Shrewsbury by-election, 1913
Encyclopedia
The Shewsbury by-election, 1913 was a parliamentary by-election
held in England in April 1913 to elect a new Member of Parliament
(MP) for the borough of Shrewsbury
in Shropshire
.
Shrewsbury had been elected only Conservative Party
MPs to the House of Commons since 1885, and the by-election was won by the Conservative candidate George Butler Lloyd.
led to pneumonia
and pleurisy
. A diplomat for 40 years before entering politics, he had held the seat since the 1906 general election
.
and Cambridge
-educated banker whose home was at Shelton Hall
, near Shrewsbury. Butler Lloyd was an alderman
of Shrewsbury Corporation and had twice been mayor of Shrewsbury.
The local Liberal Party
was keen to field as a candidate Thomas Pace, who had contested the seat in December 1910 as a Liberal-Labour
candidate, but party headquarters regarded a contest as inexpedient. When nominations closed on 19 April, Butler Lloyd faced only one opponent, the independent
candidate J. Robert Morris.
spoke on behalf on Morris at a meeting of thousands of people in the town, where the principal speakers for Butler Lloyd were Henry Page Croft
MP and William Bridgeman MP.
of Shrewsbury was abolished at the 1918 general election
, but was replaced by a larger county division of the same, where Butler Lloyd was re-elected. He retired from the House of Commons at the 1922 general election
.
By-election
A by-election is an election held to fill a political office that has become vacant between regularly scheduled elections....
held in England in April 1913 to elect a new Member of Parliament
Member of Parliament
A Member of Parliament is a representative of the voters to a :parliament. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, the term applies specifically to members of the lower house, as upper houses often have a different title, such as senate, and thus also have different titles for its members,...
(MP) for the borough of Shrewsbury
Shrewsbury (UK Parliament constituency)
Shrewsbury was a parliamentary constituency in England, centred on the town of Shrewsbury in Shropshire.It was founded in 1290 as parliamentary borough, returning two members to the House of Commons of England until 1707, then of the House of Commons of Great Britain from 1707 to 1800, and of the...
in Shropshire
Shropshire
Shropshire is a county in the West Midlands region of England. For Eurostat purposes, the county is a NUTS 3 region and is one of four counties or unitary districts that comprise the "Shropshire and Staffordshire" NUTS 2 region. It borders Wales to the west...
.
Shrewsbury had been elected only Conservative Party
Conservative 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...
MPs to the House of Commons since 1885, and the by-election was won by the Conservative candidate George Butler Lloyd.
Vacancy
The seat had become vacant when Shrewsbury's Conservative MP Sir Clement Hill died aged 67 on 9 April 1913, after a bout of influenzaInfluenza
Influenza, commonly referred to as the flu, is an infectious disease caused by RNA viruses of the family Orthomyxoviridae , that affects birds and mammals...
led to pneumonia
Pneumonia
Pneumonia is an inflammatory condition of the lung—especially affecting the microscopic air sacs —associated with fever, chest symptoms, and a lack of air space on a chest X-ray. Pneumonia is typically caused by an infection but there are a number of other causes...
and pleurisy
Pleurisy
Pleurisy is an inflammation of the pleura, the lining of the pleural cavity surrounding the lungs. Among other things, infections are the most common cause of pleurisy....
. A diplomat for 40 years before entering politics, he had held the seat since the 1906 general election
United Kingdom general election, 1906
-Seats summary:-See also:*MPs elected in the United Kingdom general election, 1906*The Parliamentary Franchise in the United Kingdom 1885-1918-External links:***-References:*F. W. S. Craig, British Electoral Facts: 1832-1987**...
.
Candidates
The Conservative candidate was George Butler Lloyd, a MarlboroughMarlborough College
Marlborough College is a British co-educational independent school for day and boarding pupils, located in Marlborough, Wiltshire.Founded in 1843 for the education of the sons of Church of England clergy, the school now accepts both boys and girls of all beliefs. Currently there are just over 800...
and Cambridge
St John's College, Cambridge
St John's College is a constituent college of the University of Cambridge. The college's alumni include nine Nobel Prize winners, six Prime Ministers, three archbishops, at least two princes, and three Saints....
-educated banker whose home was at Shelton Hall
Shelton, Shropshire
Shelton is a suburb of Shrewsbury in Shropshire, England.It was once a village of its own, but the town of Shrewsbury has grown steadily in the area since the 1950s...
, near Shrewsbury. Butler Lloyd was an alderman
Alderman
An alderman is a member of a municipal assembly or council in many jurisdictions founded upon English law. The term may be titular, denoting a high-ranking member of a borough or county council, a council member chosen by the elected members themselves rather than by popular vote, or a council...
of Shrewsbury Corporation and had twice been mayor of Shrewsbury.
The local Liberal Party
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...
was keen to field as a candidate Thomas Pace, who had contested the seat in December 1910 as a Liberal-Labour
Liberal-Labour
Liberal-Labour may refer to:* Liberal-Labour * Liberal-Labour...
candidate, but party headquarters regarded a contest as inexpedient. When nominations closed on 19 April, Butler Lloyd faced only one opponent, the independent
Independent (politician)
In politics, an independent or non-party politician is an individual not affiliated to any political party. Independents may hold a centrist viewpoint between those of major political parties, a viewpoint more extreme than any major party, or they may have a viewpoint based on issues that they do...
candidate J. Robert Morris.
The campaign
On 21 April, the eve of polling, the former MP Horatio BottomleyHoratio Bottomley
Horatio William Bottomley was a British financier, swindler, journalist, newspaper proprietor, populist politician and Member of Parliament .-Early life:...
spoke on behalf on Morris at a meeting of thousands of people in the town, where the principal speakers for Butler Lloyd were Henry Page Croft
Henry Page Croft, 1st Baron Croft
Henry Page Croft, 1st Baron Croft was a British Conservative Party politician.-Early life and family:He was born at Fanhams Hall in Ware, Hertfordshire, England. He was the son of Richard Benyon Croft a naval officer and a major benefactor of the Richard Hale School, and Anne Elizabeth...
MP and William Bridgeman MP.
Result
Polling took place on 22 April, and Butler Lloyd held the seat with a slightly increased majority of 685 votes (16.6% of the total).Aftermath
Butler Lloyd held the seat for nine years. The parliamentary boroughParliamentary borough
Parliamentary boroughs are a type of administrative division, usually covering urban areas, that are entitled to representation in a Parliament...
of Shrewsbury was abolished at the 1918 general election
United Kingdom general election, 1918
The United Kingdom general election of 1918 was the first to be held after the Representation of the People Act 1918, which meant it was the first United Kingdom general election in which nearly all adult men and some women could vote. Polling was held on 14 December 1918, although the count did...
, but was replaced by a larger county division of the same, where Butler Lloyd was re-elected. He retired from the House of Commons at the 1922 general election
United Kingdom general election, 1922
The United Kingdom general election of 1922 was held on 15 November 1922. It was the first election held after most of the Irish counties left the United Kingdom to form the Irish Free State, and was won by Andrew Bonar Law's Conservatives, who gained an overall majority over Labour, led by John...
.