Edinburghshire (Parliament of Scotland constituency)

Before the Acts of Union 1707, the barons of the sheriffdom of Edinburgh (also called "Edinburgh principal" to distinguish it from "Edinburgh within the constabulary of Haddington", and now known as Midlothian) elected commissioners to represent them in the Parliament of Scotland and in the Convention of the Estates. The number of commissioners was increased from two to four in 1690.

After the Union, Edinburghshire returned one Member of Parliament to the House of Commons of Great Britain and later to the House of Commons of the United Kingdom.

List of shire commissioners 1594: James Foulis of ColintonFoster, p. 143. Parliament or ConventionCommissionersParliament12–13 October 1612Return of Members of Parliament, p. 549.Sir James Foulis of ColintonSir James Dundas of ArnistonFoster, p. 112.Convention7 March 1617Return of MPs, p. 550.Sir George Ramsay of DalhousieFoster, p. 292.James Richardson of SmetonFoster, p. 295.Parliament27 May–28 June 1617Return of MPs, p. 551.Convention25–26 January 1621Return of MPs, p. 553.noneParliament1 June–4 August 1621Sir Alexander Lauder of HaltounRPS, 1621/6/7. Accessed 8 September 2014.David Crichton of LugtonFoster, p. 82.Convention27 October–2 November 1625Return of MPs, p. 554.Sir George Forrester of CorstorphineFoster, p. 141.Sir James Dundas of ArnistonParliament15 September 1628 – 28 June 1633Return of MPs, p. 555.Patrick Hamilton of Little PrestonFoster, p. 172.Convention28 July–7 August 1630Return of MPs, p. 557.Sir James Makgill of Cranstoun RiddellFoster, p. 226.James Richardson of SmetonParliament15 May 1639 – 17 November 1641Return of MPs, p. 558.Sir David Crichton of LugtonSir John Wauchope of NiddrieFoster, p. 352.Convention22 June 1643 – 3 June 1644Return of MPs, p. 562.Sir Archibald Johnston of WarristonFoster, p. 196.George Winram of LibertonFoster, p. 359.Sir Patrick Hamilton of Preston (from 10 April 1644)Sir John Wauchope of Niddrie (from 10 April 1644)Parliament4 June 1644 – 27 March 1647Return of MPs, p. 564.Sir Archibald Johnston of WarristonSir Patrick Hamilton of PrestonGeorge Winram of Liberton (from 7 January 1645)Sir James Foulis of Colinton (from 26 November 1645)Parliament2 March 1648 – 6 June 1651Return of MPs, p. 570.Sir James Foulis of ColintonRPS, 1648/3/2. Accessed 7 September 2014.Sir James Dundas of ArnistonFoster, p. 113.Sir Archibald Johnston of Warriston (from 4 January 1649)RPS, 1649/1/12. Accessed 7 September 2014.George Winram of Liberton (from 4 January 1649)Sir John Wauchope of NiddrieSir James Foulis of Colinton (from 1651)Sir John Wauchope of NiddrieSir William Scott of Clerkington (from 1651)Foster, p. 308.During the Commonwealth of England, Scotland and Ireland, the sheriffdom of Midlothian was represented by one Member of Parliament in the Protectorate Parliament at Westminster.Parliament3 September 1654 – 22 January 1655George SmithFoster, p. 318.Parliament17 September 1656 – 4 February 1658Samuel DesboroughFoster, p. 96.Parliament27 January–22 April 1659After the Restoration, the Parliament of Scotland was again summoned to meet in Edinburgh.Parliament1 January 1661 – 9 October 1663Return of MPs, p. 574.Sir James Foulis of ColintonSir John Gilmour of CraigmillarConvention2–4 August 1665Return of MPs, p. 575.Sir John Gilmour of CraigmillarSir James Foulis of ColintonConvention9–23 January 1667Return of MPs, p. 577.Parliament19 October 1669 – 3 March 1674Return of MPs, p. 579.Charles Maitland of HaltounFoster, p. 238.New commission 16 January 1672, to replace Gilmour (deceased) and Maitland (appointed Treasurer-Depute)Sir James Foulis of ColintonSir John Nicolson of that IlkFoster, p. 274.Convention26 June–11 July 1678Return of MPs, p. 582.Richard Maitland of GogarRPS, 1678/6/3. Accessed 8 September 2014.Foster, p. 240.Parliament28 July 1681 – 1 March 1682Return of MPs, p. 584.Sir John Couper of GogarFoster, p. 79.Parliament23 April 1685 – 15 June 1686Return of MPs, p. 586.Sir James Foulis of Redford, later of ColintonSir John Maitland of RavelrigFoster, pp. 209 and 239.Convention14 March–24 May 1689Return of MPs, p. 589.Parliament5 June 1689 – 30 June 1702Return of MPs, p. 591.By Act of Parliament 14 June 1690, the shire of Edinburgh was allocated two additional Commissioners.Sir James Foulis of Colinton (seat declared vacant 25 April 1693)Sir John Maitland of Ravelrig, later (1693) Lauder of Haltoun (succeeded as Earl of Lauderdale in 1695)Sir Alexander Gilmour of CraigmillarFoster, p. 148.Sir John Clerk of PennycuikFoster, p. 70.Robert Craig of RiccartonFoster, p. 80.Archibald Primrose of Dalmeny (created Viscount of Rosebery in 1700)Foster, p. 286.Robert Dundas of ArnistonParliament12 November 1702 – 25 March 1707Return of MPs, p. 599.Robert Dundas of ArnistonSir James Primrose of Carrington (created Viscount of Primrose in 1703)Foster, p. 287.Sir Robert Dickson of InvereskFoster, p. 97.George Lockhart of CarnwathFoster, p. 217.Sir James Foulis of Colinton

Sources Return of Members of Parliament (1878), Part II. Joseph Foster, Members of Parliament, Scotland (1882). The Records of the Parliaments of Scotland.

References

See also List of constituencies in the Parliament of Scotland at the time of the Union