1905 Whitby by-election

UK parliamentary by-election January 2023 July 2015 1905 Whitby by-election presidential United Kingdom Whitby (UK Parliament constituency) 1900 1906 United Kingdom general election 1906 1 June 1905 Buxton 85px Liberal Party (UK) 4,547 52.6% Beckett 85px Conservative Party (UK) 4,102 47.4% MP Subsequent MP Ernest Beckett Conservative Party (UK) Gervase Beckett Conservative Party (UK) The Whitby by-election was a Parliamentary by-election held on 1 June 1905.Craig F.W.S. 1987 Chronology of British Parliamentary By-elections 1833–1987 Chichester Parliamentary Research Services 99 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. Vacancy Ernest Beckett had been Conservative MP for the seat of Whitby since the 1885 general election. He succeeded to the title of Baron Grimthorpe on the death of his uncle on 29 April 1905. Electoral history The seat had been Conservative since 1885. They held the seat at the last election, unopposed: General election 1900: WhitbyBritish parliamentary election results 1885-1918 Conservative Party (UK) Ernest Beckett Unopposed N/A N/A Conservative Party (UK) Candidates The Conservatives selected 39-year-old Gervase Beckett as their candidate to defend the seat. Beckett was the younger brother of the previous MP. He was commissioned a Lieutenant in the 3rd (Militia) Battalion, Green Howards in 1884,25349 2 May 1884 1983 but resigned his commission in 1886.25646 19 November 1886 5599 He was commissioned a Second Lieutenant in the Yorkshire Hussars in 1888.25776 13 January 1888 361 He was promoted Lieutenant in 189526621 3 May 1895 2555 and Captain in 1898,26996 16 August 1898 4939 and resigned his commission in 190127311 7 May 1901 3132 thumb|120px|Buxton The local Liberal Association selected 36-year-old Noel Buxton to challenge for the seat. In 1896, Buxton acted as Aide-de-Camp to his father during his time as Governor of South Australia. He served on the Whitechapel Board of Guardians and Central Unemployment Body, and was a Member of the Home Office Departmental Committee on Lead Poisoning. Buxton stood unsuccessfully for Ipswich in 1900.Who's Who He had taken a deep interest in temperance reform and was closely connected with East-end settlement work.Standard 3 June 1905 Despite his interest in temperance reform, Buxton's candidature ran into problems with the Temperance movement who traditionally were supporters of Liberal candidates. The executive of the North of England Temperance League protested to the Liberal Party leader Sir Henry Campbell-Bannerman on account of Buxton's supposed brewery interests. They threatened the Liberal Party that if they did not withdraw Buxton's candidature, the league would actively oppose him. The Liberal Party ignored the threat and Buxton remained as candidate.Monita and New Era, 26 May 1905 Campaign thumb|120px|Beckett Polling Day was fixed for 1 June 1905. Beckett, the Conservative candidate, was happy to support the Unionist Government's Education Act 1902, despite the fact that it increased rates in parts of the constituency to help pay for Protestant schools. He claimed that agricultural tenants would benefit from rate relief due to the renewal of the Agricultural Rates Act. He was in favour of the Unionist Government's plans to look at introducing trade tariffs. He also opposed Home Rule for Ireland.Standard 9 May 1905 Beckett's pro-Protestant positions unsurprisingly won him the endorsement of the Whitby Protestant Electoral Council, who had sent questions to both candidates about issues of their concern. Both candidates replies were considered and the council favoured that of Beckett so much that they urged all Whitby's Protestant voters to vote for and campaign for Beckett.Standard 26 May 1905 Result Buxton and the Liberal campaign managed to overcome their difficulties and gained the seat: Whitby by-election, 1905British parliamentary election results 1885-1918 Liberal Party (UK) Noel Buxton 4,547 52.6 New Conservative Party (UK) Gervase Beckett 4,102 47.4 N/A 445 5.2 N/A 8,649 79.7 N/A Liberal Party (UK) Conservative Party (UK) N/A Speaking on the result, Buxton, the Liberal victor, remarked that the Whitby result was even better than the Liberal victory at Brighton two months earlier. He described the Whitby result as a "great victory for truth, for the cause of the working man and for liberty throughout the world".Standard 3 June 1905 Aftermath Beckett re-gained the seat at the subsequent General Election: General election 1906: Whitby British parliamentary election results 1885-1918 Conservative Party (UK) Gervase Beckett 4,780 50.4 +3.0 Liberal Party (UK) Noel Buxton 4,709 49.6 -3.0 71 0.8 N/A 9,489 84.2 +4.5 Conservative Party (UK) Liberal Party (UK) +3.0 References Category:1905 in England Category:1905 elections in the United Kingdom Category:By-elections to the Parliament of the United Kingdom in North Yorkshire constituencies Category:History of Whitby Category:Politics of the Borough of Scarborough Category:1900s in Yorkshire