Rossendale by-election, 1892
Encyclopedia
The Rossendale by-election, 1892 was a parliamentary by-election
held for the British House of Commons
constituency of Rossendale
in Lancashire
on 23 January 1892. It was one of the most important political contests in the struggle over Irish Home Rule and a pointer to the outcome of the 1892 general election
which took place in July.
MP, the Marquess of Hartington
on the death of his father the Duke of Devonshire
. Hartington had been the MP for Rossendale since 1885
. He was elected first as a Liberal
and had formerly represented a number of other constituencies. He was a former leader of the Liberal Party but split with Gladstone
over the issue of Irish Home Rule and was re-elected as a Liberal Unionist in Rossendale in 1886
.
, to stand ready to be their Parliamentary candidate should the need occur. The Duke did not pass away until 23 December. Brooks was a retired colliery and quarry owner, with his sons now looking after the family businesses. He was a member of the Church of England
.
as their representative. Maden was only 28 years old and was a cotton spinner and manufacturer, employing local people in Bacup
. He was a Wesleyan
by religion.
being determined to make the most of being a Methodist in a strongly nonconformist constituency.
Towards the end of the campaign the Irish question was revisited strongly when Gladstone sent a letter of support to Maden in which he made some personal attacks on Hartington for his role in the downfall of his government in 1886. Hartington, now the Duke of Devonshire, was obliged to defend himself publicly despite the convention that peers
did not interfere in contests for the Commons. The letter and the reaction it provoked probably arrived too late in the campaign to affect the outcome.
wing of the Unionist coalition. The Liberals later made play of Brooks’ election colours by issuing a placard of four colours, red, blue, green and yellow – with the words “Rossendale’s puzzle – Which is Tom’s colour?” Generally the Unionists on the campaign trail sported rosettes of patriotic red, white and blue. Both candidates had their portraits taken and distributed them to the electors and a considerable quantity of election literature was made available to voters. By the end of January it was reported that “Election literature is daily increasing in volume and letters [of support from prominent people] almost without end are pouring into the constituency”.
, himself a by-election winner in 1890, was one of the MPs who came to speak for Maden. Maden also secured the defection from the Liberal Unionist camp of the Mayor
of Haslingden
, Mr T B Hamilton who was also a prominent nonconformist. With Rawtenstall
and Crawshawbooth
thought to be predominantly Unionist and Bacup
solidly Liberal, the electors of Haslingden were proving to be the key constituency. In reply however Brooks secured the support of the former Mayor of Bacup, Alderman George Shepherd, who was always previously identified as a staunch Gladstonian.
When the nomination papers were handed in on 19 January, the Unionists presented 20 papers with about 200 signatures in all. Maden’s supporters handed in 12 nomination papers but he was able to show that his papers had been signed by the Mayors of the three boroughs making up the constituency.
, announced that Maden was the winner by a majority of 1,225 votes.
By-election
A by-election is an election held to fill a political office that has become vacant between regularly scheduled elections....
held for the British House of Commons
British House of Commons
The House of Commons is the lower house of the Parliament of the United Kingdom, which also comprises the Sovereign and the House of Lords . Both Commons and Lords meet in the Palace of Westminster. The Commons is a democratically elected body, consisting of 650 members , who are known as Members...
constituency of Rossendale
Rossendale (UK Parliament constituency)
Rossendale was a parliamentary constituency in the Lancashire, England. Created in 1885, it elected one Member of Parliament to the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom, elected by the first-past-the-post voting system...
in Lancashire
Lancashire
Lancashire is a non-metropolitan county of historic origin in the North West of England. It takes its name from the city of Lancaster, and is sometimes known as the County of Lancaster. Although Lancaster is still considered to be the county town, Lancashire County Council is based in Preston...
on 23 January 1892. It was one of the most important political contests in the struggle over Irish Home Rule and a pointer to the outcome of the 1892 general election
United Kingdom general election, 1892
The 1892 United Kingdom general election was held from 4 July to 26 July 1892. It saw the Conservatives, led by Lord Salisbury, win the greatest number of seats, but not enough for an overall majority as William Ewart Gladstone's Liberals won many more seats than in the 1886 general election...
which took place in July.
