James Gardiner (Scottish politician)
Encyclopedia
James Gardiner was a Scottish farmer
and Liberal Party
politician.
in Perthshire
in 1860, the son of John Gardiner, a crofter
, and his wife Harriet (née Allan). He was educated at Morrison's Academy
in Crieff and also received private tuition. In 1887 he married Elizabeth Maude Christie the daughter of an engineer from Ruthvenvale, near Auchterarder
. Elizabeth Gardiner died of heart failure in a London nursing home in 1921 and in 1922 Gardiner married Elizabeth Christie whose father had homes in Mokameh
in Bengal
and at Comrie
.
. He built up a seed potato
and grain
merchant’s business in Perth. He became a tenant farmer
and developed one of the largest potato farms in Scotland, occupying an extensive portion of land on the Drummond Castle
estate of the Earl of Ancaster. had a distinguished career in Scottish agriculture. He was sometime Director of the Scottish Chamber of Agriculture
and President of Scottish National Farmers’ Union
. During the Great War he served as a Member of the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food
, Potato Advisory Committee. He was also a Member of the Council of the National Institute of Agricultural Botany
. He was an acknowledged expert in practical agriculture in all its advanced branches and was an authority on agricultural plant breeding
, raising several of the most popular immune varieties of potato
es in cultivation. He later passed from specialising in potatoes to general farming and stock - breeding
.
at the 1918 general election
as Liberal candidate for Kinross and Western Perthshire
. Kinross and Western Perthshire was a new seat created for the 1918 election. Gardiner’s opponent was the Unionist
Archibald Stirling who had represented one of the previous seats covering part of the same area, West Perthshire
since winning a by-election
there in February 1917. Despite Gardiner’s support for Prime Minister
David Lloyd George
, it was Stirling who was awarded the Coalition coupon
. However it was Gardiner who won the election, one of the few Liberals to be elected against the coupon, and he then loyally supported the Lloyd George coalition
in Parliament. Gardiner defeated Stirling in a straight fight by a majority of 604 votes.
At the 1922 general election
Gardiner stood as a supporter of Lloyd George under the description National Liberal
and, despite the narrowness of his victory in 1918, he was returned unopposed. He stood down at the next election.
Farmer
A farmer is a person engaged in agriculture, who raises living organisms for food or raw materials, generally including livestock husbandry and growing crops, such as produce and grain...
and Liberal Party
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
Gardiner was born near CrieffCrieff
Crieff is a market town in Perth and Kinross, Scotland. It lies on the A85 road between Perth and Crianlarich and also lies on the A822 between Greenloaning and Aberfeldy. The A822 joins onto the A823 which leads to Dunfermline....
in Perthshire
Perthshire
Perthshire, officially the County of Perth , is a registration county in central Scotland. It extends from Strathmore in the east, to the Pass of Drumochter in the north, Rannoch Moor and Ben Lui in the west, and Aberfoyle in the south...
in 1860, the son of John Gardiner, a crofter
Croft (land)
A croft is a fenced or enclosed area of land, usually small and arable with a crofter's dwelling thereon. A crofter is one who has tenure and use of the land, typically as a tenant farmer.- Etymology :...
, and his wife Harriet (née Allan). He was educated at Morrison's Academy
Morrison's Academy
Morrison's Academy is an independent co-educational school in Crieff, Scotland, which provides nursery, primary and secondary school facilities. All who attend are day pupils and it draws many pupils from surrounding Perth and Kinross and Stirling....
in Crieff and also received private tuition. In 1887 he married Elizabeth Maude Christie the daughter of an engineer from Ruthvenvale, near Auchterarder
Auchterarder
Auchterarder is a small town located north of the Ochil Hills in Perth and Kinross, Scotland, and home to the famous Gleneagles Hotel. The 1.5 mile long High Street of Auchterarder gave the town its popular name of "Lang Toon"....
. Elizabeth Gardiner died of heart failure in a London nursing home in 1921 and in 1922 Gardiner married Elizabeth Christie whose father had homes in Mokameh
Mokameh
Mokama is a city and a municipality in Patna district in the Indian state of Bihar. It is located 90 KM east of Patna and is on the rail route connecting Kolkata and New Delhi via Patna...
in Bengal
Bengal
Bengal is a historical and geographical region in the northeast region of the Indian Subcontinent at the apex of the Bay of Bengal. Today, it is mainly divided between the sovereign land of People's Republic of Bangladesh and the Indian state of West Bengal, although some regions of the previous...
and at Comrie
Comrie
Comrie is an affluent village and parish in the southern highlands of Scotland, towards the western end of the Strathearn district of Perth and Kinross, seven miles west of Crieff. The village has won the Royal Horticultural Society "Large Village Britain in Bloom Winner" in 2007 and 2010...
.
Career
Gardiner followed his father into agricultureAgriculture
Agriculture is the cultivation of animals, plants, fungi and other life forms for food, fiber, and other products used to sustain life. Agriculture was the key implement in the rise of sedentary human civilization, whereby farming of domesticated species created food surpluses that nurtured the...
