Compiled by EveryElectionResult.com's data team · Last updated 2026-08-30
Renfrewshire was won by Liberal at the 1880 general election, with a majority of 474 votes over Conservative. This page covers every general election in Renfrewshire from 1832 to 1880.
Full Election History, 1832–1880
Election
Elected
Votes
Vote Share
Runner-up
Majority
Turnout
1832
Michael Shaw-Stewart (Whig)
700
62.9%
Robert Cunninghame Bontine (Radical)
288 (25.9 pts)
82.6%
1835
Michael Shaw-Stewart (Whig)
528
43.3%
George Houstoun (Conservative)
68 (5.6 pts)
82.3%
1837
George Houstoun (Conservative)
821
53.8%
Houston Stewart (Whig)
117 (7.7 pts)
77.1%
1841
Patrick Maxwell Stewart (Whig)
959
50.4%
William Mure (Conservative)
14 (0.7 pts)
83.2%
1847
William Mure (Conservative)
Elected unopposed — no other candidate stood, no vote count on record
0.0%
1852
William Mure (Conservative)
Elected unopposed — no other candidate stood, no vote count on record
0.0%
1857
Michael Robert Shaw-Stewart (Conservative)
Elected unopposed — no other candidate stood, no vote count on record
0.0%
1859
Michael Robert Shaw-Stewart (Conservative)
Elected unopposed — no other candidate stood, no vote count on record
0.0%
1865
Archibald Alexander Speirs (Liberal)
938
52.9%
Michael Robert Shaw-Stewart (Conservative)
102 (5.8 pts)
77.9%
1868
Archibald Alexander Speirs (Liberal)
Elected unopposed — no other candidate stood, no vote count on record
0.0%
1874
William Mure (Liberal)
1,991
51.1%
Archibald Campbell (Conservative)
88 (2.3 pts)
85.2%
1880
William Mure (Liberal)
2,815
54.6%
Archibald Campbell (Conservative)
474 (9.2 pts)
85.4%
Full Result Breakdown by Election
1832
Candidate
Party
Votes
Share
Elected
Michael Shaw-Stewart
Whig
700
62.9%
Yes
Robert Cunninghame Bontine
Radical
412
37.1%
No
1835
Candidate
Party
Votes
Share
Elected
Michael Shaw-Stewart
Whig
528
43.3%
Yes
George Houstoun
Conservative
460
37.8%
No
William Dixon
Radical
230
18.9%
No
1837
Candidate
Party
Votes
Share
Elected
George Houstoun
Conservative
821
53.8%
Yes
Houston Stewart
Whig
704
46.2%
No
1841
Candidate
Party
Votes
Share
Elected
Patrick Maxwell Stewart
Whig
959
50.4%
Yes
William Mure
Conservative
945
49.6%
No
1847
Candidate
Party
Votes
Share
Elected
William Mure
Conservative
Unopposed
Yes
1852
Candidate
Party
Votes
Share
Elected
William Mure
Conservative
Unopposed
Yes
1857
Candidate
Party
Votes
Share
Elected
Michael Robert Shaw-Stewart
Conservative
Unopposed
Yes
1859
Candidate
Party
Votes
Share
Elected
Michael Robert Shaw-Stewart
Conservative
Unopposed
Yes
1865
Candidate
Party
Votes
Share
Elected
Archibald Alexander Speirs
Liberal
938
52.9%
Yes
Michael Robert Shaw-Stewart
Conservative
836
47.1%
No
1868
Candidate
Party
Votes
Share
Elected
Archibald Alexander Speirs
Liberal
Unopposed
Yes
1874
Candidate
Party
Votes
Share
Elected
William Mure
Liberal
1,991
51.1%
Yes
Archibald Campbell
Conservative
1,903
48.9%
No
1880
Candidate
Party
Votes
Share
Elected
William Mure
Liberal
2,815
54.6%
Yes
Archibald Campbell
Conservative
2,341
45.4%
No
Margin Over Time
Winning margin (percentage points) at each election, coloured by the winning party.
Trend
Renfrewshire has been contested at 12 general elections on record since 1832. Parties that have won a seat here over that span: Whig, Conservative, Liberal.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who won Renfrewshire in the 1880 general election?
Liberal won Renfrewshire in 1880 with 2,815 votes (54.6%), a majority of 474 votes over Conservative in second place.
Which parties have won Renfrewshire since 1832?
Since 1832, Renfrewshire has been won by: Conservative, Liberal, Whig.
What was the closest result in Renfrewshire?
The closest result on record for Renfrewshire was 1841, when Whig beat Conservative by just 14 votes (0.7 percentage points).