Councillors

This is a brief guide to tracing the records of councillors in Glasgow and Strathclyde.

What do I need to know before I start?​

Try to find out:

  • name of the person

  • when they served as a councillor

  • which council they served on

​What records can I find in The Mitchell: Glasgow City Archives?

Councillors have been elected in Glasgow ​since 1833 and there are various sources which provide details of their election and subsequent work:

  • Town Council lists, 1828-1975

  • Domesday book, giving biographical notes and obituaries of councillors, compiled from 1890 to 1975 with retrospective information back to the 1850s

  • oaths and declarations, 1807-1946 (incomplete)

  • photograph albums, 1887 and 1893 

  • Glasgow Town Councillors, 1833-1912

  • preliminary list by Irene Sweeney (1987)

     

The records of councillors for various areas in Strathclyde as follows:

  • Lanarkshire - diaries and handbooks, 1920-1975

  • Renfrewshire - county handbooks, 1899-1960 (incomplete)

  • Rutherglen  - election declarations and oaths of allegiance, 1671-1870

  • Strathclyde Region – biographical notes and other information on councillors, 1982-1990

     

If your ancestor was a councillor in the Strathclyde area, contact the City Archives for information on other records that we might hold.

What records can I see ​online?

There are no records online.

What records can I see el​sewhere?

Check local newspapers for an obituary on the death of a councillor as they can often provide details of their career.