The 1911 Wellington by-election was held on 21 July 1911.[1] The vacancy came about when the sitting MP Sir Alexander Fuller-Acland-Hood was elevated to the peerage. The by-election was won by the Conservative candidate Dennis Boles.

Vacancy

Sir Alexander Fuller-Acland-Hood had been Conservative MP for Wellington, Somerset since 1892.[2] The seat had been Conservative since it was gained from the Liberals in 1886. He was raised to the peerage as Baron St Audries, of St Audries in the County of Somerset and given a seat in the House of Lords.

Electoral history

Acland-Hood was returned at the last election unopposed. In the previous election before that the result was;

General election January 1910: Wellington
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Alexander Fuller-Acland-Hood 5,216 55.7 +4.2
Liberal W. King 4,150 44.3 -4.2
Majority 1,066 11.4 +8.4
Turnout 9,366 90.9 +2.1
Conservative hold Swing +4.2

Candidates

Devonian Dennis Boles was chosen by the Conservatives to defend the seat, having never stood for parliament before. The Liberals chose C.H. Dudley Ward, who had stood here in 1906.

Result

The seat was held for the Conservative Party by Dennis Boles.

Wellington by-election, 1911 [3]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Dennis Boles 5,025 53.2 N/A
Liberal Charles Humble Dudley Ward 4,421 46.8 New
Majority 604 6.4 N/A
Turnout 9,446 88.3 N/A
Conservative hold Swing N/A

Aftermath

A General Election was due to take place by the end of 1915. By the autumn of 1914, the following candidates had been adopted to contest that election. Due to the outbreak of war, the election never took place;

Following boundary changes the seat was abolished and mostly replaced by Taunton

General election 1918: Taunton
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Unionist Dennis Boles 12,619 72.4
Labour George Woods 4,816 27.6
Majority 7,803 44.8
Turnout 17,435
Unionist win (new seat)
  • Boles was the endorsed candidate of the Coalition Government.

References

  1. ↑ Craig, F.W.S. (1987). Chronology of British Parliamentary By-elections 1833–1987. Chichester: Parliamentary Research Services. p. 105.
  2. ↑ "Mr Alexander Acland-Hood". They work for you. Retrieved 9 September 2012.
  3. ↑ British Parliamentary Election Results 1885-1918, FWS Craig
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