List of provosts of Perth

The is a list of provosts of Perth. Perth is a city in Scotland, and the role of provost is similar to that of a mayor in many other countries.

History

The Merchant Guild of Perth was chartered in 1210, and the post of provost may have originated at this point.¹ The first holder whose name is known is John Mercer, who served in 1368.²

Until 1975, the post was Lord Provost of Perth, and ranked second in precedence after the Lord Provost of Edinburgh. With the reorganisation of local government, it became Provost of Perth and Kinross.¹

List of Provosts

1368: John Mercer³

Laurence Spence³

William Mercer³

Andrew de Martyn³

John de Pitscottie³

1465: Andrew Charteris³

1471: Robert Donyng³

Andrew de Martyn³

Richard de Strathearn³

Alexander Bunch³

Thomas Peebles³

Robert Mercer³

Walter Ireland³

Patrick Wells³

1500: Patrick Wells³

Robert Mercer³

Andrew Charteris³

John Charteris³

Alexander Tyre, of Busbie³

Andrew Bunch³

1504: Alexander Blair³

1509: John Donyng³

1521: Patrick Charteris³

1523: Alexander M'Breck³

William, Lord Ruthven³

Oliver Maxton³

John Christison³

William Patullo³

1544: Patrick Ruthven⁴

1584: Patrick, Master of Ruthven³

Sir William Murray, of Tullibardine³

William, Earl of Gowrie³

John, Earl of Montrose³

John, Earl of Atholl³

James Hepburn³

James, Earl of Gowrie³

John, Earl of Gowrie³

1600: David Murray, afterwards Lord Scone³

James Adamson³

Viscount Stormont³

Alexander Peebles³

Robert Arnot³

Andrew Gray³

Andrew Grant³

Andrew Butter³

John Paterson³

1664: Sir Patrick Threipland³

1666: George Threipland³

Archibald Christie³

Andrew Jackson³

Patrick Hay³

Robert Lauder³

John Glas³

Robert Smyth³

George Oliphant³

James Cree³

David Murray³

Patrick Davidson³

1700: George Oliphant³

Patrick Davidson³

1704: Alexander Robertson³

1706: James Cree³

James Brown³

William Austen³

Robert Robertson³

Patrick Hay³

William Ferguson³

Colin Brown³

Patrick Crie³

John Robertson³

William Stuart³

William Gray³

John Stuart³

Alexander Simpson³

George Fechney³

1784: Thomas Marshall

1785: Thomas Marshall³

William Alison³

John Caw³

Alexander Fechney³

James Ramsay³

Thomas Black³

1800: Thomas Hay Marshall⁵

1801: Thomas Hay Marshall

1802: John Caw

1803: John Caw

1804: Thomas Hay Marshall

1805: Thomas Hay Marshall

1806: John Caw

1807: John Caw

1808: Laurence Robertson

1809: Laurence Robertson

1810: Robert Ross

1811: Robert Ross

1812: Laurence Robertson

1813: Laurence Robertson

1814: Robert Ross

1815: Robert Ross

1816: Laurence Robertson

1817: Laurence Robertson

1818: David Morison

1819: David Morison

1820: Robert Ross

1821: Robert Ross

1822: Patrick Gilbert Stewart

1823: Patrick Gilbert Stewart

1824: Robert Ross

1825: Robert Ross

1825: Patrick Gilbert Stewart

1826: Patrick Gilbert Stewart

1827: Robert Ross

1828: Robert Ross

1829: Patrick Gilbert Stewart

1830: Patrick Gilbert Stewart

1839: David Greig⁶

1841: David Greig

1842: Charles Graham Sidney

1862: Sir David Ross

1867: John Pullar⁷

1873: Andrew Graham

1877: Thomas Richardson

1880: Kirkwood Hewat

1890: George Wilson

1893: John Dewar

1899: David Macgregor

1902: Thomas Love

1909: Duncan Macnab

1912: Charles Scott

1919: Archibald Ure Wotherspoon

1922: John Dewar

1924: Thomas Dempster

1932: Thomas Hunter

1935: Robert Nimmo⁸

1945: John Ure Primrose⁹

1954: John Buchan

John T. Young

1963: Robert Ritchie¹⁰

1966: David Kinnear Thomson¹¹

1972: Alexander Cross

1975: Norman Renfrew

John Mathieson

1988: Alexander Murray¹²

1992: Jean McCormack

1996: John Culliven¹³

1999: Mike O'Malley¹⁴

2003: Bob Scott¹⁵

2007: John Hulbert

2012: Liz Grant¹⁶

2017: Dennis Melloy¹⁷

2022: Xander McDade¹⁸

References

"The Fair City of Perth" (PDF). Perth and Kinross Council. Retrieved 20 October 2022.
Crawford Smith, David (1906). The Historians of Perth, and Other Local and Topographical Writers, Up to the End of the Nineteenth Century. J. Christie.
Cowan, Samuel (1904). Perth, the Ancient Capital of Scotland. Vol. 1.
Way, George and Squire, Romily. Collins Scottish Clan & Family Encyclopedia. (Foreword by The Rt Hon. The Earl of Elgin KT, Convenor, The Standing Council of Scottish Chiefs). Published in 1994. Pages 100 - 101.
The Ancient Capital of Scotland: The Story of Perth from the Invasion of Agricola to the Passing of the Reform Bill · Volume 1, Samuel Cowan (1904), p. 375
