Liberal Heritage Dr Alexander (Sandy) S. Waugh continues the Journal’s series in which well-known Liberal Democrats take a look at the Liberal heritage of their own locality. DISCOVERING KINCARDINESHIRE’S LIBERAL HISTORY incardineshire (aka council in 1975 and since 1996 has Kincardine Aberdeen, in 1600. After Charles The Mearns), with an been within the jurisdiction of Castle, a II was crowned at Scone, in Perth- area of 380 square miles Aberdeenshire Council for local nineteenth- shire, in January 1651, the Hon- and a population of government purposes, although it century manor ours of Scotland – crown, sceptre 45,501 (2001 census), is retains its identity as a Lord Lieu- house. The and sword of state – were taken for Ksituated in North-East Scotland tenancy and for registration and remains of the safety to the coastal Dunnottar Cas- between the North Sea and the postal purposes. There are currently earlier keep are tle, two miles south of Stonehaven. mountains which rise to over 2,500 fifteen councillors for Kincar- located nearby . Thereafter, the castle was besieged feet. It is bounded on the south by dineshire wards, elected by STV, in by Cromwellians from Septem- Angus (aka Forfarshire), on the 2007, for five-year terms: seven Lib- ber 1651 until its surrender in May north and west by Aberdeenshire eral Democrats, four Conservatives 1652. However, in the meantime, and on the north-east by the City and four SNP. the regalia had been smuggled out of Aberdeen Although generally Kincardineshire, since becom- of the castle and hidden beneath the coastal and rural, with the tradi- ing a sheriffdom (county) in the pulpit in the nearby Kinneff parish tional economic activities includ- twelfth century, has played a sig- church, thus being spared the fate ing fishing, farming, forestry and nificant role in Scotland’s history. of the English regalia during the tourism, since the advent of North In 1296 King John Balliol wrote a Cromwellian interregnum. The Sea Oil many of the coastal and letter of surrender from the now Scottish crown, sceptre and sword inland urban communities have entirely ruined Kincardine Castle of state (now in the Crown Room experienced substantial increases in to Edward I of England after a short of Edinburgh Castle) were there- population from commuting both war which marked the beginning of after represented in the heraldry of to Aberdeen and offshore. This, the Scottish Wars of Independence. Kincardineshire. together with a necessary expansion The inland Castleton of Kincardine, Thirty years ago, as the local of community and leisure facilities in the south of the county, was the prospective Liberal candidate, I and services, continues to sustain original county town, until that was consulted by BBC Scotland local prosperity. Kincardinesh- status was transferred to the coastal – then filming a dramatisation of ire ceased to have its own county Stonehaven, sixteen miles south of Lewis Grassic Gibbon’s novel, Cloud Journal of Liberal History 74 Spring 2012 13 discOVERING kiNCARdiNEshiRE’S liBERAL hisTORY Howe – about the 1929 general elec- of the public purse and caused the Kincardineshire Kincardineshire tion in Kincardineshire that fea- word ‘retrenchment’ to be added to in Scotland; and One of the county’s earlier Whig tured in the novel. Unfortunately, ‘peace and reform’. He was success- as it was in 1859. MPs (in 1797–1806) was Sir John I said that the local Liberal colours ful in challenging the old anti-trade Stuart who was an early patron of were then red and yellow whereas, union combination laws and the law James Mill, whom he took to Lon- as I was soon told after the episode prohibiting the export of machin- don in 1803. Thus when James’ son, was broadcast, they were green. ery, and also campaigned against John was born in 1806 he was given From this stemmed my determina- flogging in the army, the impress- the middle name Stuart in recog- tion never again to be caught out ment of sailors and imprisonment for nition of such early patronage and about Kincardineshire’s Liberal his- debt. John Morley, a Liberal Cabi- support. After William Gladstone’s tory, especially as the continuity of net minister in 1886, 1892–1895 and father, John Gladstone (1st Baronet such is underlined by many family 1905–1914, having lost his original from 1846) bought Fasque in inland relationships. constituency (Newcastle-upon- Kincardineshire in 1829, the then Inverbervie, Kincardinesh- Tyne) at the 1895 general election, Tory MP, first elected in 1826, was ire’s only Royal Burgh, was rep- was elected for the burghs at a by- opposed at only the 1832 general resented in the constituencies of election in 1896 and served until election. When he retired in 1865, Aberdeen Burghs in 1708–1832 and created Viscount Morley in 1908. the election was