John Mills McCallum
Encyclopedia
Sir John Mills McCallum was a Scottish soap manufacturer and Liberal
politician.
the son of John McCallum who was originally from Kintyre
and was a partner in a firm of dyers. McCallum attended Allan Glen's School
in Glasgow
to pursue studies in chemistry. In 1875, he married Miss Oates the daughter of a Grimsby
Justice of the Peace
. He lived in Paisley all his life.
for Renfrew
.
He was sometime president of the Scottish Liberal Association and took a prominent part in the promotion of the Paisley Liberal Club, despite being a teetotaller and a temperance campaigner.
, particularly on the issue of Irish Home Rule. He also seems to have favoured greater devolution to Scotland itself, attending meetings of the Scottish Home Rule Association. Despite being an industrialist he was in that tradition of Liberal politicians supporting radical causes. He was a supporter of the Paisley Tenants’ Protection Association (PTPA) set up in 1902 and formed to campaign against the missive system, underpinning Scottish property transactions, and against rent increases. The PTPA became a broader radical campaigning body, diversifying from just housing questions into a forum for supporting wider social change. Indeed McCallum developed into a strong advocate of social and labour reform, very much identified with the New Liberal
agenda of social legislation enacted principally after 1908.
at the general election of 1906
, succeeding Sir William Dunn who had been Liberal MP for the town since winning a by-election in 1891
. He faced Liberal Unionist
opposition and a candidate from the Scottish Workers’ Representation Committee for labour but he won with a majority of 3,070 votes and 52.7% of the poll.
He held his seat at the general elections of January and December 1910 both times in straight fights against Conservative
opposition – by 2,921 votes in January and 2,689 in December.
At the 1918 ‘coupon’ general election
McCallum faced a tougher fight. At first he kept his options open on support for the Coalition government
. He announced to a meeting of the Paisley Liberal Association that he would vote in Parliament as a Liberal for the Coalition government. While soon being approached by a number of local Liberals and urged to fight as an official Coalitionist, he wavered and the coalition coupon
was bestowed on his Unionist opponent, John Taylor. Taylor, a furniture maker from Glasgow, actually fought as a member of the National Democratic Party
. In addition McCallum faced a Labour
opponent, John M Biggar, standing as a Co-operative candidate. In a tight three-way contest McCallum held his seat by a majority of just 106 votes, polling 7,542 votes to Biggar’s 7,436 and Taylor’s 7,201.
, a member of the Philosophical Society, a director of Paisley Museum and Art Gallery and a director of the Poor Association. He was knighted in 1912
and presented the opportunity for former Liberal Party leader Herbert Henry Asquith
to return to the House of Commons
.
Liberal Party (UK)
The Liberal Party was one of the two major political parties of the United Kingdom during the 19th and early 20th centuries. It was a third party of negligible importance throughout the latter half of the 20th Century, before merging with the Social Democratic Party in 1988 to form the present day...
politician.
Family and education
McCallum was born in PaisleyPaisley
Paisley is the largest town in the historic county of Renfrewshire in the west central Lowlands of Scotland and serves as the administrative centre for the Renfrewshire council area...
the son of John McCallum who was originally from Kintyre
Kintyre
Kintyre is a peninsula in western Scotland, in the southwest of Argyll and Bute. The region stretches approximately 30 miles , from the Mull of Kintyre in the south, to East Loch Tarbert in the north...
and was a partner in a firm of dyers. McCallum attended Allan Glen's School
Allan Glen's School
Allan Glen's School was for most of its existence a selective fee-paying independent secondary school for boys in Glasgow, Scotland. It was founded by the Allan Glen's Endowment Scholarship Trust on the death in 1850 of Allan Glen, a successful Glasgow tradesman and businessman, "to give a good...
in Glasgow
Glasgow
Glasgow is the largest city in Scotland and third most populous in the United Kingdom. The city is situated on the River Clyde in the country's west central lowlands...
to pursue studies in chemistry. In 1875, he married Miss Oates the daughter of a Grimsby
Grimsby
Grimsby is a seaport on the Humber Estuary in Lincolnshire, England. It has been the administrative centre of the unitary authority area of North East Lincolnshire since 1996...
Justice of the Peace
Justice of the Peace
A justice of the peace is a puisne judicial officer elected or appointed by means of a commission to keep the peace. Depending on the jurisdiction, they might dispense summary justice or merely deal with local administrative applications in common law jurisdictions...
. He lived in Paisley all his life.
Career
McCallum followed his father into business and became a partner in the firm of Isdale and McCallum, soap manufacturers.Local politics
McCallum became a member of the Paisley Town Council in 1899. He was magistrate in the town and also served as a Justice of the PeaceJustice of the Peace
A justice of the peace is a puisne judicial officer elected or appointed by means of a commission to keep the peace. Depending on the jurisdiction, they might dispense summary justice or merely deal with local administrative applications in common law jurisdictions...
for Renfrew
Renfrew
-Local government:The town of Renfrew gave its name to a number of local government areas used at various times:*Renfrew a town to the west of Glasgow*Renfrewshire, the present unitary local council area in which Renfrew is situatated....
.
He was sometime president of the Scottish Liberal Association and took a prominent part in the promotion of the Paisley Liberal Club, despite being a teetotaller and a temperance campaigner.
Political position
McCallum was identified as a supporter of the great Liberal prime minister William Ewart GladstoneWilliam Ewart Gladstone
William Ewart Gladstone FRS FSS was a British Liberal statesman. In a career lasting over sixty years, he served as Prime Minister four separate times , more than any other person. Gladstone was also Britain's oldest Prime Minister, 84 years old when he resigned for the last time...
