1888 Dewsbury by-election

1888 House of Commons By-election 1888 Dewsbury by-election presidential United Kingdom Dewsbury (UK Parliament constituency)#Elections in the 1880s 1888 Dewsbury (UK Parliament constituency)#Elections in the 1880s 1892 14 November 1888 Oldroyd Liberal Party (UK) 6,071 60.5% Arnold-Forster Liberal Unionist Party 3,969 39.5% 250px MP Subsequent MP Sir John Simon Liberal Party (UK) Mark Oldroyd Liberal Party (UK) The 1888 Dewsbury by-election was a by-election held in England on 14 November 1888 for the UK House of Commons constituency of Dewsbury in the West Riding of Yorkshire. Vacancy The by-election was caused by the resignation of the sitting Liberal Member of Parliament (MP), Sir John Simon. On 8 November 1888 it was announced that he had taken the office of Steward of the Chiltern Hundreds, thus resigning from the Commons.Sir John Simon Batley News and Advertiser 10 November 1888 10 On the following day the writ for the by-election was moved in the House of Commons by Arnold Morley, Liberal MP for Nottingham East.Summary of the Latest Home News Reynold's Newspaper 11 November 1888 8 The writ was received by the mayor of Dewsbury, returning officer for the election, on the 10 November. He fixed the deadline for nominations for Wednesday 14 November and polling day for Friday 16 November.Election Intelligence, Dewsbury Huddersfield Daily Chronicle 12 November 1888 3Dewsbury Election. Date of Polling Liverpool Echo 12 November 1888 4 Seat The Parliamentary Borough of Dewsbury formed part of the West Riding of Yorkshire. As well as Dewsbury itself, the constituency contained four other townships, with a total electorate of nearly 12,000 as follows:The Dewsbury Election Dewsbury Chronicle 10 November 1888 5 Dewsbury - 4,840 Batley - 4,340 Soothill - 989 Mirfield - 817 Thornhill - 791 TOTAL - 11,797 Candidates The by-election came only two years after the split in the Liberal Party, with those opposed to Irish Home Rule forming the Liberal Unionist Party. Although it was originally reported that there were 'four candidates in the field' only two were nominated. First to be nominated was the Liberal candidate, Mark Oldroyd. Oldroyd was the outgoing Mayor of Dewsbury and launched his campaign at a Primitive Methodist schoolroom in Westborough speaking in favour of Home Rule.The Dewsbury Election, Mr Oldroyd's Candidature Leeds Mercury 10 November 1888 7 The second candidate in the field was H. O. Arnold-Forster, for the Liberal Unionists. This was his third attempt to win a seat in the Commons.Mr Arnold-Forster's Candidature Yorkshire Post 12 November 1888 5 Result Oldroyd held the seat for the Liberals with a reduced majority.Christopher J. James M.P. for Dewsbury 291FWS Craig 1974 British Parliamentary Election Results: 1885–1918 London Macmillan Press 9781349022984 1888 Dewsbury by-election Liberal Party (UK) Mark Oldroyd 6,071 60.5 −4.5 Liberal Unionist Party H. O. Arnold-Forster 3,969 39.5 +4.5 2,102 21.0 −9.0 10,040 85.3 +16.4 11,767 Liberal Party (UK) −4.5 References Category:1888 elections in the United Kingdom Category:By-elections to the Parliament of the United Kingdom in West Yorkshire constituencies Category:1888 in England Category:Elections in Kirklees Category:Dewsbury