contested by Sir of Montrose Burghs in 1832–1950. His Life of Gladstone (1903) was dedi- Thomas Gladstone (2nd Baronet), Otherwise, Kincardineshire was cated to ‘The Electors of Montrose Conservative and James Nicol, a constituency of its own in 1708– Burghs’. He also wrote biographies Liberal who was elected and served 1918; was part of Kincardine and of Cromwell, Burke, Voltaire and until his death in 1872. As William Western Aberdeenshire in 1918– Cobden, helped the passage of the Gladstone wrote in his diary, ‘Tom 1950; and, including Inverbervie, 1911 Parliament Act through the has made what is called a mess of it’. part of North Angus and Mearns in House of Lords but resigned from The prime minister’s descendants 1950–1983, of Kincardine and Dee- the Cabinet in opposition to the inherited Fasque and the baron- side in 1983–1997, and has been part declaration of war on Germany in etcy, and, when canvassing in 1983, of Aberdeenshire West and Kincar- 1914. Robert Harcourt, elected at I secured the support of his great- dine since 1997. the 1908 by-election and serving grandson, the late Peter Gladstone until 1918, was a younger son of Sir for my candidature. William Harcourt, a Liberal Cabi- After 1872 Kincardineshire was Montrose burghs net minister in 1880–1885, 1886 and represented by three other Liberals. The burghs’ MPs were Whigs, 1892–1895 and a younger brother of General Sir George Balfour (from Radicals and Liberals until 1931 and Lewis (Loulou) Harcourt, a Liberal 1872) was a son-in-law of Dr Joseph Liberal Nationals thereafter. Two Cabinet minister in 1907–1916. No Hume (see above). John Crombie of its MPs had UK reputations. Liberal contested Montrose Burghs (from 1892) was related by marriage Dr Joseph Hume, after represent- after 1929, although a former Liberal, to the Wason family which pro- ing other constituencies, was the Tom MacNair, unsuccessful Labour vided Liberal MPs for South Ayr- burghs’ Radical MP in 1842–1855. candidate in 1945, was thereafter Lib- shire, Clackmannan & Kinross, and He was the self-appointed guardian eral candidate for Banff in 1964. Orkney & Shetland in 1885–1921. 14 Journal of Liberal History 74 Spring 2012 discOVERING kiNCARdiNEshiRE’S liBERAL hisTORY Arthur Murray (from 1908) was a Conservative Central Office was cent, Malcolm Bruce (MP for Gor- brother of Alexander Murray (The thought by Churchill to be behind don since 1983) took fourth place in Master of Elibank), Liberal Govern- these manoeuvres, the reward of an October 1974 with 9.9 per cent, and ment Chief Whip in 1910–1912. apparently safe seat for Thornton- there was no Liberal candidate in Kemsley is a logical extension of 1979. such an accusation. In later Con- Kincardine and Western servative literature the cover-up Aberdeenshire was to refer only to his being ‘one of Kincardine and Deeside Arthur Murray, a Lieutenant Colo- [Churchill’s] principal supporting Buchanan-Smith was the Conserva- nel, was returned unopposed as speakers in four General Elections’. tive candidate for the new constitu- a Coalition Liberal for the new (Sir) Arthur Irvine, who joined the ency in 1983, and I was the Liberal/ constituency in 1918, re-elected Labour Party in 1943, was Labour Alliance candidate, seeing a resur- as a Liberal in 1922 and defeated in MP for Liverpool Edge Hill from gence in local Liberal credibility 1923. (Sir) Charles Barclay-Har- 1947 and Solicitor General in 1967– with my vote of 29.4 per cent. Nicol vey, Conservative, elected in 1923, 1970. His death caused the by-elec- Stephen, my agent in 1983, was then was re-elected in 1924, defeating tion in March 1979 which was won Liberal/Alliance candidate in 1987 James Scott, the new Liberal can- by David Alton, Liberal. and established the seat’s marginal didate. However, in 1929, James The constituency’s marginal status with a Liberal/Alliance vote Scott regained the constituency status was confirmed in 1945 when of 36.3 per cent. Buchanan-Smith’s for the Liberals. He was PPS to Sir Thornton-Kemsley was re-elected death caused a by-election in 1991 Archibald Sinclair (Secretary of with a majority of 3.2 per cent and saw the election of Nicol Ste- State for Scotland) for a few months against John Junor, the new Liberal phen as Liberal Democrat MP with before the 1931 general election candidate, thereafter Sunday Express a vote of 49.0 per cent. He was when he was defeated by Barclay- Editor and knighted in 1980 by defeated in 1992, with an adverse Harvey who was re-elected in 1935 courtesy of Margaret Thatcher. swing of 13.5 per cent and the elec- against Arthur Irvine, the new Lib- tion of George Kynoch, Conserva- eral candidate. The 1935 campaign tive. Nicol (Lord Stephen from marked Jo Grimond’s active entry North Angus and Mearns 2011) was subsequently an MSP in into Liberal politics.