Macdonald , Alexander , 1821-1881 , trade unionist and politician

Alexander Macdonald was born in Lanarkshire in 1821 and worked as a coal and ironstone miner from the age of nine. He studied Greek and Latin at evening classes and was later able to attend Glasgow University (1846-1849), subsequently becoming a teacher. He became a leading trade unionist in the mid 1850s and lobbied strongly for workers' rights. Macdonald entered Parliament in 1874 as MP for Stafford, remaining in post until his death in 1881. His surname was originally spelt McDonald, but he adopted the spelling Macdonald in the 1870s.