List of provosts of Dundee

The Lord Provost of Dundee is the chair and civic head of the Dundee City Council in Scotland. They are elected by the city council and serve not only as the chair of that body, but as a figurehead and Lord Lieutenant for the city. They are equivalent in many ways to the institution of Mayor that exists in other countries.

Lord Provost of Dundee
Incumbent Bill Campbell since 20 May 2022
Appointer	Dundee City Council approved by the Monarch
Term length	Elected by Dundee City Council at the start of each session, and upon a vacancy
First holder	Alexander Mathewson (first recorded holder, though role existed before)
Deputy	Kevin Cordell

Each of the 32 Scottish local authorities elects a Provost, but it is only the four largest cities, Glasgow, Edinburgh, Aberdeen and Dundee that have a Lord Provost. This is enshrined in the Local Government etc. (Scotland) Act 1994.

The Mediaeval burgh of Dundee was administered by officials known as "Bailies", Provosts and the office of "Constable of Dundee". The office of Provost as the single chief official of the burgh was not created until the 1480s.

List of provosts and lord provosts

Provosts

15th century

• 1443 – William de Straithain
• 1454 – Henry de Fothringhame of Pourie
• 1459 – Thomas Spalding
• 1460 – William de Strathauchtyne
• 1461 – John Scrymgeour
• 1463 – David Aberkirdor
• 1463–1464 – James Blare
• 1466 – Robert Graham
• 1469–1470 – John Hay
• 1470 – Malcolm Guthrie
• 1476 – James Fullerton
• 1478–1479 – Robert Graham of Fintry
• 1482 – David Rollok
• 1483 – Robert Graham of Fintry
• 1483–1484 – David Aberkirdor
• 1485–1492 – James Rollok
• 1492–1497 – James Scrymgeour, (Constable of Dundee)
• 1497–1498 – Robert Graham of Fintry

16th century

• 1504–1509 – James Rollok
• 1509–1513 – Alexander Ogilvie
• 1513 – Lord Gray
• 1513 – Andrew Abercrombie
• 1513–1514 – Earl of Crauford
• 1514–1516 – James Rollok
• 1516–1520 – James Scrymgeour, (Constable of Dundee)
• 1520–1523 – Alexander Ogilvie
• 1523–1525 – William Carmichael of Carpow
• 1526–1528 – John Scrymgeour of Glaister
• 1528–1530 – James Scrymgeour, (Constable of Dundee)
• 1531–1532 – John Barrie
• 1543–1544 – Walter Scrymgeour of Glaswell
• 1544–1545 – Robert Myln
• 1550 – James Dog of Dunrobbene
• 1551–1565 – James Halyburton
• 1565–1566 – Earl of Crauford
• 1566–1586 – James Halyburton
• 1586–1590 – James Scrymgeour of Dudhope
• 1590–1592 – James Forrester
• 1592–1593 – James Auchinlek
• 1593–1609 – Sir James Scrymgeour

17th century

• 1609–1614 – William Duncan
• 1614–1626 – William Auchinlek
• 1626–1631 – Thomas Halyburton
• 1631–1633 – Thomas Auchinlek
• 1633–1637 Thomas Davidson
• 1637–1643 – James Fletcher
• 1643–1646 – James Piersoun
• 1646–1650 – William Kinneris (Kinnear)
• 1650–1658 – Thomas Mudy
• 1658–1659 – Sir Thomas Mudy
• 1659–1666 – Alexander Wedderburn
• 1666–1667 – George Fletcher
• 1667–1669 – George Brown
• 1669–1670 – John Tarbet
• 1670–1672 – Alexander Watson
• 1672–1677 George Brown
• 1677–1681 – Alexander Wedderburn of Easter Powrie
• 1681–1685 – Alexander Duncan
• 1685–1686 – James Fletcher
• 1686–1687 – Major General John Graham of Claverhouse
• 1687–1688 – James Fletcher
• 1688–1689 – Major General John Graham of Claverhouse
• 1689–1698 – James Fletcher
• 1698–1700 – Alexander Blair

