Dysart Burghs was a district of burghs constituency of the House of Commons of Great Britain (at Westminster) from 1708 to 1801 and of the House of Commons of the United Kingdom (also at Westminster) from 1801 to 1832. It elected one Member of Parliament (MP).
The constituency consisted of the burghs of Burntisland, Dysart, Kinghorn and Kirkcaldy, all in the county of Fife. It had just four voters, the commissioners elected by the four burgh councils. The place of election rotated between the burghs and the host burgh had a casting vote if there was a tie.
For the 1832 general election, under the Representation of the People (Scotland) Act 1832, the constituency was renamed Kirkcaldy Burghs, the boundaries of the burghs for parliamentary purposes ceased to be those for other purposes, and the voting system was changed.
The first election in Dysart Burghs was in 1708. In 1707–08, members of the 1702–1707 Parliament of Scotland were co-opted to serve in the 1st Parliament of Great Britain. See Scottish representatives to the 1st Parliament of Great Britain for further details.
The most populous of the burghs was Kirkcaldy. The Oswald family became the dominant force in Kirkcaldy politics in the 18th century.
The second largest burgh was Dysart, controlled by the St. Clair interest.
Burntisland and Kinghorn were smaller. The votes from these burghs seem to have been available to the highest bidder.
The combined Oswald and St. Clair influence often decided who was to be elected, but in 1774 a rich outsider bribed his way into Parliament, to the surprise of the incumbent J.T. Oswald.
The most prominent political figure, during the time he represented the constituency, was the second James Oswald. He was seen as a reliable man of business and held a number of junior ministerial offices. At one point he was even being thought of as a possible Chancellor of the Exchequer, but being Scottish counted against Oswald. The Prime Minister, the Earl of Bute was extremely unpopular with English opinion in the early 1760s, so promoting another Scot was thought too risky.
Sir James St.Clair-Erskine (MP 1796–1805) was more important later in his career when in 1834–35, as 2nd Earl of Rosslyn, he served as Lord President of the Council.
1708 (26 May) general election (election at Dysart)
Hon. John Sinclair: Unopposed
Declared incapable of being elected, being the eldest son of Lord Sinclair
1710 (16 January) by-election (election at Dysart)
James Abercromby possibly defeated William Patterson, no vote totals available (see note below)
1710 (31 October) general election (election at Kirkcaldy)
James Oswald: Unopposed
1713 general election (election at Burntisland)
James Oswald: Unopposed
1715 (17 February) general election (election at Kinghorn)
William Kerr: Unopposed
1722 (14 April) general election (election at Dysart)
Thomas Leslie defeated James St Clair, no vote totals available. On petition St.Clair was awarded the seat.
1727 general election (election at Kirkcaldy)
James St Clair: Unopposed
1734 (20 May) general election (election at Burntisland)
Hon. Thomas Leslie defeated James St Clair, no vote totals available.
1741 (2 June) general election (election at Kinghorn)
James Oswald: Unopposed
Appointed a Commissioner of the Admiralty
1745 (January) by-election (election at Kinghorn)
James Oswald: Unopposed
1747 (23 July) general election (election at Dysart)
James St Clair: Unopposed
1754 (11 May) general election (election at Kirkcaldy)
James Oswald: Unopposed
Appointed a Commissioner of the Treasury
1760 (18 January) by-election (election at Kirkcaldy)
James Oswald: Unopposed
1761 (20 April) general election (election at Burntisland)
James Oswald: Unopposed
Appointed a Vice Treasurer of Ireland
1763 (18 May) by-election (election at Burntisland)
James Oswald: Unopposed
1768 (11 April) general election (election at Kinghorn)
James Townshend Oswald: Unopposed
Appointed Secretary for the Leeward Islands
1772 (28 February) by-election (election at Kinghorn)
James Townshend Oswald: Unopposed
1774 (1 November) general election (election at Dysart)
John Johnstone: 3 votes (Burntisland, Dysart and Kinghorn)
James Townshend Oswald: 1 vote (Kirkcaldy)
1780 (3 October) general election (election at Kirkcaldy)
John Henderson: 2 votes (Burntisland and Kirkcaldy)
John Johnstone: 2 votes (Dysart and Kinghorn)
Kirkcaldy used its casting vote to elect Henderson
1784 (26 April) general election (election at Burntisland)
Sir Charles Preston: Unopposed
1790 (12 July) general election (election at Kinghorn)
Hon. Charles Hope: 2 votes
John Crauford: 2 votes
Kinghorn used its casting vote to elect Hope
1796 (21 June) general election (election at Dysart)
Sir James St Clair-Erskine, Bt: Unopposed
1802 general election (election at Kirkcaldy)
Sir James St Clair-Erskine, Bt: Unopposed
Succeeded to the Peerage as Earl of Rosslyn
1805 (4 March) by-election (election at Kirkcaldy)
Robert M. Dallas: Unopposed
1806 (25 November) general election (election at Burntisland)
Ronald Crauford Ferguson (Whig): Unopposed
1807 general election (election at Kinghorn)
Ronald Crauford Ferguson (Whig): Unopposed
1812 general election (election at Dysart)
Ronald Crauford Ferguson (Whig) 3 votes
P.C.C.H. Durham (Tory) 1 vote
1818 general election (election at Kirkcaldy)
Sir Ronald Crauford Ferguson (Whig): Unopposed
1820 general election (election at Burntisland)
Sir Ronald Crauford Ferguson (Whig): Unopposed
1826 general election (election at Kinghorn)
Sir Ronald Crauford Ferguson (Whig): Unopposed
1830 (23 August) general election (election at Dysart)
Lord Loughborough (Tory): Unopposed
1831 (26 May) general election (election at Kirkcaldy)
Robert Ferguson (Whig): Unopposed
Note: Stooks Smith refers to a by-election in December 1709, won by Patterson but does not mention Abercromby. Leigh Rayment's site does not mention Patterson, but has James Abercromby as MP from 16 January 1710. Possibly there was an undocumented contested election.