New Edinburgh Almanac and National Repository. Edinburgh: Oliver and Boyd. 1840. p. 329.
Oxford Dictionary of National Biography: John Pullar
Burke's Genealogical and Heraldic History of the Peerage, Baronetage, and Knightage. Burke's Peerage. 1956.
Bracken, C. P. (1967). Who's who in British Aviation. English Universities Press.
"Interesting discovery". The Courier & Advertiser. 12 October 2016.
"Thomson, David Kinnear". Who's Who & Who Was Who. Vol. 2016 (November 2015 online ed.). A & C Black. Retrieved 7 April 2016. (Subscription or UK public library membership required.)
Arbuckle, Andrew (22 June 2022). "Obituaries: Alexander Murray, hill farmer and former Perth Provost". The Scotsman. Retrieved 20 October 2022.
Culliven, Sheila (22 May 2023). "Obituaries: Tribute paid to Sheila Culliven, former 'first lady' of Perth and Kinross, following death aged 84". The Courier. Retrieved 10 November 2025.
Anderson, Kathryn (18 January 2022). "Tributes paid to popular former Perth and Kinross Council Provost who died at the weekend". Daily Record. Retrieved 20 October 2022.
Wilson, Willie (21 May 1942). "Obituary: Bob Scott, former provost, Perth and Kinross Council". The Scotsman. Retrieved 20 October 2022.
"Provost of Perth and Kinross Liz Grant reflects on five years as civic head of local authority during a time of great change". Daily Record. 28 April 2017. Retrieved 20 October 2022.
Chalmers, Robbie (10 May 2022). "Provost of Perth and Kinross Council will "step into retirement" after local election exit". Daily Record. Retrieved 20 October 2022.
Duncan, Emma (21 June 2022). "'I'm the Provost of Perth and Kinross aged 28 - here's how I got there'". The Courier. Retrieved 20 October 2022.

[fair-1] "The Fair City of Perth" (PDF). Perth and Kinross Council. Retrieved 20 October 2022.

[2] Crawford Smith, David (1906). The Historians of Perth, and Other Local and Topographical Writers, Up to the End of the Nineteenth Century. J. Christie.

[mercer-3] Cowan, Samuel (1904). Perth, the Ancient Capital of Scotland. Vol. 1.

[Clan.Encyclopedia.Charteris-4] Way, George and Squire, Romily. Collins Scottish Clan & Family Encyclopedia. (Foreword by The Rt Hon. The Earl of Elgin KT, Convenor, The Standing Council of Scottish Chiefs). Published in 1994. Pages 100 - 101.

[5] The Ancient Capital of Scotland: The Story of Perth from the Invasion of Agricola to the Passing of the Reform Bill · Volume 1, Samuel Cowan (1904), p. 375

[Edinburgh-6] New Edinburgh Almanac and National Repository. Edinburgh: Oliver and Boyd. 1840. p. 329.

[7] Oxford Dictionary of National Biography: John Pullar

[8] Burke's Genealogical and Heraldic History of the Peerage, Baronetage, and Knightage. Burke's Peerage. 1956.

[9] Bracken, C. P. (1967). Who's who in British Aviation. English Universities Press.

[10] "Interesting discovery". The Courier & Advertiser. 12 October 2016.

[whoswho-11] "Thomson, David Kinnear". Who's Who & Who Was Who. Vol. 2016 (November 2015 online ed.). A & C Black. Retrieved 7 April 2016. (Subscription or UK public library membership required.)

[12] Arbuckle, Andrew (22 June 2022). "Obituaries: Alexander Murray, hill farmer and former Perth Provost". The Scotsman. Retrieved 20 October 2022.

[13] Culliven, Sheila (22 May 2023). "Obituaries: Tribute paid to Sheila Culliven, former 'first lady' of Perth and Kinross, following death aged 84". The Courier. Retrieved 10 November 2025.

[14] Anderson, Kathryn (18 January 2022). "Tributes paid to popular former Perth and Kinross Council Provost who died at the weekend". Daily Record. Retrieved 20 October 2022.

[15] Wilson, Willie (21 May 1942). "Obituary: Bob Scott, former provost, Perth and Kinross Council". The Scotsman. Retrieved 20 October 2022.

[16] "Provost of Perth and Kinross Liz Grant reflects on five years as civic head of local authority during a time of great change". Daily Record. 28 April 2017. Retrieved 20 October 2022.

[17] Chalmers, Robbie (10 May 2022). "Provost of Perth and Kinross Council will "step into retirement" after local election exit". Daily Record. Retrieved 20 October 2022.

[18] Duncan, Emma (21 June 2022). "'I'm the Provost of Perth and Kinross aged 28 - here's how I got there'". The Courier. Retrieved 20 October 2022.

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