Newmarket by-election, 1913
Encyclopedia
The Newmarket by-election, 1913 was a parliamentary by-election
held on 16 May 1913 to fill a vacancy in the United Kingdom House of Commons for the Eastern or Newmarket Division
of Cambridgeshire
.
The vacancy occurred with the sudden death of the sitting Liberal
member of parliament
, Sir Charles Day Rose
on 20 April 1913. Rose had been MP for Newmarket since 1903, except for a short period in 1910 when the Conservative
G H Verrall
held the seat. At the previous election, in December 1910, he had been returned with a majority of 399 votes.
. Denison-Pender was a member of the ruling Conservative-backed Municipal Reform Party
on the LCC. He had connections with the Newmarket area through his 1906 marriage to Irene, only child of Ernest de la Rue of Lower Hare Park.
There was speculation that Ernest Tanner, a member of the Saffron Walden borough council and Essex County Council would run for the Liberals, but he declined. On 1 May the High Sheriff of Cambridgeshire
received the writ for the by-election, and Denison-Pender began to campaign. He opposed many of the main policies of the Liberal Government, including Irish Home Rule, the Welsh Church Bill
and the effects of the unpopular National Insurance Act 1911
.
The Liberals eventually chose George Nicholls as their candidate. Nicholls was a former agricultural labourer from the neighbouring Wisbech
area. He set out a programme to improve the lot of those working on the land, by removing the burden of taxation for education and roads from them. In the meantime the county's publican
s organised as a Licensed Trade Defence Association to support the Conservative candidate.
were worn by the supporters of the two candidates. From this The Times
was able to report that the blue of the Liberals was dominant in the Cambridge
suburb of Cherry Hinton
and in the southern and western parts of the constituency. Unionist pink and white was prevalent in the City of Ely and the north of the division. There was a perceived shift in sympathies from the Liberals to the Conservatives in Fordham
and Soham
.
Denison-Pender attributed his success to the unpopularity of National Insurance. Nicholls agreed with this assessment, but also believed that his Non-Conformist religious views had lost him the powerful Anglican vote in the City of Ely, and that working men in the Newmarket area dependent on horse-racing for a living had opposed him.
Denison-Pender was to be the last member of parliament for the division, as it was abolished at the next redistribution of seats in 1918
.
By-election
A by-election is an election held to fill a political office that has become vacant between regularly scheduled elections....
held on 16 May 1913 to fill a vacancy in the United Kingdom House of Commons for the Eastern or Newmarket Division
Newmarket (UK Parliament constituency)
Newmarket is a former United Kingdom Parliamentary constituency. It was created upon the splitting up of the three member Cambridgeshire constituency into three single member divisions in 1885. The seat was abolished in 1918.-Boundaries:...
of Cambridgeshire
Cambridgeshire
Cambridgeshire is a county in England, bordering Lincolnshire to the north, Norfolk to the northeast, Suffolk to the east, Essex and Hertfordshire to the south, and Bedfordshire and Northamptonshire to the west...
.
The vacancy occurred with the sudden death of the sitting Liberal
Liberal Party (UK)
The Liberal Party was one of the two major political parties of the United Kingdom during the 19th and early 20th centuries. It was a third party of negligible importance throughout the latter half of the 20th Century, before merging with the Social Democratic Party in 1988 to form the present day...
member of parliament
Member of Parliament
A Member of Parliament is a representative of the voters to a :parliament. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, the term applies specifically to members of the lower house, as upper houses often have a different title, such as senate, and thus also have different titles for its members,...
, Sir Charles Day Rose
Charles Day Rose
Sir Charles Day Rose, 1st Baronet was a British-Canadian businessman, race horse breeder, yachtsman and Liberal politician.Born in Montreal, he was the second son of Sir John Rose, 1st Baronet...
on 20 April 1913. Rose had been MP for Newmarket since 1903, except for a short period in 1910 when the Conservative
Conservative Party (UK)
The Conservative Party, formally the Conservative and Unionist Party, is a centre-right political party in the United Kingdom that adheres to the philosophies of conservatism and British unionism. It is the largest political party in the UK, and is currently the largest single party in the House...
G H Verrall
George Henry Verrall
George Henry Verrall was a British horse racing official, entomologist, botanist and Conservative politician.-Horse racing:...
held the seat. At the previous election, in December 1910, he had been returned with a majority of 399 votes.
The candidates and campaign
Within two days of Rose's death, the Conservatives had selected their candidate for the contest, J. C. Denison-PenderJohn Denison-Pender, 1st Baron Pender
John Cuthbert Denison-Pender, 1st Baron Pender GBE, KCMG , was a British Conservative politician. He retired from Politics in 1922. In 1925 he was Vice-Chairman and Joint Managing Director Cable & Wireless Ltd. Governor Cable & Wireless Holdings 1929-1945...
