Wellington by-election, 1911
The Wellington by-election of 1911 was held when the sitting MP Sir Alexander Fuller-Acland-Hood was elevated to the peerage. The by-election was won by the conservative candidate Dennis Boles.
The Vacancy
Sir Alexander Fuller-Acland-Hood had been Conservative MP for Wellington, Somerset since 1892.[1] The seat had been Conservative since it was gained from the Liberals in 1886. He was raised to the peerage as Baron St Audries, of St Audries in the County of Somerset and given a seat in the House of Lords.
Electoral history
Acland-Hood was returned at the last election unopposed. In the previous election the result was;
| General Election January 1910:
Electorate 10,299 | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
| Conservative | Rt Hon. Sir Alexander Fuller-Acland-Hood | 5,216 | 55.7 | +4.2 | |
| Liberal | W. King | 4,150 | 44.3 | -4.2 | |
| Majority | 1,066 | 11.4 | +8.4 | ||
| Turnout | 90.9 | +2.1 | |||
| Conservative hold | Swing | +4.2 | |||
The Candidates
Devonian Dennis Boles was chosen by the Conservatives to defend the seat, having never stood for parliament before. The Liberals also chose a first time candidate in C.H. Dudley Ward.
The Result
| By-Election 21 July 1911:
Electorate | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
| Conservative | Dennis Fortescue Boles | 5,025 | |||
| Liberal | Charles Humble Dudley Ward | 4,421 | |||
| Majority | |||||
| Turnout | |||||
| Conservative hold | Swing | ||||
Aftermath
A General Election was due to take place by the end of 1915. By the autumn of 1914, the following candidates had been adopted to contest that election. Due to the outbreak of war, the election never took place.
| General Election 1914/15:
Electorate 10,854 | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
| Unionist | Dennis Fortescue Boles | ||||
| Liberal | |||||
Following boundary changes the seat was abolished and mostly replaced by Taunton
| General Election 14 December 1918: Taunton
Electorate 28,845 | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
| Unionist | Lt-Col. Dennis Fortescue Boles | 12,619 | |||
| Labour | Rev. George Saville Woods | 4,816 | |||
| Majority | |||||
| Turnout | |||||
| Unionist hold | Swing | ||||
- Boles was the endorsed candidate of the Coalition Government.
References
- ↑ "Mr Alexander Acland-Hood". They work for you. Retrieved 9 September 2012.