Compiled by EveryElectionResult.com's data team · Last updated 2026-08-30
Fife was won by Liberal at the 1880 general election, with a majority of 1,048 votes over Conservative. This page covers every general election in Fife from 1832 to 1880.
Full Election History, 1832–1880
Election
Elected
Votes
Vote Share
Runner-up
Majority
Turnout
1832
James Erskine Wemyss (Whig)
Elected unopposed — no other candidate stood, no vote count on record
0.0%
1835
James Erskine Wemyss (Whig)
1,051
64.3%
James Lindsay (Conservative)
467 (28.6 pts)
70.8%
1837
James Erskine Wemyss (Whig)
1,086
65.7%
James Bruce (Conservative)
519 (31.4 pts)
60.8%
1841
James Erskine Wemyss (Whig)
Elected unopposed — no other candidate stood, no vote count on record
0.0%
1847
John Fergus (Whig)
834
52.1%
John Balfour (Conservative)
66 (4.1 pts)
65.5%
1852
John Fergus (Whig)
Elected unopposed — no other candidate stood, no vote count on record
0.0%
1857
John Fergus (Whig)
Elected unopposed — no other candidate stood, no vote count on record
0.0%
1859
James Hay Erskine Wemyss (Liberal)
1,087
56.1%
Robert Francis St Clair-Erskine (Conservative)
237 (12.2 pts)
47.8%
1865
Robert Anstruther (Liberal)
Elected unopposed — no other candidate stood, no vote count on record
0.0%
1868
Robert Anstruther (Liberal)
1,837
62.0%
John Boyd Kinnear (Liberal)
710 (23.9 pts)
70.5%
1874
Robert Anstruther (Liberal)
1,859
60.2%
Frederick William Hamilton (Conservative)
629 (20.4 pts)
70.9%
1880
Robert Preston Bruce (Liberal)
2,421
63.8%
James Townsend Oswald (Conservative)
1,048 (27.6 pts)
79.6%
Full Result Breakdown by Election
1832
Candidate
Party
Votes
Share
Elected
James Erskine Wemyss
Whig
Unopposed
Yes
1835
Candidate
Party
Votes
Share
Elected
James Erskine Wemyss
Whig
1,051
64.3%
Yes
James Lindsay
Conservative
584
35.7%
No
1837
Candidate
Party
Votes
Share
Elected
James Erskine Wemyss
Whig
1,086
65.7%
Yes
James Bruce
Conservative
567
34.3%
No
1841
Candidate
Party
Votes
Share
Elected
James Erskine Wemyss
Whig
Unopposed
Yes
1847
Candidate
Party
Votes
Share
Elected
John Fergus
Whig
834
52.1%
Yes
John Balfour
Conservative
768
47.9%
No
1852
Candidate
Party
Votes
Share
Elected
John Fergus
Whig
Unopposed
Yes
1857
Candidate
Party
Votes
Share
Elected
John Fergus
Whig
Unopposed
Yes
1859
Candidate
Party
Votes
Share
Elected
James Hay Erskine Wemyss
Liberal
1,087
56.1%
Yes
Robert Francis St Clair-Erskine
Conservative
850
43.9%
No
1865
Candidate
Party
Votes
Share
Elected
Robert Anstruther
Liberal
Unopposed
Yes
1868
Candidate
Party
Votes
Share
Elected
Robert Anstruther
Liberal
1,837
62.0%
Yes
John Boyd Kinnear
Liberal
1,127
38.0%
No
1874
Candidate
Party
Votes
Share
Elected
Robert Anstruther
Liberal
1,859
60.2%
Yes
Frederick William Hamilton
Conservative
1,230
39.8%
No
1880
Candidate
Party
Votes
Share
Elected
Robert Preston Bruce
Liberal
2,421
63.8%
Yes
James Townsend Oswald
Conservative
1,373
36.2%
No
Margin Over Time
Winning margin (percentage points) at each election, coloured by the winning party.
Trend
Fife has been contested at 12 general elections on record since 1832. Parties that have won a seat here over that span: Whig, Liberal.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who won Fife in the 1880 general election?
Liberal won Fife in 1880 with 2,421 votes (63.8%), a majority of 1,048 votes over Conservative in second place.
Which parties have won Fife since 1832?
Since 1832, Fife has been won by: Liberal, Whig.
What was the closest result in Fife?
The closest result on record for Fife was 1847, when Whig beat Conservative by just 66 votes (4.1 percentage points).