1905 Stalybridge by-election

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The 1905 Stalybridge by-election was a Parliamentary by-election held on 7 January 1905. [1] The constituency returned one Member of Parliament (MP) to the House of Commons of the United Kingdom, elected by the first past the post voting system.

Contents

Vacancy

The by-election was caused by the succession of the sitting Conservative MP, Matthew White Ridley to his father's viscountcy on 28 November 1904. Ridley had been MP for Stalybridge since the 1900 general election.

Electoral history

The seat had been Conservative since they gained it in 1885. They held the seat at the last election, with a reduced majority, the smallest majority since before they gained it:

General election 1900: Stalybridge [2]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Conservative Matthew White Ridley 3,321 50.6 −4.5
Liberal John Frederick Cheetham 3,24149.4+4.5
Majority801.2−9.0
Turnout 6,56288.0−0.1
Conservative hold Swing -4.5

Candidates

Campaign

Although the vacancy was known on 28 November 1904, Polling Day was fixed for 7 January 1905.

Result

The Liberals gained the seat from the Conservatives:

John Cheetham John Frederick Cheetham.jpg
John Cheetham
Stalybridge by-election, 1905 [6]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Liberal John Frederick Cheetham 4,029 56.7 +7.3
Conservative James Travis-Clegg3,07843.3−7.3
Majority95113.4N/A
Turnout 7,10793.5+5.5
Liberal gain from Conservative Swing +7.3

Aftermath

At the following General Election Cheetham and Travis-Clegg faced each other again. The Liberal held onto the seat with a reduced majority:

General election 1906: Stalybridge [2]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Liberal John Frederick Cheetham 3,836 53.1 −3.6
Conservative James Travis-Clegg3,38246.9+3.6
Majority4546.2−7.2
Turnout 7,21893.8+0.3
Liberal hold Swing -3.6

See also

References

  1. Craig, F.W.S. (1987). Chronology of British Parliamentary By-elections 1833–1987. Chichester: Parliamentary Research Services. p. 99.
  2. 1 2 British parliamentary election results, 1885-1918 (Craig)
  3. ‘TRAVIS-CLEGG, Sir James Travis’, Who Was Who, A & C Black, an imprint of Bloomsbury Publishing plc, 1920–2015; online edn, Oxford University Press, 2014; online edn, April 2014 accessed 8 April 2015
  4. 1 2 Craig, F. W. S. (1989) [1974]. British parliamentary election results 1885–1918 (2nd ed.). Chichester: Parliamentary Research Services. p. 249. ISBN   0-900178-27-2.
  5. Craig, British parliamentary election results 1885–1918, page 89
  6. British parliamentary election results 1885-1918 by Craig