1911 Barnstaple by-election
UK parliamentary by-election
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The 1911 Barnstaple by-election was a Parliamentary by-election held on 6 May 1911.[1] It returned one Member of Parliament (MP) to the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom, elected by the first past the post voting system.
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6 May 1911
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Previous result
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Liberal | Ernest Soares | 6,047 | 54.0 | +0.2 | |
| Liberal Unionist | Charles Sandbach Parker | 5,155 | 46.0 | â0.2 | |
| Majority | 892 | 8.0 | +0.4 | ||
| Turnout | 11,202 | 85.3 | â3.0 | ||
| Liberal hold | Swing | +0.2 | |||
Candidates
The Liberal candidate was Sir Godfrey Baring, a 40-year-old Eton educated former Liberal MP from the Isle of Wight. He had sat for the Isle of Wight from 1906 until his defeat in January 1910. At the December 1910 general election he had contested Devonport . He was the chairman of the Isle of Wight County Council.
The Unionist candidate was Charles Sandbach Parker, an Ayrshire-based 47-year-old Chairman and Managing Director of Demerara Co. who had been educated at Eton and Oxford. He had contested Barnstaple at the December 1910 general election.
Result
The Liberal Party held the seat.
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Liberal | Godfrey Baring | 6,239 | 52.0 | â2.0 | |
| Liberal Unionist | Charles Sandbach Parker | 5,751 | 48.0 | +2.0 | |
| Majority | 488 | 4.0 | â4.0 | ||
| Turnout | 11,990 | 88.2 | +2.9 | ||
| Liberal hold | Swing | -2.0 | |||
Aftermath
Baring chose not to defend his seat and instead sought re-election for his old Isle of Wight seat.
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Liberal | Tudor Rees | 11,281 | 51.4 | â0.6 | |
| Unionist | Charles Sandbach Parker | 10,679 | 48.6 | +0.6 | |
| Majority | 602 | 2.8 | â1.2 | ||
| Turnout | 21,960 | 69.1 | â19.1 | ||
| Liberal hold | Swing | -0.6 | |||