John MacGregor (Glasgow MP)
Encyclopedia
John MacGregor was born near Stornoway in the Western Isles of Scotland, but lived in Canada between the ages of 6 and 30 years. He was a civil servant in Canada, then moved to Britain as a businessman, author, civil servant as joint secretary to the Board of Trade
from 1840–1847, and politician. He was elected as a Liberal
Member of Parliament
for Glasgow
in 1847, resigning in 1857 by becoming Steward of the Manor of Northstead. He used his (unpaid) position as an MP to give the appearance of influence as Chairman to a number of companies, at least two of which - the Eastern Archipelago Company
and the Royal British Bank
- lost in celebrated fraud trials . He lived at 61 Ennismore Gardens, London, from 1849-1855 . He died in France before he could be tried in the latter case, otherwise he would surely have been convicted.
Board of Trade
The Board of Trade is a committee of the Privy Council of the United Kingdom, originating as a committee of inquiry in the 17th century and evolving gradually into a government department with a diverse range of functions...
from 1840–1847, and politician. He was elected as a Liberal
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...
Member of Parliament
Member of Parliament
A Member of Parliament is a representative of the voters to a :parliament. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, the term applies specifically to members of the lower house, as upper houses often have a different title, such as senate, and thus also have different titles for its members,...
for Glasgow
Glasgow (UK Parliament constituency)
Glasgow was a burgh constituency of the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom from 1832 to 1885. It returned two Member of Parliament until 1868, and then three from 1868 to 1885...
in 1847, resigning in 1857 by becoming Steward of the Manor of Northstead. He used his (unpaid) position as an MP to give the appearance of influence as Chairman to a number of companies, at least two of which - the Eastern Archipelago Company
Eastern Archipelago Company
The Eastern Archipelago Company was an incorporated company with a royal charter active in the island of Labuan from its creation in 1847 to its dissolution in 1858....
and the Royal British Bank
Royal British Bank
The Royal British Bank was a British joint-stock bank, established under a Royal Charter in 1849, that collapsed in 1856, causing a scandal.In 1858 the eight directors — not including the bank's founder, John MacGregor, Member of Parliament for Glasgow, who had left the bank in 1854 and died in...
- lost in celebrated fraud trials . He lived at 61 Ennismore Gardens, London, from 1849-1855 . He died in France before he could be tried in the latter case, otherwise he would surely have been convicted.