Robert Ganson (i)

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Robert Ganson as Provost of the Lerwick Town Council.
Image kindly supplied by the Shetland Islands Council

Robert Dowell Ganson O.B.E. (b. 25 September 1855, Delting, d. 17 February 1936, Lerwick) was a business chairman, a Lerwick Town Councillor between 1903 and 1932, and a County Councillor, representing Bressay first between 1892 - 1895 and 1898 and 1913, Sandwick between 1913 and 1919, and Nesting between 1922 and 1928. He was a chairman for the Ganson Bros company which was established in 1883 and operated until the 1970's as a carriage hiring company, and later a garage.

His son, Robert had a similarly notable life in business and local government.

His involvement with Brentham House in Lerwick and that area led to the alley leading to Brentham Court being renamed Ganson Lane.

Biography

Ganson was first a Law Clerk in Lerwick under J. G. Galloway, the Procurate-Fiscal. With his brother he founded Ganson Bros as carters and hirers and he acquired farmland at the Ness of Sound. He grew Ganson Bros to be the largest and most extensive hiring company in Shetland. This progress was driven by the company's ability to keep up with development in car motor technology.

After his brother passed away, he continued extend his farmland and built several buildings in Lerwick including Brentham Place.

He held a keen interest in agriculture and was a judge at livestock shows, as well as being a prominent member of the Shetland Agricultural Education Advisory Committee. He was also the Clerk to the Bressay School Board from 1872 until 1919 (43 years), the Clerk to the Lerwick School Board from 1890 to 1910 and was decorated with an O.B.E. for his work as Convener on Emergency War Committees.

Political Career

Lerwick Town Council

Zetland County Council

External Links

Provosts
Preceded by
Peter Goodlad
PS Goodlad Headshot.png
Provost
for Lerwick Town Council

1920-1924
Succeeded by
James Laing
James Laing Headshot.png
Leaders of the Lerwick Town Council
Councillors Arthur Edmondston (1818-1823) • Charles Ogilvy Snr (1823-1827) • William Spence (1827-1832) • Charles Ogilvy Jr (1832-1844) • Joseph Leask (1844-1847) • William Sievwright Snr (1847-1856) • Charles Duncan (1856-1862) • Joseph Leask (1862-1865) • Charles Duncan (1865-1874) • William Sievwright Jr (1874-1876) • Thomas Cameron (1876-1883) • John Robertson (1883-1890) • Charles Robertson (1890-1895) • John Leisk (1895-1904) • James Goudie (1904-1907) • Arthur Porteous (1907-1910) • Arthur Laing (1910-1913) • Robert Stout (1913-1915) • Peter Goodlad (1915-1920) • Robert D. Ganson (1920-1924) • James Laing (1924-1927) • John Sinclair (1927-1930) • William Sinclair (1930-1933) • Robert Ollason (1933-1936) • James A. Smith (1936-1941) • Magnus Shearer (1941-1946) • James Aitken (1946-1950) • Robert A. Anderson (1950-1953) • George Burgess (1953-1956) • William Conochie (1956-1959) • Robert Blance (1959-1962) • Harry Gray (1962-1965) • Andrew Nicolson (1965-1967) • Eric Gray (1967-1971) • Bill Smith (1971-1974) • James Taylor (1974-1975)
Conveners
Preceded by
James Grierson
Convener of the
Zetland County Council

1914-1917
Succeeded by
John W. Robertson
Conveners of the Zetland County Council
Councillors John Bruce (1890-1907) • John Anderson (1907-1910) • James Grierson (1911-1913) • Robert D. Ganson (1914-1917) • John W. Robertson (1918-1923) • Henry Mouat (1924-1927) • James A. Smith (1928-1929) • Magnus Shearer (1930-1935) • Thomas Johnston (1935-1936) • William McDougall (1936-1937) • Adam Halcrow (1937-1938) • Edward Adie (1938-1943) • Robert J. H. Ganson (1944-1947) • William Thomson (1947-1955) • Prophet Smith (1955-1960) • Tom Henderson (1960-1963) • William Hamilton (1963-1967) • Robert A. Johnson (1967-1970) • Edward Thomason (1970-1973) • George Blance (1973-1975)
Zetland County Council
Preceded by
James Meiklejohn
Member for
Bressay

1898-1910
Succeeded by
Thomas Anderson
Preceded by
William Shand
Member for
Sandwick

1913-1919
Succeeded by
William Jamieson
Preceded by
Robert Hunter
Member for
Nesting

1922-1928
Succeeded by
Magnus Gray
Bressay County Councillors
Councillors James Meiklejohn (1890-1898) • Robert D. Ganson (1898-1913) • Thomas Anderson (1913-1922 • Allan Roy (1922-1929) • Archibald MacIntyre (1929-1933) • James Smith (1933-1934) • Norman Cameron (1934-1945) • William Collie (1945-1949) • James Smith (1949-1955) • Prophet Smith (1955-1960) • John Smith (1960-1966) • John Scott (1966-1970) • James Irvine (1970-1975)
Nesting County Councillors
Councillors Robert Bell (1890-1892) • William Levie (1892-1895) • John Small (1895-1910) • James Loggie (1910-1914) • John Pearson (1914-1919) • James Hunter (1919-1920) • Robert Hunter (1920-1922) • Robert D. Ganson (1922-1928) • Magnus Gray (1928-1932) • Thomas Anderson (1932-1935) • William Sutherland (1935-1938) • James Anderson (1938-1945) • Adam Thomson (1945-1948) • John Pearson (1948-1952) • Prophet Smith (1952-1955) • William Hamilton (1955-1973) • Andrew Riddell (1973-1975)
Sandwick County Councillors
Councillors Sinclair Duncan (1890-1904) • William Smith (1904-1910) • William Shand (1911-1913) • Robert D. Ganson (1913-1919) • William Jamieson (1919-1932) • William Thomson (1935-1955) • James Pottinger (1955-1958) • Robert Bruce (1958-1961) • James Halcrow (1961-1970) • Thomas Stove (1970-1975)