1904 Sowerby by-election
UK parliamentary by-election
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The 1904 Sowerby by-election was a Parliamentary by-election held on 2 July 1904.[1] 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.
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2 July 1904
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Vacancy
John William Mellor had been Liberal MP for the seat of Sowerby since the 1892 General Election. Aged 69, he chose to retire from parliament.
Electoral history
The seat had been Liberal since creation in 1885. They easily held the seat at the last election, with a reduced majority:
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Liberal | John William Mellor | 5,528 | 57.6 | â1.1 | |
| Conservative | John Bailey | 4,067 | 42.4 | +1.1 | |
| Majority | 1,461 | 15.2 | â2.2 | ||
| Turnout | 9,595 | 80.0 | +2.3 | ||
| Liberal hold | Swing | -1.1 | |||
Candidates
The local Liberal Association selected 47 year-old Accrington businessman, John Sharp Higham as their candidate to defend the seat. He was Mayor of Accrington from 1899â1901.[5] The local Conservative Association selected 24 year-old William Simpson-Hinchliffe as their candidate.[6]
Result
The Liberals held the seat from the Conservatives:
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Liberal | John Sharp Higham | 6,049 | 60.9 | +3.3 | |
| Conservative | William Simpson-Hinchliffe | 3,877 | 39.1 | â3.3 | |
| Majority | 2,172 | 21.8 | +6.6 | ||
| Turnout | 9,926 | 80.6 | +0.6 | ||
| Liberal hold | Swing | +3.3 | |||
Aftermath
At the following General Election the result was:
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Liberal | John Sharp Higham | 6,482 | 61.6 | +0.7 | |
| Conservative | William Simpson-Hinchliffe | 4,034 | 38.4 | â0.7 | |
| Majority | 2,448 | 23.2 | +1.4 | ||
| Turnout | 10,516 | 84.2 | +3.6 | ||
| Liberal hold | Swing | +0.7 | |||