646 James Stevenson

Constituency : South Shields  1868-95

James  took  over  from  Robert  Ingham  at  South  Shields.

James  was  a  Glasgow  merchant's  son  educated  at  High School, Glasgow  and  Glasgow  University. In  1844  the  family  moved  to  Jarrow  when  his  father  became  a  partner  in  an  alkali  company. James  took  over  its  running  and  made  it  the  second  largest  chemical  company  in  the  UK. He  was  mayor of  South  Shields  campaigning  for  better  sanitation  and  road  widening. For  a  time  he  owned  the  Shields  Gazette. Despite  his  public  philanthropy  his  works  were  responsible  for  pollution  and  noted  for  harsh  working  conditions.

James  supported  total  closure  of  public  houses  on  a  Sunday.

James  was  the  father  of  Hilda  Runciman, the  first  female  Liberal  MP.

James  retired in  1895.

He  died  in  1905  aged  79.