Vacancy
The by-election was caused by the succession to the peerage of the sitting Liberal Unionist PartyLiberal Unionist Party
The Liberal Unionist Party was a British political party that was formed in 1886 by a faction that broke away from the Liberal Party. Led by Lord Hartington and Joseph Chamberlain, the party formed a political alliance with the Conservative Party in opposition to Irish Home Rule...
MP, the Marquess of Hartington
Spencer Cavendish, 8th Duke of Devonshire
Spencer Compton Cavendish, 8th Duke of Devonshire KG, GCVO, PC, PC , styled Lord Cavendish of Keighley between 1834 and 1858 and Marquess of Hartington between 1858 and 1891, was a British statesman...
on the death of his father the Duke of Devonshire
Duke of Devonshire
Duke of Devonshire is a title in the peerage of England held by members of the Cavendish family. This branch of the Cavendish family has been one of the richest and most influential aristocratic families in England since the 16th century, and have been rivalled in political influence perhaps only...
. Hartington had been the MP for Rossendale since 1885
United Kingdom general election, 1885
-Seats summary:-See also:*List of MPs elected in the United Kingdom general election, 1885*Parliamentary Franchise in the United Kingdom 1885–1918*Representation of the People Act 1884*Redistribution of Seats Act 1885-References:...
. He was elected first as a Liberal
Liberal Party (UK)
The Liberal Party was one of the two major political parties of the United Kingdom during the 19th and early 20th centuries. It was a third party of negligible importance throughout the latter half of the 20th Century, before merging with the Social Democratic Party in 1988 to form the present day...
and had formerly represented a number of other constituencies. He was a former leader of the Liberal Party but split with Gladstone
William Ewart Gladstone
William Ewart Gladstone FRS FSS was a British Liberal statesman. In a career lasting over sixty years, he served as Prime Minister four separate times , more than any other person. Gladstone was also Britain's oldest Prime Minister, 84 years old when he resigned for the last time...
over the issue of Irish Home Rule and was re-elected as a Liberal Unionist in Rossendale in 1886
United Kingdom general election, 1886
-Seats summary:-See also:*MPs elected in the UK general election, 1886*The Parliamentary Franchise in the United Kingdom 1885-1918-References:*F. W. S. Craig, British Electoral Facts: 1832-1987**...
.
Liberal Unionists
The health of the Duke of Devonshire must have been giving some cause for concern because in December 1891 the Rossendale Liberal Unionists asked their President and former chairman, Sir Thomas BrooksThomas Brooks, 1st Baron Crawshaw
Thomas Brooks, 1st Baron Crawshaw was a British peer.Brooks was the son of John Brooks, a quarry owner, of Crawshaw Hall, Lancashire. He served as High Sheriff of Lancashire in 1884...
, to stand ready to be their Parliamentary candidate should the need occur. The Duke did not pass away until 23 December. Brooks was a retired colliery and quarry owner, with his sons now looking after the family businesses. He was a member of the Church of England
Church of England
The Church of England is the officially established Christian church in England and the Mother Church of the worldwide Anglican Communion. The church considers itself within the tradition of Western Christianity and dates its formal establishment principally to the mission to England by St...
.
Liberals
The Gladstonian Liberals selected John Henry MadenJohn Henry Maden
Sir John Henry Maden was a British Liberal Party politician. He was elected Member of Parliament for Rossendale in 1892, resigning in 1900 by becoming Steward of the Manor of Northstead...
as their representative. Maden was only 28 years old and was a cotton spinner and manufacturer, employing local people in Bacup
Bacup
Bacup is a town within the Rossendale borough of Lancashire, England. It is located amongst the South Pennines, along Lancashire's eastern boundary with West Yorkshire. The town sits within a rural setting in the Forest of Rossendale, amongst the steep-sided upper-Irwell Valley, through which the...
