1903 Newmarket by-election

UK parliamentary by-election November 2019 1903 Newmarket by-election presidential United Kingdom Newmarket (UK Parliament constituency)#Elections in the 1900s 1900 Newmarket (UK Parliament constituency)#Elections in the 1900s 1906 2 January 1903 Rose 85px Liberal Party (UK) 4,414 53.0% Brassey 85px Conservative Party (UK) 3,907 47.0% File:Newmarket1885.png 250px MP Subsequent MP Harry McCalmont Conservative Party (UK) Charles Day Rose Liberal Party (UK) The 1903 Newmarket by-election was a parliamentary by-election held on 2 January 1903 to fill a vacancy in the United Kingdom House of Commons for the Eastern or Newmarket Division of Cambridgeshire. Vacancy The vacancy occurred with the sudden death of the sitting Conservative Member of Parliament, Colonel Harry McCalmont on 8 December 1902.Obituary: Colonel Harry McCalmont C.B. M.P. The Times 10 9 December 1902 McCalmont had been MP for Newmarket since 1895. Electoral history At the previous election, in 1900, he had been returned with a majority of 1,077 votes. General election 1900: NewmarketF. W. S. Craig (1989), British Parliamentary Election Results, 1885-1918. Aldershot: Parliamentary Research Services. p. 228 Conservative Party (UK) Harry McCalmont 4,295 57.2 +5.1 Liberal Party (UK) Charles Rose 3,218 42.8 −5.1 1,077 14.4 +10.2 7,513 79.3 −3.6 Conservative Party (UK) +5.1 The candidates and campaign Nominations for the election were made on 26 December 1902. There were two candidates: Leonard Brassey for the Conservatives, and Charles Rose for the Liberals.Election Intelligence 27 December 1902 6 36962 Rose had also contested the seat in 1900. Both candidates were involved in the horse racing industry, the major employer in and around the town of Newmarket. An important factor in the election was the religious beliefs of the candidates. The Church Association, an evangelical Protestant organisation, interrogated both of the men. Rose stated that he strenuously supported Protestant principles and opposed any legislation that would undermine the ascendency of Protestantism. This satisfied the Association, and was probably responsible for a large number of Evangelical Christian voters switching allegiance from the Conservatives to the Liberals. Election Intelligence: Cambridgeshire (Newmarket Division) The Times 8 18 December 1902 Polling and result The election took place on Friday 2 January 1903. The poll was heavy and motor cars were widely used to bring voters to the polls.Election Intelligence: Cambridgeshire (Newmarket Division) The Times 9 3 January 1903 The result of the election was announced on Saturday 3 January at Cambridge Shire Hall. Rose won the seat for the Liberals by a majority of 507 votes.Election Intelligence: Cambridgeshire (Newmarket Division) The Times 9 5 January 1903 thumb|120px|Charles Rose Newmarket by-election, 1903 Liberal Party (UK) Charles Rose 4,414 53.0 +10.2 Conservative Party (UK) Leonard Brassey 3,907 47.0 -10.2 507 6.0 N/A 8,321 86.2 +6.9 Liberal Party (UK) Conservative Party (UK) +10.2 Aftermath Rose held the seat at the ensuing election in 1906. General election 1906: Newmarket Liberal Party (UK) Charles Rose 4,666 54.6 +1.6 Conservative Party (UK) George Henry Verrall 3,883 45.4 −1.6 783 9.2 +3.2 8,549 86.1 -0.1 Liberal Party (UK) +1.6 Brassey subsequently became MP for North Northamptonshire in 1910. See also List of United Kingdom by-elections (1900–1918) References Category:Newmarket, Suffolk Category:1903 elections in the United Kingdom Category:1903 in England Category:By-elections to the Parliament of the United Kingdom in Cambridgeshire constituencies Newmarket Category:January 1903 in the United Kingdom