. Denison-Pender was a member of the ruling Conservative-backed Municipal Reform Party
Municipal Reform Party
The Municipal Reform Party was a local party allied to the parliamentary Conservative Party in the County of London. The party contested elections to both the London County Council and metropolitan borough councils of the county from 1906 to 1945.-Formation:...
on the LCC. He had connections with the Newmarket area through his 1906 marriage to Irene, only child of Ernest de la Rue of Lower Hare Park.
There was speculation that Ernest Tanner, a member of the Saffron Walden borough council and Essex County Council would run for the Liberals, but he declined. On 1 May the High Sheriff of Cambridgeshire
High Sheriff of Cambridgeshire
This is a list of people who have served as High Sheriff of Cambridgeshire.-Before 1154:*Tempore Regis Eduardi: Aluric Godricson, Orgar, Blacuin*1066: Elfric* 1128: Fulk*1070–c.1090: Picot of Cambridge *Michaelmas 1129: Richard Basset with Aubrey de Vere...
received the writ for the by-election, and Denison-Pender began to campaign. He opposed many of the main policies of the Liberal Government, including Irish Home Rule, the Welsh Church Bill
Welsh Church Act 1914
The Welsh Church Act 1914 is an Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom under which the Welsh part of the Church of England was separated and disestablished, leading to the creation of the Church in Wales...
and the effects of the unpopular National Insurance Act 1911
National Insurance Act 1911
The National Insurance Act 1911 is an Act of Parliament of the United Kingdom. The Act is often regarded as one of the foundations of modern social welfare in the United Kingdom and forms part of the wider social welfare reforms of the Liberal Government of 1906-1914...
.
The Liberals eventually chose George Nicholls as their candidate. Nicholls was a former agricultural labourer from the neighbouring Wisbech
Wisbech
Wisbech is a market town, inland port and civil parish with a population of 20,200 in the Fens of Cambridgeshire. The tidal River Nene runs through the centre of the town and is spanned by two bridges...
area. He set out a programme to improve the lot of those working on the land, by removing the burden of taxation for education and roads from them. In the meantime the county's publican
Publican
In antiquity, publicans were public contractors, in which role they often supplied the Roman legions and military, managed the collection of port duties, and oversaw public building projects...
s organised as a Licensed Trade Defence Association to support the Conservative candidate.
Polling
The election took place on Friday 16 May. The day was described as "glorious summer weather", and polling was very slow until the evening as work carried on in the fields. It was thought that many labourers had not been able to reach the polling stations, and that this would effect the Liberal vote. Party coloursPolitical colour
Certain political parties or positions have become associated with different colours at different times.-Colours:*Black is primarily associated with anarchism and fascism ....
were worn by the supporters of the two candidates. From this The Times
The Times
The Times is a British daily national newspaper, first published in London in 1785 under the title The Daily Universal Register . The Times and its sister paper The Sunday Times are published by Times Newspapers Limited, a subsidiary since 1981 of News International...
was able to report that the blue of the Liberals was dominant in the Cambridge
Cambridge
The city of Cambridge is a university town and the administrative centre of the county of Cambridgeshire, England. It lies in East Anglia about north of London. Cambridge is at the heart of the high-technology centre known as Silicon Fen – a play on Silicon Valley and the fens surrounding the...
suburb of Cherry Hinton
Cherry Hinton
Cherry Hinton is a suburban area of the city of Cambridge, in Cambridgeshire, England. It is around southeast of Cambridge city centre.-History:...
and in the southern and western parts of the constituency. Unionist pink and white was prevalent in the City of Ely and the north of the division. There was a perceived shift in sympathies from the Liberals to the Conservatives in Fordham
Fordham, Cambridgeshire
Fordham is a village in rural Cambridgeshire, England. Fordham is part of the East Cambridgeshire district. It is four miles north of Newmarket, as well as being close to the settlements of Soham, Burwell, Isleham, Mildenhall and Chippenham.-History:...
and Soham
Soham
Soham is a small town in the English county of Cambridgeshire. It lies just off the A142 between Ely and Newmarket . Its population is 9,102 , and it is within the district of East Cambridgeshire.-Archaeology:...
.
Results
The results of the election were announced on Saturday 17 May at Cambridge Shire Hall. Denison-Pender won the seat for the Conservatives by a larger than expected margin of 851 votes.Denison-Pender attributed his success to the unpopularity of National Insurance. Nicholls agreed with this assessment, but also believed that his Non-Conformist religious views had lost him the powerful Anglican vote in the City of Ely, and that working men in the Newmarket area dependent on horse-racing for a living had opposed him.
Denison-Pender was to be the last member of parliament for the division, as it was abolished at the next redistribution of seats in 1918
Representation of the People Act 1918
The Representation of the People Act 1918 was an Act of Parliament passed to reform the electoral system in the United Kingdom. It is sometimes known as the Fourth Reform Act...
.