List of provosts of Glasgow

The Right Honourable Lord Provost of Glasgow is the convener of the Glasgow City Council. The Lord Provost serves both as the chair of the city council and as a figurehead for the entire city, and is elected by the city councillors from among its members at the council's first meeting.^[1] The office is equivalent in many ways to the institution of mayor that exists in the cities of many other countries.

The Lord Provost of the City of Glasgow, by virtue of office, is also:

Lord-Lieutenant of the County of the City of Glasgow
a Commissioner of Northern Lighthouses.^[1]

Each of the 32 Scottish local authorities elects a provost, but it is only the four main cities, Glasgow, Edinburgh, Aberdeen and Dundee that have a Lord Provost, who also serves as the lord-lieutenant for the city. This is codified in the Local Government etc. (Scotland) Act 1994. As of 2017, the role attracts a salary of £41,546, plus an annual expenses budget of £5000.^[2]

The current Lord Provost of Glasgow, elected in May 2022, is Jacqueline McLaren.

The Lord Provost of Glasgow has the use of an official limousine which is always black and always carries the registration plate "G0".^[3] Past limousines are on display at the city's Transport Museum. The current limousine is a Rolls-Royce Ghost, donated by Boyd Tunnock in 2018.^[2] Though it was purportedly sold-off in 2022 for approx. £105,000 to go to the Duke of Edinburgh scheme. ^[4]

List of provosts and lord provosts

The Medieval burgh of Glasgow was administered on behalf of the Bishops of Glasgow by officials known as Bailies or Provosts. The office of Provost as a single chief magistrate was not created until the early 1450s.^[5]

15th century

(1450x1453–1479) John Stewart
(1480) Sir Thomas Stewart of Minto
(1485–1489) Robert Stewart
(1491) Andrew Otterburn
(1497) Matthew Stewart, 2nd Earl of Lennox
(1498) Sir Patrick Blacader of Tulliallan
(1498–1499) John Stewart

16th century

(1502–1505) Allan Stewart of Cardonald
(1505–1507) Patrick Colquhoun of Glen
(1507–1509) Sir John Stewart of Minto
(1509–1513) Matthew Stewart, 2nd Earl of Lennox
(1513–1514) John Shaw
(1514–1516) George Colquhoun of Glen
(1526–1536) Sir Robert Stewart of Minto
(1537–1539) Archibald Dunbar of Baldoon
(1543–1544) Sir John Stewart of Minto
(1544–1549) Archibald Hamilton of Medop
(1549–1550) James Hamilton of Torrance
(1550–1559) Andrew Hamilton of Cochno
(1559–1562) Robert Lindsay of Dunrod
(1565–1573) Sir John Stewart of Minto
(1573–1576) Robert Boyd, 5th Lord Boyd
(1577) Thomas Crawford of Jordanhill
(1578–1579) Robert Stewart, 7th Earl of Lennox
(1580) Esmé Stewart, 8th Earl of Lennox
(1581–1582) Sir Matthew Stewart of Minto
(1583) John Graham, 3rd Earl of Montrose
(1584–1585) Sir William Livingstone of Kilsyth
(1588–1589) Sir Matthew Stewart of Minto
(1594–1597) Sir Matthew Stewart of Minto
(1599) Sir Matthew Stewart of Minto