18th century

• 1700–1702 – John Scrymgeour
• 1702–1704 – John Duncan
• 1704–1706 – Alexander Blair
• 1706–1708 – George Yeaman
• 1708–1710 – Alexander Blair
• 1710–1712 – George Yeaman
• 1712–1714 – Magister Henry Guthrie
• 1714–1716 – Alexander Ballingall
• 1716–1717 – John Scrymgeour (Installed by order of the Duke of Argyll, see The 'Fifteen)
  * 1717 –1719 Magister Alexander Duncan of Lundie
• 1719–1721 – John Scrymgeour
• 1721–1723 – Thomas Bower
• 1723–1725 – David Maxwell
• 1725–1727 – George Ramsay
• 1727–1728 – Alexander Ferrier
• 1728–1731 – James Fairweather
• 1731–1732 Alexander Robertson
• 1732–1735 – James Fairweather
• 1735–1736 – Patrick Maxwell
• 1736–1738 – Andrew Wardropper
• 1738–1741 – John Donaldson
• 1741–1742 – Alexander Robertson
• 1742–1744 – Patrick Yeaman of Blacklaw
• 1744–1747 – Alexander Duncan of Lundie
• 1747–1748 – Patrick Yeaman of Blacklaw
• 1748–1750 – George Yeaman of Balbeuchly
• 1750–1753 – Patrick Yeaman of Blacklaw
• 1753–1754 – Andrew Wardropper
• 1754–1757 – Patrick Yeaman
• 1757–1758 – Andrew Wardropper
• 1758–1761 – George Yeaman
• 1761–1762 – Patrick Yeaman
• 1762–1764 – John Halyburton
• 1764–1766 – John Barclay
• 1766–1768 – Patrick Maxwell
• 1768–1770 – George Maxwell
• 1770–1772 – Patrick Maxwell
• 1772–1774 – Henry Geekie
• 1774–1776 – Patrick Maxwell
• 1776–1778 – George Maxwell of Balmyle
• 1778–1780 – Henry Geekie
• 1780–1782 – Patrick Maxwell
• 1782–1784 – John Pitcairn
• 1784–1786 – Patrick Maxwell
• 1786–1788 – John Pitcairn
• 1788–1790 – Alexander Riddoch
• 1790–1792 – James Johnston
• 1792–1794 – Alexander Riddoch
• 1794–1796 – Alexander Thoms
• 1796–1798 – Alexander Riddoch
• 1798–1800 – Alexander Thoms

19th century

• 1800–1802 – Alexander Riddoch
• 1802–1804 – John Guild
• 1804–1807 – Alexander Riddoch
• 1807–1808 – John Guild
• 1808–1810 – Alexander Riddoch
• 1810–1812 – John Guild
• 1812–1814 – Alexander Riddoch
• 1814–1816 – John Guild
• 1816–1818 – Alexander Riddoch
• 1818–1820 – Patrick Anderson
• 1820–1822 – David Brown
• 1822–1824 – Patrick Anderson
• 1824–1826 – David Brown
• 1826–1828 – Alexander Balfour
• 1828–1830 – Thomas Bell
• 1831 – Robert Jobson
• 1831–1833 – William Lindsay
• 1833–1839 – Alexander Kay
• 1839–1841 – William Hackney
• 1841 – William Johnstone
• 1841–1844 – Alexander Lawson
• 1844–1847 – James Brown
• 1847–1853 – Patrick Hunter Thoms
• 1853–1856 – George Rough
• 1856–1858 – John Ewan
• 1858 – David Rollo
• 1858–1861 – David Jobson
• 1861–1867 – Charles Parker
• 1867–1869 – William Hay
• 1869–1872 – James Yeaman
• 1872–1875 – James Cox
• 1875–1878 – William Robertson
• 1878–1881 – William Brownlee
• 1881–1884 – Alexander Hay Moncur
• 1884–1887 – Hugh Ballingall
• 1887–1890 – William Hunter

