Clyde Navigation Trustees, photographed inside their Robertson Street headquarters on 5 November, 1907. Lord Provost Sir William Bilsland, fourth from the left, is in the chair. The provosts of Dumbarton, Govan and Clydebank are also present.
Glasgow Town Council became trustees of the River Clyde in 1770, with responsibility for managing the river, dredging, and harbour development. The River Improvement Trust was set up in 1809, with ferries being added to its responsibilities in 1840. It was replaced by the Clyde Navigation Trust in 1858.
The Clyde Navigation Trust was reconstituted in 1905, to raise the number of trustees to forty-two. Nine extra representatives of the shipowners and harbour ratepayers were added, bringing their total to eighteen. Ten were appointed by Glasgow Corporation; two each by Glasgow Chamber of Commerce, the Merchants' House, Trades House and Lanark County Council; one each by the burghs of Dumbarton, Clydebank, Renfrew, Govan and Partick, and one by Dunbarton County Council.
Reference: Mitchell Library, Gf 920.04 WHO
Reproduced with the permission of Glasgow City Council, Libraries Information and Learning
Keywords:
Clyde Navigation Trust, Clyde Navigation trustees, dredging, ferries, Glasgow Chamber of Commerce, Glasgow Harbour, lord provosts, Merchants' House, River Clyde, River Improvement Trust, Trades House