1904 East Dorset by-election
 | ||||||||||||||||
| ||||||||||||||||
| ||||||||||||||||
| ||||||||||||||||
The 1904 East Dorset by-election was a Parliamentary by-election held on 16 March 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.
Vacancy[edit]
Hon. Humphrey Sturt had been Conservative MP for the seat of East Dorset since the 1891 By-Election. His succession to the peerage as Baron Alington came on 17 February 1904.
Electoral history[edit]
The seat had been Conservative since they gained it in 1886. They held the seat at the last election:
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Conservative | Humphrey Sturt | 4,776 | 50.5 | N/A | |
| Liberal | Arthur Acland Allen | 4,680 | 49.5 | New | |
| Majority | 96 | 1.0 | N/A | ||
| Turnout | 9,456 | 81.4 | N/A | ||
| Conservative hold | Swing | N/A | |||
Candidates[edit]
The local Conservative Association selected 47-year-old Charles Van Raalte as their candidate to defend the seat. He was Mayor of Poole in 1903.[3] Van Raalte was of Dutch descent and lived locally on Brownsea Island.[4]
The local Liberal Association selected 29-year-old Hon. Charles Lyell as their candidate to gain the seat. Lyell was commissioned as a lieutenant in the Forfar and Kincardine Artillery Militia in 1900.[5]
Campaign[edit]
Polling Day was fixed for 16 March 1904, 27 days after the previous MP went to the Lords.
Result[edit]
The Liberals gained the seat from the Conservatives:
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Liberal | Charles Henry Lyell | 5,929 | 53.7 | +4.2 | |
| Conservative | Charles E. Van Raalte | 5,109 | 46.3 | -4.2 | |
| Majority | 820 | 7.4 | N/A | ||
| Turnout | 11,038 | 87.0 | +5.6 | ||
| Liberal gain from Conservative | Swing | +4.2 | |||
Aftermath[edit]
At the following General Election the result was:
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Liberal | Charles Henry Lyell | 6,104 | 50.1 | -3.6 | |
| Conservative | Charles E. Van Raalte | 6,083 | 49.9 | +3.6 | |
| Majority | 21 | 0.2 | -6.2 | ||
| Turnout | 12,187 | 89.9 | +2.9 | ||
| Liberal hold | Swing | -3.6 | |||
References[edit]
- ^ Craig, F.W.S. (1987). Chronology of British Parliamentary By-elections 1833–1987. Chichester: Parliamentary Research Services. p. 98.
- ^ British parliamentary election results 1885-1918 by Craig
- ^ Who Was Who
- ^ "Primrose League visit to Brownsea Island". The Primrose League.
- ^ Who Was Who
- ^ British parliamentary election results 1885-1918 by Craig
- ^ British parliamentary election results 1885-1918 by Craig