title: 1896 Glasgow Corporation election
text: # 1896 Glasgow Corporation election
  
  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.
  
  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.
  
  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.
  
  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. 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.
  
  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.
  
  ## Aggregate results
  
  Glasgow Corporation election, 1896 (Contested seats) :
  
  | Party | Seats |
  | - | - |
  | Progressive Union | |
  | Unionist | |
  | Ind. Labour Party | 3 |
  
  ## Wards
  
  ### Anderston
  
  Anderston 3 seat Electorate: 5242 Spoiled votes: 42 :
  
  | Party | Party | Candidate | Votes |
  | - | - | - | - |
  | | Joint-ticket | William Bilsland (incumbent) | 2191 |
  | | Joint-ticket | Hugh Wallace (incumbent) | 1708 |
  | | 'People's candidate | Cpt. John Walker | 1463 |
  | | 'Popular' candidate | Robert Somerville Brown | 1380 |
  | | 'Workers' candidate | Francis J. Doran | 1059 |
  | Majority | Majority | Majority | |
  | Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | |
  
  ### Blackfriars
  
  Blackfriars 3 seat Electorate: 4441 Spoiled votes: 34 :
  
  | Party | Party | Candidate | Votes |
  | - | - | - | - |
  | | Re-elect Joint-ticket | Alexander Osborne (incumbent) | 1793 |
  | | Re-elect Joint-ticket | Adam M. Dunlop | 1752 |
  | | Re-elect Joint-ticket | William Fife (incumbent) | 1563 |
  | | Ratepayers | James Quigley | 974 |
  | | 'One of yourselves' | Marr Grieve | 908 |
  | Majority | Majority | Majority | |
  | Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | |
  
  ### Calton
  
  Calton (2nd Ward, previously 4th) 3 seat Electorate: 6400 Spoiled votes: 49 :
  
  | Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
  | - | - | - | - | - |
  | | Independent 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 | W. G. Hunter | 1834 | 14.81 |
  | | | Robert Harvie | 1283 | 10.36 |
  | | | John S. Lawson | 1026 | 8.29 |
  | | | Thomas McDougall | 809 | 6.53 |
  | | | Robert Burns | 557 | 4.50 |
  | Majority | Majority | Majority | | |
  | Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | ~4127 | ~64.48 |
  | | Independent hold | Independent hold | Swing | |
  | | Independent hold | Independent hold | Swing | |
  | | Independent hold | Independent hold | Swing | |
  
  ### Cowcaddens
  
  Cowcaddens 3 seat Electorate: 6446 Spoiled votes: 35 :
  
  | Party | Party | Candidate | Votes |
  | - | - | - | - |
  | | Independent | Simon Dallas | 2775 |
  | | Re-elect Joint-Ticket | Treasurer James Gray (incumbent) | 2491 |
  | | Progressive | Dr John Carswell | 2428 |
  | | Re-elect Joint-Ticket | ex-Bailie Robert Graham (incumbent) | 1855 |
  | | Irish Nationalist / Trade Unionist / Social Reformer | Joseph F. McGroary | 1383 |
  | Majority | Majority | Majority | |
  | Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | |
  
  ### Darlmarnock
  
  Ward I: Darlmarnock 3 seat Electorate: 8972 Spoiled votes: 50 :
  
  | Party | Party | Candidate | Votes |
  | - | - | - | - |
  | | Independent | James Willock (incumbent) | 3,284 |
  | | Ind. Labour Party | John Cronin | 2,397 |
  | | Independent | John Pollock McPhun (incumbent) | 2,131 |
  | | Progressive | William George Hunter | 1834 |
  | | Progressive | J.M. Macmannus | 1824 |
  | Majority | Majority | Majority | |
  | Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | |
  | | Independent hold | Independent hold | Swing |
  | | Independent hold | Independent hold | Swing |
  | | Progressive gain from Independent | Progressive gain from Independent | |
  
