1348 John Wilson

Constituency :  Falkirk  Burghs  1895-1906 ( Liberal  Unionist  to  1903 )

John  re-captured  Falkirk  Burghs  for  the  Liberal  Unionists  by  unseating  Harry  Smith.

John  was   a  coal master's  son. He  was  educated  at  Airdrie  and  Glasgow  Academies  . He  was chairman  of  the  Wilsons  and  Clyde  Coal  Company.

John  left  the  Liberal  Unionists  in  1903  in  protest  at  Tariff  Reform

In  1905  John  called  for  reduced  government  expenditure  to  allow  the  scrapping  of  the  export  duty  on  coal. In  the  summer  he  made  a  long  journey  through  India.

John  was  created  a  baronet  when  he  stood  down  in  1906  as  there  was  already  a  Liberal  candidate  in  place . The  Liberals  of  Wick  Burghs  wanted him  to  stand  there  but  he  declined.

John  was  keen  on  shooting  and  golf.

In  1910  Sir  John  gave  a  gift  of  £10,000  for  the  building  of  Airdrie  Town  Hall.

He  died  in  1918  aged  74.