Alexander Fleming was born on 6 August 1881 at Lochfield, on a farm near Darvel. He received the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine in 1945 with Howard Walter Florey and Ernst Boris Chain for the discovery of the antibiotic penicillin.

Kilmarnock Academy is one of a handful of schools in the UK which has more than one Nobel Prize winning alumni.  Below is the school register detailing Sir Alexander Fleming's class.  It has preserved with other Fleming memorabilia by Carole Ford, the headteacher, and Stephen King, the school librarian and archivist (also pictured with Des Browne).

More Information

The Society for General Microbiology

Alexander Fleming Wikipedia Entry

On Monday 11 May 20089 Des Browne secured an Adjournment Debate in the House of Commons on the 80 Years of Public Benefit of Penicillin which marked the 80th Anniversary of the publication of Fleming's paper on his discover of penicillin.

To read Des Browne's speech please visit the Speeches, Statements & Questions section of the website

Ayrshire born poet Robert Burns lived in Mauchline from 1785 until he was 26 years old.

More Information

Mauchline Burn's Club

The Offical Robert Burn's Website

Robert Burns Wikipedia Entry

A History of the Representation of Kilmarnock and Loudoun in the 20^th Century

* Indicates by-election

In the 20^th Century, the constituency was represented by a Labour MP for 58 years (62 if the National Labour Party is included), by a Conservative MP for 6 years (11 if the Scottish Unionist Party, now merged into the Conservative Party, is included), and the Liberal Party for 13 years (17 if the coalition years are included).

Brief history of the constituency

Kilmarnock Burghs was a district of burghs constituency (created as a result of the Act of Union 1707 and other prior legislation) until its abolishment in 1915, when the Representation of the People Act 1918 created the new county constituency of Kilmarnock. This was one of four constituencies covering the county of Ayr and the county of Bute. Boundary changes were made by in 1950, 1974, 1975 and 1983, at which point Kilmarnock was merged into the Kilmarnock and Loudoun constituency to take into account new local government boundaries. Following the formation of the independent Boundary Commission for Scotland constituted by the Parliamentary Constituencies Act 1986, the constituency was expanded to include part of the disbanded Carrick, Cumnock and Doon Valley constituency in 2005. This Westminster constituency does not share the same borders as the Scottish Parliament constituency of the same name.

John McAusland Denny was elected at the general elections of 1895 and 1900, but lost his seat in 1906. During the First World War he was chairman of the Dumbartonshire Territorial Force Association, and became an honorary colonel in the Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders.

Adam Rolland Rainy was elected in 1906, and re-elected at the two general elections of 1910. However he died the next year, aged 49, causing a by-election. He was also a surgeon oculist.

William Glynne Charles Gladstone was the last of four generations of Gladstones to serve in the Commons. He was the grandson of British Prime Minister William Ewart Gladstone (1892-1894), was served a Lieutenant in the Royal Welch Fusiliers until his death during action in the First World War.

Alexander Shaw was a prominent lawyer of his time, having served as a director of the Bank of England and Chairman of British shipping and logistics company P&O. Having served in the Royal Marine Artillery and seeing action in the Battle of Somme in the First World War, he succeeded to his father's peerage in 1937 upon his father's death, and became the 2nd Lord Craigmyle.

Robert Climie was a trade unionist born in Kilmarnock itself, who served as a Volunteer Sergeant in the Royal Scots Fusiliers. Having consted and lost the 1922 general election, he was elected in 1923, before being defeated narrowly in 1924 and winning again in 1929. He died in office later that year. Climie Place in Kilmarnock is named in his memory.

Craigie Maston Aitchison was a prominent Scottish judge. Having been appointed King's Counsel in 1923, he went on to serve as Lord Advocate, Privy Counsellor and Lord Justice Clerk. He is succeeded by noted painter Craigie Aitchison.

Kenneth Lindsay was the first Labour president of the Oxford Union (1922-23). After unsuccessfully constesting three elections in Oxford, Harrow and Worcester, he was eventually elected as National Labour MP for Kilmarnock in 1933 and was re-elected comfortably two years ago. In 1945 he chose not to defend his Kilmarnock seat, instead choosing contest the Combined English Universities seat, which he won.

Clarice Marion McNab Shaw was the first Labour woman member of a town council in Scotland, national president of the Glasgow Socialist Sunday School for 24 years, chairman of the Scottish Labour Party. An unfortunate serious illness shortly after her election as MP prevented her from ever attending the House of Commons, forcing her to resign her seat in 1946.

William Ross was the longest serving Secretary of State for Scotland, holding office from 1964 to 1970 and again from 1974 to 1976, throughout the Prime Ministership of Harold Wilson. He was elected to his Kilmarnock seat in 1946, and served until the 1979 general election, when he was created a life peer as Baron Ross of Marnock.

William McKelvey served as an MP for this area for a record 18 years, which coincided with Labour's time on the opposition benches. He made a total of 1087 speeches or statements in the Commons during his time in office.

Des  Browne is the incumbent three-term MP for the constituency, and former Secretary of State for Defence and for Scotland. To read more about him please click here.