About James Cowan
Lived 1816 – 1895 (aged 79). James Cowan was a British politician.
James Cowan (1816 – 24 November 1895) was a Liberal Party politician in Scotland.
He was the son of Alexander Cowan, papermaker and philanthropist. He was one of eleven children including Charles Cowan MP, and Sir John Cowan, 1st Baronet.
He was Lord Provost of Edinburgh from 1872 to 1874.
He was elected at the 1874 general election as a Member of Parliament for Edinburgh, and held the seat until he resigned from the House of Commons in 1882 by the procedural device of taking the office of Crown Steward and Bailiff of the three Chiltern Hundreds of Stoke, Desborough and Burnham.
He is buried with his family on the west side of the original cemetery in Grange Cemetery in Edinburgh.
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Important facts
People in James Cowan's life
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Contemporaries
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Frequently asked questions
Who was James Cowan?
Scottish politician, born 1816
When was James Cowan born?
James Cowan was born on 12 March 1816.
When did James Cowan die?
James Cowan died on 24 November 1895.
What was James Cowan's occupation?
James Cowan was a politician.
What nationality was James Cowan?
James Cowan was British.
Sources & further reading
· DBpedia: James Cowan (Scottish politician)
Cite this page
APA: Biography.guide. (2026). James Cowan. https://biography.guide/james-cowan/
MLA: "James Cowan." Biography.guide, https://biography.guide/james-cowan/.
Chicago: "James Cowan." Biography.guide. https://biography.guide/james-cowan/.
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