1902 Orkney and Shetland by-election

1902 UK parliamentary by-election April 2022 1902 Orkney and Shetland by-election parliamentary United Kingdom Orkney and Shetland (UK Parliament constituency)#Elections in the 1900s 1900 Orkney and Shetland (UK Parliament constituency)#Elections in the 1900s 1906 18–19 November 1902 Cathcart Wason 80px Independent Liberal 2,412 46.8% 46.8% Thomas McKinnon Wood 80px Liberal Party (UK) 2,001 38.8% 10.7% Theodore Angier 80px Liberal Unionist 740 14.4% 36.1% File:OrkneyShetlandConstituency.svg 250px MP Subsequent MP Cathcart Wason Liberal Unionist Cathcart Wason Liberal Party (UK) The 1902 Orkney and Shetland by-election was a Parliamentary by-election held on 18–19 November 1902.Craig F.W.S. 1987 Chronology of British Parliamentary By-elections 1833–1987 Chichester Parliamentary Research Services 96 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 Cathcart Wason had been Liberal Unionist MP for the seat of Orkney and Shetland since 1900. In July 1902, he decided to cross the floor of the House to sit with the Liberal opposition. Leaving the Liberal Unionist Party, he cited Government policy on the army, the Education Bill and the Irish land question.Aberdeen Journal, 30 Jul 1902 He faced criticism from the Unionists in his constituency and following pressure, he resigned his seat on 7 October 1902 to contest the subsequent by-election.27481 6409 10 October 1902 Electoral history Since 1885, the seat had always comfortably returned the Liberal Party candidate. Then the seat was surprisingly gained by Wason; albeit with a narrow majority of forty votes, standing as a Liberal Unionist in 1900. General election January 1900The Constitutional Year Book, 1904, published by Conservative Central Office, page 182 (206 in web page)British parliamentary election results 1885-1918 by Craig Liberal Unionist Cathcart Wason 2,057 50.5 +10.4 Liberal Party (UK) Leonard Lyell 2,017 49.5 -10.4 40 1.0 N/A 4,074 54.9 -1.0 Liberal Unionist Liberal Party (UK) Candidates thumb|Cathcart Wason in 1902 outside the Houses of Parliament Fifty-four-year-old sitting MP Cathcart Wason chose to fight his seat again, standing as an Independent Liberal. He had hoped to stand as the official Liberal candidate, but the local Liberal Association chose not to back him.Aberdeen Journal, 18 Aug 1902 Although born in Scotland he moved to New Zealand and had served as an Independent Member of Parliament there. He returned to the UK in 1900 in time for the general election to stand as a Liberal Unionist. His father, Rigby Wason had sat as a Whig MP and his older brother Eugene Wason was at the time a Liberal Party MP in Scotland.‘WASON, John Cathcart’, Who Was Who, A & C Black, an imprint of Bloomsbury Publishing plc, 1920–2007; online edn, Oxford University Press, Dec 2007 accessed 28 Nov 2013 The local Liberal Unionist Association considered several candidates, including Captain John Nicholson, a native of Shetland who had contested Chester-le-Street as a Conservative at the 1900 general election.Election intelligence 18 August 1902 4 36849 They eventually selected 59-year-old Theodore Vivian Samuel Angier as their candidate to defend the seat. He had no connection with the islands and was a member of the Liberal Unionist Council. Angier had formerly been a sailor and owned the family steamship business, having volunteered for service in the South African War as well. He was standing for Parliament for the first time.‘ANGIER, Sir Theodore Vivian Samuel’, Who Was Who, A & C Black, an imprint of Bloomsbury Publishing plc, 1920–2007; online edn, Oxford University Press, Dec 2007 accessed 28 Nov 2013 In August 1902, the local Liberal Association had selected 47-year-old Thomas McKinnon Wood as their prospective candidate to re-gain the seat.Aberdeen Journal, 18 Aug 1902 Although born in Stepney, his father was born in Orkney where he was a farmer. Wood was a member of the London County Council for Central Hackney from 1892 and from 1897 he was leader of the Progressive Party and also served as chairman of the council from 1898 to 1899. Wood stood unsuccessfully as a parliamentary candidate for East Islington in 1895 and Glasgow St. Rollox in 1900.‘WOOD, Rt. Hon. Thomas McKinnon’, Who Was Who, A & C Black, an imprint of Bloomsbury Publishing plc, 1920–2007; online edn, Oxford University Press, Dec 2007 accessed 28 Nov 2013 Campaign Polling Days were fixed for the 18–19 November 1902, over five weeks after Wason's resignation. Result Wason remarkably held his seat, with an increased majority of 411 votes. 1902 Orkney and Shetland by-electionThe Constitutional Year Book, 1904, published by Conservative Central Office, page 182 (206 in web page)British parliamentary election results 1885-1918 by Craig Independent Liberal Cathcart Wason 2,412 46.8 +46.8 Liberal Party (UK) Thomas McKinnon Wood 2,001 38.8 -10.7 Liberal Unionist Theodore Angier 740 14.4 -36.1 411 8.0 N/A 5,153 68.1 +13.2 Independent Liberal Liberal Unionist Immediately following his re-election, Wason re-took the Liberal Party whip in the House of Commons. Aftermath By the time of the 1906 general election, Wason had been fully integrated with the local Liberal Party and was re-elected as their official candidate; General election January 1906British parliamentary election results 1885-1918 by Craig Liberal Party (UK) Cathcart Wason 3,837 79.0 +29.5 Liberal Unionist Party C J Dunlop 1,021 21.0 -29.5 2,816 58.0 N/A 4,858 63.3 +8.4 Liberal Party (UK) Liberal Unionist McKinnon Wood was elected Liberal MP for Glasgow St Rollox at the 1906 general election. Angier was knighted in 1904 and contested unsuccessfully, Gateshead at the 1906 general election. References Category:1902 elections in the United Kingdom Category:1902 in Scotland Category:1900s elections in Scotland Category:20th century in Orkney Category:20th century in Shetland Category:By-elections to the Parliament of the United Kingdom in Scottish constituencies Category:Politics of Orkney Category:Politics of Shetland