. He built up a seed potato
Potato
The potato is a starchy, tuberous crop from the perennial Solanum tuberosum of the Solanaceae family . The word potato may refer to the plant itself as well as the edible tuber. In the region of the Andes, there are some other closely related cultivated potato species...
and grain
GRAIN
GRAIN is a small international non-profit organisation that works to support small farmers and social movements in their struggles for community-controlled and biodiversity-based food systems. Our support takes the form of independent research and analysis, networking at local, regional and...
merchant’s business in Perth. He became a tenant farmer
Tenant farmer
A tenant farmer is one who resides on and farms land owned by a landlord. Tenant farming is an agricultural production system in which landowners contribute their land and often a measure of operating capital and management; while tenant farmers contribute their labor along with at times varying...
and developed one of the largest potato farms in Scotland, occupying an extensive portion of land on the Drummond Castle
Drummond Castle
Drummond Castle is located in Perthshire, Scotland. The castle is best known for its gardens, described by Historic Scotland as "the best example of formal terraced gardens in Scotland." It is situated in Muthill parish, south of Crieff. The castle comprises a tower house built in the late 15th...
estate of the Earl of Ancaster. had a distinguished career in Scottish agriculture. He was sometime Director of the Scottish Chamber of Agriculture
and President of Scottish National Farmers’ Union
National Farmers Union of Scotland
The National Farmers Union of Scotland is an organisation that promotes and protects the interests of the farming industry in Scotland. It was formed in 1913, and has approximately 10,000 members who are farmers, crofters, and others involved in Scottish agriculture.The current President is Jim...
. During the Great War he served as a Member of the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food
Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food
The Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food was a United Kingdom government department created by the Board of Agriculture Act 1889 and at that time called the Board of Agriculture, and then from 1903 the Board of Agriculture and Fisheries, and from 1919 the Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries...
, Potato Advisory Committee. He was also a Member of the Council of the National Institute of Agricultural Botany
Botany
Botany, plant science, or plant biology is a branch of biology that involves the scientific study of plant life. Traditionally, botany also included the study of fungi, algae and viruses...
. He was an acknowledged expert in practical agriculture in all its advanced branches and was an authority on agricultural plant breeding
Plant breeding
Plant breeding is the art and science of changing the genetics of plants in order to produce desired characteristics. Plant breeding can be accomplished through many different techniques ranging from simply selecting plants with desirable characteristics for propagation, to more complex molecular...
, raising several of the most popular immune varieties of potato
Potato
The potato is a starchy, tuberous crop from the perennial Solanum tuberosum of the Solanaceae family . The word potato may refer to the plant itself as well as the edible tuber. In the region of the Andes, there are some other closely related cultivated potato species...
es in cultivation. He later passed from specialising in potatoes to general farming and stock - breeding
Animal husbandry
Animal husbandry is the agricultural practice of breeding and raising livestock.- History :Animal husbandry has been practiced for thousands of years, since the first domestication of animals....
.
Politics
Gardiner first stood for ParliamentParliament
A parliament is a legislature, especially in those countries whose system of government is based on the Westminster system modeled after that of the United Kingdom. The name is derived from the French , the action of parler : a parlement is a discussion. The term came to mean a meeting at which...
at the 1918 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...
as Liberal candidate for Kinross and Western Perthshire
Kinross and Western Perthshire (UK Parliament constituency)
Kinross and Western Perthshire was a county constituency of the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom from 1918 until 1983, representing, at any one time, a seat for one Member of Parliament , elected by the first past the post system of election.-Boundaries:The constituency was...
. Kinross and Western Perthshire was a new seat created for the 1918 election. Gardiner’s opponent was the Unionist
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...
Archibald Stirling who had represented one of the previous seats covering part of the same area, West Perthshire
West Perthshire (UK Parliament constituency)
West Perthshire was a county constituency of the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom from 1885 to 1918...
since winning a by-election
By-election
A by-election is an election held to fill a political office that has become vacant between regularly scheduled elections....
there in February 1917. Despite Gardiner’s support for Prime Minister
Prime minister
A prime minister is the most senior minister of cabinet in the executive branch of government in a parliamentary system. In many systems, the prime minister selects and may dismiss other members of the cabinet, and allocates posts to members within the government. In most systems, the prime...
David Lloyd George
David Lloyd George
David Lloyd George, 1st Earl Lloyd-George of Dwyfor OM, PC was a British Liberal politician and statesman...
, it was Stirling who was awarded 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...
. However it was Gardiner who won the election, one of the few Liberals to be elected against the coupon, and he then loyally supported the Lloyd George coalition
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...
in Parliament. Gardiner defeated Stirling in a straight fight by a majority of 604 votes.
At the 1922 general election
United Kingdom general election, 1922
The United Kingdom general election of 1922 was held on 15 November 1922. It was the first election held after most of the Irish counties left the United Kingdom to form the Irish Free State, and was won by Andrew Bonar Law's Conservatives, who gained an overall majority over Labour, led by John...
Gardiner stood as a supporter of Lloyd George under the description National Liberal
National Liberal Party (UK, 1922)
The National Liberal Party was a liberal political party in the United Kingdom from 1922 to 1923. It was led by David Lloyd George and was, at the time, separate to the original Liberal Party.-History:...
and, despite the narrowness of his victory in 1918, he was returned unopposed. He stood down at the next election.