  ### Dennistoun
  
  Dennistoun 3 seat Electorate: 4843 Spoiled votes: :
  
  | Party | Party | Candidate | Votes |
  | - | - | - | - |
  | | Ind. Temperance | Thomas M. Cunningham | 1987 |
  | | Temperance Joint-Ticket | Hugh Brechin (incumbent) | 1933 |
  | | Temperance Joint-Ticket | James M. Jack (incumbent) | 1719 |
  | | Temperance Joint-Ticket | James McLachlan | 1520 |
  | Majority | Majority | Majority | |
  | Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | |
  
  ### Exchange
  
  Exchange 3 seat Electorate: 2172 Spoiled votes: 12 :
  
  | Party | Party | Candidate | Votes |
  | - | - | - | - |
  | | | Robert Murdoch (incumbent) | 886 |
  | | | Thomas Watson (incumbent) | 849 |
  | | | James R. Paton (incumbent) | 812 |
  | | | Hugh Caldwell | 503 |
  | Majority | Majority | Majority | |
  | Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | |
  
  ### Gorbals
  
  Gorbals 3 seat Electorate: 6723 Spoiled votes: 33 :
  
  | Party | Party | Candidate | Votes |
  | - | - | - | - |
  | | | W. Fleming Anderson (incumbent) | 2,950 |
  | | | James R. Sandilands | 2,716 |
  | | | William Stevenson (incumbent) | 2,275 |
  | | | Henry Vallance | 1821 |
  | | | Thomas Neilson | 1153 |
  | Majority | Majority | Majority | |
  | Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | |
  
  ### Hutchesontown
  
  Hutchesontown 3 seat Electorate: 6721 Spoiled votes: 86 :
  
  | Party | Party | Candidate | Votes |
  | - | - | - | - |
  | | | David Richmond (incumbent) | 2,658 |
  | | | P. G. Stewart (incumbent) | 2,652 |
  | | Progressive | John Battersby (incumbent) | 2,605 |
  | | | D. J. M. Quin | 1389 |
  | Majority | Majority | Majority | |
  | Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | |
  
  ### Kelvinside
  
  Kelvinside 3 seat Electorate: 3151 Spoiled votes: 17 :
  
  | Party | Party | Candidate | Votes |
  | - | - | - | - |
  | | Re-elect Joint-Ticket | Bailie James Dick (incumbent) | 1198 |
  | | Re-elect Joint-Ticket | Bailie Robert M. Mitchell (incumbent) | 1113 |
  | | Re-elect Joint-Ticket | Bailie James M. J. Thomson (incumbent) | 1085 |
  | | Progressive | William Martin | 756 |
  | Majority | Majority | Majority | |
  | Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | |
  
  ### Kingston
  
  Kingston 3 seat Electorate: Spoiled votes: :
  
  | Party | Party | Candidate | Votes |
  | - | - | - | - |
  | | | Shearer (ex-Baillie) | Uncontested |
  | | | Primrose (ex-Baillie) | Uncontested |
  | | | Paton (ex-Baillie) | Uncontested |
  | Majority | Majority | Majority | |
  | Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | |
  
  ### Langside
  
  Langside 3 seat Electorate: 3879 Spoiled votes: 26 :
  
  | Party | Party | Candidate | Votes |
  | - | - | - | - |
  | | Re-elect Joint-Ticket | Baillie William Maclay (incumbent) | 1649 |
  | | Re-elect Joint-Ticket | Councillor Alexander Sinclair (incumbent) | 1605 |
  | | Re-elect Joint-Ticket | Councillor John L. Oatts (incumbent) | 1296 |
  | | Independent | James Hunter (Ex-Provost) | 1111 |
  | Majority | Majority | Majority | |
  | Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | |
  
