John Bruce (1 January 1861 - 29 January 1921)[1] was a Scottish barrister and farmer who was briefly member of the UK Parliament for Greenock, before being unseated by an electoral petition.[2]

Biography

John Bruce was a Scottish barrister and farmer, son of James Bruce of Old Meldrum, Aberdeenshire.[1] He was a student at Aberdeen University in the 1880s, where he was reputed one of the leading liberals amongst his cohort, and a member of the debating society.[3]

Bruce was elected as a Liberal Party candidate in the 1892 general election ballot for Greenock. On the first count he was found to have a majority of 44.[4] However a petition under the terms of the Parliamentary Elections Act 1868 by Sir Thomas Sutherland was heard at the start of August 1892, and judgement was made by Lord Rutherfurd-Clark and Lord Adam that an error had been made; that Sutherland had won a majority of 55, and that he should therefore be seated as MP.[5] The judgement was read to the House of Commons on 9 August 1892 and accepted by the speaker.[6] Bruce was described as a Gladstonian-Liberal; Sutherland as a Liberal-Unionist.[3]

Bruce was again adopted as the Liberal candidate in the next general election, held in 1895, but resigned his candidacy owing to ill health; he took no active part in politics thereafter, though an obituaty noted that "his political views changed considerably".[3]

Bruce was described in an obituary as being 'of Yonderton', and as 'a well-known Buchan agriculturalist'. Yonderton Farm is to the north-west of Hatton, Aberdeenshire, in the parish of Cruden, Buchan. The obituary comments that the estate of Yonderton was sold on the day before Bruce suddenly died.[3]

Bruce died on 29 January 1921.[1]

References

  1. 1 2 3 "Members after 1832". History of Parliament Online. History of Parliament Trust. Retrieved 30 October 2023.
  2. ↑ Craig, F. W. S. (1989) [1974]. British Parliamentary Election Results 1885–1918 (2nd ed.). Chichester: Parliamentary Research Services. p. 510. ISBN 0-900178-27-2.
  3. 1 2 3 4 "Greenock Election Petition recalled By the Death of Aberdeenshire Farmer". Dundee Evening Telegraph. 31 January 1921. p. 6.
  4. ↑ "Greenock 'Upturn" Recalled". Daily Record. 2 February 1921. p. 9.
  5. ↑ "The Greenock Election Petition. Mr Bruce Unseated". The Courier and Argus. 9 August 1892. p. 3.
  6. ↑ "Controverted Election (Greenock)". UK Parliament. Hansard. Retrieved 30 October 2023.
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