1896 Glasgow Corporation election

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Results by ward. 1896 Glasgow Corporation election (most voted party by electoral area).svg
Results by ward.

Elections to the Corporation of the City of Glasgow were held on Tuesday 3 November 1896, alongside municipal elections across Scotland, and the wider British local elections. [1]

Contents

The usual process was for one third of the councillors to be re-elected annually, however Glasgow had seen boundary extensions and had transformed from a Town Council to a City Corporation, and as such the election saw all 75 councillors from all 25 wards (3 councillors per ward) seeking re-election simultaneously. This was the first time since 3 November 1846 that all of Glasgow's councillors had been up for re-election simultaneously. The 1846 re-election had occurred as a result of the towns of Calton, Anderston, and the Gorbals being subsumed into Glasgow. [1]

The election saw a group of social and civic reformers known as the Progressive Union emerge as the largest group on the council. The Progressive's had been inspired by the London-based Progressive Party, although Glasgow's Progressive platform had a more evangelical religious focus, combined with a belief in temperance, observance of the sabbath, and good municipal governance. [2] [3] [4]

Contests took place in 23 of the cities 25 wards, with only the wards of Kingston and Sandyford going uncontested. Overall 114 candidates contested the 75 seats. [1] The election saw an unusually heavy turnout, with female voters in particular voting in unprecedented numbers. This was credited to the efforts and influence of the new Progressive Union grouping. [4]

The election was also the first to be contested by the Workers Municipal Elections Committee, which had been set up in June 1896 and comprised the Irish National League, the Independent Labour Party, and the Co-operative movement. This grouping was brought together under the leadership of John Ferguson (elected for Calton ward), a prominent Irish Home Rule activist with close contacts to both the Labour movement and radical politics. [5]

Aggregate results

Glasgow Corporation election, 1896 [1]
(Contested seats)
PartySeatsGainsLossesNet gain/lossSeats %Votes %Votes+/−
  Progressive Union
  Unionist
  Ind. Labour Party 3

Wards

Anderston

Anderston
3 seat
Electorate: 5242
Spoiled votes: 42 [1]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Joint-ticket William Bilsland (incumbent)2191
Joint-ticketHugh Wallace(incumbent)1708
'People's candidateCpt. John Walker1463
'Popular' candidateRobert Somerville Brown1380
'Workers' candidateFrancis J. Doran1059
Majority
Turnout

Blackfriars

Blackfriars
3 seat
Electorate: 4441
Spoiled votes: 34 [1]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Re-elect Joint-ticketAlexander Osborne(incumbent) c 1793
Re-elect Joint-ticketAdam M. Dunlop1752
Re-elect Joint-ticketWilliam Fife(incumbent)1563
RatepayersJames Quigley974
'One of yourselves'Marr Grieve908
Majority
Turnout

Blythswood

Broomielaw

View across Glasgow Bridge to the Broomielaw (left side of bridge) and Exchange (right side) wards. Glasgow Bridge, -Glasgow, Scotland--LCCN2001706006.jpg
View across Glasgow Bridge to the Broomielaw (left side of bridge) and Exchange (right side) wards.

Calton

Calton (2nd Ward, previously 4th)
3 seat
Electorate: 6400
Spoiled votes: 49 [1] [4]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Ind. Nationalist Councillor John Ferguson (incumbent)2,717 21.94
ex-Baillie James McLennan 2,216 17.90
Ind. Labour Party Boyd S. Brown 1,940 15.67
Socialist [6] W. G. Hunter183414.81
Robert Harvie128310.36
John S. Lawson10268.29
Thomas McDougall8096.53
Robert Burns5574.50
Majority
Turnout ≈4127≈64.48
Independent hold Swing
Independent hold Swing
Independent hold Swing

Cowcaddens

Cowcaddens
3 seat
Electorate: 6446
Spoiled votes: 35 [1]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Independent Simon Dallas2775
Re-elect Joint-TicketTreasurer James Gray(incumbent)2491
Progressive Dr John Carswell2428
Re-elect Joint-Ticketex-Bailie Robert Graham (incumbent)1855
Irish Nationalist / Trade Unionist / Social ReformerJoseph F. McGroary1383
Majority
Turnout

Cowlairs

Darlmarnock

Ward I: Darlmarnock
3 seat
Electorate: 8972
Spoiled votes: 50 [1] [4]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Independent James Willock (incumbent)3,284
Ind. Labour Party John Cronin 2,397
Independent John Pollock McPhun (incumbent)2,131
Progressive William George Hunter1834
Progressive J.M. Macmannus1824
Majority
Turnout
Independent hold Swing
Independent hold Swing
Progressive gain from Independent

Dennistoun

Dennistoun
3 seat
Electorate: 4843
Spoiled votes: [1]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Ind. TemperanceThomas M. Cunningham1987
Temperance Joint-TicketHugh Brechin(incumbent)1933
Temperance Joint-TicketJames M. Jack(incumbent)1719
Temperance Joint-TicketJames McLachlan1520
Majority
Turnout

Exchange

Exchange
3 seat
Electorate: 2172
Spoiled votes: 12 [1]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Robert Murdoch (incumbent)886
Thomas Watson (incumbent)849
James R. Paton (incumbent)812
Hugh Caldwell503
Majority
Turnout

Gorbals

Gorbals
3 seat
Electorate: 6723
Spoiled votes: 33 [1]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
W. Fleming Anderson (incumbent)2,950
James R. Sandilands 2,716
William Stevenson (incumbent)2,275
Henry Vallance1821
Thomas Neilson1153
Majority
Turnout

