Kenneth Thomson

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Reverend Kenneth Thomas Thomson (b. 1932, Edinburgh, d. 5 May 1991, Sanquhar, Dunfries and Galloway) was a Minister for the United Free Church and a Lerwick Town Councillor in 1961. He holds the perhaps unfortunate record of the shortest council tenure in the history of any modern political institution in Shetland, at 4 days.

He was elected on 1 May, and when the council met on 5 May, it was established that as Thomson had failed to declare that he had received pay through dealings with the Anderson Educational Institute as a relief teacher. The Shetland Times article on the issue was headlined: "COUNCILLOR FOR FIVE MINUTES".

He was ordained in Shetland in 1957 and demitted on 24 February 1977. The Shetland Library, following their move to the St. Ringan's Church premises published a history of ministers there, and say of Rev Thomson:

"In 1958 during the ministry of the Rev K T, Thomson and through an agreement with the Parish Church St Ringan's once again became United Free. The Rev K T Thomson was witness to the move from St Olaf's United Free Church to St Ringan's. His ministry lasted from 1958 until 1961."

Political Career