1539 John Gulland

Constituency : Dumfries  Burghs  1906-18

John  took  over  from  the  long-serving  Robert  Reid  ( who  became  Lord  Chancellor  as  Lord  Loreburn ) at  Dumfries.

John  was  the  son  of  a  corn  merchant  and  banker. He  was  known  as  a  Radical.

John  was  a junior  whip  from  1909  until  1915  when  Percy  Illingworth  died  and  John  succeeded  him  as  Chief  Whip, He  told  Asquith  that  the  Scottish  Secretary  had  to  be  a  Liberal  but  Asquith  probably  agreed  with  that  anyway. He  had  to  share  his  duties  with  the  Tories'  Edmund  Talbot  when  the  coalition  was  formed  in  1915. He  resigned  along  with Asquith  in  1916.

John  was  swarthy  and  known  as  "Black  John  Willie". He  was  an  honest  and  straightforward  man. He  was  particularly  interested  in  improving  the  welfare  of  disabled  children,

John's  seat  was  abolished , much  to  his  displeasure , in  1918. He  stood  for  Dumfriesshire  but  was  heavily  defeated  by  the  Tory  candidate. He  went  on  a  tour  of  Canada  and  the  US  speaking  in  favour  of  the League  of  Nations.

He  died  in  1920  aged  55.