17th century

(1600–1601) Sir George Elphinstone of Blythswood
(1604–1605) Sir George Elphinstone of Blythswood
(1607–1608) John Houston of Houston
(1609–1612) James Inglis
(1613) James Stewart I
(1614–1616) James Hamilton
(1617–1618) James Stewart I
(1619–1620) James Inglis
(1621–1622) James Hamilton
(1623–1624) Gabriel Cunningham
(1625–1626) James Inglis
(1627–1628) James Hamilton
(1629–1632) Gabriel Cunningham
(1633) William Stewart
(1634–1635) Patrick Bell
(1636) Colin Campbell I
(1637) James Stewart II
(1638) Patrick Bell
(1639) Gabriel Cunningham
(1640) James Stewart II
(1641–1642) William Stewart
(1643–1644) James Bell
(1645–1646) George Porterfield
(1647) James Stewart
(1648) Colin Campbell II
(1648–1649) George Porterfield
(1650) John Graham
(1651) George Porterfield
(1652) Daniel Wallace
(1655–1656) John Anderson I
(1658) John Anderson II^[6]
(1658–1659) Sir John Bell
(1660–1661) Colin Campbell II
(1662–1663) Sir John Bell
(1664–1666) William Anderson
(1667) John Anderson II^[6]
(1668) William Anderson
(1669) James Campbell
(1670–1673) William Anderson
(1674–1675) Sir John Bell
(1676–1677) James Campbell
(1678–1681) Sir John Bell
(1682–1683) John Barns
(1684–1685) John Johnston
(1686–1687) John Barns
(1688-1689) Walter Gibson
(1689–1690) John Anderson III
(1691–1692) James Peadie of Ruchill
(1693–1694) William Napier
(1695–1696) John Anderson III
(1697–1698) James Peadie of Ruchill
(1699–1700) John Anderson III

18th century

(1701–1703) Sir Hugh Montgomery
(1703–1705) John Anderson III
(1705–1707) John Aird
(1707–1709) Robert Rodger (Whig)
(1709–1711) John Aird
(1711–1713) Robert Rodger (Whig)
(1713–1715) John Aird
(1715–1717) John Bowman I
(1717–1719) John Aird
(1719–1721) John Bowman I
(1721–1723) John Aird
(1723–1725) Charles Miller
(1725–1727) John Stark
(1727–1728) James Peadie II
(1728–1730) John Stirling^[7]
(1730–1732) Peter Murdoch of Rosehill
(1732–1734) Hugh Rodger
(1734–1736) Andrew Ramsay
(1736–1738) John Coulter
(1738–1740) Andrew Alton
(1740–1742) Andrew Buchanan of Drumpellier
(1742–1744) Lawrence Dinwiddie
(1744–1746) Andrew Cochrane
(1746–1748) John Murdoch of Rosebank
(1748–1750) Andrew Cochrane
(1750–1752) John Murdoch of Rosebank
(1752–1754) John Brown
(1754–1756) George Murdoch^[8]
(1756–1758) Robert Christie
(1758–1760) John Murdoch of Rosebank
(1760–1762) Andrew Cochrane
(1762–1764) Archibald Ingram
(1764–1766) John Bowman II
(1766–1768) George Murdoch^[8]
(1768–1770) James Buchanan of Drumpellier
(1770–1772) Colin Dunlop of Carmyle
(1772–1774) Arthur Connell
(1774–1776) James Buchanan of Drumpellier
(1776–1778) Robert Donald
(1778–1780) William French
(1780) James Coats Campbell
(1780–1782) Hugh Wyllie
(1782–1784) Patrick Colquhoun
(1784–1786) James Coats Campbell
(1786–1788) John Riddell
(1788–1790) John Campbell of Clathick
(1790–1792) James McDowall
(1792–1794) Gilbert Hamilton of Glenarbuck
(1794–1796) John Dunlop of Rosebank^[9]
(1796–1798) James McDowall
(1798–1800) Lawrence Craigie

19th century

(1800–1802) John Hamilton
(1802–1804) Lawrence Craigie
(1804–1806) John Hamilton
(1806–1808) James MacKenzie of Craigpark
(1808–1810) James Black
(1810–1812) John Hamilton
(1812–1814) Kirkman Finlay (Tory)
(1814–1816) Henry Monteith
(1816–1818) James Black
(1818) Kirkman Finlay (Tory)
(1818–1820) Henry Monteith
(1820–1822) John Thomas Alston
(1822–1824) William Smith of Carbeth Guthrie^[10]
(1824–1826) Mungo Nutter Campbell
(1826–1828) William Hamilton son of John Hamilton^[11]
(1828–1830) Alexander Garden
(1830–1832) Robert Dalglish
(1832–1833) James Ewing^[12]
(1833–1834) Robert Grahame of Whitehill (Whig)
(1834–1837) William Mills (Whig)
(1837–1840) Henry Dunlop of Craigton FRSE (Whig)
(1840–1843) Sir James Campbell (Conservative)^[13]
(1843–1846) James Lumsden (Whig)
(1846–1848) Alexander Hastie (Whig)
(1848–1851) Sir James Anderson^[14]
(1851–1854) Robert Stewart
(1854–1857) Sir Andrew Orr (Liberal)
(1857–1860) Andrew Galbraith
(1860–1863) Peter Clouston
(1863–1866) John Blackie (Liberal)
(1866–1869) Sir James Lumsden (Liberal)
(1869–1871) William Rae Arthur
(1871–1874) Sir James Watson^[15]
(1874–1877) Sir James Bain
(1877–1880) Sir William Collins (Liberal)
(1880–1883) John Ure
(1883–1886) Sir William McOnie
(1886–1889) Sir James King
(1889–1892) Sir John Muir
(1892–1896) Sir James Bell
(1896–1899) Sir David Richmond