, particularly on the issue of Irish Home Rule. He also seems to have favoured greater devolution to Scotland itself, attending meetings of the Scottish Home Rule Association. Despite being an industrialist he was in that tradition of Liberal politicians supporting radical causes. He was a supporter of the Paisley Tenants’ Protection Association (PTPA) set up in 1902 and formed to campaign against the missive system, underpinning Scottish property transactions, and against rent increases. The PTPA became a broader radical campaigning body, diversifying from just housing questions into a forum for supporting wider social change. Indeed McCallum developed into a strong advocate of social and labour reform, very much identified with the New Liberal
Social liberalism
Social liberalism is the belief that liberalism should include social justice. It differs from classical liberalism in that it believes the legitimate role of the state includes addressing economic and social issues such as unemployment, health care, and education while simultaneously expanding...
agenda of social legislation enacted principally after 1908.
Parliament
McCallum first stood for Parliament in PaisleyPaisley (UK Parliament constituency)
Paisley was a parliamentary constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom from 1832 until 1983, when it was divided into Paisley North and Paisley South...
at the general election of 1906
United Kingdom general election, 1906
-Seats summary:-See also:*MPs elected in the United Kingdom general election, 1906*The Parliamentary Franchise in the United Kingdom 1885-1918-External links:***-References:*F. W. S. Craig, British Electoral Facts: 1832-1987**...
, succeeding Sir William Dunn who had been Liberal MP for the town since winning a by-election in 1891
Paisley by-election, 1891
The Paisley by-election, 1891 was a parliamentary by-election held on 1 June 1891 for the British House of Commons constituency of Paisley in Scotland...
. He faced Liberal Unionist
Liberal Unionist Party
The Liberal Unionist Party was a British political party that was formed in 1886 by a faction that broke away from the Liberal Party. Led by Lord Hartington and Joseph Chamberlain, the party formed a political alliance with the Conservative Party in opposition to Irish Home Rule...
opposition and a candidate from the Scottish Workers’ Representation Committee for labour but he won with a majority of 3,070 votes and 52.7% of the poll.
He held his seat at the general elections of January and December 1910 both times in straight fights against Conservative
Conservative Party (UK)
The Conservative Party, formally the Conservative and Unionist Party, is a centre-right political party in the United Kingdom that adheres to the philosophies of conservatism and British unionism. It is the largest political party in the UK, and is currently the largest single party in the House...
opposition – by 2,921 votes in January and 2,689 in December.
At the 1918 ‘coupon’ general election
United Kingdom general election, 1918
The United Kingdom general election of 1918 was the first to be held after the Representation of the People Act 1918, which meant it was the first United Kingdom general election in which nearly all adult men and some women could vote. Polling was held on 14 December 1918, although the count did...
McCallum faced a tougher fight. At first he kept his options open on support for the Coalition government
Coalition Government 1916-1922
The Coalition Government of David Lloyd George came to power in the United Kingdom in December 1916, replacing the earlier wartime coalition under H.H. Asquith, which had been held responsible for reverses during the Great War. Those Liberals who continued to support Asquith served as the Opposition...
. He announced to a meeting of the Paisley Liberal Association that he would vote in Parliament as a Liberal for the Coalition government. While soon being approached by a number of local Liberals and urged to fight as an official Coalitionist, he wavered and the coalition coupon
Coalition Coupon
The ‘Coalition Coupon’, often referred to as ‘the coupon’, refers to the letter sent to parliamentary candidates at the United Kingdom general election, 1918 endorsing them as official representatives of the Coalition Government. The 1918 election took place in the heady atmosphere of victory in...
was bestowed on his Unionist opponent, John Taylor. Taylor, a furniture maker from Glasgow, actually fought as a member of the National Democratic Party
National Democratic and Labour Party
The National Democratic and Labour Party, usually abbreviated to National Democratic Party , was a political party in the United Kingdom....
. In addition McCallum faced a Labour
Labour Party (UK)
The Labour Party is a centre-left democratic socialist party in the United Kingdom. It surpassed the Liberal Party in general elections during the early 1920s, forming minority governments under Ramsay MacDonald in 1924 and 1929-1931. The party was in a wartime coalition from 1940 to 1945, after...
opponent, John M Biggar, standing as a Co-operative candidate. In a tight three-way contest McCallum held his seat by a majority of just 106 votes, polling 7,542 votes to Biggar’s 7,436 and Taylor’s 7,201.
Public life
Apart from his political work McCallum took an active part in the public life of his home town. He was for many years president of the Young Men’s Christian AssociationYMCA
The Young Men's Christian Association is a worldwide organization of more than 45 million members from 125 national federations affiliated through the World Alliance of YMCAs...
, a member of the Philosophical Society, a director of Paisley Museum and Art Gallery and a director of the Poor Association. He was knighted in 1912
Death
McCallum died at Southdene, Paisley on 10 January 1920 aged 72 years. His death caused a by-election in PaisleyPaisley by-election, 1920
The Paisley by-election, 1920 was a parliamentary by-election held on 12 February 1920 for the British House of Commons constituency of Paisley in Scotland...
and presented the opportunity for former Liberal Party leader Herbert Henry Asquith
H. H. Asquith
Herbert Henry Asquith, 1st Earl of Oxford and Asquith, KG, PC, KC served as the Liberal Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1908 to 1916...
to return to the House of Commons
British House of Commons
The House of Commons is the lower house of the Parliament of the United Kingdom, which also comprises the Sovereign and the House of Lords . Both Commons and Lords meet in the Palace of Westminster. The Commons is a democratically elected body, consisting of 650 members , who are known as Members...
.