. He was a Wesleyan
Wesleyanism
Wesleyanism or Wesleyan theology refers, respectively, to either the eponymous movement of Protestant Christians who have historically sought to follow the methods or theology of the eighteenth-century evangelical reformers, John Wesley and his brother Charles Wesley, or to the likewise eponymous...
by religion.
Issues
Brooks stated early that Home Rule was the political issue which he proposed to place at the forefront of his election campaign and it was generally believed that this was the question on which the outcome of the election would turn. Brooks said he favoured the extension of local government arrangements to Ireland but Maden was an advocate of an Irish Parliament with legislative and statutory powers. and believed that the tide of opinion opposing Home Rule which had swept Hartington back in as a Unionist in 1886 had now swung round in favour of the reform. Both candidates appealed to the electors as reformers on the land question and in relation to the licensing laws. Both were in favour of electoral reform on the principle of one-man-one-vote. Maden proposed disestablishment of the Anglican Church in Scotland as well as in WalesChurch in Wales
The Church in Wales is the Anglican church in Wales, composed of six dioceses.As with the primus of the Scottish Episcopal Church, the Archbishop of Wales serves concurrently as one of the six diocesan bishops. The current archbishop is Barry Morgan, the Bishop of Llandaff.In contrast to the...
being determined to make the most of being a Methodist in a strongly nonconformist constituency.
Towards the end of the campaign the Irish question was revisited strongly when Gladstone sent a letter of support to Maden in which he made some personal attacks on Hartington for his role in the downfall of his government in 1886. Hartington, now the Duke of Devonshire, was obliged to defend himself publicly despite the convention that peers
Peerage
The Peerage is a legal system of largely hereditary titles in the United Kingdom, which constitute the ranks of British nobility and is part of the British honours system...
did not interfere in contests for the Commons. The letter and the reaction it provoked probably arrived too late in the campaign to affect the outcome.
Colours
Both Liberal Unionists and Liberals printed their election addresses in red, the traditional Liberal colour in the area, although Brooks’ committee room posters had to be printed in red and blue to appease the ConservativeConservative Party (UK)
The Conservative Party, formally the Conservative and Unionist Party, is a centre-right political party in the United Kingdom that adheres to the philosophies of conservatism and British unionism. It is the largest political party in the UK, and is currently the largest single party in the House...
wing of the Unionist coalition. The Liberals later made play of Brooks’ election colours by issuing a placard of four colours, red, blue, green and yellow – with the words “Rossendale’s puzzle – Which is Tom’s colour?” Generally the Unionists on the campaign trail sported rosettes of patriotic red, white and blue. Both candidates had their portraits taken and distributed them to the electors and a considerable quantity of election literature was made available to voters. By the end of January it was reported that “Election literature is daily increasing in volume and letters [of support from prominent people] almost without end are pouring into the constituency”.
Dirty tricks
Both sides were accused of electioneering and ‘dirty tricks’. Maden’s supporters were accused of publishing a voting card alleging that Brooks lived in Leicester whereas Brooks’ supporters countered that people knew he had lived in Rossendale all his life. Brooks’ people were said to have spread a false rumour that Maden paid his weavers at under the going rate, whereas Maden claimed they were paid at a higher rate than the Rossendale Valley average.Canvassing
Registration agents were brought in from neighbouring constituencies and the work of preparing canvass books was initiated in anticipation of the later constant canvassing of opinion that took place. The campaign was quite a lengthy one by the standards of the day but this was because the parties wished to allow the funeral of the old Duke of Devonshire to pass before campaigning proper got under way with the moving of the formal election writ and because of the intervention of the Christmas and New Year holidays.Party mood
Although Hartington had held the seat at the previous election with a good majority much of that could be put down to personal factors. Brooks had however inherited an efficient political and electoral organisation, so the result was in the balance. Maden had strong local connections and had been cultivating the constituency for some time. It was reported that the Liberal mood changed during the course of the campaign from an early feeling that victory was inevitable to one of doubt over the result, whereas the Unionist spirit was on the up as the campaign progressed .Supporters
Both candidates had the support of other local MPs and political figures from the region and outside. David Lloyd GeorgeDavid Lloyd George
David Lloyd George, 1st Earl Lloyd-George of Dwyfor OM, PC was a British Liberal politician and statesman...
