Londonderry City by-election, 1914

The Londonderry City by-election was a Parliamentary by-election. It returned one Member of Parliament to the House of Commons of the United Kingdom, elected by the first past the post voting system.

Liberal Sir James Brown Dougherty was elected unopposed. Dougherty was the last Liberal MP elected in Ireland.^[1]

Vacancy

James Hamilton, Marquis of Hamilton had been elected as a Unionist in the 1910 General Election, facing Nationalist opposition. He then succeeded to the Dukedom of Abercorn, resulting in the Londonderry City by-election, 1913, where the Roman Catholic hierarchy supported the Liberal David Hogg, a 73-year-old local shirt manufacturer and a Protestant.^[2] Hogg died in August 1914 and the by-election was called for 30 November.

Previous result

By-Election 30 January 1913: Londonderry City Electorate
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Liberal	David Cleghorn Hogg	2,699
	Unionist	Hercules Arthur Pakenham	2,642
Majority
Turnout
	Liberal gain from Unionist		Swing

Candidates

Dougherty was an Presbyterian minister, professor of Logic and English, and civil servant.

Result

By-Election 30 November 1914: Londonderry City Electorate
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Liberal	Sir James Brown Dougherty	unopposed[3]
Majority
Turnout
	Liberal hold		Swing

Aftermath

Dougherty did not stand in the United Kingdom general election, 1918, when the seat was won by Eoin MacNeill of Sinn Féin in a contested election against Unionist and Nationalist candidates.

References

1. Journal of Liberal History 58 Spring 2008 page 10
2. Siege city: the story of Derry and Londonderry by Brian Lacy
3. Debrett's House of Commons 1918 p 249

• Craig, F. W. S. (1974). British parliamentary election results 1885-1918 (1 ed.). London: Macmillan.