20th century

1899–1902 – Sir Samuel Chisholm (Liberal)
1902–1905 – Sir John Ure Primrose (Conservative)^[16]
1905–1908 – Sir William Bilsland
1908–1911 – Sir Archibald McInnes Shaw (Conservative)
1911–1914 – Sir Daniel Macaulay Stevenson (Liberal)
1914–1917 – Sir Thomas Dunlop (Unionist)
1917–1920 – Sir James Stewart
1920–1923 – Sir Thomas Paxton (Unionist)
1923–1926 – Sir Matthew Walker Montgomery (Unionist)
1926–1929 – Sir David Mason (Moderates)
1929–1932 – Sir Thomas Kelly (Moderates)
1932–1935 – Sir Alexander B Swan (Moderates)
1935–1938 – Sir John Stewart (Labour)
1938–1941 – Sir Patrick Dollan (Labour)
1941–1943 – John McLaren Biggar (Labour)
1943–1945 – James Welsh (Labour)
1945–1949 – Sir Hector McNeill (Labour)
1949–1952 – Sir Victor Warren (Progressive)
1952–1955 – Thomas Kerr (Labour)
1955–1958 – Andrew Hood (Labour)^[17]
1958–1960 – Sir Myer Galpern (Labour)
1960–1963 – Dame Jean Roberts (Labour)
1963–1965 – Sir Peter Meldrum (Labour)
1965–1969 – John Johnston (Labour)^[18]
1969–1972 – Sir Donald Liddle (Progressive)
May–July 1972 – John Mains (Labour)
1972–1975 – Sir William Gray (Labour)
1975–1977 – Peter McCann (Labour)
1977–1980 – David Hodge (Labour)
1980–1984 – Michael Kelly (Labour)
1984–1988 – Robert Gray (Labour)^[19]
1988–1992 – Susan Baird (Labour)
1992–1994 – Robert Innes (Labour)
1994–1995 – James Shields (Labour)^[20]
1995–1996 – Tommy Dingwall (Labour)
1996–1999 – Pat Lally (Labour)
1999–2003 – Alex Mosson (Labour)

21st century

2003–2007 – Liz Cameron (Labour)
2007–2012 – Bob Winter (Labour)
2012–2017 – Sadie Docherty (Labour)
2017–2019 – Eva Bolander (Scottish National Party)^[22]^[2]^[23]^[24]
2019–2022 - Philip Braat (Labour)^[25]^[26]
2022– Jacqueline McLaren (Scottish National Party)^[27]

Deputy lieutenants

A deputy lieutenant of Glasgow is commissioned by the Lord Lieutenant of Glasgow. Deputy lieutenants support the work of the lord-lieutenant. There can be several deputy lieutenants at any time, depending on the population of the county. Their appointment does not terminate with the changing of the lord-lieutenant, but they usually retire at age 75.