Lord Provosts

Tenure	Provost	Political party
1890–1893	Alexander Mathewson
1893–1896	Sir James Low
1896–1899	Henry McGrady
1899–1902	William Hunter
1902–1905	Charles Barrie
1905–1908	William Longair
1908–1914	Sir James Urquhart
1914–1920	Sir William Don
1920–1923	Sir Alexander Spence
1923–1929	Sir William High
1929–1932	George Anderson Johnston
1932–1935	William Huntley Buist
1935–1940	Sir John Phin
1940–1946	Sir Garnet Wilson		Liberal Party
1946–1949	Archibald Powrie
1949	John Campsie Adamson
1949–1952	Richard Fenton
1952–1954	William Black
1954–1960	William Hughes		Labour
1960–1967	Maurice McManus
1967–1970	Alexander MacKenzie
1970–1973	William K. Fitzgerald
1973–1975	Thomas W. Moore
1975–1977	Charles D.P. Farquhar
1977–1980	Henry W.C. Vaughan
1980–1984	James P. Gowans		Labour
1984–1992	Thomas Mitchell
1992–1995	Thomas M. McDonald
1995–1996	Norman A. McGowan[1]
1996–1999	Mervyn J. Rolfe[citation needed]
1999–2001	Helen Wright[2]
2001–2012	John Letford[3]
			Independent
2012–2017	Bob Duncan[4]		SNP
2017–2022	Ian Borthwick[5]		Independent
2022–present	Bill Campbell[6][a]		SNP

Deputy lieutenants

A deputy lieutenant of Dundee is commissioned by the Lord Lieutenant of Dundee. 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

• 9 November 1894: Claude Bowes-Lyon, 13th Earl of Strathmore and Kinghorne^[7]
• 9 November 1894: The Earl of Camperdown^[7]
• 9 November 1894: Colonel Sir Reginald Ogilvy^[7]
• 9 November 1894: Sir John Leng^[7]
• 9 November 1894: Sir Thomas Thornton^[7]
• 9 November 1894: Edmund Robertson, 1st Baron Lochee^[7]
• 9 November 1894: William Robertson^[7]
• 9 November 1894: Alexander Hay Moncur^[7]
• 9 November 1894: William Hunter^[7]
• 9 November 1894: Hugh Ballingall^[7]
• 9 November 1894: Alexander MathewsoD^[7]
• 9 November 1894: William Brownlee^[7]
• 9 November 1894: James Erskine Erskine^[7]
• 9 November 1894: Duncan Macdonald^[7]
• 9 November 1894: John Sharp^[7]
• 9 November 1894: Sir James Low^[7]
• 9 November 1894: George Addison Cox^[7]
• 9 November 1894: George W. Baxter^[7]
• 9 November 1894: Henry M'Grady^[7]

Notes

1. Kevin Cordell serves as the Deputy Lord Provost.

References

1. "Norman A. McGowan (1926–2005), Lord Provost of Dundee (1995–1996), JP | Art UK". artuk.org. Retrieved 4 April 2022.
2. "Helen W. Wright (b.1943), Lord Provost of Dundee (1999–2001) | Art UK". artuk.org. Retrieved 4 April 2022.
3. "John Letford (b.1935), Lord Provost of Dundee (2001–2012) | Art UK". artuk.org. Retrieved 4 April 2022.
4. "ROBERT DUNCAN - DUNDEE - LORD PROVOST CITY OF DUNDEE". www.checkcompany.co.uk. Retrieved 4 April 2022.
5. Morkis, Stefan. "Ian Borthwick to officially become Lord Provost on Monday". The Courier. Retrieved 4 April 2022.
6. Hamilton, Lindsey. "Dundee's new Lord Provost and other top council posts revealed". The Courier. Retrieved 20 May 2022.
7. "The Edinburgh Gazette Issue 10621". 9 November 1894. Retrieved 28 July 2022.