1904 Birmingham South by-election

The Birmingham South by-election was a Parliamentary by-election held on 26 February 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.

The seat had become vacant following the death of the incumbent Liberal Unionist MP, Joseph Powell Williams on 7 February 1904.[2] Powell Williams had been Member of Parliament for the constituency since 1885.

Candidates

The Liberal Unionist candidate was 37-year-old Charles Howard, Viscount Morpeth. He was the eldest son of the Earl of Carlisle. He was educated at Rugby and Balliol College, Oxford. He joined the British Army, achieved the rank of Captain in the 3rd Border Regiment and served in the Second Boer War. He had contested Chester-le-Street in 1895, Hexham in 1900, and Gateshead at the by-election in January 1904.[3]

The Liberal Party candidate was James Hirst Hollowell. Hollowell was the secretary of the Northern Counties Education League.[4][5] The League supported free, non-sectarian education.[6] Hollowell was a former Congregationalist minister.[7][8][9] He lived at Castlemere, Rochdale.[5][10]

Result
1904 Birmingham South by-election[11][12][13]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Unionist Viscount Morpeth 5,299 70.4 N/A
Liberal James Hirst Hollowell 2,223 29.6 New
Majority 3,076 40.8 N/A
Turnout 7,522 62.8 N/A
Registered electors 11,984
Liberal Unionist hold Swing N/A

References
  1. Craig, F.W.S. (1987). Chronology of British Parliamentary By-elections 1833–1987. Chichester: Parliamentary Research Services. p. 98.
  2. "Obituary. Mr. Powell Williams, M.P." The Sydney Morning Herald. Sydney. 9 February 1904. p. 8. Retrieved 13 March 2023.
  3. 'CARLISLE', Who Was Who, A & C Black, an imprint of Bloomsbury Publishing plc, 1920–2016; online edn, Oxford University Press, 2014 ; online edn, April 2014 accessed 5 Jan 2017
  4. Ward, Roger (Spring 2014). "The Strange Death of Liberal Birmingham" (PDF). Journal of Liberal History (82): 16–25. Retrieved 13 March 2023.
  5. "Death of the Rev. J. Hirst Hollowell". Weekly Mail. 1 January 1910. p. 1. Retrieved 13 March 2023.
  6. Treasure, Ian Clements (1994). The Liberal education bills: conflict and compromise in religious issues and Liberal Party educational policies 1906-1908 (PDF) (PhD). The Open University. pp. 335–336. Retrieved 13 March 2023.
  7. "Craven through the years". Telegraph & Angus. Bradford. 31 October 2002. Retrieved 13 March 2023.
  8. "South Birmingham election" (PDF). Teesdale Mercury. Barnard Castle. 2 March 1904. p. 2. Retrieved 13 March 2023.
  9. "New Member for South Birmingham". The Kalgoorlie Western Argus. Kalgoorlie. 19 April 1904. p. 41. Retrieved 14 March 2023.
  10. "Letter from Rev. J. Hirst Hollowell, Northern Counties Education League, to John Redmond regarding the position of religious schools". National Library of Ireland. 28 March 1904. Retrieved 13 March 2023.
  11. Craig, F.W.S. (1974). British Parliamentary Election Results 1885-1918. London and Basingstoke: Palgrave Macmillan. p. 74. ISBN 978-1-349-02300-4.
  12. The Liberal Year Book for 1908. London: The Liberal Publication Department. 1908. pp. 218–219.
  13. The Constitutional Year Book for 1919. London: National Unionist Association. 1919. p. 291.
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