, himself a by-election winner in 1890, was one of the MPs who came to speak for Maden. Maden also secured the defection from the Liberal Unionist camp of the Mayor
Mayor
In many countries, a Mayor is the highest ranking officer in the municipal government of a town or a large urban city....
of Haslingden
Haslingden
Haslingden is a small town in Rossendale, Lancashire, England. It is north of Manchester. The name means 'valley of the hazels', though the town is in fact set on a high and windy hill. In the early 20th century Haslingden had the status of a municipal borough, but following local government...
, Mr T B Hamilton who was also a prominent nonconformist. With Rawtenstall
Rawtenstall
Rawtenstall is a town at the centre of the Rossendale Valley, in Lancashire, England. It is the seat for the Borough of Rossendale, in which it is located. The town lies 18 miles north of Manchester, 22 miles east of the county town of Preston and 45 miles south east of Lancaster...
and Crawshawbooth
Crawshawbooth
Crawshawbooth is a small village on the edge of the Pennine Hills in England just north of the market town of Rawtenstall, Lancashire, and just south of Loveclough. It is part of the valley of Rossendale, an ancient royal hunting ground...
thought to be predominantly Unionist and Bacup
Bacup
Bacup is a town within the Rossendale borough of Lancashire, England. It is located amongst the South Pennines, along Lancashire's eastern boundary with West Yorkshire. The town sits within a rural setting in the Forest of Rossendale, amongst the steep-sided upper-Irwell Valley, through which the...
solidly Liberal, the electors of Haslingden were proving to be the key constituency. In reply however Brooks secured the support of the former Mayor of Bacup, Alderman George Shepherd, who was always previously identified as a staunch Gladstonian.
Irish and mining voters
There were estimated to be up 700 voters of Irish origin in the constituency but not all would vote in favour of Home Rule and in support of Maden. In particular, Brooks’ quarry enterprises employed a large number of Irish labourers who were expected to support their employers. Maden had made of point of stating publicly that he did not expect the men who worked for him to vote for him automatically but according to their own consciences. Another key constituency were the local miners who were identified as solidly behind the Liberal cause.By-election weather
The winter weather was not kind to the candidates, with snow falling frequently, and snow and frost causing blocked roads and other problems. This was followed by the descent of thick fog. Despite these difficulties, public meetings were apparently well attended with audiences in the range of 500-1,500 even in out of the way places.When the nomination papers were handed in on 19 January, the Unionists presented 20 papers with about 200 signatures in all. Maden’s supporters handed in 12 nomination papers but he was able to show that his papers had been signed by the Mayors of the three boroughs making up the constituency.
Election day
The weather played its part on election day. A heavy mist hung over the constituency all day, only to give way in the evening to drizzling rain but for both sides there was so much at stake that there was no let up in electioneering and efforts to get supporters to the polls. This was evidently successful as it was estimated that around a 96% turnout had been achieved.The result
Unfortunately for the Liberals, Maden was unwell in the last few days of the campaign and while he was briefly able to appear in public on the morning of polling day, he could not make it to the count at the Mechanics' Institute at Bacup where at about midnight on 25 January the Returning Officer, Colonel William Foster, High Sheriff of LancashireHigh Sheriff of Lancashire
The High Sheriff of Lancashire is an ancient officer, now largely ceremonial, granted to Lancashire, a county in North West England. High Shrievalties are the oldest secular titles under the Crown, in England and Wales...
, announced that Maden was the winner by a majority of 1,225 votes.
The votes
----See also
- List of United Kingdom by-elections
- United Kingdom by-election recordsUnited Kingdom by-election recordsUK by-election records is an annotated list of notable records from UK Parliamentary by-elections. A by-election occurs when a Member of Parliament resigns, dies, or is disqualified or expelled, and an election is held to fill the vacant seat...