Dumbarton (Parliament of Scotland constituency) facts for kids
Dumbarton was a special town in Scotland called a royal burgh. This meant it had special rights given by the king or queen. Because it was a royal burgh, Dumbarton got to send one person, called a commissioner, to speak for it in the Parliament of Scotland. It also sent a commissioner to the Convention of Estates, which was another important meeting.
After the year 1707, something big happened: the Acts of Union 1707. This was when Scotland and England joined together to form Great Britain. After this, Dumbarton didn't send its own commissioner anymore. Instead, it teamed up with other towns like Glasgow, Renfrew, and Rutherglen. Together, these towns were known as the Glasgow Burghs. They worked as a group to send one person to represent them all in the House of Commons of Great Britain, which was the main part of the new British Parliament.
Who Represented Dumbarton?
Dumbarton was represented by important people called commissioners. These people were usually leaders in the town, like the provost (which is like a mayor). They spoke for Dumbarton in the Scottish Parliament.
Here are some of the people who served as commissioners for Dumbarton:
- Walter Watson: He was the provost of Dumbarton and served as commissioner several times, from 1661 to 1663 and again from 1669 to 1670.
- Robert Cuningham: He represented Dumbarton at a special meeting called the convention in 1667.
- Robert Watson: Another provost, he was commissioner from 1672 to 1673 and at the convention in 1678.
- William MacFarlane: He was the provost and commissioner from 1681 to 1682.
- James Smollett of Bonhill: He was a very important provost who served for many years, from 1685 to 1686, at the convention in 1689, and then continuously from 1689 until the Union in 1707.
Learn More
- List of constituencies in the Parliament of Scotland at the time of the Union
