Prophet Smith
Prophet James Laurence Smith (b. 23 October 1909, Ulsta, Yell, d. 12 April 1979, Lerwick), became a seaman at an early age. There is a vivid anonymous account by him of his seagoing career in Peter Jamieson, Letters from Shetland (1949).
He subsequently became an organiser for the National Union of Seamen in Lerwick, and later in Greenock. He returned to Shetland again as area organiser for the Scottish Agricultural Organisation Society. He eventually became a full-time member of the Highlands and Islands Development Board, on its formation in 1965, responsible for its fisheries expansion programme. He served there for 11 years until his retiral.
Prophet Smith was the first Labour candidate in the Orkney and Shetland constituency, in 1945. He was a County Councillor for Nesting between 1952 and 1955 and Bressay from 1955 to 1960. He was County convener for four years. He was also an unsuccessful candidate for Nesting in 1949, and had a short spell as a Shetland Islands Council councillor after his retirement, representing Dunrossness, failing to be re-elected to the same seat in 1978. He also briefly represented the Lerwick Town Council between November 1944 and February 1945.
Contents |
Political Career
Westminster Parliament
Shetland Islands Council
Lerwick Town Council
Zetland County Council
- 1949 County Council election
- 1952 County Council election
- 1955 County Council election
- 1958 County Council election
