Stevenston's first Council - Candidates

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Hughie
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Stevenston's first Council - Candidates

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Kilmarnock Herald and Ayrshire Gazette
June 13, 1952

23. Candidates for Stevenston (first) Town Council

Stevenston electors, having obtained burgh status, are faced with the selection of 9 members to constitute their first town council from 23 candidates. To hold the names of the aspirants for civic honours the ballot paper is likely to be about half the size of this page.

Nominations closed at 4 o'clock on Tuesday afternoon. Withdrawal by any of the candidates may take place up to the same time next Tuesday.

The candidates will seek election under various labels-and none. Labour heads the list numerically with 9 nominees. There are 7 Moderates and 5 Independents sponsored by the recently formed Independent Voters' Association. The other two candidates stand without labels unless the ridiculous term 'independent' Independent is used.

One of the candidates without a 'tag' is Mr Alexander Duff, a former Saltcoats magistrate. Seeking to make a come back to public life are 94-year-old Mr James Morrison and Mr John Alexander, who is 79. Of the Labour nine only Miss F. Miller has not sought election to a local authority before.

Complete "field for the big day-Tuesday, 1st July, is:-
Labour - Bothwell, J., Clements, J., Forde, J., Martin, W., Murray, W., Maxwell, T.,
Miller, Miss F., Nimmo, Rev. J. M., and Small,. W.

Moderate - Alexander, J., Clark, J., Hyslop, T., Lumsden, J., McLellan, R., Murdoch, Mrs E., Sandford, J.

Independent - Cameron, W., Chalmers, S., Johnston, G., Morrison, J., Rushton, J.

No Label-Duff, A., Carson, H.

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Willie Martin brought his family to Australia and visited with us in Melbourne, we later visited the family in Sydney see this topic
Kittywake
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Re: Stevenston's first Council - Candidates

Post by Kittywake »

Interesting stuff, plus as you'd expect, many street and place names in the town were named after prominent local folk. Off the top of my head here there's 'Clements Place' .. 'Forde Crescent' .. 'Maxwell Place' .. 'Alexander Avenue' .. 'Clark Crescent' .. 'Hyslop Road' .. 'Lumsden Place' .. 'Murdoch Crescent' and 'Morrison Avenue' ... all still there.
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Re: Stevenston's first Council - Candidates

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Kilmarnock Herald and Ayrshire Gazette
July 4, 1952

Morrison (92) Heads the Poll - Forde Next with 14 votes Less.

New council meets to-day Mr James Morrison, 92-year-old 'interloper to the town headed the poll in the election of Stevenson's first town council with 2,039 votes. He beat Mr James Forde by 14 votes. The new council consists of four Labour members, three Moderates and two sponsored by the Independent Voters' Association.

The successful candidates are: J. Morrison (Ind. Assoc.), 2039; J. Forde (Lab.), 2025; J. Clark (Mod.), 1931; Mrs E. Murdoch (Mod.), 1749; J. Clements (Lab.), 1660; T. Hyslop (Mod.), 1658; Rev, d. M. Nimmo (Lab.), 1608; T. Maxwell (Lab.), 1521; and W. Chalmers (Ind. Assoc.), 1475.

Unsuccessful - J. Rushton (Ind. Assoc.), 1455; W. Small (Lab.), 1409; J. Both well (Lab.) 1391; Miss F. Miller (Lab.), 1292; W. Cameron (Ind. Assoc.), 1285; W. Martin (Lab.) 1216; R. McLellan (Mod.), 1203; W. Murray (Lab.), 1185; J. Sanford (Mod..), 987; G. Johnston (Ind. Assoc.). 797: J. Lumsden (Mod.), 786; A. Duff (Ind.), 356; H. Carson (Ind.), 257.

Heavy rain about ten o'clock following the close of the poll dispersed the elements of a gathering crowd but half an hour later the weather had cleared and a crowd of several hundred soon gathered outside Ardeer Halls where the count was taking place. By eleven o'clock the assembly had swelled to at least five hundred and they waited patiently till 1.15 a.m. when the hall doors were opened and declaration of the result of the poll was made by Sheriff Principal Gordon Thomson.

Cheers
The Sheriff had to pause while the crowd reacted to the intimation of Mr Morrison's success with loud and prolonged cheering and again when Mr Forde's vote was declared. Thereafter the cheering continued but in diminishing volume as the Sheriff went down the list and by the time the last names were reached such cheers as were given were more ironic than complimentary.

The results clearly indicate the futility of seeking election unsupported by an organised Party.

There was some disappointment in Labour circles as a Labour majority on the new council had been confidently expected. There seems little doubt that the opposition to burgh status by Mr Small and Mr Martin had adverse effects on the number of votes they received.

First Meeting
The first meeting of the new council takes place at noon today (Friday) when the Provost and magistrates will be appointed and other necessary business transacted.
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