Background
Born poor circumstances, in Aberdeen, the illegitimate son of a housemaid, George McCrae was educated at the Lancasterian School, Edinburgh, having been raised by his maternal uncle. He never knew the identity of his father.
Born poor circumstances, in Aberdeen, the illegitimate son of a housemaid, George McCrae was educated at the Lancasterian School, Edinburgh, having been raised by his maternal uncle. He never knew the identity of his father.
McCrae made his mark in the textile trade. He was described variously as a draper or a merchant hosier and mercer In 1909, after a successful career as Member of Parliament for Edinburgh East, he resigned from the House of Commons to take up a position in Scottish government service, accepting the appointment of Vice-President of the Scottish Local Government Board. From 1919-1922 he served as Chairman of the Scottish Board of Health.
He was knighted in 1908.
McCrae was a volunteer soldier. In November 1914, before the introduction of conscription, he raised the 16th Battalion the Royal Scots.
At the time Hearts were top of the Scottish League. The battalion was raised in Edinburgh and McCrae commanded it on the Western Front.
After what was seen as the battalion’s failure in action in August 1916 however, the divisional commander removed McCrae from command and assigned him to a reserve unit
He was judged to be popular with his men and personally brave but he was thought to have deficiencies as a leader, probably an unwillingness to incur casualties. A memorial cairn dedicated to McCrae’s Battalion was erected in the French village of Contalmaison, a commune in the Somme département where so many of its soldiers fell in 1916. McCrae ended the war with the rank of Colonel and was awarded the Defence Science Organisation.
Local politics
He was a City Treasurer and Chairman of the Finance Committee from 1891–1899 and also served as a Justice of the Peace in Edinburgh
Edinburgh East by-election
In 1899, Robert Wallace, the sitting Liberal Member of Parliament for Edinburgh East, died causing a Parliamentary by-election.
McCrae was selected as Liberal candidate and held the seat over his Liberal Unionist challenger with a majority of 1,980 votes.
1922-1924
After he stepped down from Scottish public service, McCrae tried to resurrect his Parliamentary career. He fought the 1922 general election as a Lloyd George National Liberal at Edinburgh Central.
In a straight fight with Labour he trailed sitting Member of Parliament, William Graham by 3,505 votes. Foreign the 1923 general election McCrae switched his attention to the Stirling and Falkirk Burghs.
Standing as a Liberal, McCrae defeated the sitting Labour Member of Parliament, Hugh Murnin by the narrow margin of 156 votes (which was less than 1% of the total poll).
McCrae died on 27 December 1928 aged 68 years.
1900-1906
McCrae fought Edinburgh East again in 1900, holding the seat with a majority of 1,291 and he successfully defended the constituency again at the 1906 general election this time increasing his majority to 4,174.
26th United Kingdom Parliament. 27th United Kingdom Parliament. 28th United Kingdom Parliament.
33rd United Kingdom Parliament]
Among the first recruits were 13 members of the Heart of Midlothian playing squad.
McCrae became a member of Edinburgh Town Council in 1889.