Robert Bontine Cunninghame Graham

Robert Bontine Cunninghame

Scottish politician, writer, journalist and adventurer. He was a Liberal Party Member of Parliament (MP); the first-ever socialist member of the Parliament of the United Kingdom; a founder of the Scottish Labour Party (1888-1893); a founder of the National Party of Scotland; and the first president of the Scottish National Party in 1934.

Final years

Robert Cunninghame Graham remained sprightly and rode daily even in his 80s. He continued to write, was the President of the Scottish Branch of the P.E.N. Club and involve himself in politics. He died from pneumonia on March 20, 1936 in the Plaza Hotel in Buenos Aires, Argentina following a visit to the birthplace of his friend William Hudson. His body lay in state in the Casa del Teatro and received a countrywide tribute led by the President of the Republic before his body was shipped home to be buried beside his wife in the ruined Augustinian Inchmahome Priory on the island of Inchmahome, Lake of Menteith, Stirling.

The following year, June 1937, a monument the Cunninghame Graham Memorial was unveiled at Castlehill, Dumbarton, near the family home at Ardoch. Later it was moved to Gartmore, closer to the principal Graham estate, which he had been forced to sell in 1901 to the shipping magnate and founder of the Clan Line, Sir Charles Cayzer, Bt. His estates at Ardoch passed to his nephew, Captain (later Admiral Sir) Angus Cunninghame Graham, the only son of his brother Cdr. Charles Elphinstone-Fleeming Cunninghame Graham, MVO.

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Traveller, author, and politician', friend of Shaw, Conrad, Galsworthy, F. M. Ford, Chesterton and others. Probably the first socialist in the House of Commons. He had no issue.

In about 1883 ‎he changed his name to Robert Bontine Cunninghame Graham after his father's death

Between 1886 and 1892 - MP for North West Lanarkshire

12 September 1887 ‎ Suspended from the House of Commons for using the word 'damn' in Parliament; the first MP ever suspended for swearing

13 November 1887 Beaten and arrested during the 'Bloody Sunday' demonstration in Trafalgar Square

Note: Cunninghame Graham was defended at trial by H. H. Asquith, but was found guilty of unlawful assembly and sentenced to six weeks of imprisonment in Pentonville.

1888 ‎Founding president of the Scottish Labour Party

Between 1897 and 1924 ‎Friendship with Joseph Conrad ‎(ending only with Conrad's death)‎

1898 ‎Published Mogreb-el-Acksa

1900 ‎Published Thirteen Stories

1901 ‎Published A Vanished Arcadia

Between 1934 and 20 March 1936 ‎President of the Scottish National Party

Death 20 March 1936 ‎(Age 83)‎ Plaza Hotel, Buenos Aires, Argentina

Cause of death: Pneumonia

http://www.stanford.edu/group/auden/cgi-bin/auden/individual.php?pi...