1879 Canterbury by-election
UK Parliamentary by-election
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The 1879 Canterbury by-election was held on 8 May 1879. The by-election was fought due to the resignation of the incumbent Conservative MP, Lewis Majendie. It was won by the Conservative candidate Robert Peter Laurie.[1]
Corruption
The Liberal candidate Charles Edwards was accused of spending about £140 (equivalent to £14,408 in 2025) on buying votes during the campaign. Although Edwards disclaimed knowledge of this and blamed his campaign manager, he did admit that the money was spent on bribery.[2]
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Conservative | Robert Peter Laurie | 1,159 | 51.2 | â10.4 | |
| Liberal | Charles Edwards | 1,103 | 48.8 | +10.3 | |
| Majority | 56 | 2.4 | â7.6 | ||
| Turnout | 2,262 | 73.2 | â2.5 | ||
| Conservative hold | Swing | -10.4 | |||
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