James Goodlad
James Mouat Goodlad (b. 1 March 1864, Tingwall, d. 10 November 1953, Lerwick) was a shoemaker and County Councillor for Gulberwick between 1922 and 1924 and a Lerwick Town Councillor between 1921 and 1924.
His brother, Peter, was Provost of Lerwick 1915-1920.
He unsuccessfully contested the 1919 Lerwick Town Council election.
Biography
James moved to Lerwick in his youth after his father died as a result of an accident at sea when James was just three. He began working as an apprentice with shoemaker David Affleck, and worked with him in Affleck's passing in 1879. His brother, Peter, had started the boot and shoemaking business Goodlad & Coutts in 1891, and in 1898, James joined as a partner as the business was expanding to Kirkwall. The business expanded again in 1905, opening a shop in Sandwich, followed by Fraserburgh and Peterhead in 1906 and 1913 respectively.
At its peak, the firm employed 42 people, most of whom worked on the Esplanade where James was the manager. The breakout of WWI severely hampered the business, as 17 staff were called up and six killed. The war had seen a huge rise in the usage of rubber boots, which became the footwear of choice for the sea-farers that the business had previously served. As a result, the business had to scale back, with the branches in Sandwich, Fraserburgh and Peterhead all closing.
When John Coutts died in 1921, the business became Goodlad & Goodlad. James continued to work for the family business until the early 1940s, at which time he had served nearly 50 years.
Latterly, he attended Ratepayers Association meetings.
Political Career
Lerwick Town Council
Zetland Council Council
External Links
| Zetland County Council | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by Samuel Fordyce |
Member for Gulberwick 1921-1924 |
Succeeded by Thomas Anderson |
