Scottish representatives to the first Parliament of Great Britain facts for kids

When Great Britain was formed on May 1, 1707, Scotland sent its first group of representatives to the new Parliament in London. Unlike today, these 45 men were not chosen by public vote. Instead, they were hand-picked from the members of the old Scottish Parliament, which had just closed down.

These representatives joined the House of Commons in the very first Parliament of Great Britain. They served from May 1, 1707, until May 26, 1708.

How Scotland's First Representatives Were Chosen

The way Scotland's first representatives were chosen was set out in an important agreement called the Treaty of Union. This treaty joined the separate kingdoms of England and Scotland into one country, Great Britain.

What the Treaty of Union Said

The Treaty of Union had specific rules about how the new Parliament would work:

• It said that Great Britain would have one single Parliament.
• It also stated that 45 members from Scotland would join the House of Commons.
• These members would be chosen in a special way, decided by the Scottish Parliament.
• The members from the English Parliament and the 45 from Scotland would together form the first Parliament of Great Britain.

The Scottish Parliament then passed a law to explain how these 45 members (called commoners) and 16 Scottish noblemen (called peers) would be chosen. For this very first Parliament, the members were selected from those who were already serving in the Scottish Parliament. This was similar to how committees were usually chosen in the Scottish Parliament.

The new country, the Kingdom of Great Britain, officially began on May 1, 1707.

Key Dates for the First Parliament

Understanding when the Parliament met helps us see how things changed.

When Members Were Chosen

The members of the last English Parliament had been chosen between May and June 1705. In Scotland, the last general election before the Union was in 1703.

Parliament's Start and End

The first Parliament of Great Britain officially met for the first time on October 23, 1707. It was set to last for three years from when the last English Parliament first met, which would have been until June 14, 1708. However, the first Parliament of Great Britain was officially closed down earlier, on April 3, 1708.

Who Represented Scotland?

Scotland was given 45 spots in the new House of Commons. For future elections, specific areas (called constituencies) were created in Scotland. These new constituencies were first used in the election of 1708 for the second Parliament.

Out of the 45 members sent from Scotland, 30 were Shire Commissioners (representing counties or shires), and 15 were Burgh Commissioners (representing towns or burghs).

Scottish Members of Parliament (1707–1708)

See also

• Lists of MPs for constituencies in Scotland