Baikie was the oldest son of James Baikie of Tankerness and his wife Janet, a daughter of William Douglas,[2] and heiress of the Monteiths of Egilshay through her grandfather Alexander. His father was provostofKirkwall during the Jacobite rising of 1745, and was paid a pension by the Earls of Morton for his support of their electoral interests.[3]
However, Sir Lawrence had alienated both the lairds and merchants of Orkney. When he opposed Lord North's government, the Orkney opposition received £300 from secret service funds to support a government candidate. Baikie was chosen to stand, and at the 1780 general election, Baikie was elected as the Member of Parliament (MP) for Orkney and Shetland by 11 votes to the 5 won Sir Lawrence's nephew Charles Dundas.[4] However, Baikie's election had been achieved only by excluding seven supporters of Dundas,[4] and after an election petition the seat was awarded to Dundas on 28 February 1781.[1] Baikie stood again at the 1784, but was defeated by 12 votes to 7 by the returned Colonel Thomas Dundas.[4]
^ abcdHaden-Guest, Edith (1964). L. Namier; J. Brooke (eds.). "Orkney and Shetland". The History of Parliament: the House of Commons 1754–1790. Boydell and Brewer. Retrieved 21 April 2015.