19th Century

6 February 1894: The Earl of Home^[28]
6 February 1894: Lieutenant Colonel The Lord Blythswood^[28]
6 February 1894: The Lord Kelvin^[28]
6 February 1894: The Lord Overtoun^[28]
6 February 1894: Sir John Stirling-Maxwell^[28]
6 February 1894: Sir Charles Tennant^[28]
6 February 1894: Sir James King^[28]
6 February 1894: Sir John Burns^[28]
6 February 1894: Sir William Wallace Hozier^[28]
6 February 1894: Sir John Muir^[28]
6 February 1894: Sir Charles Cameron^[28]
6 February 1894: Brigadier General Sir Donald Matheson}^[28]
6 February 1894: Sir William Collins^[28]
6 February 1894: Sir James Bain^[28]
6 February 1894: Sir John Neilson Cuthbertson^[28]
6 February 1894: Sir William McOnie}^[28]
6 February 1894: Sir William Kenny Watson^[28]
6 February 1894: John Anderson^[28]
6 February 1894: William Rae Arthur^[28]
6 February 1894: James G. A. Baird^[28]
6 February 1894: J. C. Bolton^[28]
6 February 1894: Hugh Brown^[28]
6 February 1894: James Alexander Campbell^[28]
6 February 1894: Charles Gairdner^[28]
6 February 1894: Donald Graham^[28]
6 February 1894: Sir Thomas Mason^[28]
6 February 1894: Alexander Osborne^[28]
6 February 1894: John Guthrie Smith^[28]
6 February 1894: James Reid Stewart^[28]
6 February 1894: John Ure^[28]
16 December 1902: Sir Samuel Chisholm^[29]

21st Century

9 July 2004: Christine Devine^[30]
9 July 2004: Alex Mosson^[30]
9 July 2004: Mary Paris^[30]
9 July 2004: Robert Winter^[30]

References

^ ^a ^b "Lord Provost & International Office, Glasgow City Council".
^ ^a ^b ^c Lord Provost of Glasgow claimed 23 pairs of shoes on expenses, BBC News, 8 October 2019
^ "Zero Number Plates". Retrieved 2 August 2014.
^ "Glasgow sells Tunnock's Rolls-Royce after tastes change".
^ "Provosts of Glasgow". Archived from the original on 1 November 2012. Retrieved 24 May 2008.
^ ^a ^b John Anderson (Mitchell Library, Glasgow Collection), The Glasgow Story
^ John Stirling (Mitchell Library, Glasgow Collection), The Glasgow Story
^ ^a ^b George Murdoch (Burrell Collection Photo Library), The Glasgow Story
^ John Dunlop (Mitchell Library, Glasgow Collection), The Glasgow Story
^ "Summary of Individual | Legacies of British Slavery". www.ucl.ac.uk.
^ "Summary of Individual | Legacies of British Slavery".
^ James Ewing (Mitchell Library, Glasgow Collection), The Glasgow Story
^ Sir James Campbell (Mitchell Library, The Bailie), The Glasgow Story
^ Sir James Anderson (Mitchell Library, Glasgow Collection), The Glasgow Story
^ Sir James Watson (Mitchell Library, The Bailie), The Glasgow Story
^ "No. 27499". The London Gazette. 28 November 1902. p. 8254.
^ Lord Provost Hood (Burrell Collection Photo Library, 1955 Survey), The Glasgow Story
^ Christmas lights, 1965 (Burrell Collection Photo Library), The Glasgow Story
^ Lord Provost Robert Gray (Mitchell Library, Glasgow Collection, Bulletin Photographs, 1987), The Glasgow Story
^ James and Barbara Shields (Mitchell Library, Glasgow Collection, Bulletin Photographs, 1994), The Glasgow Story
^ "New Glasgow Lord Provost commits to Malawi". www.scotland-malawipartnership.org. Retrieved 14 May 2025.
^ Glasgow City Council [@GlasgowCC] (18 May 2017). "Glasgow's new Lord Provost Eva Bolander was elected today at a meeting of the full council" (Tweet). Retrieved 18 May 2017 – via Twitter.
^ "Eva Bolander — Once a visiting piper from Sweden, now Glasgow's Lord Provost". The National. 27 May 2017. Retrieved 8 October 2019.
^ Glasgow Lord Provost Eva Bolander resigns after expenses row, BBC News, 31 October 2019
^ New Lord Provost elected to Glasgow City Council, BBC News, 23 January 2020
^ Everything you need to know about Glasgow's new Lord Provost Philip Braat, Glasgow Live, 23 January 2020
^ New Lord Provost of Glasgow announced, 19 May 2022.
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f ^g ^h ⁱ ^j ^k ^l ^m ⁿ ^o ^p ^q ^r ^s ^t ^u ^v ^w ^x ^y ^z ^aa ^ab ^ac ^ad "Edinburgh Gazette Issue 10542". 6 February 1894. Retrieved 28 July 2022.
^ "No. 27504". The London Gazette. 16 December 1902. p. 8682.
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d "Deputy Lieutenant Commissions". 16 July 2004. Retrieved 28 July 2022.