  ### Mile-end
  
  Mile-end 3 seat Electorate: 5983 Spoiled votes: 54 :
  
  | Party | Party | Candidate | Votes |
  | - | - | - | - |
  | | | George Mitchell (incumbent) | 2,170 |
  | | Ind. Labour Party | James Shaw Maxwell | 2,040 |
  | | | James Hamilton (incumbent) | 1,760 |
  | | | Daniel M. Scott | 1619 |
  | | | Alexander R. McGregor | 1579 |
  | Majority | Majority | Majority | |
  | Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | |
  
  ### Park
  
  Park 3 seat Electorate: Spoiled votes: 33 :
  
  | Party | Party | Candidate | Votes |
  | - | - | - | - |
  | | Joint-ticket | Joseph Currie Robertson | 1861 |
  | | Joint-ticket | Alexander Brown | 1840 |
  | | Joint-ticket | Robert Paterson | 1819 |
  | | | Archibald C. Holms (incumbent) | 1457 |
  | | | John Harrison | 1289 |
  | Majority | Majority | Majority | |
  | Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | |
  
  ### Sandyford
  
  Sandyford 3 seat Electorate: Spoiled votes: :
  
  | Party | Party | Candidate | Votes |
  | - | - | - | - |
  | | | Baillie Alexander (incumbent) | Uncontested |
  | | | McFarlane (ex-Baillie) | Uncontested |
  | | | Preceptor James Hunter Dickson | Uncontested |
  | Majority | Majority | Majority | |
  | Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | |
  
  ### Springburn
  
  Springburn 3 seat Electorate: 4810 Spoiled votes: 35 :
  
  | Party | Party | Candidate | Votes |
  | - | - | - | - |
  | | Joint-ticket | Dr William Dougan | 2000 |
  | | Joint-ticket | George B. Main (incumbent) | 1974 |
  | | Joint-ticket | William Cochrane | 1613 |
  | | Vetoist & Trade Unionist | Patrick O'Hare | 1457 |
  | Majority | Majority | Majority | |
  | Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | |
  
  ### Townhead
  
  Townhead 3 seat Electorate: 6749 Spoiled votes: 46 :
  
  | Party | Party | Candidate | Votes |
  | - | - | - | - |
  | | Independent Progressive | Norman MacLeod Thomson | 2846 |
  | | Progressive | William Finlay (incumbent) | 2011 |
  | | Progressive | David Morris (incumbent) | 1965 |
  | | Workers candidate | William Forsyth | 1793 |
  | | Progressive | Michael Joseph Connell | 1313 |
  | | Workers candidate | George Pringle | 1273 |
  | Majority | Majority | Majority | |
  | Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | |
  
  ### Whitevale
  
  Whitevale 3 seat Electorate: 6150 Spoiled votes: 36 :
  
  | Party | Party | Candidate | Votes |
  | - | - | - | - |
  | | Unionist | James H. Martin (incumbent) | 2,460 |
  | | Unionist | David Willox | 1,774 |
  | | Progressive | John Dunn (incumbent) | 1,646 |
  | | Ind. Labour Party | Hugh Murphy | 1515 |
  | | Progressive | Hugh Blair | 1247 |
  | Majority | Majority | Majority | |
  | Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | |
  
  ### Woodside
  
  Woodside (17th Ward) 3 seat Electorate: 7672 Spoiled votes: 63 :
  
  | Party | Party | Candidate | Votes |
  | - | - | - | - |
  | | Re-elect Joint-ticket | Bailie Samuel Chisholm (incumbent) | 3137 |
  | | Re-elect Joint-ticket | Bailie Winston Pettigrew (incumbent) | 3024 |
  | | Re-elect Joint-ticket | Councillor D. M. Stevenson (incumbent) | 2893 |
  | | Labour Co-op | Peter Glasse | 1478 |
  | | 'Popular Candidates' | Dr. Archibald Gunn | 1318 |
  | | 'Popular Candidates' | Alexander McLaughlan | 1120 |
  | | 'Popular Candidates' | Charles Tosh Grant | 1075 |
  | Majority | Majority | Majority | |
  | Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | |
  