1898 Liverpool Kirkdale by-election

English parliamentary by-election May 2024 September 2013 The 1898 Liverpool Kirkdale by-election was a parliamentary by-election held in England on 9 December 1898 for the British House of Commons constituency of Liverpool Kirkdale. Vacancy The seat had become vacant when the sitting Conservative Member of Parliament (MP), Sir George Baden-Powell had died on 20 November 1898, aged 50. Obituary: Sir George Baden-Powell. http://infotrac.galegroup.com/itw/infomark/516/268/160717447w16/purl=rc1_TTDA_0_CS135717749&dyn=3 The Times 21 November 1898 8 30 August 2012 He had held the seat since its creation for the 1885 general election, and had been re-elected with comfortable majorities at each of the three subsequent general elections.Craig F. W. S. F. W. S. Craig British parliamentary election results 1885–1918 1989 2nd 1983 Parliamentary Research Services Chichester 0-900178-27-2 142 Candidates Several names were floated as possible Conservative candidates for the seat. On 26 November, The Times newspaper reported that those being considered included: Election intelligence http://infotrac.galegroup.com/itw/infomark/516/268/160717447w16/purl=rc1_TTDA_0_CS219341690&dyn=6 The Times 26 November 1898 13 30 August 2012 David MacIver, the chair of the Liverpool Conservatives who had been the MP for nearby Birkenhead from 1874 until he stood down at the 1885 general election, Debrett's House of Commons, and the Judicial Bench 1901 Dean & Son London 97 https://archive.org/stream/debrettshouseo1901londuoft#page/158 30 August 2012 owing to business commitments Election intelligence http://infotrac.galegroup.com/itw/infomark/516/268/160717447w16/purl=rc1_TTDA_0_CS101770110&dyn=7 The Times 30 November 1898 6 30 August 2012 Alderman John Houlding, a former Lord Mayor of Liverpool Joseph Hoult, a local ship-owner Sir Edward P. Bates, the son of former Plymouth MP Sir Edward Bates, 1st Baronet The Liberal Party had already adopted as their candidate for the next election William Nelson, a ship-owner and Liverpool City Councillor. By the time Kirkdale Conservative Association met on 29 November, the local executive committee had already sent a telegram to 40-year-old Austin Taylor, inviting to be their candidate. Taylor, who was president of the Laymen's League and son of the Archdeacon of Liverpool, had deferred his answer until the day of the meeting. At the meeting, the divisional council refused to be bound by the decision of their executive, and the names of David MacIver and John Houlding were also formally proposed. After a discussion described by The Times as "long and animated", a substantial majority voted to select MacIver, a ship-owner whose father Charles had been manager of the Cunard Line from 1865 to 1897. The Liberals met on 1 December, and lamented their lack of preparedness. Local ship-owner Sir Christopher Furness had been invited to stand, but declined. Another ship-owner, H. Bell, had also turned down a request, and the meeting rejected a proposal to adopt Thomas Snape, the former MP for Heywood. Election intelligence http://infotrac.galegroup.com/itw/infomark/516/268/160717447w16/purl=rc1_TTDA_0_CS168616834&dyn=9 The Times 2 December 1898 10 30 August 2012 The meeting decided to ask the Liberal whips in Westminster to suggest potential candidates, as a result of which an approach was made to Sir Spencer Walpole, who rejected the invitation. Election intelligence http://infotrac.galegroup.com/itw/infomark/516/268/160717447w16/purl=rc1_TTDA_0_CS168223623&dyn=10 The Times 6 December 1898 10 30 August 2012 The Times reported that several other unsuccessful approaches had been made. Kirkdale had a large Irish Nationalist population, so any candidate needed the support of both Liberals and Nationalists, but local councillor Thomas J. Flynn also refused to accept nomination despite an offer to meet all his election expenses. Result By the time nominations closed on 9 December, the Liberals had still not chosen a candidate. MacIver was the only candidate nominated, so the poll had been scheduled for 15 December, but never took place. MacIver was returned unopposed.The Constitutional Year Book, 1904, published by Conservative Central Office, page 169 (193 in web page) Aftermath MacIver was re-elected at the general elections in 1900 and 1906, and held the seat until his death in September 1907 caused another by-election. Death of a Member of Parliament http://infotrac.galegroup.com/itw/infomark/338/266/160716609w16/purl=rc1_TTDA_0_CS117634338&dyn=5 The Times 2 September 1907 7 30 August 2012 See also Liverpool Kirkdale constituency Kirkdale, Merseyside 1907 Liverpool Kirkdale by-election 1910 Liverpool Kirkdale by-election 1915 Liverpool Kirkdale by-election List of United Kingdom by-elections (1885–1900) References Category:1898 elections in the United Kingdom Category:1898 in England Category:1890s in Liverpool Kirkdale, 1898 Category:December 1898 in the United Kingdom