432
51.7%
Yes
George Gustavus Walker
Conservative
403
48.3%
No
1865
Candidate
Party
Votes
Share
Elected
William Ewart
Liberal
540
58.4%
Yes
John Clark Kennedy
Independent Liberal
384
41.6%
No
1868
Candidate
Party
Votes
Share
Elected
Robert Jardine
Liberal
1,125
51.0%
Yes
Ernest Noel
Independent Liberal
1,083
49.0%
No
1874
Candidate
Party
Votes
Share
Elected
Ernest Noel
Liberal
1,420
55.9%
Yes
Morden Carthew Yorstoun
Conservative
1,122
44.1%
No
1880
Candidate
Party
Votes
Share
Elected
Ernest Noel
Liberal
1,700
64.7%
Yes
William Gordon
Conservative
872
33.2%
No
Theodore Edgar Dickson Byrne
Independent Conservative
54
2.1%
No
Margin Over Time
Winning margin (percentage points) at each election, coloured by the winning party.
Trend
Dumfries Boroughs 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 Dumfries Boroughs in the 1880 general election?
Liberal won Dumfries Boroughs in 1880 with 1,700 votes (64.7%), a majority of 828 votes over Conservative in second place.
Which parties have won Dumfries Boroughs since 1832?
Since 1832, Dumfries Boroughs has been won by: Liberal, Radical, Whig.
What was the closest result in Dumfries Boroughs?
The closest result on record for Dumfries Boroughs was 1868, when Liberal beat Independent Liberal by just 42 votes (1.9 percentage points).