[gcc-1] "Lord Provost & International Office, Glasgow City Council".

[shoes-2] Lord Provost of Glasgow claimed 23 pairs of shoes on expenses, BBC News, 8 October 2019

[3] "Zero Number Plates". Retrieved 2 August 2014.

[2022sale-4] "Glasgow sells Tunnock's Rolls-Royce after tastes change".

[5] "Provosts of Glasgow". Archived from the original on 1 November 2012. Retrieved 24 May 2008.

[johnand2-6] John Anderson (Mitchell Library, Glasgow Collection), The Glasgow Story

[7] John Stirling (Mitchell Library, Glasgow Collection), The Glasgow Story

[gmurdoch-8] George Murdoch (Burrell Collection Photo Library), The Glasgow Story

[9] John Dunlop (Mitchell Library, Glasgow Collection), The Glasgow Story

[10] "Summary of Individual | Legacies of British Slavery". www.ucl.ac.uk.

[11] "Summary of Individual | Legacies of British Slavery".

[12] James Ewing (Mitchell Library, Glasgow Collection), The Glasgow Story

[13] Sir James Campbell (Mitchell Library, The Bailie), The Glasgow Story

[14] Sir James Anderson (Mitchell Library, Glasgow Collection), The Glasgow Story

[15] Sir James Watson (Mitchell Library, The Bailie), The Glasgow Story

[16] "No. 27499". The London Gazette. 28 November 1902. p. 8254.

[17] Lord Provost Hood (Burrell Collection Photo Library, 1955 Survey), The Glasgow Story

[18] Christmas lights, 1965 (Burrell Collection Photo Library), The Glasgow Story

[19] Lord Provost Robert Gray (Mitchell Library, Glasgow Collection, Bulletin Photographs, 1987), The Glasgow Story

[20] James and Barbara Shields (Mitchell Library, Glasgow Collection, Bulletin Photographs, 1994), The Glasgow Story

[21] "New Glasgow Lord Provost commits to Malawi". www.scotland-malawipartnership.org. Retrieved 14 May 2025.

[evatweet-22] Glasgow City Council [@GlasgowCC] (18 May 2017). "Glasgow's new Lord Provost Eva Bolander was elected today at a meeting of the full council" (Tweet). Retrieved 18 May 2017 – via Twitter.

[piper-23] "Eva Bolander — Once a visiting piper from Sweden, now Glasgow's Lord Provost". The National. 27 May 2017. Retrieved 8 October 2019.

[evagoes-24] Glasgow Lord Provost Eva Bolander resigns after expenses row, BBC News, 31 October 2019

[braat1-25] New Lord Provost elected to Glasgow City Council, BBC News, 23 January 2020

[braat2-26] Everything you need to know about Glasgow's new Lord Provost Philip Braat, Glasgow Live, 23 January 2020

[27] New Lord Provost of Glasgow announced, 19 May 2022.

[6_February_1894-28] ^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f ^g ^h ⁱ ^j ^k ^l ^m ⁿ ^o ^p ^q ^r ^s ^t ^u ^v ^w ^x ^y ^z ^aa ^ab ^ac ^ad "Edinburgh Gazette Issue 10542". 6 February 1894. Retrieved 28 July 2022.

[29] "No. 27504". The London Gazette. 16 December 1902. p. 8682.

[9_July_2004-30] "Deputy Lieutenant Commissions". 16 July 2004. Retrieved 28 July 2022.

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