Donald Nicol (MP)
Former Scottish politician
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Donald Ninian Nicol JP DL (3 October 1843 – 27 July 1903)[1] was a British barrister and politician, who served as the Unionist Party MP for Argyllshire 1895 to 1903.[2]
3 October 1843
Donald Nicol | |
|---|---|
Nicol in 1897. | |
| Member of Parliament for Argyllshire | |
| In office 13 July 1895 – 27 July 1903 | |
| Preceded by | Donald Horne Macfarlane |
| Succeeded by | Sir John Ainsworth |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Donald Ninian Nicol 3 October 1843 |
| Died | 27 July 1903 (aged 59) |
| Party | Unionist |
Early life and education
Nicol was born in Liverpool, Lancashire, in October 1843 to a Scottish father & English mother. He was educated in Scotland, first at Merchiston Castle School, Edinburgh and at the University of Glasgow. In 1863 he entered Queen's College, Oxford, achieving a BA in 1867 and an MA in 1872. He was called to the bar at the Middle Temple in 1870 and worked on the Northern Circuit.[3]
Political career
Nicol stood for election as the Conservative candidate for Argyllshire in the 1895 general election, where he defeated the incumbent Liberal MP Donald Horne Macfarlane.[4] Nicol was re-elected at the 1900 general election with a 54% majority.
Personal life & death
Nicol was married to Anne Millicent Bates (1849-1946), daughter of Sir Edward Bates, in 1874.[5] They had 4 children.
Nicol suffered from heart disease in later life, and he died in July 1903 after suffering a severe illness.[2] He was succeeded as MP in a by-election by Liberal candidate Sir John Ainsworth who Nicol had previously defeated in 1900.
Electoral history
1895 general election
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Conservative | Donald Nicol | 3,970 | 50.9 | +1.5 | |
| Liberal | Donald Horne Macfarlane | 3,835 | 49.1 | −1.5 | |
| Majority | 135 | 1.8 | N/A | ||
| Turnout | 7,805 | 74.5 | +1.1 | ||
| Registered electors | 10,471 | ||||
| Conservative gain from Liberal | Swing | +1.5 | |||
1900 general election
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Conservative | Donald Nicol | 3,834 | 54.2 | +3.3 | |
| Liberal | John Ainsworth | 3,234 | 45.8 | −3.3 | |
| Majority | 600 | 8.4 | +6.6 | ||
| Turnout | 7,068 | 67.9 | −6.6 | ||
| Registered electors | 10,405 | ||||
| Conservative hold | Swing | +3.3 | |||
