Sir James Taggart KBE DL (1849–1929) was a Scottish businessman who served as

Lord Provost of Aberdeen The Lord Provost of Aberdeen is the convener of the Aberdeen 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 for the entire city. They are equivalent in many ways ...

1914 to 1919. Much loved throughout

Aberdeenshire Aberdeenshire (; ) is one of the 32 Subdivisions of Scotland#council areas of Scotland, council areas of Scotland. It takes its name from the Shires of Scotland, historic county of Aberdeenshire (historic), Aberdeenshire, which had substantial ...

he was affectionately known as Good Sir James.

Life

He was born at Coldwells Farm near

Inverurie Inverurie (Scottish Gaelic: ''Inbhir Uraidh'' or ''Inbhir Uaraidh'', 'mouth of the River Ury') is a town in Aberdeenshire, Scotland at the confluence of the rivers Ury and River Don, Aberdeenshire, Don, about north-west of Aberdeen. Geography ...

on 6 December 1849, the son of farmer Charles Taggart and his wife, Margaret Barnet. His father died when he was only seven years old. By 1900 he was running a successful granite works in Aberdeen: The Great Western Granite Works at 80 Great Western Road and was living nearby at 382 Great Western Road. In 1905 he was made Deputy Lieutenant of Aberdeen. In 1914 he succeeded Adam Maitland as

. At 11am on 11 November 1918 Taggart stood on the balcony of the Aberdeen Town Hall to announce the Armistice to the cheering crowds below. He was succeeded in his role as Lord Provost by William Meff. In 1921 he was invited to unveil the war memorial at Holburn Church in south Aberdeen. He died in Aberdeen on 26 November 1929. Despite poor weather his funeral cortege on Friday 29 November was escorted by several thousand people, from his home at Ashley Lodge on Great Western Road to Springbank Cemetery in south Aberdeen. The tribute at the graveside was read by Sir George Adam Smith.

Family

He was married to Eliza Reid (1855-1932). They had two sons: John Douglas Taggart (1895-1949) and Edwin Barnet Taggart (1891-1951), and one daughter, Alice Mary Taggart (1896-1955).

Artistic recognition

He was portrayed in 1925 by

Ambrose McEvoy Arthur Ambrose McEvoy (12 August 1877 – 4 January 1927) was an English artist. His early works are landscapes and interiors with figures, in a style influenced by James McNeill Whistler. Later he gained success as a portrait painter, mainly o ...

in military uniform in 1917. The picture is held by Aberdeen Art Gallery and Museum.

Publications

*Stories Told by Sir James Taggart (1929)

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Taggart, James 1849 births 1929 deaths People from Inverurie Lord provosts of Aberdeen Knights_Commander_of_the_Order_of_the_British_Empire