1914 Londonderry City by-election

The 1914 Londonderry City by-election was a Parliamentary by-election held on 30 November 1914.[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.

Liberal Sir James Brown Dougherty was elected unopposed. Dougherty was the last Liberal MP elected in Ireland.[2]

Vacancy

James Hamilton, Marquis of Hamilton had been elected as a Unionist in the 1910 general election, facing Nationalist opposition. He then succeeded to the Dukedom of Abercorn, resulting in the 1913 Londonderry City by-election, where the Roman Catholic hierarchy supported the Liberal David Hogg, a 73-year-old local shirt manufacturer, the Lord Lieutenant of County Londonderry and a Protestant.[3] Hogg died in August 1914 and the by-election was called for 30 November. Though the constituency was nominally marginal, an All-Party truce agreed following the outbreak of the First World War led to the other parties agreeing not to contest the seat and allow the Liberal Party to retain it.[4] The press opined that the by-election would have been an exciting contest had there not been the all-party agreement.[5]

Previous result

By-Election 30 January 1913: Londonderry City Electorate
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal David Cleghorn Hogg 2,699 50.5 New
Irish Unionist Hercules Pakenham 2,642 49.5 −1.6
Majority 57 1.0 N/A
Turnout 5,341 97.6 +4.4
Liberal gain from Irish Unionist Swing

Candidate

The Liberals selected Sir James Brown Dougherty as their candidate.[5] Dougherty was a Presbyterian Church in Ireland minister, a professor of Logic and English, and a civil servant.[6]

Result

By-Election 30 November 1914: Londonderry City Electorate
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal James Brown Dougherty Unopposed[7] N/A N/A
Liberal hold

Aftermath

Dougherty did not stand in the 1918 United Kingdom general election, when the seat was won by Eoin MacNeill of Sinn Féin in a contested election against Unionist and Nationalist candidates.[4]

References

  1. ^ Walker, Brian Mercer (1978). Parliamentary Election Results in Ireland, 1801-1922. Dublin: Royal Irish Academy. p. 183. ISBN 0-901714-12-7.
  2. ^ "Farr James Wood" (PDF). www.liberalhistory.org.uk. Archived from the original (PDF) on 17 October 2013. Retrieved 30 April 2025.
  3. ^ Lacy, Brian (1991). Siege city: the story of Derry and Londonderry. Blackstaff Press. ISBN 9780856404436.
  4. ^ a b "On this day 30-11-1914". Journal of Liberal History. Retrieved 30 April 2025.
  5. ^ a b "BRITISH POLITICS". The Advertiser. 2 December 1914. Retrieved 30 April 2025 – via Trove.
  6. ^ "SIR JAMES DOUGHERTY DIES IN ENGLAND AT 89; Prominent Educator Had Been for Many Years a Political Leader in Ireland". The New York Times. 4 January 1934. p. 19. Retrieved 30 April 2025.
  7. ^ Debrett's House of Commons 1918 p 249
  • Craig, F. W. S. (1974). British parliamentary election results 1885-1918 (1 ed.). London: Macmillan.
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