The Administration of Urban Society in Scotland, 1800-50, With Reference to the Growth of Civic Government in Glasgow and Its Suburbs

Oliver, Sheila Cameron (1995) The Administration of Urban Society in Scotland, 1800-50, With Reference to the Growth of Civic Government in Glasgow and Its Suburbs. PhD thesis, University of Glasgow.

Abstract

The early nineteenth century was a period of great change in Scotland, as industrialisation and urbanisation presented many challenges to the existing administrative structures. Within Glasgow, and across the country, the lack of Government intervention meant that Local Acts had to be obtained from Parliament to allow them to develop their role within the community. Conflicts arose over many aspects of the Acts, but concerns over finance remained prominent. Inhabitants wanted to gain the benefits of the new Police Establishments without contributing financially. An examination of the Glasgow, Anderston, Calton and Gorbals Police Commissioners show how local solutions were adopted for problems which were widespread across the country at this time. While the effect of this legislation and the men who implemented it have provided the main focus of this thesis, consideration has also been given to the background and ideas behind these new developments. In particular, the influence of the Enlightenment and Evangelicalism has been explored to show where the concept of Civic duty came from and how it was effectively exploited. Perceptions of rising crime have also been examined to show how the authorities reacted to meet the concerns of the population. In order to ensure a more balanced view of Glasgow's achievements, comparisons have been made with the contemporary situation in England and Wales, as well as a more in-depth examination of developments in Edinburgh.

• Item Type: Thesis (PhD)
• Qualification Level: Doctoral
• Additional Information: Adviser: J F McCaffrey
• Keywords: Public administration, Political science
• Date of Award: 1995
• Depositing User: Enlighten Team
• Unique ID: glathesis:1995-76304
• Copyright: Copyright of this thesis is held by the author.
• Date Deposited: 19 Nov 2019 16:08
• Last Modified: 19 Nov 2019 16:08
• URI: https://theses.gla.ac.uk/id/eprint/76304