Govanhill

Hutchesontown

Hutchesontown
3 seat
Electorate: 6721
Spoiled votes: 86 [1]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
David Richmond (incumbent)2,658
P. G. Stewart (incumbent)2,652
Progressive John Battersby (incumbent)2,605
D. J. M. Quin1389
Majority
Turnout

Kelvinside

Kelvinside
3 seat
Electorate: 3151
Spoiled votes: 17 [1]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Re-elect Joint-TicketBailie James Dick(incumbent)1198
Re-elect Joint-TicketBailie Robert M. Mitchell(incumbent)1113
Re-elect Joint-TicketBailie James M. J. Thomson(incumbent)1085
Progressive William Martin756
Majority
Turnout

Kingston

Kingston
3 seat
Electorate:
Spoiled votes: [1]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Shearer(ex-Baillie)Uncontested
Primrose(ex-Baillie)Uncontested
Paton(ex-Baillie)Uncontested
Majority
Turnout

Langside

Langside
3 seat
Electorate: 3879
Spoiled votes: 26 [1]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Re-elect Joint-TicketBaillie William Maclay(incumbent)1649
Re-elect Joint-TicketCouncillor Alexander Sinclair(incumbent)1605
Re-elect Joint-TicketCouncillor John L. Oatts(incumbent)1296
Independent James Hunter (Ex-Provost)1111
Majority
Turnout

Maryhill

Mile-end

Mile-end
3 seat
Electorate: 5983
Spoiled votes: 54 [1] [4]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
George Mitchell (incumbent)2,170
Ind. Labour Party James Shaw Maxwell 2,040
James Hamilton (incumbent)1,760
Daniel M. Scott1619
Alexander R. McGregor1579
Majority
Turnout

Park

Park
3 seat
Electorate:
Spoiled votes: 33 [1]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Joint-ticketJoseph Currie Robertson1861
Joint-ticketAlexander Brown1840
Joint-ticketRobert Paterson1819
Archibald C. Holms (incumbent)1457
John Harrison1289
Majority
Turnout

Pollokshields

Sandyford

Sandyford
3 seat
Electorate:
Spoiled votes: [1]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Baillie Alexander(incumbent)Uncontested
McFarlane(ex-Baillie)Uncontested
Preceptor James Hunter DicksonUncontested
Majority
Turnout

Springburn

Springburn
3 seat
Electorate: 4810
Spoiled votes: 35 [1]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Joint-ticketDr William Dougan2000
Joint-ticketGeorge B. Main(incumbent)1974
Joint-ticketWilliam Cochrane1613
Vetoist & Trade UnionistPatrick O'Hare1457
Majority
Turnout

Townhead

Townhead
3 seat
Electorate: 6749
Spoiled votes: 46 [1]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Independent Progressive Norman MacLeod Thomson α 2846
Progressive William Finlay(incumbent) α 2011
Progressive David Morris(incumbent) α 1965
Workers candidateWilliam Forsyth b 1793
Progressive Michael Joseph Connell α 1313
Workers candidateGeorge Pringle b 1273
Majority
Turnout

Whitevale

Whitevale
3 seat
Electorate: 6150
Spoiled votes: 36 [1]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Unionist James H. Martin (incumbent)2,460
Unionist David Willox 1,774
Progressive John Dunn (incumbent)1,646
Ind. Labour Party Hugh Murphy1515
Progressive Hugh Blair1247
Majority
Turnout

Woodside

Samuel Chisholm, later Lord Provost, was re-elected for Woodside. Samuel Chisholm 001.jpg
Samuel Chisholm, later Lord Provost, was re-elected for Woodside.
Woodside (17th Ward)
3 seat
Electorate: 7672
Spoiled votes: 63 [1]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Re-elect Joint-ticketBailie Samuel Chisholm (incumbent)3137
Re-elect Joint-ticketBailie Winston Pettigrew(incumbent)3024
Re-elect Joint-ticketCouncillor D. M. Stevenson (incumbent)2893
Labour Co-op Peter Glasse1478
'Popular Candidates'Dr. Archibald Gunn1318
'Popular Candidates'Alexander McLaughlan1120
'Popular Candidates'Charles Tosh Grant1075
Majority
Turnout

Notes

Thomson, Finlay, Morris, and Connell all ran as 'Progressive' candidates, however Finlay, Morris, and Connell ran on a joint-ticket claiming to be 'popular Progressive' candidates, who the electors knew due to their past service. Thomson ran a separate campaign claiming to be 'The Progressive candidate,' focusing on the issue of temperance. [1]
^b Forsyth and Pringle ran as 'Workers' candidates, with a developed policy platform. This platform prioritised the establishment of a judicial rent commission to fix fair rents, and for the taxation of land values. [1]
^c Whilst running on a 're-elect' basis, Osborne is cited elsewhere as a member of the Glasgow Conservative party. [7]

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 "Glasgow Municipal Elections". The Glasgow Herald. 4 November 1896. p. 8.
  2. THE EVOLUTION OF THE MUNICIPALITY OF GLASGOW
  3. p.471
  4. 1 2 3 4 5 The Scotsman - Wednesday 04 November 1896 pg.8
  5. Fraser, W. Hamish (1995). Glasgow: 1830 to 1912. Glasgow: Manchester University Press. p. 471. ISBN   0719036925.
  6. Davies, Andrew (2013). City of Gangs: Glasgow and the Rise of the British Gangster. Hachette UK. ISBN   978-1444739787.
  7. "The Glasgow Story," Alexander Osborne: Mitchell Library, The Bailie